Stories

Helen Fischer (Hender) YHS 1967
More Memories of Yallourn...
Most of the houses in Yallourn had a front fence consisting of wire with a wooden rail on top - this was great for us kids to walk along the fences! In winter, walking to school when it was cold and frosty, the frost would build up on the wooden rails - we used to scrape this off with gloved hands and try to make "snowballs" and throw them at each other. Did anyone else do this??? All the kids would wear gumboots to school and change in to their slippers to go in to the classroom. Long navy raincoats with a hood… more

Barbara Elliott (Park) YHS 1950: I would like to add to my thoughts and memories on Sonja Bates (Ostlund), a true friend to so many. We had a close association in my early days when originally I lived in Broadway West, just a block from the Ostlund home. A family who lived next door to them (the Watson’s) moved from Yallourn and gave us their little dog, Terry, a black mixed terrier. When we moved to Boola Crescent up on the hill, dear little Terry would move between our new home and Ostlund’s - three days at our place, four at theirs and fed at both respectively. As Terry got older, he… more

Alec Bacon YTS 1945-1952 ...
I have had a very fortunate life for a Tanjil South boy who rode a 28” Malvern Star bike 10 miles per day to Moe and back to catch the Yallourn bus when I was only 11…then to catch the Erica bus for two years before being picked up at the door by the Hill End bus.
George Bates and I shared the Senior Athletics Championship at Yallourn Tech in 1950. Stan Ostlund was well known to me at the time as were Ian Collins, Fred Marr, Colin Harvey, Bruce King, Irving Stevens, Jack Wilson, Brian Sullivan, Peter Spurrier, Trevor Whitmore, Teddy Beulke and… more

Yallourn – was it part of my imagination or did it really exist?
by Stefan Tomasz YHS 1957

I am always interested to read the reflections of people who either lived in Yallourn or attended Yallourn High School. I wonder if those of my era can relate to my memories?

Today there is scant physical evidence that a thriving town of over what, 4000 people? used to nestle in the Latrobe Valley Sure, bits and pieces of the place – such as the bust of Sir John Monash - can be found around the Valley like relics left on a battlefield, but the town itself, the open cut and the… more

Graham Peters YHS 1970 wrote about:
“Dogs in Yallourn” (Photo attached)
At a distance of fifty years, dogs seemed to play a big part in Yallourn life. My earliest memories include frequent dogs. Two small, friendly terriers constantly attended Mrs Ethel Hill, a kindly old lady living at 9 Latrobe Avenue, opposite the High School, as she poked apparently permanent bonfires of autumn leaves with her walking stick.
We had a regrettably short-lived Border Collie / Kelpie cross beloved by my mother and critically injured when hit by a passing SEC truck. He was dispatched with… more

CHILDHOOD REFLECTIONS – 10 Years in YALLOURN from 1932 to 1942
by Graham Beanland YTS 1942 Our move to Yallourn in 1932, soon after I was born, followed dad’s appointment as Principal of Yallourn Tech, when the school consisted of three small timber cottages in Narracan Avenue and had only three other full time teaching staff. The family lived initially in Ridgeway West, moving in 1934 to live at 29 Latrobe Avenue on the corner of Reservoir Road. My only memory of Ridgeway West was time spent in a pale blue fish-shaped rocking horse on the back veranda. Another early recollection… more

Linda Apakian (Hamilton) YHS 1961 wrote:
Wagging it in the ‘60’s

This story involves myself and Wendy Parker (now Surman) while at Yallourn High School from 1961–1964.

Every Wednesday afternoon was ‘Sports Day’ which, of course, all students had to attend, and Wendy and I did – occasionally – well, very occasionally!

I actually liked sport but didn’t like the second-hand sports tunic I had to wear, I desperately wanted a brand new one with those great pleats, instead of the old, faded, circular style skirt that I had. God knows who had jumped, bounced around… more

Lesla Saraghi (Fankhauser) YHS 1952 wrote after attending the last reunion: I am very glad I went. It was so interesting meeting fellow students from over 50 years ago, the years roll off when you are amongst your peer group. Everyone seems to have aged well and their memories are still intact. People recognised me and that was the biggest pleasure.

My mother, Marj Fankhauser is 94 this year and she loved the afternoon - everyone made a fuss of her which my sister, Val and I loved. It was quite palpable the bond there is between Yallournites, I felt the bonding as soon as I… more

Helen Fischer (Hender) YHS 1967 wrote an article: Jottings of Yallourn

Wasn’t everyone who lived in Yallourn part of Scouts, Guides, Cubs or Brownies? We used to wear our uniforms to school, as Brownies was straight after at 4.00pm. Our Brown Owl was Joy Long (who lived up the road from us) and Mrs MacRae was Tawny. I will never forget some of the jamborees we went to - must have been a Saturday afternoon. Walked there with next door neighbour Cub, Chris Beaver. The Scouts built a flying fox which was fun. Everyone played catch with an old paint tin lid as a frisbee (before… more

Graham Peters YHS 1970 wrote:

The Gully (between two hills)

Childhood in 1960’s Yallourn was a privilege. We lived on the fringe of the town, hard under the reservoir in Hazelwood Crescent, but with open fields and bush on our doorstep. My earliest friend, Rodney LeLievre, lived in the next street; a beautiful and kind little girl, Kim Boyd, across the road; indulgent parents and older sisters at home. There was not a lot of money around, but abundant love in a safe and caring community.

It was an era without television (well not in our house; Rodney’s family had a… more