Stories

Sonja Bates (Ostlund), YHS 1943, an original member, life member and committee member of Yallourn Old Girls’ Association.
Sonja grew up in Yallourn, attending Yallourn Primary and then High School, and later became a librarian working at Yallourn Library.
She was a very active sports woman, playing netball, was an umpire, tennis, table tennis, golf, then moved to Morwell where their family grew up. Sonja & George enjoyed social activities, also travelling which took them to many parts of the world.
Sonja belonged to a number of clubs, Probus, Yallourn Old Girls’ Assoc… more

YALLOURN HIGH SCHOOL SEX SCANDAL by Reg Penkethman YHS 1951
Now that I’ve got your attention – have you ever had that sinking feeling? Yes; me too. My latest stomach lurch was brought about by an oh-so-friendly reminder from our hard-working Secretary that my oft-promised contribution about early Newborough days had never quite seen the light of day. In desperation (and no little guilt), I dusted off a “draft” and tarted it up a tad. Better late than never, they say : things can only improve.
Picture the scene: a grey rainy 1950 mid-September day at Port… more

Lance White YTS 1956 wrote with this small, but significant question which appeared in Albury/Wodonga local paper “The Border Mail” in August 2012:
Q: Who said, “Knowledge is Power”? Of course this was our motto under the YTS / YTC’s blazer badge which many of us proudly wore.
A: Sir Francis Bacon ( 1561-1626).
“We all knew the motto very well, but I wonder how many students knew who this was attributed to or from where it originated. An interesting enough item which many OB’s might appreciate.
I cannot recall ever being told this - maybe the phrase was coined by… more

Take a Walk on the Wild Side - Julie George (Francis) YHS 1966
“In November 2011, Frank Wild completed his final journey from Johannesburg, South Africa to the Whalers’ Cemetery in Grytviken, South Georgia, when his ashes were placed by me in a grave next to that of his long-time friend and ‘Boss’, Sir Ernest Shackleton.
So, following a memorial service in the Norwegian Lutheran Church in Grytviken where Shackleton’s funeral service had been held in 1922, I found myself leading a procession of 80 or so people along a rugged path, surrounded by penguins, feisty fur seals and… more

On a cold and blustery day in Morwell recently, we gratefully accepted a State Government grant to help further fund our historical project - Virtual Yallourn...I’m sure you have noticed the data being inputted from the Electoral Rolls of the 1960s in an endeavor to get every house in Yallourn connected to at least one family and soon you will see some major visual improvements...so please continue to support the website, dig out the old photos and add generously - help solve some of the queries and read what our newly appointed “Mayor Brogan” (Kevin Brogan) has to say - if he doesn’t know… more

My brother Ray died of lung cancer aged 62. Far too young to die but he managed to live a full life for the years he had.
After leaving school he spent the obligatory few years trying out various jobs and generally having a good time until he grew up (a bit) and ended up in the public service.
He spent the early years in Melbourne then a few years in Darwin where he met Julie (also a public servant) and had a son Michael, then they moved to Canberra where he spent the last twenty years or so. Ray and Julie split up about ten years ago.
He never lost his love for fishing… more

John Gloz YHS 1965 - re Alex McAlister's article about his time in the Scouts in the Jan 2011 edition, I thought the article was great. I have a couple of minor corrections to the names for the photo he submitted (P7) of the Rovers. Back row, far left is my dad Jack Gloz (not Gloss); and front row far left is George Toye (not Eddie Toy). Unfortunately dad never seemed to have any photos of his time in the Rovers, so I am unable to add any enlightenment as to who the other unknowns were. Thanks Alex for reviving some more memories! My dad was in the Capt Hurley Rover Crew very early in… more

Helen Fischer (Hender) YHS 1967 wrote:

DO YOU REMEMBER……….??
WASHING DAY... Mum having to wash the clothes in the “copper” in the laundry. Everyone had the double concrete sinks in the old days – a wringer was attached to one of them. The fire was lit under the copper to heat up the water, then the clothes were put in to be washed in the boiling hot water. They were then put in to cold rinsing water in the trough and put through the wringer – then (weighing a ton) taken to be hung out on the clothes line which went from one end of the yard to the other and propped up by… more

An apprentice at Yallourn 1939-1944 by Alex McAllister (YHS 1935)

An apprenticeship was a period of training undertaken by young people between the age of 16 & 21 years to qualify as a tradesman or tradeswoman in their preferred occupation. I attended the Yallourn Higher Elementary School and as I had visions of eventually going to sea as a ship’s engineer and the minimum qualification required was that you had served an apprenticeship in a heavy industry as a fitter, I applied for an apprenticeship with the SEC.
At that time, I was 15 years of age and in Year 10 (C form… more

Irene Hunnam (Park) YHS 1952 wrote an article on Yallourn Hospital in the late 50s

(Photo attached)

In 1957 I started my Division 1 nursing training at the Yallourn Hospital. There were only two of us and we were shown to our rooms in the nursing home and issued with a grey uniform, stiffly starched cuffs and collars and a white cap. A purple cape with the hospital’s insignia and a full white apron completed the uniform.

For the first 6 weeks, we were in a school block with Mr George Coulson as our tutor. At that time, Matron Baker was in charge of the wards and… more