Recollections of Katoomba High School
Wendy Quickenden (Edmonds) was a member of the Class of '72. She gives some of her memories of her time spent at KHS.
• The old school train, with the platforms at the end of the carriage, that rattled its way up and down the Mountains delivering us to Katoomba and home again;
• The even older double-decker bus that swayed around precariously as it rumbled up and down the streets of Katoomba. The way it laboured up Katoomba Street in the afternoon, spewing exhaust fumes down the street;
• Box pleated serge tunics, while blouses, school ties, grey trousers, blazers - the uniform which clearly showed you were a student at Katoomba High School. Occasionally, on the hottest Summer days we might have been given permission to remove our ties;
• 'Witches Breeches' - those lacy 'thigh-hugging' undergarments that were worn over girls' stockings. their purpose basically was to 'flash' some lace whenever a girl walked up the stairs. Most girls 'hitched up' their tunics over their belts, to raise the skirt, thus ensuring some 'flashing';
• 'Bombay bloomers' - that's what we called our PE uniforms which left a lot to be desired. Over-sized pants with a sleeveless short dress over the top of school blouse - hardly a fashion statement and not particularly good for exercising or participating in sport;
• Holed socks and stocking...wet days that coincided with PE often meant learn-to-dance lessons in the gym. Black-soled shoes were not allowed in the gym, so we had to remove our shoes. Toes often peeped out of holes in smelly socks and stockings, as we whirled around doing the Progressive Barn Dance or Canadian Three Step. Often a food would make contact with the bottom of the person in front, resulting in giggles from us and glares and reprimands from the teacher;
• A smelly sandshoe odour always pervaded the change rooms, particularly after a hard work out or run to Echo Point and back. We always went to the period following PE, hot and red-faced;
• the school motto and those nonsense verse war cries of the sports houses named after the valleys..."Sis-boom-baa-sis-boom-baa-Megalong, Megalong, here we are..." etc, etc;
• The relative quiet of each period (apart from teachers' voices, talking or possibly raised) which gave way to the loud ringing of the bell, the scraping of chairs, the sound of feet shuffling out of rooms, filling the corridors with a symphony of sound which minutes later, ended;
• Wintry days when the winds of August chilled us to the bone, our noses raw incessantly and our cheeks constantly glowed red - our hands were frost-bitten blue;
• The day they landed on the moon, that momentous day in July 1969 was a typical Winter's day. to enable us to view the moonlanding, we were given the afternoon off school to go home. For those of us, who could not get home in time, permission was given to go to friends' homes in Katoomba. Armed with cheese rolls from the canteen, we dutifully went off. With TV showing us never-before-seen views of the moon's surface, we were all distracted by the sight of snowflakes drifting by the window. With squeals of delight we rushed to the window. So much for getting priorities right. We were more interested in local events, not some far-distant happening that was a "Great step for mankind";
• Special friends, special teachers - there is no measure of the worth and importance of the special friendships that were made in high school years. Ours was a close-knit group. Four or six years of sharing experiences builds relationships which can and do last a lifetime. Shared laughter, tears, anger, sorrow are friendship-building-blocks. Relationships with teachers were important too. Years of association often led to long-testing friendships. Some of our teachers attended our reunion. We respected most, feared some, loved others;
• Silly pranks - of course, like all spirited young people, we had our fair share of pranks (some of us more than others). There was the time when one (who shall remain nameless) of us, placed a cicada on the Maths teacher's back. We watched it craw around there the whole period. That really caused a stir and much mirth;
Homework, homework and more homework - it would even impress the private schools. We worked hard. In senior years, our nights, weekends and holidays all were given over to some homework, whether reading novels, Maths worksheets, assignments, etc. etc, etc;
• The last day of school - such mixed feelings - really poignant. Years of belonging and then suddenly a feeling of being set adrift. The years of effort to take this step into the next phase of life gave both a feeling of excitement and great loss - loss of familiar things, familiar routines, a link with all things that represent school.
Those years were good years...memorable years.
The Class of '72 had a reunion in 1992.
Footnote on Wendy Quickenden
After leaving Katoomba High School she worked at Eaton's children's Hospital before joining the Public Service in the PMG Department (long since split into Australia Post and Telstra). She resigned to do a Business Course in Parramatta, but did not complete it. She joined the ABC in 1974 in Human Resources Section and married in 1975. Wendy left the ABC in 1980 when daughter Kelly was born. She resumed part-time work with the ABC in 1982 and commenced BA Dip Ed. at Macquarie Uni in 1984. When her second daughter was born in 1986 she once again left the ABC.