Alison Hutchinson Reflects on her time at KHS in 1927
Alison is 3rd row from back, 1st on left This photo was taken in 1927 and it is the winning team against Penrith High School in Athletics - running, jumping and ball games, etc.
Both Mavis Strachan (front row, 2nd from right) and Fred Reaves (2nd. back row, 2nd. from left) were terrific runners, literally leaving every for 'dead'.
One year Penith came to compete with us (Katoomba) and the visitors stayed over and we took them for a picnic down to the picnic grounds on the Federal pass between Katoomba Falls and Leura Falls.
It was a great time until Marjorie Stachbury fell from the 'monkey ropes' and broke her leg. Her friend Alex Johnston (back row , 2nd from left) ran all the way up to Katoomba and called the Ambulance. What devotion!
After all that excitement Marjorie spent some time in the High School 'cot' at the local hospital.
Every year we had the School Fete and the money raised kept the 'cot' going at the hospital.
I remember two Headmasters. One G. Redshaw - a very mean and severe man. we all hated him, for good reasons.
We never felt warm in our classrooms as he wouldn't allow us to use the coal for the fires, even though the Education Department paid for the coal. His excuse was: The Department couldn't afford it.
The next Headmaster was G. Porter. I found him a kind man, but anyone was better than Mr. Redshaw.
I was very backward in arithmetic in 3rd Form (Year 9) and one day a few of us were kept in to do some multiplication examples and I, being particularly backward, couldn't get anything right. So Mr. Redshaw said 'Alison Sawell, you are a shingle short'. what a nice man! It is over 70 years ago and I have never forgotten that incident. Thank Heavens my mother took me in hand and I improved considerably.
Sport days were long walks to and from the Showground on the Bathurst Road close to the Hospital. No one ever thought of any kind of transport in those far off days.
I lived in Leura and we had to catch a tiny train everyday at about 9am. As that train came from Springwood and had three carriages you can imagine the crowds of children - children everywhere.
Coming home, our train left at 4.50pm. OK in the warm weather, but Winter was a trying time.
Sometimes we would go to the School of Arts (just down from the school lane) Reading Room where there was always a blazing fire. that was 'bliss', otherwise we event to the station and crowded into the 'Ladies Waiting Room'. There too was always a good fire burning there.
There were lots of good days and a few not so good days as well.
The school dances were held at the Sans Souci, or California Guest houses. After some of us always went to the Paragon for supper. Those were the good times.
Alison Hutchinson (nee Sawell) now lives in Canberra. We thank her for her contribution.
I remember too Mr. and Mrs. Harvard. They taught us Science and French.
Mrs. Howard was an unusual teacher because she brought the baby to school in the pram.
