The Big School – 1940 to 1943



1940 saw me in the "big school" where Grade 3s were taught by 
Miss Quirk and Mr Winkle. Grade 4s had Miss Opie and Miss Tynan. 
Mr Mc Donald and Miss Oulton taught Grade 5s. In Grade 6, 
Mr Lester taught the boys and Miss Wall taught the girls. 
Whilst at the Big School, my teachers were Miss Quirk, Miss Tynan, 
Mr McDonald and Mr Lester. 
 
The 3rd grade was the beginning of a good grounding in the three 
"R's".  Miss Quirk seemed to be obsessed with multiplication tables 
and good posture. The class was divided into houses, gold, green, 
ed and blue, which competed against each other in class and at sports----
the beginnings of learning about teamwork. Grade 3 also saw us 
learning to write with pen and ink.  I remember the man from the 
State Savings Bank of Victoria who gave us forms by which parents
 authorised “us children” to open bank accounts. At regular times, 
we would line up to pay our money (in my case 2 shillings) and have 
the deposit entered in our bankbook. 



From Grade 3 right through to Form 2, we learned something about 
responsibility, by being allocated duties such as ink monitor 
(filling the ink wells), chalk, blackboard, plant monitors etc. By the 
time I was in Form 1 boy monitors were expected to collect kindling 
and get a fire started during winter months. Classrooms could be 
like ice boxes. At regular intervals we would be instructed to stamp 
our feet and clap our hands to keep the blood circulating.

Pupils at the back of the class were allowed to come up to the fire 
and warm their hands on very cold days. I think it was while I was in 
Grade 3 that Mr White retired as Headmaster. Mr Menzies replaced him. 
Not long afterwards Mr Anderson the school caretaker, whose 
house was in Poets Grove and had a side gate onto the school ground, 
also retired.

In Grade 4, I remember Miss Tynan as being a rather stout lady, sarcastic 
and heavy handed with the strap. She became even more severe 
when the school inspector Mr Bateman was due to visit. 


It was in Grade 4 that I had a brief spell in the school band, which 
consisted of a bass drum, a few kettledrums, a number of 
triangles and flutes ( I think they were actually fifes).

I remember, I had just graduated from the triangle to playing the 
fife when in July 1941, I went to live with an Uncle & Aunt in the country, 
returning the following April to Mr McDonald and Grade 5.  I then 
on to Mr Lester and Grade 6. Here we had a new subject called "Civics" 
in which we learned how Australia was governed at federal, state and 
local levels. Listening to some of our MP's and Councillors today I can't 
help feeling they would have benefited if they'd had “Civics” from Mr Lester. 

We also had a Gardening period, under Mr Lester, during which we 
tended the gardens on the Scott Street frontage. Due to the threat of 
Japanese air-raids. slit trenches had been dug on school land in Mitford 
Street. We were regularly marched to them for air-raid practice so that 
we'd know exactly what to do if the sirens actually sounded. 


It was in Grade 4 that I had a brief spell in the school band, which 
consisted of a bass drum, a few kettledrums, a number of 
triangles and flutes ( I think they were actually fifes).

I remember, I had just graduated from the triangle to playing the 
fife when in July 1941, I went to live with an Uncle & Aunt in the country, 
returning the following April to Mr McDonald and Grade 5.  I then 
on to Mr Lester and Grade 6. Here we had a new subject called "Civics" 
in which we learned how Australia was governed at federal, state and 
local levels. Listening to some of our MP's and Councillors today I can't 
help feeling they would have benefited if they'd had “Civics” from Mr Lester. 

We also had a Gardening period, under Mr Lester, during which we 
tended the gardens on the Scott Street frontage. Due to the threat of 
Japanese air-raids. slit trenches had been dug on school land in Mitford 
Street. We were regularly marched to them for air-raid practice so that 
we'd know exactly what to do if the sirens actually sounded. 




Every 24th May we celebrated Empire Day by chanting, "the 24th of May 
was the Queen's birthday." At morning recess and after lunch we 
were given a small cardboard Union Jack to pin on our chests and taken to 
either the Victory Theatre in St Kilda or the Broadway Theatre in Elwood, 
where we were given a small bag of lollies and enjoyed a free afternoon 
at the "flicks." 

From Grade 6 onwards, during the summer, “we boys", were regularly taken 
to the St.Kilda Mens Baths for swimming. I also remember preparations 
for the school ball when a Madame Binney taught us how to dance the 
Barn Dance, Pride of Erin, Waltz and Tangoette. I don't think many of 
“we boys” really enjoyed this "sissy" activity----much better to be in 
the playground singing ribald ditties about Hitler, Goebels and Tojo. 

From 1942 onwards we began to see a trickle of refugees from Asia 
coming to our school. I well remember John Crombie from North 
China, Derek Stone from Malaya, Gloria Salmon from the Philippines , 
acque van Der Zande and Max De Vries from the then Dutch East Indies, 
as well as Minthago Sarpenoedji, Tri Prawito and Musslemani who came 
from Java. We even had our own refugee teacher, a Professor Blumenthal, 
who was one of the lucky Jewish people to escape from Europe. He had 
a black beard and  wore a black gown. Some of the kids thought he 
was a vampire. I believe he later became a Rabbi. 



I also remember the two lolly shops in Scott St, "Hollybrooks" and "Bowens".  
Hollybrooks were known as "Hollybrooks the dirty rooks". Both shops 
would be packed at lunchtime with kids lucky enough to have a penny 
to spend and what a lot you could buy for a
penny.


NRW