Ernie Jeffrey YHS 1949 Wrote: I transferred from Devonport State High School in Tasmania to Yallourn High School in October 1949 as my father, an excavator driver, followed his work to Morwell at the start of the Open Cut Coal Mine. Devonport High School was very similar to English Grammar Schools with the rules and regulations of dress code, manner, and how you presented yourself in the school ground and public places. My mother enrolled me at YHS with the Principle, who I think was Mr Pullen, whilst Mr Finlayson was the Head Master. I arrived by bus on Monday morning for my first day at a new school in a new State dressed in my Devonport High uniform of a grey suit, chocolate brown jumper, blue school shirt, school tie and school cap on my head. As I walked into the space adjoining the Domestic Science, Art and Science rooms, which was divided by the Staff room from the Assembly area, this rotund and loud Victorian kid grabbed my school cap and shouted "What's ya name mate?" pushing himself up as high and big as he could. He didn't know that a lot of the boys my age in Tasmania participated in Amateur Boxing and I was one of them. Following his startling confrontation and action, my reaction was a swift punch to his stomach sending fatty on his tail gasping for air and allowing me to retrieve my cap. From that day onward for the next 3 years, Terry O'Meara and I were the best of friends. His friends, Harold Chooky Churchill and Ken Hayes, were my friends also. I know where Terry is and Chooky is deceased, but where is Ken (Hazel) Hayes? Things soon settled down after this first encounter and I was amazed at all the different accents and names of the students from all over Europe as Tasmania had no migration influx at that time. I was a member of Flinders House (green colour) and played cricket and football in the House competitions. I played on the back line for the Senior Team when we won the 1952 Premiership against Yallourn Tech, Warragul High and Traralgon High; Mr Stewart (Science) was the school's senior coach. From the newsletter I recieved from Julie, I remember a lot of 1949-52 names of those present at the last Woorabinda reunion...hopefully I'll catch up with them again soon....Ernie
