1949 YALLOURN HIGH SCHOOL EXAMINATION RESULTS
A recent ‘Virtual Yallourn’ article reported on the opening of the Yallourn High School in 1945. The extract below was published in 1949 and underscores the importance of establishing a High School in Yallourn; and highlights the excellent results gained by the students in the annual examinations.
In November- December 1948 nine students of the YHS sat for the Matriculation-University Entrance Examinations. Every student, mentioned in the article below, is shown in the photograph of the 1948 Prefects posted with this story on the website.
This news report was carried in ‘The Morwell Advertiser’ in February 1949 and published the achievements of the Matriculation students in their examinations. The report is interesting not only because it listed each students’ subject results; but it also gave some insight into the proposed tertiary studies of John Barnes and Gwynneth Griffiths.
The report also mentions ‘Free Places’ (or bursaries) that were awarded to assist nominated students in furthering their education. The free places, referred to below, were to the value of £4.0.0 and £5.0.0 (pounds). A ‘Free Place’ is/was different from a scholarship.
Note: In today’s money, £4.0.0 would be equivalent to $230 (two hundred and thirty dollars)…so the ‘Free Place’ was of significant value to the students.
In the history of Yallourn, pre-school, primary, secondary and further education were such a central and vibrant part of the story. An apt comment about the importance of the schools, to the families of the town, can be found in ‘To Yallourn with Love’ (1973)….
“…it will be many years before they ( the schools) are forgotten, not only because of the engineers, doctors, lawyers and teachers they turned out, not only because of the high standards and records they achieved both on the sporting fields and in the classroom, but because thousands of former pupils can refer to these schools as ‘ My School.’” Page: 60.
February 17th 1949 Morwell Advertiser Page 6
Yallourn High School
EXCELLENT MATRICULATION RESULTS
Final results now available, reveal that nine students comprising the Matriculation Form of the Yallourn High School, achieved outstanding successes in the Matriculation and University Entrance examination conducted by the University of Melbourne In November-December of last year.
All nine of these students passed the test, the majority securing honours in one or more subjects.
Details were as follow:
John Barnes (Morwell-Honours in English Expression, English Literature, British History and Geography; pass in French.
Gwyneth Griffiths (Moe)-Honours in English Expression and French; passes in 3 subjects.
Marie Elmar (Trafalgar)--Honours in English Expression and English Literature; passes in 2 subjects.
Beverley James (Yallourn)-Honours in English Expression and English Literature; passes in 2 subjects.
Robert Fowler (Traralgon)-Honours in English Expression; passes in 3 subjects.
Claire Gretton (Yallourn)-Honours in French; passes in 3 subjects.
Noel Moller (Traralgon)-Honours in English Expression; passes in 3 subjects.
Alan Turnbull (Yallourn)-Passes in 5 subjects.
Gavan Edmondson (Yallourn)-Passes in-4 subjects.
Scholarships Won
John Barnes has won in State-wide competition a Senior Government Scholarship. This type of scholarship' provides the holder with £40 per annum for the duration of his University course. In November last John competed for and won an exhibition for Trinity College. He will in March join the University to enter upon a course for a degree in Arts and Journalism.
Gwynneth Griffiths has won a Senior Government Free Place. This entitles her to attend the University for the duration of a degree course without liability for fees. Gwynneth was offered also a bursary by the University Women's College. She will take up a University course for an Arts degree, preparatory to entering the teaching profession.
The following girls and boys have won Junior Government- Free Places which confer free tuition in a state secondary school for four years and an allowance to cover the cost of books, etc., £4 per annum for a pupil in Form IV and £5 per annum' for a pupil in Form V or VI:-
Beverley Gregory, Elizabeth Wallace, Marion Scarce, Russell Pruden, Brian Edmondson, Barry Mitchell, Fay Pettigrew, Anne Battersby, Pauline White and Jocelyn Davey.
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The above article from the ‘Morwell Advertiser’ has been faithfully reproduced. The only amendments to the original copy are the font style, font size and spacing, so as to enhance the article for purposes of posting on the Virtual Yallourn website.
Any readers who may have photographs or articles about the Yallourn High School are most welcome to forward them to Julie for posting on this website. Thank you.
