Stories

Valda (Toots) Krueger (YHS 1956) and husband, Hasso, had sold their house in Dandenong and with their 4WD and caravan went up north NSW to buy - but finally realised that family and friends were more important than position and now live back in Melbourne...they'll still be heading off north for the winters. Valda previously wrote some memories about the house swimming sports at school and just how good they were in Mawson (that's only Valda's opinion folks), especially with Lois Gust on their team. Valda goes on to say "one carnival at the old pool - it was freezing cold. After we came out… more

Steve Gray YHS 1970 - Dear YOGA Members, I have received a few copies of the newsletters now and delight in some of the stories, especially when I can relate to the places, events and 'things' people remember. One of the stories recently mentioned the fruit trees in back yards. This sent my memory bank into overload and the further mention of 'sore tummies' really clinched it! As a youngster (8 - 10yrs I guess) when the demise of Yallourn was announced, it meant little to me, but I watched with interest as various people popped up in the news - Mrs Smith seemed to stand out for some… more

Stefan Tomasz YHS 1957 - I was interested by a contribution from Robin Bavinton (Class of '58) in the June Newsletter. He struck a chord with me over two of his memories. The first was the rough and tumble game he called "Donkey". For years and years I always remembered it has "Horse and Jockey". Certainly, in this political correct era, schools could no longer allow such a "game" to take place. As I remember it, the event did take place near the incinerators (mainly at lunch time). Participated only in by boys (mainly in Years 10 to 12) the general idea was to leap frog onto the… more

Richard Sullivan YHS 1956 29/7/05 - I was born in Yallourn; my family lived at 29 Strzelecki Rd. After spending my professional life in Education, I am now working as a printmaker. One of my current projects is to do series of prints of my memories of growing up & living in Yallourn. I felt so dismayed & annoyed when I stood recently at the observation site at (what is now) the bottom of Coach Rd trying to imagine the place I know (?) as Yallourn & realising (as Meredith Fletcher points out in her book) that there is no commemoration of Yallourn at this site (or anywhere in… more

Peter Hutchinson YHS 1969 - Brigadier Peter Hutchinson was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in the Queen's Birthday Honors in June 05. His award was for distinguished command and leadership in the Middle-East Area of Operations as the Commander, Joint Task Force 633 during Operation Catalyst in 2004. Peter joined the army at Duntroon Military College 30 years ago after graduating from YHS in 1974. He is currently director General Infrastructure Asset Development for the Dept of Defence based in Canberra. His career has also included command appointments to 18 Field Squadrons, 3… more

Graeme Kitney YHS 1950: I particularly liked the article submitted by Peter Wallace, an old class mate, as it was only a couple of months ago that we were wondering what had happened to him. I was saddened to read in his article that both Don Munro and John Sundquist had died as they were close friends while we were at school. On a brighter note, I phoned May Hill last week, who I think is our "Senior Member". May has been back home for some time now after spending around 18 months at her daughter's house in Canberra, recovering from a broken hip. She also survived the bush fires while… more

Geoff Esler YHS 1944 - Even when I was a child on a Closer Settlement Block at Callignee Sth, I was aware of the existence of Yallourn, the lights of which were visible from many places in the hills. Of course, I did not then dream of my future association of the place the district children then referred to as "You Learn at Yallourn". Living in an area that depended on kerosene lamps and wood-burning stoves, I had no inkling of the dependence of most of the country on electric power. During these depression years, dad and mum hand-milked a few cows that this hearbreak hills property… more

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… more

Betty Jenkin (Veitch) YHS 1953 Congratulations once again on an excellent YOGA Newsletter. I did enjoy it. Could you please pass on two messages for me: 1. To - Judith Dolan (Dickson) on Page 6. Dear Judith, I was delighted to see the photo of the YHS Choir. I never had that one. However, I am in the back row, third from the left, just behind Jenny Scott. My name was Betty Veitch. The first of the G&S shows that we did was "The Pirates of Penzance". I was in the Chorus. I was in third form at the time. Yes, we did have teachers in the lead roles, such as Mr Young as Sergeant of… more

Lachlan McPherson YHS 1962 : We get the Swimming Pool. My family moved to Yallourn in 1955, after spending the preceding years in leafy Kew in Melbourne's inner east. It was here that I first found out that I couldn't swim. At the ripe age of three, I thought I could, and jumped into the deep end of the Kew pool. Dragged out by lifesavers. (Pity, some would say, could've saved us a lot of bother later). To Yallourn. Beck's Bridge on the Latrobe. Yep, straight in again. Hauled out again. (Pity, again). It happened on a regular basis. (Pity again and again). There was a "swimming hole" at… more