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Hilary McKay, student 1964: Hi, especially to any old schoolmates out there. Scott, I was thrilled to stumble across your Grade 4 Photo from Lae Primary "A" School. Looking at the group I was sure "these are the faces of my 'Prep' classmates, just a little older"! Then I found the 1964 photo, the same one I have in my album. How wonderful on looking further to find the names of everyone in the photo - I could only remember a few. I was born in PNG. My family was in Lae in 1964 (Feb. - Nov.), and left for Australia just before the end of the school year. I loved my time in PNG, and have happy thoughts of the times I can remember. In Lae, these are a few of my 5-year-old memories: |
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School: Lining up for assembly and singing 'God save the Queen'. Lining up in as straight a line as possible outside our classroom. Blue gingham and big white collars. Chalkboards, chalk in tins, white chalk, coloured chalk, and a cloth duster. Pricking around the shape of a teddy bear with a needle (?) to create a furry 'cut out'. The merry-go-round (see left). Being driven up a hill to get to school. Having a tooth come out, loosing it in the outside gravel area in front (?) of the school and the teacher of the oldest class organising them to look for my tooth. I'm not sure, but I don't think it was found. |
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Gary Gould, student 1957-59: I bumped into a colleague of mine called Ross McDougall and quite by chance we discussed New Guinea. We then discovered that we had both attended Lae Primary School. I was there from 1957 to 1959 and I have vivid, and fond, memories of Lae and Lae Primary. New Guinea seems to have had an incredible effect on kids that were lucky enough to grow up there. A real Huckleberry Finn existence! Thanks to all who have posted pictures of the school as, up to that point, I thought my memory was fading. It isn't!. I was 6 years old when I started and I remember Mrs Mayhew driving to school in her grey Ford V8 "Pilot". Also the toilet block with its distinctive smell and the large multi-door fridge on the main verandah to store our lunches. And, of course, the Merry Go Around! The Huon Theatre on Saturdays with the afternoon matinee - "Cockleshell Heroes" and "Wild Bill Hickock". They reckon you could hear the kids screaming all over the town when the movie started. Swimming with friends in the shallow creek near the old airport. (What was that smell?), and I remember the Cecil Hotel pool being closed because of a "health scare". Unfortunately for some drunk the empty pool became his own health scare when he fell in! So many great memories and I will mention some of the surnames of kids I remember at school. Some I remain in contact with today. Stammer, Wilson, Weekes, Prince, Taylor, Miller, Baker, Mitchell, Wilmott et al. |
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One day going to the tuck shop with a friend or friends and buying, as I seem to recall, a salted plum. (On a few occasions over the years I have bought salted plums, more out of nostalgia than for any other reason). The tuck shop seemed such a long way away to me at that age, no doubt if I were able to return I would be amazed at how the distance had 'shrunk'... Memories outside of school include: Living across from the airstrip and watching planes come and go. Visiting the Botanic Gardens and the War Memorial with my family. Going to a birthday party and a balloon bursting on touching a plant. Chloroquin crushed and mixed with jam in an attempt to disguise the bitter taste. Rain. Sunshine. Thick green grass. Babies in string baskets. Fireworks - Guy Fawkes night (??). Cushion covers (from China) in a store - designs with wonderful shapes and colours. A Sunday School Picnic in the Botanic Gardens. I loved visiting the Gardens... |
