Clockwise from bottom right: L-R Narelle Ware with her mother Betty Freeman (nee Bowling) and Betty’s sister Elma Ward (nee Bowling), peruse the history of the school • L-R Principal of the Tucabia Public School, Lindal Lucas, speaks with the oldest former pupils of the school, brother and sister – Jack Preston 95 and sister Marie 90 • One of the classrooms housed a massive display of the 125 year history of the school • A huge crowd gathered at the Tucabia Public School on Saturday to celebrate the schools 125th anniversary • Out with the old and in with the new: Students from years 3 – 6, pose for a photo outside the original school building. Jean Bowland with her granddaughter Isabelle, who attended Tucabia Public School.
Images: Lynne Mowbray.
Clockwise from bottom right: L-R Narelle Ware with her mother Betty Freeman (nee Bowling) and Betty’s sister Elma Ward (nee Bowling), peruse the history of the school • L-R Principal of the Tucabia Public School, Lindal Lucas, speaks with the oldest former pupils of the school, brother and sister – Jack Preston 95 and sister Marie 90 • One of the classrooms housed a massive display of the 125 year history of the school • A huge crowd gathered at the Tucabia Public School on Saturday to celebrate the schools 125th anniversary • Out with the old and in with the new: Students from years 3 – 6, pose for a photo outside the original school building. Jean Bowland with her granddaughter Isabelle, who attended Tucabia Public School. Images: Lynne Mowbray.
Students past and present came together to celebrate 125 years of schooling, at Tucabia Public School on Saturday.
A constant stream of people spent time viewing the history of the school, which was housed in one of the classrooms.
Sisters Betty Freeman and Elma Ward (nee Bowling) reflected on some of their school day memories.
“I still remember getting the cane one day,” said Elma.
Her sister Betty interrupted the conversation to tell Elma that she should be remembering happy and more suitable stories.
“Well it hurt,” replied Elma.
Both the ladies reflected on having to cross the river by boat to get to school.
“We had to cut through the neighbouring property on the other side of the river, which was owned by the Prestons,” said Betty.
“The owners had wrapped a flat piece of iron around the barbed wire fence that we had to climb through, so that it protected our clothes from getting torn.
Both of the elderly ladies remember using corn bags over their clothes, for raincoats.
The ladies reminisced about taking part in the schools emergency drill during World War II and having to file into the underground trenches, which had been dug out, in the school yard.
“They were pretty deep and went down a fair way, over our heads,” said Elma.
In the lead up to the 125th anniversary, four year 6 students (Archie Carter, Sunny Cowper, Justin Hilder and Leo Nicholls) had the opportunity to visit the oldest, former pupils of the school, brother and sister Jack and Marie Preston, both aged in their 90’s.
The students interviewed the Prestons regarding school and life in bygone days and their story features in a booklet written to commemorate the schools milestone.
