Larnook: 100 years of school memories

By Samantha Elley

Swimming lessons in the creek, riding horses to school, running around barefoot in the playground, Empire Day celebrations.

These are the memories of staff and students over the last hundred years of Larnook Public School.

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Opened in 1922, members of the community will be gathering on June 10 to celebrate the little school’s centenary.

Steve Clough was principal at the school from 2004, where he was relieving, then took on the permanent role in 2005 and stayed until his retirement in 2018.

“It was a two teacher school with an enrolment anywhere from 27 children up to 49,” said Mr Clough.

“Classes were broken up into K-2 then 3-6.”

During his time as principal, Mr Clough said Larnook became part of the Big Scrub program.

“This is where the 12 small schools in the area, including Blakebrook, Caniaba, Coffee Camp and Corndale and Wian Wian had special days where we got together and went on excursions,” he said.

“The end of year concert was big. Every two years we would do a whole school concert.

“One year we did Mary Poppins and another year it was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

Betty Bressan went to Larnook from 1961 to 1967 and was one of the three Volpatti sisters.

“We lived close to the school, so would go home for lunch,” she said.

“We had swimming lessons in the creek, where our fathers would clean it of debris and weeds until they declared it safe.

“Then our mums would come and be the life savers and safety officers.

“Bullrush stings were the worst things that happened.”

Betty said the school was a lovely place, with a mix of Italian and Australian students at that time.

“Everyone got on really well,” she said.

“There was no such thing as bullying as we were all equal.

“When I left in 1967, there were only 15 students but by the time of the Aquarius festival, many came into the area and bought property.

“The numbers of students increased, so that’s when they brought in demountables.

“The current office was the old schoolroom.”

Mabel Adams believes she is the oldest student still living, as she started at Larnook school in 1945, the year she turned seven.

“There were 15 children and the teacher when I started,” she said.

“My best friend was Ellen Donodel and even though she was only at the school for a year, she is still my best friend today.

“She was my bridesmaid and I was her matron of honour.”

Mabel remembers riding her horse to and from school each day.

There was a horse paddock opposite the school where the horses would be left.

“One day I was riding home from school and I got into a cantering race with one of the boys,” she said.

“Then my saddle slipped right off the horse.

“I spent a week at home and my mother had to walk the three miles to the school to tell them I wouldn’t be coming.”

Learning to write was done with pencil on special books with blue lines for small letters and red lines for capital letters.

“It was like calligraphy,” said Mabel.

“We learnt with a softish pencil, then pen and ink. The pen was a nib at the end of a wooden piece and we had ink wells in the desk.”

Betty said she had been looking forward to using the nib and ink, but biros were introduced to students by then.

Both ex-students remember the end of school Christmas concerts and their athletics carnivals.

“Empire Day was celebrated in the school,” said Betty.

“Children put on performances and the parents came to watch and would bring a plate.”

Mabel remembers one particular Christmas concert where they performed a play called ‘Santa Claus comes down the chimney’.

“A lot was going on as we were making props and another girl and I were the two main actors,” she said.

“When Santa Claus was to come out of the chimney we weren’t supposed to laugh.

“But when we saw those two legs come down, we both burst out laughing.

“I still got a prize for best actress that year.”

Neither of the students remember wearing uniforms. In fact, they were lucky to be wearing shoes.

“We had sandals but a lot of the country boys just turned up with bare feet,” said Betty.

Both ladies will be attending the June 10 celebrations at the school.

“Everything was like a best memory,” said Mabel of her time at Larnook school.

“This school has been really something to me.”

Larnook Public School is calling for memorabilia and photos to display at their June 10 event, which starts at 10am at the school, 1282 Cawongla Road, Larnook.

The official opening will be at 10.30am with morning tea and a small selection of lunch sandwiches for a gold coin donation.

Coffee cart and Amici Italian food van will be available, as will souvenirs for sale.

Please bring cash as eftpos can be unreliable and please RSVP to help with catering.

For further information or to provide memories, call 6688 0133 or email larnookcentenary@gmail.com