Janene HILL (1974)

Eileen Bassingthwaighte 1915-16             

As I was about to finish Primary School at the small Wallendbeen Public School, my parents decided I should go to boarding school for a few years, but where?!

My mother asked her brother (Mr P.R. Cole Vice-Principal of the Sydney Teacher’s College) for a suggestion. He mentioned several schools (I forget which ones) but he highly recommended S.C.E.G.G.S. as he had a high regard for Miss Badham, her school and education record. So that is where I went! a shy country girl. In 1915, for the first term, I stayed with my Uncle and Aunt who lived in Manly, and went to S.C.E.G.G.S. as a day girl, leaving Manly by the ferry at 8.10 a.m. and then by tram along Elizabeth and Oxford Sts.

My most vivid and treasured memory of that tram trip was that so often Jean Curlewis, who was a pupil at S.C.E.G.G.S. (older than me), and her father Judge Curlewis were quite often on that tram. I had read many of Ethel Turner’s books (Jean’s mother) and so was most distressed to read of Jean Curlewis’ early death. How different to the present time for a Judge to ride to his chambers, or Court, on a tram!! I remember the tram went along Elizabeth St and went past the Sydney Girls High School, where David Jones Store now stands.

After the first term I was a boarder for the rest of my time at S.C.E.G.G.S. but did not do anything spectacular, just plodded on with my school work, had a few games of tennis and basketball, but nothing spectacular, I really wasn’t sports minded. Miss Badham was very keen on rowing on the harbour, and once a week would take girls rowing in, could have been Lavender Bay, (but not sure) but as I did not shape very well at rowing I only went a few times.

One vivid memory was to wake in the very early hours of the morning to hear the sound of marching feet, our Australian soldiers marching down to the docks at Woolloomooloo to board the transports to  board the transports to take them to fight for us in the Great War 1914-1916 [sic]. It was a sobering sound, and many silent prayers were offered for those young men.