The Benalla High School Action Group, set up to advocate for the preservation of the former Barkly/Dunlop campus of Benalla College is submitting a regular column.
This is the first.
The school war cry of Benalla High in the 1950s, was a ferocious chant something akin to a Maori Haka.
“Boomalacka, Boomalacka, Benalla High, Ura, Ura, Upotipotpon, Zip, Bang, Baa.”
It was small wonder students from other schools were somewhat overawed by the arrival of Benalla High’s sport teams screaming their savage war cry.
One who yelled as loudly as any was June Mayne (nee Kellam). She came from Lima South to attend Benalla High from 1956 to 1959.
Her memories are of the beautiful big, white two-storey building, which provided not only war cries and an education, but also lessons in kindness, participation in all aspects of life and a large dose of humility.
She attributes these life lessons to caring teachers and a “wise headmaster and lovely man” in Mr Gazzard.
Unusual for the times, he did not employ the strap, preferring to engage recalcitrant students with a “good talk”.
But education involved more than war cries and sport.
June loved History and English with an emphasis on reading widely and this led to a passion for family history research.
She also loved needlework and used that skill to produce all her children’s clothes.
Getting out of school at lunchtime was a difficult task.
Prefects manned the school gates and inspected passes signed by parents.
June’s dress length was measured while kneeling to ensure the correct length was maintained.
The school hat had to be always worn outside. June’s sister, Mary became senior Prefect in 1963.
Unfortunately, this powerful position arrived too late to benefit June with free passes to the outside world, during her time at Benalla High.
Among many memorable school days, June attended the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne on a school excursion.
After seeing Betty Cuthbert win gold, the uproarious train trip home completed a great day.
She now thinks it unlikely that an Australian will ever again win an Olympic Gold medal for sprinting.
Similarly in terms of excitement for the times, was a visit to Benalla High by Princess Alexandra in 1959.
There was no Republican movement in those days.
Kids were bused in from all over the district with huge numbers present including many hanging out of trees around the front of the school.
But even if you were up a tree, apparently you had to be in correct uniform to see the Princess or down you came and to the office you went.
Bus travel to Benalla High School was a big part of the day.
June would start with a 7am bus from Lima South. Girls from FCJ could catch the same bus.
At the other end of the day, the big issue was trying to get an ice-cream from Powell and Cook’s shop before your bus took off.
June participated in mannequin parades where the girls would dress in the library upstairs and parade down the external stairs to the quadrangle below in formal attire.
Many a supermodel’s career was launched as a result.
Her time at Benalla High concluded in 1959 with Intermediate (Year 10).
She then worked as a dental nurse for Ray Johnson and then for Gippsland and Northern with John Boyd and Bill McDonald.
June’s life as with many others, then took her to Melbourne.
But as a married woman she returned to Benalla with her husband Kevin from Brunswick and to pleasant recollections of four great years at Benalla High School in the 1950s.