Balwyn High School 1957 to 1962 Reunion
  • Welcome
  • About our 50 year reunion
  • FEEDBACK on Get-together 27 October 2012
  • Photos from 2012 Reunion Dinner
  • Lost and Found
  • Vale
  • Students' Stories: What have you been doing for the past 50 years?"
    • Andy Blunden
    • Anne Hawker (Jubb)
    • Brian Stagoll
    • Diane Kerr (Davidson)
    • David Slater and Dorothy Fergusson
    • Carol Poon
    • Dorothy Vietz (Gibson)
    • Gerd Kratzer
    • Gisela Olbrich
    • Greer Larsson (Allica)
    • Ian Priestly
    • Ian Stavely
    • John Sinclair
    • John Willis
    • Kath Semmel (McKay)
    • Lindsay Cook
    • Michael Alston
    • Otto Rehak
    • Pam Heath
    • Paul Barnard
    • Peter Barter
    • Peter Thomas
    • Peter Winford
    • Phyl Coath
    • Ray Walker
    • Robyn Dalziel
    • Roger Schnagl
    • Sue Foster (Jones)
    • Sylvia Garnham (Geddes)
    • Tim Green
    • Val Brooks (Bennett)
    • Warren Pill
  • A 1962 Teacher's Story
  • Photos and Memories of our time at BHS 1957 to 1962
    • Personal reminiscences >
      • Brian Stagoll Memories
      • Gerd Kratzer
      • Kath Semmel (McKay)
      • Lindsay Cook Memories
      • Michael Alston
      • Paul Barnard
      • Peter Barter - Nostalgic Memories
      • Peter Thomas reflections on BHS
      • Sylvia Garnham (Geddes)
      • Val Brooks (Bennett)
    • 1957 Group photos
    • 1958 Group Photos
    • 1959 Group photos
    • 1960 Group Photos
    • 1961 Group Photos
    • 1962 Group photos
    • 1963 Group Photo
    • 'Feeder' Primary Schools
    • Biology Field Trip
    • Broken Hill and Canberra Excursions 1961 and 1962
    • School Social May 1962
    • 1962 teachers
    • The Voice of the Three Per Cent
    • A student debate
    • Speech Night 1962 program
  • 1962 School Statistics
  • 'Organising mob' Contacts
  • Share your thoughts and comments Blog
  • Forum
  • 14 July 2013 gathering
  • 16 August 2014 Gathering
  • 11 November 2017 Gathering
  • 10 November 2018 Gathering

Sylvia Garnham (Geddes)

I have found it hard to write about my experience as a student at Balwyn High School in a balanced way and am very grateful to Brian Stagoll who has expressed so eloquently and graciously what I have been struggling to say.  I have other similar memories such as standing in the baking sun while listening to the seemingly endless views of Councillor Standford and school expeditions using fleets of trams which travelled on non-standard routes.

My experience differed from Brian’s in that I did not come from one of the feeder primary schools and knew only one other person when I started at the school in 1957; she had attended Doncaster Primary School and we had competed against each other at inter-school sports meetings.  I had spent just over half the year of Grade 6 at East Doncaster Primary School, a most unpleasant experience after coming from a country school - Rosebud Primary.

From mid first form I lived at Templestowe.  Travelling every day to and from school didn’t make it easy to engage in activities with friends out of school hours.  Those of us who “caught the bus” often shared more in common with other Templestowe and Doncaster kids who travelled to schools in Blackburn, Box Hill, Camberwell, Hawthorn and Kew.  “White’s Corner”, unrecognisable today as the location of Doncaster Shopping Town, was the common meeting ground where we often had to change buses and spent time together while we waited for that elusive next bus.

The other difference was that although my final year at Balwyn High was 1962, I was in form five not six.  This is because I missed a year in 1961 when I had to accompany my parents to England because of a death in our family.  I found it hard to return to school after working for a year and being overseas and because remaining at school was a financial challenge for my parents I decided to leave at the end of 1962.  Despite coming dux of form five that year I don’t recall the school making any effort to persuade me to stay on to matriculate.

My warmest memories of the school are of the friendships I shared there and of some of the staff, particularly Mrs Miller (who taught me German which I was able to use) and Mr Ronan (who taught me English in 1962). 

(Click on this link to see what Sylvia did after Balwyn High School)
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