More than 40 years melted away for everyone who attended the recent Pakenham High School class of ’78 reunion.
The event was for all students, and their teachers, who were in the year level commencing in Form 1 in 1973 and completing Form 6 in 1978, as well as for those who joined or left the group along the way.
Shared memories and experiences meant that ‘ice breakers’ were certainly not required for the 86 former staff and students who gathered at the Pakenham Regional Tennis Centre on
Sunday 28 th October to reconnect and to reminisce about their days at Pakenham High during the 1970’s.
In fact, at the end of the allocated five hours, attendees had to be ushered out of the centre as conversations continued in the foyer and the car park.
Event organiser Liz Markham was thrilled with the response from former staff and students.
“Initially I just wanted to reach 55 and break even with the costs,” she explained.
“Then I decided I’d be happy with 60, 70 would be amazing, and to reach 80 would be beyond all expectations, so it was a great result, and a fabulous day.“
She was especially pleased to welcome 16 former teachers to the reunion, as well as US exchange students Kim Glaus-Late and Mark La Bonte and his wife Sharon.
Kim was in Form 5 at Pakenham High School in 1977 and Mark, affectionately known as ‘the yank, completed Form 6 in 1978.
For Kim, the highlight of her time in Australia 41 years ago was a school trip to Central Australia, which included climbing Ayers Rock and camping underground at Coober Pedy.
For Mark it was the people he met, the friendships he formed and the roast lamb dinners made by his ‘host Mum’ Liz Jeavons.
Work commitments in Texas meant that Kim was only in the country for five nights, while Mark and Sharon were able to stay a little longer, visiting Wilson’s Promontory and Phillip Island as well as Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Together with some former classmates, all three also enjoyed a special lunch in the MCC Committee Room at the MCG, hosted by former PHS student Andrew Trotter.
Andrew presented Kim and Mark with Hawthorn scarves to
mark the occasion, which was reminiscent of Mark being given a Hawthorn jumper for his 18th birthday by his peers forty years before in 1978.
Ms Markham surprised those who attended the reunion with a display of PHS uniforms from the early 70’s, as well as the premiere of ‘Bail Up’, a silent movie about bushrangers and squatters made
by the student group in 1975, and converted from an 8mm movie reel to a more user friendly USB format.
There was also a slideshow presentation of PHS during the 1970’s and an emotional tribute to Gay O’Toole, the only member of the HSC Class of 78 to have passed away.
Ms Markham described the day as being a “huge success” and explained that there are plans for the Class of 78 to set aside the last Sunday in October every year for a casual catch-up, rather
than waiting another ten years for the 50th Reunion.
“But we’ll celebrate that too,” she added,
“That’s the next big milestone, in 2028.”
