JOHN ROGERS Original Student from 1954, Class of 1961

Number 55 was my number when I enrolled for St Edmund’s. No, not a prison number, a number to be proud of and a number I fondly remember.

Sunday October 14 1951 was the laying of the Foundation Stone - a very important time in St Edmund’s history. Stan Cusack (our neighbour), drove our family there in his big black car. Not many people had cars back then, so it was a treat. I can just remember the ceremony as I was only 6, but will never forget the refreshments and cakes to which we were treated.

7 December 1953 was enrolment day for me. Everyone was excited to go to a brand-new school. I lined up with my parents and received the number 55.

The first day of school was on 2 February 1954, which saw 330 students enter the corridors and classrooms of the school. I was in 4th class (or Year 4 as it is known today). By the time the year was out, the school had swelled to over 400 students from all over Canberra, Queanbeyan and outlying districts. The classrooms had numbers of up to 81 boys per class - too many faces, too many names.

As the bell rang the whole school marched down the driveway to our classes. It was an exciting day. Our photos were taken and recorded for the archives. My photo to this day is in the 50th Anniversary book (pp.14).

Our uniform was quite different to what the young men wear today. We all had brand new uniforms with straw boaters (Donkeys Breakfasts we called them) - you would know them as hats. We all thought we looked smart, although the Government school students had a different idea. On our bus to school, they used our hats as frisbees, either throwing them out of the windows or grabbing the rims and pulling them down until the top gave away. The bus driver had to stop frequently for us to retrieve them.

Most kids either walked to school or caught the bus as bicycles were not allowed to be ridden to school. However, that was quickly ignored, and you would often walk with your mate to a nearby houses where they were stored to collect them at the end of the day. Eventually after a short time bicycles were allowed as it was every kid’s mode of transport in the day.

On Wednesday 22 September 1954 the school gathered on the front lawn to watch the statue of Mary hoisted to replace the Celtic Cross. I still look up at Mary when I go by the school and remember the day the silver casket with all the names of first students, brothers, and others under her was positioned to replace the Celtic Cross. My name is on that.

Dress sense and neatness was a big thing with the Brothers. We had an assembly every morning in the quadrangle. Shoes, nails, socks etc. had to be perfect and if they weren’t we either got a stern warning or, if it happened to many times, “the strap” prevailed.

The Brothers at the time “Ruled by the Strap”. Homework not finished, talking in class, socks down or a wrong haircut resulted in a strap across the hand. If you were lucky you were sent to the front lawn to dig out the paspalum (weeds) for an hour. Once there was an incident in the 4th Year where someone had cut one of the Brother’s straps into small pieces. We waited with bated breath for him to pick it up. It didn’t take long for him to grab it and he was surprised to only pick-up a small piece (as was the student about to receive it). There was no strap given and still to this day, no one has owned up.

Short back and sides were the haircut of choice. No crewcut or mullets in my day. I am amazed to see the students now sporting all sorts of styles including Secondary school boys wearing shorts! In my day shorts were for Primary boys, (Summer or Winter) and long pants were mandatory for the Secondary boys - how things have changed!

Marbles and yo-yos were a popular pastime at lunch. The grounds had not been developed so there were plenty of areas to dig holes for “Poison Hole”, along with dusty places for ring marbles. I recall an expert in yo-yos visiting the school to show us all the tricks and so the yo-yo craze continued

School concerts were in the Albert Hall as we did not have a Hall and all the parents were involved in some way and contributed to the running of the concerts.

We had some great teachers that I can remember. One was Miss Anne Cusack (the boys called her “Cutie”), who taught History and Elocution for

Eisteddfods where we were very successful.

Miss Cusack taught me Ancient History and drove a very small bubble car. One day it happened to end up on the front steps next to the front door. Some of the senior boys were asked to carry it back down and reposition it in the carpark. No idea how it got up there and again no one to this day has owned up.

Miss Pat Turner another wonderful lady taught piano and violin in the small room opposite the original Headmaster’s office. Miss Turner, now Mrs Sloan, taught many a St Edmund’s boy music and later taught my two daughters the piano to very high grades - she failed with me.

Athletic and sports carnivals were played at the Manuka Oval as in those early years the school oval did not exist like it does today. Boxing tournaments were held outside in a boxing ring on the original quadrangle with exhibition matches held in a small room adjacent to the tuckshop (canteen). The tuckshop was started by my mother which she ran for many years. Boxing was very serious, and everyone was encouraged to participate. I loved the boxing tournaments and was often a participant. One day I beat Tony Culnane in the championships until he had a lucky hit on my nose which bled, and I was instantly disqualified. Tony’s name is in the Anniversary book next to Champion.

Free milk (in small bottles) was delivered to the school every day for all the students. All schools in Australia received free milk. It was a treat and the Canberra weather made it drinkable. My wife however lived in Brisbane when she was growing up where it was left out in the hot sun and to this day, she cannot drink milk.

The October Appeal was introduced in those early years to pay off the interest on the school loan. We were given a blue card to ask for donations from our neighbours and friends, sixpence a square. One enterprising young student stood on a corner of the Civic shops asking for donations to fill up his card. Needless to say, he was given a School Blazer for collecting so much.

I remember I was picked to represent ACT Rugby only to be told by the coach that St Edmund’s and Canberra Boys Grammar were disqualified to play as we were from a private religious school. An Association of Schools was then formed (comprised of St Edmund’s, Canberra Boys Grammar, St Pat’s Goulburn and St Michael’s Inveralochy) to create a rugby tournament. Many a weekend was spent travelling to playing Rugby at these fearsome schools.

There were four houses in my day - Hayden, Tracey, Clancy and Rice. I was in Rice House and we won the championships in 1954. I collected several medals in swimming, and in those days, we received a brass cup for our efforts - which I still have to this day.

School only went to 5th Year (Year 11) in those days. 5th Year was the year we matriculated (graduated) until the Wyndham Scheme was introduced in 1962 extending high school to six years. We had a series of 5th Year exams which were held in the hall at Telopea Park High School. Everyone from all the schools in Canberra sat the same exams in this hall on the same day and we didn’t get our results until just before Christmas.

I have many fond memories and not so fond memories of school, but I am and always will be a St Edmund’s boy. My grandson (Callum) is at St Edmund’s completing his last year this year. He is Rice House captain this year and is following the family tradition of being in the same house as me. It is so nice to hear from him about all the things the school does for its students and how over the past 69 years and from my experiences it has changed for the better. St Edmund’s is a school that I am now proud to be a founding student of and I am honoured to be asked to contribute to the Pelican.