The Bega Pioneers' Museum was this year given the bound copies of the Bega District News which had been held at the former BDN office in Carp Street. This story is from the January 22, 1945 edition and was written by a correspondent who called himself Halby.
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The Old School
THE passing of Mrs Mersey Ryan of Burragate, recalls ancient school days at Bega over 65 years ago, when the late Mr W H Wilson of beloved memory, first in the old brick building (the original school) which stood on the site of the present infants' school, and later, in the early 80s in the new school, presided over the educational training of a sparkling mob of youths and maidens.
Mr Wilson's "pet babies" were the fourth and fifth forms, though he cast many a stern glance along the lower forms and vocally chastised both teachers and pupils when any actions offended his sense of decorum.
Mary Anne Armstrong (Mrs Ryan) was a bright, buxom, particularly intelligent girl in those days, and an apt pupil.
She and her sister Jane were exceptionally popular amongst their fellow girl mates, first because of their geniality and secondly because of their bites of quinces which were plucked from the trees in the old orchard on their father's Tathra Road home farm.
Big hunks bitten from the juicy yellow fruit were passed along the row of girls and clandestinely chewed with relish when the old red- faced teacher's back was turned: of course, they were all the sweeter for that.
I recall, too, Mary Anne's father, a tall, stout, well built farmer with a heavy moustache and a square clipped beard.
He must have tipped the scales at 16 stone or more, and had a generous nature and a heart almost as big as himself.
Dimly through the back distance I see, too, her mother, with her handsome face and bulky form reclining in the armchair on the verandah of the old homestead.
Let me endeavour to recall some of the boys and girls in the fourth and fifth classes who were contemporary with Mary Anne.
I see them again as I glance through my boyish eyes up the interior of the old school (from the first and second classes) with its tiers of desks, maps, cupboards, tables and blackboards.
I think first of pretty, well-built Lizzie Kirkland, who with Letta Neale, shared the honour of being belle of the school amongst that bevy of beautiful, bright-eyed girls.
Amongst them were Lottie Manby, Annie Church, Edith Braine, Minnie and Katie Underhill, Merther Aeger, Cecily Pruss, Mary and other Zingel girls, Jessie Bailey, Sims girls and Bella Redshaw.
