The Bega Pioneers' Museum was this year given the bound copies of the Bega District News. This continuing story is from the January 22, 1945, edition and was written by a correspondent who called himself Halby about Bega Primary School.
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AMONGST the girls at school were Cecily Pruss, Mary and other Zingel girls, Jessie Bailey, Sims girls, Bella Redshaw, Rebecca White, Maggie Manning, Almarra Kiss, Lizzie Pollack, Mary Anne Byrne, Emma Rixon, Amelia Sattler, Hannah Miller, Florrie Hayden, Louisa Hayes, Julie Freberg, Lizzie Hall, Mary Anne Mann, Ruth Daly, Maria Howard, Sarah Howard, Minnie and the other Galli girls, Susie Thompson, Emily Brown, Aggie Brown, Maria Sonderman, the Moon girls, Louise Young, Louise Wagenhelm, Louise Kelly, Lizzy Taylor, Grace and Barbara Spence, Priscilla Bell, and others.
Of the above Jane and Mary Anne Armstrong, Annie Church, Mary Zingel, Grace Spence and Edith Braine in later years became teachers, the latter trio permanently.
At the risk of wearying modern readers of the News, I commandeer space to mention a few of the old upper class boys: Sid Davis, Bill Aeger, James and Harry Kirkland, Bill Moon, Fred Manby, Bill and Bob Sims, Jack and "Tapper" Underhill, Ernie Zingel, Bob Spence, Dave Caldwell, Dave Kiss, Albert Howard, Bill Pollack, Hughie Daly, Will and Tom Brown, Bill Brown, Bill and Jack Keir, Randolph Kiss, Bill Prescott, Harry Britten, Bill Church, Jack Howard, Berty Braine, Joe Paton, Alf Baker, Charlie, Louie and Tony Sattler, Charles Galli, George Hall, Jack Ritchie, Adam Hayden, Bob Miller, and others.
Of the above Charlie Sattler (affectionately known as Master Sattler), Alf Baker and Will Church became teachers, the former permanently and the latter two temporarily.
Other old teachers of happy memory are "Biddy" McGrath, Mary Moon, Mary Baker, and Bella Prescott.
I crave pardon for unintentionally omitting names, for I do not agree with the poet who wrote: "Let the warm precincts of a cheerful day not cast one ling'ring look behind".
The pseudonym Halby was later identified as Harold Braine. the son of William Braine who was headmaster from 1865 to 1870. Harold was obviously a pupil in Mr Wilson's time as headmaster.
Mr Peden remembers Mr Wilson as a "strict disciplinarian with a long cane and a somewhat short temper, a clear-headed and stimulating teacher".
"He believed in industry, thoroughness and accuracy, and expected boys and girl to take lessons with "thinking caps on", to use one his favourite phrases.
"One proof of his capacity may be that he made me work, and by his teaching put me at the head of the school, even though such a position must have meant much less than it does today."
