Local educators Bill and June Thompson to farewell the Shoalhaven

Bill, who was principal at Nowra East Public School for 18 and half years and Illaroo Road Public for two and a half years and June, who casually taught at most schools in the Shoalhaven, concluding with a 12-year stint at Cambewarra Public, are set to relocate to the Queensland Sunshine Coast.

"Our two children Duncan and Roslyn and their families are up there and we want to be closer to family," Bill said.

"We have grandchildren and great grandchildren up there and we just want to see more of them," June said.

The couple are set to move into a villa at a retirement village and will bid the Shoalhaven farewell next week.

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They admit they will be sad to leave the Shoalhaven, which "has been their home" and over the years they "have made some great friends".

Along with their teaching careers they have been actively involved in the local community through various groups.

The teaching adventure started for Bill at Ireland Bend, a one teacher school, as part of the Snowy Scheme construction camps for two years.

They progressed to a two-teacher school at Tantagara Dam, another Snowy camp, where they both taught.

From there it was into Broken Hill High School for four years before hitting the coast at Woonona Public.

Bill then took up a position as deputy master back at Broken Hill North.

"It was a busy place," June said. "A city that had everything you needed - it had a population of 30,000 and the housing was okay to get as well."

June worked in many of the schools but when their first child was born she took a step back.

Then followed fours years at Nevertire, a four teacher school in the Warren Shire in western NSW where Bill was principal.

"That was quite a job," he said.

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"It was a big sheep, cotton and wheat area. We enjoyed our time there."

They then relocated to Narooma where he was head of Narooma Central School, catering for kindergarten to Year 12.

"That was a great job," Bill said.

"We had five years there and loved it.

"Our first year was the first of year 12 students.

"We really only left when they announced they were splitting the two schools up and having a separate high school."

That saw them relocate to the Shoalhaven.

In 1977 he arrived as the new principal at Nowra East Public, which at that time had 400 students.

"I think the biggest we got over the years was just over 600," he said.

"It was a great school community.

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"We liked the idea of living in Nowra, we had our two children and were happy here.

"When I first arrived we had a lot of navy parents and their children at the school but when the government decided to do away with the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne we lost a number of those."

He said it was hard to pinpoint one highlight of his time at NEPS.

"Every day was a highlight," he laughed.

"It was perhaps the pinnacle of my career - especially staying so long - but that is to take nothing away from my time at Illaroo Road Public - that was a great school too.

"Every school has it challenges - it's about coming up with ways of combating those.

It's like kids, every one is different - you just have to connect with them on their level."

He did admit one of the highlights of his time at NEPS was to see the growth of the OD deaf class.

"It had been running for a couple of years before I got there but the way that program progressed and the opportunities for the students to interact in everyday activities and classes was fantastic." he said.

"The outcome for those students has been amazing. Look at the likes of Cristine Suffolk, Chris Coulthart and Steve Whitby they have all gone on to great things, including representing their country in various sports, while Max McLeod also excelled in his profession.

"I'm very proud of all their achievements."

As a sidelight, the teacher in charge of that class, Judy Newton and her then husband Greg, who also taught at NEPS at the time had actually been students at Broken Hill High when Bill was teaching there.

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"We had 1800 students at Broken Hill," he said. "I knew of them but didn't know them but here they were both teachers at my school."

He said his job was certainly made easier when the school community was "supportive".

"NEPS had a great school community that was extremely supportive - a good P and C and School Council," he said.

"One of the standouts was the school canteen which was run by volunteers and that included Violet Lord, who unfortunately just passed away.

"She was an amazing woman."

He said Illaroo Road was a very "well functioning school" when he arrived.

"Everyone knew their roles, it ran well, my goal was not to stuff it up," he joked.

"It was a great school that also boasted a very strong sports group of people headed by the likes of Ken Choice, Neil Hanson, Dave Adams and Peter Collins, who also later went on to be a principal at NEPS."

And another was the added bonus of the school just being down the street from the Thompson home.

"I had a three minute walk from our front door to my office door at the school," he said.

However, Bill said one of his proudest moments wasn't actually from his career, but was watching his wife June be admitted to the Bar as a barrister.

"While June was teaching casually and also raising our children she continued her studies and qualified as a barrister," he said.

"I just kept studying while I wasn't teaching," she said.

Mind you it wasn't easy - her journey started when they were in Narooma, and back before the internet or computers all assignments had to be handwritten.

"I never actually used it, I went back to teaching it was just something I wanted to complete," she said.

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Looking back, Bill laughed on how times have changed and progressed in the teaching profession - moving from Gestetner duplicating machines to photocopiers and eventually computers.

"We had computers at NEPS but only for admin, not in the classrooms. Now each student has their own computer or device."

Outside of teaching the couple have been involved with the community, Bill in particular in Rotary and was charter president at the South Nowra Rotary Club.

"I had started with Rotary at Narooma and was keen to continue in the Shoalhaven and I did. When I gave it up about a decade ago I had 37 years service," he said.

"We have loved our time here and will be sad to leave - we've had some great times. Nowra and the Shoalhaven has been good to us.

"One highlight was watching our near neighbour, Lefty Jennings carry the Olympic Torch when it came through town.

"We have seen some changes and seen the town move."

"I think the beauty and the scenery is special and the town has all the things you need," June said.

"Good schools, close to Jervis Bay which is an outstanding feature."

"I even think the medical stuff is pretty good, however they do seem to have trouble with the increase in population at times," Bill said.

Bill said another highlight is when he is often stopped by former students who "want to chat".

"They all seem to remember me. I do my best to remember them," he said.

And the couple could well be excused for not remembering all their students, they would have taught thousands over the years.

"But it's nice to see them all again and how they have progressed and hear about their careers," he said.

He concluded simply - "It's been fun!"

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