Huskisson Public School marks 150+1 years in joyous day of celebration

Huskisson Public School finally had the chance to hold its long awaited anniversary on Friday, November 25.

Principal Kim Lovell was ecstatic to finally host the event, which her team, students, and the school's P&C had put so much effort into creating.

She said at its heart, the 150+1 celebration was all about the students, and the anniversary had been a hands-on history lesson like no other.

"Opening the time capsule has to be one of the most memorable things for the visitors who were kids at the school at the time, and also for our children to have a look and say 'oh, what is this?'" Ms Lovell said.

"I'm just thrilled we had this day. It's a good community celebration and great for our kids.

"I look at everything we have up on the walls that celebrates history - our students are aware, they've been researching.

"For them it's not something that's dry and dusty. They've found family names... it's alive to them, and that's what you want as an educator, you want them to be really enthused about what they're learning."

While not all the items in the time capsule survived (paper items didn't quite hold up against 26 years of rain and mud), the Huskisson students marvelled at the items buried in 1996.

A floppy disk, printer cartridge, and VHS tape were among the items recovered. Tech-savvy staff even managed to salvage a snippet of footage from the tape.

In the spirit of the anniversary, Huskisson students took the history lesson to the playground, trying their hand at old-school games.

Skipping ropes, skittles, elastics, hula hoops, and a giant game of marbles were all part of the lo-fi fun.

As was the tug-of-war, where students and teachers got into the spirit of friendly competition.

Huskisson Public School opened on August 17, 1871. It operated out of a bark hut until the early 1880s, when the roof fell in.

A new school building, the 'second school' opened in 1884, and operated until 1969.

The school was rebuilt again, and the existing brick buildings were opened in 1970; over the years extra classrooms have been added.

Alumni and former staff joined in the celebrations, many returning to the school after several decades.

Among them, Don Peters, one of the oldest former students in attendance.

Mr Peters started at Huskisson Public School 82 years ago, attending through to sixth class.

He went on, briefly, to Nowra's Catholic school, and then Nowra High School. Mr Peters left school just before his 15th birthday, to work as a fisherman in Jervis Bay, alongside his father.

Mr Peters said he was amazed by the school's growth. In his day, Huskisson Public School was one building, an air raid shelter, and couple of sheds - and it had only one teacher.

"I can't quite believe what goes on in here now - everything's changed," he said.

"It's a real eye-opener to see what's happened in this area.

"[In my time] there was only one teacher who taught the whole lot of us.

"We used to pray every Friday that it would rain, because he would sit down and read us stories. If it didn't rain, we were outside - Fridays were our play day from lunchtime onwards."

Past principal Helen Wimmer dropped in for the occasion, reminiscing on her days at Huskisson in the late 90s.

Mrs Wimmer was a teaching principal, and said she loved that the school was always bustling with activity - from parent-led fundraisers to students' countless activities.

"It's hard to pick one standout memory," she said.

"We were a small school, but everything that a big school did, we did as well: school spectacular, the choral festivals, debating, public speaking.

"And then there were fantastic parents, they were just amazing."

In marking the 150+1 year anniversary, Huskisson Public School also gave a nod to the future.

Students had prepared items for a new time capsule, which were on show to visitors on Friday.

Ms Lovell said rather than being buried, this capsule would be hung up in the school's library. Not only to protect from weather damage, but to ensure it can be easily located in 25 years time.

A great deal of detective work went in to locating the 1996 time capsule, which had been unknowingly moved from below its marker over the decades - but that's a whole other story.

"There has been a lesson in that [time capsule] for all of us about how to make something survive," Ms Lovell said.

"It will be hung in the library, we will see it, and we'll put it in a museum case."

After the tumultuous pandemic years which have defined the 2020s, Ms Lovell shared her own contribution to the time capsule.

"Gloves, a packet of hand sanitiser, an RAT [rapid antigen test], and of course a mask," she said.

"I'll also put in a note to say this is what 2021 was all about... these were regular items in every classroom in 2021 and 2022."

In the spirit of looking to the future, Mrs Lovell also gave a nod to their neighbours at Vincentia Public School.

"We wish Vincentia Public School all the best for their 30 year celebrations, coming up on December 10," she said.