Celebrations are underway at Footscray High School to mark the 100th anniversary of public education at its Barkly Street campus.
The first of two events commemorating the milestone took place last week, with former students returning for a morning tea on Wednesday, June 4.
While Footscray High’s Barkly campus is now co-educational, for 95 of the last 100 years the site was home to Gilmore College for Girls, meaning most of its former students are women.
Footscray High School’s health and wellbeing nurse Julie Clements said the school’s co-ed status took a bit of getting used to for some of the older alumni members
“They were shocked when they came into the school and saw the boys there,” said Ms Clements of the former students, some of whom were in their 90’s.
“And a very young 90’s too.”
Old school memorabilia preserved by the Footscray Historical Society was also on display at the morning tea and will be again at a second, larger celebration on Sunday, June 22, where more than 200 former students are expected to attend.
“We’ve got a smoking and healing ceremony, we’re planting an indigenous tree and a time capsule,” said Barkly campus teacher Oki Gardner of the June 22 celebration.
Ms Gardner said it was amazing to see the pride that alumni members still had in the school, but that the celebrations weren’t just about acknowledging the past and present, but also ensuring the Barkly campus endures into the future too.
“We hope this place is still a school in 50 years.”
