St Andrews prep class of 1956 has celebrated a milestone – 60 years since its first year of schooling.
Thirty five of the original 70 students gathered at Wyndham Harbour to celebrate six decades since their prep days.
Former students travelled from as far as New South Wales and Queensland to be a part of the fun.
One of the event’s organisers, Rose Filippin, said last month’s reunion was “a very special event”.
“It’s not often you hear about 60-year reunions,” Mrs Filippin said.
“It was honestly just a blast to recap, to get everyone together, see what they’ve done and catch up with those who have left the town.
“We had a lot of laughs, recapping on the nuns who taught us.
“Today, it’d be very rare to see a nun teaching in a school.”
Mrs Filippin said reunion attendees also reflected on going to Friday mass each week.
“We were a united bunch, but one thing that we remembered was the boys all playing with the boys, and the girls playing with the girls despite being a co-ed school,” she said.
The reunion was inspired by a chance meeting between Mrs Filippin and former classmate Pauline Hard in Werribee.
“She said, ‘We have to do a reunion’ – so we got to work,” Mrs Filippin said.
“It took us more than five months to plan it all.”
She said former students who had died were also remembered at the reunion.
The classmates don’t want to wait a decade to get together again – they’re planning another reunion for as soon as next year.
