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RAAF
School Malaysia
A school which stands out among others in the hearts
and minds of those whose good fortune it was to have shared in its history.
This site is dedicated to the memory.
Background
As
dependants of Royal Australian Air Force personnel based at Butterworth,
Malaysia, we as students were privileged to have attended a school which
made such a positive impact on us, that we still feel it today, some
2-4 decades later. Whether it was the exotic foreign location, the climate,
the people, the different cultures, the shared sense of experiencing
together a unique and unforgettable time in our lives at a home away
from home, or a combination of all these; the fact remains that no-one
who went to Malaysia has remained untouched by the experience. Here
is an attempt to recapture some of the essence of those days and the
lifestyle we enjoyed as expatriates. I have attempted to faithfully
record those days as they were, because in time, all those things recorded
here may disappear. I hope the interest will remain for many generations.
Why this Site?
Because there was no information
about the school available on the web. Although the RAAF does hold limited
information and statistics about the school, it is classified. So, with
limited information available in that direction, I saw as a worthwhile
pursuit the gathering of all information possible from other sources,
with the ultimate aim of recording it and making it public for posterity.
Our school has earned a place in history, especially so because
it no longer functions as RAAF School. If something wasn't done, all
we know of our RAAF School would in time, risk being lost forever.
Therefore, this site is created for the purposes of
recording the history of the school and associated lifestyle of the
times, and that of its students and teachers. It will also serve to
reunite school friends through contact information and reunions.
These were halcyon days we enjoyed, but as so often
happens in life, we probably didn't appreciate at the time that they
weren't forever....
It is my hope that anyone who was involved with the
school will find something here to interest them; something to strike
a nostalgic chord or refresh a forgotten memory. Let us all remember
the good things that happened - and if only one person is reunited with
a long-lost school friend, then this site has achieved one of its aims,
that of bringing us back together.
I believe that we all share a common bond,
brought about by the sharing of these, our formative years, together.
Bonds that in our hearts, will last a lifetime.
As the school no longer exists, I feel it is important
that we ensure it's existence doesn't fade from the record, because
I know it hasn't faded from the memories of those who took part in its
life.
So for all past students who don't have their Australs
or who aren't able to access information in any other way, I hope you
will find what you are looking for here. For me this has been a sentimental
journey and one from which I have received an extraordinary amount of
pleasure.
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School with a Difference |
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The school fulfilled a most important function in the history
of RAAF operations in Malaysia from the mid 1950s to 1980s,
and also played an integral part in the lives of those students
and teachers who attended it during their stay in Malaysia.
Without it, children would have been forced to board at home
or be educated remotely in other local schools in Malaysia
or Singapore. The provision of the school, teaching staff
and associated facilities in Penang provided a central structure
for the families, with children able to be educated locally
and maintain the desired academic levels with the excellent
educational standards.
The opportunity for us as
students to live and be educated in a country other than
our own for that short time, enabled us to receive an uncommon
education and to see, at first hand, a different way of
life. This must have had an enriching effect on us and also
would have broadened our outlook on life and our tolerance
of the different customs of other peoples in the world we
all share.
Here are some of the reasons RAAF
School was different from other schools:
- the school was the only school for Australian
children not within Australia
- It was the only international RAAF
school in existence.
- the average duration of student enrolment
was between 2-3 years and therefore the school experienced
a 100% turnover of its student body in this period. A
constant flow of students was transferred in and out of
the school at all times of the year, as they arrived from
and returned to Australia.
- staffing policy was generally that of
a two year appointment, meaning in theory that the school
faced up to a 50% changeover of staff each year - fortunately
these were staggered throughout the year.
- a common curriculum had to be developed
to facilitate the needs of students from all States of
Australia, where a common educational curriculum does
not exist.
- the school was staffed jointly by the
New South Wales and Victorian Education departments.
- the unusual situation prevailed where
the whole of the parent-body was service personnel.
- inter-school visits and excursions took
on a different flavour as the cultural diversity of Malaysia
was experienced.
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RAAF School
Speak
with pride of RAAF School Malaysia,
for you and I have shared the secrets of her magic."
B.J.
Drake, 1986 |
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What You'll Find Here
For all who played a part in the life of the RAAF
School in Penang, Malaysia, during its existence from 1962 to mid-1988,
welcome - this site is for you. I hope you enjoy your journey back in
time! You will find the history of the RAAF school on the next
page, and although that school is main the focus of this site, you will
also find photos and detail on the early schools at Residency Road,
the Annexe, and later, the school at Butterworth (hence
the school becoming known as "RAAF School Malaysia").
You will find a selection of photos,
many of which have been contributed by readers, but also from the
Austral school magazines, which have been kindly loaned. The photographs
present a general overview of school life, covering areas from sporting
to social events. You will also find your class photos here.
There is also a small representation of the general lifestyle of service
personnel in the area.
Standard of Education
It is apparent not only from my own experience
at RAAF School, but also from feedback and acknowledgements in the Austral
magazines, that the members of staff displayed a professionalism and
devotion to duty which was so crucial to ensuring the continued success
of the school. With the constant turnover of staff it would have been
necessary for new staff to assimilate quickly and smoothly into the
current system and this could only have been done with cooperation and
willingness of the resident staff.
| Excerpt
- 1968 Austral |
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The following is an excerpt of an address by Officer Commanding
G.H. Steege of RAAF Base Butterworth. I believe he has touched
on an important social issue and this indicates the level
of responsibility our leaders took towards our education
at that time.
"Of
all the attributes which you are expected to acquire during
your school-days, a sense of responsibility is one of the
most important."
"...'being
responsible' also means 'liable to be called to account'.
Hence you must be prepared to account for your actions to
your friends, your teachers, your parents, and to your conscience."
Officer
Commanding G.H. Steege
RAAF Base Butterworth
1968
This address emphasised not only
the importance of our responsible behaviour as representatives
of Australia to our Malaysian hosts at the time, but also
for our future conduct as citizens anywhere in the world,
to avoid thoughtless acts which would mark us as irresponsible
people. It is important to learn that we have corresponding
responsibilities when we learn of our rights.
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Why a Tribute?
For the reasons outlined above I don't believe
one of us would say that a tribute is not deserved. The RAAF School
was truly a school which aimed to instil in its students sound principles,
an intelligent turn of mind and a broad and tolerant outlook, within
the boundaries of sound social and moral attitudes.
The school lives on for us today as we
remember it the way it was. It is a special part of our memories, as
it has harnessed the affection and spirit of all who dwelt within its
walls.
Most noticeably, it managed to foster
a happy and normal school life for us as children, amid the very real
responsibilities of the reasons the RAAF was there. In spite of the
turmoils of the surrounding racial tensions, the aftermath of The Emergency,
possible outbreaks of terrorism, the riots in Kuala Lumpur in 1969 and
curfews in Penang, and the Indonesian confrontation problem, we as students
felt safe and protected, therefore being able to look back today and
say in all honesty, "Those were the best years of our lives".
by Cynthia Matuschka
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