School Days

The images on this page serve to remind us that serious learning was conducted at the school in-between the recesses, lunch breaks, excursions, sporting and other events, inter-school visits, interaction, visits to the swimming pool and leaving school at 2.30 pm.

View the new Photo Gallery. Images from 1960 through to 1987. Years 1968-1972 are not available yet sorry!

Gallery 1960 - 1967 and 1973 - 1987

Media Article

(Courtesy Leon Williamson)

(Courtesy Mike Gibb)	1962 Prefects holding the Australian flag during assembly.		1966 Mr B.J. Boyle is welcomed by Air Commodore Townsend, Officer Commanding, RAAF Base, Butterworth on his arrival at RAAF School Penang. Mr Tye, Deputy Headmaster and Sqn. Ldr Tom Johnston, former Senior Education Officer at Butterworth are also present.
(Courtesy Sue Tongue) 1962 Mr Hunt's 4th class classroom in the new school	1961 Jan Barnes	(Courtesy Mike Gibb) 1962 Correspondence class	(Courtesy Steven O'Malley) 1962 Grade 6 Singing	1963 Grade 3 - Verse Speaking
1963 Woodwork class. John Outhwaite in front far right.	1964 SRA (Science, Reading, Arithmetic)	1964 5, 6M in class	1965 Grade 3	1965 Visiting inspectors, Mr McKibbin and Mr McLellan in the Science room.
1966 Geometry Marilyn Throup, 5T	1967 Grade 3E Reading	1967 Form 3 in class	1969 Home Science Carol Smith	(Courtesy Peter Jarrott) 1969 Classroom of 5S
(Courtesy Jacqueline Judson) 1966 Recorder group (Courtesy Jacqueline Judson) 1966 Class	1966 (Courtesy Jacqueline Judson)
	(Courtesy Cathy Campbell) 1972 Form 4 Geography Class Richard Farrell, Philip Adenbrooke, Stephen McIver, Paul Saunders, Kerry Cragg, M Robertson, Russell Kelly Frnt: Roger Bates, David Sinclair, Debbie Williams, Mr Barry Hall, Cathy Campbell, Lyn Sullivan (obscured) Julie Sproule, Sheree Smith.	1973 Student in class.
(Courtesy Barney McMahon) 1974 Science Lab Sue Nielsen, Michelle Riley, Kerryn Pinches, Murray Jorgensen and Colleen Garbutt.	1975 Science class	(Courtesy Linda Thomas) 1975 Empty Classroom	1979 Student in class.	(Courtesy Robynne Bates) 1983 Headmaster Mr Ingram with Olivia Bates and Kristy Riley. Students of Miss Goodwin's KG class at the Annex
Transport Below is a collection of photographs depicting the days of going to school in Penang. Students living on the mainland travelled for an hour each way by bus and ferry - quite a long hot journey, especially for youngsters. The senior students would have made the most of the trip - maybe by swapping "21" bus tickets with favourites. As school finished at 2.30 pm there were still some daylight hours left by the time they got home. Uniform The uniforms worn were appropriate for the climate, being crisp white dresses for the girls and blue shorts and white shirts for the junior boys and white shorts and shirts for the senior boys. These were made either by the local tailors, or by clever mothers - and then washed and ironed by our amahs.
(Courtesy Kevin Cragg) 1969 Primary students at bus stop	(Courtesy Martin Black) 1975 School bus picking up students for the Annexe. Jalan Bunga Rampai, Penang	1976 School buses at RSP	1978 Annexe buses	1981 Buses
1981 Buses	(Courtesy Rob Vermay) 1981 Bus Crash Newspaper Article	1981 Hmmm - not always a safe trip. First-hand account of what happened: The annexe bus was in front of the RAAF School bus. The bus lost its brakes going down the hill as it was habit of the drivers not to turn their engines on, which sometimes meant the airbrakes no longer worked. The actual driver disappeared never to be seen again! Being an old bus, all the chairs were at an angle and the students were either put on a bus to go on to school or to the RAAF hospital. One student was actually thrown out of the window, but amazingly no-one was seriously hurt. (Thanks Jackie Ktisti)
The School Bus Waiting at the bus stop here. Waiting for the bus to appear. Brrmm Brrmm, crackle and pop. It finally comes to a stop. People going, here and there Some coming in as a pair. Playing, talking, reading pool as the bus chugs off to school. Onto the ferry as it hums away Chugging out into the bay. When we get into the gate We all hope that we are late. But then someone looks at his watch And we find, it's eight o'clock! Michael Straughan, 5G 1981
1976 Bus escorts. Some of our mothers who helped out as bus escorts.	1978 Bus escorts	1965 Maureen, Anne and Jane Matthey	1965 Susan, Rosemary, Bill and Julia Park	1966 Jalan Azyze Home from School! John Snow, Peter Snow & others
1965 John and Peter Snow Jalan Azyze	1965 David Martin, Veronica Matthey, Glenn Martin. Starting School Class KS	Jan 1966 Patricia Spinks, Peter Spinks Bernadette Spinks (Bernadette's 1st day at school)	1966 Annette and Michael Preece	1971 Michelle Harvey in school uniform.
1973 Marlene Morrow, Alison Sugars, and Helena Morrow	1973 Angela Morrow	1974 Michelle (2nd Form), Christine (1st Form) and Stephen Riley (6th Grade) (See right)	1974 Riley Children Michelle is now an author with a BA and Dip Ed and travelled through the Middle East and the UK. Lives in Rye, Victoria. Christine has 2 children and a grandson and lives in Newcastle. Stephen was a refigeration mechanic and died in Cairns 9th December 1994 aged 32.
1975 Jenny Smith in school uniform	1977 Jennifer McKenzie, Kevin Hartigan and Anthony Condron: Outside 3R. The photo was taken to record the fact that all three were born in Malaysia.	b Jason Magro, Erica Polglase (neighbour) and John Magro	1979 Russell Cole in school uniform
1983 Buses at the Annexe	1987 Brooke Patman at Kindy

(Courtesy Mike Gibb)

1962
Prefects holding the Australian flag during assembly.

1966
Mr B.J. Boyle is welcomed by Air Commodore Townsend, Officer Commanding, RAAF Base, Butterworth on his arrival at RAAF School Penang. Mr Tye, Deputy Headmaster and Sqn. Ldr Tom Johnston, former Senior Education Officer at Butterworth are also present.

(Courtesy Sue Tongue)

1962
Mr Hunt's 4th class classroom in the new school

1961
Jan Barnes

(Courtesy Mike Gibb)

1962
Correspondence class

(Courtesy Steven O'Malley)

1962
Grade 6 Singing

1963
Grade 3 - Verse Speaking

1963
Woodwork class.
John Outhwaite in front far right.

1964
SRA (Science, Reading, Arithmetic)

1964
5, 6M in class

1965
Grade 3

1965
Visiting inspectors, Mr McKibbin and Mr McLellan in the Science room.

1966
Geometry
Marilyn Throup, 5T

1967
Grade 3E Reading

1967
Form 3 in class

1969
Home Science
Carol Smith

(Courtesy Peter Jarrott)

1969
Classroom of 5S

(Courtesy Jacqueline Judson)

1966
Recorder group

(Courtesy Jacqueline Judson)

1966
Class

1966
(Courtesy Jacqueline Judson)

(Courtesy Cathy Campbell)

1972
Form 4 Geography Class
Richard Farrell, Philip Adenbrooke, Stephen McIver, Paul Saunders, Kerry Cragg, M Robertson, Russell Kelly
Frnt: Roger Bates, David Sinclair, Debbie Williams, Mr Barry Hall, Cathy Campbell, Lyn Sullivan (obscured) Julie Sproule, Sheree Smith.

1973
Student in class.

(Courtesy Barney McMahon)

1974 Science Lab
Sue Nielsen, Michelle Riley, Kerryn Pinches, Murray Jorgensen and Colleen Garbutt.

1975
Science class

(Courtesy Linda Thomas)

1975
Empty Classroom

1979
Student in class.

(Courtesy Robynne Bates)

1983
Headmaster Mr Ingram with Olivia Bates and Kristy Riley. Students of Miss Goodwin's KG class at the Annex

Transport
Below is a collection of photographs depicting the days of going to school in Penang. Students living on the mainland travelled for an hour each way by bus and ferry - quite a long hot journey, especially for youngsters. The senior students would have made the most of the trip - maybe by swapping "21" bus tickets with favourites. As school finished at 2.30 pm there were still some daylight hours left by the time they got home.

Uniform
The uniforms worn were appropriate for the climate, being crisp white dresses for the girls and blue shorts and white shirts for the junior boys and white shorts and shirts for the senior boys. These were made either by the local tailors, or by clever mothers - and then washed and ironed by our amahs.

(Courtesy Kevin Cragg)

1969
Primary students at bus stop

(Courtesy Martin Black)

1975
School bus picking up students for the Annexe. Jalan Bunga Rampai, Penang

1976
School buses at RSP

1978
Annexe buses

1981
Buses

1981
Buses

(Courtesy Rob Vermay)

1981
Bus Crash
Newspaper Article

1981
Hmmm - not always a safe trip.

First-hand account of what happened: The annexe bus was in front of the RAAF School bus. The bus lost its brakes going down the hill as it was habit of the drivers not to turn their engines on, which sometimes meant the airbrakes no longer worked. The actual driver disappeared never to be seen again!
Being an old bus, all the chairs were at an angle and the students were either put on a bus to go on to school or to the RAAF hospital. One student was actually thrown out of the window, but amazingly no-one was seriously hurt.
(Thanks Jackie Ktisti)

The School Bus

Waiting at the bus stop here.
Waiting for the bus to appear.
Brrmm Brrmm, crackle and pop.
It finally comes to a stop.
People going, here and there
Some coming in as a pair.
Playing, talking, reading pool
as the bus chugs off to school.

Onto the ferry as it hums away
Chugging out into the bay.
When we get into the gate
We all hope that we are late.
But then someone looks at his watch
And we find, it's eight o'clock!

Michael Straughan, 5G
1981

1976
Bus escorts. Some of our mothers who helped out as bus escorts.

1978
Bus escorts

1965
Maureen, Anne and Jane Matthey

1965
Susan, Rosemary, Bill and Julia Park

1966
Jalan Azyze
Home from School!
John Snow, Peter Snow & others

1965
John and Peter Snow
Jalan Azyze

1965
David Martin, Veronica Matthey, Glenn Martin.
Starting School Class KS

Jan 1966
Patricia Spinks, Peter Spinks
Bernadette Spinks
(Bernadette's 1st day at school)

1966
Annette and Michael Preece

1971
Michelle Harvey in school uniform.

1973
Marlene Morrow, Alison Sugars, and Helena Morrow

1973
Angela Morrow

1974
Michelle (2nd Form), Christine (1st Form) and Stephen Riley (6th Grade)
(See right)

1974 Riley Children

Michelle is now an author with a BA and Dip Ed and travelled through the Middle East and the UK. Lives in Rye, Victoria. Christine has 2 children and a grandson and lives in Newcastle. Stephen was a refigeration mechanic and died in Cairns 9th December 1994 aged 32.

1975
Jenny Smith in school uniform

1977
Jennifer McKenzie, Kevin Hartigan and Anthony Condron: Outside 3R. The photo was taken to record the fact that all three were born in Malaysia.

b
Jason Magro, Erica Polglase (neighbour) and John Magro

1979
Russell Cole in school uniform

1983
Buses at the Annexe

1987
Brooke Patman at Kindy