continued
The
Exchange
We
arrived in Perth, not knowing where we would be stationed for the year. At
that stage, we thought we might be sent anywhere in WA, and had visions of
our having to drive up north to Broome or somewhere similar. Fortunately, as
I understand it, all exchangees went to schools within the Perth area.
My school
was at Wanneroo—at that time the most northerly of the Perth suburbs,
(between there and Yanchep was only bushland!)—and we rented a house at
Mullaloo, the most northerly beach suburb of Perth, where a schoolmate of
mine was living.
I enjoyed my year there with a class of Year 3 students, co-teaching with two great teachers who were to become great friends of ours, and who gave great support to me that year. Besides the handwriting, the greatest difference in the school was that WA schools at that time had a textbook for all subjects, making my task much simpler.
We spent weekends and holidays exploring much of the state, which we really enjoyed, but our greatest pleasure came from the friendships we made. Some of them lasted for that year only, others continued for several years, and one continues to this day. We made friends from three different sources:
The
friendly, helpful staff at Wanneroo School
They
enjoyed a fun social life, mainly in the form of Quiz Nights, which were
popular in Perth in 1976. These took place in taverns or pubs, or at
teachers’ homes.
The
friends of my schoolmate from Mareeba
These
families lived in a cul-de-sac in Mullaloo. They were of a similar age and
had similar interests such as rugby, fishing, home brewing of beer, and
playing cards. Jogging along Mullaloo Beach was a frequent early morning
activity.
Soccer
coaching
Our
oldest son, Sean, wanted to play soccer in Perth. The Wanneroo Junior Soccer
Club needed a coach for the Under 8s. I had been involved in junior soccer
for a couple of years in Atherton and, despite my resolve not to get
involved in Perth, was roped in as coach of the Under 8s. This proved to be
a good move; we enjoyed the involvement of this club whose manager and
coaches were from the UK, and lots of fun. Their socials were also great
fun, and many friendships were formed.
Our exchange in 1976 gave us the opportunity to see much of Australia on our drive to Perth and back, to explore parts of Western Australia, to experience the education system in another state, but, above all, to meet some great people who became good friends. [Top]