Community
23 January, 2025
A reunion for the ages
A SIMPLE conversation sitting out amongst the waves sparked the idea behind a 50-year reunion for Terang High School students between 1975 and 1981.
Former Terang High School student Gordon Fraser has organised a two-day reunion next month, giving his former peers an opportunity to celebrate, reconnect and reminisce.
Mr Fraser said the idea behind the reunion came while surfing with a friend.
“I was chatting to a mate out in the surf one day and I realised it had been a long time since we had been surfing together as teenagers – it twigged it had been nearly sixty years,” he said.
“I realised the 50-year reunion must be coming up, just chatting to a bloke in the surf, and it made me remember my youth and vitality.
“I remembered my college, my mates and a lot of the good teachers I’d had.”
Mr Fraser said he contacted some friends to weigh up interest in the idea, and eventually set up a Facebook group called ‘Terang High School reunion 1975-1981’.
The page quickly grew to more than 200 members.
“We started to have a conversation about what could be fun and people agreed we have to play footy and netball, because that’s what we used to play, but we also realised we should play barefoot bowls because we’re getting old,” Mr Fraser said.
“We’ve got people coming from Texas over in the United States, four people coming from Western Australia, seven from Queensland, five from New South Wales and a bunch of locals.
“It’s nice to get this reception but the proof is in the pudding – whether it’s 10 people or 200 people, I think it’s important to celebrate and memorialise my time at high school because it made me the person I am and gave me the career opportunities I’ve had.”
The reunion is planned to be held over Saturday, March 8 and Sunday, March 9.
The program for the event includes a number of activities across the two days.
The Saturday will be highlighted by a guided tour of the school from 10am on the Saturday, a interhouse sports challenge from 11.30am and a reunion gathering at the Civic Hall from 6pm.
“On the Sunday we’ll have barefoot bowls at the Terang Bowls Club from 9am with a barbecue breakfast, followed by a swim at Terang Swimming Pool from 11.30am if people dare, Mr Fraser said.”
Mr Fraser said he fondly remembered his time as a student, from being a school captain to the competitive spirit of sporting events, and hoped to see as many people as possible joining in to share their memories.
“I enjoyed the comradery,” he said.
“I really enjoyed sport, I ran the cross country almost every year.
“I enjoyed having the competition between me and other athletes, not that I’m one anymore, but it was always a competition with a few of the other blokes to see who was going to win sports.
“I have fond memories of some very special teachers, and some of the things they taught me have proven time and time again to be incredibly useful pieces of information.”
For more information contact Mr Gordon on 0414 644 893 or join the ‘Terang high School reunion 1975-1981’ Facebook group.
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