By Sahar Foladi
The ex-students of Dandenong High School’s ‘class of ’63’ are all set for their 60 year reunion on Saturday 2 September.
The Dandenong High School Ex Students Association (DHSESA) along with its members will be gathered in the school library for an afternoon together.
William Norfolk, who organised the event with DHSESA, has made Queensland home but will be flying down for the reunion.
“I was aware that the ex-students association encouraged decade reunions. I just thought it was a good idea to do something about it.
“We’ve only got positive comments so far. “
Mr Norfolk also organised the 30-year reunion which turned out to be a great success.
“I just went ahead and did it basically, took it upon myself and we had about 55 attend the afternoon function and 25 at the evening function,” Mr Norfolk said.
The reunion is expected to have a turnout of 25 to 30 members although there’ll be a few members missing who’ve passed on.
Members will meet at the school’s library for afternoon tea, to socialise and share fond memories of their time at the school.
“The student association will organise a display of pictures from a very large archive.”
Members will also have the chance to tour the school and watch in amazement the transformation.
Shirley Watts, DHSESA member and class of ’63 student, also attended the 30-year reunion and is looking forward to this year’s reunion.
“I’m really interested in seeing all the new buildings. Thirty years ago it was advanced even then.
“It’ll be interesting to see all the modern things compared to what we had.”
Although she keeps in touch with a few of her close friends from school through social media, Ms Watts says it’s great to have everyone under one roof.
“I was in the girl classes, so I didn’t know many of the men in the 30-year reunion, but it was a good reunion for the girls I was in class with.”
Ms Watts used to walk three miles down to South Gippsland Highway to catch the bus to school with others.
Her family lived in Hampton Park which was a tiny town back then, she said.
She went on to work for Australia Glass as a secretary for nine years before she married and moved to Cranbourne.
Unlike Ms Watts, Mr Norfolk had a tour of the school in 2019. He was amazed by how far it has come.
“It’s so fantastic, absolutely fabulous. The facilities of the seven houses and rooms are just fantastic.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in Australia for a secondary school.”
He went on to study at Monash University and graduated with Bachelor of Science Honours in Chemistry and Biochemistry.
He worked as a food chemist in Dandenong for four years while studying a Master of Administration in Business from Monash University, which helped him land a finance department job with the Queensland Government.
Mr Norfolk retired five years ago at the age of 72.
The association was first formed by the founding headmaster, Percy Lanngford.
The current president of the association is Greta Jungwirth who celebrated the association’s 30 year anniversary, making hers the longest continuous length of service of any various alumni groups at the school.
The association currently has 162 members down from 217 last year, following an upsurge after the school’s centenary in 2019.
