Almost half a century has passed since Narrabundah College's first full class graduated in 1965 and some of the survivors are planning a reunion.
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"Our class were the pioneers of [what was then] Narrabundah High School," Dianne Moir said.
"We were the only class who started high school at Narrabundah when it opened in 1961 and the last of us completed our leaving certificates in 1965. That was also the last year of the old leaving certificate."
From 1966 high school was extended to six years. Before that students sat their intermediate certificate in Year Three, the time when many left for apprenticeships or the public service, and their leaving certificate in Year Five.
Bronwen Harvey, another member of the class of 1965, said Narrabundah had been something in the nature of a social experiment with a diverse range of students encompassing the posher suburbs such as Red Hill and the migrant belt around Narrabundah itself.
"There was quite a wide socioeconomic and ethnic mix," she said.
"I have heard the principal, Mr K.J. Smyth, was chosen because he had the firm hand [needed] to keep order in this melting pot."
Mr Smyth did have a first name. It was Jim. But, according to former teacher, Mick March, who is now 86 and retired in 1989, it would have been a brave staff member and an even braver student who addressed him that way.
"Most of the teaching staff called him Mr Smyth," he said. "He was a tight disciplinarian who was firm on the students and even firmer on the teachers."
Rodney Webber, one of the older members of the class of 1965 having been born in 1947, remembers Mr Smyth as very keen to develop a strong sporting tradition.
"Before you went up to Year Four [after the intermediate certificate] each of us had to have an interview with the principal," he said.
"He initially told me I should go and do an apprenticeship as a butcher. Then, observing that he was losing a lot of the members of the football team, he said I should stay on."
All of the former students recalled the high standards of discipline enforced in the day.
The cane was still in use for boys and girls could draw detention for minor dress code infractions.
"Mr March had a split one [cane]," Mr Webber said.
Mr March, in his defence, said the class contained the usual number of "scallywags" and that there were some "villains".
"But they got sorted out," he said.
The 50th anniversary reunion dinner is to be held at Manuka Oval's Bradman Room on October 24. Former members of the class of 1965 interested in remembering the good times and swapping tall tales and true can call Dianne on 0458 626 011.
