Mr Walker has uncovered this photo of the Year 6 class of 1940 when he attended school in primary school in Wellington.

He penned the following letter:

“There may be some local interest in this photo, he writes. The teacher’s name was Mr Gordon and I can only recall a few of the identities.

First on the front row left is Allen Masling then Barry Truman, while further along is John Fowler in the checked jacket wth Charlie Ah Yook further along.

I am seated behind Allen with the late John Kitch beside me and Kevin O’Shea is behind the lad with the sign. If my memory is correct, Barry’s father was the shire clerk while Kevin’s dad was a barber.”

Wellington Primary was a boys’ school in those days and there was no uniform. However, as the photo shows, the boys were all neatly dressed and many wore ties. Mr Walker has fond memories of growing up in Wellington and he attended local schools from 1932 to 1941 – all of his primary years and a few months of high school. After that he transferred to Dubbo and then his family moved to the big smoke of St Mary’s where he lived until 1978. He has spent the past three decades in Coonabarabran but has returned to Wellington a few times over the years. Looking back on his school days when life was much simpler, Mr Walker said his parents ran the local sawmill and the kids always found activities to amuse themselves.

“We would go swimming in summer in the old baths where the Sunken Gardens are now, that was a popular outlet for everyone.

“There were cricket games and we rode our pushbikes a lot.

“The most fun I had was with a small group of friends who would congregate at the concrete wall in the park.

“When the war started, things changed a bit, but we did what most kids did.”

The adults went to events such as the hospital ball and the children had fancy dress parties. There was also the Mayfair Theatre which provided a popular entertainment venue.

Mr Walker recalled that in those days, the golf club was in Montefiores and in the town centre, there was Fulton’s Department Store and a music shop.

At school, principal Mr Sullivan was a World War I veteran who was also friends with Mr Walker’s father. The Year 6 teacher Mr Gordon was a strong disciplinarian who didn’t mind wielding the cane.

But Mr Walker said in those days, a bit of discipline went a long way and the kids learned family values at home.