Eric Baker on Lake Munmorah Vignette and title bar 2400 x1600 DSC_7299

Eric Baker (28 Nov 1936 – 19 Jul 2006) was Budgewoi Public School's favourite teacher and has the “Eric Baker Community Education Centre” in the school grounds facing Woolana Avenue named in this honour. His retirement celebration was at the Masonic Club at Gorokan in 1996. Here's what he said.

 

 

I was born in 1936 at Cooranbong and lived at Martinsville, the second son of Fred and Eileen Baker on an orange growing orchard. I went to Cooranbong & Martinsville schools.

 

My parents were very poor farmers but gave us an idyllic lifestyle on the farm. There was no electricity or phone until about 1948. Then I went to Avondale Seventh Day Adventist High School, then Morisset Central and after the farm was sold, to Gosford High for the last two years after we moved to Toukley.

 

I decided to follow teaching as a career and went to Newcastle Teacher’s College in 1955-56.

 

My two brothers and sister all joined the Police Force, I’m not sure what influenced my choosing teaching, but I do remember being made to change to a right handed writer as you couldn’t become a teacher in those days if you were left handed. That was probably in either 3rd or 4th class.

 

College life was a big change – going into the big city of Newcastle – boarding with three other students and meeting girls on a social basis. I remember a few incidents at college that will remain with me forever:

 

1. Having to dance with the Art Lecturer if you wanted a good pass in that subject

 

2. Falling asleep in a boring lecture and falling off the chair (I think it was maths)

 

3. Griff Duncan (the Principal) warning us about country girls if we were sent to a small country school (pupils - not town girls)

 

All in all, quite interesting but not much practical use or help.

 

In 1957 we were all anxiously awaiting appointment to our first school - some were appointed before Christmas – but most over the Christmas holidays. None ever arrived for E. Baker, so on the first day I reported to my nearest school which was Toukley Public.

 

After four days there, a telegram arrived with my first appointment – Assistant at Barraba Central for the following Monday. After finding it on a school atlas I was taken there by my parents and left at the local pub (The Central) where some other teachers boarded (the men anyway). Lady teachers lived at the Victoria Hotel just down the street.

 

I Spent two great years at Barraba Central – and met Joan who taught in the High School English Department while I was in Infants (2nd class)

 

We soon married and applied for a school with nearby accommodation and got Ingleburn Primary, a fairly big primary school near Campbelltown. I had 3rd class with 53 pupils! (3B)

 

I made lifelong friends with Max & Dot Small (he only had 52 in his class) then when the owners wanted their little farm house back, I applied for another school with accommodation and was appointed to Mulwala Central. I found out it was on the NSW/Victorian border - 100km west of Albury.

 

I arrived at Mulwala and rented a very poor housing commission house where our third child was born and taught 5-6th composite of 44-46 pupils and also BK & BP in the high school section.

 

I had a great five years at Mulwala. I met some wonderful people and had a great time golfing, playing tennis, water-skiing, going to the snowfields, working on local farms, bringing up 3 kids, eating fruit, collecting firewood, shooting fish, playing cards, socialising with the boss and his family and watching this great new game, Aussie Rules.

 

Then I applied for a move to the Central Coast, any school within 20 miles of Toukley. I was told that there were no vacancies in that area so I was resigned to staying in Mulwala for another year.

 

Then suddenly came news of a move to Budgewoi Primary - a teacher had been chosen by birthdate to join the Armed Forces to go to Vietnam and so we were off to Toukley and Budgewoi Public School.

 

When I arrived on the first day, after crossing the single lane wooden bridge, I was met by George and Edna Scala (Principal & wife) and the first question I was asked was if I was interested in sport at a school level

 

I knew straight away I'd found my Eldorado. The school then was about 156 pupils and 6 teachers – George & Edna Scala, Val Braudrick, Edna Moore, Roy Strange and Eric Baker.

 

I was given 5th grade and had a wonderful class of kids - among them John Douglas, Greg Mitchell, Les Rowlandson and Pam Jones to name a few. The school was very poorly equipped - no library, no canteen, no sporting equipment but a great band of school P&C helpers and Ella Hobman who was the backbone one of the school in those early days.

 

One of my other jobs was cutting the firewood for the classroom fires - the woodshed was at the end of the Infant’s block and I also gave out the warm milk at recess.

 

Another incident I remember was digging up an echidna in the top playground and getting a green tree snake out of a classroom after two days.

 

The school then began to expand at an alarming rate - new pupils were arriving as if by magic and by 1972 we were bursting at the seams - then the primary section was built and Wal Dean was here as principal for about 7 or 8 years – principal was a teaching job until about 1975.

 

One excursion I must tell you about was a trip to Canberra and back in one day, left Budgewoi at 7.30am by bus, to Mascot, flew to Canberra - coach all over Canberra, lunch at Ten Pin Bowling Club and then more sightseeing, plane back to Mascot – tea on the bus back to Budgie - got back about 7.30pm. A great day – I think it coast about $17 each.

 

Over the next few years, enrolment was creeping up to about 550 and 20 teachers - some you may remember were Scott Cole, Ron James, Garth Horton, Gary Balzola, Bob and Graeme Davidson, Charles Beresford, Anne Buckle, Edna Moore, Joan Baker, Shirley Craig, John Staunton, Leila Maher, John Saunders, Phil Roxburgh, Elsa Saunders, June Morton, Wendy Wakeham, Pam Slough, Janet Moloney, Diane Hutchison, Beth Foley, Mary Cosgrove, Wendy Donaldson, Debbie Pascal, Laura Stanley, Warren Dell, John Maher, Angela Convy, Greg Thomas and Bob Jordan.

 

Then came the glorious 80s. We could call these the dawn of a new era for Budgewoi - over the 10 years of the 80s we grew to over 900 pupils (at one stage we were about the sixth largest primary school in the state) and over 40 teachers.

 

I’ll never forget the time when we were enjoying a Christmas break up party with the staff and I asked Jenny Christensen who a nice young lady was – who was sitting on the teacher’s table. I was told she was Miss (I’ve forgotten her name now) who’d been on the Infant’s staff all year and I’d never seen her!

 

So you can see there are problems in a large school – especially the 18 demountables we had on site – constantly being moved to other schools and being brought back.

 

Sports Day was a monumental task to organise - by then Gary Balzola had taken over from me and he did a fantastic job - Friday afternoon we had about 500 kids walking down to Halekulani Oval, playing and returning to catch buses (which is another story).

 

At one stage we had about eight buses shuttling kids backwards and forwards to school each day. Over the glorious 80s we had 3 of the greatest principals ever appointed to Budgewoi Public School. These being John Swift, Bill Clayton and Peter Newman in 1990.

 

John Swift was a most caring man who knew every child in the school by name and gave his whole being to the school. Bill Clayton was another man who was a great acquisition to Budgewoi – guiding us through a most difficult time with very high pupil and teacher numbers and housing everyone in crowded conditions as well as being an astute money manager.

 

Peter Newman came in 1990 and heralded a new period - a period that saw Budgewoi School become well known all over the State – mainly in the Performing Arts area with the great help of that outstanding teacher Rhonda Brown, with visits to the Opera House, Glen St Theatre and the Entertainment Centre and later in the Environmental Area with the great help of another outstanding man Phil Heaton who gave more than any man could be expected to give to our school with the Nature Area, beautification of the grounds, elevated walkway and in the water conservation and management area.

 

In 1991 Budgewoi School lost 11 teachers and 330 pupils mostly to Northlakes Public School, as well as 11 demountables and we had a playground again. Then came the acquisition of the school bus in 1993 and in 1994-5 the pergola area was built with the great help of the P&C especially Barb and Mark Donsworth who spent many many hours and days of endless worry before it was a reality.

 

Now we had Bruce Thompson, who is carrying on the tradition of great principals at Budgewoi School.

 

One thing that has greatly impressed me while I’ve been at BPS is the great staff – not only the teaching staff but the office staff, the parent helpers and the canteen staff - all working together to make Budgewoi School what it is.

 

While at BPS I’ve been interested in the Toukley Golf Club and the Lakes Surf Club – I enjoyed both of these clubs very much and have spent many happy times there with the Maguires, Williams, Simpsons, Dearings, Martins, and Cafes in both the Senior Surf Club and the Nippers.

 

As well as my own family house being very active as Joan and I now have eight grandchildren ranging from 2 weeks old to 15 years old - these are a great joy to us both and we plan to visit them a lot more after 1996.

 

Some great pupils I can remember well are: Greg Dearing, Vikki Williams, Cathy Maguire, Tony Maguire, Pamela Jones, Debbie Williams, Margo Jones, Lorraine Doyle, Peter Deane, Wendy Costello, Phillip Hall, Jenny Hall, Russell Hall, Sandra Dobbyn, Neil Simpson, Anne Stevenson, Grahame Cafe, John Stevenson, Julie Cafe, Bruce Stevenson, Alan Cafe, Tony Keevill, Denise Massey, Gordon Clarke, The Buckle girls, Greg Smith, The Heaton girls, Elisa Leray, Terumi Naraschima and Erin Cafe.

 

I’ve really enjoyed the camping programme that BPS has been involved in – from Camp Toukley to Point Wolstoncroft, Lake Keepit and the Great Aussie Bush Camp at Tea Gardens, also Camp McKay Police Boys Camp at North Richmond. A great experience for primary school kids and teachers alike.

 

I’m not sure yet whether I’ll come back casual teaching to Budgewoi School – as you all know being a casual teacher is a very difficult job and I think I’ll be too busy trying to fit in all the things I’ve put off over the years. However you never know!

 

My wife Joan and I have a new interest that has developed over the past year and that is bridge - a wonderful card game that keeps your aging brain agile.

 

We also want to travel around Australia and maybe take a cruise around the islands and we’ve even thought of going to India or Italy – maybe!

 

There are always jobs around the house - I may even be talked into doing a bit of gardening - and I’d like to try white-water rafting, hot air ballooning, a camel safari and I’ll probably start playing that frustrating game, golf, again!

 

Thanks everyone for supplying us with the raw materials, for supporting me over the years and for howling your interest by coming here tonight and listening to this boring diatribe for so long!

 

In conclusion could I say that I’ve heard that a ’good school’ is a good school because of the great kids enrolled there but I don’t agree - I think the parents and the teachers working together make a good school and Budgewoi has had both of these important ingredients ever since the school’s inception and that has made it one of the best in NSW.

 

[Eric was taken well before his time by pancreatic cancer, and died on 19 July 2006]

 

Done