Last Sunday, eighty people gathered in a clearing, nestled in the bush between Karridale and Alexandra Bridge.
“They responded to the ringing of the Sheoak school bell”, said Merrilyn Roworth, who attended the gathering.
“A sound that had not been heard there for 65 years”.
The clearing was the site of Sheoak School, one of the smallest, one room, and one teacher schools in Western Australia.
The school opened between 1927 and 1952 and was threatened with closure many times when student numbers fell below eight.
Nevertheless, 16 past students were among those present at the reunion which was primarily to honour the eleven teachers who taught at Sheoak – and other bush schools.
The eleven Sheoak teachers were memorialised on a plaque unveiled at the site.
Ex-student Gavan O’Connor had recently written a history of the school, and this acted as a spark for the gathering.
“Considering the short life of the school and the small student population, it was amazing to see so many people paying tribute to these isolated, pioneering teachers”, Mr O’Connor said.
“One of the most gratifying aspects of the reunion was meeting the descendants of the teachers.”
Alice Spackman was the last teacher at Sheoak and eleven of her descendants and their families attended the gathering.
James Roach of Dalwallinu, son of 1927 teacher Dorothea Lock, was flanked by Gillian Hart and Penny Daetwyler, daughters of Phyllis Darragh (1928 – 1931) and Audrey Powell (1935) respectively.
After the reunion the crowd moved over to the Kerfuffle winery for reminiscences and lunch.
