Canberra Grammar School Class of 1968 Reunions

2018 (Fifty Years) Reunion

Thanks to the outstanding organisational efforts of Fred Barnes, with the assistance of a small group of Canberra guys, the 2018 reunion, marking 50 years since most of the group left school, was a great success. A total of 64 (including partners) attended the various events. We were especially pleased to see some faces who have never been to a reunion or who have not made one for quite a long time, including Paul Hohnen, Ken Elliott, Tony Dooley, Doug Jerrems, Tim Harrison and Stewart McLennan. Fredâ€™s summary of the week-end follows:

â€œOur welcome drinks in the Rose Garden at Royal Canberra Golf Club, was briefly silenced by a fly past of the RAAF Roulettes and an FA18; an appropriate welcome for everyone!

If I was ever, briefly, concerned about keeping the gathered throng entertained, I quickly dismissed the thought when trying to herd everyone to a photo point. The conversation at drinks, and later over dinner was comfortingly constant and focused. It was wonderful to see all the old faces, together with partners, immediately joining in social intercourse as if the past 50 years were nothing at all.

The 64 attendees, less two unfortunate late apologies, enjoyed an excellent meal together, punctuated with an, obviously, impromptu performance of “We’ll all be coming back” (apologies to Charlie Drake and “My boomerang won’t come back”).

After dinner, we had a real trip down memory lane with Paul Hohnen, Doug Jerrems and Bob Doyle performing a selection of classics: Apache, Needles and Pins, the Rise and Fall of Flingle Bunt and others. Their contribution to the night was a real highlight and received an enthusiastic response from all. We even succeeded in convincing them to do an encore! Greg Peters and Trevor Spring were also invited up as guest vocalists, much to their surprise (yeah, right).

An anonymous donor had very generously provided a special 1.75 litre bottle of 18 year old Chivas Regal to raffle, with the proceeds going on the bar. $680 worth of tickets were sold to the enthusiastic sippers and the lucky winner was Shin Joon Lee, who later shared glasses with all. At the end of the evening, I was advised by the function manager that none of the $680 was used! So after consulting with the donor the next day, it was agreed that we donate the sum to the Salvation Army, which has now been done.

All up, it seemed to me that everyone enjoyed themselves. It was especially gratifying to see a few fellows who had not previously been to a reunion and some who hadn’t been for a long time.

The school tour earlier on Saturday afternoon was well attended and Sandy, the school guide spent a lot of time, not only talking about what the school has done, but plans to do in the future. The physical organisational changes to the school since we all left are astounding and not without some serious challenges.

The recovery on Sunday was also well attended and despite the blustery conditions we enjoyed further opportunity to chat, with delicious BBQ cooked hamburgers and fresh salad, all washed down with plentiful drinks.â€

A selection of photos from the week-end can be found by scrolling down the page.

Photos from our school days

Scroll down to the bottom of the page for some historical photos. Please let us know if you have any to add! Contributions are welcome.

2015 Reunion

Well, what an enjoyable afternoon we had on Saturday 21st March, with 25 old 68ers, plus another six partners, turning up to the annual BBQ in Lennox Gardens. Â It was a beautiful day for it, in fact we have been very fortunate with weather over the last seven years. Â Everyone had a jolly old time of it over a few refreshments and barbecued lunch.

It was especially great to see some faces we haven’t seen for a while: John Brush, Eddie Sellers, Bruce Tier, Trevor Hall, Phil Kinmond, Henry Wilson, Arthur Hoyle, Brian Curry, Tom Green and Gavin Rayner. Richard Brewster and his wife Lucy made the trek from Melbourne andÂ Trevor Spring also came all the way from Brisvegas, via Sydney! Check out the photos below (the first twenty are from 2015).

2011 Reunion

The third Saturday of March 2011 saw a convivial group of around 25 guys and partners convene in Lennox Gardens, across from the Yacht Club, for another afternoon of conversation and anecdotes. This included some chaps we hadn’t seen for a while, including John Harvey who came from Cessnock with a selection of wines from his vineyard, Ian Harvey (no relation I believe) who appeared from Sydney for the first time since 1968, and Shin-Joon Lee who just appeared out of nowhere. A group of our country friends (Trevor Hall, Tom Green, Brian Curry and Richard (Fred) Fraser) came once again and everyone was pleased to hear that they were enjoying a good season for the first time in many years. Afterwards they mustered a smaller group who kicked on to the Ainslie Football Club for dinner.

Among those who made contact this year but could not attend were Stewart MacLennan (from a barge in France), Paul Hohnen (from Amsterdam), Chris McIlrath (from East Timor), Gavin Rayner, John Somerville, Walter Raynolds, Peter Crick, Ed Hay, Andrew Dixon, Bruce Armstrong, Richard Brewster and Peter Bridge.

Our thanks go again to Fred Barnes for maintaining the database of contact details and sending out the emails to advise everyone of the arrangements each year. It’s good of him to take time off from golf to do this.

2010 Reunion

The venue for the 2010 Reunion was Weston Park in Yarralumla. Canberra’s superb autumn weather again was on show and ten inches of rain since Christmas had made the Park uncharacteristically green. A number of guys came down from Sydney to swell the numbers of the Canberra regulars, as well as some of the country blokes, including the recently appointed Mayor of Braidwood, Walter Raynolds. Needless to say, His Honour was shown a complete lack of respect by the other mere mortals present. Taking the prize for the longest distance travelled was Brian Rowe, who came all the way from Port Douglas to attend his first Reunion ever. Well done, Brian! Those present but not recognised by name in the pictures were Fred Barnes, Andrew Dixon, Michael Overall and Peter Ellerman.

2009 Reunion

Another shining autumn day marked the gathering on March 21, 2009. A slightly smaller group of about 25 met in Lennox Gardens beside Lake Burley Griffin for a barbecue, reminiscing, and a brief, breathless game of touch football which was won (not surprisingly) by the team running downhill.

John Handmer brought along a special guest, Debbie Cramp, who showed some photos from the Girls’ Grammar School, which brought back many dim memories of fumbling liaisons.

Check out the pictures below. Absent from these are Walter and Libby Raynolds, Wayne Gallasch and Peter Ellerman.

2008 Reunion

On the week-end of 2-4 May, 2008, ex-students of Canberra Boys’ Grammar School who finished Year 12 in 1968 (and others who were part of the same group but left the school before then) gathered in Canberra for a reunion to mark 40 years since they were set free.

In the intervening years the group has spread far and wide, with members now based in most States of Australia and several countries overseas. A concerted effort by an organising committee of Canberra-based ex-students ensured that around 60 of the approximately 100 in the Year were contacted, and of these 34 (with 13 partners) attended one or more of the functions.

Most people seem to agree the most popular event for the 68ers was a gathering in the Old Parliament House Rose Gardens on the Saturday afternoon. It was pleasantly informal and enhanced by a perfect Canberra autumn day. As each new arrival walked through the Gardens to the venue, those already assembled vied to guess who was approaching – 40 years of good living and receding(in some cases vanishing) hairlines meant that the identities of some remained a mystery until eyes met and hands were shaken. Others revealed themselves early due to a particular gait or mannerism remembered from long ago. Of course many of the group had kept in touch over the 40 years, but others were catching up for the first time. The broad smiles, pats on the back and genuine enthusiasm in meeting again were great to see. As one person said, it took only a little time before everyone became the 18 year olds he remembered.

Later in the day most of the group re-gathered at Rydges Hotel for the annual CGS Old Boys’ Dinner. Here we found that we are not far off belonging to the Vintage Club! The address to the Dinner guests was given by 1968 School Captain Edward Hay, still a worthy leader of the 68 rabble. It was an eloquent, honest and (in one particular), intensely personal speech, which everyone endorsed – click here for the full text.

After the Dinner wound up, a small group of diehards repaired to the suburbs for further merriment and an excellent guitar performance by the Year’s most modest member. It is doubtful that any of them made the Chapel service on Sunday morning!

Below you will find brief personal histories written by many of those who attended, and also by others whose commitments prevented it. There are also photographs from the old school days (look for some posted since the gathering), from previous reunions, and finally from the most recent get together.

If you have any additional photos from the old days, please send them on (and if you can shed any further light on who played in the centres in the First XV, let us know, as this has been a matter of some conjecture!)

68ers who haven’t yet submitted a history are welcome to email contributions to reunion@ellerman.id.au and everyone is encouraged to keep in touch to hear plans for future reunions.