Nundle Public School turns 150: small school celebrates its strong heritage with trip down memory lane

In surrounding villages, schools have come and gone, but Nundle Public School has stood the test of time, still serving local children and families a century and a half later.

This month, the educational institution celebrates its 150^th anniversary, and former students and staff from near and far will take a fond trip down memory lane for the grand occasion.

Nundle Public School Principal Stephen Gadd told the Leader the event will be a long-awaited reunion for many, with the town gearing up for a big celebration.

"Anybody that you talk to within the community is immensely proud of what the school does," he said.

"I think it can be underestimated how important the school is."

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Nundle Public School opened on January 22, 1872, after a public meeting was held by the community in 1869 to discuss the formation of a public school.

While school enrollments sit at 31 today, in the school's peak in 1958 there was around 130 students.

A shining example of the school's involvement with the community is the famous Great Nundle Dog Race, run by the Nundle Public School P&C.

The first race was held in 1979, and the event is still going strong today, bringing thousands to town year on year.

The P&C has operated for more than 100 years in the village, raising money and investing it back into the school and the community.

Back in the early days, staff and students would take a horse-drawn cart to school. Now, of course that's all changed.

Natasha Soonchild, a former school captain of Nundle Public School and current school assistant, told the Leader the biggest shift has been the advances in technology that have become part of education.

"When I was going to school in Nundle, computers and the internet were just being introduced, but now, we've got our first Apple computers in, there's a lot of integrated learning and the Kindergarten class does language classes over Skype," she said.

Ms Soonchild said she has precious memories of going to school in the village.

"I have really fond memories of Nundle school. We put on a school production and musical production. We were outdoors a lot," she said.

"I remember we had some community members coming in to teach us different skills, like leather work, crochet and knitting.

"It's a very unique experience being in such a small place."

Nundle Public School will celebrate its 150^th anniversary on Friday, September 23, with a formal assembly celebrating the school's history, with speeches and performances by the current students.

The assembly will be followed by afternoon tea and tours of the school grounds and classrooms.

Then, on Saturday, September 24, visitors can join community members on a walking tour of Nundle in the morning, and hear personal anecdotes and insights into Nundle's history.

The celebrations will wrap up with a bush dance on Saturday night at the Nundle Memorial Hall with the bush band Swamp Dawkins.

A website, nundlepublicschoolturns150.com, has been created with information on ticket purchases and how to RSVP.

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