Bellingen Public School turns 150 years old in 2020.
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Preparations have already begun, with the committee for the 125th anniversary celebrations being pressed into service again.
Interestingly, 1870 is the same year Boat Harbour/Bellingen was proclaimed as a site for a town.
The school was built where the present Bellingen Shire Council Chambers stand and moved to its current location in 1970.
Therefore, we hope to replicate the walk the students took in 1970 from the old school to the new one.
To celebrate the opening of the new school in 1970, people were given the opportunity to plant a tree as a token of remembrance of the day; hence the forest of trees to the west of the school.
This time around it has been proposed that a remembrance pathway will be constructed with bricks having your name, family name or drawing on them in a prominent place in the school grounds.
Order forms are available for download from our Facebook page, Bellingen Public School 150th, the present school or the Bellingen Library.
The time capsule from the 125th celebrations in 1995 will be dug up and opened to inspect the contents and reburied together with another containing work prepared by the students of 2020.
As in 1995, the committee hopes that the oldest ex-student and the youngest of the present day students will do this. The youngest will be easy; however, the hunt is already on for the oldest.
At present this person is believed to be Mr Kevin Cooper, 93 years of age. If anyone can beat this, the organising committee would love to hear from you.
If you are an ex-student you can apply to join our Facebook group at Bellingen Public School 150th reunion to contact us or ring the school on 6655 1147.
An updated book will be prepared covering the 25 years since the previous one was written that detailed the history of the school up to 1995.
Popular parts of the 1995 version were the photographs and anecdotes and memories of past students.
A number of events have been planned for the October 2020 long weekend including a fete, assembly and dinner.
If you have more ideas, or if you would like to contribute a photo or anecdote to the new book, you can email the committee at bellingen150@gmail.com or ring the school and they will put you in contact with us.
The organising committee hope to make the whole experience one to remember for the present day students and teachers as well as those ex-students and teachers who have helped to make the school what it is today.