Each class, from Pre-Primary through to Year 6, heard from the volunteer storytellers, many of whom have been coming to the School for years. The older boys were regaled with stories of wartime experiences, early sporting conquests and how occupations had changed over the years while the younger boys gained an insight into what life was like before electricity, refrigeration and plumbing.

Director of Early Learning Barbara Bosich said the Early Learning Centre (ELC) boys could not believe that pieces of cut up newspaper were used as toilet paper or that food was kept cold in an ice chest. Some of the ‘tough’ questions put to Sybil Tothil from 2HJ included: “did you have beds in that time? If people didn’t have much money – what would the teachers wear to school? What did you do without television?”

Ms Bosich said one gentleman, who was trying his hand at storytelling for the first time, told her he was a little nervous. “He said afterwards that the boys were wonderful and that once they started asking questions, he was completely at ease.” The storytellers all made comment about the positive behaviour of the boys and the caliber of their questions and interest in their talks. “It was definitely a mutually enriching occasion,” she said.

The ELC boys, from Pre-Primary to Year 2, got into the spirit of the day by dressing in clothes reminiscent of yesteryear including landed gentry, convicts, soldiers and schoolboys. They played some old-fashioned games, read stories, interacted with the ABC’s ‘My Place’ website, cooked damper and made butter.