The long weekend for Port Hedland was celebrated with a 40 year history
reunion of Hedland Senior High School students from the decades of the 1970s,
1980s, 1990s and 2000s. The weekend of events were planned two years in advance
so that contact could be made with past students inviting them back to Port
Hedland. Local generosity was tremendous though support, sponsorship and
accommodation provided to help make the weekend affordable for those wishing to
attend. More than 40% of the attendees came back to Port Hedland for the event.
Past students came from all over Western Australia and as far away as New
Zealand. On Saturday Dalgety House was the meeting point and from there the
school bus took students on a bus tour of nostalgia hosted by Peter Starling,
our own HSHS sports legend, and a tour of the new Port Hedland generously
hosted by the Mayor, Kelly Howlett. Welcome drinks at Dalgety House were
generously donated by Geoff Stocker of Pilbara Logistics.
On Sunday afternoon the big reunion event at the high school attracted over
150 past and current students. Current teachers generously gave their time to
take students on tours of the high school and prepared the school library for
the main proceedings. A highlight of the afternoon was the musical performance
put on by the arts students, who kept the audience clapping for more. Back at
the library, students of the decades where challenged with a quiz of 20
questions with the winner from the 1970s decade, Jenny Ness, who was a winner
of a maths competition for the Junior Division in 1979.
The success of the reunion and 40 year history of HSHS will be captured in a
Story Book to be collated over the next 12 months using stories from students
and events that were significant in the history of the school. More details can
be found at www.porthedlandnow.com.au
and photos and collectibles can be copied at Dalgety House where the history
will be collated for the book.
