In 1959, when I was eight years old, my father was posted to Malaya with the Australian Army and so I attended the British Army Children’s School (BAC School) Penang. At first this school was located in a large colonial building with sweeping grounds. There were main 2 floors and several outbuildings where I remember the art rooms were located. The colonial mansion must have been impressive before it became our school. The huge front room on the ground floor was our assembly room with a stage area . Two things I remember about the stage; on it we performed a musical play “The Rose of Joy”, and we once had visiting native performers who wrestled with a huge python in front of our eyes. One man let the python wrap itself around his body and the other man stood barefoot on the coiled snake’s body to try and free his partner. Us kids watching were absolutely mesmerised by this performance with a python.
Upstairs one classroom I was in was located at the front of the building so it led out onto the balcony. I remember in this class we had to write letters to penfriends in Rhodesia ( I don’t remember receiving a reply to my letter). Also we all became members of the Gould League of Bird Lovers and were given Gould League badges.
In about 1960 our school was moved to modern purpose-built school buildings in Minden Barracks. An army bus picked us up every morning outside the NAAFI store at 7.30 am as school started at 8 am. The NAAFI store was just diagonally across the road from our house in Jalan Gajah and it was the store where the military families did all their grocery shopping and posted their mail.
By lunch-time it was considered too hot for us (and the teachers) to work so we all went home, though we did go to school 6 days a week to make up the hours. I actually went into Minden Barracks by bus 7 days a week as I attended Sunday school at the garrison church.
 
Above left: Three friends in the playground at Minden Barracks school
Above right: Miss Mair
Miss Hall took us for needlework and I still have the red and white gingham ‘shoe bag’ I made and embroidered with cross-stitch, although I have never used it as a shoe bag! Our school uniform was a green and white sleeveless gingham dress, with a gathered skirt, trimmed with white bias binding around the neck and armholes, with a pocket on the left breast sporting the school emblem. I remember all my teachers while at the school; Miss Edna Marsh, Scottish Miss Mair and Mr David Nicholson. The male teachers all wore a uniform of white shirt, white shorts and long white socks. The women wore cool cotton frocks.
With Mr Nicholson we went on a school excursion on the ferry to Butterworth and we had to write and illustrate a booklet on our experience. I got the prize for the best book, a tin of Macintosh toffees.
 
Above left: Miss Mair and Mr Nicholson (centre)
Above right: Icrecream cart in the school playground
After Mr Belson, Mr Richardson became our headmaster and his wife was also a teacher at the school. One time some kids on the bus were singing rude songs and they were reported to Mr Richardson by the bus prefect. Unfortunately I had been singing too, but not the same songs as they were singing. Anyway, I was marched into Mr Richardson’s office with all the recalcitrant singers and I can remember him berating us for ‘singing filth on the school bus’. I must have been uncharacteristically brave as I spoke up and said “I wasn’t singing the same songs as them”. “What were you singing?” Mr Richardson asked. “I was singing a song Mrs Richardson taught us” I replied. I think I saw a twinkle in his eye at that answer! He let me off.
Whenever the bus was out of action, we went to school in an army truck. I loved riding in the truck. Just climbing up into the back of it was an adventure. And being more open than the bus it was so exciting, especially on rainy days. Driving to school we passed by lots of Malay villages of attap huts on stilts, with chickens, ducks and dogs all running around and often with naked children washing themselves in full view of passers by at the only tap in the village.
I really enjoyed my time at school in Penang, it was a wonderful experience. |
I'd like to make special mention of the new images and article by Robert Hildebrandt. He has written a lengthy and newsworthy article for this site and sent in some special family album images for us. Thank you Robert - your efforts are so appreciated and valuable.
