Mathias Macallister -

Professional Footballer

Jim Colley -

Olympic Sailor

Sam Verrils -

Professional Rugby League Player

Sam Watson -

Beach Without Sand Surf Shop

Bec Watson -

Beach Without Sand Surf Shop

Katja Davis Raiss -

Katapult Dance Company

Zac Meatchem -

Barrenjoey High School Teacher

Simon Herfort -

Owner Terry White Chemmart Avalon & Herforts Ice cream

Tim Cruickshank -

Australian Cricketer

Morgan Webster -

P&C President

Amanda Rae Wenban -

Ballerina

Read Geoff's story

My mother and father, Gwen and Ron Searl, purchased a block of land in 1944 in Avalon Parade from George Pryor, mum’s father, who had previously purchased 2 blocks – 64 and 66 Avalon Parade from the agent, Arthur Jabez Small (A.J.Small).

I have the original receipt from George (my maternal grandparent) for 110 pounds, being the cost of the land (220 feet by 66 feet).

Mum and dad had spent their honeymoon in 1944 at Sand Point, Palm Beach and while looking around, decided that Avalon Beach would be the place where they would like to build a home and spend their lives.

At that time they were living with dad’s family in Northbridge and that’s where I ‘showed up’ in August 1946.

Events must’ve moved rather swiftly because mum recalled that I was brought to Avalon Beach when I was 6 months of age.

I have collected information that states that my mother, Gwen Searl, and several other locals, especially mothers and mothers-to-be, wrote to the Department of Education some time in 1948.

They requested the provision of a public school for Avalon Beach as the population was increasing and it would be difficult especially for kindergarten-age students, to access the closest school, Newport Public School.

There were already 66 pupils travelling daily from areas north of Newport, to school there.

I remember vaguely marching in the procession from near later Dunbar Park south along Old Barrenjoey Road to the school behind a marching band and the march-past team from the surf club. The official opening of the school by Mr Heffron, head of the Department of Education, went ahead that day, May 1951.

I’m pretty sure my first teacher was Holly Borga, who was (with her mother) also our baby-sitter in later years, espcially after my 2 sisters were born. They lived in Elouera Avenue.

I learnt piano from a Mrs Field who lived opposite us in Avalon Parade.

Although I never reached a high standard in any eisteddfod in which I was entered, I recall playing the piano for folk-dancing one Friday at school. There was no amplification equipment in those days so the windows were opened as wide as possible in classroom number 2 and I hit the keys as hard as possible. I do recall the tune I played was the Washington Post March and apparently it was successful enough.

I remember the open-air theatre well and performed in a couple of presentations.

My long-time friend, John Marwood (we were reciprocal best men at each other’s wedding) and I were in the choir together with Mrs Chapman as the teacher. We were both thrown out of a Christmas play for singing “We 3 kings of Orient are, selling chocolates tuppence a bar”.

I remember being punished for a misdemeanour by having to follow Mrs McGuire around for the duration of playlunch, hanging onto her dress – so embarrassing!!

I also remember playing as Full-back in the school’s Rugby League team called The Sparrows, though not very successfully apparently as I only lasted one year.

Cricket was similar, one year only – the fast bowlers of the opposition scared the life out of me!

I had a very good mate, Bruce Lipsey, who spent several years in class with me.

He fancied one of our classmates (Mary Martinu) who went on to become the first student to return as a teacher.

Bruce moved to the USA with the family (his dad got a posting there) in the late 1950s and was sadly killed in Colorado rock-climbing.

I remember a great teacher Mr (Keith) Archbold, who was admired by everybody.

He thought it would be a great idea (when I was in 6^th class) to begin a newsletter/magazine.

Students would write articles for publication in this broadsheet.

Names were submitted for the title and my submission was ‘The Beacon’ which was chosen and used for some years after. Unfortunately I never kept a copy.

I left Avalon Public School in 1958 and headed to Narrabeen Boys High School for my first year at high school in the first year of the new high school at Narrabeen in 1959.