Vintage Terracians' Morning Tea | Miss Doreen Awabdy
Looking out into our Terrace lunch areas on an average school day, it is hard to picture our rambunctious young men as distinguished gentlemen of 68 years and older. For a moment before the bell on Friday morning, we were treated to the spectacle of more than 120 Old Boys, all 68 years and older, mingling with current students as they navigated the handball games to make their way to College Hall for the annual Vintage Terracians’ Morning Tea.
Always a favourite event of ours, Vintage Terracians brings together Terrace alumni who graduated more than 50 years ago. Amongst them was our legendary Br Barry Buckley AM (GT 1952), who will celebrate his 90th birthday in December. We also celebrated our ‘Oldest Old Boy’ Noel Sparksman (GT 1947) who took out the honour at 95 years of age, followed closely by Dr Paul Smith (GT 1946) and Des Morris (GT 1948), only one day apart at 94 years old.
Bringing together a group of Old Boys at Terrace across different generations always yields interesting stories, illustrating the arc of the College’s history. Our Oldest Old Boys could share stories of starting in Year 3 and the impacts of World War II on the schoolyard. Meanwhile, some of our ‘younger’ Vintage Terracians recalled Cadets doing shooting practice with actual guns on the east side of College Hall.
After finishing at Terrace, many of our Old Boys enjoyed impactful careers in a diverse range of professions, with QCs, teachers (including teachers at Terrace), and former members of Parliament in the room.
One of the many highlights of the morning was the reunion of our current students with their grandfathers. The pride on both sides is pretty hard to miss. Dr Paul Smith (GT 1946) was accompanied by his grandson, Matthew Smith (GT 2007), who flew up from Sydney to ensure Paul could make the event.
Along with our GTOBA, we are delighted that our alumni have made this annual pilgrimage a ‘must do’ event on their calendars. Our ‘Old Boys’ remind us of all of the legacy that we are custodians of – it is such a privilege.
