Jim’s teaching celebrated
Former Parramatta State School students have gathered to celebrate the 90th birthday of former teacher Jim Leahy.
WHILE Jim Leahy’s classmates at St Augustine’s College were busy finishing their final two years of school, he was off learning to be a teacher in Brisbane.
“I started teaching at 17. Parramatta was my first school,” says 90-year-old Jim, who joined 80 other former Parramatta State School staff and students at a reunion last week.
“I’m not one to chase up reunions,” Jim said. “This is the third one I’ve come to.”
But former students were happy to see him and belatedly serenaded him for his birthday.
Jim was born in Herberton, but moved to Cairns in 1940, where he attended Cairns North State School and Cairns State High School.
“I went across to St Augustine’s for Year 11 and 12. I did four weeks and hated it. Then I got the call up for Queensland Teachers Training College. I got home this day and my old man said ‘ you’re off to Brisbane on Monday’. I said ‘what for?’ and he said Teachers Training College. Back in those days, mum and dad were law. You did as mum and dad said. So I only went as far as Year 10. It was common in those days.”
Jim turned 16 at teachers college and graduated at 17.
“I came out of there after 14 months and did four months at Parramatta School in 1945 — the year the war ended.
“The soldiers coming back were given the preference and fair enough. We young fellas and the girls, very experienced after four months, were sent off to one teacher schools, so at 17 I had a one teacher school outside Ingham. I had four years there. My accommodation was cane barracks.”
After four years, he returned to Parramatta and spent a year there before doing relief work at Innot Hot Springs, Strathdickie, Bushy Creek (now Julatten) and Innisfail.
“Then I met my wife at the (Cairns) Aquatic Club and we were married in 1950. That’s when they sent me to Edge Hill (State School). I did 10 years there.”
When someone suggested Jim apply for a job at Cairns State High, he jumped at the chance, specialising in maths and English.
“I did 27 years at Cairns High, a total of 43 years altogether, and I loved my teaching days.”
Past pupils and friends of Parramatta State School meet three times a year for lunch. To find out more, email mavispets@hotmail.com or call Mavis O’Donoghue on 4093 5465.