We have recently received a book written by an Old Bathurstian, Ross ‘Rusty’ Baker (ASC 1956-61), titled Letters from a Boarder, where he records his life as a boarder at All Saints’ after rediscovering the letters he wrote home to his family. His recollections are amazingly detailed, and he has included photos, images, and other memorabilia in this book.
Ross gives anecdotal accounts of the kinds of things boys in boarding get up to – some amusing and some not so! His letters also give detailed weather reports (he suffered from chilblains), sports results (Ross was a very good sportsman – particularly tennis), and other interesting pieces of information about teachers, his exam results, cadet camps, other students and events from a teenage boy’s perspective.
One interesting story was about smoking at school. Apparently, the place to smoke was the upstairs section of the recreation hall – now Kemmis, there would always be someone on ‘Nits’- the lookout for the Master on Duty. One boy in his class was the only boy in the school legally allowed to smoke, and the reason was for health reasons! He suffered from asthma, and the School Doctor said that smoking would help his breathing!
Another story is about the times the boys would venture out of the school after lights out and go to the Railway pub in town. They would doctor their beds in case the Duty Master did a head count! He does mention school food and how unappetising it was.
On one occasion at breakfast, the boarding community “had quite a riot – It was all about our breakfast because God hadn’t quite prepared us for, ’what we are about to receive may the Lord make us truly thankful’. Grace was always said before all meals … On this morning, first we received cold burnt porridge and cold tea, followed by the ‘icing on the cake’ burnt baked beans. The riot consisted of banging knives, forks, spoons or whatever on the tables”. The result of this was the Headmaster ordered 300 hot pies from the bakery in town, which the boarders had for recess.
Ross concludes his biographical account with this:
“Boarding school is not everyone’s cup of tea but it did provide an education as well as life experiences that prepare you for the real world later on. And that it did in spades!”
A copy of his book is in the Old Bathurstians’ Museum.
Mrs Memory Sanders
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