Mordialloc College alumni unearthing documents and thousands of photos, preserving past

NEARLY a century’s worth of historic memorabilia, photos and documents are being uncovered to preserve and celebrate the history of Mordialloc College.

Ivor Donohue, Martin Davies, Lynette Williams, Kim Puleio, Bruce Lines, Paula McCarthy, Barbara Dowling are busy preserving Mordialloc College's history. Picture: David Smith

NEARLY a century’s worth of historic memorabilia, photos and documents are being uncovered to preserve and celebrate the history of Mordialloc College.

The school is set to turn 100 in 2024 and a group of volunteers has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to reveal the school’s hidden gems.

Their efforts have led to the unearthing of an old strap (used for corporal punishment), a 1956 recording of the school orchestra and 8000 negatives and slides that date from 1970 to ‘90.

MCHS science teacher Bernard Smith and his creation “Robbie-the-Robot” whipping a student. The machine is now located at Scienceworks.

The goal is to continue updating a digital, searchable database available to paying members of the Mordialloc College Alumni Association.

“We discovered the archives were in a terrible state of disrepair … unloved and unsorted,” group president Dr Martin Davies said.

“So, we set ourselves the task of organising everything and digesting them all.”

The association formed four years ago, coinciding with Mordialloc College’s 90th anniversary, and has since digitised 4000 negatives and hundreds of documents including every yearbook since 1929.

Martin Davies with some of the negatives the alumni association plans to digitise. Picture: David Smith

The committee is set to help organise the 100th anniversary celebrations, and in the meantime will work towards publishing two books — one based on the memories of famous former students and the other a commemoration of the past 100 years.

“The school itself doesn’t have any money to pay for professional archivers to do this work, and it’s a big job,” Dr Davies said.

Mordialloc-Chelsea High School students skylarking on the Mordialloc Creek in 1963/64.

“If we don’t do it, it certainly won’t happen.”

The Mordialloc College Alumni Association collects the historic materials through donations or chance discoveries within the school grounds.

It relies on sponsorship, government grants and membership fees to maintain its website and digitise old photos, and always welcomes new members.

For more information visit mordialloccollegealumni.org