It was a Loreto College reunion with a twist: a beloved former classmate attended from more than 3,000 kilometres away.
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One of the first indigenous students to school in Ballarat, Esther Purruntutameri made her way back to Ballarat from her home on Bathurst Island off the Northern Territory coast, for the 1968 reunion.
She said her strongest memories from the 1960s were of “the cold and the weather”, but Ballarat hadn’t changed much since then, as “the lake is still there”.
“I remember meeting all the girls from different places… these girls are my gang, my mob.”
An accomplished sportswoman, Ms Purruntutameri said one highlight was a visit from Australian tennis champion John Newcombe.
“I used to love running, and javelin throwing, and played basketball and women’s cricket too,” she said.
She threw a javelin record at the Combined Schoolgirls championship, which the group believes still stands.
“It went a lot further than what they thought it would,” said classmate Joan Kennedy. “And everyone was ducking for cover.”
While in Victoria, Ms Purruntutameri was able to watch her AFL team, the mighty Hawthorn Football Club. With a close family connection to star Cyril Rioli, who calls her Grandma, she was made the team’s number one fan for the day.
Sister Bernadette Ziesing, who taught year 10 English, said the year level shared many special moments together.
“They sort of held her in awe, and they were giving support in every way and were protective of her,” Sr Bernadette said.
“With the boarders, they used to have dancing with just the girls, and I would supervise. It was the time when the Twist was popular, and I don’t think people in charge quiet approved of the Twist.
“But in Esther’s hands, the dance became a corroboree.”
Classmate Chris Moroney said they “were really privileged as a class to have Esther join us. It was a long time ago, and it gave us an insight into Esther’s life.”
Ms Purruntutameri agreed it was a special time: “we’ll be friends always”.