Reminiscences: J M Flatau (Pupil, 1887-1889)

My twin brother and I became pupils of the Sydney High School about 1886 or'87. The school was situated where David Jones' building now stands. It was a two-storied stone building , stretching from the Monte de Piete down to about 100 yards from Market Street - or rather the playground reached there - and at that end was a galvanised iron shed which we called "The Tin Shed." It was used for the lowest classes and, being candid, I must admit to having spent most of my school days in that shed.

The boys' entrance was in Castlereagh Street. We had to mount about 20 stone steps to our school hall, which was on the ground floor. Our playground was on each side of the stone steps, and was all asphalt. In the middle of one half, near the Monte de Piete, a big Moreton Bay fig tree grew. Up above, on the first or top floor, was the girls' classroom. Their entrance to the school was in Elizabeth Street. There was a stone wall about 12 feet high guarding their playground, with an ordinary wooden door and an old-fashioned brass knob attached. This was their only entrance to their school.

There were, I suppose, about 100 boys attending school, and the fee was 2 guineas a quarter. The boys' usual dress was either Eton jacket or sailor suits, all the boys wearing straw hats with the colours of the school as a band. It was utterly impossible to distinguish the difference between my brother and me, the likeness being uncanny, and we took full advantage of that fact, which I shall relate later on.

Mr Joseph Coates was the name of our headmaster, commonly known to the boys as "Joey." And oh! what memories that name revives. Many a well-deserved caning I received from "Joey," but a great many more I did not receive when I richly deserved them. What a grand, clever, painstaking, lovable man he really was! But I, for one, was too stupid to realise that fact at the time. He had been Captain of the N S W cricket team, but I am not sure if he played with the Australian Eleven . He played "cricket," I'm sure, all his life, and so I salute him, and from the bottom of my heart I shall always remember him as dear old "Joey."

Another of our teachers was Mr A B Piddington, also a kindly, clever man, now a well known Sydney Barrister who only lately has been contesting a big law suit.

Then Mr Elphinstone, whom we used to think was very stern, but I'm sure his sternness was only skin deep. He was up to all the tricks of the boys, and he worked most strenuously in trying to impart knowledge to us. It was he who thought of a plan by which he could distinguish my brother from me in class. He made one of us sit in the back seat and one in the front so as, of course, he would know which one he was addressing, but we changed seats without his knowledge, and when the lesson was finished we informed him how we had deceived him. He laughed heartily at this act of ours, and we foolishly thought how smart we were to be the means of causing such amusement to a teacher, so we perpetrated this act again, but when we informed him this time he ordered us to remain in, which meant one hour's detention. After that, if we practised this deception again, we resolved to remember the old adage, "It's a wise boy who can keep a silent tongue."

The detention book was brought round to the master of each class, and he would enter the name of the boy he'd decided to detain. One afternoon my brother's name was entered in this book and he, having to get home early for a music lesson, asked me if I would stay in for him, and I consented. I forgot to mention that only the headmaster caned, so if one of the masters thought a boy deserved this punishment he would report that boy to "Joey," who would cane him. The afternoon I stayed in for my brother I, according to school-boy parlance, "played up" in class, so the teacher who had detention class said to me, "I will have you caned in the morning." Next morning "Joey" came round with the detention book and, calling my brother out, gave him the caning I should have received, and he daren't demur. He was the most astonished boy in the class, as I had not informed him what to expect. I should imagine this was coming very close to that saying, "Hoist with his own petard."

Another day we went for a swim to the Domain Baths and, on the way, one of us threw a book under a bicycle ridden by a man. He baulked and fell on the asphalt path, scratching his hands. We ran away, forgetting that we had left the book behind with our surname on the front page. Next morning the man appeared at the school with the tell-tale lesson book, plus, of course, a complaint. "Joey" asked the man if he could identify the boy who had performed this act. He replied there is no necessity, as the name is in the book, so "Joey" called the two of us out and asked him to pick out the culprit. The look on the man's face was one of amazement; it was positively comical, and even "Joey" being unable to control his laughter.

Another tall, stately master was Colonel Legge. The writing master was Mr Stephenson, the French master Monsieur Thibault, and Mr Trebeck, who until lately was teacher at the Maitland High School. Another teacher was Mr Crompton who, on occasions, used to speak to the boys very roughly; but he was brimming with good nature and thoughts for the boys.

A new teacher came to the School named Mr Sharpe, just out from Scotland. He knew nothing about Sydney. Before vacation we could obtain passes from the teacher enabling us to travel quarter-fare to whichever country town we were going to spend our holidays. One of the boys - Solomon by name - went out for his pass, and when Mr Sharpe asked him where he wanted his pass to, replied, "Everleigh ," and he received his pass, of course knowing that Mr Sharpe did not know where Everleigh was. The full fare at that time to Everleigh was one penny.

One of the boys who went to the School in my time was H Carter, the Australian Eleven wicket-keeper. I received valuable advice from him later in life, as I played cricket with him in the same club - Waverley CC - and I also kept wickets for Waverley.

One of my chums at school was Ossy Nickless, who, I think, is still in the Mines Department, and has acted as Magistrate in the country. I often see him now, and I am happy to say I still retain his friendship.

F W S Zlotkowski, whose name was on the Honour Board, was there in my time. The Honour Board used to hang on the wall in the big School Hall. I wonder if it is still hanging up in your School? My cousin, A H MacTaggart, had left before I arrived at the School. His name was also on the Honour Board. He is now a doctor and coroner at Tamworth. Another boy, Charlie Watt, who had the habit of winning all the running championships at our annual sports. What a splendid pedestrian he was! He was until lately in control of the Grammar School at Newcastle, and I trust he is in the best of health and still carrying on the good work up North. Bob Beardsmore was also a pupil at the School whilst I was there; he now holds a high military rank, and is also in a Government position in Sydney. He was known to the boys as "Chook." Why that nickname I don't know. The late Dr Bohrsman was also a pupil.

We never spoke to any of the girls, although we knew a great many of them by sight. The few I remember were: Ethel Windeyer, Laura Holderness, Alice Pottie and her sister, whose father had a veterinary establishment in Castlereagh Street, between Market and Park Streets; Lily Crompton, whose father I have already referred to as one of our teachers; and Miss Mustaka, whose Christian name I have forgotten.

We had passes enabling us to travel to and from school on the trains free; I think also on the trams, which were double-deckers. I lived at Newtown, where there were some beautiful homes; there were also many paddocks and vacant allotments in what is now the main part of Newtown.

Two more great chums of mine were Walter and Jim Traill, who also lived at Newtown, and whose father was MP for South Sydney and Editor of The Bulletin.

We boys were never allowed to go to the theatre by ourselves, but I remember my parents taking me to Her Majesty's Theatre when it first opened. Mr Geo. Rignold was the lessee and chief actor, with his wife and Mr William Rignold. I distinctly remember seeing them play Henry VIII, Julius Cæsar, and my favourite Shakespearean play, The Merchant of Venice. I recollect also being taken to the Theatre Royal and seeing the famous French actress, Sarah Bernhardt, play in Camille.

If you could communicate with any of the boys I have mentioned in this story, what a wonderful account they would give you of the old High School and old Sydney, and I am sure it would be delivered with a far more able pen than I can control.

I trust this will be of interest to the wearers of the old "Chocolate and Blue."

The Record, November, 1939, pp 98 - 103.