Odd souvenir found in Queensland dump shop
To mark the closure of the Yallourn High School , in Victoria's Latrobe Valley brown coalfield , after 30 years , the last edition of the school magazine , Pylon, above, was produced. The name of the magazine was derived from the fact that it was symbolical of the many pylons that carried high- tension wires from power stations in the valley to parts of the state .
Over the years , five power stations have been retired and demolished , the last one due to close in 2028, four years ahead of schedule.
The magazine included items of interest , poems, songs and photographs from 1928-1977, which traced the development of the high school from the earlier primary school .
Memorable occasions were visits by Miss Australia and Miss Victoria in l950 , the 1954 visit of Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh, Yallourn centre decorated with fountains , an arch of gumleaves and effigies of Australian birds and animals , the royals inspecting the open cut mine.
A suggested school song in l955 was adapted from the song and military march , Men of Harlech, which obtained international recognition when it was sung in the l941 movie , How Green Was My Valley , about life in a Welsh coalfield .
A spirited 1966 contribution to Pylon , by Sophie Lerecki , challenged the accepted idea that " a woman's place is in the home ."
Education was important for women as their natural talents were needed in all fields of work due to the shortage of qualified workers. In Australia, most girls left school after completing Form Four of Five .
A reason advanced for the lack of higher education for them was that women were not as intelligent as men .It continued :
" Girls generally, get enough education so that they can get a nice , little office job somewhere , usually working for three or four years. They are now put on the marriage market , going out with all the eligible bachelors, one of whom usually gets hooked."
