Lisa Gray, Roma Kennedy-Perkins (nee Stephens), Rebecca Prain

We read the alumni newsletter with interest each time it comes out, but somehow feel like the1980s at OGHS is under-represented. Yes, we had bad hair, bad uniforms and Mrs Glue provided endless amusement with her assembly admonishments that “you girls will enjoy this”, particularly when it was something distasteful, but the 80's weren’t all bad and has given us a friendship to treasure.

We love seeing the achievements of the alumni, particularly these young women who haverepresented their province or New Zealand, who excel in the arts or who have achieved greatly in their professional careers. We’d like to tell the story of an enduring friendship that started at OGHS in 1981 when two new girls arrived into the fourth form – Roma and Beccy arrived into an established group of friends containing Lisa Gray and Kate Blaikie. We had some ups and downs for sure (the fifth form was vile for most teenagers), but we enjoyed school in the most part. Mr Murley gets an honourable mention for being young in the 80s. School camp was particularly memorable and both Lisa and Beccy walked away from one particular camp earning prefect badges for not complaining (this might be our recollection) at the cliff top hike, estuary crossing and rock hopping in between crashing waves. We played various sports, mixed and matched friends, but the thing of significance is that we are all still together, 43 years after meeting.

Beccy studied geology at University of Otago and came across to Perth, Western Australia six months after graduating in 1989. She worked FIFO (fly in-fly out) in the mines, starting in Wiluna (look it up on a map, it’s very far from everywhere and very different to Dunedin). After a letter from Beccy to a mutual friend, Lisa decided to come to Perth three months later, tying these two together to this very day. Roma came across with her husband in 1994 for what was meant to be a short stint in Perth but remains here to this day. Lisa now has a successful career as a Senior Database Administrator, Roma works at one of Perth’s top fashion boutiques and Beccy runs a mining consultancy. Between us we have five Australian/NZ children, with two now studying in Dunedin.

This is not about our achievements and in a way, in the 80's we weren’t encouraged to haveindividual achievements. Our sports days were all about participation – we had no individual events and we dressed up in silly outfits with colour schemes. We played team sports – netball and volleyball were popular. There were no athletics events, no solo glory, but there were some questionable dance routines, a lot of Shakespeare recited, many hands of 500 in the sixth form common room and a sense of togetherness.

We were really gutted when COVID stopped the 150th celebrations – we wanted to come back to school (well, Lisa, Beccy and Kate did) and be part of the OGHS community again for a brief period of time. We’ve got a long time to wait until the 175th and if we have to come from Western Australia then we’re going to need assistance!

So here’s to the class that graduated in 1984. Many of us are still friends to this day, but werepresent the three from our year who have calved out a life at the edge of the desert, on the far side of the Australian continent. Very few visit us here, but please look us up if you’re coming!