A Lake Macquarie woman has returned to her small school, 90 years after first arriving as a student, to help celebrate its 125th anniversary.
Peg Veale, 95, is one of the oldest living past students of Dudley Public School in New South Wales.
She started at the school in 1927, aged five.
"I lived opposite the school, and the first couple of days I ran back home," Mrs Veale said.
"Once I made some lovely friends, I enjoyed school very much."
Dudley Public School opened in 1892 and currently enrols almost 300 students.
A mix of old and new buildings make up the site, which has views over the ocean.
When Mrs Veale arrived 90 years ago, the old classrooms had wooden floors, a large chalk board, timber desks organised in neat rows, and not much colour around the walls.
But stepping into the modern classroom was a very different experience.
Plush carpet, interactive whiteboards, and a kaleidoscope of colourful paintings completed by the students hung on the walls.
"I'm amazed. There's so much difference and [there are] so many things to learn from [in the classroom]," Mrs Veale said.
"I think it's marvellous. It's hard to believe that all of these things have come in time for the children.
"There are so many lovely things to look at and to learn how life has changed."
Golden memories of fun in the playground
Mrs Veale had fond memories of her hours spent playing in the schoolyard.
"We just played hopscotch and skipping rope and all those kinds of games," she said.
"Mostly we had lady teachers, other than the headmaster which was usually a male.
"We started [learning our] A-B-C's, naturally, and then moved up from first class every year.
"Then we went from there into high school.
"I enjoyed [school]. We learned a lot and our playground was always lovely to be in."
After high school, Mrs Veale went on to work as a cashier at a local butcher's shop.
At age five, Haddie Whiteside is Dudley Public's School's youngest student.
"I tell my mum I love the playground," she said.
"I play on the bars … hide and seek, chasies, and paddycake.
"[I learn about] maths, and artwork. I like doing the artwork, I like drawing puppies."
For Mrs Veale, the anniversary brought back many memories.
"I wonder where all my friends are. A lot of them aren't here anymore, they've passed on," she said.
"I suppose we don't go on forever, do we?
"At my age, I suppose I'm lucky to be here and getting around and still have memories of everything."
