Term 2 and 3 1959.
After spending the May holidays with my family in Echuca I headed to Benalla in McGills buslines on the Monday before school was due to start. I was met by Mr Dan Ginnivan with whom I was to board. Samaria was a district set in very hilly country and not far from the foot of Mt Samaria about twenty five miles south of Benalla. It was very dark when we arrived at the Ginnivan home. Getting up next morning I was amazed at the contrast in the countryside from where I had just come. Instead of dry parched earth here was magnificent farmland with green grass nearly a foot high and situated in a beautiful valley with streams running through it. Instead of large fields of wheat here most of the farmers milked cows and raised fat cattle.
The school building was very small and only boasted eight pupils, one of whom was a girl in grade eight. The schoolground was set on the side of quite a steep hill with huge pine trees on it. After the first heavy frost (and there were plenty of them during that winter) the ice covered the ground and remained there until Springtime arrived. Once again it was a matter or riding my bike to school and Mrs Ginnivan kindly gave me some lambswool lined leather gloves which helped a lot on those very cold frosty mornings. There was no State Electricity in Samaria in those days and the Ginnivans had beautiful big lamps which gave off a wonderful light. Once again I had landed on my feet.-1 was living again with wonderful caring family. The Ginnivans had two grown up children and although they were no longer involved in the school still boarded the local teacher. Dan was a real character who loved to tell a yarn and was a very keen racegoer. As he had lived in the area for most of his life he was able to fill me in on the histories of most of the families who lived in the district. Mrs Ginnivan had a budgerigar "Nicky" which flew around inside the house and at mealtimes would often land on the side of your plate while you were eating. Often after school I would go down towards the back of their block and fish for blackfish and trout in the lovely stream which ran through this beautiful valley. On cold evenings one could hear all sorts of calls echoing through the valley from the neighbouring farms during milking time.
A few days after my arrival, a couple of teachers from neighbouring schools were sent to see me about playing football in their local district league with Swanpool, the nearest small hamlet to Samaria. In their wisdom however, in good Primary School Teacher tradition, they decided to detour via the Tatong hotel first where they enjoyed themselves so much the they didn't complete their mission for Swanpool and didn't get to me at all. The following day I had a visit at the school from a committeeman from the Benalla Football Club which played in the strong Ovens and Murray Football League. I signed with them and they arranged that I could get into training on the school bus and the club would arrange transport for me to get home. That was the start of three and a half years of a wonderful time as a member of the Benalla team and the start of some lifelong friendships.
During the final two terms of the year- May -December I enjoyed a very pleasant social life in the local district. Mid week there was table tennis at Swanpool a tiny village on the Midland Highway between Benalla and Mansfield. Then when the footy season with Benalla was over I played tennis with Swanpool in the Benalla District Tennis Association. During this time I was often invited by one family for a Sunday afternoon of tennis on their home court, join in the milking later ( which I enjoyed very much having spent my very early childhood life on a dairy firm) and stay for dinner. Country living was great. Being dependent on others for transport was a problem, so during the September holidays back home in Echuca I learnt to drive in my younger brother's little Ford Prefect. On the last day of the holidays I got my driver's licence, bought a little Austin A-50 ute and drove back to Samaria that afternoon-a more inexperienced driver one could not hope to see. Having my own vehicle now enabled me much more freedom to participate in a whole lot of social activities mostly related in some way to the Benalla Football Club. Often the drive home late of a Saturday night was a nightmare as the fogs that came down were often real peasoupers and you could barely see the white lines in the middle of the road.
When I first started my footy with Benalla I was recovering from pneumonia and a broken wrist and was very short on fitness as I had not been able to train. However I was soon selected in their reserves team and played five games. After the last of these I was not very satisfied with my form and was expecting to be dropped. When I arrived in Benalla on the next Saturday morning the first thing to do was to check the teams in one of the shop windows and sure enough my name was not in the reserve team and I thought my fears were realized. However to my surprise when I looked up to the senior team there was my name. I had come in early to have haircut and while waiting my turn in the hairdressers all talk was about the football in town that day and everyone was asking who is this "Finnegan"? When my turn came to mount the chair the barber, being sociable, asked if I was going to the footy and when I said I was playing he asked who I was and was quite startled when I told him. A newcomer in a country sporting team usually creates a bit of interest. Later after the game another older fellow sidled up to me in the dressing rooms and asked if my family came from Kyabram. When I said"No, but my mother grew up there he asked her name. When I told him he said he remembered her as they had been in the same social set when he was young. I managed to play five senior games in the strong Ovens and Murray League before returning to play the last game with the reserves and so qualify for the finals. (The seniors not being involved). We lost the first semi final against Wodonga at Wangaratta but when it was discovered that they had played an unqualified player we were granted a replay, which we duly won and we then managed to win our way into the reserves grand final. We were defeated in the grand Final which was played at Corowa but had done well to be runners up. This was the start of a successful era for the Benalla Football club as the seniors rose up the ladder the next year and then went on to win a couple of senior premierships.
The highlight of term three was my first interstate footy trip with Benalla which provided me with some new experiences. We sailed to Devonport in northern Tasmania on the ferry, 'The Princess of Tasmania". This was my first experience of sea sickness. We had struck a very heavy sea and most on board were seasick and my friends and myself spent much of the night hanging over the side rails. Then followed a ride on a quaint old fashion train on a narrow three foot six guage rail line to Launceston. Another first was the return trip to Melbourne by plane-my first flight in an aircraft.
I had got the taste for senior football and I wanted to be part of it and remain in the district. I applied for and was successful in gaining a permanent position for the following three years as Head teacher Class 4 at Bungeet West State School, a rural school about twenty miles north of Benalla.
I was a little sad at leaving Samaria as I had enjoyed myself there and the people were so friendly and the countryside so beautiful.
So ended my first year of teaching in two vastly different areas of Victoria. When looking back to this time fifty years ago and comparing schools and the teachers' work conditions today the following comes to mind:
a) The isolation of the small rural school where there was no electricity and no telephone (so no way of communicating with parents during the day).
b) The only water supply being from a tank which had to be regularly treated to get rid of wrigglers.
c) The heat and dust of summer and the daily cutting of firewood and lighting the open fire for warmth in winter.
d) Cleaning the school each evening and digging a hole to empty the toilet pans about once a month for the princely sum of one pound seventeen and sixpence per fortnight.
e) The lack of communication with other adults during the day except when the occasional commercial traveller called, or when the District Inspector suddenly turned up for his annual visit.
How things have changed, but what an experience and one for which I am grateful.