McGuckin Peta. McGuckin Peta. McGuckin Peta. McGuckin Peta. McGuckin Peta.
In 1953, numbers at the school warranted a third teacher, so a new two-room Bristol building school was erected on rising land further out of town. The same year I graduated from Claremont Teachers College [2] and was appointed to Nyabing for 1954.
Peta McGuckin 1953
Still only 18 years old, cousins drove me out from Katanning, to the Nyabing Inn, where I had been advised to seek accommodation with Mrs Gillis. I was not a pub goer and had never drunk alcohol. It was a very daunting experience for a young girl’s first time away from home. I had hoped for a posting to Katanning as I had been born there and it was home for a time when I was five years old, and I still had family there. Nyabing, 35 miles away may not seem far, but in those days of fewer cars, and only 10 miles of bitumen, getting into Katanning was not easy.
Nyabing people were very keen to meet “the new teacher” and made me quite welcome, especially the first Monday night. In those days a diesel passenger train came out to Nyabing and Pingrup on Monday and bought parcels and mail. It was customary for the locals to congregate around the shop and Pub waiting for the mail to be sorted. This was quite a social time. In the area there were only three or four girls my age in town; Shirley Batt (later Stephens), Ruth and Lila Langley and Joan Jack. Shirley and I soon became good friends.
At the school I very much liked Ray and Muriel Aitken who were good to me. I taught the 8/9 year olds in Standard 3 and Standard 4, In those days primary classes were Infants then Standards 1 to 6. High school was First to Fifth years. I also taught all girls aged eight to 14 for sewing. Some of those girls were only four or five years younger than myself. Most of the children came from farms by school buses.
Arriving Kalgoorlie by plane and greeted by family in 1954
Living at the Inn was so strange. I had meals in the dining room and met some interesting people across the table. Notable were the men who maintained the Rabbit Proof Fence and John Downie, a pilot who lived at Nyabing for a short time. I was fascinated that he always wore shorts, yet stood with his back to the fire. However he was very good to me. At Christmas 1954, I was going to find it hard to get to my family in Kalgoorlie in time for the day. John intended to fly there, so he arranged for us to take off from Bill Batt’s paddock. It was an experience I have never forgotten.
Everyone ensured I was included in the social life. A banging on my Inn door, had Geoff Johnston calling out; “Come on teacher. Come and wish Bob a happy 40th Birthday”. Imagine my surprise to find that Bob was an old family friend from Katanning days. Bob and Pat Haddleton were not the only ones who had known me as a little girl. In town too were Bulla and Nell Stephens, who owned the Store and Post Office. Before we left Katanning in 1940, my father and Bulla had known each other well through football.
Entertainment was mostly old time and ballroom dances, held in local halls with local musicians like Arnie and Ida Larter providing the music. No-one left me out, someone always volunteered a ride in a car whether to Badgebup, Pingrup, Dumbleyung or Gnowangerup. At dances, I made friends with the young people from neighbouring towns, especially in particular, Nancy Kaye of Pingrup.
School Bus “Miss Nyabing”
Once Max Langley took a load of us to Perth. I think they were going to the football. When we stopped in Victoria Park at night on the way home, the car broke down. Some of us were quite worried about not being at work the next day. Believe it or not, they hailed a taxi! I went too, but we got to Nyabing just as the Gillis school bus was setting out to bring the children to school! The others would not let me share the cost.
Seeing first harvest at Roy Johnston’s place 1954
In 1955, the Aitkens moved to Dumbleyung and a new head (Mr Edmunds) took over. Lesley Wells (Langley) was sent to replace Muriel Aitken. At first we were both living at the Inn. During the first week of school the town flooded. For a week, Nyabing was cut off from Katanning with stores having to be ferried by boat across the Coblinnine River on the Warren Road.
Scorch mark on caravan
At Easter, Mr Wallace bought his large caravan into Nyabing and located it under the salmon gums across the road from the old school. Mr Viv Langley was quite upset by the location. He always worried that these types of trees unexpectedly dropped limbs and we would not be safe. However, Lesley and I moved into it. This was fine until I set fire to a jumper I was cleaning with spirits in a bowl in the sink. From our lamps for lighting, the fumes ignited. Lesley thought quickly to get the bowl outside, opened the door (only slightly scorching part of the bench) and threw it out of the caravan. Unfortunately just at the time, the Langley’s were at the door to take Lesley to badminton. As Lesley tossed the burning bowl out the door, Lila was hit by it and burnt, and had to spend time in hospital. The end result was I helped Stephens with stocktaking to replace Lila. Lesley and I moved out of the caravan and into accommodation just out of town with Mrs Bell.
It was late in 1955 before Ian Patterson started taking me to dances. In fact the Gnowangerup Show Ball was the first. Prior to this, I had taken the offer of a ride to Perth with Ian one weekend. It was a pity we had found each other so late in 1955, because I had already applied for a transfer to Perth. As a result I was teaching at Willagee, when I left to marry Ian in 1957.
In 1972, I again taught at the Nyabing School for several months before accepting an offer to teach at Kobeelya for four years, then part time in the Art Department at the High School in Katanning. After a back injury that put me in hospital for a month, I decided to devote more time on the farm. From my farm life, I was interested to follow the lives of students from my classes and to get to know some of their children too.
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