A day of connections, fun, entertainment and reliving memorable stories and experiences shared through various generations.
That was how Harrington Public School principal, Paul Haste, described last weekend's school spring fair and 150 year anniversary.
The sesquicentennial celebration began with a performance by the school on Wednesday night (October 19) at the Harrington community hall featuring dance groups, choir and drama. Friday night saw a formal dinner at Club Harrington involving former principals, students, staff and P and C members, along with community members associated with the school.
Despite the overcast and at times drizzly conditions, Saturday's fair day was extremely well attended with plenty to keep visitors entertained, including stalls, an animal petting zoo, a merry-go-round and a 'Community Corner' with the local fire brigade attending.
Among the attractions were live music, a horizontal bungee jump, a photo booth and face painting.
The day saw an outpouring of school and community spirit with community members donating scones and the Lions Club keeping all well fed along with helping to run the chocolate wheel.
People had the opportunity to browse through photos collected throughout the school's past, with member for Port Macquarie, Leslie Williams, being one of those marveling at the local history on display.
With so many highlights on offer, principal Haste had a hard time choosing a favourite, though there was no debating the significance of a couple of special visitors.
"Two highlights that stood out for me were the two ladies, Irene and Fay. I know Irene is in her 90s and I think Fay might be getting close, but they actually went to school here between the years of 1940 and 1947," Mr Haste said.
"They came to the formal dinner on the Friday night and then they were also here at the school for the celebrations (on Saturday) and, that was pretty special because they had a connection here 80 years ago."
Despite achieving the remarkable milestone, the school is far from standing still in its development, with construction of a new hall scheduled to commence in March 2023.
"It's kind of a milestone for the school. It's the first school hall to be constructed which is a huge necessity the school and community has been after for many, many years, and that's in line with the growth of Harrington and also the growth of Harrington Public School," principal Haste said.
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