When five-year-old Lachie walked through the gates of Kiama Public School last month, he became the fourth generation of his family to do so, a tradition that began in the 1930s.

This remarkable family connection of more than 90 years offers a glimpse into the school’s progression. 

Lachie's great-grandfather, Alisdair Tarbert, who moved to Kiama when he was three, was the first in the family to attend the school.

His daughter, Karen Rossiter, explains that he started kindergarten around 1938-39, “then my sister, brother and I started at Kiama Infants when it was down where The Sebel is”. 

Karen began her education in 1966 at the original site that opened in 1861 which catered for infants and as the town started to grow, a new school was built on Thompson Street in 1965 for students in Years 3-6. After a few years of renovations and new buildings, the schools amalgamated in 2001, with all students moved to the newer location. 

She recalled how the playground at the original site was near Black Beach and considerably different to school playgrounds today. 

"We used to play on the school flats of a lunchtime down there - we had the best playground in the world,” she said. 

Kiama Public School first class in 1940. Alisdair holds the class information board.

Her father's school experience during World War II reflected a time of much greater hardship in public education. 

"Dad played football for Kiama Primary and the school was so poor that they had to make their jerseys out of hessian bags,” Karen says. 

“He said they were so itchy and very uncomfortable to wear but there was no money around." 

The school milk program is a prominent memory of Karen’s primary education, partly because the milk was always hot but also due to her Mum’s resourcefulness. 

Kiama Public School first class in 1966. Karen holds the class information sign on the left.

"I remember the school fetes, they were a lot of fun and we were able to be on 'dunk the dolly', people would throw balls and dunk us into the water,” says Karen. 

“And Santa used to come across the harbour at Christmas time in a rowboat, and see all the kids waving on Black Beach.

"We used to get milk every day and it was always hot, and then mum kindly let us take a little bit of Milo in a container so that we could fix the Milo in so it didn't taste so bad.”

Karen was a prefect and the tradition continued with her sons.

"One of my sons was school captain so his name's up on the honour board, and it's lovely for Lachie to see that his uncle's name is up there, and his dad was a SRC member,” she said.

"We value public education and it's just lovely for that family tradition to continue.

"Lachie is loving it, he's having a great time, he was well and truly ready to start school. 

“I still have friends today that I went to school with, and my boys both have friends and my Dad even still has friends that he went to school with, so I'm sure Lachie will have lifelong friends as well."

Karen’s parents are still in the area as well as her two sons as they continue to share a connection with the community forged from their days in the old schoolyard.