A walk down memory lane: Returning to school at Abbotsford Convent
For Bernard George Murray (right), a visit to 3MBS Melbourne was more than an opportunity to see where the radio station operates. It was a return to a place he knew very well as a young boy, having attended St Euphrasia's Primary School at Abbotsford Convent from 1946.
Bernard recently visited the station with 3MBS presenter Bill Watts (left), sharing memories of his school days and discovering how much—and how little—had changed in the familiar surroundings.
Two photographs from the family collection brought those early years back to life. One shows the combined Bubs and Grade 1 class, while the other captures the First Communion group in October 1948. Both were taken in the courtyard at the Convent, the very spot where Bernard and Bill stopped to take photographs during his return visit.
Infant Room: 'Bubs' & First Grade Room, 1946
First Communion class and Fr. O'Gorman, 1948
Among Bernard's fondest memories are some of the small moments that made school life memorable. In the Bubs, Sister Madeline allowed him to sit and play with the toys on his birthday. Later, in Grade 4, he became an altar boy. As the tallest of the group, he was given responsibility for carrying the thurible, swinging it as incense filled the church.
There were other memorable moments, too. When Bernard began wearing glasses for reading in Grade 4, Sister Bede made it clear that anyone who laughed at him would earn a smack!
Of all the classrooms, it was the Grade 6 room, on the ground floor in the centre of the building, that held the strongest memories. It was here, under Sister Assumpta, that Bernard and his classmates spent their final year of primary school together.
It was only a couple of years ago that Bernard discovered his old school was now home to 3MBS. Bill mentioned that he was heading to the Abbotsford Convent to present his radio program, prompting Bernard to learn more about the station and its home.
He was pleased to discover that the old school buildings had found a new purpose, providing a place for people to come together while also offering a service to listeners across Melbourne and beyond.
During his visit, Bernard was able to recognise several familiar features. The former cloister, once an open area with seating benches, has been enclosed and transformed into a welcoming kitchen and gathering space. He also remembered the location of each classroom and pointed out a pink door along the side of the building, which once led to the boys' toilets. The area behind it is now an open, grassed space.
While the sounds of the school days were no longer there—Bernard wondered whether the Angelus bells still rang from the church tower at midday—the building itself brought back plenty of memories.
Altar Boys, 1952-53
Bernard at the altar, 1952
Abbotsford Convent St Euphrasia Building, 3MBS
Former cloister now 3MBS kitchen