It’s been 30 years since the Willetton Senior High School Class of 1996 left the school gates.
On Saturday night, many former students gathered at Burrendah Tavern to reconnect, share stories, remember old times and see how life has unfolded since the mid-1990s.
One of the organisers, Mark Harrington, said the reunion was part of a long-standing tradition.
The reunion continued a long-standing tradition of meeting every five years.
“We have a history of organising the reunion every five years. So, there was a 10 year, a 15 year, a 20 year, a 25 year, and now the 30-year anniversary,” organiser Mark Harrington said.
This year’s event drew a larger crowd than the last.
“The 30-year anniversary was quite a bit bigger than the 25 year one. We had alumni who came to the 30-year anniversary who hadn’t come to the earlier ones, and it was great to see them.”
The night, for many, was not just about school memories, but reconnecting with people from primary school, sport and the wider Willetton community.
“Basketball was a common theme for the evening,” he said, noting the school’s basketball scholarship program was well represented. Drama scholarship students were also more likely to attend.
“I think that also goes to show the great results those programs can help achieve in terms of peer support, friendship groups.”
Another attendee, Lynne Greenaway, said reunions had become part of the calendar for the cohort.
“We have a reunion every five years and it’s just been on the calendar. We have a good group of organisers who make it happen: Mark and Kate,” she said.
Lynne remembered the size of the ‘96 year group.
“Our year group was huge. I think over 300 students and the majority were all friends with each other. We obviously had our own groups but as a whole everyone mingled and socialised.”
Looking back to the mid-90s, Mark said life felt very different. “Smoking was still very common and seen as cool,” he said.
There were no smartphones and many still remember their old landline numbers “like chants we’ll never forget.”
The reunion also stirred more personal memories. Mark recalled the support he received from then-principal Brendon Davies after his father passed away while he was in Year 9.
“That memory of support always stayed with me.”
On the night itself, emotions ranged differently.
“About half the crowd looked radically different,” Mark said. “About a quarter looked like they hadn’t changed at all.”
While filming interviews for a memorabilia video on the night, he noticed some classmates reflected on things that had once felt significant.
“It was obvious that a number of people felt guilt or sadness about things that others can’t even remember anymore,” he said.
“I think that was a bit of a lesson in not making mountains out of molehills in your life because at the end of the day, people don’t really hold grudges, or even remember grudges for too long.”
A tribute to former student Andrea Dalles, who has passed away, brought many to tears.
“It was special that those that are no longer with us were recognised and acknowledged,” Lynne said.
Others spoke quietly about recent losses in their own lives, sharing experiences and offering support.
There were lighter moments too, including five students from the Class of 2020 who playfully gatecrashed the event pretending to be 1996 alumni.
As the reunion stretched further from graduation, some attendees believe their meaning changes.
“The earlier ones still have a sense of competition, who’s got what, who’s doing the best. It’s a ‘roosters bumping into each other’ kind of thing,” Mark said.
But by 25 and 30 years, he noticed a change.
“By this time, you’ve had a lot of parents die. You’ve had five to ten of your classmates die. You’ve got semi-serious health conditions… I think it’s a really special time of just caring for one another and sincerely wishing each other the best.”
Lynne hopes “that these reunions forge old friendships and new connections.”
For Mark, he hopes “to move to an annual format. Every year. Not every five years.”
