Bremer State High School, Ipswich

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Unbeknownst to be, Bremer State High School at Ipswich was not necessarily on the "right" side of the tracks. In fact, I wasn't even aware that there were "tracks". Bremer was just where most kids went at that time.

My eldest sister did go to Ipswich Girls Grammar but I was unaware that this was anything other than just how life is. The only time that the existence of other high schools occurred was when the footy season started and we played Ipswich State High and a Brothers School (just known by me as the Brothers school). The kids at Brothers were brutal at footy and flogged us mercilessly for years, like 60-0 beatings. They reckoned that they were tougher than us because the Sisters (Nuns) at the school made them that way with ruler beatings on hands, knuckles and legs. They would show us the bruises after the games.

So I was quite glad that I was going to Bremer.

As I also played for Booval Swifts Rugby League (no sign of Alfie Langer or the Walters' boys, although Dessie Morrris and his brother, Rod, played for us), the Bremer coach made sure that I was in the school footy team and I was quite well known for that, as opposed to my academic achievements, which were still at the "Mark can do better; Mark has potential" stage. I think that stayed up until now, with my golf getting the "Mark can do better" comment regularly.

The Bremer footy coach was the only teacher at Bremer who made any impact on me, as he was always chatty and supportive, something that teachers rarely did with me.

The French teacher is also remembered and I tried really hard for him, but he has the stricter, "You will learn this now!" approach. That worked for me too. Still love French but can't remember his name.

It is weird but I can't remember other kids' names, except for Charlie (Chas) who sat next to me in most classes. He couldn't read particularly well so I used to read everything and help him with schoolwork. I knew enough to get us both by.

Really though, my life revolved amost totally around Rugby League. Played at school on Wednesday and on Sunday for Swifts. Spent my whole footy career being beaten and never worried about it at all. 

Sunday footy was tricky because my Mum, Sylvy, made all of the six kids go to the Methodist Sunday School and Church - but I would just pray to be out of there and go to footy. Most days, I had to ride my push bike to the North Ipswich footy oval from Booval. Dad would take me in the car some days but that was rare. My first years, I played hooker and then five-eight. 

A favourite moment was on Monday morning when the "Ipswich Times" newspaper was delivered, and every now and then, in the tiniest of prints, my name would be there for scoring a try. Pleased as punch for days!

Played for Ipswich Under 15s once at Lang Park (Suncorp) before a Test match when Australia played New Zealand. My memory is faulty but I don't recall much about our game except that we lost 6-4 to Toowoomba. But the Test Match - wow! 

We were allowed to sit on the sideline where the players came out and there were about 30 000 people there - packed full. In the first few minutes, my favourite Oz player, Johnny Gleeson, was flattened (known as a coat hanger) by a big Kiwi prop. Our prop, Ian Walsh, just walked up to him and decked him right in front of the referee. Both were sent off for the match and Johnny Gleeson climbed up and played on. They strolled past our team and they seemed quite okay with each other. Jeez, I loved it though! 

Australia won!

It's a bit sad but my only other big memory of Bremer was a fight that I got into with a kid who kept calling me "four eyes" because I wore glasses. I was sensitive about that because I was one of the few students who had them. Eventually, we settled on a fight in the horse paddock next door to the school. It was pretty ordinary as I had the ticker (heart) for it but not any skill and nor did he. He scratched my face with his fingernails and I scored no success at all that I remember.

The teacher next day asked about my face and the other kids dobbed him in. I slipped away home and he ended up in trouble but I didn't really care anymore. 

No more fights for me, but I did get quite good at pulling the fighters apart, even at the local pub in later life.

My father was Head Teacher at Ipswich Opportunity School and that was why we were in Ipswich. He was given the chance to open a new Opportunity School at Windsor in Brisbane, so we up and moved to Aspley and that was my next school.

 From the school website:

Bremer State High School has proudly served the Ipswich community for over six decades. Established in 1959 with just 120 foundation students, our school was led by inaugural Principal Mr Wesley Donaldson Napier. 

Originally located on Blackstone Road in Silkstone, Bremer relocated in 2011 to our purpose-built, modern campus on Warwick Road—just minutes from the heart of Ipswich.

Today, we are a thriving metropolitan high school with a vibrant student body of over 2,000.