Ku-ring-gai High School in North Turramurra also opened in 1965 and the two principals (Mr Sweaney and Mr Eason) knew one another, and decided that we would be ideally suited to have inter-school visits with one another. The first of these took place in July 1965, students from Ku-ring-gai coming to Canberra to be billeted with Watson High students. A half day’s sporting events (and debating) was followed by a school social. The next day saw the completion of the sporting contests and the departure of the visitors. See the programme below.

In the following year Watson High students travelled to Sydney and were billeted there. These visits were a yearly event during our time at Watson, alternating between Watson and Ku-ring-gai. The trophy we fought for was a koala bear named “Watgai”. Programmes from later visits have not come to light, but more and more students were part of the school teams as the years progressed. Who could forget the excitement of the trip up to Sydney by train? There are probably some stories to be told there…

And who could forget Ku-ring-gai’s war cry (soooo much better than ours!):

Ku-ring-gai Ku-ring-gai Bobbin Bobbin Bobbin Head

Ku-ring-gai Ku-ring-gai Turramurra Warrawee

What are what are what are we? We are we are Ku-ring-gai

High! High! High!

Ours was:

Aranda, Barada, glubba glubba glot

Karumba, Pinjarra, give it to them hot

Play the game, play the game, tackle them true

Red, white, aqua, blue

W-A-T-S-O-N, WATSON!

(Note: “Glubba-glubba glot” was later changed – on the insistence of everyone who had to shout the war cry – to “Give it all you’ve got”)

Ku-ring-gai visits were finally discontinued in 1974 and interschool relations with Melrose High took place instead. All the way to the Woden Valley – wow!