“Our group was a significant one because we were ‘Wyndham Guinea Pigs’,” one of the former students, Carolyn Gadd, said.

The Wyndham Scheme was a package of educations reforms, introduced at the time, which included extending high school by one year.

“This meant that we were the first group to have to complete six years at high school instead of the five years that those before us had.” 

The trial must have met with approval because students still have to complete six years to attain a Higher School Certificate.

In 1967 the retention rate for students staying on for the further two years of school was approximately 20 per cent.

“Our reunion this year is for anyone who attended Armidale High School between 1962 and 1967 and those who had connections with our year,” Carolyn said.

“We have former classmates travelling from New Zealand and Perth and a number of our teachers will also join us.”

Carolyn said the class of 62-67 had been very active when it came to reunions.

This will be the fifth time the year group of students has got back together again to mark milestones.

“We have had excellent roll-ups at reunions in 1987,1997, 2007 and 2012,” she said.

Those years marked 20, 30, 40 and 45 years since the former students left high school. 

Following the 40th reunion the former classmates decided that future reunions would take place every five years rather than 10 years.

For the 50th reunion, golf and an informal get together are planned for Friday April 21, followed by a formal dinner on Saturday night at the Bowling Club.

The reunion weekend winds up with brunch, bowls and music at Armidale City Bowling Club on Sunday morning.

Now the committee is trying to track down other former students as well as getting preparations in place ahead of next month’s reunion weekend.

“We would still love to hear from former classmates who have not received our emails and letters,” Carolyn said.