Class of 1985: Vicky Wynen, Jen Adcock and classmates from St FrancisBy Paul Dunlop
THE St Francis Xavier class of 1985 is going back to the days of the old school yard.
Old boys and girls of the Beaconsfield college are getting together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their final school year.
When Vicky Wynen, Jen Adcock and their classmates were battling through Year 12, Tina Turner had hit the top of the charts with What’s Love Got to Do With It and Boris Becker and Martina Navratilova were winning Wimbledon.
Bob Hawke was Prime Minister, the Oscar for best picture in 1985 went to Amadeus and Paul Hogan was the Australian of the Year on the back of his huge success with TV advertisements plugging Australia to the United States. Crocodile Dundee was still to come.
The class of 1985 was enjoying the trials and tribulations of a year regarded as one of the most important in young people’s lives.
“St Francis had only been going for three years when we started in year seven,” Vicky said.
“The school had about 300 students then, there are now 1100 so it has certainly grown a lot since.”
About 80 students completed their Higher School Certificate, as it was then, at St Francis Xavier in 1985, and many have maintained close contact.
Vicky said there were about 30 or 40 former classmates still living in the local area. Most are expected to be at the reunion next Saturday night.
Vicky has a closer association than most with her alma mater.
She teaches physical education and food technology but is currently on maternity leave having recently had twins.
“It will be interesting to see how many of us have had kids,” said the motheroffour.
“The last reunion we had was 10 years ago, quite a few were married then but now it’s that next phase again.”
Vicky said her year 12 class was a closeknit group who stayed in regular contact during the years following school.
She and Jen have been best friends since grade one and said many former classmates still kept in touch.
“Beaconsfield was still a fairly small community at the time so we were pretty close,” Vicky said.
Chiropractor, physiotherapist, doctor, veterinarian, teacher, tradesmen and musician are just some of the occupations now filled by the SFX class of 1985. But when the group gathers to wind back the clock, Vicky said work and family were unlikely to dominate conversation.
“I hope everybody takes off their parent and occupation hats and just becomes 18 again and enjoys themselves,” she said.
“We want to have some fun. I hope we pick up where we left off.”
The backto will be held at the Cardinia Park hotel function room in Beaconsfield from 7.30pm on Saturday, 8 October.
A DJ will play 80s music and a light supper will be provided.
For further information contact Jason Hill by email at physiogatewaybbs.com.au or Vicky Wynen on 5998 1127.
