Memories of old school days came flowing back when five Goulburn Catholic schools gathered for a reunion.
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The event, from Friday, May 16 to Sunday, May 18 united ex-students from Our Lady of Mercy College (OLMC), Saint Patrick's College, Saint Joseph's College, Saint Patrick's Technical School and Saint Michael's, Inveralochy.
It included a casual get-together at the Goulburn Workers Club on Friday night, a dinner attended by 110 people on Saturday night at the same venue and a farewell morning tea on Sunday.
Co-organiser and former Saint Patrick's Technical School student, Paul Wales, said it was the first reunion that united all five institutions. A combined reunion of three schools was held in 2021.
At Saturday's dinner, attendees swapped stories about their school days and later cut five cakes, each decorated with the emblems of the institutions. School banners, memorabilia such as newspaper clippings, a cadet uniform and bugle from Saint Pat's and other items were displayed.
Paul Wales' sister, Donna, helped organise the get-together. She attended OLMC in the late 1960s.
"I loved it," she said.
"We had discipline. I had some wonderful teachers. The nuns were very good, though strict. They were very happy days."
Ms Wales said she loved going to church, which the Saint Pat's boys also attended.
John Weatherstone was guest speaker on the night.
The Gold Coast man captained Saint Pat's First XV rugby side from 1965 to 1967 and went on to play 13 tests for the Wallabies from 1974 to 1976.
He also played for NSW, NSW Country, ACT and the junior Wallabies.
Mr Weathersone, originally from Harden, boarded at the college from 1962 to 1967. He said the school proved formative in his rugby career.
The College was a nursery for rugby talent, including former Goulburn man, Simon Poidevin, who played 59 tests with the Wallabies up until his 1992 retirement.
Over the years, most of the schools disappeared. In 2000, Saint Patrick's College and Marian College merged to form Trinity Catholic College.
People came from interstate, Wagga Wagga, Canberra, the Southern Highlands, Goulburn and district and many other centres for the reunion.
The gathering is held every two years.