It's from the archives...

Who is C.M Westlake?

By Michael Bros

1961-1966

In conjuction with the B.H.S Library

< C.M Westlake

After searching through the schools archives I located it who is C.M. Westlake well it looks as though he is the first principal at the school in 1960 when he arrived the school was being built A block was the first building that the workers started on but due to bad weather the workers had to wait until it past when it finally cleared they went on to complete the school. It turned out that the students that were supposed to come in 1960, but couldn't come because the school was still being constructed so the students were accommodated at Cabbramatta High School. In 1961 some of the school was still being built, the canteen was located in B block the head office and the principal's office were going to be in A Block but it was still hadn't been built yet, C block didn't exsist and there was no "Sports centre", not only that, all that surrounded the school past Green Valley Creek was farm land. On the 6th of March 1961 the first students and staff arrived to the newly built school, school students started the task of learning at the new school. C Block was still being built in 1962, A block was being given the finishing touchs, grassing and locating of football and hockey fields began and work on the assembly hall started in 1962 and wasn't finished until May 1963. In 1964 a bus turnaround was built on the Cabramatta Road side of the High School with path and fence a Japanese Garden was erected between the Basket ball courts and the auditorium a third oval has been filled, leveled and grassed. In 1965 the oval near Cabramatta Rd was levelled and grassed the department of education donated 600 Pounds towards building seats in the playground and the Japanese garden was modified at the cost of 60 Pounds. In 1966 the last year that Mr Westlake was to be principal $3000 (the dollar decimal currency was introduced) was spent on planting shrubs and plants the fencing of the school was completed at the beginning of the year by the department of education on the 4th of August the schools canteen was burnt to the ground the cause, it might have been an electrical fault. Temporary canteen operations were carried out in the locker room in D Block the canteen was refurbished at the beginning of 1967 the amount of students came to a total of 1136 the maximum for the school. After 6 years as being school principal Mr Westlake left the school to Deputy Principal Mr Dwyer.

In 1985 the schools silver jubilee Mr Westlake was asked to if he would like to say something in that publication and this is what he said: "I was principal of Bonnyrigg High School for six years, from 1961 to the end of 1966. I think that in looking back they were the most interesting and inspiring six years of my whole teaching career. The interesting thing about it was the building of a new school from the ground up, literally. This would not have been possible had it not been for the co-operation of the staff who were young and enthusiastic; the parents, whose help in this enterprise was tremendous and the students who joined in the activities with great interest and spirit so that very soon we were a very good and effective and enjoyable school. I look back on those years with great pleasure and with a good deal of satisfaction. Its interesting now to revisit the school and see how much has been built upon the foundations which we then laid; to see that it's become such a very interesting place with such a wide range of varied activities that the school pupils can participate in. I'm grateful to Mr. Croot"(1985 Principal)";for letting me come here and have a most enjoyable day. I've most appreciated my association with the pupils and I extend to them my best wishes for the future" These words are from the 1985 Bonnyrigg High School Silver Jubilee Year Book Nothing in this text has been changed except spacing.

Sources: Various B.H.S Yearbooks Dating back to the 1960's
and the 1985 Silver Jubilee Edition of B.H.S yearbook