AFTER more than 40 years teaching at Sunshine College, the decades have turned Chris Wheat into an unofficial school historian.
As the school’s Graham St site – formerly the Sunshine Technical School – celebrates its centenary this year, Mr Wheat is in his element chatting about the college’s past 100 years.
“The school is very loved by people who have lived in Sunshine all their lives and it goes back to before they were born,” Mr Wheat said.
He said the technical school was built on land donated by Hugh Victor McKay, who invented the Sunshine Harvester agricultural machine.
In 1906, to produce the harvester Mr McKay set up a Sunshine factory, which went on to employ almost 3000 workers.
Skipping forward a few decades, Mr Wheat said the famous American deaf and blind author, Helen Keller, visited the school during the 1940s.
“After her house burned down in the USA, the students wrote to her to commiserate and sent her some dried flowers, and on her world tour she decided to come to the school,” Mr Wheat said.
“The girls assembled on the front steps to greet her.”
While he has a wealth of information about the school’s heritage, Mr Wheat is also a well-known figure at the college.
Senior campus principal Mona Raghdo described Mr Wheat as an “institution” at the school.
“I’ve loved teaching here, I think every year there has been something new and the kids are great,” Mr Wheat said.
Past students and staff from the Sunshine Technical School are invited to a day of centenary celebrations on Sunday 30 October from 10am-5pm.
For information contact Mona Raghdo on 8311 5245.
