Wednesday, 12 November 2025

 Nathan LAMBERT (Preston) (13:29): I would like to recognise everyone involved in Preston Primary School’s 150th anniversary celebrations, including principal Janet Paterson; assistant principal Dale Adams; Paula Sanford, who put together the photo and document displays; Claudia Caputo and Jeremy Murphy, who put together the video; and the whole organising committee, including Nadia Mecoli, Liz McLindon, Keri Spence and school council president Allison Harvey. It was a particular pleasure at that event to chat with former student Jean Neilsen, who is 100 years old and shared some of her stories of life at the school in the 1930s. That was obviously a more frugal and tougher time. Jean did share the fun story that she was born Isla Jean Usher but she went by Jean because back then nobody was familiar with the name Isla.

She is very pleased to see, some 90 years later, that the name Isla has finally and deservedly come into fashion. I thank also her son Andrew Neilson for helping share her stories with us and the school community.