Thirteen former Columba College pupils celebrated friendships that formed during their time boarding at the school in the 1960s with a morning tea last week.
Organiser Lynn Clayton said the women were very excited and it had been quite an emotional experience.
"When we were at boarding school, we spent more time together . . . than we did with our parents for three or four years."
In those days, students did not go home every weekend, rather once every term, she said.
They had each other to rely on in good and bad times.
Since they left, the school had modernised and there were a lot of new buildings, including the junior school.
However, seeing their old hostel brought back a lot of memories.
"This building is magnificent," Mrs Clayton said.
All of the women at the reunion had lived good lives, and done well in their communities, which they attributed to good schooling.
Admittedly, they were not the most well-behaved young women during their time at the school.
They would steal cans of condensed milk when the matron was asleep on Sundays and escape the bounds of the school to go to the dairy down the road.
Deirdre Mackenzie-Hore could remember going to her grandmother’s home in London St with her friends to enjoy ice cream and boysenberries.
Mrs Mackenzie-Hore said even though they had not seen each other for several years, they were able to pick up right where they left off with their friendships.
She said it was not until later in life when, after travelling the world, she realised how privileged she was to attend Columba.
