He will be part of an anticipated crowd of 550 people including past and present students of “all high schools” in the city since 1917. The lunch at Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre (DRTCC) on April 22 is expected to be “oversubscribed” prompting a reminder to book early. The centenary celebrations include multiple events including a musical presentation that will draw home-grown stars back to Dubbo on April 23.

Jim Carey, co-chair of the 10-member centenary celebrations organising committee, said there was no time to waste in booking a place at the lunch or one of the 480 seats set aside for the musical presentation at DRTCC. A principal of Dubbo High School from 1995 to 2000, Mr Carey has issued an invitation to the thousands of people who obtained a public secondary education in Dubbo to be part of the celebrations.“I really want to stress that it’s for all the high schools in Dubbo, not just Dubbo High School,” he said. “It is 100 years since Dubbo High School started but it was the first deliverer of public high school education in Dubbo.”

Infrastructure from Dubbo’s first high school is part of Western Plains Cultural Centre where the the launch of the centenary celebrations will be held on April 21. A commemorative booklet called Milestones and Memories will become available that day. School visits are planned for April 22 along with “evening socialising” at Dubbo RSL Memorial Club. A church service at Holy Trinity Anglican Church on April 23 will be followed by a ceremony at the Dubbo cenotaph.

Bookings can be made at www.123tix.com.au along with orders for the booklet.

Dubbo High School served the city for almost half a century before Delroy High School was opened in 1966 followed by Dubbo South High School in 1980. The current providers of public secondary education in the city are the Dubbo School of Distance Education,the Mian School and Dubbo College.