Big Night Tops Off Odd Journey

Beautiful gowns and plenty of smiles were the theme of the evening … Kimberley Boland and Brianna Yeats prepare to walk up the red carpet into Kingaroy Town Hall

November 17, 2020

The class of 2020’s odd journey through school was highlighted at the Kingaroy State High School formal on Friday.

They were one of the first classes to do Prep. They were the first class to do Year 7 in secondary school. They are the first class to be ranked for tertiary admission using the ATAR system.

And, of course, they are the first final year students for a century to have graduated in the midst of a global pandemic …

So it was probably fitting their formal should be held on Friday the 13th.

But it wasn’t all bad luck.

The threatened rain, which meant the students and their partners were hurried up the red carpet in a bid to beat a possible storm, didn’t eventuate so the gowns (and polished cars) stayed dry.

Sadly, COVID-19 restrictions meant parents and relatives couldn’t be with the students inside Kingaroy Town Hall.

And the usual crush in the Glendon Street Forecourt was missing, with just two people per student allowed behind the barriers.

Everyone had to sign in, too, of course.

But as soon as the vehicles started arriving, all thoughts of pandemic were pushed aside as the usual mix of Mustangs and Chevrolets, farm utes and street machines deposited their passengers at the foot of the red carpet.

There were even a couple of Harley-Davidsons, some ponies and a Samarai …