Melrose High School and Goodwin Village Farrer are within walking distance of each other and it could have been a case of never the twain shall meet had it not been for the imagination of a teacher.
Oscar Jolly, a HASS (humanities and social science) teacher at Melrose, connected his year nine students with residents at the Goodwin aged care facility for a project that was about living history, spanning the generations and understanding the wisdom of those who have gone before.
But it also ended up creating some strong bonds between the students and elderly residents that are likely to continue long after the classroom teaching has finished.
"With parental support, a lot of the students are planning to go back and continue that relationship, which is great," Mr Jolly said.
'It's been beautiful to meet young people'
The students visited the residents the first time to talk to them so they could write up their life story. The second visit - this week - saw them return to present the finished story. And to thank them, with the year nine students giving the residents flowers and chocolates. Much to their delight.
"It makes me happy," Goodwin resident Ineborg Wirz said, after her visit from Daisy Hayman and Cleo Hilton-Bell.
"It's been beautiful to meet young people."
Resident John White, 97, loved his visit from Sheherbano Rizvi, 15, and Molly Nagle, 14, telling them "I know we hardly know each other, but I'm very proud of both of you".
"I hope they've learnt something from me. I've learnt a lot from them," Mr White said.
Mr Jolly wanted to show the students that history was alive in front of them, if they just took the time to talk to older people.
"As a history teacher, I don't have to look too far to see how much history has been made in the lifetimes of these people," he said.
But even something as relatively modern as the women's liberation movement of the 1970s could seem to young students "as much in the ancient past as the pyramids".
'They've just got so much to say'
Students Vuk Isidorovic, 15, and Nico Gonzalez, 14, enjoyed getting to know Goodwin resident Yvonne Jantke. They enjoyed hearing about her childhood and how she had many businesses over her life.
"It's crazy to think how these people have been alive five times longer than us and they've just got so much to say and for us to listen to," Vuk said.
Daisy and Cleo wrote the life story of Ineborg, who is originally from Germany. They intend to keep in touch.
"We live near and come down here for the fetes [at Goodwin] and it was really good to talk to the actual people," Daisy said.
"It was good to hear about how she grew up and her relationship with her parents and siblings," Cleo said.
Goodwin Village Farrer director of nursing Alex Thomas said it was great to see the young and old come together.
"The kids are interacting in such a lovely way, asking people about their lives and then coming back to share the written biographies with them. It's really special," Alex said.
