I didn't think much of it at the time. In the outer north east, there was a pyromaniac setting fire to schools during the second term of 1976. But that changed on the morning of August 19.

I woke to the news on the radio beside my bed from 3XY that the pyromaniac had struck again, at my school - Ruskin Park.

The tears flowed freely from both me and my sister, and that day became a bit of a rush. We went to the school ground to see what was happening. Naturally - two days from the August/September school holidays - we were sent on holiday early, and my sister and I ended up with our grand parents in the Dandenongs. I remember the story of how Mum getting up there with us, and my uncle Brian's dog Kelly - a beautiful black and white border collie - wouldn't leave her alone. She sensed that Mum was upset about something.

The media covered the news, and the best coverage came from the ABC - who were the only ones to take the time to do interviews with the paper boy who discovered the fire, Steven Butcher (who was in my class) and the principal Don Reeves.

The worst part about this was the fact that the fire started in Mum's metaphorical office - the library. The whole main building went up, including my classroom which was right next door to the library. My sister's classroom was in the other building and survived. We were in the library the previous night, collating the orders that had just come in from Scholastic Books. The only people who got their orders were Mum, me, my sister, and one of the other teachers and her kids.