School principal Ben van de Camp said a display of school photos that went back to the 1940s was popular with former pupils and teachers.

Among those who returned for the anniversary celebrations on Sunday were former pupil Terry O’Brien, who went on to a have a distinguished career in academia and maritime engineering.

Dr O’Brien was this month inducted into the Australian Maritime Hall of Fame for his development of a system that ensures cargo ships have sufficient clearance under their keels to navigate shallow port entrances and channels.

Dr O’Brien said he was a pupil at the primary school when it was run by nuns from the Sisters of Mercy order.

The nuns’ work had attracted many more enrolments to the school, quickly boosting numbers from about 30 to 100, he said.

“They were great teachers but they were also strict disciplinarians,” Dr O’Brien said.

Mr van de Camp said a school fete held in conjunction with the anniversary celebrations was the focus of most of the pupils’ attention.

He said those at the celebrations contributed items to a time capsule that will be buried at a later date.

St Joseph’s Penshurst was founded by its Catholic parish and run by lay teachers until 1944, when the Sisters of Mercy led the classes.

The sisters handed the school back to lay principals in the mid-1970s.

The school presently has 38 pupils.