Back in the Summer of '69 three Maitland lads, Alek Schulha, Lloyd James and Trevor Kedwell, did have the time of their lives and in August they will relive those heady days.

The trio is organising a Maitland Boys High School 50^th reunion - an event set to rival any other with many cherished memories sure to be shared.

1969 was the year of Woodstock, Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, the release of The Beatles final album and the withdrawal of troops from Vietnam. John Gorton was PM and East Maitland's Chelsey Theatre was screening Midnight Cowboy and True Grit.

The school's captain was aspiring young winemaker Bruce Tyrrell and the principal was Frank Badger. "Ironically Bruce was the first to respond to our emails and first to buy a ticket," Mr Schulha said.

Reunion organisers have tracked down over 100 former 1969 graduates and those who completed their Intermediate Certificate in 1966. "We're opening the event to anyone who started at the school in 1964," he said.

The school was a regional centre. Students travelled from Greta and Branxton by steam train. "Carriages were segregated with ones for boys high, Maitland Girls High, Marist Brothers and the Dominican Convent," Mr Schulha said.

Through letters, emails and Facebook, the trio, with the help of Mr Schulha's wife Lee, have found ex-students inter-state and abroad. "We've found them in Queensland, South Australia, outback NSW. We also tracked down Warwick Ball who is working as an archaeologist in Scotland," Mr Schulha said. They have learnt that at least 17 students had sadly passed.

"This is a once in a lifetime event, not to be repeated and those I have spoken to are so eager to come."

The reunion will be held on Saturday, August 10 in the Hunter Gateway Motel function room at Rutherford from 5.30pm. For tickets contact: Mr Schulha 0428966344, Mr Kedwell 0408684096 or Mr James 0407451310.