The History of Hale School and its Old Boys - Old Haleians Association

I was to thoroughly enjoy my thirteen years teaching
under V.S. Murphy, affectionately known as ‘Spud’. He
led by example and gave full support to his staff. He
demonstrated a genuine concern for all and was proud of
his association with Hale School. Some critics would say
he was too nice a fellow to be a really great headmaster.
I would have to admit to being appalled when I first
entered the School. The actual school site dated back
to the 1st World War and the boarding house site to the
mid-1920s. Even at this time the School was anticipating
a move to Wembley Downs and hence there was a
reluctance to spend unnecessary money at the existing
site.
Why was I appalled with my first impressions? In the
teaching block the classrooms were small – jammed
together and feeding into the one passage way. The
classrooms were absolutely bare, with the exception
of the one chalk blackboard. It was obvious from the
outset that the teaching was going to be a chalk and
talk exercise. The room in which I had to try and teach
twenty unwilling sub-leaving students was part of the
School gymnasium. This building was a wooden, antinfested
area and far from weather proof. The students
sat on long wooden benches – a half dozen to the same
writing bench. I had a portable blackboard which, at any
particular time, could be located anywhere on the School
site. I had attempted to counter this problem by arriving
early to class and locating the board before the boys’
arrival. The science block was another wooden, unsafe
structure with the one lecture theatre and several poorly
equipped labs. Having just come from the labs at UWA
those at Hale were quite a contrast. They had to be seen
to be believed.
The one redeeming area was the School Assembly Hall.
This building had great character and charm and could
house the staff seated on a raised platform and the 300
students in the body of the hall. The rear of the hall
served as the School library. It comprised of half dozen
glassed-in book cases and two or three bench forms.
The one toilet block accommodated staff and students
and was, at best, basic. Unless one was desperate, or
wished to know the latest School rumours or gossip, it
was an area to be avoided. The staff common room was
cramped with one huge table, supposed to operate as
a work bench. There were sufficient chairs for all staff to
be seated. The ten most senior members had a small
wooden locker while the remainder just left their books
etc on the table.
A.C. (‘Corry’) Marshall was a strong disciplinarian – with
no great sense of humour; he was not always appreciated
either for the dreadful puns that were part of his everyday
conversation. He was, however, a gifted teacher of Latin,
French and English and, although not always appreciated
by boys and colleagues alike, he was greatly respected.
Lister (‘Ducky’) Drake was loved and respected by all
and gave great service to his school, both in and out of
the classroom. He had served in the army during the war
and enjoyed his years of involvement with Hale School
army cadets. He was very capable with his hands and
built his own caravans and boats and was responsible for
organising the staff in helping built a woodwork centre for
the boys.
Wilfred Corr was quiet and unassuming, but a man of
the world. He was liked and respected by all. He taught
latin, arithmetic and book-keeping to Years 8 & 9 and