Southportonians' Review - The Southport School
Southportonians' Review - The Southport School
Southportonians' Review - The Southport School
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<strong>The</strong> Old<br />
<strong>Southport</strong>onians’<br />
<strong>Review</strong><br />
No. 138 SUMMER 2011<br />
“Old boys gathered, exchanged memories and had a great time.<br />
That is what will be remembered…”
Old <strong>Southport</strong>onians’ Association Council 2011<br />
Founded 1907<br />
OSA COUNCIL 2011<br />
President<br />
Paul Wood (Del 80-84)<br />
Vice-President<br />
Peter Lockhart (Tho 62-65)<br />
Hon. Secretary<br />
Nathan Quartermaine (McK 96-99)<br />
Hon. Asst. Secretary<br />
Brodie Cunningham (Tho 02-07)<br />
Hon. Treasurer<br />
Damien Moffrey (Wal 81-88)<br />
Hon. Asst. Treasurer<br />
Ashley Quinton (Kai 84-85)<br />
Patron<br />
Jake MacRonald (Tho 49-57)<br />
Immediate Past President<br />
V. Bruce Wright (Rad 76-85)<br />
NON-EXECUTIVE<br />
COUNCIL MEMBERS<br />
Hon. Editor – <strong>Review</strong><br />
Bruce Rogers (McK 58-62)<br />
Membership Development<br />
Scott Andrews (Wal 94-98)<br />
Young Old Boys Representative<br />
Dominic Buckland (Kai 98-10)<br />
ELECTED COUNCIL MEMBERS<br />
James Kennett (Wal 70-74)<br />
Ian Browne (Del 82-83)<br />
John Hillier (Atk 78-87)<br />
Christopher Johnstone (Bid 79-90)<br />
Tony Burchill (Rad 78-84)<br />
Ross Norman (Del 85-89)<br />
Simon Nicholls (Tur 80-86)<br />
Jock Beveridge (Atk 86-89)<br />
James Stewart (Del 93-97)<br />
Paul Veivers (Del 75-80)<br />
Vaughan Oxenford (Mel 80-84)<br />
OLD BOYS ON SCHOOL COUNCIL<br />
F.D. Perrin (Rad 78-84)<br />
V.B. Wright (Rad 76-85)<br />
P.A. Graham (Tho 59-65)<br />
M.M.A. Blumenstein (Mau 88-92)<br />
G.C. Rix (Wal 72-77)<br />
<strong>School</strong> Archivist<br />
Lesley Walker<br />
Auditor<br />
WHK Audit & Assurance,<br />
Carrara St, Benowa<br />
2<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE<br />
<strong>The</strong> Old <strong>Southport</strong>onians’ <strong>Review</strong><br />
B. Rogers (McK 58-62)<br />
K. Hailey (OSA Coordinator)<br />
LAYOUT & DESIGN<br />
Csquared Design<br />
BRANCH REPRESENTATIVES<br />
BRISBANE<br />
J. MacAulay (Del 94-96)<br />
D. Fielding (McK 83-87)<br />
CENTRAL WEST NSW<br />
R. Nicholls (Tur 80-88)<br />
CENTRAL WEST QLD<br />
W. Chandler (Del 48-58)<br />
M. Macmillan (Del 83-86)<br />
DARLING DOWNS<br />
B. Battersby (Kai 77-79)<br />
D. Greenup (Del 82-86)<br />
FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND<br />
T. McInnes (McK 80-86)<br />
M. Trout (Kai 76-80)<br />
HONG KONG<br />
W. Parfitt (Mel 78-82)<br />
B. Michael (Rad 80-93)<br />
Kaye Hastie (Ex TSS Staff)<br />
LOCKYER VALLEY<br />
A.G.M. Kemp (Tho 56-63)<br />
Mrs A.A. Kemp<br />
LONDON<br />
D.G. Serafini (Mel 88-98)<br />
S. Douglas (Tho 83-91)<br />
C. Faes (Tur 83-84)<br />
MACKAY<br />
G. McKinnon (Tur 80-84)<br />
NEW ZEALAND<br />
R. Mehta (McK 88-92)<br />
J. Mcllwain (McK 75-83)<br />
NORTHERN RIVERS NSW<br />
P. Kerkenezov (Del 57-65)<br />
NORTHERN TERRITORY<br />
N. Eames (Mel 57-65)<br />
NORTH QUEENSLAND<br />
R.A.W. Lyne (Tho 69-74)<br />
PAPUA NEW GUINEA<br />
C. Burgess (Kai 85-88)<br />
ROCKHAMPTON<br />
D.J.D. Rodgers (McK 01-05)<br />
ROMA<br />
N. Cameron (Bid 85-89)<br />
S. Gray (McK 49-52)<br />
D. Jones (Del 75-78)<br />
SINGAPORE<br />
C. Poetzscher (Wal 83-87)<br />
SOUTH AUSTRALIA<br />
H. Muller (McK 49-52)<br />
D. Jones (Del 75-78)<br />
SOUTH WEST QUEENSLAND<br />
S. Fraser (McK 71-74)<br />
G. Webster (Tho 57-63)<br />
STANTHORPE<br />
P.C. Blundell (Tho 75-79)<br />
SUNSHINE COAST<br />
M. Elks (Del 73-74)<br />
SYDNEY<br />
J.M. Hawker (McK 59-63)<br />
I. Lambert (Wal 74-78)<br />
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA<br />
G. Tweedie (Del 63-65)<br />
VICTORIA<br />
W.N. Adderley (Del 59-68)<br />
L. Meerkin (JS 42-47)<br />
WESTERN AUSTRALIA<br />
S.J. Conran (Bid 89-93)<br />
WIDE BAY<br />
D. McIver (Del 48-52)<br />
D. Chandler (Del 87-92)<br />
HIDDEN CREEK<br />
Manager – Clinton Cronk<br />
Enquiries (02) 6679 3469, 0410 622 125<br />
clinton.cronk@tss.qld.edu.au<br />
OSA OFFICE<br />
OSA Coordinator - Mrs Kris Hailey<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Southport</strong> <strong>School</strong>, Winchester Street,<br />
<strong>Southport</strong> QLD 4215<br />
Tel 07 5531 9803,<br />
Fax 07 5591 2124,<br />
Email osa@tss.qld.edu.au<br />
Web link www.tssoldboys.com.au<br />
Keep in touch
Cover page<br />
Pictured…<br />
Murray Murdoch (Tho 57-62)<br />
Garth Davidson (Del 48-58)<br />
John Wettenhall (Tho 51-55)<br />
Archie Douglas (Tho 56-61)*<br />
Lance Look (Tho 56-61)*<br />
Alastair Bassingthwaighte (58-60)*<br />
Ian McLaren (55-61)*<br />
*Celebrating their 50 Year Reunion<br />
Contents<br />
From the President Pg 4<br />
Editorial Pg 5<br />
From the Headmaster Pg 6<br />
Keeping in Touch Pg 7<br />
ARTICLE<br />
Reunion Weekend Pg 8-13<br />
TSS Foundation Pg 14<br />
Branch Functions Pg 15<br />
Race Day Pg 16-17<br />
Bursaries Pg 18<br />
Mentors Update Pg 19-21<br />
Births, Baptisms and Weddings Pg 22-23<br />
REFLECTIONS<br />
By Bert Cockerill Pg 24<br />
MEMORIES Pg 25-26<br />
Request to share your ideas Pg 27<br />
CALENDAR<br />
Dates to remember Pg 27<br />
OLDEST OLD BOY<br />
William Slane Pg 29<br />
PERSONAL NOTES Pg 30-31<br />
Bill Chandler Pg 32-33<br />
SPORTING UPDATES<br />
Reds Pg 34-38<br />
TSS SCHOOL NEWS Pg 39-41<br />
OBITUARIES Pg 42-45<br />
BEQUESTS<br />
Donald Stuart Scott Pg 46-47<br />
FINANCIALS Pg 48-51<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 3
With our Young Old Boys program and the developing support<br />
through the OSA Online Community for mentoring, study and<br />
work experience, please do not wait five to 10 years before<br />
you tap into this valuable resource.<br />
I’m sure you will all agree that time has flown by this year.<br />
<strong>The</strong> year started with floods in Queensland and New South<br />
Wales, a cyclone in North Queensland, an earthquake in New<br />
Zealand and a tsunami in Japan, not to mention a number<br />
of other natural disasters that happened both nationally and<br />
internationally throughout 2011. <strong>The</strong> positive from all of<br />
the devastation was the way our community come together<br />
and offered assistance to those in need. <strong>The</strong>se events were<br />
covered in depth in our first edition of the OSA magazine,<br />
published in May this year.<br />
As we are all aware, the economic turmoil of the United<br />
States of America and Europe is having severe effects on not<br />
only Australia, but the rest of the world. Despite the doom<br />
and gloom, we all continue on with our lives. It causes us to<br />
reflect and take stock of what is important to us – our family<br />
– our community. TSS’ community remains strong, as does<br />
the <strong>School</strong> Spirit, and this is evident with the continued and<br />
ever-increasing numbers of Old Boys that visit the <strong>School</strong> and<br />
gather for various events held at the <strong>School</strong> and all over the<br />
world.<br />
This year, the OSA, along with the Branch Representatives,<br />
have held functions in Perth, Port Moresby, Mulgowie,<br />
Katherine, Toowoomba, Hervey Bay, Barcaldine, Cairns,<br />
Sydney, London, Hollywood and Northern Rivers. <strong>The</strong> Old<br />
Boys community remains in constant contact with the OSA<br />
Office through quarterly newsletters and bi-annual magazines.<br />
Every day we receive notification of addresses from ‘lost’ Old<br />
Boys through our recently introduced TSS Old Boys website,<br />
narrowing the gap of Old Boys missing from our database.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se events take an enormous amount of preparation and I<br />
would like to again thank all involved.<br />
4<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
From the President<br />
It is a pleasure to be able to write an overview of the<br />
Old <strong>Southport</strong>onians’ activities for the last edition of the<br />
OSA magazine for 2011. I’d like to start by giving our<br />
newest Old Boys a warm and heartfelt welcome to the Old<br />
<strong>Southport</strong>onians’ Association – a community you will be a<br />
part of for ever.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Reunion Weekend this year was very successful and was<br />
one of the biggest gatherings of Old Boys at the <strong>School</strong>. This<br />
proves that more Old Boys are realising the importance of<br />
remaining in contact with the OSA – their community. <strong>The</strong><br />
range of Old Boys who visited the school is vast; from our<br />
newest Old Boys who left in 2010 to our oldest Old Boys who<br />
left over 60 years ago or more. A very special and unique<br />
event involving the Older Old Boys is organised every year<br />
and this year, over 40 Older Old Boys received the OSA<br />
commemorative tie, which is presented to Old Boys who were<br />
enrolled at the <strong>School</strong> 60 years or more ago. <strong>The</strong> special<br />
tie is graciously accepted and worn by those recipients with<br />
immense pride. At this year’s Old Boys weekend I had the<br />
pleasure to invite immediate past president Bruce Wright<br />
to present Bill Chandler with the Mervyn Dane Collings<br />
award. This award has only been presented four times and<br />
is only awarded to those who have contributed enormously<br />
to the OSA and the <strong>School</strong> over many years. More detailed<br />
information can be found in this publication. Congratulations<br />
Bill.<br />
<strong>The</strong> OSA Mentor program saw a number of very generous<br />
and accomplished Old Boys give their time and knowledge,<br />
speaking to TSS students this year. <strong>The</strong> TSS Old Boys’<br />
network is an incredible source of knowledge and has a<br />
wealth of experience that the <strong>School</strong> holds in high regard.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>School</strong>, in conjunction with the OSA Office, is keen to<br />
tap into every Old Boy who is prepared to help guide the<br />
young students of today through their various decisions that<br />
they must make in the later stages of life at school. We<br />
sincerely thank all those who were involved – the names and<br />
details of these caring Old Boys who were involved in the<br />
OSA Mentor program, is published on page 21. We strongly<br />
encourage more Old Boys to become involved in the OSA<br />
mentor program – the rewards are priceless for both you and<br />
the students involved. For more information, contact the OSA<br />
Office.
Editorial<br />
“I wish we had kept in touch.”<br />
How often do we hear those words when<br />
we read of a good friend who passed on?<br />
Because of our busy lifestyles, it seems<br />
almost too hard to keep in touch with our<br />
old friends while being in the business of<br />
making new ones.<br />
Even when you eventually get to be a senior,<br />
over 60, you are sometimes so busy you<br />
cannot think. Everyone knows how that<br />
feels.<br />
This is about keeping in touch – it’s about<br />
remembering that which is important to<br />
you and about looking back in pride at your<br />
achievements while you were at our school.<br />
Our magazine is important for cementing<br />
friendships that have been forged over time<br />
and introducing new friends to our circle.<br />
From the President the President cont.<br />
<strong>The</strong> OSA Council and Committee have worked hard<br />
again this year to keep the OSA on track financially. <strong>The</strong><br />
introduction of one fundraising event each year has helped<br />
to raise much needed funds for those families who would<br />
like to provide their boys with the same education they were<br />
fortunate enough to receive. <strong>The</strong> bursaries are awarded<br />
annually to students who have a connection with the TSS<br />
community. <strong>The</strong> OSA Race Day is a very successful event<br />
held in October each year and provides much needed funds<br />
that are allocated to families in need. This has never been<br />
more important for our community – especially in times<br />
like these. Thank you to all those in our community who<br />
supported this event. Sincere thanks to our major sponsor,<br />
SmartPrint Fleet Management, for their generous support to<br />
this very worthy cause.<br />
Thank you for the support of the <strong>School</strong> Council and in<br />
particular the Headmaster, with whom the OSA has been<br />
working directly with resolving matters facing the <strong>School</strong> and<br />
the OSA.<br />
It has been a pleasure working with all involved this year<br />
in my first term as OSA President. A special thank you to<br />
Kris Hailey for all of the incredible work she does for the<br />
OSA, not to mention keeping me in line as well. Mention<br />
<strong>The</strong> OSA <strong>Review</strong> makes it easy for you to<br />
keep in touch by reporting all the OSA news<br />
and including some favourite columns like<br />
Bert Cockerill’s Reflections – and whether<br />
you are into swimming, rowing, football,<br />
tennis, cricket or any sport, you’ll most<br />
likely find something about your favourite<br />
pastime here.<br />
Remember, keeping in touch is<br />
so important – if you have any old<br />
<strong>Southport</strong>onians in your circle of friends,<br />
make sure they know about the <strong>Review</strong> and<br />
all the news contained therein.<br />
Enjoy your read.<br />
Bruce Rogers (McK 58-62)<br />
Editor<br />
must also be made to the staff of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Southport</strong> <strong>School</strong> who<br />
actively help support the OSA and endorse the undeniable<br />
value our association adds to the <strong>School</strong>. <strong>The</strong> OSA’s<br />
strategic plan presented to the <strong>School</strong> Council last year<br />
included the implementation of a full-time OSA Coordinator<br />
to assist with communicating and providing support<br />
to all members of the OSA. <strong>The</strong> OSA Office has been<br />
instrumental in coordinating and maintaining contact with<br />
our members, and this has helped to keep our community<br />
up to date with events and the continuing projects taking<br />
place at the <strong>School</strong>.<br />
Before I conclude, I would like to mention that this year<br />
we have seen the passing of quite a few members of our<br />
community. To those of you in our community who have lost<br />
loved ones this past year, our thoughts and prayers are with<br />
you.<br />
Finally, on behalf of the OSA Council and myself, I’d like to<br />
wish our entire TSS community, Old Boys and families a very<br />
merry Christmas and a safe, happy and prosperous 2012.<br />
All the best,<br />
Paul Wood (Del 80-84)<br />
Contributions<br />
Welcome<br />
We are always interested in what you<br />
have been doing with your life, news of<br />
your travels and who you have caught<br />
up with from TSS. All contributions<br />
should be directed to: OSA Office, TSS,<br />
Winchester Street, <strong>Southport</strong> 4215 or<br />
email to osa@tss.qld.edu.au<br />
<strong>The</strong> OSA publishes personal notes in<br />
good faith as a service to the school<br />
community and to the alumni. <strong>The</strong><br />
OSA accepts no responsibility for<br />
publishing information in this section<br />
of the magazine that may be erroneous,<br />
incomplete or false.<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 5
<strong>The</strong> Germans needed to control Ypres to go on and take<br />
the Channel Ports through which British support was<br />
flooding into France. Several battles were fought, including<br />
the battle referred to as Passchendael. British and<br />
Commonwealth soldiers often passed through the Menin<br />
Gate (Menenpoort) on their way to the front lines, some<br />
300,000 of them died in the battles. Ninety thousand<br />
of these soldiers have no known graves. <strong>The</strong> Menin Gate<br />
Memorial’s Hall of Memory contains names on stone panels<br />
of 54,896 Commonwealth soldiers who died in those World<br />
War I battles around Ypres, but whose bodies have never<br />
been identified or located.<br />
Ten Old Boys are named on those stone panels.<br />
Following the Menin Gate Memorial opening in 1927, the<br />
citizens of Ypres wanted to express their gratitude towards<br />
those who had given their lives for Belgium’s freedom.<br />
Every evening at 20:00 hours, buglers from the local fire<br />
brigade close the road that passes under the Memorial and<br />
sound the Last Post. In 1993, well before our time at TSS,<br />
Kate and I visited a number of the World War I battlefields.<br />
As a non-historian I was initially a somewhat reluctant visitor<br />
to that part of the world, yet very quickly I came to realise<br />
what an important place it is for Australians. <strong>The</strong> greetings<br />
and gratitude from the locals when they found out we were<br />
Australian was amazing. To see streets in these small<br />
French and Belgian towns named after Australian cities was<br />
quite surprising.<br />
To learn about the role of our soldiers on the Western Front<br />
was very educational, while being both inspiring and sad<br />
at the same time. At Menin Gate the 8pm service was<br />
particularly moving.<br />
I am pleased that next year a contingent of over 40 boys<br />
from Years 5 to 12, and staff and parents, will participate<br />
in a ‘music and cadet’ tour of the Western Front. <strong>The</strong> choir<br />
will sing at a number of churches and ceremonies, including<br />
being a part of the Menin Gate ceremony singing the hymn<br />
6<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
From the Headmaster<br />
“He is not missing. He is here.”<br />
<strong>The</strong>se words formed part of the address given by Lord<br />
Plumer in 1927 at the unveiling of the Menin Gate<br />
Memorial at Ypres in Belgium.<br />
and laying a wreath. It has been arranged that one of our<br />
boys will play the Reveille on that night; a great honour for<br />
the <strong>School</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong> names of the Old Boys at Menin Gate will be located by<br />
the boys, as will the five graves of Old Boys at the Australian<br />
War Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux, where a TSS Ceremony<br />
of Remembrance will also be conducted. <strong>The</strong> group will<br />
also visit a number of other sites where Old Boys lie or are<br />
commemorated, including Albert, Flanders War Museum,<br />
Fromelle, Le Hamel, Dernancourt and Pozieres.<br />
It will be a wonderful trip and one that key organiser and<br />
Head of the Preparatory <strong>School</strong> Mr Jeff Symms hopes may<br />
be a regular educational tour on our program.<br />
Thank you - As I write this article I am looking out my<br />
window at the newly completed Bennett Building (to the<br />
west of the Dixon Administration Building) housing the Year<br />
7 Centre, Visual Art Centre and the Leadership Development<br />
facilities. Thank you to the many Old Boys who<br />
philanthropically contributed to this wonderful new threestorey<br />
facility. <strong>The</strong> Year 7 Centre will house staff from now<br />
until late next year, during which time the old Sheil building<br />
will be demolished and a new Student Services, staff room,<br />
Robotics and Drama building will be completed. In 2013,<br />
the Year 7 boys will move into their new Year 7 Transition<br />
Program Centre and join the secondary <strong>School</strong>.<br />
Between the appeals to refurbish Delpratt House, rebuild<br />
the River Centre and build the new Bennett Building, 2010<br />
was the most successful philanthropic year in recent history.<br />
Again, my thanks, and the thanks of the <strong>School</strong> Council, to<br />
all who have helped make this happen.<br />
Best wishes<br />
Greg Wain<br />
Headmaster
Keeping in Touch<br />
Footy Tipping – Top 3!<br />
Congratulations to the top three placed<br />
Old Boys in the Super XV footy-tipping<br />
competition.<br />
Online<br />
www.tssoldboys.com.au<br />
Many of you will have been visited our new online community database –<br />
www.tssoldboys.com.au in recent months to update your profile, post photos,<br />
search for your schoolmates, check events, functions and meeting dates and<br />
even join the Super XV footy-tipping competition.<br />
<strong>The</strong> OSA Office encourages all TSS past students to seek out the website, which has limitless potential in developing a solid<br />
networking support system for all Old Boys. Joining this community database is completely free and all Old Boys are invited<br />
to register. Log on and update your profile, add a picture and your bio, update your contact details so you will receive all the<br />
latest enewsletters, emails and invitations to various events. For more info, contact the OSA Office on osa@tss.qld.edu.au<br />
Points Name Peer year<br />
88 Kevin O’Dowd 1999<br />
87 David Watts 1969<br />
86 Timothy Borten 1988<br />
A big thank you to our sponsors, Bendigo Bank,<br />
Burling Brown Architects and Baker, Affleck, Moffrey<br />
Chartered Accountants, for providing the prizes. Well<br />
done to all involved and we hope you will all join in<br />
again for the next footy-tipping competition.<br />
1<br />
1<br />
PHOTO - <strong>The</strong> very happy Kevin O’Dowd pictured accepting his prize from<br />
Bendigo Bank Relationship Manager Peter Kai-Nielsen.<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 7
1<br />
8<br />
Reunion Weekend<br />
2 3<br />
4<br />
1 PHOTO - Reunion family BBQ on TSS river ovals. 2 PHOTO - Jake Ogburn<br />
3 PHOTO - Ryan Corrigan, Dave McClymont, Jack Rankin 4 PHOTO - Gladiator Challenge<br />
5<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
PHOTO - Delpratt Breakfast on Clock Tower lawn<br />
5
Reunion<br />
Weekend<br />
Old Boys gathered,<br />
exchanged memories and<br />
had a great time. That is<br />
what will be remembered...<br />
This year, crowds of Old Boys descended on campus to<br />
reignite and invigorate the Spirit that is definitely alive and<br />
well in TSS Old Boys, both young and old.<br />
A reunion is many things to many people. Its major<br />
significance, though, is to keep contact with traditions and<br />
have a sense of place. Renewing acquaintances with people<br />
and travelling to the places that were once so important in<br />
our lives helps refresh our perspective on what has happened<br />
to us since our schooldays. We also have a chance to give our<br />
significant other, a glimpse into our past.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Generations Dinner was the start to a very busy weekend<br />
of events. Situated this year in the brand-new ‘Old Gym Café’<br />
were over 150 second, third and fourth-generation families.<br />
<strong>The</strong> venue, while not the traditional place for the dinner, was<br />
very well accepted and was nicely decorated in school colours,<br />
with photos from archives displayed on photo boards around<br />
the entire area.<br />
<strong>The</strong> next scheduled event was the traditional Older Old Boys<br />
assembly. Here we had 50 Older Old Boys attend, along with<br />
their wives and families.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se Older (and wise) gentlemen commenced school 60 years<br />
ago and were therefore eligible to receive the Commemorative<br />
Older Old Boys tie. All those 1951 Old Boys who were unable<br />
to attend were posted their commemorative tie.<br />
After assembly, lunch followed for all the OOBs and their<br />
families in the Dining Hall. Bert Cockerill (McK 46-55)<br />
was thrilled to do the traditional Roll Call and kept everyone<br />
entertained recounting stories that have grown over the years.<br />
Saturday commenced with the Delpratt Breakfast organised<br />
by Phil Ward, Delpratt housemaster, with the most ever<br />
on record of Old Boys attending. Next function was the<br />
Headmaster’s morning tea – after such a large breakfast, we<br />
1<br />
2<br />
PHOTO - Fraser Perrin, Rev Canon Bruce Maughan,<br />
Bruce Wright, Paul Wood<br />
PHOTO - Conrad Brown, Brodie Cunningham, Alex McCowan, Dean<br />
Counter, Josh Perring, Alex Uruchurtu<br />
still managed to entice over 50 Old Boys to share morning<br />
tea and a chat with the Acting Headmaster, Mr Alan Parsons,<br />
joined by Mrs Kate Wain. <strong>The</strong> Rediscovery Tour of the <strong>School</strong><br />
saw over 50 Old Boys visit the various new and old buildings<br />
on campus.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Reunion Family BBQ on the River Ovals at lunchtime was<br />
a huge success. Entertainment was provided by Young Old<br />
Boys singer Jake Ogburn (Mel 00-07). A gladiator challenge<br />
and jumping castle was provided for the children, as well as<br />
Mr Whippy ice creams for everyone!<br />
<strong>The</strong> Old Boys’ Reunion Dinner on Saturday evening took place<br />
in the Dining Hall and saw over 180 Old Boys and partners<br />
attend this very special annual dinner. At the dinner, Old<br />
Boy and staunch supporter of TSS Bill Chandler (Del 48-58)<br />
was presented with the very prestigious Mervyn Dane Collings<br />
Award by Past President Bruce Wright.<br />
A very deserving award for a man who has served the <strong>School</strong><br />
and OSA for over 50 years.<br />
Pictures do speak louder than words – these photos help to<br />
capture how successful the 2011 Old Boys’ Weekend was…<br />
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THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 9
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Seated Row: Peter Larner (Junior <strong>School</strong> 1948-52), Bill Laver (McK 1943-46), Edward Kernke (Del 1945-49), Sam Pollard (Del 1945-48), Bob Akes (Del 1945-47), Keith<br />
Gill (Del 1945-47), Tom Eady (Del 1944-48), Graeme Parry (Tho 1943-51), Trevor Dover (Del 1942-43), Ian Bucknell (Junior <strong>School</strong> 1939-41), Ray Lewis (Tho 1938-40),<br />
Peter Fletcher (McK 1937-41), Jim Dover (Del 1937-39), Ellis Goldman (Tho 1935-39), Alan Radcliffe (Tho 1927; 1935-39)<br />
Second Row: Paul Brown (Del 1948-51), John Douglas (Del 1948-52), Tom Frith (Del 1948-50), Roger Harding (Mitre 1948-50), Errol Steinhardt (McK 1948-50), Peter<br />
Dowling (Tho 1946-48), Bill Campbell (Tho 1947-56), Neil Goldsmith (Del 1947-53), Bert Cockerill (McK 1946-55), John Walker (McK 1946-50), Charles Eden (McK<br />
1946-48), John Taylor (McK 1945-51), Bob Andrew (Del 1945-51)<br />
Third Row: Lew Cooper (McK 1949-55), A. Gavan Lahey (McK 1943-49), Alan McWilliam (Del 1945-48), Spencer Sutton (McK 1948-50), Graeme Rylance (McK 1950-<br />
56), Jake MacRonald (Tho 1949-57), John Austin (Tho 1950-53), Garth Davidson (Del 1948-58), David Miller (Tho 1948-54), Neville Hawkins (Del 1950-51), Sandy<br />
Taylor (Tho 1949-53)<br />
Fourth Row: John Roberts (McK 1950-51), Bill Chandler (Del 1948-58), Captain Ralph Derbidge (Junior <strong>School</strong> 1951-52), Peter Lengenberg (Del 1951-54), John<br />
Wettenhall (Tho 1951-55), Frank Young (Tho 1951-52), Rad West (McK 1951-54), Kevin Davies (Del 1951-54), Des Neill-Ballantine (Del 1951-54)<br />
Older Old Boys presented with their Commemorative Old Boys tie<br />
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THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
Seven of those who commenced in 1951<br />
were presented with the Commemorative<br />
Older Old Boys Tie by Vice-President<br />
Peter Lockhart.<br />
Captain Ralph T Derbidge M.B.E.R.A. Junior <strong>School</strong> 1951-52<br />
Mr Frank Young Thorold 1951-52<br />
Mr Kevin Davies Delpratt 1951-54<br />
Mr Peter Lengenberg Delpratt 1951-54<br />
Mr Rad West McKinley 1951-54<br />
Mr Des Neill-Ballantine Delpratt 1951-54<br />
Mr John Wettenhall Thorold 1951-55<br />
Seated Row: Rad West (McK 1951-54), Captain Ralph Derbidge (Junior <strong>School</strong> 1951-52), Peter Lengenberg (Del 1951-54), Frank Young (Tho 1951-52)<br />
Second Row: Kevin Davies (Del 1951-54), Des Neill-Ballantine (Del 1951-54), Peter Lockhart, OSA Vice-President (Tho 1962-65), Missing from photo – John<br />
Wettenhall (Tho 51-55)<br />
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PHOTO - Four generations: Lleyton and Lawrence Sehmaish-Lahey, Gavan and Greg Lahey (portrait of Thomas George Lahey)<br />
2 PHOTO - John Millroy 3 PHOTO - Generations Dinner in Old Gym Cafe<br />
4 PHOTO - John Wettenhall and Graeme Rylance 5 PHOTO - Reunion Dinner in the Great Hall<br />
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THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 11
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Kevin Fowler (McK 67-71) writes…<br />
“I met up with George Gowing and his wife Judy for morning<br />
tea and we then went on a discovery tour with the Deputy<br />
Headmaster, Alan Parsons. He was a very vibrant man and<br />
if he is typical of the teachers at TSS then they are a lucky<br />
group of boys. Some of our vibrant teachers were there as well<br />
and Creepy Crowther was still wearing his rubber-soled shoes.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Luncheon was the source of many tall tales after I met<br />
up with Denis Stephenson, Wally Campbell, Peter Evans and<br />
Stewie Wells.<br />
We beat Ipswich Grammar at the Rugby and I heard that a<br />
few others from 1971 were at the game. Chris Calderwood<br />
was one of them. It was good to see and hear the boys<br />
cheering on their team.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Reunion Dinner saw Shane Salmon, Shane Rushbrook<br />
and Alan Postle with his wife Karen add to the numbers.<br />
We lamented the fact that there were not a lot of Old Boys<br />
from 1971, so we proposed that an effort should be made to<br />
see if that could be rectified for the next event.<br />
I did wonder what to expect at the reunion and I was<br />
pleasantly surprised with our discussions and memories that<br />
came back to me. I look forward to next time.”<br />
Anthony Delaney (Wal 85-91) writes…<br />
“What an excellent weekend I had catching up with<br />
Old Boys, particularly with my ’91 class peers.<br />
Yes – some with a little less hair, some with larger<br />
waistlines, and some that haven’t changed at all.<br />
But most importantly, there were lots of laughs,<br />
good times reminiscing, and it was great to hear<br />
how the next chapter in each person’s life has<br />
developed. I’m already looking forward to our 30year<br />
reunion.”<br />
Tom Lawton (Tho 79-81) writes…<br />
“Coming back to the school and meeting up with<br />
old and sometimes forgotten classmates was a<br />
fantastic occasion, It made me thankful for my<br />
opportunity 30 years ago and proud to have such<br />
close and dear friends. I haven’t laughed like that<br />
for years.”<br />
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PHOTO - Kevin Fowler, George and Judy Gowing<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
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2<br />
“<strong>The</strong> 2011 Old Boys’ Reunion<br />
Weekend proved to be an eye-opener<br />
with recent new building work and the<br />
boatshed looked great. I wonder if they<br />
use as much fuel in winter as some of<br />
the boys did in 1971.”<br />
Brian Hardiman (Del 1960) writes …<br />
“Congratulations on organising a great weekend in late July.<br />
I could say without fear of contradiction that all the 1961<br />
alumni had a very good weekend – well done.<br />
We started on a very positive note with a Friday evening<br />
‘gathering’ at Lance and Laney Look’s home, where they very<br />
generously catered for 50-60 ’61ers and their partners. I was<br />
asked for feedback on the catering and service and I am<br />
pleased to say it was fine, and one of my close friends from the<br />
class of ’61, Don Williams (McK 59-61), a professional caterer<br />
much of his life, said as much.<br />
One comment though regarding the Reunion Dinner; for many<br />
of us it was a unique opportunity (to attend) and not being able<br />
to hear guest speakers in the Dining Hall was unfortunate.<br />
Overall, I thought the organisation of the Reunion Weekend<br />
went very well, from the first point of contact until the last,<br />
and congratulations for that. On Sunday we were again hosted<br />
by Lance and Laney on their boat – they were extremely<br />
generous.”<br />
Sincere thanks to the year group coordinators for all their efforts<br />
in contacting their classmates and encouraging them to attend<br />
the 2011 Reunion Weekend…<br />
2<br />
PHOTO - Ben Mack, Collin Myers & Lance Look
Messages<br />
from those unable to make the Reunion Weekend<br />
Tony Gill (McK 68-71)<br />
Sends his very best wishes<br />
to his year group as he is<br />
unable to attend the Reunion<br />
Weekend. Tony says he has<br />
owned fine art galleries for 16<br />
years now. He and his wife<br />
Jane own ‘Art of Cairncross’<br />
just outside Maleny and are<br />
often busy organising satellite<br />
exhibitions as far afield as<br />
Chinchilla and the Stockman’s Hall of Fame at Longreach.<br />
Tony would love to meet up with any TSS Old Boys along the<br />
way. He says he has a fascinating life, always full of new<br />
discoveries and great characters – both artists and clients!<br />
Greg Tweedie (Del 63-65)<br />
Emailed to advise he is currently living in Los Angeles<br />
and is unable to make the reunion. He passes on his best<br />
wishes to all who attended.<br />
James Fountain (Rad 00-02)<br />
Has been living overseas for the past three years and is<br />
unable to make this year’s reunion.<br />
Dr Matthew Meerkin (She 42-47) writes…<br />
“My apologies for not responding earlier, but I have just<br />
arrived back from overseas. Unfortunately I will not be<br />
unable to attend the TSS Old Boys reunion.<br />
You would not believe this, but I was walking around<br />
Pompeii on a very hot day a few weeks ago and someone<br />
tapped me on the shoulder to ask if I really went to TSS.<br />
I was wearing a white TSS cap. Of course I said yes and<br />
this guy responded saying his son (standing with him) was<br />
also at TSS and in the same house in the Junior <strong>School</strong> as<br />
I was – Shepherd House. <strong>The</strong>y were a lovely family. Such a<br />
small world. I’m sorry to be missing the reunion.”<br />
Dan Morahan (Kai 95-01)<br />
Had full intentions to attend the reunion, however,<br />
unfortunately had to cancel due to work commitments.<br />
Dan passes on his best wishes to his 2001 year group.<br />
John Morison (McK 55-59)<br />
Wrote to say he received the letter regarding his 50-year<br />
reunion. … “Thanks for inviting me but, unfortunately, we<br />
will be away travelling in Western Australia. Hope you all<br />
have a great time.”<br />
John Williamson (Del 50-53)<br />
Emailed to advise he is unable to make the reunion this<br />
year.<br />
Justin Andrew Kidd (Kai 78-81)<br />
Emailed to say he would be in China while the reunion was<br />
on, but passed on his best wishes to his year group.<br />
Mark James Stigwood (Del 68-69)<br />
Emailed classmate and 1971 year group coordinator<br />
Chooky (Kevin Fowler)… “I will have to decline the<br />
invitation to attend the reunion, as I now live in Tanzania,<br />
East Africa.”<br />
Ross Sheil (Del 47-50)<br />
“Sadly, I cannot be with you for this year’s celebrations.<br />
Please present my apologies and give my warm regards and<br />
best wishes to everybody.”<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 13
By Gerry Northausen,<br />
TSS Foundation Coordinator<br />
This year 100 players competed in the Annual Foundation/<br />
OSA McWhirter Cup Golf Day at RACV Royal Pines. Again<br />
we were lucky with the weather and a great time was had<br />
by all. <strong>The</strong> winners of the McWhirter Cup were Old Boys<br />
Mark Wescott, John Elks, Murray Elks and Jim Twentyman<br />
with a score of 106 pts. Runners-up were our sponsor Beric<br />
Lynton, Paul Weel, Matthew Busby and Tom Pickett with a<br />
score of 103 pts. Congratulations also to Simon Livingstone<br />
who won the OSA NTP on Hole 7.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Foundation Golf Trophy was won by the George<br />
Laurens (GC) team of David Wood, Wayne Washington,<br />
Peter Middleton and Jonathan Pitt with a score of 110 pts,<br />
followed closely in second place by Terry Jackman, Peter<br />
Arnison, Des Power, Gary Medley with 109 pts, followed<br />
closely in third place by Rob Whitton, Paul Sanders, Steve<br />
Wyndham and Dan Whitton from Fast Proof Press with a<br />
score of 108 pts.<br />
Congratulations to all those who won on the day and a huge<br />
thank you to all sponsors, especially our major sponsor,<br />
Beric Lynton and Bruce Lynton BMW, our players and RACV<br />
Royal Pines Resort. We look forward to seeing you all again<br />
next year.<br />
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THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
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TSS Foundation<br />
OSA McWhirter<br />
Cup Golf Day<br />
PHOTO - REGULAR PLAYERS Trent Pevy (Atk 94-98), Richard Brown (Mel 90-<br />
97), Simon Anderson (Tur 92-98), Garth Trathen (Mel 93-98), Jason Pohl (Wal<br />
95-06), Hilton Pohl (Wal 95-99), Jon Llewellyn (Sur 92-98)<br />
PHOTO - WINNERS OF THE 2011 OSA MCWHIRTER CUP L to R Mark Westcott<br />
(Tho 66-74), Jim Twentyman (Tho 66-73), John Elks (Del 72-74), Murray Elks<br />
(Del 80-84)<br />
PHOTO - 1968 GROUP Doug Murphy (McK 61-68), Phil Mahoney (McK 67-68)<br />
and Jack Cooper (Tho 64-68)<br />
PHOTO - WINNERS OF THE 2011 FOUNDATION GOLF DAY David Wood,<br />
Wayne Washington, Peter Middleton, Jonathan Pitt<br />
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Branch Functions<br />
1<br />
PHOTO - Caravans camped at Hidden Creek<br />
Hidden Creek… a piece of paradise… If ever you were going to see the real<br />
Australia without travelling thousands of kilometres, you can do it right here in<br />
S.E. Queensland<br />
This is a part of Hidden Creek, the place where dreams<br />
really do come true. Some of our friends, including our<br />
own Kerry Eddowes (Queen of the Clock Tower), took time<br />
out to visit this beautiful place. It has to be one of the<br />
best-kept secrets in Australia. Contact the OSA for more<br />
information on how to get there and how to enjoy this<br />
excellent piece of paradise.<br />
Toowoomba Reception<br />
Tony Watt Director of Community Relations and<br />
Headmaster Mr Greg Wain hosted a reception for current,<br />
prospective and past parents as well as Old Boys at Gips<br />
Restaurant in Toowoomba on Wednesday, September 7th.<br />
Westech (Barcaldine) Function<br />
Bill Chandler (Del 48-58) and his ever- helpful wife<br />
Julann banded together to cater for a bunch of Old Boys<br />
and current parents at the Westech Field Day, Ken Wilson<br />
Pavilion, on Tuesday, September 13th.<br />
Cairns Branch Function<br />
Tony McInnes (McK 80-86) and Michael Trout (Kai 76-80)<br />
welcomed 20 Old Boys, partners and children to a fabulous<br />
family BBQ at Paradise Palms Resort & Country Club at<br />
Kewarra Beach, just outside of Cairns on September 17th.<br />
Tony reports… “It was a great event that went to plan.<br />
Great mixing with all TSS Old Boys enjoying themselves<br />
and sharing all the usual boarding anecdotal stories.<br />
Robert Bryett was replaced (subbed) by young Old Boy<br />
(2008 vintage) Harry Blundell, who is Peter Blundell’s son/<br />
James Blundell’s nephew.<br />
It was encouraging to see quite a few new faces this time<br />
from far and wide that did not attend our 2010 inaugural<br />
Cairns reunion. We were fortunate to have John & Sue<br />
Warner formerly of Cairns up visiting us from Brisbane<br />
where they now live. John is the son of our recently passed<br />
Oldest Old Boy Jack Warner. <strong>The</strong> Warners are a fourth<br />
generation TSS Family.<br />
In 2012 we aim to get a bigger attendance with our Old<br />
Boys in Cairns and the Far North.”<br />
London Function<br />
<strong>The</strong> UK OSA Representative,<br />
David Serafini, arranged a very<br />
successful London Branch function<br />
with special guest in attendance,<br />
Mr Greg Wain, Headmaster of <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Southport</strong> <strong>School</strong>, on October 19th.<br />
Fourteen Old Boys attended the<br />
function, which was held at <strong>The</strong><br />
East India Club in London. <strong>The</strong> Old<br />
Boys in attendance were:<br />
Mark Beames (Rad 1985), Kieran Blight<br />
(Del 1994), Stephen Cadell (Tho 1998),<br />
Sam Douglas (Tur 1991), Christian<br />
Faes (Sur 1994), Douglas Gadaloff (Del<br />
1985), James Illing (Kai 1998), Andrew<br />
Look (Mau 1999), Carey O’Dowd (Del<br />
1996), David Serafini (McK 1998),<br />
Michael Squirrell (Del 1993), Stewart<br />
Tan (Sur 1989), Aaron Weisz-Koves (Tho<br />
1994), Anthony Whittaker (Del 1987).<br />
Branch News<br />
PHOTO - Headmaster Mr Greg<br />
Wain speaking at the London<br />
Branch function<br />
On Thursday, March 31, the Class of 54 gathered at<br />
Maleny for a luncheon. Those present were Sandy Taylor,<br />
John and Libby Robertson, Kevin Davies, Des Neill-<br />
Ballantine, Radley and Jill West, Margaret Wyman, David<br />
Walker, Fred and Allison Reichert, John and Di Falconer<br />
and David and Elwyn Miller.<br />
David Miller reports … “It was a most enjoyable day, a<br />
great venue, beautiful countryside and tasty food. Radley<br />
West is hoping for a special reunion in 2014 and asks<br />
that all members of the class of ’54 mark this special<br />
occasion in their diaries as it may be our last opportunity<br />
to get together.”<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 15<br />
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THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
Race Race Day Day<br />
Quotes<br />
Jason Ganis, Managing Director of SmartPrint says… “SmartPrint<br />
Fleet Management and staff had a great day at the races and OSA<br />
did a sensational job with the function and promotion. We look<br />
forward to sponsorship in the coming years!”<br />
Susan Presto says… “<strong>The</strong> food, fashion and photo with the<br />
winning horse all contributed to a fabulous day at the races for<br />
OSA Race Day! Everybody had a fantastic time, and win or lose on<br />
the track, everybody left smiling! Thanks for a GREAT day!”<br />
Tom Ray says...“Thanks to you (Kris) and your colleagues for<br />
organising such an enjoyable OSA Race Day as you did last<br />
Saturday. If there was a tote for the world’s worst punter I’d be<br />
odds on favourite for winner. Fortunately that was no matter<br />
for me in being there - for all the $5 bets I lost with the bookie<br />
throughout the day - it was worth the opportunity to have a<br />
fantastic day out with old friends and even a few past teachers.<br />
I’ll look forward to coming back next year!”<br />
Phil Ward (current Delpratt Housemaster) says… “Jan and I had<br />
a delightful time thank you. It was amazing to catch up with all<br />
the old boys from the late ’80s and early ’90s and to hear of<br />
all their wonderful successes in life – they are all very grateful<br />
to us which was nice of them to say. Good to see many of them<br />
sending their sons back to us.”
Thank you to our major sponsor:<br />
<strong>The</strong> OSA Race Day was held on October 1st at the Gold Coast Turf Club. <strong>The</strong><br />
weather held out and the track was dry, allowing all seven races to run on the day.<br />
All guests were able to watch each race from the first-class<br />
viewing deck of the Winner’s Circle Room, providing great<br />
trackside entertainment for all the 140 guests from the local<br />
community who supported the OSA’s only fundraising event<br />
for the year.<br />
Many guests did not go home empty-handed, with over<br />
30 raffle prizes drawn during the day. All prizes were<br />
generously donated by our local community, with prizes<br />
worth hundreds of dollars up for grabs. An auction of a<br />
limited edition TSS Reds players jersey was outbid by none<br />
other than keen Reds and TSS supporter, OSA President<br />
Paul Wood.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Race Day provided a chance for all guests to enjoy a<br />
good meal, plenty of drinks, a chance to place a bet on any<br />
of the seven local races and numerous interstate races, have<br />
a chance to network and catch up with many people from the<br />
Gold Coast community, all while supporting a very worthwhile<br />
cause.<br />
<strong>The</strong> OSA is the only Old Boys association in Australia to<br />
offer bursaries to students wishing to enrol at <strong>The</strong> <strong>Southport</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong> and all funds raised from this event go towards the<br />
OSA Bursary fund. Bursary conditions apply. Applications<br />
can be found of the TSS website. Inquiries can be directed<br />
to the OSA Office; Tel 07 5531 9803.<br />
Thanks must go to the businesses who contributed to the<br />
extensive list of prizes that were raffled off on the day:<br />
Villotti Photography; Outermark Australia; Konc<br />
Hairdressing; Esteem Day Spa Marina Mirage; Coca-Cola;<br />
Streets; Gold Coast Alfa; Coolamon Mining; Pelican Waters<br />
Golf Club; Negoriants Fine Wine Shippers; Surfers Paradise<br />
Marriott Resort & Spa; Shuck Seafood; Gold Coast Turf Club.<br />
Thanks must also go to the Table Sponsors:<br />
SmartPrint Fleet Management (Major sponsor); Bendigo<br />
Bank (Race Sponsor); Stewart Silver King and Burns;<br />
Midway Metals; RPS; ISCS; KordaMentha; Anthony Delaney<br />
Lawyers; Yeats; Burling Brown Architects; Ross Wolbers;<br />
Outermark Australia; <strong>The</strong> <strong>Southport</strong> <strong>School</strong>; Aussie Home<br />
Loans, Toowoomba.<br />
No doubt, due to the success of the day, everyone will be<br />
back next year!<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 17
OSA Bursaries<br />
Applications close April 13, 2012<br />
Each year the OSA offers up to:<br />
One Nimmo Bursary<br />
One Tritton Bursary<br />
Seven General Bursaries<br />
<strong>The</strong> Dr J R Nimmo Bursary<br />
This Bursary is a two-year Bursary for students beginning<br />
Years 11 & 12 in 2013. <strong>The</strong> Bursary has an indicative<br />
value of $3000 per annum, and is only available to<br />
students who intend to pursue a career with a Medical or<br />
Science degree. <strong>The</strong> continuation of the Bursary, into the<br />
second year, is subject to performance.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Tritton Bursary<br />
This Bursary is available to boys entering Years 9 or 10<br />
in 2013, and the applicant need not to have had a direct<br />
family descendant who was or is an Old Boy of the <strong>School</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Bursary has an indicative value of $3,000 per annum,<br />
and is for a maximum of two years. <strong>The</strong> continuation of the<br />
Bursary, into the second year, is subject to performance.<br />
General Bursaries<br />
For consideration of a General Bursary (an indicative value<br />
of $1000-$3000) an existing student or a new applicant<br />
needs to have a family member who is either attending<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Southport</strong> <strong>School</strong> or is an Old Boy of the <strong>School</strong>. A<br />
family member shall include a direct line descendant and/<br />
or brothers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> criteria for the selections, except for the Nimmo<br />
Bursary, will be based upon financial ‘needs’. A ‘financial<br />
assessment’ will be required, so please provide as much<br />
relevant and supportive income and asset information as<br />
possible. All applications are strictly confidential, and<br />
will be reviewed only by the members of the OSA Bursary<br />
Committee.<br />
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THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
Please be advised that OSA Bursaries are limited to two<br />
successful applications per qualifying student. <strong>The</strong> OSA<br />
Bursary is valid for one year thereafter; you must reapply<br />
for consideration for a second year. Successful applicants<br />
for either Academic, Music, Creative Art, Sport, Foundation<br />
Scholarships, General and Country Boarder Bursaries are<br />
not eligible to receive an OSA Bursary.<br />
Applications close on Friday, 13 April, 2012, and<br />
successful applicants will be notified by mail.<br />
All applications must be sent to:<br />
CHAIRMAN OF THE OSA BURSARY COMMITTEE<br />
OSA OFFICE, THE SOUTHPORT SCHOOL<br />
WINCHESTER STREET<br />
SOUTHPORT
Mentors<br />
Update<br />
TSS Business guest speaker Mr Craig<br />
Hobart spoke to TSS students and<br />
this report was written by current TSS<br />
student, Brodan Tanner …<br />
In August, TSS students were privileged with the honour<br />
of meeting TSS Old Boy Craig Hobart. Mr Hobart shared<br />
with us the knowledge that he had acquired through<br />
past experiences, as well as recommendations on how to<br />
achieve our goals and ambitions in life.<br />
Mr Hobart started his schooling life at <strong>The</strong> <strong>Southport</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong>, and then went on to study at the University of<br />
Queensland, before graduating from the Macquarie <strong>School</strong><br />
of Management. Since then he has had numerous jobs<br />
in the funds management industry and is currently the<br />
Managing Director at Tyndall Investment Management, one<br />
of Australia’s biggest fund management corporations.<br />
He claimed that his accomplishments had come from<br />
following some simple techniques. <strong>The</strong> most important<br />
was to try and be effective and efficient in everything you<br />
do. Mr Hobart also stated that being accountable and<br />
responsible for your behaviour, utilising leadership position,<br />
implementing tactical and strategic techniques to achieve<br />
goals, and presenting yourself appropriately, were all<br />
distinctive factors between success and failure. However,<br />
the three most memorable attributes that I took from the<br />
lecture were sticking at it, involving yourself and taking<br />
opportunities, and doing something you are passionate<br />
about.<br />
“In order to succeed, you must first be willing to fail.”<br />
This quote really encapsulates the strong, recurring<br />
message that is engraved into the members of the Business<br />
Leadership Passport Program. Not a single person will go<br />
through life without making mistakes. Richard Branson,<br />
Steve Jobs, Donald Trump and Bill Gates are some of the<br />
most well-known and influential business leaders of our<br />
generation. But what do they all have in common? <strong>The</strong>y<br />
all possess the ability to learn, and move on from their<br />
mistakes. “Try and fail, but don’t fail to try.” Stephen<br />
Kaggwa.<br />
1<br />
1<br />
PHOTO - Craig Hobart talking to TSS Business Students<br />
Another characteristic carved into Mr Hobart, and all past<br />
and present students of TSS, is to involve yourself and take<br />
all the opportunities that present themselves to you. While<br />
at school he involved himself in rugby and rowing, making<br />
it on to the first teams for both sports. He stated, “In life<br />
there are two different types of people, those who make the<br />
best of opportunities, and those who sit back. <strong>The</strong>re are<br />
also those who succeed, and those who fail”. Outside of<br />
school, opportunities are not so apparent. You have to go<br />
out and find them. But by taking on challenges in your life,<br />
you will quite often reap the rewards.<br />
Mr Hobart stressed the importance of this final point. He<br />
stated that to truly succeed in something you must have a<br />
strong passion for it. If you do not enjoy something, then<br />
you will not be very motivated to do it. This is true in all of<br />
our lives and applies to school, work and other activities we<br />
involve ourselves in.<br />
All the boys in the lecture came out with a strong<br />
understanding of the requirements to achieve their<br />
dreams and ambitions in life. Mr Hobart concluded with a<br />
passionate and motivating statement: “Don’t look back and<br />
think what could have been. Know that you made the best<br />
decisions, tried your best, and took all the opportunities<br />
you could.”<br />
On behalf of every person in the Business Leadership<br />
Passport Program, I would like to thank Mr Hobart for<br />
coming in and sharing his experiences and knowledge<br />
with us.<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 19
OSA Mentor Network<br />
written by Mike Halpin<br />
1<br />
5<br />
“OSA Mentor”… what a great title! What does it mean<br />
and why are we trying to set up this system of connecting<br />
present students with members of the OSA? What’s<br />
involved and what’s the commitment?<br />
TSS has been a leading school on the Gold Coast for over<br />
a century. We have a distinguished body of Old Boys,<br />
successful in the many facets of life. Some have done<br />
amazing things in their lives; many are inspirational people<br />
with a wealth of knowledge and expertise to share. Many<br />
have established successful and long-lasting businesses<br />
here on the Gold Coast, while many others have moved<br />
back to home communities or overseas to make the most of<br />
the opportunities that have come their way.<br />
Some may see their lives as reflecting ‘just a normal life’,<br />
while others may recognise that their lives have been<br />
anything but ‘normal’… whatever that means. We want to<br />
hear your story! We want the current crop of TSS boys to<br />
benefit from your life’s journey, to maximise their learning<br />
opportunities while minimising the pitfalls along the way.<br />
At TSS, like every other school, we have Year 10 boys who<br />
need to make important decisions about which subjects to<br />
study for the last two years of their schooling. We have Year<br />
12 boys who are about to enter the post-secondary phase<br />
of their lives, which involves a working knowledge of the<br />
myriad pathways and careers surrounding them. You were<br />
there once, and you, too, had to make these decisions…<br />
20<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
2<br />
6<br />
3<br />
7<br />
for some it wasn’t so long ago and perhaps the mistakes<br />
you made are still fresh! For others, maybe you had a<br />
dream run and ended up where you are now because of<br />
well-made decisions made at critical times. Maybe some<br />
had a helping hand along the way, which made the climb<br />
a bit easier. Some may still be struggling to achieve those<br />
elusive goals. Perhaps some may feel that if they had their<br />
time over again then they would do it all differently.<br />
Whatever your situation, the OSA Mentor Network could<br />
become an invaluable way of sharing your experiences, so<br />
please consider registering your name and details with Kris<br />
Hailey (OSA Office) or Mike Halpin (Office of Vocational<br />
Education and Training), so that current TSS boys can<br />
make informed decisions based on the sound, practical<br />
knowledge and experience of those who have gone before<br />
them.<br />
Mike.Halpin@tss.qld.edu.au<br />
Tel: 5531 9896<br />
Kris.Hailey@tss.qld.edu.au<br />
Tel: 5531 9803<br />
I thank you sincerely in advance for any time you may be<br />
able to give.<br />
4<br />
8
TSS Old Boys have an incredible abundance of school spirit…<br />
<strong>The</strong> generosity of our Old Boys always delights and at times<br />
amazes me, whether it’s a kind email offering to help at an<br />
event, volunteering time to mentor the current TSS students,<br />
offering donations to rebuild or repair some part of the school’s<br />
heritage, our Old Boys are always there.<br />
Our members have a strong sense of belonging and therefore<br />
continue to be interested and involved in their school. <strong>The</strong><br />
mentoring program is gaining serious momentum among our<br />
Old Boys, with offers now coming in daily.<br />
We would like to especially thank the following Old Boys for<br />
their continued support:<br />
Complete the form below or log onto the TSS Old Boys website<br />
and register online under the new Mentors module<br />
Mentors Update<br />
Andrew Taylor – Qantas Pilot<br />
Archie Douglas – Halycon Days<br />
Craig Hobart – Tyndall Investments<br />
Damien Moffrey - Baker Affleck Moffrey Chartered Accountants<br />
Derek Cronin – Cronin Litigation Lawyers<br />
Jon Hui – Bank of Queensland, Manly<br />
Nathan Quartermaine – Burling Brown Architects<br />
Paul Wood -Stewart Silver King and Burns<br />
Jason Carlson – Hynes Lawyers<br />
Michael Gatenby – McLaughlin’s Solicitors<br />
Lt Thomas Usher – Lieutenant, Australian Army<br />
Tony Windle – PricewaterhouseCoopers<br />
Bryan Priestley – Corporate Partnering<br />
Alistair Miller – Vikings Futsal<br />
Dr John Williamson<br />
OSA Careers & Mentor Network<br />
Name<br />
Year of Leaving (if applicable) House (at TSS)<br />
Occupation<br />
Firm/Institution<br />
Website Address<br />
Home Address (for Careers Dept)<br />
Contact Phone Numbers (H)<br />
Email<br />
(W)<br />
(M)<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
I am able to offer Work Experience<br />
Placement/<strong>School</strong>-Based Traineeship<br />
or Apprenticeship<br />
I am prepared to represent my field/<br />
industry at a TSS/OSA Careers Night<br />
I am interested in the idea of<br />
assisting with a mini-careers night<br />
in my area of employment and/or<br />
industry<br />
Please return to<br />
<strong>The</strong> OSA Coordinator<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Southport</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
Winchester Street, <strong>Southport</strong> Qld 4215<br />
email: osa@tss.qld.edu.au<br />
Register your interest for mentoring<br />
on the new online community website:<br />
www.tssoldboys.com.au<br />
Please feel free to contact the Vocational Education Coordinator:<br />
Mike Halpin 5531 9896 or email mike.halpin@tss.qld.edu.au<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 21
22<br />
Births<br />
Leigh Holtsbaum (Kai 88-99)<br />
and his wife Missy welcome the birth of their third child,<br />
baby boy Fynn Martin Holtsbaum, born March 16th, 2011.<br />
Fynn’s two older sisters, Piper Grace, four years, and<br />
Paeton Rose, two years, just adore their new baby brother.<br />
Daddy is happy to finally have a boy to send to TSS, play<br />
rugby and go fishing with!<br />
Fynn was also baptised at St Alban’s Chapel on April 30,<br />
2011. Godparents were Ryan and Claire Henkey and Will<br />
and Mikayla Lawrie.<br />
Ken Jackson (Del 75-83)<br />
and his wife Renee celebrated the birth of their daughter<br />
Taylor on July 7, 2010.<br />
Baptism<br />
Rhys Evans (Mel 82-90)<br />
and Jennifer baptised their son, Thomas David, in St<br />
Alban’s Chapel on June 19.<br />
Warwick Leitch (Tur 85-92)<br />
and Melissa Beaumont baptised their daughter, Willow<br />
Asha, on November 5 in St Alban’s Chapel. “Our<br />
daughter, Willow Asha Leitch, was born on April 11, 2011.<br />
We have two boys, Harrison aged six and Bailey aged three,<br />
who are both smitten with their baby sister. We live in<br />
Sydney and have done since 1996, but we still support<br />
Queensland in rugby! I have my own business, CALUMO,<br />
and I employ about 40 people. CALUMO is a business<br />
intelligence software company.”<br />
Peter McKnight (Kai 90-94)<br />
and wife Ann baptised their son, Christopher David, in St<br />
Alban’s Chapel on September 10.<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW
Weddings<br />
Lachlan Jackson (Kai 88-99)<br />
and Dane-Maree Diparts were married on April 7,<br />
2011. Lachlan was assisted by his brother Dougal, also<br />
of Kaiser House. <strong>The</strong> bride and groom have returned<br />
to live in Dubai. Wonderful to see Rev Jim Stonier<br />
celebrating the wedding.<br />
Owen Henry (Del 91-93)<br />
and Anna Reid from Toowoomba met while working in<br />
Dubai and were married at St Alban’s by Father Crook on<br />
October 16, 2010. Following the service, many guests<br />
from all over the world gathered at Oscars at Burleigh for<br />
the Reception.<br />
Owen and Anna have moved back to Australia and now<br />
live at Coolum.<br />
James Pope (Kai 88-99)<br />
“OSA<br />
married<br />
Mentor”…<br />
Laura<br />
what<br />
Kate<br />
a<br />
Bunting,<br />
great title!<br />
Nov<br />
What<br />
7,<br />
does<br />
2010<br />
it mean<br />
in Timaru,<br />
and<br />
New<br />
why<br />
Zealand.<br />
are we trying<br />
James<br />
to set<br />
met<br />
up<br />
his<br />
this<br />
wife<br />
system<br />
while<br />
of<br />
performing<br />
connecting<br />
in<br />
present<br />
Buddy<br />
students<br />
Holly, the<br />
with<br />
Musical<br />
members<br />
in<br />
of<br />
2009.<br />
the OSA?<br />
Laura<br />
What’s<br />
is currently<br />
involved<br />
and<br />
performing<br />
what’s the<br />
in<br />
commitment?<br />
the national tour of Wicked, as Elphaba<br />
the green witch.<br />
TSS has been a leading school on the Gold Coast for over<br />
a century. We have a distinguished body of Old Boys,<br />
<strong>The</strong>ir wedding photographer, Rachel Callander, has<br />
successful in the many facets of life. Some have done<br />
just won New Zealand Professional Photographer of<br />
amazing things in their lives; many are inspirational people<br />
the Year 2011 and won a Gold Award for her photo of<br />
with a wealth of knowledge and expertise to share. Many<br />
James and Laura on the bike. <strong>The</strong>ir wedding photos will<br />
have established successful and long-lasting businesses<br />
be featured in a NZ bridal magazine later in the year.<br />
here on the Gold Coast, while many others have moved back<br />
James was <strong>School</strong> Captain in 1999.<br />
to home communities or overseas to make the most of the<br />
opportunities that have come their way.<br />
Matt Thomas (Mau 92-96)<br />
Some may see their lives as reflecting ‘just a normal life’,<br />
while Married others Diana may recognise Alexandra that Oldja their at lives <strong>The</strong> have Plaza been Hotel in<br />
anything New York but City ‘normal’… on May whatever 7, 2011. that “We means. were We blessed want to to<br />
hear celebrate your story! with We over want 300 the guests current from crop of countries TSS boys around to<br />
benefit the world, from your including life’s journey, Australia, to maximise Romania, their Hong learning Kong,<br />
opportunities England, Bermuda, while minimising Canada, the Serbia pitfalls and along Argentina. the way.<br />
<strong>The</strong> night was a celebration of Australian, American<br />
At and TSS, Romanian like every other culture, school, which we proved have Year to 10 be boys wildly who<br />
need entertaining. to make important We spent decisions three weeks about which honeymooning subjects to at the<br />
study Four for Seasons the last Resorts two years on of the their Hawaiian schooling. islands We have of Year Maui,<br />
12 Kona boys and who are Lanai. about to enter the post-secondary phase of<br />
their lives, which involves a working knowledge of the myriad<br />
pathways We are and expecting careers the surrounding birth of our them. first You child were in there February<br />
once, 2011. and We you, currently too, had to reside make in these New decisions… York City, NY for some where I<br />
work at a hedge fund as an assistant Portfolio Manager.”<br />
John Holmes (Tho 80-82)<br />
and his new bride ‘Frankie’ were married in All Saints<br />
Anglican Church in Murwillumbah on January 22. David<br />
and Elwyn Miller had the pleasure of attending the<br />
wedding and supplied the photo of the bride and groom.<br />
OSA Mentor Network<br />
written by Mike Halpin<br />
it wasn’t so long ago and perhaps the mistakes you made<br />
are still fresh! For others, maybe you had a dream run and<br />
ended up where you are now because of well-made decisions<br />
made at critical times. Maybe some had a helping hand<br />
along the way, which made the climb a bit easier. Some may<br />
still be struggling to achieve those elusive goals. Perhaps<br />
some may feel that if they had their time over again then<br />
they would do it all differently.<br />
Whatever your situation, the OSA Mentor Network could<br />
become an invaluable way of sharing your experiences, so<br />
please consider registering your name and details with Kris<br />
Hailey (OSA Office) or Mike Halpin (Office of Vocational<br />
Education and Training), so that current TSS boys can make<br />
informed decisions based on the sound, practical knowledge<br />
and experience of those who have gone before them.<br />
Mike.Halpin@tss.qld.edu.au<br />
5531 9803<br />
Kris.Hailey@tss.qld.edu.au<br />
Tel: 5531 9896<br />
I thank you sincerely in advance for any time you may be<br />
able to give.<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 23
24<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
Reflections<br />
by Bert Cockerill (McK 46-55)<br />
In the last issue, there were several great stories that I’m sure<br />
will be repeated in the years to come... If you didn’t read<br />
them then you have missed out on several great stories and<br />
I’m sure those responsible would get six of the best, if they<br />
had been caught…. Gordon Douglas and his twin Angus, as<br />
well as older brother Archie, have given a full report that their<br />
dad, Pug Douglas, would not be proud of…, yes - these pranks<br />
really happened and if you were the respondent… Masters Tom<br />
Atkinson and Peter Fleming, I hope you took it as a great laugh.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Older Old Boys reunion on Friday, July 29, 2011, was a<br />
great success with over 50 old farts and their family attending…<br />
Unfortunately, Greg Wain was away but all went well... It was<br />
disappointing that both Wally Miller and Brian Nason who had<br />
intended to come were not there. Lionel Meerkin was another<br />
absentee as he has always been there for any school function.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re were several, or should I say, many, who had obtained the<br />
title of OBE (Over Bloody Eighty). Alan Radcliffe just had his<br />
90th. Congratulations Alan. It was pleasing to note that there<br />
are several who had been a boarder for more than 10 years.<br />
After consulting Bill Chandler and Garth Davidson, I discovered<br />
that I am one of those. Others among the elite were Tom Eady,<br />
Trevor and Jim Dover, Bill Laver, Captain Ralph T. Derbridge<br />
(OBE) and our school patron Jake MacRonald – No relation to<br />
Ronald McDonald.<br />
I must report now on the time that I was given the task of<br />
teaching at the junior school from 1956 through until 1968.<br />
It was a very memorable time and I will take a few issues of<br />
this magazine to tell you the great experiences I had with such<br />
brilliant students and a great collection of teachers under<br />
Ron Pearson, with Don Taylor, Andrew Melville, Bill King, Ron<br />
Morse and Cec Munns. John Buchanan, long-time coach of the<br />
successful Aussie cricket team, started off with these teachers.<br />
In an interview at the ABC and talking to Ron Pearson, who<br />
passed away a few years ago, he recalled his love for cricket<br />
and those who mentored him. In particular, Don Taylor, Bill<br />
King and Andy Melville. A copy of this interview is in the school<br />
archives. I have a 1958 photo of the grades 3 and 4 with some<br />
Calling all Old BOYS – <strong>The</strong> archives are<br />
looking for any memorabilia such as old<br />
photos or movies or even a story that you<br />
have been telling your mates that happened<br />
at TSS while you were there… either address<br />
to the school or myself at bawinner@bigpond.<br />
net.au.<br />
outstanding Old Boys. Can you pick them in the photo? Heath<br />
Goddard (Pillow Talk), Warren Adderley, Roger Seccombe, Ross<br />
Blackman, Bill Norris, Tim Jeffries, Billy Wehl, Peter Lambert<br />
and John Russell to mention a few.<br />
Is there any Old Boy who had a key to the clock tower?<br />
Someone did back in the ’60s as there were reports that the<br />
clock struck 13 several times at midnight, and on inspecting<br />
someone had a used a large hammer to make the extra chime.<br />
When I was a prefect I had access to this area and as I had<br />
suspected certain boys of going to secluded areas on Sandy to<br />
have a smoke, I was watching from the tower for these larrikins.<br />
Late one afternoon, Tex Tritton trotted up from the Armoury<br />
and down the track to his hideout for a quick smoke, but that<br />
was his last. I live close to the school and the clock’s chimes<br />
never bother me, BUT recently, something has happened as it<br />
has been erratic. Maybe it’s the GHOST in the tower again...<br />
For almost 10 years, Lew Cooper has been arranging a luncheon<br />
at the “O.K. CORRAL” (Caxton Hotel Brisbane) for several of<br />
his old school mates. This group, known as “<strong>The</strong> Beagle Boys”,<br />
comprises of Lew, Arthur and Billy Morgan, Bill Crawford,<br />
Ken Mander-Jones, John Osborne, Charles Elaurant, Elton<br />
Rasmussen and me. We all enjoyed yarning about old times and<br />
enjoyed a very fine luncheon. Just like a little Mulgowie muster<br />
that was held earlier than<br />
usual this year. Thanks to<br />
Annilese and Sandy Kemp<br />
for their organising and<br />
also to Gary Ferguson who<br />
as usual did an excellent<br />
job as MC.<br />
Well I am disappointed that<br />
there are only a couple of<br />
stories for this edition, so<br />
put on your thinking cap<br />
and give it a good go for<br />
next year.
Memories<br />
Rob Gill (McK 63-66) writes…<br />
“Contrary to what the tourism marketing spin doctors would<br />
have us believe, the Gold Coast can turn nasty in winter.<br />
At least, that’s the way I remember it in the pre-global<br />
warming mid-1960s … cold and rainy with gusty<br />
westerlies. Gaggles of bedraggled, wet schoolkids smelling<br />
like damp corn sacks, testosterone-fuelled mid rugby<br />
season, hung starving around the doors to the dining hall of<br />
an evening.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re were rumbles of discontent one particularly cold July<br />
night when the meals rolled out on dinner wagons shunted<br />
along by Mavis and her long-suffering cohort. Dinner??? A<br />
couple of cold slices of Devon or Fritz ... I forget what it<br />
was called, but basically, pink-rinded processed sausage …<br />
limp lettuce, tomato and canned beetroot. <strong>The</strong> hordes were<br />
unimpressed and dinner went largely uneaten. Bread and<br />
butter were the order of the night and, as always, butter<br />
was in short supply. Not particularly appealing for a boy<br />
from a dairy farm.<br />
We had a repeat performance of this culinary delight twice<br />
more that week. By this time the tuckshop was doing a<br />
roaring trade in chocolate or anything else that would fill<br />
the intestinal gap, and there were desperate appeals for<br />
anyone with afternoon leave to bring food back from the<br />
shops downtown.<br />
A couple of days later and the word got around via spies<br />
at the kitchen delivery door that we were to get more of<br />
the same that night. Stacks of tomato boxes and scores of<br />
sad lettuce had arrived. Handbills appeared all round the<br />
school … DON’T EAT SALAD TONIGHT!!<br />
We filed in to dinner, the hubbub of conversation all but<br />
drowned out by the roar of teenage stomachs. Grace<br />
said, (I always enjoyed Allan Radcliffe’s version) … his<br />
dear erudite dad must have turned in his grave at the<br />
exhumation and comprehensive re-murder of an already<br />
dead language. Only Doomp could interpret domi nostrum<br />
as dollar me nostril, as we eschewed the sad array of<br />
beetroot-stained sausage and flaccid lettuce.<br />
Word appeared to have got around and authority stepped<br />
up in the imposing form of Ron Pearson, duty master for<br />
the evening, tennis coach, economics guru and another<br />
highly qualified Latin mangler. “You will eat your salad,” he<br />
proclaimed from a lofty 6’3”.<br />
Two hundred pairs of eyes watched malevolently as<br />
Pearson returned to his seat at the head table and, in huge<br />
mouthfuls, demolished the world’s largest T-bone steak<br />
smothered in chips and gravy.<br />
Only then did I fully appreciate the term, ‘come the<br />
revolution’.”<br />
Lionel Meerkin (JS 42-47) writes…<br />
“It was late in 1942, and the top school had been taken<br />
over by the American Army as a military hospital. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
expanded all the facilities, including the erection of new<br />
buildings, and as the <strong>School</strong> had at that time only septic<br />
tanks, they built an elaborate concrete sewerage system,<br />
situated near where the current Headmaster’s house is<br />
sited. This ‘state of the art’ system filtered the sewage and<br />
provided the <strong>School</strong> with fertiliser for all the gardens and<br />
grounds.<br />
My dormitory was a two-storey building next to Pong Creek<br />
and one night we were awakened by sirens and flashing<br />
lights, being a continuous stream of USA Army ambulances.<br />
This went on for 304 nights and we watched as hundreds<br />
of patients were brought in. We had never experienced<br />
anything like this – the sight of all these wounded soldiers,<br />
most of who had been evacuated from Guadalcanal.<br />
During the weeks that followed, all the US wounded wandered<br />
around in their corduroy dressing gowns, watching us play<br />
sport. It was hard for us to comprehend – some had missing<br />
limbs – and it brought home to us the horrors of war.<br />
On a brighter note, the Americans erected a huge circus<br />
tent on the vacant block opposite the Junior <strong>School</strong> for<br />
recreation. We were invited in every Friday night to watch<br />
the latest-release movies, but unfortunately for us Junior<br />
<strong>School</strong> boys, on the orders of our Headmaster, C G Pearce,<br />
we had to leave at 9pm to go to bed. Although we never saw<br />
the end of any movie, the senior boys would let us know the<br />
next morning how the movie finished.”<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 25
John Wettenhall (Tho 50-55) writes…<br />
“As a bush kid, I started at TSS Junior <strong>School</strong> and was<br />
placed in Mitre House by the then Headmaster, Mr Ivor<br />
Cribb. Mr Cribb was very much a father figure who I<br />
thoroughly respected and in later life would see from time<br />
to time in the Queensland Club in Brisbane. <strong>The</strong>re were<br />
about 200 children in the Junior <strong>School</strong> with an equal<br />
amount in the Senior <strong>School</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re were four black bitumen tennis courts for the whole<br />
school and our ‘Olympic Pool’ was two wooden platforms<br />
with boarding 25 yards apart situated in two metres of<br />
water in the Nerang River just in front of the old boat shed.<br />
To pass the ‘river king’ was an initial test. That was, swim<br />
non-stop for one mile in continuous circles around the<br />
boards, about 20 laps is my memory.<br />
In 1951, I was made both Mitre House and Junior <strong>School</strong><br />
Captain and was awarded the ‘Watts Cups’ for services<br />
to the <strong>School</strong>. As Junior <strong>School</strong> Captain one gained the<br />
privilege of having a private room in the old ‘bell dorm’,<br />
which I shared with Don Rylance as vice-captain. I<br />
understand this section of the old prep has been retained<br />
for heritage reasons.<br />
I was an average student who had to work hard to achieve<br />
and in 1953 I passed the Queensland Scholarship in all<br />
four subjects, Maths, English, Geography and History. I<br />
moved up into Thorold House for my two senior years,<br />
again securing an average pass of 1A, 2Bs and 3Cs in Year<br />
10 or Queensland Junior as it was called.<br />
I enjoyed sporting competition, mainly in athletics, rowing<br />
and football. My only claim to fame was a first in the open<br />
broad jump and second in the 200 yards sprint at the all<br />
Queensland <strong>School</strong>boys athletic meet in 1955 held at the<br />
Queensland University. We ran on cinders, which were<br />
quite a hoot! I made the 2nd Rugby XV and the 1st IV<br />
rowing crew in my final year (Year 10).<br />
It might have been 1954 when Queen Elizabeth II made<br />
her first visit to Australia after her coronation and TSS sent<br />
their entire cadet company to Brisbane complete with .303<br />
army rifles (no magazine) to line a section of streets where<br />
the cavalcade moved. We were ordered by senior master<br />
Harry Kaiser to form a human barrier and to face the<br />
26<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
Memories<br />
crowd. I was tempted to take a quick look and remember<br />
Prince Phillip’s face and the back of the Queen’s hat. On<br />
the bus trip back to school we called into the Yatala Pie<br />
Shop for a treat, which was always a regular stop when<br />
returning from Brisbane sporting events.<br />
On rare occasions, a few of us would nick out from school<br />
on a weekend into the bushland south-west of the school<br />
where there were some dry dairy heifers running. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
was a funny little yard that enabled us to round them up<br />
on foot, throw a rope around one and buck them out. Just<br />
bush boys having fun! This forested land was about where<br />
Bundall Road runs now.<br />
Again, in my senior school years, three or four of the more<br />
daring would sneak into ‘Mozzie bush’ below the school<br />
to have a puff on a cigarette or two. This stealth was all<br />
part of a boy’s education, however, on one occasion we got<br />
more than we bargained for. We stumbled on a bloke deep<br />
in the undergrowth having his way with one of our school<br />
domestic staff. Stories could go on!<br />
My extended family had a long association with TSS.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re were two Barnes uncles who were some of the first<br />
enrolments at the Dixon <strong>School</strong>, followed my father-in-law,<br />
Don Parkinson, my brother-in-law Bryan, my brother Robert<br />
and my son Wylie have all attended TSS.<br />
I was married to my wonderful wife Prue in February, 1967<br />
in the delightful <strong>School</strong> Chapel and that brought back<br />
some wonderful school memories.<br />
I was a rural kid and elected to make a career in the bush.<br />
Working for large companies, I had four years jackerooing<br />
in Western Queensland, seven years as an overseer and<br />
head stockman in Queensland and the Northern Territory<br />
and secured my first management at 27 years of age. I<br />
managed large operations for several years in remote<br />
situations, be it Queensland’s far west, Northern Territory,<br />
Cape York and the Philippines before spending my last<br />
20 years of company life as General Manager for two<br />
separate organisations. We have three children and nine<br />
grandchildren.<br />
We have spent the past 11 years in retirement at the<br />
Sunshine Coast.”
Greg Wain has expressed his wish to make the collection<br />
available to the broader school community by proposing<br />
a TSS Museum space be part of the overall school<br />
development. To develop this initiative, planning needs to<br />
be put in place so that a true representation of the <strong>School</strong>’s<br />
history is presented to the wider community. This is also<br />
very important with regard to the National Curriculum’s<br />
local history component.<br />
Andrew Stark (Head of Library and Information Services)<br />
and I have visited Toowoomba Grammar <strong>School</strong> and <strong>The</strong><br />
Glennie <strong>School</strong> to see the developments they have made in<br />
this direction. Both schools actively promote their school<br />
history among school members, ex-students and the local<br />
area. We would like to develop a TSS Museum that not<br />
only highlights the <strong>School</strong>’s unique and varied history, but<br />
creates a space worthy of public patronage and support.<br />
Such a Museum would be a worthy addition to the facilities<br />
of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Southport</strong> <strong>School</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Gold Coast City Council Heritage Section is looking<br />
for support to establish a community-fed Heritage<br />
Dates to remember<br />
Sydney – Thursday 10 November<br />
OSA AGM – Monday 28 November<br />
Northern Rivers – Ballina – Saturday 10 December<br />
2010 Young Old Boys Gathering – Friday 23 December – <strong>Southport</strong> Surf Lifesaving Club<br />
Festival of Cricket – Village Green – Sunday 5 February 2012 – 1st XI v TSS Old Boys<br />
Mulgowie Muster – Sunday 22 April 2012<br />
Old Boys Weekend – Thursday 9 to Saturday 11 August 2012<br />
OSA Race Day – Saturday 13 October 2012<br />
Request to share your ideas<br />
by Lesley Walker, Archivist<br />
<strong>The</strong> Archives area of the school has a<br />
valuable collection of precious artefacts,<br />
memorabilia and photographs dating from<br />
1901. <strong>The</strong> <strong>School</strong> Collection is one of the<br />
largest in Queensland, if not the largest.<br />
Tell us Your Story!<br />
Policy for the city, and as a member of Heritage Voice,<br />
I support this. <strong>The</strong> creation of a TSS Museum would<br />
develop and strengthen the position of TSS in the local<br />
area in a number of ways and would reinforce to the local<br />
community the <strong>School</strong>’s determination to take active<br />
responsibility for its own heritage and history.<br />
To implement this vision we would like to ask community<br />
members from the Old <strong>Southport</strong>onians’ Association to<br />
share their ideas on what they would like to see in a TSS<br />
Museum, how they see their stories being told, and how<br />
they might like to support this project. Please contact the<br />
<strong>School</strong> Archivist, Lesley Walker, on 07 5531 9994 or 07<br />
5531 9444 Monday-Wednesday, 7.30am-3.30pm, Lesley.<br />
walker@tss.qld.edu.au for further details.<br />
Calendar<br />
Best wishes for a<br />
Merry Christmas<br />
and a happy and<br />
safe 2012!<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 27
28<br />
Dear Mr Wood,<br />
My husband (Jim Spence Tho 51-61) was so pleased to receive the <strong>School</strong>’s kind gesture of the Older Old Boys<br />
school tie. It’s so nice, depicting both current and Old Boys’ badges, and I know he will always be proud to wear it.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se reminders of school days are good for the soul, and recall many memories, both happy and challenging. We<br />
do enjoy keeping in touch through the Old Boys magazine. Thank you again for the tie and accompanying letter.<br />
We did appreciate it.<br />
Yours sincerely, Jenny Spence, of Yeppoon<br />
Dear Mr Alan Parsons, Acting Headmaster,& Mr Paul Wood, OSA President<br />
I wish to acknowledge the receipt of an Older Old Boys tie, which arrived in my mail yesterday. Consequently, I am<br />
particularly grateful to all at TSS and to you both in particular for such a meaningful and generous gesture. I will<br />
wear the tie with great pride.<br />
Although I was unable to attend the Older Old Boys’ day recently, I feel as though my interest and involvement<br />
with my wonderful old <strong>School</strong> has been recently reborn: I am in constant communication with my old McKinley<br />
House roommate, Rob CC Lethbridge, who sent me a House tie; my old Housemaster, Malcolm G Ham, who lives<br />
in Sydney; my old English/Modern History teacher, Pat Hunt; et al<br />
I often wear my TSS cuff-links, which I secured by assisting with the recent TSS building appeal.<br />
Two days ago, I met TSS Staff members Andrew Stack and Lesley Walker when they were touring the TGS museum<br />
facility, which I have been associated with since its inception.<br />
Yesterday I spoke by phone to Tony Watt to thank him for mailing me copies of Band of Brothers as well as some<br />
photographs he took of the Honour Board in the Dining Hall (<strong>The</strong> Great Hall). This new magazine is quite excellent<br />
and I am grateful to him and the <strong>School</strong> for listing my name on the mailing schedule.<br />
In the not too distant future I will put together some biographical notes and send them off so that they may be placed<br />
in the archives if you see fit.<br />
I wish you both well and cheers to the <strong>School</strong>, which obviously just goes from strength to strength. I feel quite<br />
humbled when I think of the opportunity my selfless parents made to send me (as well as my brother, Hayden) to<br />
such a truly wonderful place.<br />
Best Wishes,<br />
Sincerely, John K Winn (JS 51-54, McK 55-58) of Crows Nest<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
Letters<br />
Received
Oldest Old Boy<br />
William Slane (McK 26-29)<br />
At 97, William Slane holds the honour of being the OSA’s Oldest Old Boy.<br />
William’s cousin, Alan Newitt, has written the following<br />
information for us to share with our community…<br />
“I have just received your invitation on behalf of William<br />
Slane who attended <strong>The</strong> <strong>Southport</strong> <strong>School</strong> in 1926 and was<br />
a member of McKinley House. Unfortunately Mr Slane is<br />
unable to attend this year’s function as he has only recently<br />
been admitted to a high-care nursing home at <strong>Southport</strong>. I<br />
am Bill’s second cousin and his power of attorney and over<br />
the years have heard him speak well of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Southport</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
and the time he spent there.<br />
William (Bill) is now nearing 97 years of age and up until<br />
December 2010 he was living and maintaining his acreage in<br />
Brisbane’s Southside. While I am not sure of all Bill’s travels<br />
since attending <strong>The</strong> <strong>Southport</strong> <strong>School</strong> I do know that he went<br />
on to Gatton College and studied agriculture, with which he<br />
continued throughout his life. Bill came from what would<br />
have been in that day a privileged family who owned several<br />
cane farms, to which Bill was the sole heir as he was the only<br />
child.<br />
Bill never married throughout his life and the story goes that<br />
his mother did not believe any of the women he courted were<br />
good enough for him, thus he remained a bachelor (possible<br />
why he has lived so long – just kidding). From an outsider’s<br />
view he has had a wonderful life and to my knowledge has<br />
never had any serious illnesses or injuries and never really<br />
needed to work to support himself. He farmed in his younger<br />
years while also cutting cane and went on to invest in property<br />
after ceasing to farm.<br />
He became a prolific orchid grower and won many awards,<br />
and to date still has a large greenhouse with many rare<br />
orchids still growing.<br />
During the past 20 or so years Bill has spent his time<br />
entertaining at nursing homes around Brisbane, either by<br />
playing the piano at which he was quite accomplished, or<br />
alternatively he would take his cassette player and entertain<br />
the residents with a diverse range of music from his era,<br />
which earnt him the nickname of the Music-Man. As late as<br />
the middle of last year he was still very active as I would ask<br />
where he had been all weekend and he would tell me that he<br />
had travelled from his home in the Logan Shire to an arts and<br />
crafts festival in Caboolture.<br />
This would require him catching several buses and trains both<br />
ways and on the way he would stop in at the Valley to get his<br />
hair cut. He then did it again the next day (at 96 years of<br />
age). Bill has lived a simple life and has been a kind man<br />
who has never been a hindrance to anyone, and I believe that<br />
the <strong>Southport</strong> <strong>School</strong> can take a degree of credit for helping<br />
to shape and guide him in his formative years. I hope we can<br />
all live a life like Bill’s.<br />
I’m sure I speak for Bill when I say thank you for your<br />
invitation to attend the ‘Older Old Boys Assembly’, but due<br />
to his frailness I feel it would be unwise for him to leave his<br />
nursing home.”<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 29
Guess who turned 21?<br />
30<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
1<br />
Brodie Cunningham (Tho 02-07)<br />
celebrated his 21st birthday party at home in Sorrento<br />
a few days after his actual birthday. Many friends and<br />
relatives joined in to help Brodie enjoy his special day.<br />
Brodie is involved with the OSA and holds the position of<br />
Hon. Assistant Secretary.<br />
Rod Bickell (Del 54-63)<br />
Rod is now President of the Queensland Rifle Association.<br />
He has more than 50 years of shooting experience behind<br />
him so is more than qualified for the top job. A kid from<br />
the country, Rod boarded at TSS and got into shooting<br />
while at school. For three generations, his mother’s family,<br />
the McLeods, held sheep property between Inglewood and<br />
Stanthorpe. In 1960 Rod joined the <strong>Southport</strong> Rifle Club.<br />
He served as <strong>Southport</strong> club secretary before coming to<br />
Brisbane to study law. A long association followed with the<br />
University Rifle Club where he has been club captain for<br />
the past 15 years. Rod is a solicitor in private practice and<br />
is looking forward to a big year with the QRA in 2011.<br />
1<br />
2<br />
PHOTO - Brodie Cunningham<br />
PHOTO - Hugh McDonald with parents Bob and Barbara McDonald<br />
Award for the<br />
prestigious Australian<br />
Student Prize<br />
Congratulations to<br />
Max Lau (Rad 05-10)<br />
who was awarded the Australian<br />
Student Prize for 2010 by the<br />
Minister of <strong>School</strong> Education, Mr<br />
Peter Garrett.<br />
We have since been advised that<br />
Oliver McDonald (Tur 97-09) was<br />
awarded the same prize in 2009.<br />
Well done to both boys.<br />
2<br />
Personal Notes<br />
Hugh McDonald (Tho 00-04)<br />
supplied by Bob McDonald. I thought you might be<br />
interested in what has been happening with Hugh R.<br />
McDonald (Tho 00-04) since leaving TSS.<br />
While at TSS, Hugh achieved Colours in Tennis for three<br />
years – 2002, 2003 and 2004. 2005 was spent as a gap<br />
year travelling to ITF Tennis Tournaments in Australia<br />
and the South Pacific before commencing in 2006 at the<br />
University of Oregon.<br />
He played on the Tennis Team there in his Freshman and<br />
Sophomore Years before transferring to the University of<br />
Idaho on a better Scholarship to play in his Junior and<br />
Senior years mainly at the No. 1 doubles position and No.<br />
4 in singles. He spent a final year at Idaho as Assistant<br />
Men’s Tennis Coach before graduating in May 2010.<br />
He has spent two summers coaching at the 120-year-old<br />
Meadow Club, Southampton, NY and this year has been<br />
coaching at <strong>The</strong> River Club, Manhattan.<br />
At present he is working in the Marketing Department<br />
at prominent New York residential real estate company<br />
Stribling and Associates.<br />
His sister, Georgie (St. Hilda’s 2002-06), is also working in<br />
New York for J Public Relations.
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
Lindsay Forster (McK 96-99)<br />
I work for a residential real estate developer and broker in<br />
Aspen, specialising in building and selling one-off estate<br />
homes (large spec homes). I basically run the day-to-day<br />
operations, bookkeeping, banking, contracts, running subcontractors,<br />
organising loans, coordinating investors, etc.<br />
I am now living in Basalt, which is a town about 20 miles<br />
north of Aspen. I am an accountant and have been in<br />
Colorado for six years.<br />
Ian Butler (Del 68-74)<br />
I moved to Denver, Colorado with my wife Mary in April<br />
2011, having been the Mine Technical Services Manager<br />
at Kalgoorlie’s Superpit, which is a 50:50 Barrick Gold/<br />
Newmont joint venture. Both are gold-mining companies.<br />
I now work exclusively for Newmont, whose headquarters<br />
are in Denver. I am the Geology Manager of Development<br />
Projects in Ghana, West Africa so spend lots of time there.<br />
Newmont has an existing mine (Ahafo Mine) and more in<br />
the pipeline, so it is a very exciting place to be with the<br />
price of gold so high.<br />
2<br />
PHOTO - Picture L-R Lindsay Forster (McK 96-99), Steve Price<br />
(Friend) and Ian Butler (Del 68-74) – Photo taken at Memorial<br />
Day weekend at the end of May in Aspen, Colorado. Steve Price, a<br />
Queenslander, but not a TSS Old Boy – christened Lindsay Forster the<br />
“Crocodile Dundee of Aspen” as he certainly has that demeanour!<br />
PHOTO - David Eddowes & Brett Woodford<br />
PHOTO - Angus Lockhart<br />
David Eddowes (Wal 81-89)<br />
met up with Brett Woodford (Rad 81-89) when he was<br />
recently in Ibiza. David and his brother, Kieron (Rad 84-<br />
95), are working in the Mediterranean.<br />
1<br />
Angus Lockhart (Wal 96-07)<br />
<strong>The</strong> recent semester break at University of Queensland saw<br />
Angus head to the London <strong>School</strong> of Economics, Summer<br />
<strong>School</strong>, as one of a select group of 100 odd students<br />
worldwide. He attended the Itermediate Macro Economic<br />
Course and in between lectures caught up with local<br />
Old <strong>Southport</strong>onians. He joined David Serafini and other<br />
London Branch members at the Henley Regatta in the<br />
Leander and Steward enclosures.<br />
Angus also attended the St John’s College University of<br />
Queensland Alumni reunion at the Oxford and Cambridge<br />
Club.<br />
Contacts were made in London with visits arranged to<br />
Deutscher Bank and the Swedish Handlesbank as well<br />
as enjoying the comradeship of his fellow international<br />
students.<br />
3<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 31
32<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW
Bill attended TSS from 1948 to 1958. In his final year<br />
he was a Prefect and House Captain of Delpratt. Bill was<br />
an all-round sportsman, and in addition to being Captain<br />
of Boats and a member of the winning VIII in 1958, Bill<br />
also represented the school in swimming, athletics and<br />
shooting.<br />
After he completed his education, Bill maintained close<br />
contact with the <strong>School</strong>. He coached rowing crews for 17<br />
years, became active in the OSA, and was instrumental in<br />
the formation of the Central West branch.<br />
In 1986 he played a major role in the establishment of<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Southport</strong> <strong>School</strong> Foundation, with his wife, Julann,<br />
and he being Patron members. He remained on the<br />
Foundation as a Director until 1991.<br />
In 1987 he was elected Vice-President of the OSA, and<br />
then President for 1988-89. During this time he was<br />
the driving force and the major donor in the acquisition<br />
and establishment of the Hidden Creek facility. He has<br />
Bill Chandler<br />
(Del 48-58)<br />
At the OSA AGM, held on November 29, 2010, ratification of the Mervyn Dane<br />
Collings Recipient was put to the Council by Mr James Kennett (Wal 70-74). Mr<br />
William (Bill) Chandler was selected as the recipient of this award.<br />
History on M D Collings as published in (R68 P36):<br />
1st XI 1906-1907: AIF (15Bn.): Killed in action,<br />
Gallipoli, 13th May, 1915: First contributor and<br />
collaborator with A H Osborn in ‘Tell Tale’:<br />
1907 Founder of OSA formed 21st July, 1911,<br />
secretary and chairman 1911-12 (R81 P2)<br />
Mervyn Dale COLLINGS, 1904-07, was the first<br />
contributor, and with A H Osborn a collaborator in<br />
the ‘Tell Tale’ 1907. He was the early urger for an<br />
Old Boys’ Association, and with Ken Chapman rode<br />
a bicycle from Brisbane to <strong>Southport</strong> 1911 over<br />
continued his passion for outdoor education as a Director<br />
of the Hidden Creek Foundation.<br />
After his term as President, Bill remained a strong<br />
presence on the OSA Council and was very influential in<br />
the OSA’s efforts to ensure that rugby remained the main<br />
code of football played at the <strong>School</strong>. This stance taken<br />
by the OSA resulted in the Rugby Improvement Program<br />
being introduced, which led to the premierships won in<br />
recent years.<br />
Bill served on the Parents and Friends committee in<br />
1991, and was elected to the <strong>School</strong> Council in 1996<br />
and was a member for two years. While he is actively<br />
engaged with his agricultural and commercial interests,<br />
he still continues to give his strong support to the OSA<br />
and the <strong>School</strong>.<br />
Bill was presented with the very prestigious Mervyn<br />
Dane Collings award at the Reunion Dinner by Past OSA<br />
President Mr Bruce Wright.<br />
a dirt road with deep ruts, to discuss with Jimmy<br />
the formation of an Association. He was present at<br />
the initial meeting of the SHS Old Boys at YMCA<br />
on 6th July, 1911 as Secretary-Chairman. Jimmy<br />
acknowledged Collings’ efforts in his Annual Report<br />
1911: “Through the splendid efforts of M D Collings an<br />
Old Boys’ Association has been formed.”<br />
Mervyn Collings was generally acknowledged by older<br />
hands as the Founder of our Old Boys’ Association. <strong>The</strong><br />
Association lapsed during the war and Collings was<br />
killed at Gallipoli on 13 May, 1915.<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 33
34<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
Exclusive Interview with six TSS St George<br />
Reds’ Players by Angela Hughes.<br />
Embedded within the powerhouse Queensland Reds 2011<br />
rugby side is a formidable contingent of six young TSS Old<br />
Boys, four of whom already have donned their Wallaby<br />
jerseys, plus a few TSS ‘extras’ waiting in the wings.
It has been an exceptional season for the Queensland<br />
Reds, scooping their first-ever Super Rugby title against<br />
the Crusaders at Lang Park in July. <strong>The</strong> win was made<br />
even sweeter by the growing number of TSS Old Boys who<br />
used their GPS grounding to move into the elite ranks of<br />
Australian rugby.<br />
Of the six-strong Reds group, Luke Morahan, James<br />
Slipper, Rob Simmons and Scott Higginbotham have<br />
donned the green and gold to join another TSS old boy and<br />
the most capped second-row Wallaby in Australian history,<br />
Nathan Sharpe, whose career in representing Australia<br />
continues to be etched in the history books of the ‘game<br />
they play in Heaven’.<br />
Joining the four former TSS Old Boys on the Reds bench<br />
this year and displaying finesse and a strong presence<br />
in the final winning games of the series were Ben Tapuai<br />
and rookie Jono Lance. But the depth of TSS’ influence<br />
doesn’t end there Mentoring, cajoling, honing skills and<br />
helping extend their knowledge and playing tactics while<br />
being accountable for the way they approach training and<br />
each game is former TSS rugby coach and Scottish Sevens<br />
representative Matt Taylor, now the Reds assistant coach.<br />
With his sharp analytical mind, the genius chosen by Reds<br />
coach Ewen McKenzie to ‘fix’ the team’s previous poor<br />
defensive play record, Matt has been the glue needed to<br />
keep the players focused and improve their play.<br />
In chatting with the six TSS old boys at their Ballymore<br />
home ground before the big two final matches, all agreed<br />
their schoolboy days of playing rugby and the influence of<br />
Matt, other TSS staff and the GPS competition in general<br />
had given them a thirst to continue with the sport.<br />
Here is what they had to say along with a short synopsis of<br />
their career to date:<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 35
36<br />
Scott Higginbotham<br />
(Wal 99-03)<br />
<strong>The</strong> eldest of the group, Scott is a<br />
third-generation Old Boy, having begun<br />
his education at TSS in Year 5 and<br />
his first foray into rugby in Year 8. <strong>The</strong><br />
blindside flanker has been a formidable<br />
player at GPS, Club, State and<br />
Australian representative level.<br />
Admitting that running on the field as a<br />
Wallaby for the first time in 2010 was the most memorable<br />
moment in his career, Scott has remained true to himself.<br />
He attributes his passion of the game to his TSS mentor<br />
Greg Thorne and said the excellent playing fields at TSS<br />
made the experience all the more enjoyable.<br />
Despite gruelling training sessions each week, Scott also<br />
likes to balance his sport with quality leisure time (and<br />
that means not sleeping during the day he jokes!) and<br />
studying for a diploma in business. He mentally prepares<br />
for each game by listening to his favourite music. Postrugby,<br />
his goal is to dip his feet into the property market<br />
and take time out to pursue his other sporting love, surfing.<br />
His advice for up-and-coming TSS rugby players is to only<br />
play the game if you enjoy it, then be prepared to give it<br />
everything you’ve got.<br />
Luke Morahan<br />
(Kai 01-07)<br />
Luke entered TSS in Year 6 around the<br />
same time he began playing at Under<br />
6 level for Colleges. Luke’s talent as<br />
full-back and on the wing quickly<br />
became evident and it wasn’t long<br />
before his grit and determination led<br />
to a spot in the school’s 1st XV in the<br />
GPS competition, then travelling the<br />
elite pathway of Queensland Under<br />
16s, Queensland <strong>School</strong>s and Australia A <strong>School</strong>s before<br />
entering the Premier Colts (U19) ranks in 2008 with<br />
University. An Australian Sevens representative, Luke’s<br />
transition within the Reds to his selection as replacement<br />
in the Australian side for Stirling Mortlock in 2009 sealed<br />
his career.<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
1<br />
Player Profiles<br />
Mentored at TSS by Matt Taylor and Eleanor Mackie,<br />
Luke believes it was his days at TSS that brought him<br />
to the attention of selectors. “<strong>The</strong> GPS competition is a<br />
great stepping stone for rugby,” said Luke, whose younger<br />
brother, Simon, is quietly waiting in the wings to follow<br />
in his brother’s footsteps. Currently studying business at<br />
QUT, Luke said he has many fond memories of TSS and<br />
advises current students to make the most of their time at<br />
the school. “TSS teaches you to be organised and that is<br />
what I need to be to balance my rugby with training, study<br />
and social life. My advice to young players at TSS is be<br />
organised, make sure you train hard and, most of all, enjoy<br />
what you are doing.”<br />
James Slipper<br />
(Tur 05-07)<br />
With 14 Test rugby caps<br />
already to his name, the young<br />
architecture student admits that<br />
despite his catapult into rugby<br />
success at the highest level, he<br />
still misses playing for TSS.<br />
“Being a TSS boy was great fun<br />
and I have found that wherever<br />
you go in the world, you always seem to run into someone<br />
you know from TSS,” said James. Mentored at TSS by Matt<br />
Taylor and Rob Nowlan, James said his career highlights<br />
to date have been many … playing his first game for the<br />
Reds and the Wallabies, and experiencing the winning<br />
feeling against the All Blacks in Hong Kong (2010) and the<br />
Springboks in Bloemfontein (2010).<br />
Playing prop, although he had to sit out the final two Super<br />
Rugby games due to injury, James has been an integral<br />
member of the Reds for the past four years. While playing<br />
in the 2009 Under 20’s Junior World Cup in Japan, he was<br />
chosen as Player of the Year on John Eales medal night.<br />
James’ advice for players preparing in everything they do<br />
is – eat well, always do your homework on the opposition,<br />
train hard and, most of all, enjoy yourself.
Rob Simmons (McK 02-06)<br />
Almost as soon as Rob started boarding<br />
at TSS he was playing rugby. Inspired at<br />
school by players such as Nathan Sharpe<br />
and mentored by the Taylor/Nowlan<br />
combination, Simmons believes if it<br />
wasn’t for TSS he may not have gone<br />
down the path of playing rugby.<br />
<strong>The</strong> 200cm lock, who has been five<br />
years with the Reds, said it was the<br />
competitive GPS competition that gave him the right mental<br />
approach to playing each game as though it was a grand final –<br />
something that has stuck with him when playing for Australian<br />
<strong>School</strong>boys, Australia Under 19 and Under 20, the Reds and the<br />
Wallabies. “Maintaining a winning attitude was one of the most<br />
important lessons I learnt at TSS,” said Rob, who is combining<br />
his love of the game with studying for a business degree.<br />
“I really enjoyed my time at TSS and hope every other student<br />
grabs the same opportunities as I did.” After making his Wallaby<br />
Test debut in 2010 against South Africa in Brisbane, Rob now<br />
claims five Test caps and has his eyes set firmly on adding many<br />
more. When his playing days do come to an end, Rob intends to<br />
make use of his business degree before returning to the family<br />
farm.<br />
Ben Tapuai (Del 04-07)<br />
Playing for the Reds is a dream come<br />
true for rugby centre Ben Tapuai, who<br />
first started playing rugby at the age<br />
of seven at Box Hill in Victoria. Now in<br />
his fourth year with the Reds, Ben put<br />
on an awesome display of tactical skill,<br />
agility and ability in the Reds semi-final<br />
against the Blues of the Super Rugby<br />
series. Currently completing a business<br />
diploma, Ben is yet another prodigy of<br />
Matt Taylor’s influence at TSS and is proud to call himself a TSS<br />
old boy.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> combination of being educated at TSS, playing in the GPS<br />
competition and having so many opportunities offered to me has<br />
been significant in my rugby career,” said Ben. “My advice to all<br />
students is if you have a dream, go for it.” And ‘go for it’ certainly<br />
is Ben’s attitude as he reflects on one of his most memorable<br />
moments – wearing the Reds jersey for the first time. In the<br />
future, Ben hopes to establish his own personal training business.<br />
Jono Lance (Kai 03-07)<br />
<strong>The</strong> rookie fly-half is now basking in his third year with the Reds,<br />
having played for University, Queensland A, Australia U20s, Australia<br />
Sevens and the Super Rugby finals 2011.<br />
Currently studying architecture, Jono<br />
has taken up the baton from his father,<br />
Dean, who notched up two rugby league<br />
premierships with the Canberra Raiders.<br />
Reds assistant coach and former TSS<br />
mentor Matt Taylor sees a lot of Dean’s<br />
traits in the rookie, especially his talent<br />
for defending, and is confident we are<br />
going to see a lot more of this young<br />
player in the future. Jono said he has<br />
many fond memories of TSS from being a member of the 1st XV<br />
GPS premiership team, to the quality of coaching and the school’s<br />
sporting environment, which ‘made you always want to push to be<br />
better’. Jono maintains his balance between play, training, study and<br />
social life by keeping in touch with fellow Old Boys, many of whom<br />
are not involved with the sport. A firm advocate of the benefits of<br />
growing up within the GPS competition, Jono’s advice to up-andcoming<br />
players is always to have fun when playing sport with your<br />
schoolmates, as you may not get a chance later in life. “I loved my<br />
days at TSS and will always be grateful for what I learnt both on and<br />
off the field while at school,” said Jono.<br />
While not an Old Boy of TSS, this story would not be complete<br />
without a focus on Matt Taylor, whose brief coaching stint at TSS<br />
(and the premierships wins of 2006-07) raised the bar in terms of<br />
sporting success and built a strong rapport with students. “Both my<br />
family and I loved our time at TSS and, one day, hope to return to<br />
teach and coach there,” said Matt. “I would love to send my son,<br />
Cruz, to TSS so he can experience what so many others have over the<br />
years. <strong>The</strong> GPS competition offers a great grounding for boys to test<br />
themselves at all levels and winning two premierships while at TSS<br />
helped me gain a job with the Reds Academy.”<br />
Matt said one of the most magical moments for him recently was<br />
sitting on the sidelines and watching eight TSS old boys on the rugby<br />
field at the same time (this included Nathan Sharpe (Tur 88-95)<br />
and Mark Swanepoel (Tur 04-08). Under the guidance of the Reds<br />
and Matt’s inspirational coaching, all the young TSS old boys remain<br />
good friends away from the field, another factor they contribute to<br />
the tightness that gelled them together as a group while at school.<br />
Each holds special memories of TSS and concedes they will always<br />
retain special pride for their school as well as their playing career,<br />
whether it is for the Reds or the Wallabies.<br />
And, don’t be surprised if you see a few more TSS Old Boys begin to<br />
appear in Reds jerseys as a fresh pack waits in the wings – names<br />
such as Simon Morahan (Luke’s brother), Jarrad Butler and Jack<br />
Kimmince are all training hard for their chance to reach the elite<br />
level in the sport. Matt also says be prepared for a few more TSS<br />
names to be selected to wear the green and gold in the years ahead,<br />
and they all have the advantage of youth on their side.<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 37
PHOTO - James Slipper, Nathan Sharpe, Scott Higginbotham, Robert Simmons, Luke Morahan<br />
Stop Press!<br />
At the time of going to press, we are delighted to announce that four of our Old Boys<br />
made selection for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Nathan Sharpe, Scott Higginbotham,<br />
James Slipper and Rob Simmons all won a spot in the team with the Wallabies, scoring a<br />
68-22 win over Russia, completing their final pool phase of the RWC, the Wallabies ended<br />
the tournament finishing 3rd place overall. To their credit, the Wallabies fought to the<br />
end. We congratulate them all!<br />
Mention must be made of Nathan Sharpe’s incredible achievement of his history-making<br />
mark of 100 Tests.<br />
<strong>The</strong> OSA arranged a Limited edition TSS players signed Red’s Jersey to<br />
be framed. All seven players signed the jersey along with coach Matt<br />
Taylor. <strong>The</strong> jersey was presented to the <strong>School</strong> by OSA President Paul<br />
Wood and will be proudly displayed in the <strong>School</strong> Gym.<br />
38<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
TSS Wallabies Players at Rugby Function<br />
A very impressive line-up of six Old Boys are in the current 2011 Wallaby squad.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Wallabies based themselves at TSS for two weeks just prior to their Bledisloe<br />
match at Eden park on Saturday, August 6th. <strong>The</strong> boys were in fine form and<br />
were happy to be interviewed and have their photo taken with 2011 1st XV players<br />
and Old Boy rugby coaches.
<strong>School</strong> News<br />
By Tony Watt, TSS Director of Community Relations<br />
and Karen Martin, TSS Marketing Coordinator<br />
It’s been “all systems go” on the TSS campus<br />
With the end of 2011 fast looming up, the pace still hasn’t let up<br />
in what’s been a year of full-on activity on the TSS campus. From<br />
the sports fields to the classrooms and beyond TSS students<br />
and staff have been giving it their all on all fronts to chalk up yet<br />
another year of noteworthy achievements that have added lustre<br />
to the TSS reputation.<br />
Good sports, win, lose or draw.<br />
TSS is renowned for its sporting prowess and 2011 has<br />
certainly produced its share of victories, but perhaps even more<br />
importantly, the boys have maintained a fighting spirit at all<br />
times, and whether the contest resulted in a win, loss or draw,<br />
the same sportsmanlike demeanour was upheld. Here are some<br />
highlights.<br />
After the splash, a spirited dash<br />
At the Australian Age Swimming Championships, TSS Aquatics<br />
pulled out all the stops to notch up its most successful National<br />
Age Competition to date. After making it into 27 finals we<br />
managed to bring home 3 Gold, 4 Silver and 5 Bronze medals.<br />
<strong>The</strong> 14 and Under Boys Medley Relay Team became the first TSS<br />
Aquatics Relay Team to take Gold at a National Championships,<br />
while the Freestyle Relay Team came within a whisker of claiming<br />
double Relay Gold, when they finished 2nd to take Silver.<br />
In addition to the medal haul, 3 swimmers qualified for the<br />
Australian Swimming Gold Squad and 8 swimmers made it into<br />
the Silver Squad, while Alex Press was named in the Australian<br />
Junior All Stars after winning the 50m freestyle in 23.15<br />
seconds; a stunning 1.2 seconds faster than his time at the GPS<br />
Championships where he also achieved a new GPS record in the<br />
50m butterfly.<br />
<strong>The</strong> aces up our sleeve<br />
Out on the courts, TSS tennis players have taken the fight to the<br />
competition in a series of hard-fought matches. Giving no quarter<br />
during the Queensland Secondary <strong>School</strong>s Teams Event, the<br />
TSS 1st IV took out the Regional Finals after defeating Somerset<br />
College, Helensvale State High <strong>School</strong> and Coombabah State<br />
High <strong>School</strong>. With that win on the board, the team then went on<br />
to gain 3rd place in the State finals held in Rockhampton.<br />
In the ongoing GPS competition with one round washed out, the<br />
1st IV GPS Team had recorded two wins, a bye and one loss, with<br />
the prospect of some further fierce competition against 3 very<br />
strong teams in the final part of the season.. Also worth noting<br />
is the performances of the Open 2nd IV and the Year 9A Teams,<br />
both of whom had been undefeated at the time of going to press.<br />
<strong>The</strong> revival of the TSS Friends of Tennis has provided a<br />
welcome boost in support through obtaining funding for training<br />
equipment for both Prep and Senior <strong>School</strong>s as well as a number<br />
of social activities and fund - raisers.<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 39
On the ball<br />
A record number of teams have been playing in this year’s<br />
GPS Football season and we’ve seen a definite improvement<br />
in the quality of games, the depth of talent and the growing<br />
football spirit. Our A division games have produced some<br />
very pleasing results, with TSS winning more than half of our<br />
matches to place in the top 5 schools in all age groups, while<br />
the 2nd XI defeated some of the big name teams of the GPS<br />
competition. <strong>The</strong> 1st XI has been plagued with injury during<br />
the season, but despite this the team has played some great<br />
matches.<br />
Our junior players have all benefited from playing Football<br />
in the core PE program, with greater skills and excellent<br />
development in evidence. More and more of the boys<br />
are backing up their TSS Football training with club and<br />
representative team training outside of school, and as a<br />
result 4 of our young players have been selected in State<br />
or National teams this year. Mitch Cooper, Yr 12 has been<br />
selected as a shadow player for the Queensland U19 team.<br />
2011 was another fantastic year of achievement and growth<br />
for TSS Rugby. <strong>The</strong> 1st XV squad toured Sydney to play three<br />
very competitive fixtures against Knox Grammar, Newington<br />
College and Kings College (NZ). <strong>The</strong> 1st XV also played as<br />
a curtain raiser to the REDS at Suncorp Stadium. <strong>The</strong> 16A<br />
squad toured the Sunshine Coast to play Sunshine Coast<br />
Grammar 1st XV and the 15A squad toured Warwick and<br />
Toowoomba with games against Scots PGC and Toowoomba<br />
Grammar. <strong>The</strong>se tours not only provided terrific exposure for<br />
40<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
1<br />
<strong>School</strong> News<br />
TSS Rugby, but also a fantastic experience for all staff and<br />
boys involved. At home, almost 200 TSS students attended<br />
the annual TSS Rugby Camp, which included training and<br />
fixtures against Churchie, Marist Brothers and Far North<br />
Coast Representative Teams.<br />
Ten TSS boys participated in the Queensland <strong>School</strong>boy<br />
trials at Ballymore as part of the GPS representative team.<br />
Six gained selection in the Queensland State teams to<br />
contest the National Championships at Ballymore, while two<br />
were part of the Championship-winning Queensland 1 team,<br />
making it six consecutive years for Queensland.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Open division was again strong, with the 5th XV fielding<br />
a very competitive team throughout a season marked by<br />
some fiercely contested victories, including beating Churchie<br />
away. For the 4th, 3rd and 2nd XV the clean sweep against<br />
GT (Old Boys Weekend) in front of a home crowd on the<br />
Village Green was a season highlight. After a couple of very<br />
narrow losses early in the season, the 1st XV still had a very<br />
successful season to finish third overall.
<strong>School</strong> News<br />
Doing our bit for the games bid<br />
As part of the bid process for the 2018 Commonwealth<br />
Games, our TSS Prep boys participated in the ‘Adopt A<br />
Commonwealth Country’ program, which aimed to educate<br />
Gold Coast students about fellow Commonwealth countries<br />
and the Commonwealth Games. TSS Prep adopted Wales<br />
as its Commonwealth Country, and as future leaders of the<br />
Prep <strong>School</strong> the Year 6 team of teachers and classes took<br />
on board the project of leading the program to broaden the<br />
knowledge of Wales among their fellow students right across<br />
all year levels of Prep.<br />
<strong>The</strong> exciting culmination of the project came when four<br />
Year 6 boys represented TSS at an official function for<br />
the European delegation charged with assessing the Gold<br />
Coast’s suitability as the venue for the 2018 Games. At<br />
this function, the boys shared an afternoon tea with the<br />
Welsh delegate, Mr Chris Jenkins, presenting him with some<br />
memorabilia from TSS and told him of the journey we had<br />
taken in researching his country. Mr Jenkins was suitably<br />
impressed with the effort and knowledge of the boys about<br />
his home country and has since kept in contact with TSS.<br />
So if impressions count for anything, then the efforts of our<br />
TSS Prep boys will have ensured the we can at least count<br />
on Wales in supporting the Gold Coast’s bid for the 2018<br />
Commonwealth Games.<br />
Food for thought<br />
<strong>The</strong> need to feed more than a hunger for knowledge has<br />
been served by the opening of the Old Gym Café as part<br />
of the refurbishment of <strong>The</strong> Day House Precinct. <strong>The</strong><br />
Cafe provides the boys and wider TSS community with yet<br />
another unique facility, complete with wireless access, a<br />
barista and a good selection of meals and snacks.<br />
Dayboys are now able to sit down to a plated-up meal for<br />
lunch just like their boarder cousins, and for those boys who<br />
prefer the DIY lunch, the Café provides sandwich toasters,<br />
microwaves and an instant hot and chilled water facility.<br />
<strong>The</strong> school community has wasted no time making good<br />
use of this latest addition to the Day House precinct, and<br />
it’s especially pleasing to see the increased interaction of<br />
the boarding and day students in what’s rapidly becoming a<br />
central hub for the eight day houses and three of the senior<br />
boarding houses.<br />
High drama in the house<br />
<strong>The</strong> annual House Drama Festival gave students a chance<br />
to stand in the limelight and not only display their thespian<br />
talents, but to get involved in a spirited bid to win the<br />
coveted Anning Shield. This year the competition was<br />
given a bit of a makeover with the adoption of a <strong>The</strong>matic<br />
Collage based on QCS-Style Stimulus Sheets and involving<br />
a range of performance styles, for example including:<br />
acting, physical theatre/dance/movement, live music, visual<br />
art and media. In keeping with the TSS “Band of Brothers”<br />
ethos the theme adopted for this year was “Brothers”.<br />
Performance material was able to be selected from a<br />
diverse range of sources such as plays, poetry, prose,<br />
songs, music, dance, newspapers, film, video clips,<br />
media, TV and original material. <strong>The</strong> selection was then<br />
transformed, linked and shaped, then rehearsed and<br />
performed, with a requirement that a minimum of 15<br />
students per House to be actively and appropriately<br />
involved in the performance on stage, although not<br />
necessarily for the whole production. In this respect<br />
alone, the new format was a great success, with over 250<br />
students performing.<br />
And that was the tip of the iceberg<br />
Needless to say this has been just a small cameo of what’s<br />
been keeping TSS buzzing throughout the year and it would<br />
take the whole magazine to tell the full story. But you get<br />
the picture. It’s been “all systems go” in every corner of<br />
the campus for 2011, which means a proud record to look<br />
back on and motivate everyone to aim higher for 2012.<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 41
Farewell Dear Friends<br />
Percival George Ernest Alcorn (McK 53-56)<br />
passed away September 13th, 2011.<br />
John Makepeace Bennett (Del 34-37)<br />
Emeritus Professor John Makepeace Bennett AO, FTSE,<br />
was an early computer scientist. His pioneering career<br />
included work on early computers such as EDSAC, Ferranti<br />
Mark 1* and SILLIAC, and spreading the work about the use<br />
of computers through computing courses and computing<br />
associations.<br />
He was born on 31 July, 1921 in Warwick, Queensland.<br />
After leaving <strong>The</strong> <strong>Southport</strong> <strong>School</strong>, he went to the<br />
University of Queensland to study civil engineering.<br />
From 1942 to 1946 (during WWII) he served in the RAAF.<br />
He worked on a radar unit on the Wessle Islands and later<br />
worked in airfield construction. He then returned to the<br />
University of Queensland to study electrical and mechanical<br />
engineering and mathematics.<br />
In 1947 he went to Cambridge University to become<br />
Maurice Vincent Wilkes’ first research assistant as part of<br />
the team working to build EDSAC. This was the world’s<br />
first practical stored program electronic computer and the<br />
world’s first computer in regular operation from 1949. He<br />
used EDSAC to carry out the first-ever structural engineering<br />
calculations on a computer as part of his PhD.<br />
He worked for Ferranti in Manchester and London as a<br />
computer specialist. Here he designed the instruction set<br />
for Ferranti Mark 1*, which was the main improvement of<br />
that machine over Ferranti Mark 1.<br />
In 1956, John returned to Australian to become Senior<br />
Numerical Analyst to the Basser Laboratory at the University<br />
of Sydney. His main work was the development of software<br />
for SILLIAC.<br />
42<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
Obituaries<br />
Those we love remain with us for love itself lives on<br />
And cherished memories never fade because a loved one’s<br />
gone… <strong>The</strong> OSA extends its sincerest condolences to the<br />
families and friends of the following Old Boys.<br />
Until 1958 he taught associated courses in the use of<br />
computers. In 1958 he established a Postgraduate Diploma<br />
in Numerical Analysis and Computing, which was later<br />
changed to the Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Science.<br />
In 1961 he became the Foundation Professor of Computer<br />
Science and in 1972 he became head of the new Basser<br />
Department of Computer Science.<br />
He was also Foundation Chairman of the Australian<br />
Committee on Computation and Automatic Control from<br />
1959-63, the President of the New South Wales Computer<br />
Society from 1965 to 1966, and the Foundation President<br />
of the Australian Computer Society from 1966 to 1967.<br />
In 1981 he helped found the Research Foundation for<br />
Information Technology at the University. In 1983 he<br />
became an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO).<br />
In 1986 John, aged 65, retired. He lived with his wife<br />
Rosalind Mary (nee Elkington) in Sydney’s Northern<br />
Beaches. He had four children and six grandchildren.<br />
John died at home on 9 December 2010.<br />
(retrieved from http;//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_<br />
Makepeace_Bennett)<br />
Jay Joseph Dowie (Del 51-55)<br />
of Toowoomba, formerly of Blackall and Isisford. Born<br />
October 14, 1937 and passed away on December 8, 2010.<br />
Beloved son of Leslie and Esther Dowie (both deceased).<br />
Proud father and grandfather. Loved brother of Jennifer<br />
King (Toowoomba).<br />
Ian Ross Evans (Unk 49)<br />
formerly of Middle Street, Chinchilla, passed away suddenly<br />
on January 21, 2011, aged 69 years.
Denis Selwyn Ferguson (McK 54-57)<br />
Gary, Denis’s brother, advised the untimely passing of his<br />
brother in May 2011 after he suffered in pain for some<br />
time. Gary says… “Denis was at school during a period of<br />
great change. <strong>The</strong> swimming pool was opened in 1957 (and<br />
hot water was introduced in the same year) and this made<br />
a welcome change for those who represented the school at<br />
swimming. Denis often spoke of the ‘river kings’ held in<br />
front of the boat shed and the oyster-encrusted boards that<br />
everyone had to swim around.<br />
Harold Symons almost coached the U15As to a premiership.<br />
On leaving school, Denis jackarooed at “Norelle” Hodgson, for<br />
the Johnson family (He was great friends with Clyde Johnson<br />
at school). Denis enjoyed the life and even though he wanted<br />
to pursue sport he often regretted leaving.<br />
Denis was Roma Swimming Champion in 1958-59. In<br />
Brisbane Denis joined <strong>The</strong> Australian Estates Coy Ltd and<br />
developed his swimming further through pool swimming at<br />
State Championships, water polo (representing Brisbane) and<br />
surf swimming at Branch level for the Kirra Club. (Junior Belt<br />
Champion). In winter he played A Grade Rugby for GPS and<br />
was unlucky to miss State representation. Disappointed, he<br />
moved to Rugby League where he played for Valleys, Brisbane<br />
and then Queensland. Denis played a season in Toowoomba<br />
where he represented before returning to Brisbane. In<br />
later years he played Rugby for Citys in Rockhampton and<br />
represented Rockhampton against touring overseas teams.<br />
For almost 40 years Denis worked in the liquor Industry and<br />
forged many friendships with some great personalities of the<br />
sporting and turf industries.<br />
Denis had three children. Lachlan and Barton (both 1st XV)<br />
attended BBC and Sarah attended Clayfield College. His<br />
life partner of 23 years, Sue Whiteman, has been comforted<br />
by the many friends Denis made through his very warm<br />
personality and ability to walk across many boundaries to<br />
make friendships.<br />
Denis attended <strong>The</strong> <strong>Southport</strong> <strong>School</strong> with his older brother,<br />
Ross James Ferguson (McK 1954-56), deceased, younger<br />
brother, Gary Douglas Ferguson(McK 1956-61), and was<br />
uncle to Douglas James Macalister Ferguson (McK 1980-84).<br />
A funeral service conducted by Reverend David Johnstone<br />
(former Junior <strong>School</strong> Chaplain at TSS) was held on Friday,<br />
May, 6.”<br />
Andrew James Forsyth (Tur 90-98)<br />
Funeral notice in the Courier Mail, 3 October - “Doo” our<br />
brave boy lost his battle on 29 September 2011, aged 30<br />
years. Adored son of Susan and John, best brother of Milly<br />
and Pete, loved uncle of Ava and Thomas, Elgin and Chilli<br />
(the ferals). We are so proud of you, little mate, you never<br />
complained.<br />
Everyone who knew Andrew was invited to attend his funeral<br />
service, which was held in the Chapel of St Alban’s at <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Southport</strong> <strong>School</strong> on Friday, October 7th.<br />
John Lockhart Gibson (McK 41-47)<br />
passed away on Sunday June 5, 2011.<br />
Christopher Maddock Hughes (Del 45-49)<br />
Chris Hughes, age 77, of the Beaverdam community of<br />
Oglethorpe County, Georgia, USA, passed away at the home<br />
he loved on April 18.<br />
<strong>The</strong> youngest of six children, Chris was born in Mossman,<br />
Queensland, to Alfred Lucas Hughes (<strong>Southport</strong> High <strong>School</strong>,<br />
1906) and Dorothy Kildare Vyvyan Hughes. After leaving<br />
school, Chris began his work career as a trainee ranch<br />
manager, and then managed cattle properties ranging from<br />
13,000 to 80,000 acres running up to 5000 head of cattle.<br />
His marriage to American-born Alice Hill led them to Georgia,<br />
USA in 1969 where he began a career in ready-mix concrete<br />
production and retired as plant manager in 2006.<br />
A long-time curiosity about woodcarving led Chris to become a<br />
well-known carver; his work is in collections all over the world.<br />
His first carvings were birds, followed by horses and other<br />
animals, with hummingbirds topping the list in popularity.<br />
He carved Noah’s Arks, Nativity sets and barnyards as special<br />
orders, but Chris’s favourite pieces were his rodeo figures.<br />
In his younger years, Chris built a camper and designated<br />
autumn as the time to explore the United States. He also<br />
loved being at home, as long as he could wander his land<br />
and spend time reading. Chris had strong opinions. His<br />
photographic memory amazed many, facts and history always<br />
ready. He could fix anything, didn’t worry about the little<br />
things, and ate the gushy chocolates in the sampler box.<br />
Chris is survived by his wife Alice, daughter Vyvyan Hughes,<br />
sisters Rosemary Hughes and Katherine Hughes Davidson,<br />
and brother Philip Hughes (Del 1943-44). He was<br />
predeceased by one sister, Norah Hughes Shannon, and one<br />
brother, Charles Hughes (Del 1936-37).<br />
A graveside service was held Thursday, April 21, at historic<br />
Forrest Cemetery in Gadsden, Alabama, USA, where he was<br />
buried alongside several generations of his wife’s family. A<br />
hauntingly beautiful rendition of “Waltzing Matilda” was sung<br />
as a salute to Chris’s Australian roots. His daughter Vyvyan<br />
offered a closing prayer composed by her father’s first cousin,<br />
the Rev. David Cossar of Kent, England.<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 43
Nigel William Johnston (Del 67-74)<br />
passed away suddenly in May, 2011.<br />
John Gordon Kellas (McK 38-41)<br />
passed away on August 31. A qualified pharmacist and<br />
later a grazier at Middle Creek, Mongogari, south-west of<br />
Casino.<br />
Thomas Murray Knox (Tho 36-40)<br />
Sadly, Murray was unable to make the Older Old Boys<br />
assembly this year. He passed away on June 26. Murray’s<br />
retirement years on the Gold Coast had him volunteering<br />
for Coast Guard, Legacy and in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Southport</strong> <strong>School</strong> Old<br />
Boys Office. He learnt to paint and took up computers. He<br />
continued his contribution to 3 Squadron and went to as<br />
many events as possible.<br />
One of Murray’s great delights was his role as a grandfather<br />
to Heath, Rose, Sam, Campbell and Eli and in the last<br />
couple of years as great-grandfather to Dylan and Marley.<br />
Murray had a wonderful journey with Betty by his side for<br />
66 years, he had rewarding business experiences, wonderful<br />
overseas and family holidays and most importantly the joy<br />
he gave his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.<br />
Murray’s dear wife, Betty, passed away in May 13th. For the<br />
family to lose both Betty and Murray in such a short space of<br />
time is hard to comprehend, but they know they are together<br />
in a happy and safe place.<br />
Peter McKechnie (McK 52-59)<br />
died suddenly at his Toowoomba home on Thursday, May<br />
26, 2011. Peter was the former local member for then-<br />
Carnarvon electorate and Pastor for Stanthorpe, best<br />
remembered as a loving family man and caring politician.<br />
He leaves behind his wife Jeanette and two children, Mark<br />
and Jenny.<br />
Gerald Mills (Del 40-41)<br />
passed away on Thursday, June 23rd and will be sadly<br />
missed as a much loved father and father-in-law by<br />
Rosanne, his daughter and son-in-law, Geraldine and Peter<br />
Stephan, and his grandchildren, Linas and Karolis.<br />
44<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
Obituaries<br />
Robert Edwin Patterson (Del 45-52)<br />
passed away Friday, June 3. Tim, son of Robert, advised<br />
that the funeral was held in Springshore on Friday, June 10.<br />
Myrtle, Robert’s wife, wrote a lovely letter to the OSA …<br />
“Robert was very proud of that ‘Old Boys Tie’. His four sons<br />
were pall-bearers and they all wore a <strong>School</strong> tie. He had<br />
planned to go to this year’s Old Boys Day, but that was not<br />
to be. Robert loved his Old <strong>School</strong>. This is a piece of writing<br />
we found in Robert’s bedside drawer… ‘I am not going to<br />
write my own eulogy although I did think of it, but I will give<br />
my daughter Jenny the pleasure of doing that for me.<br />
I would like to thank all my friends and relations for being<br />
kind and wonderful friends and spending their time to<br />
come to my service. A learned woman once said to me<br />
‘Gee, you are lucky you were born with a silver spoon in<br />
your mouth’. I immediately thought – one makes their own<br />
luck – nothing fell off the back of a truck into my lap, but<br />
as I thought into it more deeply, I realised she was right.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are certain things in life that one has no control over;<br />
it just happens.<br />
I was just lucky that I was born to such loving, caring<br />
parents, I was lucky I was born in Australia, I was lucky I<br />
was born white, I was lucky I was born so healthy and was<br />
lucky I was sent to the best boarding school in Australia.<br />
All these things I had no control over and it wasn’t until I<br />
was 16 years old that I started to make my own way in life.<br />
I was lucky to find the most wonderful girl God ever made<br />
and I was lucky that she agreed to spend the rest of her<br />
life with me. <strong>The</strong>n on looking back on my life, if I had the<br />
chance to write up my own life journey I would not change<br />
anything. It was a perfect journey.<br />
God bless you all, be kind to one another, until we meet<br />
again’.”
Many Old Boys and TSS Staff will remember Mrs Lorrie<br />
Royles who worked in the Studies Department for 22 years.<br />
Sadly, Lorrie passed away late September. Most would<br />
remember her working for Harry Kaiser and others in the<br />
Studies Department. Lorrie was a very warm and caring<br />
lady and will be sadly missed by many.<br />
Bryan Schmidt (McK 38-41)<br />
Late of Clifton and formerly of Talpa, Wyandra, passed<br />
away at Mossman Hospital aged 85 years. Lovingly<br />
remembered and greatly missed by his daughter and<br />
son-in-law, Tarella and Michael, and his sister Barbara<br />
and by all his family and friends. A service was held in<br />
Toowoomba on Friday, September 16th.<br />
Peter John Watson Stephens (McK 55-56)<br />
Late of Cedar Glen, Beaudesert, passed away of a brain<br />
tumour on January 2, 2011. Peter was the beloved<br />
husband of Janet, devoted father, father-in-law and<br />
grandfather of Anna and Tim.<br />
Barry Robert Wilkinson (Mck 48-49)<br />
passed away on December 24, 2010.<br />
Bishop David Shand (Del 35-38)<br />
It is with sadness I advise of the death of Bishop David on<br />
8 July. Bishop David was born in Queensland and trained<br />
at St Francis College. He was ordained Deacon in 1949<br />
and Priest in 1950 in St John’s Cathedral. He served his<br />
curacy in Lutwyche (1948-52), and was later incumbent<br />
of Moorooka (1952-53), Inglewood (1953-55), Nambour<br />
(1955-60) and Ipswich (1960-66).<br />
Bishop David moved to the Diocese of Melbourne in 1966.<br />
In 1973 he was consecrated as the last bishop of the<br />
Diocese of St Arnaud and from 1978 was a regional bishop<br />
in Melbourne until his retirement in 1988.<br />
His Requiem will be held in St Paul’s Cathedral Melbourne<br />
on Friday, July 15 beginning at 10.30am. We give thanks<br />
to God for Bishop David’s faithful ministry and service.<br />
Please pray for his wife Jean, their children, Jenny, Sue,<br />
Michael and Ruth, and their families at this time.<br />
I also advise that the Reverend Canon Richard Tutin has<br />
accep ted appointment as General Secretary of Queensland<br />
Churches Together. Richard has been involved with QCT<br />
as a member of the Executive and brings knowledge and<br />
experience of Queensland and the Australian church to the<br />
position. He will commence in the role on 3 October.<br />
I thank Richard for his work as Archbishop’s Chaplain<br />
over the past three years, for his support, dedication and<br />
commitment.<br />
Yours in Christ<br />
<strong>The</strong> Most Reverend Dr Phillip Aspinall<br />
Archbishop of Brisbane<br />
John Rogerson (Tho 51-54)<br />
passed away on February 13. John had a stroke some<br />
years ago and in recent times was a resident in a nursing<br />
home. He leaves behind his wife Jocelyn.<br />
Henry Arthur Shannon (Del 53-60)<br />
Art (Henry Arthur) Shannon, late of Ballina in Northern<br />
NSW, passed away August 12, aged 66 years, after years<br />
valiantly fighting a heart condition.<br />
Luke Whistler (Del 95-96) stepson of Arthur, wrote to<br />
advise of the passing of Arthur, who is survived by his<br />
partner Kay Whistler, brother Jock Shannon (Del 53-55)<br />
and 10 beloved children.<br />
Originally from Tabulam, rural Northern NSW, Art was one<br />
of the youngest boarders ever to attend the school when he<br />
arrived in the ’50s. He had many memories of adventures<br />
during his schooldays.<br />
Family and friends were invited to attend Art’s service held<br />
in Ballina, August, 26. <strong>The</strong> school was proudly represented<br />
at the service, including Zane Moulton (Bid 06-11),<br />
extended family and current students, who delivered the<br />
framed Dellie clock-tower picture gift from the OSA. This<br />
included a reminder of Arty as Junior Scull Champ 1960.<br />
Those gathered at the service recalled Art’s cheerful<br />
appreciation of life when his preferred funeral song was<br />
played, Monty Python’s “<strong>The</strong> Bright Side of Life”.<br />
Vale Arty!<br />
John Lawrence Woodburn (McK 39-40)<br />
passed away on December 28, 2010.<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 45
Donald Stuart Scott (Tho 43-44), born January 20, 1928. In August 2010,<br />
not long after Donald Scott passed away, the OSA was overwhelmed when<br />
we received word of a very generous bequest of $50,000 from Donald Scott’s<br />
estate.<br />
Don Scott’s Eulogy, August, 24 2010, prepared by<br />
Cameron Brew...<br />
Don Scott, simply put, was a remarkable man. He would be<br />
uncomfortable with that accolade, but all of us here today,<br />
in one way or another, would know this to be true.<br />
In typical understated Don fashion, he has asked a couple<br />
of us “to say a few words”. Well as we all know, Don’s life<br />
and legacy could not be summed up in “a few words!” But<br />
we will do our best!<br />
Don was born on January 20, 1928 at Roma Hospital. He<br />
was the eldest child of Cyril & Doreen Scott. In 1930 his<br />
sister Robin was born, followed in 1934 by his brother<br />
Iain. <strong>The</strong> Scotts lived on their property “Brookfield” near<br />
(Yulba) Yuleba in the Taroom district.<br />
Don and his siblings were the third generation of Scotts<br />
to have lived in Taroom. “Brookfield” was originally the<br />
outstation of the main property “Hornetbank”. When<br />
“Hornetbank” was divided Don’s father took it over and<br />
ran shorthorn cattle & a flock of ration sheep. <strong>The</strong>y had<br />
pure-bred Smithfield dogs to work the cattle and sheep and<br />
near the house there was an orchard that Don’s parents<br />
maintained. <strong>The</strong> property was like the Scott’s-neat and tidy<br />
and up-to-date with the latest developments.<br />
In 1938 when Don was 10 he started his formal education<br />
at Toowoomba Prep. He remained there until 1942. In<br />
1943 he started at <strong>The</strong> <strong>Southport</strong> <strong>School</strong>, finishing his<br />
schooling at the age of 16 in 1944. His interests at school<br />
were Boxing, Rugby, Rowing & Tennis.<br />
46<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW<br />
Bequests<br />
While at TSS Don met John Elliot and the pair became<br />
great friends and it was the start of a lifelong friendship<br />
between the Scott and Elliot families.<br />
On June 4, 1953 Don was elected Councillor for Taroom<br />
Shire. Four years later, in June 1957, at 29 years of age,<br />
he became Chairman of the Taroom Shire Council where<br />
he served until 1964. To this day Don was the youngest<br />
person ever to become Chairman or Mayor of the Taroom<br />
Shire Council.<br />
During his term as Chairman Don set out, against<br />
opposition, to modernise the Council fleet of trucks and<br />
equipment. Once done the Council became very efficient at<br />
road making and maintenance and as a result Taroom had<br />
its first bitumen roads constructed. Don won the respect of<br />
everyone in the shire and soon everyone knew him to talk to.<br />
As Chairman Don also oversaw the survey and construction<br />
of the Taroom aerodrome between Taroom and Wandoan.<br />
This would later become the site of the Tarwan Soaring Club.<br />
Also in 1957 Don learnt to fly through the Darling Downs<br />
Aero Club. A few years later in the early 1960s Don bought<br />
a yellow Auster – “Bravo Yankee Hotel” (affectionately<br />
known as “Bloody Yellow Horror”). This increased his<br />
flexibility and he became proficient at flying the aircraft.<br />
He then built a strip at Brookfield and in retrospect I<br />
suspect Don wishes he built the strip a bit longer as trying<br />
to land on a hot day the Auster would float from one end of<br />
the strip to the other!!
Don spent many of his holidays with his old schoolmate John<br />
Elliot & the Elliot family. He would go over at least once a year<br />
to go fishing at Round Hill near Seventeen Seventy, did this<br />
for decades. John’s brother Rob recalls that in the early days<br />
all the kids looked forward to Don’s visit as he always brought<br />
loads of CHOCOLATES!<br />
Don had a love for Humber cars and would arrive in his<br />
Humber Super Snipe with its timber dash and all. It was most<br />
impressive and of course, very well maintained. Don’s trips<br />
were not all fun as often he had to help with musters or other<br />
station work before fishing.<br />
One story worth telling is when Don flew to Bundaberg and<br />
then on to Round Hill late at night. Next morning Don & the<br />
Elliot boys set off at daylight to go over the bar and catch<br />
a mackerel. <strong>The</strong> mackerel gear was a 300-pound breakingstrain<br />
cord line and a long wire trace that had not been used<br />
for 12 months. It was not long before Don hooked on to a big<br />
one and after playing it a while got it beside the boat. But<br />
as fate would have it, the trace broke. Don politely said a few<br />
words about lack of maintenance and proceeded to double<br />
up the broken trace and put on an old rusty lure. <strong>The</strong> boys<br />
trawled for hours with no result, but on the way back in and<br />
near the bar “Don’s fish” was waiting. This time he caught<br />
and landed the big mackerel. With the mackerel’s nose on the<br />
ground the tail was almost up to Don’s shoulders. As it was<br />
far too big to go in his eskies it had to be cut into chunks so<br />
he could take it back to Brookfield. It took years to get the<br />
smile off Don’s face whenever he told the story.<br />
In 1965 at 37 years of age Don took over the running of<br />
“Brookfield” so that his dad could retire. It was also this year<br />
that Don was awarded his first MBE for his work serving on<br />
the Taroom Shire Council ...<br />
it was also the same year that a small English rock’n’roll<br />
band called <strong>The</strong> Beatle received their MBEs. <strong>The</strong>re was<br />
public outrage and Don was in the thick of it! Being a man of<br />
principle he handed back his MBE in protest!! It was another<br />
22 years before he was awarded his next MBE for Services to<br />
Local Government, Youth & Community!<br />
In the late ’60s Don discovered gliding. He initially learnt<br />
to glide at Kingaroy and in 1970 did his Instructors<br />
Course there. It was during this course that he met another<br />
gentleman who would become another lifelong friend. His<br />
name is Gus Mauch, and he is sitting here today.<br />
Don’s early gliding saw him instruct at Taroom. He was the<br />
chief instigator behind the formation of the Tarwan Soaring<br />
Club, where he also became their first Chief Flying Instructor.<br />
Don’s life in the 1970s remained centred around the Taroom<br />
District. His flying became more gliding orientated and his<br />
reputation among his peers as a gliding instructor grew. At<br />
home his busy schedule at “Brookfield” continued along with<br />
his interest in attending many field, pasture improvement and<br />
cattle-breeding days. By the late 1970s he had moved his<br />
gliding interests back to Kingaroy where he later became their<br />
Chief Flying Instructor.<br />
In 1979 and for Don, after 51 years of living at “Brookfield”,<br />
the Scott family decided it was time to sell and move to<br />
Brisbane. Don settled in St Lucia where he lived and cared for<br />
his ageing mother & father while pursuing what had become<br />
his major interest – teaching kids to fly ...<br />
And I, like many here today, am thankful that he did!!<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 47
Extract Of 2011 Financials<br />
Complete financials can be viewed on the TSS Old Boys website,<br />
by logging onto www.tssoldboys.com.au<br />
48<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 49
50<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW
continued from page 50.<br />
Financials<br />
THE OLD SOUTHPORTONIANS’ REVIEW 51
What if you could make a permanent<br />
difference to our mission?<br />
“My parents made substantial sacrifices to send me to<br />
TSS in the early 1970s. I have always appreciated their<br />
decision and I know that I personally gained so much from<br />
my time at the <strong>School</strong> – both in the classroom and away<br />
from it. I believe that it is particularly important to give<br />
back to the <strong>School</strong> and its future students in a personal<br />
manner; beyond the fees paid by my parents at the<br />
time. I hope that the bequest to TSS in my Will can help<br />
other young men get the experience of a fine, all-round<br />
education to prepare them for a productive, honourable<br />
future and a fine life.”<br />
You can...<br />
Dr Leighton Cochran (Wal 72-75)<br />
For more information about how you can leave a bequest to the <strong>School</strong> or the OSA, please<br />
contact:<br />
TSS Foundation Office<br />
Phone: (07) 5531 9841<br />
Email: bequests@tss.qld.edu.au<br />
OSA Office<br />
Phone: (07) 5531 9803<br />
Email: osa@tss.qld.edu.au