BOOKLET OF BIOGRAPHIES - olderignatians.files.wordpress.com · 13.10.2012 · Riverview Class of...

Riverview Class of 1962 Reunion Class of 1962_Booklet_5 October 2012

BOOKLET OF BIOGRAPHIES

FOR RIVERVIEW CLASSMATES OF ‘1962 ERA’ Riverview classmates leaving school in the 1962 era were asked to write pen-pictures (i.e. short biographies), several paragraphs in length, describing their occupation and interests – perhaps linking their biographies to school experience. These pen-pictures have been printed in this booklet for distribution at the ‘Class of 1962’ Reunion Dinner on 13th October 2012.

The pen-pictures have also been saved on a USB flash drive memory stick, along with many other scanned photographs, recollections, stories and viewpoints, which will be presented to the College Archives at the end of 2012. The collection of files on the USB memory stick will also be available for purchase by way of a donation to the College to raise funds for the Riverview Bursary Program.

Additional pen-pictures can be added to the USB flash drive memory stick after the Reunion Dinner by sending them to the following email address with a closing date of 20 November 2012: [email protected]

Classmates were asked if they have a partner, children or grandchildren that they would like to tell their old school friends about (without bragging). They were asked to limit their stories to a maximum of 500 words (so that the booklet did not become too big).

GEORGE ATKIN

After leaving school, I enrolled in Arts at the University of New England, Armidale. I graduated BA with Honours in History and then worked as a research assistant and tutor at New England University and at James Cook University, Townsville. In 1972, I joined the Department of Foreign Affairs in Canberra and was subsequently posted overseas in Nauru (1973) and Kuala Lumpur (1974-1976).

In 1977, I was posted to Algiers and en route married Noraidah, whom I had met in Malaysia. We had our first child, Jane, in London in 1978 followed by our second, Philip, shortly after returning to Canberra in 1979, Our third child, Edward, was born in 1982. We were posted to Jakarta in 1983 and our fourth child, Richard, was born in Singapore in 1984.

After more than three years in Canberra, we were posted to Port Moresby from 1990 to 1992 then back to Canberra until 1995 when I returned to Port Moresby as Deputy High Commissioner. In 1998, I was posted as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. We were in Canberra again from 2001 until 2004 when I was posted as High Commissioner to Kenya.

I retired from the Australian Public Service in 2008 and since 2010 we have been living at Narooma on the NSW south coast.

DAVID BUCKINGHAM

The six years after school were given over to the Jesuits. The result was a significant political reorientation, a grounding in philosophy and an experience with people which, on top of the Riverview years, has stood me in good stead ever since.

After leaving the Jesuits, I completed a degree in politics and economics at the ANU and then joined the Foreign Service. After postings in Africa, North America and Asia, I became a speech writer and Advisor to Prime Minister Bob Hawke in the years when Labor delivered good government.

That invaluable experience at the heart of government was followed by senior bureaucratic roles in international education, aviation and the environment.

By 1994 I had become a Jack of All Trades and found myself progressively Chief Executive of the Minerals Council of Australia and, subsequently, of The Business Council of Australia. This was followed by three lucrative years in consultancy, after which I did a five and a half year stint as Victoria’s Agent General in London.

Along the way, I have been blessed with three lovely daughters, a son, a grandson and (I am told) a granddaughter due in July. Kiren, my wife of ten years, shares in everything I do. Joanna, my first wife and mother to my children, is always there for them.

Pulling all the strands together, I have spent the last three years heavily engaged with Victoria’s Infrastructure agenda and, with increasing demands on my time, as a Principal Advisor to Monash University.

Over the years I have come to appreciate Australia’s place in the world, help frame important national policies and made a significant contribution to Australia’s education systems. In all this, the underpinnings provided by my grounding in the Jesuits’ “ratio studiorum” was pivotal.


PETER BROWN

I was born on 14 April 1946 (at Parkes NSW). Schooling began at St Michael’s, Lane Cove (the Merciless Nuns) 1951-53, then Marist Brothers, Hunters Hill (enough said!) 1954-57, then Riverview 1958-62 (about which I can say much, but not here!).

Having topped the Leaving Certificate at Riverview (coming 17th in the State), I completed a B.Sc. (Hons) in Applied Mathematics at the University of Sydney in 1966, and graduated just 2 days before my 21st birthday. An M.Sc. program followed in 1967, which morphed into a Doctoral project at the University of New South Wales 1968-70, resulting in a Ph.D. in Applied

Mathematics: “Planetary Waves in Rotating Oceans”, no less!

In 1971-73 I was a Lecturer in Mathematics at the University of Papua and New Guinea. From 1974 I was at the Canberra College of Advanced Education, which in 1990 became the University of Canberra, where I was a Lecturer in Mathematics, later a Senior Lecturer, and eventually spent three years as Head of School of Mathematics and Statistics. I concentrated on quality teaching and good administration (for both of which I had a knack). This included a stint rescuing the University’s timetable, direction of a project to arrange on-line processing of a University-wide tutorial-enrolment system, and 2 years as the University’s Director of Planning and Statistics. Several years as controller of the Faculty’s budget produced an accuracy of under 1% variance.

Along the way I spent 17 years as Treasurer of the Australian Mathematics Competition, from its inception as a nationwide project to its evolution into the Australian Mathematics Trust. I am still involved in an informal way, as final-stage moderator for the Competition and as an editor of one of its annual publications.

I retired early with a golden handshake in 2005, a direct consequence of the disastrous education policies of the Howard Government as applied to universities, causing severe financial problems and closure of what were otherwise deemed essential programs. I was not alone, and neither was my University; the amount of talent and experience thus wasted was immense.

In January 1969 I married Kerry Ann Moore at Lane Cove and we now have four children: Robert, born 1970, Sydney; Catherine, born 1972, Port Moresby; James, born 1974, Canberra; and Elizabeth, born 1976, Canberra.

Kerry is now also retired, and ended employment as Head of Religious Education at Merici College, Canberra.

Our children’s careers are varied: a computer guru working for Microsoft (13 years in Seattle, now back in Canberra); a piano teacher with a flourishing practice; an electrician; and an interior designer with her own thriving company. All are married and each now has children, though the most recently married has only one so far. But that gives us 8 grandchildren, and the eldest is already a teenager.

ROBERT BRUCE SJ

I was assigned to SIC in 1959 after five years in the Jesuits. Three years later, in 1962, our Provincial was going to send me to Theology and ordination, but thinking of future work in schools I asked to do an Arts degree first, because I had only bits of University study behind me, namely: one year of Medicine and one year of Economics. In those days, the normal pattern would have been: two years Noviceship; one year Juniorate; three years of Philosophy; three or four years of University; three years of Regency [teaching in schools]; four years of Theology. So, although studies were broken by working as a scholastic in Regency, the length of training

was about 15 years. At the end of the 1960s after Vatican 2, the training of Jesuits was shortened. Seven years of ecclesiastical studies and three years of Regency were reduced and the pattern made more flexible.

Learning is a life-long process. Scholastics are learning to be Jesuits and in the process are likely to make mistakes from which they will learn. I think I was too slow to praise and encourage, too unappreciative; at times too involved; I was undiplomatic at times. I did not always communicate effectively, and perhaps became taken for granted. So, as a coach of sporting teams, I felt frustrated because players were resistant to guidance from me.

When I arrived at SIC in 1959 I was given Third Division with 136 boarders to look after. I can remember particularly Richard Harpham and Tony Enright as impressive student leaders. In 1960 and 61, I was Second Division Prefect with supervision of 99 older boarders. I can remember the outstanding leadership of Dave Willis as captain of the 15A cricket team. The impressive drive and commitment of Greg O’Brien in the rugby. Dave Willis and James Loneragan were potent swing bowlers. Fred Cahill and John Flanery were punishing opening batsmen who could easily demoralise opening fast bowlers. I can also remember taking the 15A rugby team in 1960 after their previous year’s back-line had all left SIC to return to work at their families’ properties: I had to improvise with players who were new to back-line play.


MIKE CANNON

“GET OUT OF MY CLASS” is a phrase that still rings in my ears 50 years after I left the College. It was the signature response from “Bopper” Gallagher on many occasions in Grammar A2. Maybe not quite as important as “Quantum Potes Tantum Aude” but it is an enduring memory.

I arrived at the College after 5 years in the “Gulag”- OLSH Bowral. The Year was 1957 and I started my scholarly activities in Grammar B under the tutelage of that Academic Legend – “BO” Curran. The relative freedom was very refreshing after OLSH and as a result my academic levels went into a spiral which continued into Grammar A where I ran afoul of

“Bopper”. I also recall with a lot of amusement Fr. “Baldy Mac” McLoughlin destroying French Homework exercise books on very regular basis by hurling them up towards the ceiling if he wasn’t happy with the work.

Following a serious fireside chat with my Mother after a term report arrived and being told how many bales of wool were needed to pay the fees, I vowed to reverse my academic direction. A result of this change of direction was gaining the Intermediate and Leaving Certificates. I really enjoyed the various History and Geography subjects.

I am still amused by the standard of some of the teaching staff and wonder how they managed to get such good results from us – “Rastus” O’Shannesy, “Soviet Spy” Dr.King, “Parrot” Roset – I will always recall Parrot walking around pretending to be reading his Breviary which quite often was upside down while her peered over his glasses waiting to strike! None of us will ever forget (Kneep Kneep) “Pooth” Jones with his unique teaching style and version of world events - legendary stuff - plus his unhealthy obsessions with pencils and tick ointment.

I rowed and played Rugby and really enjoyed the latter although I was very disappointed when I missed the pre leaving season due to a foot injury.

I returned home to the family property at Booligal in South West NSW. After 11 years of boarding school I was very keen to reconnect with family and friends. We ran a sheep and cattle breeding enterprise which was viable during the 60s however with dry seasons and minimal wool returns I moved to Sydney in 1972 working in the construction industry. I then settled into a career in the Industrial Diesel engine industry working for two German Companies for almost 20 years. I moved from Sydney in 2006 and still work in my own rural contracting business principally in the Hay area of NSW.

In 1975 I was married at the Dalton Memorial Chapel by Fr. Charles Fraser and a family friend Fr. Noel Molloy. My wife Veronika and I had 2 sons who went on to attend the College in the 1990s.

I really value the great friendships I made which endure to this day. I also remember our mates who have gone before us particularly Mick Bull who went well before his time. I wish all the class the best of health and may we all stay young forever – Everyday above the ground is a good day!

PETER COATES

After leaving school I thought I wanted to be a lawyer. However my attention span was far too short. So instead I took a path alien to Riverview and joined the resource industry. It was unheard of for a Riverview boy to become a Mining Engineer - almost like joining the “Dark Side.”

As it turned out, I had the privilege of being involved in the industry during some very exciting times. I was able to participate directly in the nickel boom…the growth of our iron ore sector…the development of our coal industry….the Chinese-driven commodities super cycle which has powered the resource industry and the country for the last 10 years and, more recently, the development of an exciting new industry…coal seam gas.

My Riverview experience commenced at the age of 11 in Grammar B. It started off with a fair level of scholarship but quickly moved onto other more interesting things such as rugby and other sports. I did just enough work to matriculate and left school to do law.

Instead of going to University, I commenced a law degree via the Department of Justice and spent 2 years working in the Petty Sessions Court system in Orange and at the North Sydney Court House.

After a couple of enjoyable years playing Rugby with Orange Emus, I realised the legal profession was not for me and in Jan 1965, I returned to my family roots in Broken Hill and commenced as a Trainee Mining Engineer at the Zinc Corporation…which of course later became Rio Tinto. For the next 6 years, I worked as a surveyor and underground miner whilst completing a part-time degree in Mining Engineering at the Broken Hill Division of the University of NSW. During this period I met Katie, my wife. We were married in 1966 and by 1970 had 3 children.


I graduated in 1970 and the day after the graduation ceremony in April 1971, we packed the 3 kids into the back of the station wagon and headed for Western Australia where nickel was booming.

During the 70’s, I spent most of my time in the back blocks of WA following the fortunes of nickel at Coolgardie, iron ore in the Pilbara, and bauxite in the Southern part of Perth. In the early 80’s it was coal in Central Queensland and in the mid 80’s, civilisation called again in the form of a very well located mine in the Hunter Valley of NSW. I became General Manager of Ulan Coal Mines, situated about 30 minutes north of the beautiful little town of Mudgee and was able to renew some old friendships with classmates who lived in the district.

In 1994, I left Ulan and joined Glencore which, at that time was a private Swiss-based trading company headed up by Ivan Glasenberg whom, I noted with some amusement, was recently claimed as Australia’s richest man even though he left Australia some 20 years ago.

My experiences with Glencore and later Xstrata were unbelievable, and included:

developing a business in Colombia where drug runners, the paramilitary and the Guerilla movement all competed to make life very difficult, due to frequent robberies, murders, kidnapping and ransom.

growing a business from nothing to become the world’s largest exporter of thermal coal. being in New York on September 11, 2001. numerous other experiences and adventures in remote parts of the world.

My life since leaving Riverview has been very much “sliding doors”. Career decisions have been based on taking the opportunity rather than calculated planning. No doubt my sense of adventure, desire to do something different, and of course a very supportive wife, all played a great part in developing my career in the resource industry.

BOB CONNOLLY

If asked to sum myself up I'd probably go for "slow learner" because it took me a long time to hit my stride. As my daughter Katherine (24, BA Hons, LLB Hons) never tires of reminding everyone, my tertiary educational performance was even less spectacular than my nondescript secondary one at Riverview. After dropping out of Sydney University I joined the ABC as a trainee reporter. I think I got in because I went to a GPS school. They were silly enough to take that sort of thing seriously in those days. After a few years of fairly intensive instruction I somehow landed a stint as New York correspondent in the late 1960s, concentrating on the Vietnam war (scarifying) and the urban riots (terrifying).

I came back from New York having got married at a ludicrously young age to an American, was called up for Vietnam and somehow failed the medical. Must have been all that strenuous rowing (Senior Eight, second last) or maybe the high level rugby (4ths I think). Then followed 3 years as a reporter on "This Day Tonight" but not much glory there either. My terror of live studio interviews drove the Executive Producer to exclaim: "Connolly has the on camera personality of a stunned mullet." To keep my job I concentrated on directing behind the camera. This led to five or six years of ABC documentary making - about 45 films all told, of which I now own up to about five. Oh and the marriage failed.

By 1978 me and the ABC were tired of each other but I was too chicken to jump so my new partner Robin Anderson pushed me. "Either you leave or I do" she said. Dearly wanting her to stay I left, joining the precarious world of independent film making. 14 years at the ABC turned out to be a decent apprenticeship. Co-directors Connolly (camera) and Anderson (sound) combined well and the next 23 years were hard to top. Stimulating, exciting work in Australia and PNG (occasionally too exciting), five feature length films, two books, two daughters and a dog named Molly. I even managed along the line to get that long delayed degree.

Modest professional success, happy family life. Too good to last. In 2001 my partner and film making colleague died of cancer after a brief illness, leaving me to raise Katherine 14 and Joanna 10 on my own. Film making and just about everything else went by the board for 7 years. But there was no point moping: in 2008, gearing up again with new partner Sophie Raymond, I began shooting "Mrs Carey's Concert." The film's success last year relit the old fire, and now I'm back in the traces, even if the camera seems heavier these days, the hand held shots not as fluid as they used to be. But it's been huge fun getting paid to do the work I do.

I've still got my marbles (I think), my two very well-educated daughters are happily making their way in the world, and old Molly is still going strong, albeit deaf as a post.

Minuses? I wish my mind had been primed back then to fully appreciate men like Charlie Fraser and the things he taught. The journey might not have taken so long. Pretty dodgy beginning, but sort of got there in the end.


ROBERT CRAVEN

Much to my own and everyone else's astonishment, my L.C. results enabled me to scrape into the Commerce Facility at the University of New South Wales. I completed my B.Com part time while working as an executive trainee with David Jones. After graduation I joined Grace Brothers as a merchandise manager and soon after married my beautiful wife, Helen. We were married in the Dalton Chapel at Riverview by my father’s lifelong friend, Fr Johnny Meagher SJ. Our first three children, Adam, Sascha and Xavier arrived in rapid succession resulting in us suffering, what we considered to be at that time, a mid-life crisis. We sold our house, purchased a mixed business in Central Queensland, packed up the kids and 'headed bush'.

For the next 18 months we 'wept tears of blood' as we juggled three young children with a seven-day-a-week grinding work schedule! Fortunately, we managed to sell the business without losing too much money and I subsequently accepted the position of secretary/manager of the Capricorn Tourism and Development Organisation. During this period, as an income supplement (mostly!) we bought and sold a number of ‘bits & pieces’ of real estate including a small block of holiday units in Yeppoon (the first strata application in the Livingstone Shire), a ‘billy boulder’ tourist accommodation complex in the Central Queensland Gemfields and a paw paw orchard situated between Rockhampton and Gladstone.

After an adventurous five years we decided it was time to return to Sydney. Our fourth child, Owen, was born just before our eldest started at Riverview and the other two boys followed as they ‘came of age’. They all enjoyed their time at Riverview and have retained a network of ‘Iggies old-boy friendships ever since. They still reminisce about their achievements at 'View including a win for Adam in the 2nd IV at the Head of the River in 1990, Xavier as a House Captain & Captain of Boats in 1994 and Owen as Captain of Music in 2002. These were three very different young men who had their individual talents and interests recognised and nurtured in a caring and supportive environment. We are very fortunate that this same level of care and support is now being extended to our one and only grandson, Dominic, who started in the Year 7 boarding house at Riverview earlier this year.

Upon our return to Sydney I have started my own financial planning practice. My son, Xavier joined the firm and we subsequently amalgamated the practice into a larger firm. Xavier is now a partner in this business while I am still retained as a part-time consultant.

Fifty years since we left Riverview - unbelievable! It will be a lot of fun to catch up with classmates at the Reunion.

DEREK CURTIN

When I was a teenager, I wanted to be a millionaire by age 30. When I grew older, I realised that wasn’t possible, but by then I valued freedom even more, freedom not to have to be somewhere, at a certain time every day.

Seeds take time to germinate. This applies also to a Jesuit education. I remember some teachers very well – Fr Roset in French, then Mr Healey reading The Old Man and the Sea in class and Mr Mott in Physics – all of whom I now realise gave me a love of learning.

Anyhow, after leaving school I did what I think of as my trade courses, a B.Ec (I was the only one from Riverview to do a B.Ec that year) and afterwards an MBA (part-time).

I met a wonderful woman earlier than I had planned but I couldn’t let her go. We’ve been married for 43 years and have two children, neither of whom have had good health in recent years. Strange, how both parents are OK, but that’s life. However, we have two treasured grandchildren.

The desire for learning came slowly, perhaps weighted down by rearing young children, but in my 30’s I did a Diploma in Clinical Hypnotherapy at night. My wife wouldn’t look me in the eyes for weeks afterwards.

Aged 39, I decided I wanted to work for myself. So notwithstanding children at private school, a mortgage and wife to support, I stopped working for other people and bought a little company doing commercial cleaning. It was certainly an emotional time, but when one wants something badly enough, it happens. Later, I redirected our activities into large scale grass mowing.

In my 40’s I went back to uni part-time and did a BA, majoring in Fine Arts and History. Those were heady days, reading about French philosophers, such as Foucault, Barthes and Derrida and analysing images such as Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. My son and I graduated from Arts on the same day.

In my early 50’s I did a part-time course in funds management, looking at thinkers such as Graham, Fisher, Bogle and Malkiel. In my early 60’s I did an MA in Creative Writing part-time because earlier I had written a novel that I couldn’t get published and now wanted to write a book and have it published.


I love playing golf. What it is, I’m not sure, perhaps the challenge to beat oneself but maybe the joy of sending the ball on a destination you have chosen. My wife says golf teaches one humility.

In the last two years I’ve taken up sailing and qualified to skipper at night and in tidal waters. It’s an experience sailing alone at over 30 kn and later berthing in a marina. I love aged red wine. Eighteen months ago a Minister’s wife recommended scotch. I told her I didn’t like it, but tried it in spite of that and found Lagavulin irresistible. My father said one should never drink scotch under 50. I was well past that mark.

A final thought (with apologies to Descartes): I learn, therefore I am.

JOHN A DALTON

After leaving Riverview in 1962 I spent six years studying Medicine at Sydney University graduating in 1969. Then followed two years of residency at St Vincent's Hospital.

In late 1970 I decided to specialise in Ophthalmology and I became the Eye Registrar at St Vincent's in 1971. I then moved to the Sydney Eye Hospital in 1972 and 1973, and in late 1973 I passed the Diploma in Ophthalmology at Sydney University and I also passed the exams to become a member of the College of Ophthalmologists.

In 1974 I started practice in Hornsby initially sharing rooms with Dr Peter Anderson and in 1983 I bought my own rooms where I am still practicing. I stopped operating a few years ago and I am now only working a few days a week in a four-man practice known as Hornsby Eye Specialists. I am still enjoying the work and particularly the interaction with the younger ophthalmologists.

Cricket and golf have been my great interests. I played City and Suburban cricket for a team called the Nondescripts until my mid-thirties and formed lifetime friendships. I am a member of Royal Sydney and Pennant Hills golf clubs, where I played off single figures but sadly with the ravages of time the handicap is blowing out.

In 1971 I married the love of my life, Judy, a nurse whom I had met at St Vincent's. We were married by Fr 'Chisel" Fraser at Riverview and I was privileged to have Ian Bridge as my " best man". Ian was my first cousin and we always shared a common bond. Ian's mother tragically died giving birth to him. My father came home from the War for his sister's funeral and nine months later I was born. We were the best of friends in primary and secondary school and I am sure we all remember his brilliant performance as "Julius Caesar" in 1962. We remained great mates after school. Later on he lived in th USA where he worked for the World Bank but returned to Sydney a few weeks before his fiftieth birthday in the terminal stage of stomach cancer. I had arranged to meet him at Rose Bay but sadly he dropped dead before I could make it."

Judy and I were blessed with two daughters, Caroline and Felicity and a son, Mark who left Riverview in 1996. We currently have eight grandchildren with one, Patrick Purtell booked into Riverview. And so the cycle continues!

JOHN “JB” DALTON

Having grown up on the family farm and really enjoyed Geography at Riverview, I studied Rural Science at the University of New England, Armidale (1963-67). After graduation I joined a pioneer farm consulting group, JP Makeham & Associates, including an initial six months in the start-up practice of Robin Gray in Tasmania. I remember Robin being dismissive of my “Save Lake Pedder” bumper sticker!

During 1969-75, I opened a farm consulting practice in Emerald, Central Queensland, then moved it to Rockhampton and eventually Yeppoon. There I cut my teeth in environmental

activism as chair of the Capricorn Coast Protection Council and the community’s battle with Iwasaki Sanyo and Joe Bjelke Petersen. In 1972 I was invited to join ACIL (now Cardno) to investigate the feasibility of an irrigation project in Central Java where I developed a passionate interest in smallholder agriculture and rural development. This led me to work overseas in the following locations:

1976-78: Nigeria on a disastrous Word Bank livestock development project.

1978-82: Western Mindanao (Philippines) on an AusAID integrated rural development project including the two years heading-up ACIL’s team of 10 agricultural advisors.

1982-98: Cebu and Cagayan de Oro cities (Philippines) operating my own consulting practice in rural development & natural resource management, including multiple short and long-term consultancies with AusAID, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and the UN in Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Laos.

1998-2001: Myanmar (Burma) in the Golden Triangle initiating a UN Office for Drug Control & Crime Prevention project with hill tribes in Wa State on the China border


In 2001 my wife and I returned to Australia and hometown Orange to educate and acculturate our two children

From 2004 to 2008 I operated as NSW State Landcare Coordinator, a team of one under the National Landcare Program of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). I promoted the principle of stewardship and farmers as natural resource managers, regularly reminding staff of the newly-created Catchment Management Authorities that they did not manage “one tree, one litre or one square meter”, so their effectiveness would depend on how well they engaged and involved the farming community. I subsequently contributed to the Landcare movement’s organisation at state and national levels.

In June 2011 I was appointed Australian Team Leader of the Seeds of Life program in East Timor, a long term agricultural research and institutional development program of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and AusAID to improve food security across Timor-Leste’s 100,000 subsistence farm families.

My professional interests are centred on the natural environment and ecology, local through to international development, including institutional and personal development. I am concerned about the decline of representative democracy and egalitarianism due to the centralisation of bureaucracy, its disconnectedness from reality and the dominant influence of interest groups on policy development and program implementation

I advocate devolution and decentralisation, subsidiarity, participation and community empowerment to foster increased local capacity for adaptive management and the emergence of a just, resilient and robust society.

RICHARD d’APICE AM, KCSG

I have spent the entirety of the 50 years since leaving Riverview studying and practicing law as a solicitor, including an ongoing connection with the College in that capacity. I joined the legal practice of my ancestors and have had the pleasure and satisfaction of acting for the Church and serving on boards and committees across the range of its many manifestations.

The practice of law has been leavened by a lifelong interest in history which has manifested itself in membership of too many societies to be able to read their journals and involvement at Board level in, inter alia, the National Trust of Australia, the Royal Australian Historical Society,

the Society of Australian Genealogists and the Australian Heraldry Society and also in the administration of cemeteries, again in succession to my forebears. That latter interest began with the Catholic Cemetery at the Rookwood Necropolis and provided me with the opportunity to formulate and guide the creation of the Catholic Cemeteries Board which now manages seven cemeteries (including one Presbyterian) and built the first Catholic crematorium in the southern hemisphere (which provided unforgettable lessons in civil and ecclesiastical politics.)

A lifelong interest in heraldry culminated in the presidency of the Australian Heraldry Society and a flourishing pro bono practice in the creation of coats of arms for bishops, dioceses and other Church bodies. It has also lead me further into the pleasurable and time consuming by-ways of historical and heraldic research and writing. Current projects include the heraldry of Government House, Sydney, Admiralty House Kirribilli, and St. John’s College within the University of Sydney.

PAT DWYER

During the 60’s and 70’s I eventually finished a part-time Commerce (Marketing) Degree at UNSW, travelled overseas, had various jobs and got married to Diana in New Zealand.

From the late 70’s, early 80’s life got serious with children (4), moving to Lane Cove (still there) and commencing a career in the then embryonic Financial Planning industry from which I retired in 2008. (Robert Morrison/ Deutsche Bank /Godfrey Pembroke) . Experiencing the growth of an industry from “Entrepeneurs to Institutions” was just as the economic text books described. Life was relatively simple with the boys at Riverview, the girls at Monte (North

Sydney) and me working at Chatswood.

My “time” at Riverview, as a student and parent, totalled 17 years. In the main it was quite uneventful except for two high points (I don’t have many to brag about!!). Firstly, I was cox of the winning Junior Eight at the Riverview Gold Cup in 1960. Secondly, and more importantly, our son James was awarded The Insignis 2004 (the Riverview Gold Medal)

As a student my recollections of Riverview (border ‘58-‘60, day pupil ’61-’62) have definitely faded. Not mixing with ex classmates has no doubt contributed to this, but it confirms my wife’s view that I have a bad memory!

I have always liked to be physically active. I enjoy golf, cycling, walking and pilates. One of my favourite past activities was dirt bike riding which for some 25 years involved an annual 2/3 weeks “Boys Own” ride in the Australian Outback (plus several other countries). Not many tracks/destinations were left untouched!


Retirement is busy even though we don’t have any grandchildren. We spend time between Lane Cove and our holiday house on the Central Coast. We also love doing the travelling bit in both Australia and overseas. I can highly recommend Retirement.

BRENDAN FAGAN

After leaving ‘view in 1963 (yes I am one of many who repeated the LC… Didn’t improve much) I did a B. Comm. At the University of NSW . I worked in Accountancy for a few years before heading overseas. I worked for a year in Canada in the IT industry when a computer took up the space of about 2 houses!!! We were working with IBM computers and punch cards. Real pioneering stuff!!!

It was in Canada that I met my wife Diane. We were married in 1974 and had 3 girls through Loreto and a son through Riverview. In Canada education is almost exclusively the public

system. When I first showed my wife over Riverview she could hardly believe how spoiled we have all been.

After returning to Sydney I eventually had my own IT company specialising in business and commercial software. The early days were a really hard slog just getting ends to meet. Eventually things went pretty well with my IT business and I was lucky to be able to sell out in 2006.

As a retirement project we purchased a run-down farm and have been exhausted ever since!!. You would think that some of our Bush classmates (O’Brien, Flanery, Cannon, Corcoran etc) would have warned me not to be so silly!!!! We are trying to do our bit for the environment. We have planted 13,000 trees, fenced out the creek to prevent erosion, sown long lasting pastures and are moving towards reducing need for chemicals and fertilisers.

I have tried to make every reunion since they began. It is great treat to be able to catch up with the old classmates. Let it go on a lot longer……

JOHN FLANERY

When I finished at Riverview I went home to the farm at Galong NSW and have been there ever since. Galong is a small township in Harden Shire with a population of about 130.

I worked in partnership with my elder brother for 35 years - up until 1997. During that period, along with a small group of local famers, we diversified into business establishing radiata pine forest in the Oberon and Tumut area and generating electricity from both hydro power at Wyangala Dam and methane gas from coal mines with varying degrees of success.

Married Kerry in 1967 and we have three surviving sons: Sean, James and Danny who all went to Riverview and the last finishing in 1992. Only Danny is married and there are now three grandchildren.

I am still residing on the farm in a semi-retired state with Danny running the show. Kerry and I spend some time at Mollymook.

In my more active years I enjoyed playing union for the Young Yabbies, league for Harden and cricket for the local sides and a social team called Droughtmasters. I can just remember playing a comp game of league aged 49 with my son Danny aged 19 at the time. Played rugby at the Sydney and Dublin golden oldies and still have a crack at golf and tennis.

Have had long involvements in the establishment and running of the local retirement home, the bush fire brigade and Harden Rugby club.

FRANK FLETCHER

It was an overcast day in 1958 when my father drove through the gates of Riverview with me on board. I had by then spent ten carefree years in Hong Kong - cycling everywhere, playing soccer in the streets, flying kites from rooftops, swimming in sheltered waters and generally enjoying all the good things of an idyllic childhood. True it was that electricity and water were rationed, but I was now in Australia where taps spouted milk, or so I had been told.

I cannot recall my first weeks or, indeed, my first months with any certainty. Has my unconscious mind erased them to avoid reliving the shock of the new? No, I think not. Because after things were sorted out by a couple of, ahem, mano-a-mano encounters, my memories of

boarding at Riverview are all wonderful.

Let me recount just a few instances, mundane to be sure, but the stuff of life back then: beds short-sheeted; toothpaste squirted liberally into pockets and slippers; cold showers; daily Mass; a slab of butter divided into ten,


even-ish, portions watched over by nine pairs of distrustful eyes; Father Roset roaming the French class with his strap at the ready; Father Fraser suggesting that excessive time spent with “Mabel” was to blame for Latin homework badly done; Mr Gallagher challenging his English class to identify the Shakespearean character who says “Hail Caesar” and then reciting a passage in Latin or Greek as the whim took him; Dr King trying to inculcate some culture into boys for whom culture was a mystery; the music teacher, Miss Henderson, rapping a hapless student over the knuckles at every wrong note; and, by no means least, John Garnsey playing the organ with a gusto that belied his scholarly manner.

On leaving Riverview in 1962 I enjoyed an active student life at St Paul’s College, the Students Representative Council and The Union at the University of Sydney. I happily picked up a few perks on the way such as representing Australia at the United Nations Student Conference in Geneva in 1968. That was also the year I graduated with my first Law degree. Thereafter I practiced as a solicitor before being called to the Sydney Bar. And through all these decades I have been sustained by so many friendships that began at Riverview.

These days, in so-called retirement, I have rediscovered the unique joy of doing nothing. Of course, it was at Riverview that I first learnt this art, particularly on the rugby field. Here’s how. If a ball comes your way, a quick kick will ensure an unscathed return to the reverie of your choice. So, all in all, thanks to Riverview, a very fortunate life.

DES GIUGNI

I left in 1962. Until then I was in the 61 class. At Sydney Uni, I did 2 law degrees and then joined a small Sydney commercial law firm. I realised I was becoming as mad as the rest of them and took off to UNSW where about the only useful thing I accomplished was the introduction of a course on corporate ethics. I wrote a few books, the best being a huge thing called Business, Society and the Law. It ran to 5 editions.

I developed lupus in my early 50's and had to retire. I kid myself that I am writing another book about The Rule of Law but all I do is write lists of chapters. Lupus can go to the brain and I'm sure mine has.

The best thing to happen to me was that, in 1972, I married Sue Holt, whose amazing love and forgiveness has kept us happily together. It was a Charlie Fraser wedding - a man of whom I developed an extraordinary fondness, indeed love, until his death. I used to visit him about fortnightly and we had extraordinary talks. I had the great privilege of giving the eulogy at his Requiem. Sue is the Pastoral Care Co-ordinator at St Vincent's and works on tirelessly.

We have 4 children: Tonio (OR 92) studied Arts, Law and Economics and then went off to become a secondary school teacher in the Kimberley working with aboriginal children. He now practises law in Sydney. Claudia (Loreto 94) studied nursing. She is now teaching a nursing course in palliative care at UTS. Pete (98), who enrolled in arts/law to please me, obtained a deferral and flew to Cairo. He then went to Calcutta to work with street people. He is now with the Red Cross working with 30 Afghans close to the Pakistani border. James (02), also enrolled in Arts/Law and since then has been travelling the world scuba diving. He loves sharks. He has now commenced Marine Biology at James Cook.

I used go to lots of concerts. I tried matinees but thought the audience was old. My substitute, however, is good- SACDs at 100 watts. Living in a terrace means the neighbours never have to buy music. Yet they smile at, and talk to, me.

After retiring I spent some years with Brian Stoney and the homeless and addicts at Redfern. But I am now really confined to home. I had some of my Redfern mates visit me here but the director recommended an immediate stop. Pity, because I'm now so full of opiates I think I could really connect with them.

ALAN HAMILTON

After View, I spent a year working at the AMP and studying part-time to be an actuary. I then Joined the Jesuits at Watsonia where I met up with Gerry Windsor, David Buckingham, Tony Enright and Michael Sullivan. I spent 2 years in the Novitiate and 2 years studying Philosophy, with a year off in between with TB. My group of Scholastics was sent to the ANU in Canberra. I did an Economics degree, with Maths and Statistics. After 3 years I graduated and was sent to St Aloysius, Milsons Point, where I taught Maths. After 2 terms, I left the Jesuits and went back to the AMP (Aug 1972).

I took up actuarial studies for another 5 years while working full time but I had mixed success in the exams. So, in


1977, I took up Maths teaching at St Leos Wahroonga. After 11 years, I decided to move back to the financial world and became an administration manager in the superannuation, life insurance and unit trusts departments at GIO in Sydney. With 10 year’s experience in financial services, I accepted a redundancy from GIO in Jan 1999 and started up a financial planning office in Hornsby, as a franchisee with Retireinvest. I sold this business after 8 years, in Dec 2006, and retired at the age of 61. Last year, I had a heart event and had 5 stents inserted. I am now well recovered.

I was married to Dianne with whom I have 2 daughters and one son. I am now happily married to Ronnie and we have a son and a daughter. All my children are out of home now and as financially independent as most parents could expect.

My second daughter Clare has 3 children; the others have none, so far. I enjoy being a grandfather and helping Clare, whose youngest child was born in May 2011 with a cancer called Neuroblastoma. Chemotherapy has cleared the tumour but Evander is paralysed from the chest down. He should be crawling but he cannot move forward. Other than this life has been good.

After living more than 30 years in Hornsby and four years in Greenwich, we bought a town house a couple of years ago at Huntleys Cove near Hunters Hill. My interests include family, economics, finance, politics, travel, reading, films and comic books.

RICHARD HARPHAM

After leaving Riverview I returned to my home state and enrolled in a B.Comm. degree at the University of Queensland. As a result I spent a further 3 years under the influence of the Jesuits as they ran St.Leo’s College where I resided.

In my last year at Uni (1965) my marble came out in the Vietnam conscription lottery and as a result Jan 1966 found me at Scheyville (near Windsor) at the officer training unit from which I graduated in July of that year. Fortunately the rest of my army career was in Canberra, less exciting than Saigon but, on balance, preferable.

In 1968 I went back to Brisbane and tried chartered accounting for a few months before making the smartest decision of my life by pursuing my future wife (Rosalie) to London. We married in 1970 and settled in Sydney where I commenced a career in the financial services industry, and we started a family (Zoe, Andrew and Lucy).

In the late 1970s while working for Citibank we moved away from Sydney for a decade as I had assignments in Melbourne , New York and Jakarta. When we returned we settled in Pymble and my daughters were enrolled at PLC and Andrew at Riverview.

I left Citibank in 1994 and joined Westpac for 5 years. After that I had an advisory role with St. George bank for another 5 years. The kids moved on to Uni in the 1990s and have all found fulfilling careers. So far two marriages, one grandchild. We are fortunate that everyone lives in Sydney and we get the opportunity to get together frequently -- building on the warm family environment Rosalie spent a life time fostering.

For approximately 20 years I was extensively involved with the health care, education and financial activities of the Sisters of Charity. In December of last year I retired as the inaugural chair of Mary Aikenhead Ministries which the Sisters had established in 2008 to take responsibility for the ultimate governance of their hospitals, research institutes and schools.

I have had only intermittent contact with Riverview and my classmates in the last 50 years (although my brother Neville who was chair of the College council for a number of years has kept me somewhat informed). Nevertheless I have always considered my Riverview education as a great, if somewhat austere , formative experience and a considerable privilege. It will be fun to catch up at our October reunion.

WARWICK HAYNES

Like a small band of other Riverview boys I started Kindergarten at the Riverview preparatory school Campion Hall on the top of the hill at Point Piper. This was in 1950. I lived at the bottom of the hill so each day I walked up to school. The return trip in the afternoon was all downhill in mind and body.

The Jesuits decided to sell the school while we were in 4th class and so the school closed in 1954. We were allowed to continue our Jesuit education at Riverview with the creation of a 5th class to bridge the gap up to the normal intake.

As travel by public transport involved 2 buses and a train journey it was decided to implement


a ferry service from Rose Bay public wharf (now gone) to the Riverview wharf in the morning, returning to Rose Bay in the afternoon.

This service lasted for 1955 after which most of us became boarders. I loved travelling on the harbour under the bridge and up the Lane Cove River. The service was provided by Stanard Brothers who had a varied fleet of boats used in servicing the many ships in the harbour.

Mr O’Sullivan SJ was our 3rd division prefect when we started boarding. I loved the sport but in my second year of boarding I contracted rheumatoid arthritis in my knees. This effectively ended my sporting career. I repeated the Leaving in 1962 as my pass was not good enough to study Medicine.

I studied Medicine for 1 year and then Science for 1 year but my heart was not in it. The next year my father fell ill with cancer and died. Our family’s leading light went out. I still think of my Dad very fondly. He was the first of our family to attend Riverview. Dad had been a heart specialist in Macquarie Street and like many professional men he had bought a country property. My mother and 2 elder sisters weren’t interested in the property but I was.

I moved to Mudgee and took over the running of the farm. Apart from visits on weekends and holidays and stays with boarder friends on their properties, I knew nothing much except that I liked the idea of working for myself and I believed that the production of food was a good calling.

Geraldine and I were married in the Dalton Chapel by Fr Patrick O’Sullivan SJ in 1973. We were blessed with Sally, Alexander, Michael and Anna. The children were boarders, the girls at Geraldine’s school Loreto Normanhurst and the boys at Riverview.

We sold our Mudgee farm in 1989 and purchased our current farm at Deniliquin in 1992. My eldest son was married in the Dalton Chapel by Fr Patrick O’Sullivan SJ, thus continuing the connection.

I thank the Jesuits for instilling my Catholic faith and in particular my love of Jesus and Mary. I look forward to great get-togethers both for this reunion together with the final reunion.

JOHN HAYES

Riverview is in my blood. Grandfather Ernie Hayes and grand-uncle Will Hayes were some of the earliest students. My dad John E Hayes and his two brothers there from 1916 to 1925; and Mum’s brother was there in the 1920s. My older brother Charlie went there in 1954, so he and I were 3rd Generation

I started in Grammar B in 1958 with Bo Curran as the main educational influence! Things got better. I enjoyed it all, and made many friends. In my final year Dad was President of the Old Ignatians’ Union, and I later followed in his footsteps.

In 1964 I went to Springwood with 180 other Pre-Philosophy (no skills in Latin – that was me ) and Philosophy Seminarians (text books and lectures in Latin). I enjoyed every minute of it – and lasted 6 months.

I commenced SAB Law & Articles in Sydney and continued this in Orange for for 2 years. After a while I stopped studying and was a Law Clerk in a busy firm.

In 1974 I married Rosie O’Brien from Gulargambone – sister of Jack.

I moved from Law to the recording industry in 1976, and joined CBS Records for 2 years. I then became Executive Director of ARIA for 5 years. I was also Executive Director of The Taxation Institute of Australia (TIA), for a while. For the next 18 years till retirement – selling insurance, superannuation and Financial Planning. This was a very rewarding career. I was my on boss, built my own business from scratch, and was only paid by commission. No sale – no pay! I ended up with hundreds of clients.

Rosie and I had a few years without kids, then had 5 in quick succession – finishing with twins. We had a great time with them during the schooling years (son Jack was 4th Generation). We are now enjoying them with their spouses and partners, and 2 grandkids have arrived so far.

I spent about 15 years as a member of the OIU General Committee, and was heavily involved in organising the large Careers Expo for Riverview boys in yrs 10, 11 & 12. When I finished my busy time I was made a Life Vice President of the OIU.

In 2003 we retired and sold our Willoughby House, and moved to Newcastle where the less-expensive property market was of great benefit. We became involved in Volunteer & Community work, and made many new friends.

We have particular interests in Environment & Climate Change Issues; and I have strong views about Correct Planning and Consultation for new projects – both Govt & Private enterprise. Protests and demos are new to us,


and we are very engaged with community and environment groups. This means that project analysis, submission writing, Media Releases, interviews, and meetings with Government Agencies, bureaucrats, politicians, and industry leaders are daily activities

These have naturally led me into two active Catholic Social Justice Groups. Who says retirement years are dull??

PAUL JOHNSON

In 1963 I was accepted into Medicine at Sydney University but after 2nd Year found it was not for me, so I joined the ground staff of Qantas. Shift-work enabled me to pursue my childhood ambition to become a pilot, paying for my flying training at Bankstown Airport, travelling there by motorbike several times a week.

After gaining my Commercial Pilots Licence in 1969 I went to New Guinea to work as the lay-volunteer pilot for the Catholic Mission at Vanimo in the West Sepik. The job entailed flying supplies and personnel into the coastal, jungle and mountain airstrips of the diocese.

It was in the West Sepik that I met Anne Cavanagh, who was to become my wife. Anne was a lay volunteer from Kempsey, NSW, and when I met her, she was teaching at a mission school near the West Irian border. Later Anne would help me execute air drops of supplies to mission stations that didn’t have an airstrip. Anne’s fearlessness with this challenging task made an impression on me and I realised we would make a good team.

I returned to Australia in 1971 to obtain a higher aircrew licence, and a year later Anne and I were married at Kempsey. We returned to New Guinea in 1972 - this time to Lae - where I flew for a regional airline. Our first child, Belinda, was born in Lae, and second daughter, Deirdre, was born in Port Moresby, where we had moved after I joined the newly-formed Air Niugini – PNG had become independent that year.

I stayed with Air Niugini until 1980, finishing as training captain on Fokker F27 aircraft. Anne & I decided to return to Australia with our children as conditions in PNG were becoming inhospitable for families, so I got a flying job with East-West Airlines. By 1984 we had been blessed with five wonderful children – three girls and two boys.

Over the following nine years East-West Airlines was taken over multiple times, with Ansett as the final owner. This sucked us politically-naïve pilots into the maelstrom of the 1989 Airline Pilots Dispute which resulted in 80% of Australian domestic pilots leaving the industry or the country to get work – and I was one of them.

Leaving my family behind in Sydney, I became a “guest worker” contract pilot in the freight airline industry, based first in Copenhagen then later in Dublin. This entailed flying clapped-out, maintenance-suspect freighter aircraft on “back-of-the-clock” flights between Ireland, Brussels, Oslo, Copenhagen, Cologne and Istanbul. By 1992 this had become untenable – me in Europe & a young family in Australia, so I returned home to start a new career.

After a couple of years in the legal industry managing the office for a group of barristers, I started a part-time university course. This led to a job offer as administration manager for the university’s aviation studies unit, and then by 1997 to a managerial job in Hazelton Airlines at Sydney Airport.

In late 1999 Richard Branson announced that he was starting a new airline in Australia – what was to become Virgin Australia. I commenced with Virgin as employee number ten as part of the start-up management team in early 2000 - and never looked back.

Anne & I moved to Brisbane late in 2000 after Virgin started flying and for the next eight years managed many of the “back-office” technical and safety functions that support airline flying operations and their crews.

In 2001, Anne was diagnosed with cancer of the bone marrow and I finally lost her to this seven years later in early 2008. I retired from Virgin shortly after and did ad-hoc airline safety consultancy work for a few years.

These days, when not spending time with my children & grandchildren, my days are occupied doing volunteer work and carrying out research for short histories that I am writing about little-known aspects of Australia’s role in the Pacific War – using my knowledge of New Guinea.

NORMAN JOHNSON

It seems so long ago catching buses from Mosman to Lane Cove and then onto Riverview. After 8 years of education with the Jesuits, I left in 1963 and begin working one week later. I commenced accounting studies in 1964 (part time) and graduated in 1969. After working in the Road Surfacing Industry as well as the Auto and Building Industries, I worked at the Crest Hotel in Brisbane before embarking on the usual trip to London in 1971.

Having started to play Rugby again with the OIU before I left, I continued to play with the Green


and Gold (Beaconsfield Rugby) just outside of London. The trail blazer of course was Graham Rich. I keep in touch with many of the players of that era including Mike Harper who lives nearby in Melbourne. Whilst on a camping trip I caught up with Fr Tom O’Hara in Rome. We had a great dinner and spoke about not only Riverview but also St Aloysius. I can still picture that long strap suddenly appearing from his wrist. Freelance accounting work in England kept me busy and I managed to see much of England at someone else’s expense. My time overseas was cut short after a skiing accident in Switzerland.

Returning to Australia in May 1973 I worked with a property developer that was a subsidiary of Patrick Corporation and subsequently went into receivership. In 1976 a holiday beckoned, but I began working with Blue Metal Industries as an Internal Auditor. In 1981 I was moved to Melbourne to reduce the travelling and have not looked back or regretted it. Having attended Mass at St Ignatius in Richmond I often saw Fr Ferruccio Romanin where he was posted, as well as Fr Kevin Penry.

Soon I was travelling internationally for work and had many great experiences in the UK and US. I caught up with Mel Morrow at Stonehenge and saw Greg Norman win his first major at Turnberry. Little things like attending an open air Mass, whilst I was driving around Baltimore in the States, always kept me on the straight and narrow.

In May 1990 I was fortunate enough to meet my now wife Nancy on Cape Cod, USA on one of my many trips. We celebrated our wedding on Cape Cod in 1992 (as Mo Hickey reminded me in a telegram “From a Jack to a King - from loneliness to a wedding ring”). Sadly we lost him but I happened to be on a flight with him from LA the year before his heart attack.

After initially living in the inner city for seven years we finally moved out to the burbs in the Melbourne Sandbelt Area (Golfing Country). We are not only close to the beach, but also near Royal Melbourne where I play having retired in 2009. We have no children and lost our 4-legged friend “Sally” after 13 years in 2009.

LESLIE KAMAKER

I graduated in Medicine from the University of Sydney in 1970 after a very undistinguished but enjoyable undergraduate career.

In 1971 I married our fellow classmate Richard d’Apice’s sister Dorothy. I was a Resident then Registrar in Anaesthetics at Sydney Hospital till 1977.

I worked in Austria from 1978-1980 as a Staff Anaesthetist.

I worked as an anaesthetist in Sydney till 2000 when I retired. I loved my work but love retirement even more!

My main interests are reading, theatre, music, playing bridge & travelling. Dot & I like to spend long periods each year overseas, mainly living in large cities where we can soak up the local culture. We are also keen walkers.

We will be back just in time for the reunion after 4 months living in London.

PAUL KEIGHERY

At St Aloysius College I had some great teachers including Mrs Collins (1954), Mrs Murray (1955), Jesuit scholastic Ray Lamerand (who encouraged hobbies such as Meccano model building), and Tom O’Hara SJ (who coached the Under 10A football team in 1956). It was a bit daunting moving to Riverview as a Year 8 day-boy in 1959, and there was rivalry with the boarders who were more numerous. However I knew how to play rugby, and was gradually accepted into the new school environment.

The Jesuits at Riverview showed me how to ‘prove’ Pythagoras’ Theorem, and this provided a platform which underpinned my professional career in the sciences. Fr John W Doyle explained the ‘birds and bees’ using hand-drawn overhead slides, and Fr Robert Bruce was there to provide strength and leadership as Under 14 football coach. Fr Charles Fraser was mortified when I switched from Latin to Maths Honours, but Fr Donald Roset delighted in French (orals) success in the Leaving Certificate. Perhaps the teachers who finally extracted the best of my mediocre talents were Tom Crowley (Mathematics) and Barry Ryan (Chemistry).

I graduated as a chemical engineer from Sydney University in 1967 and worked for Unilever, ICIANZ, and James Hardie Ltd before discovering a love of all things associated with water. After 7 years with the Sydney Water Board I accepted a redundancy and became a water and wastewater consultant. I am currently Principal Water Process Engineer with Parsons Brinckerhoff, an international environment and infrastructure consulting company that I joined almost 20 years ago.


Along the way I met my wife Mary Killian who was secretary of the Pymble CYO which was renamed the “John Courtney Murray Club” after a US Jesuit theologian. We had 4 daughters Jessica, Rachel, Edwina and Louise who were educated at St Agatha’s Primary School Pennant Hills, and at Loreto Normanhurst. Mary and I were active in the parents’ associations and formed long-lasting friendships during this time.

Interestingly one of our daughters is married to the son of a 1961 Riverview classmate (Richard Kelly, from Boorowa). Another of our sons-in-law is a Scot who became an Australian citizen in 2012. Two sons-in-law are hoteliers, which is also interesting because I was a ‘pioneer’ in the Sodality at Riverview and took the pledge. Mary and I now have 6 beautiful grandchildren.

After leaving school I was a DLP supporter and follower of B.A Santamaria. However in mid-life I returned to the centre and may have even swung over to the other side on odd recent occasions. These days my aims are to share my ‘water’ knowledge, save the planet, enjoy my grandchildren, and do more jogging in the nearby Lane Cove Valley bushland.

Mary and I have the occasional flutter on the thoroughbred horses, which we often watch on Foxtel. We greatly appreciate the amazing benefits that modern information technology continues to provide.

RICHARD KELLY

Upon leaving Riverview I worked on the family property “Newhaven Park”. In 1967 I married a local girl Shirley Houghton and acquired a property “Ballymena” where we built our home.

We were blessed with four children – two boys John and Charles and two girls Sophie & Genie.

John and Charles both attended Riverview with Sophie and Genie attending Rose Bay. Our four children are married and subsequently we have eleven grandchildren from twelve to one year old.

I have carried on the family grazing business and breeding thoroughbred horses at “Newhaven Park” and “Ballymena” also, acquiring a couple of additional country properties.

About twenty years ago we diversified into the hotel industry where we now have four city hotels including the Great Northern close to Riverview at Chatswood.

Our son Charles manages our hotel businesses and our other son John manages or rural enterprise and thoroughbred business.

This year we were fortunate enough to win the Australian Oaks Group 1 with a filly called Invest.

In 2001 I was elected as a board member of the Australian Jockey Club and retired ten years later in 2011.

Shirley and I are very family orientated and spend our time between Sydney and our country home “Ballymena”.

TERRY KELLY

Now in my thirtieth year of surgical practise at Lake Macquarie it probably is time to report on the last 50 years of a privileged existence largely supported by family, friends and colleagues.

My Irish wife, Liz, champion nurse, wife, mother cook, gardener and practice manager is my essential support without whom I am nothing. My three living daughters, Brigid, Fionnuala and Sinead offer more remote emotional and critical support, having largely left the nest to further careers in engineering, commerce and art. My firstborn, Roisin, died at age four, angelic to the end and words cannot describe the constant empty awareness of our loss.

My medical secretaries Mandy and Sue have remained loyal and all the nursing staff I’ve encountered do incredible work for little thanks and pay. Patients continue to educate me even during their own crises.

For the record the first 20 years after Riverview consisted more of hedonistic drift in preference to career orientation. Despite never failing the same exam twice, I was sent down from Sydney University in 1965, completed National Service in 1968 and returned to university under my own financial steam after a sticky senate hearing, graduating MBBS in 1972. Early that year I claimed a NSW decathlon title from an eclectic field of dubious talent and my parents and siblings finally had something to brag about. The preposterous appearance of this athletic honour on my CV at job interviews impressed future bosses more than my academic credentials. After hospital appointments in Sydney, Papua New Guinea, China and England I finally acquired Fellowship in both the Australian and English Colleges of Surgeons by 1982.


While single my two most enjoyable years were in National Service initially spending three month stints in basic training, Medical Corps training and working as a medical orderly in 1 Military Hospital, attending post-surgical patients from Queensland and Vietnam. Amputees were the longest staying patients, taking up to six months to acquire prosthetic limbs. ‘Shorty’ was a common nickname.

The remaining year or so was spent in pathology where apart from blood and excretion testing I reached the status of ‘pox doctor’s clerk’, running a clinic for the single most common affliction of the Vietnam era – venereal disease. It appeared to confirm that international neighbourly love in the age of Aquarius and the pill was alive and well despite religion and contemporary politics.

Jack Thompson was my sergeant and hilarity was never a stranger especially in the proximity of laboratory ethanol. He was already nicknamed ‘Hollywood’, and a necessary accessory at parties being a ‘chick magnet’, great blues singer and harmonica player.

One could easily blame five years of mind numbing spiritual instruction at Riverview for my early attention deficit, however poor preparation and diversion were more probable causes. Was it then the love of a good woman, or the slow dawn of reality that eventually led from ‘Quantum Potes’ to ‘Tantum Aude’? May God bless and keep you all forever young.

RICHARD LETTERS

Having finished a leaden law degree I went on the Grand Tour and felt more at home in England than I ever had in Australia. After some dithering, I settled down to working as a “mercenary drudge” (solicitor) in London.

A late, prolonged and enjoyable sowing of wild oats followed my migration. I have lived in sin with Maggie Wallace for about a quarter of a century. There are no children, as I never considered my genes worth passing on to subsequent generations.

I have now retired to a small village in the countryside of sunny Norfolk and enjoy our green field with its crystal-clear spring and the starry sky with its famously varied cloud forms. I am

trying to catch up reading or re-reading the masterpieces of the geniuses. I am also seeking unacknowledged masterpieces of music such as Malcolm Arnold’s fifth symphony. My grand plan is to visit or revisit as many great museums and art galleries as possible before my annihilation.

My sporting prowess has in no wise dwindled as I exercise with gardening and playing the piano. Newmarket beckons too.

DAVID LEWIS

After leaving Riverview I served Articles in the 1960's and started a career in law. In 1977 I joined the firm of Crossin & Co (now Dibbs Barker). I remained with the firm for 32 years, and was the firm's Senior Litigation Manager at the time of my retirement in October 2009.

Among career contributions I lectured from 1982 to 1996 at the ANU Legal Workshop (a university-based legal practice program) at the Australian National University in Canberra.

I much enjoyed a Rugby career spanning 42 years involving the Australian Institute of Sport, coaching, team management and administration.

I was the Brumbies inaugural President and Chairman. I subsequently served on the Board of the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) as well as serving as Patron of The Australian Rugby Choir, which is a choir of male voices that aims to promote singing in the community both through participation at rugby matches and other community and charitable events.

In the 1999 Australia Day Honours list I was awarded The Medal of The Order of Australia (OAM) for my services to Rugby. I am privileged to be both a Life Member, and a Patron, of ACT Rugby.

In retirement I devote my spare time as a volunteer guide at the Australian War Memorial and at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House as well as travelling annually and attending U3A (University of the Third Age), which offers older people low-cost educational opportunities in a supportive social setting.

Earlier this year I undertook an educational tour to Gallipoli and the World War 1 Western Front battlefields in France and Belgium.


STEPHEN LUSHER

A couple of years ago I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it because of illness. Sitting here writing this I feel I’m writing my obituary. It feels strange.

I live in Italy, Tuscany, the Chianti Hills to be more precise. Why? I often reflect on that but one of the main reasons is Riverview – particularly Charles Fraser SJ and Antony Gallagher.

Chisel had me reading Caesar’s Gallic Wars early and while I understood none of the Latin I was fascinated by Caesar. Bopper introduced me to a Russian historian called Rostovtzeff whose book on Roman history he preferred to the prescribed text. I still have that book. It also happened that Julius Caesar was our Shakespearean play that year. Gallagher took me for

Ancient History and English. Despite his problems I found his knowledge inspirational.

My first stop on my first trip overseas in the late 60’s was Rome. I still remember standing in the midst of the ruins of the Forum as a young 20 something, imagining those ancient Romans. Inspired again. Later my interests moved a little further north and I become a touch obsessed with Florence, the Renaissance and the Medici and, when I got the chance, I came here to live.

I think I may have peaked a bit early in life, then settled into more mundane things as I got older. I spent some time in stockbroking after school, and when the Poseidon boom collapsed I got a job in Treasury in Canberra. I got to know the Country Party guys and worked with them on the 1972 Federal Election. We lost. Gough Whitlam was on the rampage and Doug Anthony asked me to work for him doing research, speeches etc.

I got interested and won pre-selection for Hume prior to the ’74 double dissolution. I beat the Labor Party incumbent and found myself in Parliament, aged 28. I won five elections in Hume and lived through the Whitlam, Fraser, and Hawke years. When Hawke increased the Parliament by 25 seats, it caused a massive redistribution of boundaries and I lost to a Liberal. Out before I was 40!

Life was up and down for a while, but I stayed on the fringes of politics including some years with Kathryn Greiner trying to wrest control of Sydney Town Hall from Frank Sartor.

After another holiday in Italy I bought a broken down gelato bar in the Pavilion on Bondi Beach. We got a liquor license and soon became the biggest Corona outlet that wasn’t a pub, and the biggest Coke outlet that wasn’t a supermarket or petrol station. ‘Lush on Bondi’ was huge and great fun.

On another trip to Italy Cathy and I found Il Mulinaccio. We sold everything to buy it in 2008. Check it out on www.villainchianti.com Don’t get too carried away – it’s a business and we have a mortgage.

A month after arriving here I was diagnosed with throat cancer and lived in Siena University hospital for 4 months with chemo and radiotherapy. 18 months later I had an operation that took half my neck but got rid of the secondaries. Thanks to a lot of help and support I’m still here and reasonably optimistic.

Quickly - married to Cathy, 3 sons (Riverview) and 1 daughter (Loreto). Happy, fortunate, grateful.

PETER McEWEN

This is like writing one’s obituary, or entry in Who’s Who. It needs to briefly summarise milestones, and pithily capture the spirit and flavour of the subject; the first is easy, not so the second.

As to career, the Careers Psychologist our class was processed through recommended I either become a police detective, or deep sea diver; another wasted fee.

I completed a B Comm (UNSW 1966) and then LLB (Sydney 1972); practised as a solicitor from 1973 to 1979; was admitted to the New South Wales Bar in 1979; Senior Counsel 1997; served on a variety of professional committees; Acting Judge of the Land and Environment

Court (2002). One of the few barristers still in chambers who had a wide initial practice (equity, common law, crime), but still in harness to the broad range of matters dealt with by the Land and Environment Court.

Chance and luck allowed me to find the occupation (the Bar) which in many ways has been like a grand holiday – challenging, enjoyable, satisfying, and remunerative.

Married in 1974 (Helen), and we have three middle aged children, one grandchild. All much joy.

I doubt it was the influence of Ferruccio Romanin (Fourth Four 1962), but I continued to row at UNSW with a modicum of success – the UNSW Eight missed becoming the State Eight in 1964, by a canvass (to Sydney Rowing Club).


Whilst not an adherent to the faith, it grieves me to observe the change in the Jesuits from men of erudition, to men pursuing social agendas and policy – whilst worthy of them, it seems to detract from the aura with which we regarded them, as a band of men, in 1962. Our division prefects (O’Sullivan, Bruce and Carroll) seem upon reflection to have had little understanding of their role; a portion of Bob Bruce’s strap (courtesy of Froggy Donelan purloining it in the term before he died) will be available for inspection at the dinner.

However, a sign of an effective Jesuitical education seems borne out in the diverse paths members of our class have taken – the majority having been, and continue to be, productive contributors to society, albeit with an over-emphasis on the secular, academic, and financial.

Working for one’s self leads to strong identification with, and support for the individual – responsibility for self, family and future. It makes one overly sceptical of the utility of the safety net for all of the welfare state promulgated by all sides of politics.

As to the legal profession, one becomes acerbic as to the decline in values and civility; generally a grasping materialism prevails. Judicial platitudes continue to be a sop to the media and political criticism, and notwithstanding bona fide good intentions, much could be done that is left undone.

Finally in this tirade, I am passionate about the mess wrought on our prosperous and placid nation by politicians of all colours; a pox on all their houses.

JOHN McKINLEY

I am reading these mini biographies with a sense of awe mixed with wonderment. Perhaps we were at a different school; there are certainly numerous names that I have absolutely no recollection of whatsoever, teachers, masters, and pupils. There are others whom I do remember, but not with any fondness.

On gaining the Leaving Certificate in 62, I was supposed to repeat in 63 to get better marks (another story) but I left in mid-63 in a state of ennui, and my friends had mostly disappeared (not surprising really).

I won a Cadetship in Engineering at UNSW and proceeded to enrol part-time, alas the grog and the women got to me, sometimes at the same time and sometimes separately. Anyway I transferred to Sydney Technical College and completed my training, somewhat hazily, not to mention lazily, as a Mechanical Engineering Draughtsman

I became a design draftsman for a company that made civil construction equipment, and moved seamlessly into projects as varied as drilling for water for railway construction in WA, power station at Port Augusta and later Alice Springs. I became a project Manager at twenty seven whilst undertaking the widening and reconstruction of Adelaide Airport in time for Betty Windsor’s royal visit in 1974. I ended up on a diverse range of projects including widening Port Pirie Harbour, reconstructing NT sections of the Berkley Highway, multi-storey construction in Sydney, and airport widening at Broken Hill.

I came to Canberra as one of the Construction Managers for New Parliament House and have been based here ever since, apart from forays to build detention centres for the Department of Immigration in other states as well as two tours as a Project Manager building stuff in Baghdad during the Operation Iraqi freedom campaign 2007-2008. Not a particularly pleasant experience, but a rewarding one. Some of the chaps were less than friendly, and seemed determined to foil my attempts, even going to the extent of trying to destroy my work (as well as me and my colleagues). If I hadn’t been made aware of Kipling’s poem by the erstwhile Tony Gallagher, I may not have understood any of this. I guess I still don’t but at least it made me aware it wasn’t personal. Anyway I became semi-retired after that delightful stint.

Incidentally Tony Gallagher was about the only person I kept in contact with after leaving Riverview, (no not that sort of contact). I do thank Riverview for the wonderful education they gave me; this thorough grounding has allowed me to collect many certificates and qualifications ranging from MA in history, Cert in Theology, engineering certificates, etc. Those in particular who influenced and taught me well were Fathers John Byrne SJ, Bede Lowery SJ, John Doyle SJ and Barry Ryan Esq, as well as Fr Robert Bruce SJ who gave me support in a particularly difficult period of my juvenile life. However there are other masters whom I loathed and whom I thought were self-opinionated, self-righteous, pompous strutting prideful men in charge of teenage boys. On that delightful note I think I had better shut up.


PETER McMAHON

On leaving Riverview I tried my hand at university studies with limited results and after two years it was time to become employed which I did for the next five years with the HJ Heinz Company while continuing to play rugby for St Ives Football Club and then Hornsby in the Sydney Second Division competition.

In 1970 I travelled to Darwin which was a refreshing change from Sydney and I decided to stay and find a job which resulted in me joining the Australian Public Service (APS). At that time the Federal Government was responsible for the administration of the Northern Territory. I continued

working in a range of positions in the APS for the next 30 years, initially in Darwin, and later in Canberra

In 1972 in Darwin I married my wife Pam and we have now shared 40 years of very happy marriage and are the proud parents of 4 children. The catalyst for our move to Canberra was Cyclone Tracy. Pam and I had one child (aged 4 months) when the cyclone struck and it is a miracle that we survived. Our house, which was built on 3 metre high concrete supports, was completely demolished - it was blown away with us inside leaving only the concrete supports. It was a salutary experience to say the least and has influenced my attitude to life and personal relationships ever since.

After arriving in Canberra in 1975 we purchased a home, and I undertook 5 years of study and completed a degree in 1981. In my time with the APS I worked in several agencies in the education and primary industry portfolios and in 1984 I moved into Aboriginal Affairs where I spent the last 16 years of my career. I found those later years very rewarding although Aboriginal Affairs remains a very challenging area of public administration.

I retired from the APS in 2000 and took a part-time job which I expected would occupy me for 10 days a month. By 2003 I was working 6/7 days a week which continued until I permanently retired in 2008. Since then Pam and I have helped look after our 6 grandchildren, travelled within Australia and overseas, particularly to India where one of our children has lived for the last three years. I have been a long term wine collector and I enjoy reading history with an interest in World War 1 and Germany between the wars and also British and European history more generally. I have maintained my interest in Rugby Union (and have shed many tears at the hands of the All Blacks!). Pam and I spend as much time as we can on the South Coast of NSW which, we believe, is one of the most beautiful coastal areas in Australia.

I am looking forward to the Reunion and renewing old friendships although I am saddened to see that my second row partner in the First XV, Jim Loneragan, will not be there.

COLIN MACLEAN

From school, I went directly to Sydney University to study chemistry, and soon realised I had mistaken Barry Ryan’s teaching skills for my own talent. So I transferred to geology at Macquarie University, and that worked well – graduating with top Honours in 1970, just in time for the Nickel Boom when even the most meagre credentials could sign a stock market Prospectus. After some wild times in WA during the Nickel Boom, I briefly joined CSIRO as a satellite imagery researcher, before joining Exxon’s minerals exploration team for the next thirteen years. With them, I first moved to Perth for two years, then to South Africa for two years, then to Germany for five years, where I married my German girlfriend before moving to Manhattan for two years.

These were great years – exotic cultures, foreign languages, serious toys (helicopters, drilling rigs, bulldozers), and professional advancement.

I returned to Australia (Townsville) in 1982, and by 1986 life seemed unexciting, so I changed careers to finance, and returned to Sydney to join the AMP. Fourteen years later, in 2000, AMP decided to sell out of its mineral assets and I was cheeky enough to think my colleagues and I could start our own mineral investment fund. How lucky we were to get started just in time for the current mining boom. Even turkeys can fly in a hurricane, and ten years later our firm (The Sentient Group) had grown from zero to ten-figures under management. That seemed like a good highlight for me to semi retire, so this year (2012) my wife and I moved to a comfortable flat in London (South Kensington) where we can party and play with our European friends, and host our antipodean friends whenever they visit.

Along the way, Bianca and I had two children. Our daughter (Loreto Normanhurst, MLC) completed the IB then a Law degree, and now works with me in my firm, out of Toronto for the next five years. Our son (Riverview) is studying for a business degree in Sydney.

I am still healthy enough to enjoy sailing, fly-fishing, dancing and martial arts; and above all my wife and I enjoy “fanging” around the English countryside on our Triumph Bonneville motorbike.


RICHARD MADDEN

Editor’s Note: Richard graduated from Sydney in 1966 with the University Medal in Mathematical Statistics. He completed a PhD in statistics at Princeton University in 1971 and finished actuarial studies in 1977.

From 1972 to 1975, he worked on the proposed National Rehabilitation and Compensation Scheme, and joined NSW Health emerging as Deputy Secretary in 1983. Moving to Darwin he headed the NT Treasury, before returning to Canberra in 1987. There he ran Disability programs for the Commonwealth Government, and was first head of Treasury for the self-governing ACT.

He returned to statistics as Deputy Australian Statistician from 1992 to 1995, and Director of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare from 1996 to 2006. In 2002 he was Australian Actuary of the Year, and was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2003 and an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Sydney in 2005.

Since 2006 he has been Professor of Health Statistics at the University of Sydney.

Richard writes: Please accept my apologies. I cannot attend this year’s Reunion because of a long-standing commitment with the WHO in Brazil, where I will be continuing my work of 15 years on health classifications: standard descriptions for diseases, disabilities and health interventions. These are the basic building blocks for health statistics around the world, enabling comparison of health and health system performance across countries.

When I left school I had a very narrow view of Sydney, knew little of Australia and nothing of the world beyond. My education was shaped by the Sputnik, meaning maths and science predominated. So I left Riverview knowing little history, no biology, no economics. But I had a fair idea of who I was and the following years were good, based on my education and upbringing, as my horizons expanded.

One of our great lessons at Riverview was “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything”. So, some people I remember fondly: Mr Curran, Grammar B, his strap held together with sticky tape; Harry Thomas, a patrician teacher of elocution (‘Why does a surgeon charge 160 guineas to remove an appendix: 10 guineas for his time, 150 guineas for the know-how); the Basque choir master who taught us a Basque carol, verse 2 of Olentsero, which I can still belt out (http://www.buber.net/Basque/Music/Song/olentz1.gif); Mr Pilsyk SJ who instilled a love of chemistry in 1959. And Mr Walsh (Samson), who made Grammar A a pleasure, despite the basement location.

To me the greatest teacher was TK (Tom) Crowley, who determined my career with his enthusiasm and skill in mathematics. Tom did shame with colourful but polite language, but he firmly believed in providing opportunities, and it was up to you to decide whether to go with them. In 1961/2, he had a few of us (Paul Keighery, David Russell, me) take a taxi from Chatswood early on Monday mornings, pick him up at Mowbray Rd, then sometimes Peter Brown in Lane Cove, for a full class at 8am. I suspect he paid the fare himself! There were more ‘extra classes’ on Friday afternoons, when other powerful people wanted us elsewhere. We were lucky to be blessed with someone so talented and so committed.

Looking back now, it mystifies me why Riverview has only produced politicians of the ‘right’. Xavier has produced people for each side (with Tim Fischer and Bill Shorten as examples). I suspect the views of classmates remain very diverse. This may be something to talk through as we celebrate our Reunion.

MIKE MAYOH

I came to Riverview from a one teacher, fifteen pupil country school. The culture shock was immediate. My most vivid recollection is of going to bed for the first time in an open front dormitory, with about fifty other companions - the noises were amazing, mainly snoring.

I survived the initial shock by making friends with a number of boys I still keep in touch with. Meeting, living and playing sport with of people from different backgrounds was terrific. I have wonderful memories of rowing and rugby.

The Jesuit way of teaching and motivating gave me the basic values and skills I needed and encouraged me to “ask the right questions” later on.

In 1966 I completed a Science Degree at University of NSW and went on to work in agriculture / wool industry.

I married Mary Rees from Cooma in 1972 and we have two daughters, Sarah and Clare. The girls went to Loreto Kirribilli which meant our contact with the Jesuits continued.


I went on to work in Regional Development in Canberra, then moved to Sydney to work for Brambles in the Cleanaway Waste Management and Disposal business where my focus became environmental and waste management.

For the last twenty years I have been a consultant / project manager working on projects involving environmental management and site development.

Since 2006 Mary and I have been living at and working from Roslyn, half an hour west of Goulburn, where we run a few cattle. We enjoy the country and the community but still come to Sydney regularly to see our daughters Sarah and Clare, to catch up with friends and take in the city attractions.

JOHN MITCHELL

I was just 15 at the end of 1962 and, despite getting a few ‘G Cards’, was an expert at forging Father Doyle’s signature for those students who wanted to absent themselves from Father’s after school detention sessions for miscreants. Shameful behaviour, yet I went on to complete a BA, Dip Ed at Sydney University where I could often be found in the Forest Lodge Hotel with kindred spirits who embraced the best and worst aspects of the social and cultural changes of the 1960s.

I guess I was more influenced by Tony Gallagher than Father Doyle. I can still remember Tony debating at the Sydney University Union on the topic ‘That Green is a better colour than Blue’.

He beat Fred May, the legendary professor of Italian, with arguments laced with incisive wit and academic prowess . Tony’s lessons in History and English, sometimes comedic, were always thought provoking and must have played a part in my becoming an English/History teacher.

After teaching at Asquith, Chester Hill and Manly I was appointed Head Teacher at Killarney Heights High School and specialised in Ancient and Modern History, as well as Drama and Legal Studies. I also lectured to HSC students and marked HSC examination papers for many years. I produced drama and musicals at a number of schools and for amateur drama societies in my local community. My love of sport was manifest in many years of coaching various codes including soccer, where I was head coach of a premier league team in the Manly Warringah competition 10 years ago.

Over thirty years ago I had some very good luck. Her name was Annemarie and I have been blessed with the certainty and sanity she has brought to my life since we married in 1981. She is in charge of the Language Faculty at Brigidine College St Ives. We have two fine sons, Luke 30, and Leon 28. We live near Whale Beach where I swim every morning, a ritual that has become therapeutic in the management of injuries I sustained in a motor vehicle accident on my first date with Annemarie.

Life was simple in 1962. No mobile phones, no computers, no Facebook, no Twitter, no smart boards, no DVDs and no Google. We were not continually distracted by technology and had more time to reflect on the human condition guided by our Jesuit mentors . As I look across the ocean every morning I thank God for the simple life I have….again.

MARK MOLONEY

After leaving Riverview in 1962 I spent the next four years as a cadet at The Royal Military College, Duntroon, graduating in 1966. During that period I was a member of the 1st XV for three years and also made the 1st XI as a bowler.

Upon graduation I was allocated to the Royal Australia Infantry Corps and posted to the 7th Battalion the Royal Australian Regiment, which saw me arrive in South Vietnam in March 1967. In 2011 Gerry Windsor published a book which dealt with the achievements of the soldiers of my company during this posting. This company had two connections with Riverview, - another soldier was from my brother, Keiran’s, class, he was doing National

Service and the company commander’s wife was the sister of a previous captain of the school, neither were known at the time but surfaced 45 years later.

Upon return to Australia I was posted to Papua New Guinea for three years and was able to commence playing rugby again, I represented PNG, after a residential qualifying period, in 1971 and began my association with rugby administration. During this period contact was again made with Terry Kelly during a visit to Port Moresby. Upon return to Australia I was posted to Townsville and the returned to Papua New Guinea in 1973.

In 1969 I married my wife Marie, who has looked after me ever since.. We have four children with one of them attending Riverview for two years. My other son represented Australia as a schoolboy and Under 21 and was a


member of the early Brumbie era. While serving in Sydney, after my second posting to Papua New Guinea, I completed a Bachelor of Commerce Degree at the University of New South Wales, majoring in accounting.

In 1981 I was attached to the Royal Australian Air Force in Canberra, as a liaison officer. for three years and left the Army in 1986 and joined the Australian National Audit Office where I remained until my retirement in 2010. This enabled me to travel around the world several times and gave me a greater understanding of world affairs.

When I returned to Canberra in 1981 I became Secretary of the ACT Junior Rugby Union and subsequently Secretary / Treasurer of the Australian Junior Rugby Union until I resigned in 2005.

My interests now are seeing that all my grandchildren can swim and enjoy their company. I also act as ground crew for one of my sons, when he is a participant in long distance canoeing events.

I have been described, when at school. as ‘a unit of explosive energy that could be tapped rather than a planner or leader,’ whilst not agreeing fully with the tag I can relate to it and see it in a number of things I have achieved over the years.

In conclusion, I would like to thank Riverview for the grounding it gave me and in particular Tom Crowley for his excellent grounding in mathematics.

TIM MORT

After Riverview I attended Urrbrae Agricultural High School, Adelaide in 1961/62. Then I was selected to play for the South Australian Under 19 Rugby Team, which was a great honour.

From 1963 to end 1966 I worked for AML & F Co pastoral at Deniliquin NSW and at Longreach QLD. In 1967 I returned home to assist with the family grazing business at Keith in SA & Bourke NSW.

Janette and I got married in February 1969 and moved to Bourke. Between the end of 1969 and 1975 our family grew by 3 daughters.

We sold the Bourke property in 1974 and moved to Keith to continue the property development. From 1975 to 2001 we lived and worked the property at Keith – mainly grazing sheep and cattle and some small seeds.

During that time (say late 1980’s through to 1990’s) I worked on and off with an Exporter sending cattle and sheep to Mexico, Korea, Philippines and Indonesia and accompanied the shipments to Philippines and Indonesia. In the late 1990’s I spent 3 months in the Kimberly with a room in the Hall’s Creek Hotel sending cattle on ships from Broome to Malaysia and Indonesia.

I started playing cricket again at age 32 and played until age 57 for a wonderful community side in our area “Willalooka”.

In 2001, after selling the Keith property, we moved to an investment property in Keith township and I joined my wife in the Real Estate Business selling rural properties.

In 2005 we sold the property in Keith and moved to Robe on the south-east coast of South Australia, where we bought a ½ share in a Real Estate Company and enjoyed the change.

We decided that 10 years of Real Estate pressure was enough, and in 2011 we sold our the interest in the company to our business partner. We now work in a somewhat semi-retired role – which gives us time for fishing and golf, touring around and enjoying our 5½ grandchildren (1½ in England, 1 in Port Moresby and 3 in the Adelaide Hills).

GREG O’BRIEN

I resat the English exam in January 1963 to enhance my four B’s. Being the youngest of three boys I wanted to have something other than farming to fall back on. I didn’t pass the exam and was unable to enter any university courses. I returned to the farm with my two brothers and father.

In 1964 I obtained a farm management certificate from Yanco Agricultural college. On returning to the Maze I farmed in partnership with my father. I purchased my first farm in 1968 in partnership with my two brothers. I have managed to purchase another farm once every ten years thereafter.

I continued to play rugby for Warren until the late 1970s. I was invited to attend a Petersham world tour in 1971/72. Being a six week tour it was a real endurance test. We played against several national teams with mixed


results.

In 1974 I managed to meet and marry a sexy English school teacher. Angela came to Australia for ten pounds on a two year holiday but she failed to return. We have four children. The son, Michael, went to Riverview and the three daughters, Sarah, Alison and Mary-Kate, attended Loreto Normanhurst. Our children are all now agriculture oriented. Michael is in Farm Management, Sarah is an agricultural science agronomist, Alison is also a livestock manager albeit a qualified Occupational therapist. Finally Mary-Kate is in Agribusiness management with NAB.

Due to drought and the pressure of school fees Angela and I left the farm for a year in 1995 and moved to the Central Coast. In partnership with Paul, my brother and his family we built 7 units. It was no bonanza but we made enough money to continue farming. In 2000 Angela worked in the main stadium of the Olympics and Paralympics. I worked at the Paralympics as the team delegate for Mongolia. Mongolia had only 2 athletes. It was an amazing experience.

As of 1 July 2012 all of Angela and my farming interests have been taken over by our children and their partners. The succession process started about 10 years ago and seems to have worked out well. Two of the families live away from their farms but with an all cropping operation it should still work.

To date our four children have produced us 10 grandchildren and twins are expected before the end of October. Our eldest grandchild is only six years old. Angela and I now own four acres in the southern suburbs of Gulargambone. We built a home and moved to Gular about 2 ½ years ago. Angela does an enormous amount of volunteer work on a local community project called two eight two eight. The project is trying to reinvigorate the local economy. This project is changing the lives of many local people.

If any of the class of 62 are passing through Gulargambone please call and see us. We are easily found.

TERRY O’BRIEN

In 1959 my brother Dennis and I were the first students to travel to and from Riverview each day in our own motor boat. This meant we were neither Day Bugs nor Boarders. Travelling by boat had many advantages including bypassing the school when the 1st Term retreat was on, and spending the day up the Lane Cove River fishing and crabbing. Pretty harmless Huckleberry Finn activities but not according to Jack the Man (Fr J Drury SJ) when we were caught .

Another advantage of the boat was picking up boarders on Home Sundays and bringing them back to Woolwich for lunch where my mother Mary O'Brien would have a couple of legs of

lamb ready for the starving hordes. They included Tank Cannon, Geoff Ferguson, Nick Mason, Greg and Jack O'Brien, Terry Kelly and Feedy Flanery and we are still good friends to this day.

Upon leaving school I wanted to be a Stock and Station Agent, but Dad and Mum said you won't get anywhere without a University Degree. So I started a cadetship with the Commonwealth Bank doing Commerce at UNSW. I supplemented my meagre income by running the Pontoon table in the Roundhouse and subsequently failed to become a business tycoon.

Turning to the law I was articled to Taylor Kearney & Reid for the princely sum of ten shillings a week and persisted for some years until I realized that The Sydney Morning Herald was never going to publish my name among the list of successful candidates - so it was time to move on.

I then started O'Briens Rubbish Removals and Ice Emergency Services neither of which were a great success so I became a croupier at the 33 Club in Darlinghurst. Chisel (Fr Fraser SJ) thought it was very funny, but said he could not put it in the Alma Mater until the casinos were legalized.

Eventually NSW Premier Wran (Nifty) closed the casinos so it was on to house painting, then to Road Runner Removals (Carriers to the eastern suburbs gentry). After that I went into the wine business with David Dalton (Brother of John), and then to managing a courier company.

I married Gill in 1982 and we have two children. Will, who coxed the eight at Scots and is a chef, and Frances who is a teacher at St. Catherine's.

In conclusion I would like to mention Ian (Porky) Bridge who was best man at our wedding. A dear friend who is much missed.

In retirement I do voluntary work with Meals on Wheels, and enjoy long lunches with my friends.


FRANK QUIRK

I was born in Condoblin NSW in 1945 and attended De La Salle Marrickville from 1949 to 1957, before attending Riverview from 1958 to 1963.

When I left Riverview I studied Dentistry at Sydney University from 1964 to 1970. After graduating, I spent two years at Wiltshire in the UK (from 1971 to 1972), and then lived at Avalon Beach in Sydney for 14 years (from 1973 to 1987).

During the period from 1984 to 1985 I worked in the hospitality industry at the Hong Kong Central, and after that became an investor in the Stage Coach Motel in Wyoming USA from 1986 to 1987.

I bought a farm in Cowra NSW in 1989, and still have 800 acres left which I can’t sell.

My next business move was to buy a pub with Jake (Ian Hayson), and we owned this from 1999 to 2004.

I’m now back doing dentistry in Nelson Bay, Vanuatu and Alexandria.

My son James was at Riverview (Class of 2008) and is now a sports master in London. My daughter Marnie left Loreto in 2011 and is now at University doing a BSc. My eldest daughter Marnie (from my first marriage) is a ski instructor at Thredbo.

My new partner is Eddie Corcoran’s sister Kerry and we are now living in Darling Point and Nelson Bay.

ALAN ROGERS

My Jesuit schooling commenced at Campion Hall about 1952 I think and finished at Riverview in 1963. I was a bit slower than some. My academic achievements were not too good, but I managed a fair hand at sport - Ist XV and Senior VIII. I think my days with the Jesuits produced a certain sense of responsibility and commitment. This reunion also provides evidence of a particular ‘belonging’ even after an absence of 50 years.

My life’s experiences have ranged through Clerical work with a builder (John McEvoy’s father), through the lucky lottery winner of a two-year stint in National Service where I managed to organise a cushy job in an Engineering unit and avoided Vietnam service.

I worked in pubs around Sydney to learn the ropes (particularly the Angel Hotel in Angel Place Sydney) then in partnership with my father bought the Elizabeth Hotel in Elizabeth Street Sydney. This was the defining move of my life because a few years later I met a young beguiling woman at that hotel who soon became my wife and mother of our three sons and one daughter. She is still just as beguiling and remains my best life experience. Another pub in Annandale and I was over that chapter.

We moved to Cairns, built our home and started an earth- moving business. Things looked good so we branched out and bought a cane harvester. I immediately managed to rearrange my spine a little which put an end to my long hours and hard work for some time. Moved back to Sydney, did a course at Sydney Tech to achieve a basic science understanding - in subjects that I did not take at school. Then went on to Sydney Uni the following year and got through, but family pressures and a fondness for a little more time to myself put an end to full-time study.

Totally at a loose end again, I took a job with State Forests which lasted for 7 years. An argument with senior management saw my redundancy application accepted with glee. Two weeks later I was back with them as a consultant. The consultancy business went well for a few years but it soon ceased to satisfy me.

We bought a farm at Wirrimah near Young in Western NSW. A prune orchard with a few sheep - a sort of semi- retirement place to while away a few ‘mature’ years. Then the drought started and we had to work harder than ever. The prune trees failed, the sheep and wool prices tumbled while fodder prices soared.

We switched to cattle and ended up as little more than a feed lot. An unsaleable farm too small for serious farming of any sort and too big for hobby farming. A little loophole enabled us to sub-divide and sell off smaller blocks. We planned a move to Queensland but an unplanned wrestle with a tractor (the tractor won) delayed that for a few months.

We are currently building our new home in Bundaberg where we hope to retire with two of our grandchildren who we care for full time.

We plan to fill our retirement with reading, travel, genealogy and perhaps a little renewing of old friendships and acquaintances.


TONY RUDD

After leaving the ‘old’ school in 1962 I started work with The Bank of New South Wales and worked with them until 1971. Included in this period was an unlucky lottery call-up for National Service 1966-68. A twelve month tour of Vietnam was also included in this period from which I managed to return home unharmed.

My life changed somewhat, for the better, in 1970 when I met my future wife Anne Byrne. We married at St Margaret’s Hospital Chapel in 1971 and were blessed with eight children over the next 10 years. Our five sons were educated at Marist College North Shore, while the three girls were educated at Monte Sant’ Angelo.

The next twelve years were spent at QBE Insurance. I then purchased the Cammeray Newsagency which was very successful but I found the long hours with a young family not to my liking. A Sports Wholesale Business followed which was a failure. The high interest rates during the recession we had to have certainly did not help. Twelve years with St George Bank and Promina Insurance followed until retirement eight years ago.

Our now adult children are well established in their professional lives and after all those years of schools fees I can relax and enjoy retirement!!!!!!! However, retirement sees me spending many hours at ‘work’ with no income! My weekly tasks include child minding some of our eleven grandchildren, working with St Vincent de Paul, a game of golf when time permits, and generally attending or in some cases not attending to the list of home duties.

JAMES RUSHTON

After leaving ‘view in ’62, I enrolled in Medicine at Sydney University. Early in Med III, I dropped out, and with Bob Dylan ringing in my ears, hit the road hitchhiking to remote and distant parts, ending up in far North Queensland. Somewhat surprisingly I wasn’t kidnapped, raped or shot. It was a gentler age. I met many characters and made a couple of life-long friends. After nine months I returned to Sydney to piecemeal work. In 1969, I commenced an Arts degree at Sydney Uni and upon graduation began teaching.

At the end of 1976, aged 31, I married Evelyn Mulcahy – a country girl from Mullaley via Gunnedah. To borrow a famous man’s phrase, “it was the single most fortuitous event of my life”. Males, despite what their egos might suggest, are not the initiators of relationships or unions – they only retain a power of veto. Being severely handicapped in matters of the flesh by a Jesuit education where mortification was the order of the day, I made many stumbles and missed many opportunities. At last and at least, I mustered enough common sense to recognise a good thing when it shook its tail feathers in front of my tunnel vision.

Evelyn and I were married in the Dalton Chapel by that truly saintly Jesuit, Fr Brian Stoney (dec).

After a year-long honeymoon travelling around Australia in a Kombi and revisiting old haunts from hitchhiking days, we returned to Sydney to settle down and start a family. I completed a Law degree at night and upon graduation in ’86, spent 24 years as a sole practitioner at Mount Druitt where a constant flow of violence provided a constant flow of income adequate to meet Riverview fees but inadequate for holidays in Bali. I retired in 2010.

In a rather undistinguished career my greatest achievement and source of solace and contentment is my wife, my family and our six children.

We weren’t all friends at Riverview, partly due to structures in place – 1st, 2nd & 3rd divisions and no contact or talk between them – and standoffishness between boarders and daybugs. But we were young wines then -- the years should have remedied that.

I thank Riverview for what it gave me. As humans are by nature flawed (‘the crooked timber of humanity’) their institutions reflect the fact. Allowing for that, Riverview exposed me to some Jesuits of inspirational commitment and faith. It was palpable and atmospheric. But that was a different era.

DAVID RUSSELL

Studied civil engineering at Sydney University with NSW Public Works Department after leaving Riverview, and worked with them all round NSW (incl Albury, Wollongong, Newcastle, Merriwa, Merimbula Gundagai, Cootamundra and Tumbarumba) mainly in infrastructure construction. I then returned to Sydney to learn more about what I had been building, completed a Master of Engineering Science (M Eng Sc) in Public Health Engineering and joined a private consultancy specialising in water. This year marks my 40th year in the “water business” though now with CH2MHILL, a US Company based in Sydney that plans designs builds and commissions water


facilities.

A career highlight was managing a number of water and river related studies in Sarawak (Borneo) aimed at providing adequate drinking water to many small villages in coastal regions that suffered from cholera and typhoid during the short dry season in that land. In these small communities it was rewarding to make a difference.

I married Lindy in 1972 and lived in Tasmania for several years where the eldest of our three children (Hope, Rob and Verity) was born. We now have 3 grandsons with the arrival of Nathan on 1st September this year.

I now work part-time and enjoy family and the outdoors, regularly walking both locally (with the Turramurra Trotters and a black labrador) and occasionally overseas (France, Spain, Italy, New Zealand) and spending time at Macmasters beach. Unfortunately due to touring and walking Leaping Tiger Gorge in Western China I will miss the 50th reunion, but will be there in spirit. I’m a bowler at Warrawee, get involved in community work with the Wahroonga Rotary Club, and most weeks attempt to solve Friday’s DA crossword in the Herald, with varying success.

Lindy and I are currently learning Mandarin via WEA to help in our coming trip. Teacher Yang says learning 300 characters helps read the paper, so at our approx 120 we are almost semi-illiterate, with functional literacy being only say 3000 characters. If nothing else it tests the memory cells which has to be good.

Some personal trivia: favourite movies. “Don’t Look Now” 1973 and “Grand Turino 2008”; popular writers Jo Nesbo, “The Snowman” etc, Stephen Booth (Peak District Crime) and any history of the first world war ; most memorable walk, into Assisi along a white stone path via St Francis’s grotto on the last leg of a 10 days walk in Umbria, a few days after 9/11; enjoyable restaurants include Makan @ Alice’s at Thornleigh. (Great for a Malaysia “hit”)

Recollections from School? : “Boppa” Gallagher who made English enjoyable for me and Fr “Rumble” Ryan berating me in stentorian tones for being late to Latin class in Grammar A with the words “Ossa sero venientibus” (sic) or “Bones to those who come late”. Funny how things stick. God Bless them! Good Things to you all. Enjoy the Reunion!

CHRIS SCARF

My first experience of Riverview was in 1953 at its junior school Campion Hall. It was a splendid introduction to Jesuit values and despite its closure at the end of 1954, provided life-long friendships. After five years with the Christian Brothers at Waverley, I went to Riverview again in 1960. A boarder, an adolescent and in a tough environment, like others I found ways to form friendships and make use of the support which the school’s leadership was offering for intellectual development. In retrospect, those somewhat joyless Riverview years helped prepare me for the rough and tumble bits of adult life.

The University of Sydney and a medical degree followed with engaging and happy early clinical years at Sydney Hospital. Interest led me to graduate study then full-time research in health management at the University of NSW and entry to a career in the field as medical superintendent at Hornsby Hospital. In a few years came appointment as regional director of health for western Sydney, then chief executive of the area health service in central Sydney. The last year spent in the state public sector was in 1992 as chief executive of the ministry for health and community services.

Over the last 20 years I have thoroughly enjoyed being a consultant in health services management working with the World Bank, WHO, British, Danish, Australian and local governments in developing countries and emerging economies in Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, East and South East Asia and Oceania. This has included 17 years of continuous engagement with rural and urban China watching its extraordinary transformation and forming enduring friendships with many talented people there.

My wife, Ana and I met in 1971 when she was a passenger and I was the temporary doctor on a French merchant ship sailing through the South Pacific. We married in Tasmania with Fr. John Farmer SJ, our good friend and former Rector of Campion Hall officiating. We have two adult daughters who are making their own diverse and interesting ways in life while maintaining their large contribution to the loving bonds of our family. We have lived in Chatswood for 38 years among neighbours with whom we enjoy a comfortable and supportive village life.

Now it is time to take the achievements and failures, joys and sorrows of the past into the future of retirement from work. There are many opportunities for enjoyment while making a modest contribution to others. Ana and I find the work of the Jesuits in supporting refugees a particularly attractive option.


MARTIN SHANNY

On leaving school I followed several career options before taking up a position at Charge Card Services Ltd., (the Service company for the Bankcard scheme), as a Computer Operator in 1973. I was with CCSL until 1987 …the last seven years as Manager Output Services. When the company was closed down I was appointed Production Manager at National Business Systems, where I was responsible for Plastic Card processing, Mailing, Security and Warehouse. I was with NBS until 2000 when I was retrenched following a company buyout. I then took over Management of two family companies. I retired in 2005.

I was married in 1975, now divorced. I now live in North Haven on the NSW Mid North Coast. I enjoy travel - particularly skiing, hiking and paddling trips both in Australia & overseas. My interests include:

Family. I have three daughters; Yolanda, married to Derek (with one son, my only grandson Mason) - IT Manager with Whistler Blackcombe BC Canada; Alex - an Ambulance Paramedic also in Whistler; and Lucy, married to Aidan – a Teacher at Queenwood School for Girls in Mosman.

Outdoor activities – My favourite outdoor activities are camping, hiking/bushwalking, four-wheel driving, sailing & surfing. I have also been active in the following sports: Snow Skiing – Competed in both Alpine and Cross Country Skiing for Boonoona Ski Club and was Club captain for ten years and on the Board for 12 years. I was made a Life Member of Boonoona Ski Club in 1980. I am still skiing mainly in Canada. Swimming – Member of North Sydney Masters Swim Club where I competed at Club, State, National & International level. I was president of the Club for three years and on the Board eight years and was a nationally accredited official with Master Swimming Australia. I was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 for my contribution to swimming in the North Sydney Area. I retired from Swimming in 2005 due shoulder injuries. Kayaking – I enjoy recreational kayaking and am currently President of Port Macquarie Hastings Canoe Club.

Rotary. I have in Rotary for 16 years, serving two terms as Club President, and was leader of a Rotary Study Exchange team to Ohio USA in 2005, and District GSE Chairman in 2006-7. I also lead a team of volunteers to Tanna in Vanuatu to renovate a school in a remote village. I have twice been honoured as a Paul Harris Fellow.

PAUL SHERIDAN

After leaving Riverview, I entered the Jesuits in New York and was ordained a priest in 1975. The first 20 years of my work consisted in providing homes and a strong education for children who were victimized by family members by abuse, neglect or lack of parenting. Today, we have 45 homes in five countries serving over 750 children with an additional 170 in Universities. The program is called: Boys Hope Girls Hope.

In 1996 I was appointed President of St. Louis University High School where I served for ten years. Then I was appointed President at Bellarmine College Preparatory, which is a school for

young men in the educational tradition of St. Ignatius Loyola and the Society of Jesus in San Jose, California.

I am indebted to Riverview where I found acceptance from teachers and students alike and where my vocation matured. I particularly want to credit Fr. Jones, Fr. Carol and Fr. Wallace. I thank God for all the graces he has given to me and to the Society for its magnanimity in being so open to the poor.

May you all enjoy a very meaningful 50th anniversary Reunion celebration in October. My memory is filled with respect and appreciation for the wisdom and kindness that I encountered at Riverview. Thank you for the work of the planning group in assisting our classmates to come together for this celebration.

I am writing these words as I leave on an Immersion Trip to South Africa with 11 students and a teacher from Bellarmine. Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend the Reunion in Sydney - since October is filled with so many obligations that I have to attend to in serving the needs of the school. May God bless all of you in your endeavours to serve Him. Best wishes to all my classmates.

MICHAEL SIDAWAY

After leaving Riverview I spent a number of years experimenting at different vocations till eventually I ended up as a Store Manager for Woolworths Ltd. I had always had the urge to travel and went overseas via a bus trip through Central America in the early 1970`s and finally ended up in England. I spent 3 years in the U.K. working at different jobs, to pay the bills whilst travelling around the U.K. I was very fortunate to be living with 4 English guys in Chelsea who introduced me to parts of England I would never have seen.

On my return to Australia in 1974 I married Gillie (a QLD girl) at Riverview Chapel, the


ceremony was officiated by Father Fraser. I resumed my employment with Woolworths and after having our 2 children in Sydney we were transferred to the country - first to Goulburn then to Griffith,Cooma and finally Batemans Bay,where I opened a new supermarket. After spending 20 years in the Bay I finally retired.

I was very involved with Rotary and our local community over many years and am probably doing what most of us do in retirement – play golf,gardening, reading being involved with family and travelling.

I enjoyed my time at View and made a number of lifelong friends who I am in regular contact with- James Rushton, Peter Walker and Michael Yewdall. The standards and disciplines at Riverview have left me in good stead all my life.

STEPHEN STREBER

After leaving Riverview in 1962, I attended the University of Sydney and at the end of 1966 went to New York and joined Dominick & Dominick as a trainee in investment banking. I spent the next three years in the USA acquiring skills in the Big Apple. In 1970 I joined one of my clients in London and Geneva, applying the skills learned in New York.

In 1971 in need of more training, I went to INSEAD, a leading European Business School to acquire an MBA. I also acquired my beautiful French wife, Beatrice, at the same time. Upon completing my MBA, I returned to Australia and joined Pioneer Concrete Holdings where I was an

executive in the Chairman’s Office. The climes of Sydney were good to Beatrice and me, and a baby-boy, Pavel, arrived to brighten our lives.

In early 1974, the family headed back to France, and I joined Hoechst-Roussel, an international pharmaceutical group. I then plied my trade variously in Argentina, and in Spain where our daughter, Verena, was born. Then it was back to Paris to run the Latin American operations. The country-hopping continued to South Africa, and back to France to look after European Pharma operations, and then on to the USA to look after the US businesses.

The USA was kind to us allowing Pavel to attend Princeton University – and to row, as a national champion and at Henley; and Verena to succeed in Bio-Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Verena then obtained her Law Degree from the University of Sydney and was admitted to the US Patent & Trademark Office.

Having spent 15+ years in a large company, I stepped out into the ‘small-is-beautiful’ world of biotechnology. The 1990’s was a wonderful place for small emerging biotech companies. I worked on both sides of the fence, creating and managing emerging biotech’s and helping to organise financing.

After working for others it seemed time in 2000 to seek the freedom of working for oneself. For the past 10+ years I have been a jack of all trades helping my son Pavel in managing the family’s environmental business out of Paris, and also helping my daughter Verena look after the same business interests in Miami, Florida.

For my sins, I have spent the better part of the past 50 years outside of Australia. This is a quick bio that leaves out the miss-spent parts. Beatrice and I divide our time between Paris and Miami, with occasional visits to Sydney. I regrettably need to be back in France for business reasons before the Reunion Dinner, but I would like to express my best wishes to all of my classmates.

BRETT TANCRED

I started at Riverview in 1957 and well remember receiving the strap from Bo Curran, Robert Bruce and BOD Griffith when I stepped out of line. Cat O'Sullivan and Coke Carroll and Fr ‘Rumble’ Ryan were teachers who certainly left an impression on me.

When I left school I worked in the Grace Building in York Street with the Repatriation Department, and at Concord Hospital. Then for a short period I worked in the family meat business,’Tancred Bros Wholesale Butchers and Meat Exporters’. Having dropped too many customers pigs in the sawdust I began a career in real estate and worked with Peter Hill at North Sydney for 8 years.

I then started my own real estate business in Mosman and Crows Nest which had a large property management portfolio. Since selling the business I have raised funds for The Kidney Foundation, sold office equipment in Alexandria, sold advertising into publications in Surry Hills and worked in Neutral Bay helping companies obtain export market grants from the government.

I was married in the Dalton Chapel by Fr Jack Drury, who was a friend of my father.

I have 2 boys and 2 girls. Jayne is a naturopath and writer; Susan a social worker; Ben a cyclist; and Ed is sales manager for L J Hooker Newtown. The girls went to Monte Sant’ Angelo,and the boys to Riverview.


Dee Why Beach has been my home for the last 12 years. It has been good to recover from aesophageal cancer and to be well again.

I also have been a member of Mosman Lions Club and North Sydney Rotary Club. It will be great to catch up with everyone at the dinner.

PETER WALKER

After struggling through civil engineering at Sydney University, I finally graduated in 1968. Being a Department of Main Roads (DMR) cadet, I was posted to Broken Hill and the wide open spaces. I loved the area (Tibboburra was almost my second home) and the experience of being thrown in at the deep end, looking after 3000km of roads, mainly station tracks. After two and a half years at the “Hill”, I travelled to the UK where I worked in various locations with a local contractor as a site engineer. During this time I met a beautiful English lass who became my wife Ann. She was keen to migrate to Australia with her pet rabbit, so in 1974 we returned to Chatswood and I recommenced work with the DMR at Granville. After 3 years with South

Metropolitan Construction, and the asphalt section which covered a radius of 150km around Sydney, we decided that a move to Canberra would be a good change. I subsequently worked in the Canberra region for local private contractors for 25 years.

After digging up most of Canberra, which was becoming somewhat boring, I took the opportunity in 1999, to become a Registered Engineer for Disaster Relief. Through RedR Australia I was offered a posting with UNHCR on the refugee program in western Tanzania where there were 500,000 refugees from Burundi and eastern Congo in 12 refugee camps spread over a length of 400km. I was road engineer and technical coordinator for the UNHCR refugee program, repairing all the roads in the region to ensure access to the camps especially in the wet seasons. Whilst it involved only basic engineering, it was an extremely interesting and fulfilling period for the 18 months of this deployment.

Ann was able to be there with me and did voluntary teaching work at the local street children’s centre. Most of the kids were refugees with no parents, and through some fund raising and help from friends we were able to send quite a few kids to school, carpentry and mechanics courses, and girl’s sewing classes. We unofficially “adopted” 5 African teenage boys who we were able to send to good schools and who graduated through to high school, and 2 subsequently graduated from college. Now men in their mid to late twenties, we saw them recently and they are doing reasonably well, although life is tough in Africa.

Following the UNHCR deployment, Ann and I spent 18 months in Cambodia, 3 years in Uganda, and 4 years in Kenya returning to Australia in 2010. During these times I was working with consulting engineers engaged in the design and supervision of road construction and providing technical assistance to government departments on donor-funded projects. We do have a special place in our hearts for Africa, which is a beautiful continent, and Africans, and I think we are a little African ourselves after such a long time there.

On return to Australia the intention was to engage in full time farming on our property at Bungendore where we have lived for 33 years raising Angus cattle. However this is currently being interrupted by another road construction project in Canberra. This will probably be my last engineering project so that I can return to farming, and Ann and I will have more time to travel within Australia and overseas to keep in touch with our “boys”

GEOFF WARD

With the view to staying on the land I put in a great year completing the inaugural one year course at the Yanco Research Station in 1963 followed by a few years wheat growing on the family farm. The reality of dry years and driving in decreasing circles encouraged me to take up Ag. Sc. at Sydney University, as a 21 year old fresher at St Johns, Missenden Road.

It took me an extra year but I did collect my B.Ag.Sc. and in the process, my wife of 42 years, Anne, a St Vincent’s theatre sister, country born and bred.

Taking orders did not appeal, so we went dryland sheep/wheat farming near Narromine, managing to make a living. Facing ‘get big or get out’ we sold, took the kids out of school and circumnavigated Australia for nine months and 40000 kms. Drawn back to Narromine by choice we became partners in a CRT (rural supply store) and enjoyed small town rural life.

Again we faced the prospect of the kids going to University and working, marrying, rearing our grandkids on the coast with few visits back to Narromine so we sold, joining the rural exodus and moving to Terrigal in 1987.


Establishing a wholesale birdseed business seemed a bit out of left field to some but it has prospered under our son Dennis, coming from Economics at Syd Uni ( St. Johns) to take over when I needed a mitral valve repair. Katrina, our second is happily teaching four year olds at preschool while Rachelle is using her Ph.D. in cereal chemistry at Yanco, helping to improve rice. We are proud of them all and the five grandkids.

Over the last fifteen years we have seen a fair bit of the world from the eyes of independent travellers and realise how lucky we are to be Australians.

I suspect I am now doing what most of our year at Riverview are doing, chasing grandkids, nursing crook knees, complaining about our politicians and still taking orders from the ‘boss’.

ROGER WILLIAMS

After leaving ‘View in 1962, I studied Arts & Law at the University of Sydney. I resided at St John’s College from 1963 to 1967. After graduating in 1970 I went to Europe where I was based in London, working for a West End solicitor and touring Europe for about 2+ years. I returned to Sydney in early 1973 and became a solicitor & later partner in a city law firm. I married my wife, Judith Johnstone in April 1975. We have lived for most of our married life in the Sydney suburb of Mosman. In 1980, I decided to leave private legal practice and became in-house counsel in a large, Australian company, where I spent the rest of my very-rewarding working life.

In 1984, my company decided that I should try my hand at international commodity marketing. I then spent a wonderful 10 years travelling the world marketing Queensland sugar to foreign buyers, lobbying in the US for the Australian sugar industry and acting as an industry advisor to Australian Govt. delegations in various GATT and other inter-governmental trade negotiations.

Judith and I had no children, so in 1986 we adopted a son, Daniel, now aged 27. Like me, he went to ‘View and St John’s. He teamed up with two boys who were his contemporaries at ‘View and formed the rock band, Art v Science which has become quite famous among the young, winning several Aria Awards and performing gigs at rock festivals in Australia, Europe & North America. He also found time to do an arts and a law degree that he expects to complete in May 2012.

In 1994, my company again tapped me on the shoulder. At that time they were expanding rapidly into building products joint ventures in China, Indonesia, Malaysia and other Asian countries. I was required to return somewhat to my legal roots and assist in negotiating & help manage several Asian joint ventures.

I retired in 2007. I then began working as a volunteer a couple of days per week at the Matt. Talbot Hostel for homeless men at Woolloomooloo where I am still. I also serve on the Council of St John’s College and am a member of the Parish Council of the 3-church Jesuit Parish of Our Lady of the Way, North Sydney. A couple of years ago I followed a private passion, namely modern history. I went back to Sydney Uni. at age 60 and completed a master’s degree which I hugely enjoyed.

DAVID WILLIS

In February 1963 I joined the Dominicans and have been with them ever since. At present I am at the Catholic Theological Institute, Bomana, Port Moresby. It is a place where candidates study for the religious and diocesan priesthood. I first came to Papua New Guinea in 1986 and have worked there, off and on, for 14 years in teaching and administration.

I was ordained in 1971. The first years of my priestly life were taken up with work in two parishes, Woodlands, in Perth and East Camberwell in Melbourne, and in two universities – Monash Melbourne and ANU Canberra.

In those years I completed a BA. While at the ANU I was asked to do further studies by the Order so I attended Graduate Theological Institute in Berkeley California for two years. While there I was asked to take up a teaching position at Holy Spirit Seminary, Bomana, Port Moresby.

I lectured there till the end of 1989 when I was appointed to an administrative position in the Dominicans which meant returning to Australia. That also allowed me to lecture at Yarra Theological Institute, Box Hill and to complete a Doctorate in Theology at Melbourne College of Divinity.

I returned to Bomana in 2000. By then the seminary had been restructured and I taught at what was, and remains, the Catholic Theologial Institute. Between 2005 and 2007 I was back in Australia once again, as Prior at East Camberwell. In 2008 at the end of my term I returned to Catholic Theological Institute to continue teaching and to be the president - no one else wanted the job! My second term runs out at the end of 2013, but, all things being equal, it looks like I will be at Bomana for a few years yet.


It was a great pleasure on receiving the Dinner Invitation to recall school friends from all those years ago but I was saddened to read the names of those who have died. I return to Australia each year but sadly it is not at a time that would make it possible to attend the Dinner. I hope all is well with your loved ones. Best wishes to all.

GERARD WINDSOR

The only school I ever attended was Riverview. I was first at its short-lived prep, Campion Hall, at Point Piper from 1950-1954, and then at the big school from 1955-1962. My four younger brothers all followed me through Riverview, so that my mother Mollie, now 93, was a Riverview parent continuously from 1950-1977. I was always Gerry at school and to my family, but to my grandmother and my Jesuit colleagues I was Gerard, and when I came to publish, Gerard seemed the more suitable name to put at the bottom of the page.

Something had obviously got into my system by the end of 1962, because in 1963 I entered the Jesuit novitiate at Watsonia in Melbourne. I had seven years as a Jesuit - happy,

stimulating years. Intellectually, and in terms of enduring friendships, these years meant much more to me than my schooldays (although I was intensely happy at Riverview.) But those years at Watsonia were my real "Jesuit Education" - a concept I've remained sceptical about when applied to schools. I've heard the current headmaster of Sydney Grammar say of his school that it's "the last Jesuit school" - and I think there's more than a grain of truth in that.

Still, I left the Society. The vows of Obedience and Celibacy were not for me. I did an Arts degree, then an MA Honours, specialising in Irish history and literature - which has remained a hobby. Since 1973 I've been visiting Ireland about every three years. In 1974 I thought I should do something useful with my life and enrolled in Medicine at Sydney University. But my Jesuit Education had excluded all Physics, Chemistry and Biology, and Medicine proved impossible. I dropped out - a good humbling experience. But at that very time I had a short story accepted for publication. If anywhere, I told myself, that's where my talent lay, and I've been a writer ever since. I could not have had a more satisfying occupation, but I do warn that it's financially extremely marginal.

My first book, commissioned by Riverview, and prompted by my greatly loved teacher and friend, Charlie Fraser, was a history of the school. This was written between 1975 and 1977, with the centenary of 1980 in mind, but the school refused to allow it to be published, on the grounds that it was too negative. This was not a happy experience. More details on application.

I've published ten and a half books - short stories, novels, essays, comic verse, memoirs and history. I've been quite an autobiographical writer so that whole books, or large slabs of them, have been devoted to my Jesuit years, and Riverview, and Catholicism, and Ireland. My most recent book (2011, reprinted 2012) has given me particular pleasure. All Day Long the Noise of Battle: an Australian Attack in Vietnam is a non-fiction account of an Australian infantry company in Vietnam in 1967-1968, and a major figure in the book is my old classmate of both the 1961 and 1962 Leaving classes, Mark Moloney, who went to Duntroon when I went to Watsonia. Curiously another old Riverview boy, Tim Hayes, class of 1964?, also served in the same company.

In 1979 I married Louella Kerr, who has been a dealer in rare books for thirty years, and we have lived since 1980 in, very suitably, Palace St, Petersham. I've been blessed in Louella. And I have two sons, both now in their mid-twenties. Together my books and the Internet provide more information about me than I think I care to know.

MICHAEL YEWDALL

In the July 2010 edition of The Monthly magazine, Murray Bail wrote an article entitled “The Only Things I Remember from School”. His memories went on for 2 pages and he never once mentioned anything to do with actual learning. He wrote about the important things, people.

For some time, Jim Rushton has been urging me to attend the 50th reunion of the class of ’62, and this has sent me cartwheeling back down memory lane. The memories were all about “What ever happened to……?” One memory ignited another and soon there was a kaleidoscope of images including:

The schoolboy appellations for the masters: Chisel, Parrot, Rastus, Bopper, Bo, Coke. The vast tundra of the divisional schoolyards, seething with a gaggle of embryonic solicitors, medicos,

accountants, graziers, salesmen, clerks, real estate agents, captains of industry (well, corporals, at least). The image of Bede Doyle sailing along the corridors like a man-‘o-war under full sail.


I made my two closest friends at Riverview and over all the years and the miles, those friendships stand out, undiminished.

On leaving school, I went to the Australian Broadcasting Commission, working in the studios around William Street. March 1966 saw me in England and I spent some months wandering around the UK and Ireland, Europe, North Africa and Scandinavia before returning to London where I worked for a company that owned office buildings. Back in Australia in 1969, I started with a quarrying and concrete company as a salesman and then branch manager.

Married to Mary Anne in 1971 (it’s our 41st anniversary this October), we moved to Brisbane shortly after to join a construction materials company, subsequently transferring to Mackay in mid-1972 to manage their new operation there. We have been fervent North Queenslanders ever since.

After 18 years in Mackay we moved further north to Townsville where we are, happily, today. In Townsville I operated my own business for a number of years distributing civil engineering and erosion control products.

Now, at 67, retired just this year, looking back over it all, the 3 children, the 5 grandchildren, the career moves with their highs and lows, the family growing up, developing and starting their own lives, the travel, all the trials and triumphs of the last 50 years, the early memories of my time at “View” come bubbling to the surface bringing with them a fresh sense of the continuity of life. Jostling for a spot on those small schoolyards seems a long time ago, but it’s just a moment away.

Things happen; you roll with the punches and move on. You plan as well as you can but nothing can really prepare you for what might happen in life. Not knowing can both thrilling and frightening………and it comes out alright in the end. And, as they say in “Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”, if it’s not alright then it’s not the end.

I now spend my time acquainting myself with the Western Canon and applying myself to a part-time Bachelor of Arts degree in Australian History. Of course, the occasional pint of Guinness goes down a treat.

Riverview Class of 1962 Reunion Dinner 13 Oct 2012 *Fr Tom O’Hara SJ will also be a guest at the Reunion Dinner

ADDITIONAL BIOGRAPHIES & DINNER ATTENDEES MICK DRURY

My father, who was an Old Boy whose father went to Joeys, believed that Riverview bred gentlemen whereas Joeys bred men. Hence I was dispatched to Riverview for polishing up.

Certain issues helped in my overall education, an “N” card for one. Eight hours of penals on a home Sunday helped me develop my ‘mean streak’ when needing to reprimand slack or wayward subordinates. Another incident was the exhilarating ride on that motorbike, rendered serviceable by TANK, with SMILEY as driver and me as passenger hurtling through the top gates straight across the road and through the barbed wire fence. I have never had trouble at life’s crossroads

since. On the negative side the lack of contact with the opposite sex was a severe setback. I once looked after Princess Diana for 1.5 hours on my own. It was extremely hard going, and after I had waved her goodbye I wondered if she had attended an all-girls school like a ‘Riverview for girls’.

On leaving school I joined the Commonwealth Bank and at the induction course was Terry O’Brien. At the same course I was ticked off for wearing a lemon shirt instead of a “Bankers white shirt”. I decided to let Terry become the General Manager and I drifted off to follow in the footsteps of St Matthew and become a Customs Officer. My father advocated becoming a Customs Officer because he said it would suit me down to the ground as all they did was carry a suitcase, look important and not work too hard. Thirty two years later I retired from Customs having achieved two of dad’s observations namely carrying the suitcase and looking important.

I had some memorable experiences – the ‘colour TV’ affair, the arrival of the Pope, arrival of Qantas’ first jumbo, Qantas bomb hoax, and oversighting the closure by Customs of the Customs House at Circular Quay. But by far one lasting memory that stands out was finding Terry Kelly in the Customs Hall on his return from Vietnam. There were other good times being able to help some notable old boys on their arrival and departures including Rodney Clark and his brother Leigh, Jack O’Brien and the family departing on a cruise ship.

On the home front I married an absolutely fantastic girl who is my best friend and soul-mate. We have been married 46 years and have five children and twelve grandchildren. The religious education was very good but the sex education was non-existent. I once told Jack Drury SJ that contraception was more than a rock squeezed between a female’s knees. He just looked at me, laughed, and said ‘keep the faith son’.

My lovely wife Joan decided that she needed a sea change so we now live in Austinmer overlooking the ocean. We bought an old place and have spent much time and money doing it up ourselves. Currently I am into beaching, grandchildren, golf and travelling around Australia in our caravan and enjoying every minute of it.

BRIAN KINSELLA

I suspect that my life has been different from most. But, to start, I want to say that my time at Riverview became seminal to my later life. Fr Fraser was maybe the greatest influence at the time. I've always remembered that in his office he had busts of two of his ‘greatest people who ever lived’. The first was Jesus Christ. The second was Socrates. I have never forgotten that.

So now to my humdrum history. In 1963 I enrolled in Medicine at Sydney University. I went to St Johns College, where I quickly discovered the ritual of fresher-bashing. People who were destined to become leaders of their professions in Australia took part in, indeed supervised, barbaric

treatment of first year students. I found it appalling. The then rector of the college, the philosopher Fr Burnheim, turned a blind eye to this barbarity. I remember visiting Fr Fraser at Riverview and telling him what was going on. I gather he passed this on to Cardinal Gilroy. Anyway the word obviously reached the College senior students who banded together to persecute me mercilessly. I left the College. And I didn't really want to do Medicine anyway.

In 1964 I became a cadet journalist in Newcastle, and in 1966 at Mount Isa. I joined the CMF in 1966, and was looking for some adventure, so when I missed out in the National Service Lottery I volunteered. I spent a year at Point Cook learning Vietnamese and being inducted into Vietnamese culture, and in Jan 1969 I found myself in Vietnam in the Australian Intelligence Corps. I can't give details of what I did there, though I can say that I had my share of being shot at, mortared and rocketed. I survived and returned to Australia before Christmas.

I joined Australian Associated Press, had a stint as bureau chief in Port Moresby, and after marrying in 1972, worked for 2 years in Fleet Street in London. I was with AAP till 1984 in Brisbane, Jakarta, KL, Bangkok and HK. But in 1979 I had an attack of acute viral meningitis which meant I virtually had to learn to walk again. I decided I'd had enough of journalism, and enrolled in Law at Macquarie, graduating with Honours in 1983, and in March 1984 commenced practice at the NSW Bar. I worked in Sydney and the Northern Rivers until mid-2008.

Riverview Class of 1962 Reunion Dinner 13 Oct 2012 *Fr Tom O’Hara SJ will also be a guest at the Reunion Dinner

I got my Private Pilot's Licence, and eventually my aerobatic endorsement. I loved flying. On my 50th birthday I celebrated with my first jump out of an aeroplance at 10,000 feet. On my fourth jump, when I pulled the ripcord at 4,000 my main canopy failed to open properly - the shrouds got tangled around the canopy. I was rapidly approaching the ground, and so I deployed my reserve chute and ultimately landed perfectly in the centre of the landing zone. I was in a state of complete euphoria. It was one of the most intense experiences of my life.

I've since divorced (in 2009), but have four terrific adult children who are successful in their own careers. Now I live back in Vietnam, with a Vietnamese partner who has a fascinating story of her own. I have lived life to the full.

CHRISTOPHER McCARRON

Today I am still happily married after 41 years to my wife Jacky.

We have three children – Tim, Peter & Kate & son-in-law Dru. We have two lovely grand daughters – Audrey & Rosie.

I have been a solicitor for 41 years following six years of Articles.

We have lived in Port Macquarie for 40 years and complete retirement is not too near. Port Macquarie is a good place to live with an ideal climate and away from the city rat race. However,

there are disadvantages of distance from family and friends.

We have been fortunate enough to have completed numerous local and overseas holidays.

Most of you will remember me as a sick kid (with a sick sense of humour as well)! I was the last of the four McCarron boys from Bellata, country NSW, which stood me in a good position despite my size (or lack of it). Instead of being another “Blackie McCarron”, I became “Beatle McCarron” with some variations. All this before “The Beatles” copied my nickname. Gerry Windsor ensured my reputation by including my nickname and ill health in one of his books. (Is it too late to sue him?)

I never made the 1st XV Rugby, 1st XI Cricket, the VIII Rowing, Athletics etc.. However neither did Tony Abbott or 94% of the rest of the boys. I did manage to acquire some valued lifetime friends and a reasonable education which has held me in good stead.

ALSO ATTENDING THE REUNION DINNER

Chris Brennan Terry Cunich Dexter Giblin Max Graham Bill O’Brien Theo Clark

Tribute to Dr Martin ("Tim") Talty (from a eulogy prepared by John Timbs – submitted by Peter McEwen)

Tim died on 9 Sept 2012 finally succumbing to cancer. He came to Riverview from the Newcastle area, part of the "push" also comprising the Kinsellas, the Enrights and the Holleys. Prior to attending Riverview he boarded at Christian Brothers Nudgee where he was Dux in his final year. Though of comparatively light build he was an aggressive and capable rugby player as a breakaway in the 3rd XV (1961) and the 2nd XV (1962). He was sparing with his words, but could be persuasive (playing Decius Brutus in 1962's Julius Caesar). He was popular among his peers though not necessarily among the teachers. He was an "A" class student, matriculating to read for Medicine at Sydney Uni .He attended St John's College and, after graduation, settled down to practise as a general practitioner at Woollahra and later at Mortdale. He was well regarded by his patients, not only for his expertise but also for his willingness to listen, and to give them time. He married Jill Lawrenson in 1986 and they had one child, Amy, (now a final year vet student) whom he adored. Tim was a compassionate and gifted GP, devoid of arrogance or hubris. He had a keen sense of humour, sharp wit, and interest in people, as friends, acquaintances and patients with whom he liked to share a glass of red. He could be conservative, and quietly emphatic in his views (some of which would have sounded not at all out of place at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas). He was a gentleman sailor, a gentleman golfer and a keen and daring surfer throughout his life, preferring the big waves. He owned a succession of unfashionable cars and deeply enjoyed being a late developing father. Tim was an old boy whose life and achievements fulfilled the spirit of Riverview we all aspire to. Vale Tim.

MICHAEL BESTON DAVID BRUCE FRED CAHILL PETER CARROLL RODNEY CLARK

EDDIE CORCORAN PETER CORCORAN MICK DRURY JOHN EGAN BRIAN FERGUSON

DENIS FITZGERALD JOHN GARNSEY MICHAEL GRADY JOHN GREEN IAN HAYSON

ROGER HONEYMAN PETER KEARNEY TOM MANN NICHOLAS MASON KEVIN MITCHELL

CHRIS McCARRON JACK O'BRIEN BILL O'BRIEN STEPHEN SMITH DAVID STRONG SJ

A warm welcome to Bill O'Brien from an earlier year at

Riverview

ALSO ATTENDING THE REUNION DINNER

Riverview Class of 1962 Reunion Biography Booklet_2 Oct 2012


REQUIESCAT IN PACE

The following deceased members of the Class of 1962 are remembered with affection by their classmates, friends and family.

IAN BRIDGE

Ian James Bridge (from Rose Bay) was enrolled at Riverview from 1957 to 1962.

MICHAEL BULL

Michael “Mick” Bull and I started at SIC in 1957 commencing in Grammar B. We were both from the bush from almost opposite ends of NSW – Bingara in the Northern New England and me from Booligal in the South West. Mick was a very friendly, good natured bloke with a great sense of humour. Unlike me he became a very competent cricketer. He was blessed with good cricket genes and one of his favourite stories was of how his father –Wilson – smashed a ball clean out of the SCG playing Country week cricket in the 1930s.

We became firm friends during and after our time at SIC. We would always meet up at the Sydney Easter Show where the Bulls would display their “Cooringoora” Stud Shorthorn Cattle. Being involved with stud cattle Mick was a good judge particularly of young “heifers” and knew how to attract the girls.

One of six children, Mick certainly looked after his younger sisters, taking them to parties and balls etc. in the North-West after they left school and he was also close to his older brother, Charles. Both boys returned to the family properties, Michael doing so after completing the Leaving Certificate. At the age of about twenty, he moved onto "Kranna" one of these properties not far from “Cooringoora" but returned often for company and to sample his mother's cooking! He played cricket at local and district level and also possessed a very fine singing voice. He became quite well-known, performing at various concerts and occasions throughout the district.

Michael was a lovable rogue, one could perhaps say. He was well-known throughout the Bingara district and within the North-West, taken too early in January 1969, from all those who knew and loved him. Sadly in those years of very low-tech communications I only learnt of his death on the day of his funeral and could not attend his farewell service - a fact I still regret. In a great touch of fortunate irony my youngest son Campbell is a very close mate of Jono Bull – Mick’s nephew. Many members of the Bull family say Jono is very much like Mick and I have to agree. Mick was a good mate and is sadly missed – Vale Mick. (Written by Mike Cannon, with the kind assistance of Mick’s brother Charles and his wife Marian).

PAUL CARTER

Paul Christopher Carter (from Lane Cove) was enrolled at Riverview from 1957 to 1962.

PAUL DONELAN

Paul Gary Donelan (from Copeton) was enrolled at Riverview from 1959 to 1960

MARK EMERY

Mark Norman Emery (from Rose Bay) was enrolled at Riverview from 1957 to 1960.

ANTHONY ENRIGHT

Anthony John Enright (from Maitland) was enrolled at Riverview from 1958 to 1962.


BRIAN FERRARI

Brian Roland Ferrari (from Artarmon) was enrolled at Riverview from 1958 to 1962.

ROGER GERSTEL

Roger James Gerstel (from Chatswood) was enrolled at Riverview from 1958 to 1963.

MONTE GILDEA

Monte Ernest Gildea (from Vaucluse) was enrolled at Riverview from 1957 to 1963.

ROBERT HARKINS

Robert Joseph Harkins (from Artarmon) was enrolled at Riverview from 1959 to May 1962.

JAMES LONERAGAN

James Frederick Loneragan (from Mudgee) was enrolled at Riverview from 1958 to 1962.

WILLIAM LONERAGAN

William Robert Loneragan (from Mudgee) was enrolled at Riverview from 1959 to 1962.

KEWAN McDONALD

Kewan McDonald (from Botany) was enrolled at Riverview from 1958 to 1962.

BRUCE McLEAN

Bruce Lachlan McLean (from Lindfield) was enrolled at Riverview from 1961 to 1962.

ANTHONY SHANNY

Anthony John Shanny (from Palm Beach) was enrolled at Riverview from 1957 to 1961.

MARTIN TALTY Martin John Talty (from Newcastle) was enrolled at Riverview from 1957 to 1962.

BOOKLET OF BIOGRAPHIES - olderignatians.files.wordpress.com · 13.10.2012 · Riverview Class of...

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Transcript of BOOKLET OF BIOGRAPHIES - olderignatians.files.wordpress.com · 13.10.2012 · Riverview Class of...