Describe one positive change you have made in your life.

THE FIRST WAS THE BEST

The FIRST real change I made during my life, was a decision I wanted to leave our family farm and train to be a teacher. I made that decision in January 1968. It was altogether too late to apply for entry into teachers college to begin in 1968. I would have to wait until 1969.

Buy some lucky chance while in the town of Moura, I happened to meet the then Minister for Education and Western Australia, the Honourable Edgar Lewis. He was our local member in the West Australian parliament. We got talking and I told him what my ambition for the future happened to be.

Unbeknownst to me, Mr Lewis took my situation on board and to the extent of where about three weeks later I received a telegram on a Friday. It told me I had been successful in my application to go to teachers college and could indeed start three weeks late with the 1968 intake. (Fortunately I had a leaving certificate for Year 12 which gave me the right to apply to become a teacher.)

I needed to be in Perth for following Monday in order to start my training, which was at Grayland Teacher’s College.m

So began a new career path for me. I graduated at the end of 1969. (At that stage training was for a two year period but in that time we did far, more work than people undertaking 4 year courses do these days.)

My first appointment with my wife (who was a qualified teacher) was to Warburton Ranges in far outback Western Australia.

My career is that Educator formally finished on 12 January 2012 when I retired. I could go on but won’t. I’ve never regretted becoming a teacher and school leader and I’m really terrifically glad that I have the chance way back then.

Note: after finishing year 12 at the end of 1963, I worked on our family farm for four years from 1964 to 1967 inclusive.