Issue 1
SPECTEMUR
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Contents S C H O OL
From the Headmaster’s Desk..................................................................................1 2020 VCE Results...................................................................................................2 Green Pages...........................................................................................................4 News from Around the School................................................................................6 Staff Profile – Peter Zagarn......................................................................................9 Murdoch Centre for Educational Research and Innovation.................................... 11 Art Across the School........................................................................................... 12 Dorset: New Gallery Space and Scholars in Residence Accommodation for the School........................................................ 15 House Music.........................................................................................................16 Prep Reflections....................................................................................................18 Year 5 Leadership Executive.................................................................................19 Trips, Camps, Excursions and Incursions..............................................................20 Connect with us on DEEDS...................................................................................25 Sport.....................................................................................................................26
CO M M U N I T Y
Community Connections.......................................................................................28 From the Archives.................................................................................................30 Events...................................................................................................................31
OC G A
OCGA Golf Challenge...........................................................................................35 Alumni News.........................................................................................................36 Alumni Profile........................................................................................................38 Obituaries..............................................................................................................40
From the
Headmaster’s Desk
Optimism
“Every day may not be good, but there’s good in every day.” Alice Morse Earle At the end of Monty Python’s Life of Brian, one of the thieves being crucified encourages all of us to ‘always look at the bright side of life’. It is a naïve sort of optimism, reflecting the idea that if we just wait long enough, even the direst situation will improve and things will get better. He is Monty Python’s version of Voltaire’s Dr Pangloss – the overly optimistic character that our Literature students are reading about in Candide – who constantly argues that ‘all is for the best’ in this ‘best of all possible worlds’. Optimism is one of our key values at Camberwell Grammar School, but our brand of optimism is a little more pragmatic than that. We have all learned that in life we will experience both positive and negative experiences. We will experience joy and pain, and sometimes those things are beyond our control. We need to develop resilience and have faith that things will improve. But just sitting back and waiting for things to improve is only wishful thinking. It is all very well to be optimistic that we will pass the next test, or just get better at sport or music, but unless we actually do something about those situations, our optimism may be ill-founded. A more effective form of optimism involves a plan. In many situations we have it within our control to do something positive to make the outcome better. We can study hard for the test, we can work on specific skills in our music and our sport. In those cases we actually create some grounds for our optimism. And often the harder we work, the more optimistic we can be.
Optimism is not just about always wishing for the best, it is believing that things can be better, and taking steps to make them better. Being an optimist does not mean that we cannot see the problems with the world, or that we feel upbeat all the time. Being an optimist is seeing what can be better, and working towards that end, it is about acknowledging times of sadness, and disappointment, but calling on ‘strength of heart and strength of mind’ to seek out the good even in those bad times. It is about believing that we can be agents of change and that our failings should not prevent us from accepting the next challenge. Optimism is also a state of mind which believes that people, at their essence, are good, and it encourages us to live up to the best version of ourselves we can be, and with Courage, another one of our values, it calls out behaviour which falls short of the mark, and encourages us all to nurture the ‘better angels of our nature’. In that sense the work of our School is at its heart optimistic: we hope to be an agent of change for a better world, and learning is the tool we use to expand minds and instil values. Dr Paul Hicks Headmaster
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2020 VCE Results
Following an extraordinary year, dominated by Coronavirus, lockdowns and restrictions in every aspect of our lives, it is my great pleasure to share with you news of our VCE results for 2020. Given that our Year 12 students spent a significant proportion of the year learning remotely, with classes on ZOOM and work set online, we were not really sure what to expect this year. While we were proud of the efforts and work ethic demonstrated by our students, and the calm and professional way that they approached their examinations, none of us could predict how their experiences this year would impact on their results. Nor were we certain how the special consideration provisions offered to many students across the State would work. It is therefore with a great deal of pride that I congratulate our Class of 2020 for their outstanding VCE results last year. All 172 of our students who completed the year satisfactorily, met the requirements of the VCE and we are very proud of them all. Their results are impressive by any standards – given the conditions of the year, they are extraordinary. Three of our students achieved a perfect score of 99.95. Twenty-three students (13%) achieved an ATAR of 99 or better, placing them in the top one per cent of the State. Fifty-six students (33%) achieved a rank of 95 or better, while 51% of our students achieved a score of 90 or better, placing them in the top ten per cent of the State. Ninety-seven percent of our students were in the top 50% of the State. Our median ATAR score was 90.65. These results, so similar to last year’s, are extraordinary, and are a great credit to our students and their teachers, who worked so closely with them, delivering their programs in new and innovative ways. I congratulate them all. 2
There were seven perfect study scores across a range of subjects: Chemistry, English Language, English (3), Mathematical Methods and Visual Communication Design. Twenty-one per cent of all study scores were 40 or higher, which given that we tend to do the more ‘difficult’ VCE subjects, is also an excellent result. This year the Duces of our School are Tory Crosgrove, Jamie Garnham, and Ryan Tam, all of whom scored 99.95 – the highest possible score. Our Proxime Accesserunt was Matthew Wu, who scored 99.90. All four boys were actively involved in the full life of the School (although their opportunities were severely curtailed this year!) and they worked very hard at their studies. Tory Crosgrove participated in a wide range of curricular and co-curricular activities, and was awarded Full Colours in Debating. He was also involved in British Parliamentary Debating. He was a House Prefect in Steven House, and helped to organise the House’s Debating and House Music involvement. He played Tennis and Hockey for the School and was a member of the School Choir. He won Academic prizes for English Language, Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics. Tory scored 50 in English Language, 47 in Biology, 44 in French, 43 in Chemistry and 43 in Specialist Mathematics. In addition, he scored 47 for Mathematical Methods whilst in Year 11. Jamie Garnham also undertook a wide range of activities during his time at School. In 2020, he was appointed Captain of Macneil House and was also awarded Full Colours for Debating. He played trumpet in the Concert Band, was Vice President of
our Rotary Interact Club, played soccer and basketball for the School and was a keen member of our early morning running group. Jamie received numerous Academic prizes and was also awarded a special prize in 2020 for Outstanding Service to the School. Jamie scored 49 in English, 49 in Chemistry, 48 in French, 44 in Latin and 44 in Specialist Mathematics. In Year 11, Jamie scored 42 in Classical Studies. Ryan Tam joined our community in 2017, when he was in Year 9. He was an exceptionally dedicated Scholar throughout his time at School, most clearly recognised with the award of School prizes for English Language, Chemistry, Physics and Excellence in Mathematics in 2020. Ryan scored 50 in Chemistry, 47 in English Language, 46 in Physics, 43 in Specialist Mathematics and a maximum score for University Enhanced Mathematics. In Year 11, Ryan scored 48 for Mathematical Methods. Ryan sang in our School choir, helped our with our Da Vinci decathlon team and represented Camberwell in Volleyball and Fencing. Matthew Wu was appointed Captain of Derham House in 2020 and remained heavily involved in the School’s Music Program throughout his time at School, receiving Full Colours. Matthew scored 47 in English, 46 in Legal Studies, 45 in Specialist Mathematics, 38 in Chemistry and 37 in Latin. In Year 11, Matthew scored 47 in Music Performance and 41 in Mathematical Methods. Matthew holds an AMusA in viola, an LMusA in piano and played with many ensembles and orchestras over the years. He was also an active member of our Rotary Interact Club. A further nineteen students earned scores of 99 or better. These boys also studied a wide range of subjects and actively involved themselves in the life of the School: Thomas Bowers, Arman Cakmakcioglu, Rhys Campbell, Hongyi Chen, Daniel Duong, Kaelan Fraser, Christopher Golz, Haotian Huang, Nhan Anh Le, Matthew Lim, Hao Liu, Emmanuel Marcus, William Murray, Thomas Ng, Aidan Oh, Jack Schwenk, Yijie Song, Philip Wang, Yixu Wang. As always, we need to remember that the ATAR is a ranking device, and by definition, not everyone can be at the top. I am
equally proud of those students whose scores will not make it into newspaper reports or league tables, but who achieved a score which represents their very best efforts. No score on its own can reveal the story behind a student’s year – and particularly this year. Some of our students faced significant issues throughout 2020, and nevertheless did the very best they could. We should celebrate their achievements as much as we celebrate those of the boys with the top scores. I am very proud of all of our students who did their best, no matter their score. Indeed, one of the results I am most proud of, is a student who attained a 24 in English against considerable odds – and that score will be sufficient to give him entry into his first preference course. His ATAR score did what it needed to do – it got him into the course of his choice, and I am delighted for him. All students tried their best given their ability and the realities of their lives. ATAR numbers will soon be forgotten. But the lessons learned at School, the resilience developed during the course of this year, and the values and skills learned here, will last forever. I congratulate those of our students who have done well, I commiserate with those who may be feeling disappointed, but I encourage both groups to keep these results in perspective. This is just one day in a long journey still to come. And as we have all learned this year, we cannot predict which way the road ahead will turn. I would like once more to publicly acknowledge our remarkable teaching staff who helped our students to achieve these wonderful results. I am not sure that the wider community fully understands the lengths they went to this year to provide learning to our students. Our teachers had to rethink completely the way they delivered material to students, the way that they monitored student progress, and the way they provided feedback. They had to develop skills in online teaching, making and editing videos and keeping in contact with students who spent a significant proportion of the year learning from home. I know that our teachers are very proud of their students, and I am very proud of them. I also congratulate and thank our parents, who have encouraged their sons by supporting them through the ups and downs of an extraordinary VCE year. Congratulations once more to the Class of 2020 on their outstanding results. It is pleasing to see that their hard work has been rewarded so generously. Dr Paul Hicks Headmaster
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Green Pages Last year was not a lot of fun – but you probably don’t need to read the Sustainability Roundup to realise this. While everything went to the wall, a small and intrepid group of Camberwell boys worked over several months to get a presentation ready for the Kids Teaching Kids Conference. This conference is (normally) a gathering of kids from around the country to talk about what they are doing to create sustainable learning environments and in 2020 was, of course, transferred to the online world. Andrew Hare and Jacob Clark showed incredible resilience in the face of uncertainty. While the topic of the presentation was forced to change with shifting circumstances, the final presentation on how to establish a gardening space provided students from around Australia with an engaging and productive activity. Beyond the incredible production values behind the presentation, the boys did an amazing job in working with extremely trying circumstances.
Growing Green for gold? Mobile Muster undertakes this process, mining old phones for their valuable resources and completely disintegrates the hardware in the process. Nevertheless, we strongly recommend you erase all data from your device before sending it in for dismantling. Meanwhile, the Highton carpark is also home to our clothing and e-waste bins. Bring your old clothes to the bin and they will be repurposed or, if they are beyond further use, turned into fuel for power stations. You can bring in old clothes, shoes, and sheets and they will all be steered away from landfill.
Plans are underway to develop a new garden space outside Kingussie which will eventually house a water tank, greenhouse and several vegetable garden beds. We are also hoping to establish a distribution bench to send the fruits of our labours into the community. Watch this space for more information – or even better, watch the new garden space grow in the lead up to spring!
Recycling at School
Our e-waste collection ensures that your old televisions, toasters or any other electronic appliances can be broken down into useful components and elements. Together with Mobile Muster, this ensures that you no longer need to have the toxic legacy of old technology hanging around your home – bring it to school instead and it will be dealt with in a responsible and sustainable manner. Mr Will Hone Sustainability Coordinator
Check In!
Camberwell Grammar offers many ways to help you move your waste to the appropriate place. The Weickhardt Library houses our Mobile Muster phone recycling box. Did you know it is more productive to mine mobile phones than to mine ore 4
Keep up to date with CGS’s sustainability initiatives via DEEDS (see Sustainability link on front page).
The Junior School’s New Native Water Garden The CGS Junior School boys are enjoying the new native water garden, designed by Regan Davies, Senior Grounds Officer, and Howard Kelly, Head of Junior School. ‘We wanted to create a natural setting in which the boys could interact with nature to some degree and recreate what would be a natural setting found throughout Victoria,’ says Regan. The boys are very excited about the garden’s new inhabitants, especially the two eastern long-neck turtles, who the boys get to feed daily. With mud rock steppingstones and a pebbled creek area, the boys can step through the garden or build dams and rapids with the river stones, inviting them to play and get close to the turtles and fish.
“The boys are very excited about the garden’s new inhabitants.”
This new garden is the start of a five-year plan aimed at transforming and enhancing the look and horticultural wealth of the CGS gardens.
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News from Around the School Camberwell Grammar Aquatic Award Aquatic and Recreation Victoria has recognised Camberwell Grammar Aquatic for its fantastic new program – Junior Racers. We were thrilled to see Junior Racers receive the industry award for best Innovative Program. The program is a fantastic grass root initiative for junior swimmers, and has already been of benefit to many children in the community.
Underground Synthetic Training Venue The school has now added to the already impressive resume of sport and activity spaces with the introduction of the new underground synthetic training venue. It is situated to the left-hand side of the underground carpark as you enter at the bottom of the ramp, adjacent to the cadet storage area. It will service all sports during the colder, wetter months and provides a space for smallsided games. It includes a batting machine for cricket, as well as a goalkeeping machine for hockey.
Year 8 Warner Youth Education Alcohol Presentation Xavier Diaz, from Warner Youth Education, spoke to our Year 8 students about the dangers associated with alcohol use in teenagers. While statistics are indicating that teenagers are pushing alcohol aside to be their best in their sporting, learning and cultural endeavours, education that provides students with a range of strategies for harm minimisation involving alcohol is essential for their wellbeing and life skills development. Xavier kept the students focused as he taught them about the dangers associated with alcohol and how to respond to peer group pressure, including how to successfully communicate boundaries to your peer group. Moreover, he highlighted issues associated with reputation, relationships, trust, and regret. Mr Shaun Burke Head of Middle School Operations 6
Chess Champions In the wake of the Netflix series, The Queen’s Gambit, a mini‑series about a chess champion, there has been a renewed interest in chess playing in the community, and CGS is no exception. Taking advantage of warm summer weather, and eager to practise and improve their chess skills, boys took to playing chess outdoors during lunch breaks this term.
AGSV Leaders Day During Term 1, school leaders from AGSV Schools gathered at Camberwell Grammar for the day to discuss leadership and the power of students to change the world. Camberwell were well represented by School Captain Luke Doblin and Vice Captain Isaac Hui.
Junior School Maths Morning The Junior School students enjoyed a wonderful morning of maths activities together. One of the games involved boys throwing as many bean bags or shuttlecocks as possible into a hoop within a one-minute time frame. They had to record their scores using their right hand, then their left. They added their scores to determine which hand scored the most. They had to compare scores to determine who scored the highest and who scored the lowest in their team. They also had to work out the difference between the highest and lowest score. The older boys were caring mentors for their younger team members.
Junior School House Swimming Competition On Friday 12 March, all Year 3, 4 and 5 boys competed in the Junior School Inter-House Swimming Carnival at Camberwell Grammar School Sports Complex. All boys competed in a variety of individual and relay events. Congratulations to Derham/Schofield who were the overall 2021 Interhouse Swimming Champions.
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Year 7 Graffiti Prevention through Life Skills Education
Middle School Sporting Competition In Term 1, Middle School students commenced House Sport for 2021 with House teams rotating through three sports – Volleyball, Teeball and European Handball. Points are accumulated throughout each of the rounds, all contributing to the overall House Competition.
Senior School House Athletics The Senior School House Athletics Carnival was held at Doncaster Athletics Track on Tuesday 16 March. In gloriously sunny conditions, Clifford House (24 pts) prevailed on the day, narrowly beating Bridgland (23 pts), with Macneil and Derham tied for 3rd (22 pts). Clifford Captain Flynn Chable proudly collected the trophy at Senior School Assembly and is pictured below with his Housemates.
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Xavier Diaz, from Warner Youth Education, spoke to our Year 7 students about graffiti prevention as part of their Life Skills education. Xavier, whose presentations are always incredibly engaging for our students, used graffiti as a base issue to discuss more broader themes such as drivers behind anti-social behaviour and misguided decision making, the effects of our actions on others, peer pressure, and how to help themselves make better choices in difficult situations. The students were encouraged to think about those who become victims of graffiti and how taking part in such behaviour could result in legal and criminal charges. Through his presentation, Xavier encouraged students to instead explore legitimate forms and benefits of positive self-expression.
Staff Profile – Peter Zagarn Peter, who with his wife, Hannah, recently welcomed their baby girl Charlotte in February, talks about his role within CGS and imparts some new, fatherly wisdom for the students. What is your role in the Middle School?
Do you have any hobbies outside of school?
My current role in the Middle School is Mathematics Co-Ordinator and Year 7 Form Teacher. I also teach Year 7 Science, Year 7 Personal and Social Development, and Year 8 Extension mathematics.
As a new parent, I have tried my hand at some woodworking and craftsmanship. I have built some rudimentary boxes for storage and tried to convert a desk into a changing table. The success will be determined if the baby falls off. I like to play video games, no addiction here, and I also like to exercise (tends to be early in the morning or not at all). Now I attend 12RND, boxing fitness classes, about four times a week. I am starting to ride my bike more too and hope to ride to school during Term 4.
How long have you been at GCS? Why did you choose teaching as a career and what was your path to get to where you are today? 2021 will be my fourth year at CGS and, my goodness, time has flown. I finished secondary school in 2003 and attended Monash University where I studied a double degree in Science and Engineering with Chemistry focus. While completing these degrees I began tutoring my cousin in Maths Methods and Chemistry. Over the year, I ended up running small classes to help students develop an understanding of topics that I was passionate about. This led me to the realisation that I was looking forward to teaching my cousin and his friends more than the engineering work I was doing. I completed my degrees and moved to teaching. During my Education Degree, I had a myriad of experiences during teaching rounds, and my last placement was at Fountain Gate Secondary College. I was fortunate enough to be offered a job during my placement to teach VCE Chemistry and Physics and I jumped at the opportunity. I remember my first year teaching, 2012, I attended a VCE Physics Personal Development at CGS for new teachers and was amazed by the facilities. Having worked as a Year 10 Co-ordinator for 6 years and not being afforded opportunities to progress, I found an advertisement for a 6-month contract at CGS which I applied for. I remember attending my interview with Rob French, John Tuckfield and Gordon Wilson and, being the organised person that I am, I had laminated printouts of my metacognition work and examples of unit plans. During the interview, the questions ended up leading more towards pastoral care and my experience helping students through crisis. I was offered the six-month contract that day and was excited to start my journey at CGS. Two days later, Rob called me to ask whether I would be interested in a year long contract as a Year 7 Form Teacher. Being engaged and planning a wedding, I said I would love to and that is how it all started.
What are your duties/responsibilities as a personal and social development coordinator? The role is a difficult one as personal and social development has a wide range of skills and traits we are trying to encourage and develop in the boys. As coordinator, I try to make sure there is ample time built in for these areas, but also remaining flexible as issues that are best addressed in PSD class can arise any time. The role is about supporting the Form teachers in the Middle School and making sure that we are all on the same page and demonstrating the school’s values for the boys. One aspect of the role that I enjoy was developing the Middle School Values Assembly where students were asked to recognise the values of the school in their peers, citing acts that demonstrated the values. This peer recognition was an acknowledgement system I am always interested in as it allows any student to stand up and recognise their peers for what we all hold dear.
What do you love about working at CGS? The people: the students with the enthusiasm to learn in the Middle School, the staff always willing to lend a helping hand, and the support staff that go above and beyond any request. It has allowed me to focus on pedagogy and develop deep relationships with everyone in the school community.
Did the experience of Covid and 2020 leave you with any changed habits or positive reflections? The appreciation of a smile – it is what I missed so much. I always try and infuse humour in my classes and seeing the boys smile during a zoom session just made me glad that I found my way to teaching. Checking up on everyone – the squeaky wheel gets the oil, but we should be checking on all the wheels all of the time as a teacher. Zoom made it more difficult to check on the progress of students, academically, socially, and emotionally and it is something that I want to try and do daily.
Now that you are a father, what life advice will you impart to Charlotte when she is older that could also resonate with the CGS boys? Reflect on what just happened. You do not learn from experience, but you learn from reflecting on experiences. Just like shooting a basketball, you need to check that it went in and if it did not, you try and find out why. You need to make sure that you are thinking about what happened, positive or negative, and try to think about what you do leading up to the event. Ask questions about it. Being unsure is such an unsettling feeling, and making sure you are on the right track can bring a feeling of comfort and allow you to be ready to learn something about the world around you. Being ready to observe the amazing phenomena that is happening allows for curiosity to spark. Finding out how things work, why things work, why we think the way we do, is always interesting. That and laugh at your dad’s jokes. He really appreciates it.
When we can travel freely again one day, is there anywhere in particular you would like to take your new family member and why? To my parents’ house? I would really like to imbue Charlotte with an appreciation of Australia and everything it has to offer. Having friends in Perth and Hobart, I would love to take Charlotte and do some exploring of nature. The beautiful beaches, the green forests, the amazing wineries. I’m sure kids like grape vines?
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“When we look at our students at Camberwell Grammar and around the state, we can feel optimistic about our country.”
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Murdoch Centre
for Educational Research and Innovation
The Best Reason to Be Optimistic: Education
Education Wage Premium*- 20-64 year olds
No lever in society has as much power to transform lives as education. We all would suspect that the higher the level of education, the wealthier a person will be (and statistically this is true), but also the person will be happier, healthier and live longer. The key to our future society is education. On a pure monetary side, the graph alongside, from the Reserve Bank of Australia (www.rba.gov.au), shows the economic value of gaining an education. Even taking into consideration the high cost of tertiary education, the rewards are strong, and continue every year of a person’s working life.
% 40 Graduate degree
30 20
Undergraduate degree
10 Vocational education
19
61 19 65 19 69 19 73 19 77 19 81 19 85 19 89 19 93 19 97 20 01 20 05 20 09 19 61 19 65 19 69 19 73 19 77 19 81 19 85 19 89 19 93 19 97 20 01 20 05 20 09
Years
What about health and life expectancy? There is of course a 0 correlation between wealth and life expectancy: the wealthier a 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 person is, the longer – on average – they will live. However, this * Relative to wages of people holding qualifications Year 12 and below correlation only works in a broad-brush manner, and doesn’t Sources: HILDA Release 18.0; RBA explain why economic booms don’t necessarily produce greater life expectancy, for example. When researchers at the International Institute for Life expectancy at age 35 by education Applied Systems Analysis in Vienna looked into the question more closely, they made 52 a startling finding – that the driver is not Men Women wealth, but education. In a New Scientist 50 (www.newscientist.com) article about this 48 study, Debora Mackenzie notes: ‘When the team put both these factors [education and 46 wealth] into the same mathematical model, 44 they found that differences in education 42 closely predicted differences in life expectancy, while changes in wealth 40 barely mattered. Lutz argues that because 38 schooling happens many years before a person has attained their life expectancy, this correlation reflects cause: better Years education drives longer life. It also tends Primary education Secondary education Tertiary education to lead to more wealth, which is why wealth and longevity are also correlated. But what is important, says Lutz, is that wealth does There is much in the world to be worried about. The last decade not seem to be driving longevity, as experts thought – in fact, has revealed a fragility of our democratic system and a rise in education is driving both of them.’ (my emphases). populists that reminds me of the first century BC in Rome; there This can be seen clearly in the above right graph on Norway, are environmental issues looming that seem intractable; the last a comparable country to Australia, from the ‘European Journal year shows how our human arrogance counts for nothing in of Epidemiology’ (March 2012 27(3):163-71). the face of a microscopic virus. It is easy to become dispirited. But the good news is that there is a solution for all of these Education benefits all of society. The UK government problems, and we know what it is: education. When we look (www.gov.uk) reported in 2017 that increases in education at our students at Camberwell Grammar and around the state, produces ‘higher levels of interpersonal and social trust, social we can feel optimistic about our country. connections and community engagement’. It improves social cohesion and integration, drives political understanding, feelings Dr John Tuckfield of empowerment and levels of political participation which leads Director of the Murdoch Centre for to better democratic participation, and leads to reductions in Educational Research and Innovation crime and anti-social behaviour. Spectemur | Issue 1 - 2021
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Art Across the School
Junior School Art: Under the Big Top At the beginning of the year, all students from Prep to Year 5 collaborate to produce a studio mural that introduces them to the year’s topic. This year, the focus is Under the Big Top: The Circus.
Prep Self Portraits: ‘I am an artist. This is my Self Portrait’.
The pattern depicted in these Year 5 sketches shows pattern work from traditional harlequin performers’ costumes. Boys focused on pattern work and detail.
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Mrs Sofia Tsolakis – Head of Junior School Art The mural depicts a collage of faces sitting down and enjoying the circus performances during a circus act. The ringmaster is Arty Mouse, who is the art studio mascot. Hands and balloons are flying by, bringing colour and joy to the mural.
Boys explored the various combinations when mixing primary colours red, blue and yellow by hand.
Year 8 Art
Ms Bonnie Wade and Ms Ann McNair – Art Teachers Mr Jack Balfour – Art Technician
Year 8 Art students produced some beautiful art work in Term 1, from drawings and paintings to sculpture. Teachers Bonnie Wade and Ann McNair give us a brief overview of the aims of these projects.
Flowers Still Life The still life project captures the vibrancy of flowers amongst the order of objects. The aim of this project was to develop observational drawing, colour principles and quality of line work. Strong gestural lines formed the starting point of the compositions later filled with washes of coloured ink to bring energy and emphasis.
Still Life: Expressive still life studies from observation with vibrant watercolour washes completed by Year 8 students. Materials include black marker, water colour, pastel and paper.
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Polar Bears The polar bear project explores the impacts of climate change using sculptures as a vehicle to display a gathering of numbers. The crackle glaze symbolises the cracking of ice sheets and the deteriorating landscape that polar bears inhabit. Using clay allowed each student to develop an understanding of form in an engagingly tactile way that produced a unique sculpture.
Top Arts Selection For the third year in succession, an Art student from Camberwell Grammar School has been selected for the prestigious Top Arts Exhibition. Only students in the top 1% of state-wide Art and Studio Arts are successful. This year Matthew Chan (2020) was selected for his brilliant ceramic interpretation of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, entitled The holy trinity of 2020 (whilst stocks last!). As noted by Mr David Williamson, Head of Art, in a challenging year for all Art students, our students who do ceramics certainly found it difficult working from home. He thanks Ms Kate Thornburn and the whole Art and Design team who worked hard to ensure that students were given the best opportunity to shine.
According to Ms Kate Thornburn, Matt’s work is about commodification, and the potential disconnect between the artist’s intended meaning and messages, and the popularity of subsequent merchandise sold at galleries, such as the NGV. His sculptures are based on events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, police brutality and the Black Lives Matter protests. His badges and T-shirts are based on the sculptures but are deliberately visually appealing as fashion items. The idea is that the wearer may choose them for aesthetic reasons, without knowing what they represent. Matthew’s piece can be viewed at the NGV from March 26 – July 11. Visit here www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/top-arts-2021 to find out more about this exhibition.
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Dorset:
New Gallery Space and Scholars in Residence Accommodation for the School Our school soon hopes to welcome visiting scholars, artists and musicians to a new ‘Scholar in Residence’ flat located on the school property as part of the newly renovated house, Dorset. The property Dorset is an impressive art deco house which has recently been renovated by the school as an art gallery and apartment. The gallery will eventually house an impressive Australian art collection owned by Dr Josh Xipell (1949), a Patron of the CGS Foundation which has been bequeathed to the School. The original house, built to an outstanding quality, has an interesting history. According to our School Historian, Dr David Bird, the house was constructed in 1927 by the well-known local builder J.A.E. Humphries, father of past student Barry (1952), who was enrolled at Camberwell in 1941. Camberwell Grammar was still located on Burke Road during this time, and did not become a near neighbour of Dorset until the move to Mont Albert Road in time for the beginning of the 1935 school year. From that time onwards, those peering over the eastern fence of Dorset would be able to see the new William Angliss Building. The house has been restored to its original glory, with the original wood panelling and light fittings being restored and retained. The Scholar’s accommodation consists of a one bedroom apartment, with sitting area and kitchenette. The garage at the back of the property has been made into a studio and workshop. Thanks to the previous owners, the Williams family, for the 1930s photographs of the house as a happy family home – with particular thanks to Mrs Bernice Williams.
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House Music
Being one of the greatest House events of the year, the 55th annual Senior School House Music Competition has been one of the most exciting moments of Term 1. As each House were to initially prepare and perform three items; two choral items and one instrumental performance, the year kicked off to an unprecedented start with a snap lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, nothing was going to prevent House Music from going ahead. The Music Department worked tirelessly to come up with a solution to the chaos caused by the virus, yet amidst the mayhem not one House failed to push through and persevere, arranging and rehearsing as if there was no tomorrow. In the end, each House performed one instrumental, having the option to perform one or two choral items with the opportunity of using sheet music, wherein the highest scoring of the choral performances counted towards the overall standings of the festival. The theme for this year was ‘Russian folk or Military songs’, which was met with an unyielding sense of determination. Taking place during one quiet Tuesday, it was a day of exuberant performances and a never-ending display of marvellous talent from all Houses. The event was adjudicated by Ms Karen Heath, the Coordinator of Music at Fintona Girls’ School. Armed with her extensive history as a music scholar and work with many well renowned ensembles, she provided an extensive insight into the fine nuances of performance, 16
both as instrumental ensembles and choirs. We were privileged to have a guest adjudicator with so much knowledge and musical expertise. The challenges of this year’s competition barely fazed the ever-persevering attitude displayed by members of all Houses, as the difficulties of singing in an open-air auditorium were met with resilience and courage from all. Each house sang and performed with strength, commitment and enthusiasm which represented the undying passion the School Community holds towards music. Of course, this year’s festival wouldn’t have been anywhere near as exciting without Bridgeland House sweeping the win out of the hands of the four years undefeated Steven House. Congratulations to Bridgeland House for their success and good luck to all boys for next year’s House Music Competition. Daniel Watson Captain of Music Spectemur | Issue 1 - 2021
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Prep Reflections Last term, the prep students focused on learning about the growth mindset, YETI (I’m not able to… YET). Preps take risks when trying something new and are always encouraged to give something a try. Yetis take risks and have a go at a challenge. The Preps will tell you that they are Yetis all the time, even in Chinese, Music, Art and PE.
What is a Yeti? Reid: They don’t say ‘I can’t do that, I am not good at that’. They try their best. Maximus: I like to be a Yeti. I like to do sport. Liam: I like to be a Yeti and I like to learn writing.
What Do You Like About School? Kendrick: I like special occasions. I liked maths morning. I made a hat with shapes on it. Henry: I like learning. I like reading books because I learn new words. Alex: I like doing work, counting, and playing with my friends. Theo: I like to play in the playground. Carlos: I like the Library at school. I like to borrow books and listen to stories.
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Year 5 Leadership Executive Year 5 students in the Junior School have been creating posters and writing speeches as part of their campaign to be elected on the Leadership Executive: an elected group of boys who lead the Junior School in fundraising for community organisations and implement school wide programs to promote the School’s values, friendships, house spirit, and sustainability. In their speeches and posters, boys were to outline their key character traits, important skills and talents they possess, highlight past experiences as a leader, and explain their vision for 2021 and how they can improve the Junior School. Throughout Term 1, boys have been learning how to construct persuasive texts through the use of high modality words, emotive language, figurative language, inclusive pronouns and evidence to support their point of view. The speeches are an opportunity for boys to develop and extend their oral presentation skills, including their use of eye contact, volume, pronunciation, expression and inflection, body language and props.
VOTE LIN FOR LEADERSHIP! My name is Evan Lin. I am a candidate for Leadership Executive. You may ask yourself why you should vote for me, well I believe I am the right person for Leadership Executive because I LISTEN and I CARE. So make sure you VOTE LIN FOR LEADERSHIP! Leadership is not about just having fun, it is about helping others and giving back whether it is inside or outside of the school. One of my goals is to help out the cold and disadvantaged people on the streets. I want to set up a fundraiser for a charity called 300 Blankets. This charity focuses on providing shelter, food and blankets to disadvantaged people in Melbourne. I will create a day where you bring in a gold coin donation. Also, on the same day, you will bring in your blanket so you can watch a movie in the M&M centre. Every dollar will help the disadvantaged. Don’t you want to help the ones in need?
Hello, my name is Zak and I’m running for leadership executive. I’m an excellent listener, kind and helpful. I want to organise a tennis day and run a coding club in 2021. My coach tells me that my forehand is full of kindness, my backhand down the line is full of helpfulness and my most important asset is my volley full of brilliant ideas. Now I’m the one for all of that so all you have to do is vote for me Zak Huq. My first amazing trait is kindness. When people are alone, I go and play with them and when they feel better they go and play with everyone. This trait is important because the school would be very cruel and sad when no one is showing kindness. Do you want a kind person for leadership executive? Well then vote for Zak the hero. Zak Huq, 5B
Evan Lin, 5B Spectemur | Issue 1 - 2021
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Trips, Camps, Excursions and Incursions Many of our students were fortunate to head outdoors this term on some exciting and adventurous camps.
Year 4 Camp: Coastal Forest Lodge My excitement rose as I stepped into the ocean depth. The waves hit my feet like a bullet knocking me over. The sound of the waves screaming like a Viking’s ire. School camp had started, and it was already a ripper. Pulling me into the waves like a slingshot, firing me out like a gun. I bulleted past the group steering like I was driving a monster truck. The current pushed me back and forth and then... splash! I fell to the ocean floor. Surfboarding was like being at a theme park. I threw my bait into the water. A tight tug hit me like a crane pulling me into the water. I lost my balance and hit my back on a rock shaped like a shark tooth. The yabby ripped the bait off the string and gobbled it up like a lion demolishing a deer. We were unlucky but we still were very proud. We paddled in the lead like a fish running for its life. Suddenly Jack comes along and took our first-class lead. Jeering and
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cheering, he came up to us and spits in our face ‘we won!’. Marcus and I can’t believe what we’re seeing. We were beaten by a sports teacher! We were as horrified as if a zombie apocalypse had started. But we still came second, didn’t we? Sadly, camp was coming to an end, but we still were filled with joy. We all said our goodbyes to Pete and Iona and went home with smug smiles hiding our disappointment. Jonas Fowler, 4A
Year 5 Camp: Candlebark Farm Zoom went the Super Swooper as the zipline zoomed through the sky. The wind was shouting in my ear as the swing went so fast in the air. I raced so fast over the lake. It smelt of freedom. I saw the canoes in the water as I flew over them, going fast. I heard the people shouting my name. We were at camp! It was called Candlebark Farm. It was so big. My cabin was awesome. It was time for Initiative Games! Our first one was called Spider Web. It was so much fun. We had to pull a rope through holes without touching holes. Then we did a game called Gaga Ball. Gaga Ball was a great game. There were 2 balls and if you got hit by a ball on or below your knees you would be out. After we did Rock Climbing and Swimming. Then we went on a board which was really small and we had to balance and fit all 10 of us. We managed to get 10 people for 20 seconds. Later we did a ski race. We had to get 2 pieces of wood and we had to work together to reach the end.
The next day we did more activities. Firstly we did archery. It felt amazing when I finally got a bullseye. Eventually we did a rope course. When we were there we saw an enormous spider camouflaging on one of the ropes. After that we did Orienteering. We had to match the staples hidden around the campsite. Then we did the Super Swooper. The Super Swooper was a giant zipline going over a lake. The view was spectacular. The next day we were leaving. We did lots of activities. We went to the game shed where we played Basketball and Rock Climbing, Art in the kitchen, a Picture Hunt, and then we played board games. Candlebark Farm was fun. The food was amazing. I learnt so many new things like how to disengage people from the zipline, bushcrafts and new games. Candlebark Farm was a great camping experience. Jacob Meaney, 5A Spectemur | Issue 1 - 2021
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Year 7 Camp: Lord Somers You may have noticed that the Year 7s weren’t at school for a week, this is because they were at Somers camp enjoying awesome activities and delicious food! What an amazing 5 days it was. From stand-up paddle boarding to pizza making, from kayaking to screen printing, we had a wide variety of epic activities to experience. Not only was it so much fun, but a great way to learn some new skills and even encounter a new hobby! Camping in the wild together and playing fun games like ‘three bounce’ was a great way to break the ice with peers from across our year level. However, I think it’s fair to say, stand-up paddle boarding was my personal favourite. It was great fun pushing each other off the boards, splashing into the cold, crisp water and racing each other, paddling with all our strength. We learned turning techniques, mastered the skill of balancing atop a paddle board and experienced the joy and tranquillity of standing in the middle of an undisturbed, serene river. 22
The food was simply delicious. We got to enjoy appetising dishes like lasagne, chicken with rice and beef. We even got to make our own pizzas. The flavoursome combination of cheese, sauce and herbs was enhanced by the woodsmoke in the pizza oven. Having made it from scratch ourselves, also gave us a feeling of accomplishment and made the pizza taste even more scrumptious. Overall, this legendary week at Somers camp was an amazing adventure, we learned many useful skills, enjoyed delicious food and amazing activities. I’m sure we can all say that Somers camp was an extraordinary experience. Evan Cooke, 7A
Year 8 Surf Camp: Anglesea Surf’s up! Our Year 8 students made the most of summer while on camp in Anglesea on the Bellarine Peninsula.
Year 1 Dino Incursion The Year 1 boys channelled their inner palaeontologist during a fossil dig incursion. The event was part of their Science curriculum where they learnt about animal features, comparing those of the past to those of the present. They dug delicately using brushes and discovered teeth, skulls and claws. Mrs Emily Bond Grade Level Coordinator Prep – Year 2
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Luna Park Science Excursion Plato, the great ancient Greek philosopher, is reputed to have suggested that learning through play is the best way to attract children’s enthusiasms and so turn the eye of their souls to the Good and True. The Year 12 Physics team took this advice to heart and brought the entire Physics cohort to Luna Park one fine March morning to enthuse them about the physics of momentum and collisions as they crashed into each other in the Dodgem Cars, as well as of circular motion and centripetal forces as they whirled round and round on the carousel, the Enterprise and the Ferris wheel! Much practical learning was achieved, and much fun was had by all. Dr Moses Khor Mathematics, Science and Physics Teacher
Year 10 Old Melbourne Gaol Commerce Excursion Year 10 Commerce students visited the Old Melbourne Gaol, Magistrates’ Court and the City Watch House as part of their study of the Criminal Justice System. Here, the boys were taken on a chilling tour of the Gaol which operated between 1842 and 1929. The boys also took part in a mock court trial in the Old Magistrates’ Court where they were able to demonstrate their advocacy skills in a culpable driving sentencing hearing. Mr Ryan Thomson Legal Studies Teacher
Year 10 Indonesian Film and Meal Incursion As part of a unit of study on Film and Entertainment, the year 10 Indonesian students gathered to watch a contemporary Indonesian film called Keluarga Cemara [Cemara’s Family]. Following the screening, the boys enjoyed an Indonesian lunch of ‘rendang sapi dengan nasi putih’ (beef curry and rice). It seems the boys were in agreement that the rendang was ‘enak sekali’ (delicious), judging by the lack of leftovers! Mrs Jessica Cormick (on behalf of Ms Janet Sharman) Indonesian Teacher
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Sport It was a true delight to see students involved in sporting fixtures again after being deprived of competitions for much of 2020. The entire Summer Season took place throughout Term 1, with most students participating in a 6-week season, and they embraced it to full effect. Participation rates were high, and the results were some of the best the School has ever recorded. The Season couldn’t have got off to a better start for our First teams. For what could have been the first time ever, Firsts Basketball, Cricket and Tennis all defeated Trinity. Cricket, in particular, was an incredibly close match, passing Trinity’s score with just one wicket in hand. Meanwhile, Firsts Table Tennis and Volleyball made it a clean sweep, as all First teams won their matches on the first weekend of competitions. A relatively young side, fielding only one Year 12 student, Firsts Tennis continued their encouraging start to the season to remain undefeated and win the School’s first AGSV Tennis Premiership since 1994. Captain Isaac Hui led the team with class and composure and was well supported by Number 2 and 3 players, Matthieu Gibert (Year 10) and Andrew Lee (Year 11). However, it was the depth of the team and the mixture of youth and experience which proved the difference and ensured victory each week, especially against formidable opponents in Peninsula and Ivanhoe. Congratulations to Isaac, Matthieu, Andrew, Ashwin Prabaharan, Lachlan Wei (Year 11), Darcy Albert, Sam Keenan, Lachlan O’Neill (Year 10), and Kadell and Orlando Kuti (Year 9), as well as Teacher in Charge, Mr Manfred Pietralla, and Head Coach, Peter Owen. After a stellar season, Isaac and Matthieu was also rewarded with being selected in the AGSV Representative team. The depth of the Tennis Program was evident throughout the season as well. The Seconds, 10A, 9A, 8A and 7A teams only lost one match between them. The Firsts Lawn Bowls team consisted of William Cook, Elijah Pannozzo (Year 12), Kristian Bite and Hieu Tran (Year 11). A team that has played together and experienced success for multiple years, they continued their dominance in 2021 by claiming the AGSV Premiership and by also winning the annual AGSV versus APS representative match. All teams were under the guidance of Teacher in Charge, Mr Andrew Worsnop, and Coach, Bob Jones. Both of whom I thank for their efforts throughout the season. While not competing for an official AGSV Premiership, due to only 5 schools competing, Firsts Table Tennis also went 26
through the season undefeated. The team looks destined for continued success. At just Year 8, Justin Kwan dictated the competition playing as the team’s number 1, going through the season without dropping a match. In a rare feat as a Year 6 student, Aiden Tang demonstrated his rare talent, comfortably negotiating opponents up to 6 years his senior as the Number 2 player. They were well supported by more experienced players in Eugene Goh (Year 11) and Joshua Hui (Year 10), while the team also included Joel Cheok (Year 9) and Matthew Shi (Year 8). Justin and Joshua gained selection in the AGSV Representative team and Eugene was named as an Emergency. Thanks goes to Mr Stephen Smith, Teacher in Charge, and Joe Gerada, Head Coach. Firsts Basketball had a history making season, finishing second for the first time since becoming an AGSV Premiership Sport in 1990. The team won every game of the season until the final round, where they met eventual Premiers and Basketball powerhouse, Marcellin. It was a remarkable season and, again, it was the consistency and depth throughout the team that fostered their success. Flynn Chable (Year 12) was the heart and soul of the team, leading with enthusiasm and empathy. Sam Veitch (Year 11) and Sam Rendell (Year 12) led the scoring, and Liam Thomas and Luke Doblin (Year 12) were pillars in defence. Others improved considerably throughout the season, including Tom May, Callum Rutledge and, especially David Mutavdzija (Year 12). The team was also kept on their toes from newcomers, Thomas Power (Year 11) and Ryder Cheesman (Year 9). A fitting reward, Sam Veitch was
selected in the AGSV Representative team, while Sam Rendell was selected as an Emergency. Well done and thank you to Teacher in Charge, Ms Katrina Massey, and Head Coach, Steve Blackley. While the First XI Cricket team endured a frustrating season as a team with limited success, pleasingly, Connor Laird (Year 11) was selected in the AGSV Cricket Representative team and Captain, Jordan McCleery (Year 12), was named as an Emergency. The Orienteering Squad won the Roger Slade Trophy again, proving too strong for rivals, Scotch. The group was well led by Luke Burton and Matthew Rodier (Year 12). Callum Yates (Year 9) and Ben Gale (Year 10) enjoyed success at the inaugural Schools’ Midweek Competition held at Kew Golf Club. The Golf Squad continues to grow, and students have made significant improvements throughout the season. Zac Kelly, James Stambe (Year 12), Logan Taplin and Kyle Scheer (Year 11) all had podium finishes in their respective divisions at various Cycling events. Meanwhile, in an interrupted season, the youthful Triathlon Squad achieved impressive results, as evidenced by top 10 finishes from Freddie Askew, Jack Dobbyn (Year 10), Ryan Humphries, Lucas Rodriguez, and Daniel Chen (Year 9).
It is difficult to single out individuals in a performance such as that, however, special mentions must go to Xander Zefferelli (Year 7), Ric Shen, William Watson (Year 8), James Kerferd (Year 10), Cody Greenwood and Gregory Kerdemelidis (Year 11) for winning 4 medals, while Yanning Zhang (Year 11) won 5. All Swimming Squad members are congratulated on a special performance. Thank you and congratulations to all of the coaches, including Aquatics Coordinator, Nic Campbell, and Head Coaches, Matthew Belgiovane and Brad Smith. The Sport Program continues to flourish at the School, which has been well supported by the relatively recent addition of the Sport Academy, headed by Mr Watson. Both Programs are working hand in hand to aid the development of students in their sporting endeavours. Attention now moves to the Winter Season, which our students eagerly anticipate, especially considering the season was not held last year. Mr Lachlan Crawford Director of Sport
Arguably, the biggest highlight of the season came on Friday 19 March at the outdoor pool of Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre. For the first time since 1961, the Swimming Squad won the AGSV Championships! In an outstanding display, the Squad blew away the opposition, recording a whopping 42-point victory over their nearest rivals. Additionally, no competitor in the team recorded a finish lower than 5th place, demonstrating the strength of our Swimming Program. In total, including relays, there were 28 Gold, 13 Silver and 21 Bronze medallists. Spectemur | Issue 1 - 2021
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Community Connections
Courage to Care Workshops During Term 1, our Year 8 students were privileged to hear first-hand accounts from Holocaust survivors from ‘Courage to Care’. The stories from survivors demonstrated how their survival was only possible through the courageous acts of strangers throughout the period of WWII. The volunteers had great things to say about our students, commenting on their thoughtful attention during sessions and their subsequent letters of response that they sent to the speakers. This is now the fourth year that the organisation has visited Camberwell Grammar, which serves the secondary purpose of consolidating student’s foundational knowledge for the study of John Boyne’s novel, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
Rotary Interact The first meeting of the School’s Rotary Interact Club was well attended early in the term with ideas for fundraising flowing freely. Going by this first meeting, it promises to be a stellar year of fundraising for our local and international charities. In mid-March the Club held a very successful sausage sizzle at lunchtime with $1,220 raised for our international and local charities. With approximately 50 students from Years 9 -12 regular attendees at lunchtime meetings, and the support of our parent club Canterbury Rotary Club, our Interact Club is intent on upholding the motto ‘Service Above Self’.
PLUS Donations This term PLUS donated 12 boxes of shorts and jumpers to Backpacks 4 Vic Kids. This charity provides relocated foster children with a few essential items to ease feelings of loss and to help with their move. Often children are placed quickly into foster care, kinship care, or emergency accommodation without much more than what they are wearing at the time. They are often short of clothes items for the older children, so Backpacks 4 Vic Kids were very grateful to have the items that PLUS had in excess donated to them. You can find out more information at www.backpacks4vickids.org.au Next, our PLUS volunteers are keen to visit their warehouse in Cranbourne to have a look at what they do and see what else we may be able to donate as a school community.
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Farewell Andrew Beale: A Team Player Andrew began his career at Camberwell in 1992 with a baptism of fire. His first class was in Year 10 Chinese, with 29 students. Some were born in Mandarin areas of China and fluent in both Mandarin and English, some spoke little English, some were fluent in Cantonese but struggled in Mandarin and some were fourth generation Australians determined to master a new language. And, as in any class, some were highly motivated and/or talented, and some were not. It is hard to imagine how a teacher could pitch his classes so that all boys would benefit. History records that Andrew’s diligence, thoughtfulness, and empathy led to positive outcomes for most. Perhaps more importantly, his experiences led him to advocate for the introduction of separate Chinese courses on a first/ second language basis. With persistence, and with help from John Tuckfield and Chinese teachers from other schools, this was achieved, leading to a change in VCE courses across the state. Andrew served as Secretary/Treasurer of the Chinese Teachers’ Association for 11 years. One of Andrew’s techniques for getting ESL students onside was to show them the Abbott and Costello skit ‘Who’s on first’, still a classic. Hundreds of boys, parents and staff owe Andrew a debt of gratitude for his organisation of tours to China. He ran five of them himself, focusing on language, history, and culture. When Andrew attended his initial interview with Headmaster Colin Black there was some confusion on where one could park. Keen not to be late, Andrew parked in the space allocated to the Head of Junior School. This was considered a major crime, and it was only years later that Andrew had the courage to confess. He was not deterred, however, and over the years he made an art form of stationing one of his battered jalopies in parking spots allocated to higher powers. Andrew was a tutor in Derham House under Heads of House Greg Taplin, Richard Jackson, and Matt Christopher. Each of those can attest that Andrew was absolutely reliable and often went the second mile without being asked. A generation of boys benefited from his advice, his care and his genuine concern when problems arose. Other tutors often sought Andrew’s help in translating conversations with parents who spoke little English. This assistance was extended to guardians, school counsellors, Heads of House, and even the Headmaster. Many a potential
catastrophe was avoided by Andrew’s clarification to all parties on what the issue was and how it could be resolved. Andrew’s work outside the classroom was monumental. He ran a plethora of Friday activities, and he was a football coach in his early days, taking teams to Assumption to kick the ice off the ground at 8.00am. And, as a colleague says: ‘He was the first to put up his hand for tasks that needed doing but weren’t blazed in glory or enjoyable.’ Another colleague says: ‘For 20 years Andrew was a popular 2nd X1 Coach who knew a great deal about cricket, and how to get the best out of his team. He gave his group opportunities to be involved in the running of the team which encouraged responsibility and independence. Andrew had the ability to get the best out of those who, at times, lacked confidence, motivation or discipline. Andrew was interested in all cricket teams and offered any assistance he could give. In addition, for 15 years he was a respected coach of 9A Hockey.’ ‘Andrew was also Teacher in Charge of Debating which involved the organisation of CGS teams and coaches for the Victorian Interschool Debating Competition held at the School. This involved a great deal of time and administration including many late nights, an onerous and thankless position. He also found time to mentor the Middle School teams for the Junior Secondary competition which he always volunteered to do.’ It is interesting to note that Andrew was happy to park his car on the boundary at cricket matches. He explained to the boys that any four or six which hit his car would lead to an improvement in its bodywork. There is a hallowed tradition of staff getting together on Friday afternoons to celebrate and evaluate the week. For many years Andrew provided not only the refreshments, but much homespun wisdom. Andrew is the father of three. Issues relating to his twin boys’ disabilities have become more challenging: they are now 18. Anyone who has seen him with the twins will know how devoted he is to their welfare. Andrew’s decision to retire is Camberwell’s loss but of immense benefit to his boys. ‘Bealey’ is the ultimate team player. He never sought accolades and always put others ahead of himself. He continues to do so. The school community salutes him. Mr Julian Grigg Numeracy and Learning Enhancement Teacher
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From the
Archives March 2021
“All is flux, nothing stays still.” Heraclitus of Ephesus, 6th century BCE. Amidst this period of a ubiquitous pandemic, 2020-21, the wisdom and truth of Heraclitus’s viewpoint certainly concentrates our minds. Nothing illustrates the point more vividly than the history of Camberwell Grammar, which has seen significant periods of transition since its foundation in 1886. The first half-century of the School witnessed the School operating consecutively from three campuses, necessitating four moves from 1886 to 1935 and even after the final move to the Mont Albert Road campus, there was speculation for some decades that the School would divide its operations between this main campus and others more distant. Many now consider it a strength that CGS maintained its commitment to the expansion of a single campus rather than pursuing suggestions of geographically dividing operations. There was no more significant period of transition in this long 135-year history than that which culminated on 1 January 1927. On this Saturday morning, Camberwell Grammar as a private school owned by an individual (Alfred Hall) on Burke Road was finally transformed into the ‘Camberwell Church of England Grammar School’, Dr Martyn Arnold Buntine a ‘Church of England – he preferred “Arnold”. Public School for Boys’. My forthcoming history of the early headmasters indicates that this was a difficult time for all involved, none more than for the newly appointed headmaster Dr M. A. Buntine. Whereas the predecessors of ‘The Doc’ (or ‘Bunnie’) had been the absolute masters of their own institution as a private business, able to buy and sell at will, the new CCEGS was now associated with the Anglican Church and governed by a Council headed by the vicar of St Mark’s, the Reverend J.A. Schofield M.A. The headmaster was not a member of this Council, but was invited to attend on occasions as a guest – no reader of the Council Minutes of those years could conclude that the headmaster was ever treated even as primus inter pares, or the ‘first amongst equals’. Quite the reverse; Dr Buntine submitted regular reports to the governing body and they often read like humble requests for certain changes which the Council would then address, or ignore, at its leisure. These requests varied from the highly significant, such as pleading that the School urgently find a new site, to the day-to-day, such as seeking more power-points and telephone connections in the school residence. Even the provision of a new typewriter needed the approval of the Reverend Schofield and his five colleagues. The new headmaster mildly accepted these limitations, having been made perfectly aware of the nature of his 30
position at the time of his application in the previous October and he was himself an advocate of Heraclitean flux, publicly stating in his first Speech Night that ‘Finality means Death’ since ‘there are great projects to be carried out in the future’. Those projects were not all ‘great’ as they also included improving the number and quality of lavatories on the Burke Road campus as well as replacing a collapsed fence across the road at the school residence and boarding house. Buntine’s first three years did not manage to effect many changes despite his good intentions and the public aspiration of increasing enrolment to 500 never seemed The 1927 Prospectus for what was now elsewhere called the Camberwell Church to be obtainable – 1929 of England Grammar School. enrolment was stable at 288. The onset of the Great Depression from Black Thursday, 24 October 1929, put an end to many of the aspirations of both the Council and the new headmaster, as enrolments began to drop and the School’s finances, somewhat challenged since 1927, were placed under considerable stress. Dr Buntine, however, did not stay to experience the nadir of 1934 when enrolments fell to 182 (the lowest figure since 1910), as he had unilaterally terminated what had been his six-year contract in September 1931, taking up a more lucrative position at the Hale School in Perth, WA, several CCEGS staff accompanying him. There, he had apparently learned to change his manner of operation owing to his experiences at Burke Road, 1927-31, and Dr Buntine soon gained a reputation at Hale as ‘a tyrant’, unrestrained as he was by an internal governing body. This had certainly not been the case at Camberwell, where both Dr and Mrs Buntine, both still in their late-twenties in 1927, were highly regarded and respected by both boys and staff. Mrs Buntine had become the leading Matron of the boarding house of some 14 boys, assisted by an ancillary matron in the dormitory and laundry and by her mother-in-law in the kitchen. Some of the boarders were soon unimpressed with their own experience of transition, looking back on the Hall years with gastronomic nostalgia. One of them, Joseph Muntz (1929), composed a poem for the 1928 Grammarian in which he lamented the current provision of ‘boiled meat and onions… and sardines jammed in tin…gooseberry mixed with plum’. Boiled or not, the School soon gained access to a steady, quality meat supply through the efforts of one parent, Vic Ballard. Ballard (who would become a member of Council in 1931) was the brother-in-law of ‘meat baron’ William Angliss, serving as a director of a number of companies within this commercial empire – both men would play a significant part in the evolution of the School in the following decade when the most significant transition would take place. By then ‘Bunnie’ had gone, but his maxim of ‘Finality means Death’ persisted – it remains as relevant amidst this pandemic crisis of 2020-21 as it was in 1927. Our School has survived many crises and transitions in the past and it will continue to ride the tide of Heraclitean flux long after COVID-19 has diminished in importance. Dr David Bird Archivist and School Historian
Events Parents’ Association Welcome Drinks It was fantastic to finally welcome CGS parents back on campus at the start of 2021 for our Welcome Drinks. The Parents’ Association kindly put on separate Welcome Drinks for our Junior, Middle and Senior School parents and although they were moved outdoors due to COVID-19 restrictions this year, the CGS parents turned up in droves which was a great sign of our school community.
Junior School Welcome Drinks
MONDAY 1 FEBRUARY 2021
Middle School Welcome Drinks
FRIDAY 19 FEBRUARY 2021
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Senior School Welcome Drinks
WA Network Function
OCGA Men’s Health and Wellbeing Breakfast Webinar
Matt Defina (2009) and Matthew Beechey (current parent) spoke about men’s health at the webinar. 32
FRIDAY 26 MARCH 2021
FRIDAY 6 NOVEMBER 2020
WEDNESDAY 28 OCTOBER 2020
OCGA Lawn Bowls
WEDNESDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2021
‘Keith Weymouth Perpetual Trophy for Lawn Bowls’ against Old Scotch was held at MCC Bowls Club, Hawthorn. OCGA won the trophy.
Valedictory Celebration
THURSDAY 11 MARCH 2021
The Class of 2020, their parents and teachers finally gathered at the MCG to congratulate and farewell our Senior Students at their Valedictory function in March. Last year’s School Captain, Geoffrey Gong, spoke movingly about the group and their experiences, and about what they had to celebrate. It was wonderful to be together to commend their achievements, and to wish them well as they commence the next stage of their journey.
Careers Night
THURSDAY 18 MARCH 2021
Alumni from 1977 to 2017 spoke about their careers and experiences at Careers Night. Year 10 boys and their parents attended panels on Business/ Finance, Design/Creative Media, Engineering, Entertainment, Health, Law and Society, Medicine, and Science/Technology. After the presentations the speakers gathered in Kingussie for drinks and the chance to connect with other Alumni. Thank you to all the speakers who made time in their busy schedules to attend. Spectemur | Issue 1 - 2021
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OCGA Tennis
FRIDAY 12 MARCH 2021
The ‘Battle of the Decades’ Tennis Tournament was held on the grass at Kooyong Tennis Club. Past students from the 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, and 10s competed for the perpetual trophy. Competition was fierce but fun. Richard Nash (1989), Alex Taverner (2012), and Benjamin Yep (2017) tied on 64 points for Best Individual Player. The 80s were victorious on the night, winning the trophy by 2 points from the 90s.
OCGA AGM
TUESDAY 2 MARCH 2021
The Old Camberwell Grammarians’ Association (OCGA) welcomed a host of alumni to their Annual General Meeting at the School. Adam Kyriacou (1990), President of the Old Camberwell Grammarians’ Amateur Football Club, was our guest speaker and discussed how the Club stayed relevant during their 60th anniversary in 2020 and what is planned to celebrate the Club’s 60-year history in 2021.
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OCGA Golf Challenge It was a beautiful day at Kew Golf Club on Friday 26 February for the OCGA Golf Challenge. 72 Golfers, including 24 Old Grammarians, current and past parents, and sponsors competed in an Ambrose competition. Ben Ebbage (2012), Andrew Parker (2012), Anthony Jude (past parent) and Tom Frame (guest) took home back-to-back trophies.
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Alumni News Camberwell Grammarians’ Theatre Company What the Butler Saw Despite performances halted and postponed during February’s snap lockdown in Melbourne, the Camberwell Grammarians’ Theatre Company (CGTC) put on a wonderful rendition of Joe Orton’s What The Butler Saw, marking the return of our awardwinning old alumni’s theatre group, which aims to give avid alumni, as well as the broader community, opportunities to free their theatrical passions both on and off stage. After an excellent run, we are looking forward to their next performance of Cosi this July.
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After he completed VCE at Camberwell Grammar School, Jared Catchpoole (2009) travelled, completed a Bachelor of Journalism at Monash, and worked in tertiary sector as an academic counsellor at Ridley College. In late 2020, whilst completing a Master of Teaching, his methods being English and Media, Jared undertook a teaching placement in the English Department of the School, with Ms Penny Wood as his supervisor. Jared is married to Freya, and they have one child, Finn (2½ years).
Congratulations to Ben Ye (2012) who is not only a Fullbright Australia Scholar (2020), but who was recently selected as a Hauser Global Scholar for 2021. We wish Ben all the best as he settles into his new life and studies in New York.
Congratulations to Tim Kentley Klay (1993) for winning the Advance Awards Global Australian Award 2020 and Commercial Creatives Award Winner 2020.
Dr Tom Justin Playfair (1961) and Associate Professor Douglas James Brown (1962) both received Honours on Australia Day this year for their remarkable achievements.
Tim Kentley Klay is a creative and technical entrepreneur whose companies, XYZ Studios and Crayon, work globally in the creative arts. In 2014, Kentley Klay founded autonomous mobility company Zoox which he led for the next four years, helping the company to a $3.2 billion valuation. Kentley Klay also sat on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Advisory Committee on Automation in Transportation, and was invited to testify to the Senate Commerce Committee on autonomous mobility policy.
Art student and School Vice-Captain, Philip Alex (2020), was selected to discuss his work and the process of creating an outstanding Visual Diary at this year’s KickstART conference to help current students gain inspiration and insight into VCE requirements and get the most out of your studies.
(Detail of) Philip Alex. Nature’s (S)trip 2020. 5-part photomontage on satin photo paper. 160 cm l x 128 cm
Congratulations to Collingwood midfielder/forward Josh Daicos (2016) for winning the AFL’s 2020 Goal of the Year. Spectemur | Issue 1 - 2021
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Alumni Profile Cameron Tribe (1991)
A grounded pilot makes the best of Covid and enrols at Harvard University I started my pilot training when I was at CGS, you can take your first licence test at 16. My dad, Jeff Tribe (1963), also an Old Grammarian, would drive me to Moorabbin airport for lessons – I couldn’t drive a car, but I could fly. After finishing at CGS in 1991, I commenced a Bachelor of Technology in Aviation at Swinburne University. It was the first year a degree majoring in aviation was offered in Australia, with only 16 of us on the course. After my bachelor’s degree, I landed a job as a flight instructor in Melbourne where I would spend my days teaching new pilots to take-off and land (called ‘circuits’), fly in cloud, navigate using rivers and roads (no GPS back then), and fly aerobatics. In 1997, I moved to Brisbane to fly for a large freight company. I was treated to some of the most scenic flying through Cape York and Papua New Guinea; often transporting interesting cargo, from baby crocodiles to gold bullion. New Guinea is also renowned for having the most challenging airstrips in the world – I can attest to that! In 2001 I joined what started as Virgin Blue Airlines and flew the iconic Boeing 737 aircraft. I became a check and training captain, responsible for training new airline pilots and other more experienced pilots being promoted to captain. The flying network was diverse, and I spent a great deal of time in Indonesia, Fiji and New Zealand, as well as most of Australia’s cities. Along the way, I furthered my studies by completing a Master of Technology Management at Swinburne University in 2007. In 2012 I transferred to the Airbus A330 aircraft, flying regular services to Hong Kong. It is a beautiful city to fly over at night and has a vibrant blend of cultures, old and new. I met my wife Davida and we married in 2004. She is also an airline pilot who now flies the Boeing 787 Dreamliner for Qantas. We have been lucky enough to have lived in South Melbourne for the last 11 years, we’re right next door to the wonderful South Melbourne market, so the pantry is always full of great market produce! After flying for the last three decades, this last year has put a stop to international travel for a while for both passengers and pilots alike. I decided to take a sabbatical and was accepted into Harvard University to commence a Master of Education in Technology and Innovation. After 25 years of using flight simulators to train airline pilots, I’m now applying virtual reality technology to reimagine aerospace simulation training. I’m also fortunate to collaborate with Harvard’s academic neighbour, MIT, in developing virtual environments for STEM education. The only downside is that I traded a warm Melbourne summer for a snowy Boston winter! I really enjoy teaching and developing pilots to achieve their professional goals. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing your trainee land a 220-tonne jet for the first time or have another pass their final captain’s check. I also enjoy using technology to enhance learning experiences,
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who gave up their time and came to speak with students about their careers. By far the best aspect though, is the friendships you make at CGS; it feels like yesterday that we left, but here we are, 30 years later! For the boys in their final year at CGS, I would suggest that they keep an open mind, be curious and ask questions. You may not know what path you want to pursue, or you may have one firmly in sight, but either way you will have several careers over your working life and opportunities to explore several paths. Regardless, try to develop a broad view, a growth mindset and a drive to think critically. The future of work will demand that we embrace change and disruption, see setbacks as opportunities, be creative, be design focused, and assemble a broad set of skills that can be applied across fields.
especially immersive simulation, where you can be put ‘in the moment’. It’s really powerful in learning to be able to ‘fail safely’, reflect on the experience and improve. Simulation is a masterful tool in that way. It’s difficult to know how long COVID will keep global travel on hold, but I am enjoying this opportunity to research and implement virtual simulation technologies for aerospace education and development. I am fortunate to be working alongside energetic, smart and passionate people who push me to think deeper about innovative technology. If the last year has taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected, and embrace it. What I enjoyed most while at school was the community at CGS. There was always a club, sport, or activity to appeal to everyone’s interest. I loved the language programs, and while I was certainly no sporting star, the ability to try wide range of sports was great. I also enjoyed the many Old Grammarians
“Seek out mentors in the areas that interest you, personal or professional, ask questions and really listen to what they have to offer.” Mentorship is also important. Seek out mentors in the areas that interest you, personal or professional, ask questions and really listen to what they have to offer. It can sometimes feel confronting to ask for mentorship, but you’ll soon discover that many experienced professionals are very willing to provide advice if you simply ask. They all once started out just where you are now. I encourage my aerospace mentees to curate a “board” of mentors, across genders and disciplines for a balanced perspective. Finally, take advantage of the Alumni network, it has a global reach, across professions, cultures and generations. We continue to help each other, long after we leave CGS.
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Obituaries It is with great sadness that we record the passing of the following members of the Camberwell Grammar School community since the last issue of Spectemur. KEITH J. REDMAN (1958) 24 September 1939 – 6 December 2020 Keith’s association with the school spanned 45 years, first as a student from Prep to year 12, serving as School Captain in his final year, and then followed by 32 years as teacher and colleague from 1969 – 2001. Father to David (1984), Paul (1986) and Michael (1989), and stepson Graham Ruffles (1998). He was a man who lived a good life, who was loved by many, who brought cheer everywhere he went with his playful personality, and who achieved great things.
to join in the game, worried that he wouldn’t be able to hit the ball. The two of them chatted there for quite a while, then they joined the group – the boy was ready to have a go. I prayed so hard that he’d connect ball and bat when his turn came – and he did, and ran to the base like his life depended on it, to the loud cheers of all the other boys. I looked across at Keith and he was beaming! My heart was filled with pride at the role Keith played in that single triumphant moment in that boy’s life. And he left similar stamps on the lives of hundreds of boys – now all grown men. We were reflecting on life recently and I asked him what he would say was his biggest life achievement. I thought he might mention his sailing achievements, or creating our beautiful garden and building the extension for our house here at Blairgowrie, or fathering three beautiful boys, or marrying me... He thought only for a while, then he said: ‘Being a teacher who was always fair.’ He was a mischievous larrikin with a wonderful twinkle in his eyes.
He was a man who loved his student days at Camberwell Grammar and made lifelong friends along the way. He loved sport and excelled at both football and cricket. He was always a larrikin, a prankster, and got up to much mischief.
He was a Gruffalo, who was gentle and generous.
He chose teaching as his profession – and left an indelible mark on the lives of so many students who passed through his class at Camberwell Grammar. The comment from so many boys was, and still is, without fail that ‘Mr Redman was awesome – the best teacher they ever had’.
THIS is the man we will remember.
The students loved his famous annual science space project when they made and decorated rockets using soda bombs and on Open Day Keith would string a line across the schoolyard, stand on a ladder and fire off each rocket along the line, to everyone’s great excitement. He loved playing pranks on other staff members, for which his students were often used as accomplices. All the fun things aside, he cared for every student and was 100% tuned in to their specific needs. I recall one day joining the Year 5s for dinner at their camp in the Yarra Valley at the start of the school year. There was one new boy who lacked confidence and struggled to find his way. After dinner, the rowdy boys raced to the sports field to play a game of rounders. I tried to find Keith and spotted him in the distance sitting on the grass, quietly talking to the new boy who, it turned out, was reluctant
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He was a man who didn’t suffer fools gladly, but he was also a man who loved unconditionally.
Ronél Redman (wife)
ALAN MOORE (1930) November 1920 – 9 March 2021
“We all just need to get along.” Alan Moore as Victorian Senior Achiever, Government House, Melbourne, October 2019. Centenarian Alan ‘Kanga’ Moore died peacefully at Mornington on 9 March 2021. Born in November 1920, and an only child following the death of an older sister from infantile paralysis, the sevenyear-old Alan first walked from Seymour Grove, Camberwell, to the Burke Road campus of Camberwell Grammar in February 1928, enrolling in Year 1. He remained at the School until 1930, when as a ten-year old his father judged him able to take a daily tram elsewhere. This was a brief exposure to the Camberwell way, but one that greatly influenced him thereafter. During his student years here Alan won the Under-10, 25 yards foot race at Glenferrie Oval in 1929, the same year in which he generously donated 11s 3½d to the Tanganyika Medical Mission Fund which raised £32 (over $2600 today) – this represented the beginning of
ELAINE WARNE 20 September 1944 – 28 February 2021
‘Kanga’ Moore was the chief guest-of-honour at the School in June 2017 alongside Ms Merren Stockdale (39th Battalion Association President) and other Association members. Welcomed by Deputy Headmaster Mr Rob French, Alan spoke about the important values inherent in the banner of the battalion as it passed into the custodianship of the Camberwell School Army Cadet Unit.
a lifetime of community involvement. In his final year at CGS, 1930, Alan also gained an Under-10 swimming trophy, all of which offered some indication of his sporting promise. He was one of the last surviving past Grammarians who attended our School when its campus was still on Burke Road before the move to Mont Albert Road in February 1935. Alan’s youth was spent in turbulent times and once war came in late-1939, he wanted to join the AIF, but was under age and lacked the parental permission to enlist in other than the Militia. Volunteering for service in Paua-New Guinea, Lieutenant Moore was transferred to the 39th Battalion in October 1941 and following the entry of Japan into the conflict, he experienced combat on the Kokoda Track in July-August 1942 and subsequently in other areas of the territory. ‘Kanga’ was one of only thirty-two battalion survivors from these campaigns (out of 1,666 in the ranks – seven are still living) and by the war’s end in August 1945, the twentyfour-year-old was a Captain and Company commander.
Valued staff member of the Middle School from 1985 – 1989. Elaine was mother of Stephen (1988) and Daniel (1995). Elaine came to CGS initially to teach senior history on a part-time basis, then accepted a position in the Middle School. Apart from imbuing her pupils with a measure of the enthusiasm she had for her subjects – History, English and Christian Education – Elaine had that wonderful gift of seeing the best in every boy, building up and developing his strengths and working with him in a positive and encouraging way. Although not really her ‘cup of tea’, she joined willingly in camps at Somers and Bambara, the better to get to know her charges.
HENRY FROHLICH (1947) 8 February 1930 – 19 November 2020 Father to John (1975).
Alan married Joan in 1950, the couple soon living in Mt Eliza where they raised two daughters. He eventually became the manager of the Baby Foods Division of the Heinz company, pioneering the introduction into Australia of canned baby food. Alan was always a significant volunteer in many community organisations and very active in the 39th Australian Infantry Battalion Association. He reconnected with Camberwell Grammar from June 2017 when the Association successfully sought to develop links with our cadets and was the guest-of-honour at the May 2019 ceremony during which the Association’s banner was passed into the custodianship of the Cadet Unit.
Henry Frohlich was part of the Camberwell Grammar School community from 1939 until 1947, where he excelled in both academic and sporting activities. Not only was he a Prefect and Robinson House Captain, but also Dux Scholar. He was an all-round sportsman, playing football, tennis and athletics.
‘Kanga’ regularly attended ANZAC Day ceremonies and was a noted advocate of reconciliation in all aspects of life, recently stating: ‘The most important lesson of all my volunteering and community work is to just get along with each other and learn to better understand one another.’ Alan Moore was a true gentleman who never forgot the mates who died in war, most of whom were younger than himself, but he refused to nurse old grievances and continually stressed the futility of war. Camberwell Grammar treasures his memory and regards Alan Watson Moore (1920-2021) as a commendable model for both our cadets and for our broader school community.
On leaving school, he enrolled in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Melbourne. After graduation Henry gained employment in the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation, followed by General Electric and, later, Mobil Oil. He had a marketing career spanning 39 years.
Dr David Bird School Historian and Archivist
Ian Angus (1948)
Henry was active in Rotary International. Not only was he a member of the South Melbourne Club for 33 years, but served a term as President. He was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship with Sapphire and was the author of the 50-year history of the Club. Henry also served as President and Chairman of Electors for the Blackburn Bowls Club.
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BRUCE WILLIAM MACKIE
ROBERT WALLACE (1969)
2 March 1949 – 15 September 2020
21 June 1951 – 21 July 2020
Father of Alex (1996), James (1998) and Tom. A skilled teacher of the social sciences, Housemaster of Macneil from 1980 to 1986, and First X1 Hockey coach from 1976 to 1982, Bruce was an energetic and highly involved member of staff who earned the respect of all who knew him, staff and students alike. After graduating in New Zealand with a Master of Arts and a Diploma in Teaching, he crossed the Tasman to join the staff of Camberwell Grammar School. Bruce’s appointment to the staff in 1972 was his first teaching position. Soon after joining the History Department, Bruce accepted the task of reviewing programmes from Years 7 to 10, with the particular objective of merging History and Geography into an integrated course of study, Social Science. Teaching the social sciences from Years 8 to 11, Bruce will likely be remembered as a clear communicator and a challenging taskmaster. He set the bar high and, while doing so, challenged his students to do likewise. His brisk, energetic approach created an environment in which each student had the opportunity to realise his potential. Outside the classroom, Bruce coached the 1st X1 Hockey to premierships in 1976 and 1977. He became Housemaster of Macneil in 1980 and remained so until his appointment to Knoxfield College as Deputy Head at the end of 1986. In retirement Bruce developed an interest in art. Self-taught, he worked exclusively with pastels, developing a distinctive style and producing some fine landscapes. He exhibited in OCGA Art Shows and approached his art with the same tenacity and determination that characterised his teaching. It became a very important outlet for him, as he suffered a long and debilitating illness in his retirement years. Despite his suffering, Bruce’s spirit never waned, and he retained his sharp wit and dry sense of humour to the end. Bravissimo, Bruce! Rod Lamborn (1956) Past Staff 1964 – 1965; 1968 – 1999
Robert was a student at Camberwell Grammar from 1964 – 1969. He passed away in Colorado Springs, USA, at the age of 69 after succumbing to a brain tumour. Sportsmaster Roy Whitehead encouraged Robert to take up running as his sport, which would become his life. Running cross-country for the school in the morning, Olympic Park for Richmond Harriers in the afternoon, Robert trained with legend Percy Cerutty in the school holidays. In 1970 Robert was awarded an athletics scholarship, which took him to Long Beach, California. Juggling the Pacific Ocean with his family, Robert was an Australian marathon champion in 1977, and represented Australia in the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games marathon. After re-locating to Dallas, Texas, Robert became the brains behind Run On!, a chain of stores trading in everything athletic. In conjunction with this, Robert started a computerised finishing system company and also coached and mentored many aspiring runners. He was a guest of athletic companies at four Olympic Games and was highly respected and regarded by staff, peers and competitors. These are only a few examples of Robert’s extraordinary feats. Robert and his wife retired to Colorado in 2013 where they continued to live an active outdoor lifestyle at the base of the Rocky Mountains. His astute nature, determination, focus and good humour made him well loved and admired by those who spent valuable time with him.
RAYMOND JOSEPH WICKHAM (1947) 21 September 1929 – 4 October 2020 Raymond Joseph Wickham, known as Ray, was born at Williamstown Hospital on 21 September 1929. He was the fourth child to Clarence and Vera Wickham. Ray went to school at Ormiston College in Mont Albert and later at Camberwell Grammar School in 1939. He maintained a long association with the school, attending many reunions and Old Grammarian functions until the past couple of years. He left school to work with his father, who was the general manager of Swallow’s Ice Cream Company and an accountant. In 1957 he went on a blind date and met the love of his life, Joy. After a short courtship, they were married in 1958. Following the birth of their daughter Denise in 1959 and son Trevor (1979) in 1961, they moved to Doncaster in 1962. In 1968, Ray and Joy went into their own business in a Milk Bar General Store in North Mitcham. In 2007 Ray was inducted into Badminton Victoria’s Hall of Fame for his involvement with badminton for over 62 years. His involvement has been with playing as a junior, an adult and
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DR ROBERT BISDEE 4 September 1942 – 19 November 2020 Valued staff member from 1969 – 1972. as a veteran, and his involvement in the administration and coaching of badminton has been at local, regional and state levels. His sporting achievements include Australian Special Men’s Double Champion in 1955. He was awarded the Veteran of the Year Sports Star by the Wimmera Regional Sports Association in 2003, and was later awarded Life Memberships of Badminton Australia, which he was very proud of. Ray introduced badminton to thousands of school children and encouraged older and incapacitated people to become involved. He coached at a wide range of levels and was instrumental in the improvement and provision of quality playing venues across Australia.
PHILIP CONNOR (1968) 6 December 1948 – 29 October 2020
PAUL RUTHVEN FINN (1945) 19 December 1927 – 20 October 2020
TIMOTHY FRAMPTON (1978) 6 January 1962 – 21 November 2020 Father to Liam (2014) and James (2017).
A life well lived, reunited with Mum in heaven. Denise McDonald (daughter)
BLAIR MARCH (1977)
JEAN RAMSAY WILCOX (NEE ANDERSON)
31 January 1960 – 17 October 2020 Father-in-law to Teri Miriklis (2007 and current staff).
26 October 1920 – 10 January 2021
JOHN ALEXANDER MARSHALL (1969) 20 October 1950 – 3 November 2020
DAVID MOK (1981) 7 August 1964 – 15 January 2021 Brother of Duncan (1986)
KENNETH ARTHUR MYERS (1953) 14 February 1935 – 3 March 2021
BRIAN PIERSON (1948) 21 August 1930 – 10 October 2020 Grandfather of Jamie Garnham (2020).
GEOFFREY DAVID RANSFORD (1943) 30 December 1924 – 30 September 2020 The Anderson family’s connection with Camberwell Grammar School started in 1922 with the enrolment of Jean’s brother, the late Keith (1934). Her father, Ramsay served on the School Council from 1933 - 1938. With her brothers Keith and Peter (1950), Jean was appointed a Life Governor of the School in 1948. Jean’s nephews, David Anderson (1966) and Robert Anderson (1950) and grandson Simon Jones (1997) also attended Camberwell Grammar and her great-nephew Gus Bellchambers is currently in Year 11 at the School. Jean was very fortunate to live a healthy active life and had a wonderful 100 years. She attended Fintona Girls’ School and studied Physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne. She actively supported her family and her husband, Vernon Wilcox, who was the Victorian Attorney General, Minister for Transport and Member for Camberwell in the State Parliament for 20 years. She also enjoyed running a stud cattle farm, near Alexandra, with her husband for 30 years. Jean is survived by her brother Peter, her 4 children (Richard, Murray, Sue and Gerry), her 13 grandchildren and her 25 great grandchildren. Sue Jones (daughter)
JOHN FRANCIS RASHLEIGH (1962) 11 March 1944 – 28 September 2020 Brother to Peter (1965) and uncle to Tim (1997) and Jonathan (1999). A good sportsman who is remembered for his one line in the school’s production of Noah when he thumped the side of the Jack Treen built Ark and declaimed in a phony American accent, ‘Thar’s bayers in thayer.’
MARK TIPPING (1965) 3 February 1948 – 9 February 2021 Mark matriculated in 1965 from Camberwell Grammar School. He was an exceptional student, sportsman and athlete, and captained Derham house. He is survived by his younger brother Joel (1969), and his younger sister Jane MacCallum. He was farewelled at a celebration at the Royal Botanical Gardens on 23 February with family and friends. Duncan Maccallum (1968)
ARTHUR WILLS (1956) 20 November 1938 – 17 January 2021 Spectemur | Issue 1 - 2021
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