From the Headmaster’s Desk

We lost a colleague and friend this term. Gordon Wilson joined the staff of Camberwell Grammar School in 1989, and one of his last conversations, before he died suddenly on 12 May this year, was with a colleague during which he described how pleased he was with the way his Chemistry students had handled a recent assessment task. He loved his School, loved teaching Science, and he loved his students. His passing came as a shock because it was so unexpected. It seems unfair because he was nearing retirement and had great plans for new adventures in the next stage of his life, most of them revolving around his family and his grandchildren. He had kept himself fit, had regular medical check-ups, and seemed to be in the best of health, but Death came like a thief in the night, and took him from us too soon. Life is not fair. It just happens, and plays no favourites. It is for living, rather than marking time, and Gordon was a wonderful example of someone who lived life to the full. To paraphrase Joan Baez, we cannot choose the manner or the time of our passing, but we can choose how we live. Gordon lived a full life: he was a devoted father and grandfather, he loved learning and he loved infecting his students with a love of learning, and particularly of science. He loved to know how things worked and he loved finding things out. He loved to travel, and he loved discovering new places. Although he had many plans for all that he still hoped to do, he filled his life with adventures and extraordinary experiences and his life was rich as a result.

Gordon had run organised ZOOM sessions with his Chemistry class twice a week during the last school holidays. He did it to give his students the chance to consolidate their learning and to get ahead. He gave up his holiday time to serve the needs of his students. He was a living example of the servant leader, a man who put his own interests behind those of his students, his family, his friends and his colleagues. He was the one who walked with the slowest walkers on long hikes, encouraging and supporting them; he was the one who offered help to colleagues who were trying to learn a new system and he was the one who sat quietly beside a friend who was having a tough day. He gave his all to others and he gave his all to living. As Gordon’s body was being taken away following his funeral in Warrandyte, two large Wedge Tail Eagles, manifestations of Bunjil, the creator spirit of the Wurundjeri people, circled above his hearse as he began his journey back to the land. It was a fitting send-off. Spectemur Agendo.

Dr Paul Hicks

Headmaster