CBC Old Boy profile
TV superstar looks back Almost every Australian household welcomed Old Boy Tony Barber (1957) into their homes during the heady early years of colour TV, and the popular gameshow host went on to chalk up a sensational career spanning more than four decades. Here the Gold Logie winner reflects on his years at CBC Fremantle.
We three, Mum, Dad and me, arrived in Australia in October 1947 under Arthur Calwell’s ‘free’ scheme, boarding with our sponsors for a few months before summer really set in and we moved to South Beach in a little caravan that dad bought. Literally, on the beach, with the tent people and other holiday makers. The nearest Mass was St Patrick’s and from there, as far as education for little Anthony was concerned, we were directed to St Joseph’s in Parry Street, and I was placed in the care of Sr Mary Rose, who was kind and gentle, and Sr Matthew, who wasn’t. This is what happens when you take a tax inspector’s name. Meanwhile my mother, Peggy, was terribly homesick. Although Dad wasn’t, he did what he thought was the right thing and took us back to Lancashire, and as bad luck or maybe good would have it, one of the worst winters in Britain’s recorded history. We arrived back in Fremantle in the spring of 1949, and I landed in Third Grade with most of the boys
50
touchstone | Vol 4 No 2 Summer 2016
from Parry Street, and Br Moore. I especially remember an interview with Br Quilligan, who was Principal at the time. My parents thought he was wonderful; he was too. There we were; huge classes. A figure of 70-something springs to mind; that can’t be right, but there sure were big classes. Names I can recall: Arvid Pitman whose uncle played for South Fremantle and who later became a butcher; John Baguley, who was eventually in the Olympics; John Gabbedy; Jimmy Hansen, who had an older brother at the school; and Italians by the dozen, Terry Camardie, Jerry Canatore, Leo Tuta, the wicked Robert Fellini (I can’t remember why but he was always getting strapped) and Frank Mastaglia, who was clever. In Third Grade we were taught by Br Moore; if he was more than 25, my memory’s playing up. In Fourth Grade we had Br Harrison, and he must have been a heck of a teacher as I