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Oliver and Heather’s gift to the future
Oliver and Heather Fiala have shared many things in life, including a lifelong passion for education. Their passion and commitment are now set to benefit many students into the future through a bequest to the Charles Sturt University Foundation.
Born in a small village in what is now the Czech Republic, Oliver lived through the terror and oppression of the Nazi regime in World War II. He trained as an actor and theatre producer at the Brno Conservatorium of Music and Dramatic Art before his career was cut short as he fled the country after the Communist take-over in 1948.
Following his escape in July 1948 and a period in refugee camps in Germany and Italy, Oliver arrived in Australia in August 1949. His early days in the Bathurst area, as part of his two-year refugee work commitment, saw him take on a range of roles from a seasonal worker with Edgell’s, a packer and sweeper, a shop assistant and subsequently as a fully qualified railway fireman. In 1954, after his academic qualifications were recognised, Oliver received a scholarship to Sydney University and graduated with a Master of Education. It was following his appointment to Port Hacking High School that he first met Heather, a student there at the time.
In 1962, Oliver was seconded as a lecturer in drama to the then Bathurst Teachers’ College (now Charles Sturt University). In 1965 a Fulbright travel grant and later a Fellowship enabled him to travel to the US where he completed a PhD in Speech and Drama at the University of Colorado. In 1969 he was appointed to the University of NSW School of Drama.
In addition to teaching in more traditional theatre areas at the university, Oliver initiated courses in educational drama. He was instrumental in the establishment of the NSW Educational Drama Association, now Drama NSW, becoming its first president and later a Life Member. He also influenced the establishment of Drama Australia.
Following his retirement as Senior Lecturer in Drama from the University of NSW, Oliver donated his extensive collection of drama and theatre books to the library at Charles Sturt University at Bathurst, now known as the ‘Fiala Collection’.
Heather attended Bathurst Teachers’ College as a student. Following initial teaching experience in infant education in the Sydney area and in British Columbia, Canada, she then completed a Master’s in Special Education at the University of Oregon in the US.
Heather subsequently taught students with disabilities in a range of schools in NSW. She was Director of Special Education within the NSW Department of School Education from 1993 to 1997 and still maintains an active involvement and interest in this area.
Having both benefited from scholarships themselves, and having attended many scholarship presentation ceremonies over the years, Oliver and Heather firmly believed that supporting students in their university education can indeed be life-changing, as Heather explains:
“Our connections with Charles Sturt at Bathurst has meant a great deal to both of us, commencing with Oliver’s involvement there as a lecturer and my initial years as a student.
“Our subsequent involvement with the Charles Sturt Foundation, very many years later after we were married, has enhanced this connection. We both felt strongly that we should support young people to access the educational opportunities that had been available to us.”
Heather recalls the vote of thanks given by one of the students on behalf of scholarship recipients at a Bathurst scholarship ceremony which emphasised how much students value the opportunities given to them through scholarships enabling them to continue their studies.
“I think it’s such a positive thing to do. Some of the students I’ve met said their scholarships had already helped to change their lives! You just don’t know where these opportunities will lead in the future and how many other lives will be changed. It’s fantastic!” The Charles Sturt Foundation can provide guidance on how bequests can be used to support students or areas of interest. We are in the process of establishing a Bequest Society, which should be operational by the end of 2022. For more information, contact Kirstie Grady at advancement@csu.edu.au.