↓ SECTION 04 — ALUMNI
1976 STAFF REUNION
Penelope Garnett said she hoped the group would get together again from time to time and, if we do, we might call ourselves The Survivors. We will – and we will! The occasion was on Wednesday 27 March at the Malvernvale Hotel in Malvern for members of staff and their spouses who had been at Geelong Grammar School in the years prior to 1976 – the year of the amalgamation when the School became considerably bigger. I was hopeful that a dozen or so may choose to come. Fifty people sat down to lunch and another 25 would have been there if they could! Any faltering attempts at recognition were quickly overcome with the aid of massive name tags hanging round our necks, and the faces of 40 years ago slowly reappeared. We were thrilled to see each other again because of the sense of community we enjoyed in those days and the friendships we made. Boz Parsons (M’36) and Barbara were there, having flown down from Sydney that morning – Boz started as a boy at Corio in 1931. Judy Roberts-Wray was there – Judy lived at Corio in the 1940s when her father, Stan Cook, was on staff. Penny Garnett was there and she noted that she was only 47 when she and Tommy “retired”.
At Penny’s suggestion Andrew Lemon (FB’66) was there – Andrew started as a boy at Glamorgan in 1954 and is presently writing a biography of Tommy. Bill Panckridge (FB’46), Frank Covill, Dick Weigall and Don Marles were there, all having started on the GGS staff in the first half of the 1950s. Bill Hayward and Alison were there, flying from Sydney for the occasion. We remembered many travellers on the journey as Don Marles proposed a Toast to Absent Friends. We listened to messages from colleagues who would have come if they could and wrote lovely letters, including Anne Hetzel (Fisher), Michael Collins Persse, Ian Collier and Hubert Ward. We shared unlikely stories and unreliable memories. The overriding feeling was that the School we knew in those days was a warm and friendly community where we worked hard, shared a wonderfully positive spirit, had a real sense of belonging and had a lot of fun. We really enjoyed the occasion and The Survivors will do it again – not too soon but we can’t leave it too long! Tim Murray (P’52; Staff 1961-1977)
ANTI-CLOCKWISE (FROM TOP): Ann and John Herbert; Adele and James Mackay-Sim (M’62) with David Endean; Dr David Mackay (Cu’52), Penny Garnett (wife of the late Tommy Garnett) and Claire Hanley; Don Watson, Betty Watson and Dr Richard Maddever; John Bedggood (Cu’52), Robby Bedggood and Roger Morton (Ge’56); Fay Marles (wife of Don Marles) with Helen Christie (wife of Les Christie) BELOW: Janet Potter (nee Ingpen, (He’56), wife of the late Reverend John Potter) and Dick Weigall OAM
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LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL