FROM THE CURATOR
David Darling (P’43; Council 1970-74), who died in April 2012, was a gentle and self-effacing member of a family prominent in business and noted for generosity to worthy causes; but he had great inner strength. The younger son of Leonard and Winifred Darling, and brother of Gordon Darling AC, CMG (Council 1964-69), he was born in Melbourne but spent most of his early years in England while his father represented John Darling & Son, a firm of grain and flour merchants, in London. From Selwyn House, a preparatory school in Kent, he came to GGS in September 1939 on the family’s return to Australia. Senior Prefect and Captain of Perry House in 1943 (the Headmaster, James Darling, who was no relation, found him exceptionally kind and helpful through a difficult year), he was also Captain of Cricket and won his colours for both cricket and football. Loyalty and integrity were already the hallmarks of his character. His history master and cricket coach, Manning Clark, wrote that he had “the soul of a poet”. On leaving school he enlisted in the RAAF, and was discharged late in 1945 as a Leading Aircraftman. For three years he read Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Brasenose College, Oxford, playing much cricket and making many friends. Through the 1950s he worked with the family firm, selling flour to bakeries across the Pacific. In 1955 he married Joan MacMillan, from Dalby in Queensland, and the births of Anthony (M’73), Annabel (Montgomery), and Ian (P/L’80) followed. A close family, they never moved house. David was chairman of the Koitaki/Clayton Robard Investment Group in the 1980s, and a director of Carlton and United Breweries (1969-84), EZ Industries (1973-82), Elders IXL and Foster’s Brewing (1981-92), and Caledonia Investments (1992-2009), going daily to his office in Collins Street, even in the frailty of old age. He was a keen pastoralist with a family property, Culbara, in southern New South Wales, and received a “Farmer of the Year” award in that district. A passion for photography, especially portraiture, showed the artist in him. His generosity to individuals and causes was characteristically private, with no thought of recognition. As well as the School Council, he served on that of International House; and for GGS he was active in a major appeal, a committee member of the OGGs, and chairman (from 1967-73) of the advisory committee for Glamorgan. From the Centre for Independent Studies he received their Distinguished Fellow award. As well as Joan, their children, and Gordon, nine grandchildren survive him, and a third generation is represented at the School. Richard Woolcott AC (Cu’45), who in 2010 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of the University of the Sunshine Coast, was in April 2012 admitted “as a person of
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distinguished eminence in public service” to the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa in the University of Melbourne. Alan Hawker (FB’47), who died in April 2012 at Dimboola, was a newsagent there with a lifetime’s involvement in radio and wireless communication including two ANARE expeditions in Antarctica (he was awarded the Polar Medal in 1959) and work in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands (now Kiribati) as Colony Radio Operator for the Western Pacific High Commission. Latterly he spent much time repairing radio and television sets for residents in the Dimboola district. He married in 1959 Audrey Harrison, and they had two children, Peter and Terry. Peter Carey (FB’60) was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 2012 Queen’s Birthday Honours “for distinguished service to literature as a novelist, through international promotion of the Australian identity, as a teacher, and as a mentor of emerging writers”. Mick Lodge (Cu’60), hitherto better known as a newspaper cartoonist, enjoys increasing recognition as a painter, especially of Australian historical scenes. His The Man from Snowy River won the Class 4 Figurative Painting award at the 2012 Royal Easter Show in Sydney, and he has since been at work on The Battle of Vinegar Hill. Anthony Crichton-Brown (P’61), who had a long career with the Lumley Insurance Group (one of only three privately-owned insurance underwriting companies left in the world), at first in Australia and latterly in London as Chief Executive and Chairman, bought the Riverina property Deltroit from Tom Barr Smith (M’59) and his wife, Jenny, in 1990. Since 2006 he has lived there with his wife Nicola, a former London solicitor, whose book Deltroit and the Valley of Hillas Creek (Melbourne Books, 2012), a beautifully written and produced volume, draws parallels between their recent life, improving the historic property, and that of its nineteenth-century (Richardson) pioneers. Anthony is the father of Samantha, Georgina, and Matthew by his earlier marriage (to Edwina Sparke-Davies), and by Nicola of Antonia. He often competed in the Sydney-to-Hobart Ocean Yacht Race, being a member of the winning crew in 1970 and of the Australian crew that won the Admiral’s Cup in the United Kingdom in 1967. Flying and polo have also been passions, and from 2000-05 he was vice-chairman of Guards Polo Club in Windsor Great Park (described on his retirement by Lord Patrick Beresford as “an inspiration to us all”, memorable for “impeccable manners, modesty, sportsmanship, and affection for his ponies”).
Jonathan Brown (Cu’65), diplomat (he has been Australia’s High Commissioner to the Republic of Zimbabwe), international lawyer, and Wagnerian (author of the discographies “Parsifal” on Record [1992] and “Tristan und Isolde” on Record [2000]), has produced what he describes as his magnum opus (certainly it shows magnificent scholarship), Great Wagner Conductors: A listeners’ companion (Parrot Press, Canberra, 2012). He has very generously given a copy to swell our collection of works by and/or about OGGs. He lives in Canberra. The Honourable David Hawker (M’67) was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 2012 Queen’s Birthday Honours “for distinguished service to the Parliament of Australia, to public administration and monetary policy reform, and to the community through local government, health, and sporting organisations”. Adjunct Professor Simon Molesworth AM, QC (Bl’68) was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 2012 Queen’s Birthday Honours “for distinguished service to conservation and the environment, to heritage preservation at national and international levels, to the professions and natural resource sectors, and to community health organisations”. Nigel Austin (FB’71) has again added to the pastoral history of Australia in his book The Australian Livestock Export Trade: From the First Fleet to the World’s Greatest Livestock Breeding Country (Hardie Grant, Melbourne, 2011). OGGs depicted in it include Tom Peddie (Cu’89), Paul Holmes à Court (P’90), and Andrew Ingle (P’97). Richard (Salty) Baillieu (M’71), who died in July 2102, was a son of the late Ronald Baillieu (P’41) and of Gabrielle (Gay) née Money, and the brother of Andrew Baillieu (M’68). A colourful identity in Broome, pearl diver and dealer, hotelier, tour guide, traveller, he endeared himself alike to the local community, tourists, and customers whom he would visit on his tours around Australia once or twice a year. He leaves two daughters, Eleni and Niqui, and a son, Venn (named for his great-uncle Venn Money). He was cared for lovingly through a long illness by Colleen McKenzie. Dave Gardner (A’75), who died in May 2012, grew up in Werribee, the son – with two sisters – of Merle and Graeme Gardner. After his schooldays, during which – as throughout his life – he made good friends easily, he worked at various jobs such as bank-telling and mining, travelled, and became an A-grade squash player. At Bribie Island, where his parents had retired, he purchased a smallgoods business. In 1990 he married Kay Turnbull, from Oamaru in