FROM THE CURATOR 38
episcopate of Charles Perry (Bishop of Melbourne 1847-76 and senior Founder of the School). Russell’s name has been added to the board – given by the family of the Venerable Randal Deasey (P’34; Council 1969-86) in Randal’s memory – which in our Chapel of All Saints at Corio records the names and dates at the School of the so far 66 OGGs known to have been ordained as Christian clergy. A companion board bears the names of Chaplains to the School at Corio – and those, including Canon Goodman and our other clerical Founders, who ministered similarly to it during its years in Geelong before 1914.
Peter Jardine (Staff 196193), almost universally known as Jards, died in September 2011, aged 76, after more than eight years of incapacity due to Tom Luckock (Fr’92) is teaching in Beijing. a severe stroke – a cruel fate, especially in He married Yue, daughter of Fung and Yao its deprivation of the ability to speak, for one Zhang, and the birth of their daughter is who so loved to see and talk with his friends. recorded below. In his last years he lived at Costa House, Paul O’Brien (M’92) is Food and Beverage the aged-care centre of the Brotherhood Manager at King’s Canyon Resort in the of St Laurence in Lara. He had joined the Northern Territory. School staff to teach Woodcraft in May 1961, thus overlapping at Corio by one term with Oliver Wilkinson (M’03) is training in Haute Sir James Darling (Headmaster 1930-61), Couture at Yves St Laurent in Paris. who had interviewed him for the post and Karen Middleton (L’72), who in the 1990s inspired him by taking him into the Chapel wrote often in The Age on the Australian to see its marvellous woodwork as well as to Herbert Eyre-Walker (Staff political scene, is the author of An explain that here was the School’s heart – a 1952-79), known to some Unwinnable War: Australia in Afghanistan moment, and a man, that he never forgot. as Bertie but to most of us (MUP), which was reviewed by Derek Parker His craft he taught to a very high level: his as Eyre, died in September in The Spectator Australia of 15 October pupils frequently won awards at the Royal 2011, aged 94. He was a 2011. Published to coincide with the tenth Melbourne Show, and many homes carry lovable and idiosyncratic, anniversary of the 11 September 2001 tables, cabinets, and other furniture made yet highly effective, teacher of Mathematics, attacks on the World Trade Center in New by them in the old Carpentry Shop, now particularly to the old Third Form – now Year York, when she was travelling with John part of the Technology Centre. There were 9 – at Corio before the transition from Fourth Howard, then Prime Minister, and they at least annual exhibitions of their work at to Third (Year 10 to Year 9) at Timbertop over were “worryingly close to the flight path of the School, the most impressive of which, the two years 1975 and 1976. Fun, banter, the plane that crashed into the Pentagon”, in 1991, commemorated after 50 years the and the promise – followed by the provision the book is informed by the “better rebuilding of the Carp Shop by boys and – of culinary reward complemented his understanding of the depth of American staff who gave up a week of their holidays instruction, only thinly disguising the great feeling over the attacks” that her personal to do so after it had been accidentally burnt and wise love for his pupils that lay behind experience has given her. down in 1941: that exhibition was a largely them. He coached cricket and football in a Esther Fiona Francis née Gregory (Ga’85), retrospective one that showed not only the similar spirit, handling all situations adroitly who was known mostly as Fiona but to some (I remember particularly his discovery, early in quality of 30 years’ work in the Shop but as Esther, died in August 2011 after suffering an Under-14 interschool football match, that also the personal loyalty and affection which for some 12 years from multiple sclerosis. Jards inspired, so willing were his past pupils the opposing school had 20 players on the The daughter of David Gregory and his wife, field – I was called in to check his counting, to support him in celebrating the occasion. Marigold, née McLean (who later, as a widow, and told at first that he thought there were 19 For some two years from September 1972 married Edwin Maclean), she grew up at he was on leave in England, at first assisting because he feared that I would not believe Longerenong Homestead, near Horsham, the Reverend Dr Philip (Tubby) Clayton CH him if he revealed the true total –and then and after seven years at GGS graduated from his delay in revealing this dastardly tactic to (founder of Toc H) as his ADC, and then, after the Australian Nanny School and worked as a the umpire until three-quarter time, so that, Tubby’s death, helping – with one of his best nanny for some years and then as a nurse. In with numbers reduced and morale shaken, pupils, Charles Blake (P’70) – the eminent 1995, in the School’s Chapel of All Saints, she the seemingly invincible team lost its entire sculptor Cecil Thomas to fashion Tubby’s lifemarried Brett Francis, who survives her with size effigy for a tomb in his London church of score to date and was in the last quarter their daughters, Isabella (born in 1997) and All Hallows-by-the-Tower: a fruit of this, in the trounced). After living in Francis Brown Charlotte (born in 2007), as does her mother. House for 17 years as its resident Tutor (and Chapel garden at Corio, is a bronze replica She then lived and worked on a family producing some notable House Plays, always of the figure of Tubby’s dog Chippie Mark IV property at Beech Forest, and later near sculpted by Peter as a supporter for Tubby’s spirited and amusing), in 1969 he acted as Terang. Her courage and her loving nature feet. Jards coached football and particularly Housemaster of Fraser House (then for the were reflected in the tributes at a memorial athletics (he founded and was the longFirst Form, or Year 7) during the long-service gathering and in the multitude who attended serving secretary of the John Landy Club) leave of Ivan Sutherland (Staff 1950-93). A it. She had an old connection with GGS with passion and expertise, and his love of all most happy sequel to that was his marriage through one of its very early boys, her greatthings military found expression in his service to the Matron, Jennifer Atkinson (Matron great-grandfather John Burslem Gregory as Lieutenant Jardine in the School’s Cadet 1968-69), and the births of Jane (Parisi) (OS1850s), barrister and civil servant, who (Fr’88), Peter (Fr’90), and John (A’91); all four Corps until its disbandment in 1983, its 100th among other services to the community was survive him, and several grandchildren. In his year. At any one time there were probably at responsible for the setting aside of Wilson’s retirement he continued for at least 20 years least 30 or 40 boys in the School for whom Promontory as a nature reserve, and with he was a crucial mentor and inspiration. as a tutor in Mathematics at the School to a some of whose memorabilia her parents The deep regard and affection in which he succession of lucky individuals. He and his enriched our Archives. was held have been shown by many tributes slightly older sister, Nona Eyre-Walker (Staff since his death, as they were in his funeral 1955-78), who taught at Bostock House (in Alison O’Brien (Cl’89) is General Counsel at service in our Chapel of All Saints. An everNewtown and, from 1962, at Highton), and the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office who died in 2005, aged 89, came to Australia memorable and larger-than-life character, Samantha Smorgon (Je’90), who graduated from India, and it was greatly to the benefit of Peter Jardine – an only child and a bachelor BAppSc in Health Promotion, Family Studies, Geelong Grammar School that they did so. In – found personal fulfilment in Geelong and Exercise Science, and has Certificates III retirement they lived as neighbours in North Grammar School, whose community has and IV in Fitness, has worked in the areas of been enriched in many ways, both tangible Shore. Eyre combined the beautiful qualities mental health and corporate health and as and intangible, by his devotion. of dignity and humility in a character of rare a cardiac technician within General Practice, charm and grace. and been employed part-time as a fitness instructor. In 2008 she became “Project Officer, Quality Assurance and Continuing Professional Development, RACGP, with QA & CPD”.