Anthony Lampos (1965-68) on 16 December 2008 Jean Lowe née Syme (Clyde 1929-32) on 1 November 2008 William Russell Mackinnon (1948-57) on 15 February 2009 George Clare Moss (1947-48) on 29 January 2009 Rosemary Muller née Farrow (The Hermitage to 1958) William Geoffrey Guinn Paterson (2005-09) on 21 February 2009 Basil Raynes Plante (1923-29) Norman Neil Rachinger OAM (1947-48) on 30 October 2008 Jonathon McIntosh Rowe (1967-73) on 1 December 2008 Albert George Schofield (1929-32) on 7 March 2009 Sally Shirley (The Hermitage to 1943) on 7 December 2008 Clement John Simmons (1953-57) on 5 August 2008 William Ferguson (Sam) Simpson (1963-69) in November 2008. Commodore Dacre Henry Deudraeth Smyth AO (Pe’40) on 3 December 2008 Diana Clodagh Strong née Armytage (Clyde 1934-36) on 6 July 2008 Margaret (Tig) Waugh née Hopkins (The Hermitage to 1951) on 5 September 2008
Robert Blackwood Ritchie Robin Ritchie (Cu’54), who died on 9 May 2008, was an admired and commanding figure in several overlapping communities. A Western-District grazier and Cambridge rowing Blue, he was a natural leader who gave freely of his abilities where they were needed. Geelong Grammar School, in particular, has reason to be grateful to him. He was Chairman of the School Council when, after the death in a car accident in December 1978 of the Head Master, the Honourable Charles Fisher (a great blow to our community), he was persuaded (with some difficulty) by Sir Roderick Carnegie (Cu’50) and other members to resign and become – not quite “Acting Head Master” but “Chief Executive” in a Management Committee of two – otherwise the experienced Senior Master, Boz Parsons DFC (M’36) – until the arrival of Charles’s successor. In the event, because the chosen successor proved to be under contract at Eton College in England until July 1980, Robin and Boz jointly ran the School for some twenty months. Although no longer a member of Council, Robin’s judgement was inevitably invoked in the choice of Head Master. He used jocularly to speak of “the gate test” to which shortlisted candidates were unwittingly subjected at Blackwood, his property near Penshurst, while being shown the farm. Asked
to open and shut the critical gate, at least one candidate failed the test when, driving on and looking in his rear-vision mirror, Robin saw the gate swing gently open. The man who passed this and many another test was the New Zealander John Lewis, and Robin was delighted when, fourteen years later, Eton reclaimed him as Head Master (to serve there from 1994-2002). The arrangement for the interregnum at GGS was watched with some concern. To some it seemed that a dangerous precedent was being set for a more muscular involvement in administration by a governing body. The danger, however, proved illusory, not least because Robin was scrupulous in respecting Staff opposition to a project (moving Middle School to Highton) on which he and his former Council colleagues had all but decided. He told the Staff of the imminence of the decision, listened carefully to the ensuing debate, and reported the gist of it to the Council, who as a result decided not to pursue it (in the event, eighteen years later, the upper Years at Highton, 5-8, joined Middle School at Corio). Any muscularity in the overlap of responsibilities had been allowed, reassuringly, to be exercised by the Staff. Robert Blackwood Ritchie – always known as Robin after an uncle who had died on active service in France – was the first of three sons (there was also a daughter, the late Judy Rymill) of Alan Blackwood Ritchie (whose parents had grown up on two historic Penshurst properties, Blackwood and The Gums) and his Canadian wife, Margaret Witcomb. Aged nine, he began to board at GGS where he had four years in Barwon House and four in Cuthbertson. Matriculating in 1953, he returned in 1954 as Captain of Boats and a School Prefect. He rowed in two winning Head-of-the-River crews, won Colours also for Football, and went on in 1955 to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he read the Natural Sciences tripos and was a member of the 1958 University crew, victorious over Oxford. Later that year a car accident deprived him of a place in the English eight for the Empire Games at Cardiff, shortly before his return to Australia. In 1965 he married Eda (Cl’59), daughter of Sandford Beggs (P’24) and his wife, Helen, of Nareeb Nareeb, Glenthompson, and member of another energetic and influential Western-District family in which Tamie Fraser AO (He’53) and Christina Hindhaugh (Cl’61) became his sisters-in-law and Hugh Beggs AM (M’55) his brother-in-law. Two sons, Daniel (Cu’85) and Jason (Cu’86), and a daughter, Skye (Cl’90), followed.
Robin Ritchie
for Economic Development. Later posts included chairing the Exotic Animal Disease Preparedness Council (Exandis) and the renewable-energy authority Energy Victoria. Robin’s perfectionism found expression in many ways. At Corio he gave thoughtful talks on the Chapel windows as well as ethical and other subjects. He was a motoring enthusiast, owning and restoring several vintage vehicles, a member of the Bentley Drivers Club of Australia, and a generous exponent and lender of his historic 3-litre speed model chassis 246 Bentley, which had raced in the Georges Boillot Cup at Boulogne in 1923. In yachting, too, he became expert, enjoying cruises with his family around the Australian coast. Warm and direct in greeting, tall, alert, at once a true countryman and thoroughly urbane, he moved easily in many worlds. Hugh Beggs described him as “an interesting mixture, being at the cutting edge of technology, very competent and technically on top of everything, yet also a most caring person, sensitive to the needs of others and very loving of family and friends”. Sadly, a neurological disease – borne with exemplary dignity – overshadowed most of his last decade. He was fondly and proudly remembered by a large company at a memorial service in the Chapel of All Saints at Corio at which eloquent tributes to his character and achievements were paid by his friend John Calvert-Jones, by Jeremy Kirkwood (FB/L’80; Chairman of Council), who had been Senior Prefect during Robin’s incumbency at GGS, and by his son Daniel. Our warmest sympathy has been with Eda, their children and seven grandchildren, and Robin’s brothers, Blythe (Cu’58) and Linton (M’64). Michael Collins Persse
After returning from Cambridge, Robin managed Blackwood, breeding Merino sheep and Angus cattle by carefully calculated scientific techniques such as measuring performance in animals, where he was among the pioneers. From 1968-89 he was chairman of Agricultural Investments Australia Ltd, specializing in the management of properties for syndicates of both international and local investors, and from 1981-84 – having installed a manager at Blackwood – he was Director-General of the Victorian Ministry 33