Journal of the Slade and St Catharine’s Past Students Association Volume 2009 Issue 1

KINAWAHJournal of the Slade-St Catharine’s Past Students’ Association

JanuaryVolume 2009

Issue 1

Inside this issue:

President’s Report1

Reunion Report2

Committee Report2

Nostalgix3

Capers3

The Goss4

Museum Report5

Slade Campus5

Letters5

Vale6

Where Are they Now7

Kinawah Review12

EditorPaul “Louie” Holland, PHF, Dip.Ed, B.GnAS, M.A., AWG, FMLBE

Contact:The Editor, KinawahPO Box 9099WYNNUM PLAZA, Q 4178Phone: 07 3206 2777windmillpro@bigpond.com

or

SSPSA IncMargaret Stewart, Pres. 248 Hermitage Road Toowoomba Q 4350Phone: 07 4630 7229bmstew1@bigpond.net.au

Websitewww.sspas.com.au

Email info@sspsa.com.au

THEIR CUPS OVERFLOWETH

From Left: Helen (Robb) Moloney, Paul “Louie” Holland, Allan Donovan, Margaret (Ree) Stewart, Bruce Mauch, Ron Mauch at the SSPSA Museum working bee (More on Page 2) Photo: Staff Photographer Ann Donovan

A WORD FROM OUR PRESIDENTIt was great to see helpers arrive for our last meeting where we cleaned trophies stored in the museum. To save our exhibits, blinds need to be installed as the western sun shines through the huge windows onto the displays.. The Museum Committee needs to continue organising the air conditioning as they had researched the proposition earlier. After approaching Aub Warrener, he happily agreed to meet the Southern Downs Regional Council about the future of Slade Campus. He knows quite a few councillors personally so we are fortunate to have Aub speak on our behalf.

The Council Chairman, Ron Bellingham, is keen to have the Flying School using land at Leyburn (which was used during the war) for an airstrip. If a proposal was developed with benefits for the local community, ratepayers would be more sympathetic as it would benefit them. The longer it remains in its current form, costing ratepayers money, the less chance we have of saving it.

The venue for the 2009 Reunion on the Queen's Birthday weekend will be the Sunshine Coast. Everyone is to book their own accommodation. Activities will be organised for the Saturday and Sunday. Any ideas of special events and places to see will be greatly appreciated.

In February, sixteen girls from 1962 to 1965 will be dressing up for a Hollywood Murder Mystery Night at the Abbey of the Roses, the former convent in Warwick. In the afternoon we will be having a Devonshire Tea at Mytton House and most of us will be staying the night in Sister Cells and Mother Superior Rooms where we will be sharing bathrooms. It will just be like the "good old days."

Hope to see many of you at the Sunshine Coast. Mark it in your diary now.Margaret (Ree) Stewart – President SSPSA

REUNION REPORTAt the last committee meeting held at Slade Campus (report follows), it was decided that the next AGM, which will be held as usual on the Queen’s Birthday Weekend (6-8th June) will be at the North Coast. John Bayliss, our Committee Representative for that area has already inspect-ed venues and a suitable site is being considered.It’s proposed that the weekend will include a morning meeting before an informal lunch and an afternoon of fellowship topped off with dinner. A bus tour on the Sunday of the Blackall Ranges is also being investigated. It is hoped the tour would take in Montville and surrounding areas with lots of opportunity to browse and graze.Accommodation may be a premium because of the long weekend, but rates should be good due to the off-season period. Excellent deals for high-rise apartments along the Maroochydore-Mooloolaba waterfront are the go and some of these will be listed in the next Kinawah. Sharing one of these apartments with another schoolmate’s family makes for very cheap accom-modation and a unique oppor-tunity to share time.(More Reunion news on P 3)

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COMMITTEE REPORTA joint working bee—Committee Meeting was held at Slade Campus on Saturday 17th January last and was attended by Margaret Stewart, Paul Holland, Allan and Ann Donovan, Ron and Bruce Mauch and Helen Moloney. (Photo Front Page) It was great to see the Mauch brothers together at a meeting, particularly Ron as the last meeting he was able to attend was in the early 1970s. Both Bruce and Ron worked hard polishing silver cups from the museum display cabinets, though both farmers found the task somewhat alien to their

usual work practices and need-ed some coaching from presi-dent, Margaret Stewart and Ann Donovan, experts at both wining them and maintaining them. Allan Donovan provided disciplined supervision while Secretary Helen Moloney, recorded the meeting on her laptop and scanned many

photographs for identification by our archivist Ted Ross. Issues raised at the meeting included con- tinuing liaison with the Council and Allan even offered to lobby Law-rence Springborg to maintain pressure on council and state gov-ernment to find a suitable use for the campus as an election looms.

(A copy of the minutes of the meet- ing can be obtained on request tothe secretary on 07 4635 0573 or sending a self-addressed envelope to: The Secretary SSPSA, 1 Fourth Avenue, Toowoomba 4350.)

Results of the Kinawah survey (See Page 12) were discussed and those present were very pleased with the 44 responses received. After the answers had been professionally collated and analyzed by Margaret’s niece who works for a well-known polling agency, it was soon obvious that, not only was Kinawah considered an essential publication for the association, but also it was universally appreciated. Though areas of improvements were identified, particularly in the selection of material, it’s present content; form, size and number of issues satisfy the members’ requirements. To help with the presen-tation, the association is looking to buy a publishing program that will enhance the newsletter’s visual presentation, while renewed efforts will be made to select material that is relevant to the wider member- ship. This newsletter is trialing that program and hopefully addresses some of the content issues. In addition, the committee will advance an extra $100 per month to the editor to help in the transmission of the newsletter as more demands are made on the cost of upgrading broadband facilities and computer capabilities. The Editor of Kinawah, Paul, expressed his appreciation for that help and endeavour to justify it with an even better publication.

The silver cleaning working bee that followed was a great get together – stories were exchanged and what excitement there was when one or other of those present found a trophy bearing his or her name. Thanks so much to all of you.

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Past Students’ Christmas get together in North QueenslandSix Slade Old Boys and one St. Cath’s past student (notice I didn’t say “old girl”) met just before Christmas for a festive BBQ and drinks in Townsville. It was not so much a “formal” reunion, just a group of friends with a similar educational background using the excuse of Christmas to have some delicious sustenance and great conversation.

Attending from left Jock Mac-donald ’55 – ’57 (and Kaye), Alan Mieklejohn ’55 – ’59 (and Cathy), Eric Hassall ’58 – ’61 (and Marian), Laurie Boyd ’64 – ’69 (and Julie), Ray Dickson ’66 – ‘68 (and Jenny), (front) Barry Woodworth ’48 – ’51 (and Gaye). Missing from the photo is our host, Natalie (Budge) Ferris ’50 – ’52, who somehow managed to avoid the photographer.Apologies were received from Sandy (Humbley) Mollenhagen, Ros (Fraser) Warren, Jon Stephenson, Ray Menkens, Mike Rippin and Eddie Wickham. Dallas Foster sent apologies on behalf of herself and Royce McCowen who was ill at the time and has since passed away. We will sorely miss Royce at our reunions. He was a real gentleman of the “old school” and a great bloke to be around.We were delighted to welcome Eric Hassall to his first ever reunion. Eric was at Slade at the same time as Alan Miekle-john and they reminisced over old times and we all caught up with what has been happening to him over the last 47 years! Eric is now a “retired” farmer living near Tully and traveled the several hundred kilometres

to Townsville just to attend this function. There was certainly nothing formal about the evening, but everyone had a great time. There’ll be another “formal” (well, as formal as they get in the tropical North) reunion held later in the year, probably in June or July.

NOSTALGIX“It was unbelievable – absolutely unbelievable. I still don’t feel normal – I don’t feel like I’m back in the normal world.”Such are the words of Madeline Blyth (nee Eagar) on her return from Western Australia after attending the Memorial Services for the sailors lost on HMAS Sydney. After spending three nights on board HMAS Kanimbla in a tiny cabin in the bowels of Australia’s all-purpose Naval vessel, traversing gangway ladders and various hatchways, Madeline was in her element. Having spent nearly her entire life around boats and ships, Madeline confounded her youthful companions with her nimbleness and familiarity with her surroundings.“Conditions at sea could not have been kinder,” Madeline describes.On the day of the service, the sea was as calm as a lake. It was as though nature itself had ceased its dynamic shifts in reverence for the occasion. Then like a spectre from the past, the current HMAS Sydney steamed into view and berthed adjacent to the Kanimbla, its full complement resplendent in their white dress uniforms standing to attention on its deck. It was an incredibly moving experience.The service at sea provided enormous emotional release as the mourners sent their flowers of love above those who gave their lives. It was a moment that brought some resolution to those left behind. As the wreaths descended with photographs of their loved ones

attached, there was barely a dry eye aboard the Kanimbla. During those poignant moments, brothers, sisters, cousins, wives, friends et al, openly spoke their final messages to those they lost all those years ago.Madeline was full of praise for the crew of the Kanimbla, as she described, “They treated us like Royalty.”Madeline shared her small cabin, which had three tiered bunks with two young seamen, both girls of course, and despite the fact that “you needed to be fit to access the various facilities” she had no difficulty coping with the living conditions. In fact, during a tour of the ship she was amazed at the diversity and sheer size of the facilities. The Kanimbla is capable of transporting 480 personnel and all their equipment including trucks and armoured personnel carriers. They have an Air Force Division that includes helicopters and a fully functional hospital, as well equipped as any land based facility.One surprise was how dark it was below deck, the lighting kept low so that eyes did not need to adjust to poor visibility conditions if the crew should be called to battle stations at night. This necessitated careful maneuvering when moving about below deck. All in all, Madeline describes it as an experience of a lifetime and is looking forward to the DVD that will be released of the Service at Sea and the service held at the Geraldton based Memorial commemorating the loss.From all us in the SSPSA we extend a “welcome home” to our Honorary Life Member.

Slade-St Caths CapersPenny (Jones) Underhill (St Caths 1960-64) was reminded of a caper when she had lunch with Jane (Bowden) Russ (St Caths 1961-62). Apparently, Jane regularly sees another schoolmate from that era, Jill (Burness) Harrison (St Caths

Journal of the Slade and St Catharine’s Past Students Association Volume 2009 Issue 1 3

1960-62) and when she men-tioned Jill, Penny recalled how Jill helped her pass Junior Geo-graphy. As they were queuing up to go into the crucial exam, Penny the crammer realised that she hadn’t even looked at SE Asia when Jill reckoned it would feature in the exam in “The Map” section.In a blind panic, Penny quickly scanned the map (eye scan, not computer scan) before going in and sure enough; it was in the exam paper. Whew, failure avoided! On yer Jill!DOES anyone remember the Sunday hikes enjoyed by prim-ary schoolers at Slade in the late 1950s? Basically it meant if you did not have dreaded detention or exhausting PT, you could apply for an “exit” which earned you a cut lunch of sang-ers and an orange and you could actually leave the school grounds for about four hours without supervision. Naturally enough, this led to a number of activities including swimming in the Condamine River, bird nesting, using ”gings’’ and other more dubious activities such as raiding orchards.Certainly the late Jim Killen was not the only country boy to ”swim bare-arsed in the Conda-mine’’. Lots of us did, espec-ially in the so-called Mill Hole down near the Warwick flourmill. This hole also produced both freshwater catfish or jewies as well as golden perch or yellowbelly on “dropper’’ lines baited with either shrimp or yabby tied to down hanging willow branches. The biggest I saw come out of there was a good 3kg. It was caught by Bischoff, the bloke mentioned in this column some time ago for having a pet wedgetail eagle.

THE GOSSMysterious photos arrived from our Cromer Correspondent last month of a young girl from St Caths circa 1949. Must have made quite an impression on our hoarder to keep them for nearly 60 years. The “young” lady now lives on Stradbroke

Island and her son manages the well-known landmark, “Anchorage Village”. The other remarkable fact about this lady, is that she attended St Cath-arines for thirteen years from 1937 to 1949 inclusive which is as long as any who enrolled in either Slade or St Caths. See if you can recognize her?

This little fellow was sent to Slade at the tender age of five all the way from a sheep station called Blue Knob at Coolarai near Inglewood. Must have been as cold there as Warwick. Read on to find out more.

Associate Professor Robert J S Beeton (Slade 1954-64) of Withcott, at the base of the Toowoomba Range has been awarded an Australia Medal as part of the Australian Day Honours 2009 in the General Division for service to environ-mental science as a researcher and educator and through a range of professional and natural resource management organisations.

Robert was Dux of the school in 1964 and did a considerable amount of research on the environmental impact of the Ord River Scheme in which he warned of undesirable con- sequences if the scheme was to proceed. Though pilloried at the time, his results were verified and his research vin-dicated. His recognition as an Environmental Scientist was established and he became an Associate Professor at the University of Southern Queens-land. His advice is highly regarded and is sought partic-ularly on global warming and water resource issues.Robert also has the distinction of being the second longest enrolled student at Slade when he arrived at the tender age of five and where he was educat-ed for the next eleven years. Though he had many friends while at Slade, he describes his time at Slade as an unhappy experience though education-ally rewarding, almost a complete reversal of most students’ experience during that era.A member of the Macansh Sporting House, Robert enjoyed his sport and was a particularly aggressive fast bowler in the First XI Cricket Team.His mates and the SSPSA pass on their congratulations to “Bob” for his contribution to education and to society generally.The Night of the Naughty Nuns. Word is some middle aged past students are revisit-ing their childhood. A reminder of school drama, each will have a part to play ranging from Lu-cielle Ball, Elvis Presley and Patsy Cline in this theatrical murder mystery extravaganza. The survivors will then be haunted by the ghosts of nuns past as they occupy the sisters’ cells for the night in the Warwick Convent. Keep an eye out for Sister Lois ladies. She would not approve of the frivolity or location. Should be fun though and Agatha

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Kinawah will keep its ear to the ground in the hope of exposing more juicy revelations.

MUSEUM REPORT

Negotiations are continuing to install air-conditioning and blinds in the War Memorial Museum and Archives. The council has agreed in principal to their installation. Total costs will be in the order of $5,000.As mentioned in the Committee Report, trophies, cabinets and display units were cleaned. Secretary Helen and Curator Paul will be returning to the museum to clean shields and remove Honour Boards that require updating in the near future.

SLADE CAMPUSThe future of Slade Campus continues to be surrounded by innuendo and rumour. One such rumour suggests that the Chairman of the Southern Dar- ling Downs Council, former mayor of Warwick has lost the support of his councilors to keep the campus. However, other information suggests that negotiations are continuing with a Singapore based company to turn the campus into an aero-plane pilot training facility. Earlier this year, according to an article in the 20th November 2008 Southern Free Times, a bid was launched by Patrick Hannon of Warwick’s Total Health and Education Centre to turn the campus into centre for Indian Natural Medicine. This was to be sponsored as a de-gree course through the South-ern Cross University, Mumbai’s largest medical teaching hospit-al in India.With the latest federal govern- ment initiatives to allow the im-portation of horticultural work-ers from the Pacific Islands on

457 visas, the campus has been proposed for use as an English Language teaching institution. This course would be delivered by TAFE while the campus would provide much needed accommodation. The beauty of this proposal from the Council’s point of view is that the campus would not need to be upgraded significantly as it would with other options. Recent discussions with Rod Ferguson, the CEO of the council, indicate that the need to upgrade facilities on Slade Campus for the pilot school have been reduced and this makes the flight school option look very attractive indeed. Mr Ferguson also indicated that the existing airfield runway was very suitable and would require very little further infrastructure to make it a practical location.However, all options are on the table and one can but hope that, with the recent money being spent on infrastructure by the Federal Government that Slade may benefit.[The editor thanks Niel Quirk for providing a copy of the article on Slade that appeared in the Southern Free Times, November last.

LETTERSThe integrity of a newspaper is measured by its willing-ness to accept criticism, advice and input from its readers. Letters also reveal the insights of its readers who have been inspired by the newsletter to share their life experiences with other readers. If you become so inspired, I urge you to write to The Editor nee Aunt Louie, “KINAWAH”, PO BOX 9099, WYNNUM PLAZA, Q 4178 or email your letter to: windmillpro@bigpond.comDear Aunt Louie,I've read with interest the replies to the questionnaire! Everyone wants to read more news, but isn't prepared to con-tribute, but that's a common phenomena. I thought about this little gem, if it can find a place somewhere - purely for

the girls!! While putting together a platter of Christmas goodies to place on the staffroom table on my last day of teaching for 2008 at St Stephen's school in Pittsworth, I needed a recipe for chocolate truffles. I looked in the few books I had on top of the micro-wave but found nothing. Then it dawned on me – I headed straight to the “St Catharine's Parents and Friends Cookery Book” and, sure enough, there it was on Page 44 along with other goodies 'to serve with coffee'. I have used that book so much that pages 19 to 27 are loose and splattered with chocolate, butter, flour and who knows what else. This Cookery Book was put together by Katie Lockwood's Mum with the help of many parents who contribut-ed recipes. Dotted throughout the book are advertisements from well known stores such as Barnes Supastok Foods; Andy Carney's TV, Radio and Elec-trical; Willet's Cake Shop; Mc-Dougall & Sons Auctioneers; Hugh J Gardner Optometrist and T.A. & B Stabler's Friendly Store, Service Station and Newsagency. I don't know how many others have this book, stuck in a drawer somewhere or become so tatty it has long since been discarded, but I've certainly had my money's worth, turning out trays of Coconut Biscuits, Choc Chip Biscuits, Brownies and Ginger Fluff when my girls were need-ing something for their lunch boxes, and of course more re-cently, Chocolate Rum Truffles! For those who don't have the book here is the recipe- a bit late for Christmas but good 'to serve with coffee'.Ingredients: 3 ozs chocolate, 1/2 oz butter, 1 tbspn rum, 1 egg yolk, 1 tbspn whipped cream, chocolate powder or cocoa.Method: Melt the choc. over hot water. Add the egg yolk, butter, cream and rum. Heat until thick and pasty. Leave it to cool in the 'fridge. Form into small balls and roll in the choc

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powder. Cheers, Helen (Robb) MoloneyDear Helen,Purely for the girls indeed - as you well know, I do have a gender conflict and I have to tell you, it’s a great recipe and simple too. The sort I can han-dle. I have at this time a great crop of Turkish Figs on my tree, which I managed to protect from the numerous starving birds by covering the tree with a net, but I digress. The following is a great recipe for fig jam and I have a pot of it bubbling away on the stove even as I write.Ingredients: 1kg of figs; 750 gm of sugar; 1 tbs of all or mixed spice; 1 tbs of cinnamon; juice of half a lemon and handful of chopped lemon rind.Method: Weigh the figs after topping and cleaning their bottoms. Cut the figs into chunks (the firmer the fig, the smaller the chunks). Add spice, cinnamon, lemon juice and rind. Cover with sugar, mix with spoon and allow sitting for at least two hours. Bring the mixture to the boil using the slowest heat then simmer for an hour. Let it cool and slowly boil for 15-20 minutes the next day. Note: If perchance you inadvertently forget to take the jam off and it burns on the bot-tom of the saucepan. Don’t panic! Mix it until the burnt taste permeates the jam and bottle as described. It even tastes better! You will have successfully made burnt fig jam which has a lovely toffee nut flavour and is often made deliberately. Pour into medium to small jam jars that have been heated in the oven without lids to 100 deg Centigrade. Scorch the lids with boiling water. Put the lids on while the jam and jars are hot-test. Refrigerate. The jars will vacuum seal as they cool for good preservation.I hope others will send in their favourite recipes and you never know, we may end up with the “SSPSA Recipes

for Reunions” Handbook. - Aunt Louie

YOUR URL

WWW.SSPSA.COM.AU

VALE

Niel Milne Gow (Slade 1942),a Life Member of the SSPSA, passed away recently, but unfortunately, though we know his funeral was held at the Centenary Memorial Gardens in Sumner Park, we have not been able to contact relatives or friends. He is survived by his wife, Jocelyn. Neil was one of those students who attended Slade as a safety measure when parents feared an imminent invasion by the Japanese during WWII. At the time he was enrolled at ACGS (Churchie) and returned there after junior to continue his edu-cation. Even at fifteen years of age, he played in the first XV rugby side as well as being a fine swimmer and cricketer. He was no academic slouch either, taking out the Junior Form Prize as well. Born in August 1926, in founding year of Slade School, Neil was 82 when he died.Brian Loughnan (Slade 1942) passed away on the 25th October 2008 after retiring to the Sunshine Coast in 1988. His younger brothers, “Joe” and “Barry” also attended Slade, Joe in the same year as Brian

while Barry, attended from 1945 to 1947. Joseph passed away on the 9th May 2001 and is survived by his wife, Ann.Barry passed away in May last year. All brothers succumbed to cancer as did their only sister, Judy, who passed away several years ago. Born in April 1926, the same year Slade School opened, Brian came from Crystal Brook Station near Mitchell. He and wife, Ethel, who predeceased him, had two children, son Richard and daughter Marion, who nursed him to the end. He was 82 years of age at the time of his passing.

Marion remembers her father talking of Slade in very fond terms, particularly appreciative of the support provided by the headmaster of the time, Byam Roberts. Difficulties at home on the property forced Brian home, despite the protestations of “Boss” Roberts who saw academic potential in the young Brian who excelled at Maths. I’m sure Brian would have agreed, “you can take the boy out of Slade, but you can’t take Slade out of the boy.”Geoffrey Cullen Graham Wilson (Slade 1940-43), Life Member of the SSPSA passed away on the 4th November after a long battle with cancer. Geoff was born the year Slade opened and is remembered by many Slade boys from the for-ties and fifties for his achieve-ment as a navigator in a Can-berra Bomber while in the

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RAAF which was the first to fly from England to Australia in 24 hours.

Those who were at Slade in 1952, when this was achieved, will recall that Geoff came back to the school after the flight and told them of this groundbreaking achievement.The following is an extract from Annual Report in the 1952 Slade Magazine: “Last march we hailed the triumph of Old Boy Geoff Wilson, who was navigator of the Canberra jet bomber that broke the England-Australia – flying time 24 hours 20 minutes. We did not dream that Slade School would ever produce a Bert Hinkler or a Kingsford Smith!”Born in April 1926, the same year Slade School opened, Niel was 82 at the time of his passing.

Royce Alfred McCowan “Dick” (Slade 1945-53) passed away on the 22nd January last after a long battle with cancer. The funeral was held at the

Jensen Uniting Church, Deeragun on the 29th January 2009.His elder brother, the late Kelvin McCowen, also attended the school from 1945 to 1949 and passed away in June 1998 aged 66.Royce was School Captain in 1953 and married Dallas Porter (St Catharine’s 1946-52).Another Slade past student, who slept in an adjacent bed to “Dick”, recalls the School Captain saying quietly to him after lights out, “Steve, are you awake. Have I got something to tell you? I got engaged today to Dallas. What do you think about that?”Dallas and Royce married then later divorced, both remarried, but reunited some 56 years on. Dallas was with him at the last.Royce was a remarkable sportsman and leader, and everyone who went to Slade at the time will recall his school blazer pocket full of Half Colours and Colours, which had to be listed all the way down to his bottom pocket. Though School Captain in 1953, he was a Prefect in 1952, Captain of the Barnes Sporting House and Company Sergeant Major in the Cadets. He had Colours in cricket, tennis, ath-letics and football spanning a number of years and this des-pite there being no sport in 1951 during the polio epidemic. His name appears on cups re-cently polished during the Janu-ary working bee, including the Morton Cup for Best All Round Athlete, The Malcolm Creed Cup for All Round Achieve-ment; The Brotherhood Prize and Rhodes Prize for Leader-ship, Service and Academic Achievement as well as prem-iership and championship trophies for tennis, cricket and football.Not only was he an habitual achiever, but also those who knew him, held him in high regard. Royce has been a very popular fixture at Northern Queensland reunions since they started in 2002. Royce

was blessed with the compan-ionship of Dallas on Magnetic Island in recent times. He is survived by his and Dallas’ sons, Phillip and Gary, step-daughter, Jacque and stepson, Chris. Our sincere condol-ences go to Dallas and to all Royce’s family and friends. This has been a particularly sad period of time as we have lost three Life Members of the Association over the last three months and they will be sorely missed.

PER VOLAR SONATA – PATRIBUS DIGNI ESTOTE

(Born to fly higher - be worthy of our Forebears)

WHERE ARE THEY KNOW

“Interview with the White Knight”

Adrian Charles (Slade 1942-44)

PH: Bishop Adrian Charles, can you tell us something of your family background?AC: My family lived near Ingle-wood from which many Slade boys came over the years, at a place called Omanama, which most people wouldn’t have heard of, and rightly so, but when it was time for my birth, my mother went to Warwick so I was born in Warwick but lived in Omanama. We stayed there for about the first three years of my life when my elder brother was due to go to high school. The family sold the farm and moved to Warwick and bought

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a similar farm just outside Warwick near where the TAFE College presently is. It was then that I began my assoc-iation with Slade & St Cathar-ine’s, because I went to the Church of England Girls School, as it was then, kindergarten.PH: So you would be very unique as the only SSPSA member who went to both St Caths and Slade?AC: Yes, dual membership you might say. (dryly)PH: But this was not unusual, I believe others from Slade also attended the kindergarten.AC: Yes, I believe so. I think Peter Rowland went to the kindergarten. (Editor’s Note: Peter Rowland attended Slade from 1940 to 1946)PH: But you are unique in that you not only enrolled in both CEGS and Slade but also came back to Slade as a staff member.AC: That’s right.PH: Can you tell me how that came about?AC: I went to the Warwick High School for a couple of years after scholarship, as it was called in those days, then went to Slade for the last three years of my secondary schooling. I went there as a result of a scholarship that was awarded by the Bush Brotherhood of St Paul to a student so those three years included my two years when I completed Senior. But the subjects I had selected were not suited for a theological degree and as I wished to be-come ordained within the Church, I changed subjects and did Senior again.PH: Was there anyone who had a particular influence over you in your decision to become ordained?AC: Yes. I think the answer is, “a good number of people”, but particularly James Housden who was the rector of St Marks at the time. He was an influ-ence most certainly, as were the clergy at Slade, Canon Edwards and “Boss” Roberts, of

course. I remember one Sunday morning as I was busily cleaning up things after the ten o’clock service at St Marks, Canon Edwards said to me, as he was sitting on the edge of a table in the vestry, “Have you ever thought of joining the ministry, Adrian?” and I said, “No”, busily going about my work because I wanted to get away, but with the advantage of hindsight, I think that probably was the catalyst. It made me say to myself, well you said “no” but “why” and that was the beginning I think; and there was the continuing influence that I was talking about. It was a big factor in the decision to do it. It was 1945 and the war was over. My intention was to go into the army to serve in the defence force. Of course, they weren’t really keen on recruits in 1945 so that didn’t come about.PH: You did, however, come back as a teacher.AC: Yes, I did.PH: So you must have had some training as a teacher.AC: No, I didn’t, not at all. You’d call me a teacher’s aide now if you did and it was in the primary school where the Head of the Primary School was a man named Shelcross who came from a Teacher’s Training College. Because the Teach-er’s Training College itself was in a fairly chaotic situation due to so many ex-servicemen going into teaching, I became a sort of external student under the tutelage of Mr Shelcross while assisting in Slade School Primary.PH: I think in those days they had pupil teachers.AC: That’s what I would qualify as for sure. Indeed Byam Roberts was one himself.PH: And did you feel there was any calling for you in teaching? Did you see a relationship between . . .?AC: Yes, I enjoyed teaching very much. One of the many debates you have with yourself like making a decision to join

the ministry. The debate was, well you enjoy teaching and it seems to be going all right, why do you want to do anything else? And the answer to that question was, well if you’re ordained, what are you doing but teaching? Except that on top of the teaching there is that other aspect of ministry that goes with it. You didn’t lose teaching by becoming a priest.PH: Now you returned to Slade as a staff member and I believe Housemaster at Highfields, which was the Primary School Boarding House. Now when you left there you were not at that stage training to be ordained, did that come later?AC: I had been selected to train, in other words, prelimin-ary interviews and discussions and whatnot had taken place and at the appropriate time I was going to be admitted as a student at St Francis Theolog-ical College in Brisbane.PH: And you graduated obviously. What year was that?AC: That’s three years you are there and I was ordained a Deacon in 1950.PH: On a more personal note, you were interested in young ladies and you met one that interested you very much, a Miss Leonie Smith. When was that - when you were still at college?AC: I met Leonie when I was out in the bush. After being ordained a Deacon, you have a period of a year or more before you are ordained a Priest. During that year, instead of going to Toowoomba or to an appointment like that, I was appointed to the staff of St Francis College to do some lecturing for a year and at the same time do some pastoral ministering with what was called the Anglican Church Mission which looked after things that well, nobody else wanted, like the Brisbane Gaol, the Leper Colony over on Peel Island, various places like that.Int: But when you married, you had to reconcile your role as

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clergyman, husband and family man? How did you do that?AC: Well that was more difficult than you say. That was hard enough. I was ordained a priest in St Marks, Warwick, which was unusual in the beginning of 1952 and from thence went straight out into the Bush Brotherhood of St Paul paying back, as it were, something of the kindness of earlier days. In the Bush Brotherhood of St Paul, you really have to adhere to three tenets. The first one is that while you are in the Brother-hood you do not have any say in where you go or what you do. You can be moved around at will of the head of the Brotherhood who lived in Charleville. The second one was you had to agree not to get engaged to be married or married while you are there and, thirdly, you have to agree to receive an allowance, which is what it was called, of five pounds ($10) a month. So that rather put a break on any ambitions you might have of an immediate marriage. But it didn’t mean you couldn’t meet someone that you would ultimately marry in the Bush Brotherhood. Leonie lived in Surat, which was in the Bush Brotherhood district, which I was looking after.PH: So of course you eventually moved on and later became rector of a church in St Lucia, which became a Parish in 1960 while you were there. What happened in that time between St Lucia and your time with the Bush Brotherhood of St Paul?AC: Having been in the Bush Brotherhood for two and a half years, I belonged to a band of clergymen who used to do pre-cisely what the Bishop told them. I’m not sure anyone belongs to the same school of thought now, but it was so in those days. The Archbishop of the day said to me, “Charles, I want you to go to the Southport School as Chaplain. You’re a teacher; the school is full of

boys from the bush so you will really be in the Bush Brother-hood down in Southport looking after all these kids nearly all of whom are boarders.” This enabled me to become engag-ed and married which I did while I was Chaplain at TSS. And after about three years there, I was then sent to the first Parish I was ever in, which was the Parish of Wondai near Kingaroy. I was there for four years. It was a big Parish, which stretched from Gympie on the eastern side to Jan-dowae on the western side really. I was away from home a lot and it wasn’t an easy task. Anyhow, that was the way it was and I went from there on invitation from the Archbishop again who said, “We have just cut off part of the Parish of Taringa and we’re going to call it St Lucia. There’s nothing there. There’s no church, just a hall but I want you to go to be the first priest there.” It was a bit difficult whereas it was quite good in Wondai because everything was going well. By that time our twins had been born and they were about three so it was another big decision to go from there to St Lucia. Anyhow, it was the right one and I felt I should do it, so we came down to St Lucia.PH: Since then of course since the heady days of the 1960s, a young father in two capacities, a father of twins and a father in the church, something significant must have happened during those next few years because you became not only a bishop but also involved with the Nashos, with the armed services. Did you eventually join the armed services?AC: I was commissioned as a Chaplain in the Australian Reserve Army as it was then called when I was at Southport in 1955. I stayed a member of the Australian Defence Force until I was not able to continue when I became a Bishop in 1983. An interesting story I heard just the other day. Somebody told me I was the

last Bishop to be a member of the ADF since a Bishop who had been with the British forces in the Hundred Years War, which was the last time a Bishop had gone into battle. (laughs)PH: You became Bishop to the Australian Defence Force. How did that come about?AC: My continuity of service spanned Wondai, Southport, St Lucia, Ipswich, Perth where I went for awhile and then Townsville, then back to Bris-bane again. During all that time I was, in the end, Senior Chaplain of Northern Command and Senior Chaplain of First Military District when the name was changed which was a senior appointment in the ADF.PH: You served only in Australia?AC: Yes.PH: So what was your connection with the Nashos?AC: They were out at Wacol. One Training Group was the posting I had while I was in Brisbane. They were next door to that particular area so I looked after them as best I could as well. Townsville was interesting because it was at the end of the Vietnam War. I was part of a team that was in-volved in preparing fellows for service over-sea - talking to them about customs, religions, practices and such among the people they were going to serve in Vietnam.PH: This leads on to another thing, of course. You were awarded the Order of Australia, but it’s a bit of a mystery to most of us around the ridges as to what led to that award. Can you fill in the gaps for us?AC: I can’t answer that because it’s all pretty secret. (laughs) You get nominated for the award - for an award, then there’s a committee, which is chaired by the Governor Gen-eral, if I’m not mistaken – I think that’s right - who determines what will be the decoration, which you might well receive. Opinions are sought from vari-

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ous people after they have determined what in fact might be the cause you might get award-ed for, such as service to the Defence Force, service to the Church, service to the bush – an accumulation for all those things.PH: And did they specifically state what this award was for?AC: Service to the Australian Defence Force and the Church I think it said on the piece of paper.PH: You don’t know who nominated you?AC: No.PH: You were talking about the governor; the new Governor General is Mrs Quentin Price of course. Do you still have a connection there?AC: Yes.PH: You are in the Scouts, I believe?AC: Oh yes! (laughs) Yes, you get invited – as a Bishop; you get invited to join particular committees. I think it’s about twenty years I’ve been a mem-ber of the Scouts’ Executive Committee which doesn’t mean very much at all except that you become a sort of a panel of people who have particular expertise who are drawn in from time to time as required to give advice or guidance about some aspect of scouting,PH: What is your connection with the Mothers’ Union of Australia?AC: My mother was a member of Mothers’ Union, which was my first connection. (smiles dryly). In most places where I’ve served, there has been a branch of the Mothers’ Union, which I’ve welcomed and en-couraged greatly. As far as my personal connection, I’ve taken a couple of Retreats for Exec-utive Office Bearers in the Mothers’ Union over the years. I’ve never been a member personally, (dryly) but from time to time members of the MU individually and corporately have spoken with me about certain matters which need a bit of guidance and support, but

I’ve never been officially a member, I must hasten to add that.PH: To be quite honest I know nothing about the Mothers’ Union and of course I was quite surprised, you not being a mother that you would have an association with such a group. (Adrian laughs) What is its function?AC: It really is an organisation within the Church, which supports and substantiates Christian moral standards, supports motherhood and the family. It has a wide member-ship who do good works. For example, they have a vehicle – a caravan really, a pretty sub-stantial caravan which is able to be used by people, say from the bush who are in desperate circumstances who might wish to have a holiday at the seaside - that sort of thing.PH: I was going to talk to you about another organisation, the Order of St John of Jerusalem . . . .AC: The Sovereign Order of St John of Jerusalem. I was invit-ed to become a member of the Order in 1983.PH: Can you tell me what Knight Hospitaller means?AC: Sovereign Order of St John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller (Pronounced Hos-pit-aller) - all very complicated. It goes back to the Middle Ages in the days of the crusades - the great defence of the city of Jerusalem, which was in the hands of the Saracens. There were a whole pile of knights who went across there who came from various parts – not all British for example. When they got there, it became pretty obvious that there was a need, not to keep fighting necessarily, but to care for all the people who were wounded and in des-perate circumstances so they formed a hospital. They be-came the first Hospitallers. So that’s the Hospitaller bit, which is part of the creed. The John bit comes from the patron of the order who is St John the Baptist The knights themselves moved

away to find homes in various parts of Europe until they finally settled in Malta for a long time. The Grand Master of the Order was a man called Valetta. The capital city of Malta was named after him.PH: So basically they were the first organisation to become dedicated to pastoral care. Has it still a pastoral care function?AC: Yes, it has military con-nections in that they always were part of the military and their rituals and investiture and the like are all military related. The Knights Hospitaller contin-ues, not that they run hospitals, but their main charitable object is to support not just hospitals but work in hospitals, which is going to benefit the greater number of people. Their sup-port tends to go particularly to-wards pieces of equipment for example, expensive pieces of equipment that may not be readily available due to hospital budgets; research and things like that. The Knights all pay a contribution each year to the Order, which is quite sizeable, and then that becomes part of their charitable act for the year. But you are quite right. It is a Christian Order and its task and focus is care and support of those in need wherever it may happen to occur.PH: Given your connection with Warwick having attended three schools and coming from neighboring areas, you are known to an incredible number of past students in and out of the past students’ association. Has pastoral care involving past students taken up a large part of your life due to those connections?AC: I think that personally, Paul, that that’s what you’re for. Whether you’re called a Dea-con, Priest, Bishop or Knight of the Order of St John or a Chap-lain in the Defence Force, the one thing you’re about is care, pastoral care, so that when you have an association with peo-ple over a number of years as you do, thank God, through things like our past students’

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association then any care and support that you are able to give just automatically flows. You don’t have to go around looking for it.PH: Do you think pastoral care it is a function of the Past Students’ Association?AC: I certainly do. I can’t see much point in having it without that. Buildings don’t make a school, of course as we know full well. We are still a good school, thank you very much, though we don’t have buildings. The whole ethos of a school is the students who belong to it. They’re the school and nothing else and as the school trans-forms itself into past students as time goes on, the school just takes on the same role in a new capacity and that’s all. It’s not only the life of the school; it’s a very essential part of the life of the community in which school members may be as well. But in order to give you’ve got to receive.PH: And as part of your role as Patron, how would you des-cribe your role as Patron of the association?AC: A Patron, first of all is somebody who doesn’t inter-fere. (laughs) That’s the idea of being a Patron like John the Baptist in the Order of St John. In that, it is his life, which is the patronage that he gives to those who choose to call him Patron. In other words, you’re not there to rule the roost, you’re there to be a source, a means of support, which is not inflicted on people, but which is called upon – brought to his notice from time to time so a necessary response can be made. I think that’s what a Patron is supposed to be by definition of the word itself.PH: How has that manifested itself in some of the duties you have had to perform?AC: As Patron?PH: Yes.AC: Well I haven’t performed too many duties at all I must confess.

PH: Am I right in saying there are many past students who have approached you for very personal reasons, not only advice - marriage for example. How many past students of Slade and St Caths have you helped marry?AC: A good number and delighted to so do!PH: But you’ve also, on a sadder note, had to serve in other capacities.AC: - as this last Saturday? Yes, you do from time to time, sadly that does happen that you assist others to leave this life as well as to assist them in this life. But that’s a privilege. I wouldn’t put that at all under the list of duties. Whenever you are allowed to become part of people’s lives, the privilege is yours, not theirs. Whatever you may be able to do on such occasions are welcomed really. Not because of the nature of the cause, just welcomed be-cause it is an opportunity to give to somebody something that they may need at the time. It’s the attitude of the giving which is important. In my case it’s always a privilege.PH: You just stated you have done nothing as Patron. Can I correct you?AC: (laughs) Yes, all right – Well, yes it’s part of that. I suppose it is part of it. I’m delighted to be able to do things like that,PH: As you said, the role of the association has a pastoral care function and, even though you did not stipulate it as part of the Patron’s Role, you have made it so, and many of the assoc-iation’s members have been recipients of your care, concern and consideration. You also state that to give, one must also be willing to receive. In October 2000, you suffered a tragedy of your own when you lost Leonie, your wife. Did the association in any way through its members provide you with any comfort during that period of time?

AC: Yes they did. I’m sure it’s true, friendships that you make at school, particularly if the times at school are a bit more difficult than say normally, like during a war for example, which was when I was at school. The fellows that you went through with in those years, as well as others, but particularly those - they’re friendships are some-what different. You put a high-er value on them than you might on others - more casual ones and in answer to your question, yes there were a number of people of that era who were very supportive in-deed. One thing you’ve got to learn, Paul, if that happens, is that you’ve got to be able to receive support when the whole of your life is devoted - and rightly - to giving it. Sometimes people can’t receive and it’s not easy, I would suggest, at all. It’s something you must learn – must cope with, but it helps tre-mendously who you’re receiv-ing it from. And yes, in answer to your question, it was great, the support, comfort and strength that I got from people from my school days.But life is not all doom and gloom and there were lots of highlights in my life.

Bishop Adrian Charles OAPhoto: Staff Photographer Paul Holland

Next Issue: “An Audience with the Queen” - Bishop Adrian Charles will share some of those highlights and experiences that helped shape him.

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Kinawah Reader SurveyResults Summary

1. If you receive Kinawah by email, do you print it off to read thoroughly?Half yes/Half no

2. If no, what is the reason?Almost all say you can read enough from the screen.

3. Taking into account the cost would you like a hard copy sent to you?Most say no

4. How many Kinawahs would you like to receive in a year?4 per year is the most common response.

5. How many pages long would you like the Kinawah to be?Most want at least 8 pages; 13 people say the more, the merrier

6. How much of Kinawah would you read thoroughly?Most people read all of it

7. Number 1 to 10 what you find most interesting - 1 being the most preferred1. Profiles/ Where Are They Now2. Reunions3. Word from Our President4. Letters5. Nostalgix (nostalgic stories)6. Vale7. Gossip Column8. Slade-St Caths Capers9. Stories10. Guess the photo/Mug Shots

8. Would you contribute articles to Kinawah?Half yes/half no

9. Would you like to see Kinawah divided into two sections?Almost all say no

10. If yesOne person would like separate Women’s & Men’s sections

Editor’s Response: The membership would be just as happy with a shorter, less frequent issue, but did not indicate that the publication was too long or too frequent. In fact, it seems that the more the merrier is the prevailing sentiment. However, fewer issues of shorter duration would be cheaper to produce, though cost is not an issue at present.There appears to be no significant issue regarding email versus posted versions – almost all respondents who receive the newsletter as an attachment to an email indicate they are happy to receive it electronically. However, a shorter version sent less frequently would address printing costs and inconvenience to members who prefer to read off a printed copy. It may remain an issue for some.There are no surprises as regards preferences. Slade-St Caths Capers, Stories, and Mug Shots would, by their nature, appeal to different interests, but could be modified to appeal to a broader group (with the exception of Mug Shots, each photo only having relevence to very narrow membership base per issue.)It is pleasing to note the survey certainly reveals that the newsletter in its present form is universally valued and appreciated by those who responded to the survey. It should be noted that Kinawah goes out to over 320 members and it may well be that responses were received only from those who enjoy the read. The remainder may be just maintaining a polite silence.However, regardless Kinawah can be improved with:

(a) more input from members, particularly the St Cath’s past students;(b) greater relevance with stories that appeal to a broader readership; (c) more photographs covering a greater period of time in the life of the schools

Thanks to those who sent in their responses. It was much appreciated and hopefully will lead to an even better newsletter. – PH.

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