Scotch College

A 52-year Scotch career

As boy and man, teacher and archivist, Dick Briggs has had an association with Scotch which stretches back to 1954.

Dick recently retired as co-archivist at the School, and in this interview with Great Scot he reflects on aspects of his association with Scotch.

Great Scot (GS): You have successively been a student, a teacher, an archivist and a co-archivist at Scotch since you started here in 1954. There have been dramatic changes at the School since then: but what has stayed the same during that period?

Dick Briggs (DB): There certainly have been dramatic changes. When I began in 1954 the hockey ground was still known as the ‘horse paddock’ by the older students, because Scotch had only stopped using horses to pull its mowers in the 1940s.

In my first year here as a teacher – 1964 – there were about 65 teachers and three or four on the ground staff. Now there are about 130 teachers and 12 on the ground staff. The small staff common room of 1964, now the careers room, was superseded in 1965 by the new teachers’ building (where the Randall Building now stands); but by the early 1990s even this too was totally inadequate, and the new staff centre was built in 1995. That seems to be a microcosm of how Scotch has grown.

What’s stayed the same? The ‘soul of the school’ is very much the same as it was in 1954 – and in 1854, no doubt – and I hope it will always remain so. Having at least some Old Scotch boys on the staff helps in this regard, I think.

GS: During the 1960s, you taught mathematics and science at Scotch for nearly five years, and in that period you were a boarding house master in McMeckan and School Houses. What stands out in your mind when you reflect on your time as a teacher at Scotch?

DB: I believe I was Richard Selby-Smith’s last appointment at Scotch. I recall that I was one of a group of six young masters who started in 1964. Also beginning at Scotch in that year were Frank West, Michael Achurch, Vic Nash, John Glasscock and Ian Ling.

One important responsibility I had at this time was drawing up design suggestions for the new science laboratories. Before these laboratories were built, learning science by doing was a rare experience. It was very dreary watching teacher demonstrations. A new life came into junior science with the facility for boys to get ‘hands-on’ experience.

I enjoyed my time with Stan Brown in School House. He was group master of Years 7 and 8 at the time, so he had a host of responsibilities. In the boarding house he said to me: ‘I’ll make the major decisions, but I’ll leave the day-to-day organisation to you’. It worked well.

I became a captain in the cadets and commander of C Company. Jeff Kennett was my first company sergeant major, and he was later regimental sergeant major of the cadet unit. He had the bearing and definitely the voice for it! The cadets were great fun, especially weekend bivouacs.

I coached under 13 cricket, under 15 football and the football umpires. In athletics I coached shot put. Not sure why they chose me (he laughs), but I was asked to be Father Christmas at the sub-primary Christmas party for a couple of years!

GS: What do you believe is the most important value Scotch can instil in a boy?

DB: I firmly believe service to the community is the best value a boy can take away from Scotch. I suppose it’s a case of noblesse oblige. The boys are privileged to be Scotch students, and to give something back to the community is an excellent and practical way of showing their gratitude for this privilege.

GS: You left Scotch at the end of second term in 1968 to begin a part-time Bachelor of Science course at Monash University. Where did your career take you then?

DB: While still studying I joined the Education Department, and for about the next 12 years I taught at four schools – Monterey, Doveton, Syndal and Wellington high schools. I then branched out into computers, which was followed by a term as deputy director of the Victorian Medical Postgraduate Foundation. Then for a time I ran a small business from home before I returned to Scotch as Archivist in 1993.

GS: You spent 13 years as Archivist and Co-Archivist at Scotch, during which time you were also the curator of the Ramsay Collection. What do you believe is the value of archival collections to a school like Scotch?

DB: If I may use a mathematical term, I believe it is a stochastic process: a school is where it is because of where it has been. I allude once more to the soul of a school: a school which doesn’t keep track of its history will lose its soul.

Many things contribute to a school’s soul – people, buildings, functions, events, and of course what’s taught. A good archivist will keep track of all these areas. My predecessor as Archivist, Geoff Tolson, did a great job and left the archives and museum in good condition under difficulties.

I took over from Geoff in 1993, and worked as Archivist for four years before Jim Mitchell came to write the history in 1997. We worked fairly closely in the Ramsay Collection room over the next four years. To make things interesting, we were required to move the entire archival and museum collection several times.

We should all feel deeply indebted to a great team of Old Boy volunteers who put in many hours over this time. Bruce Symons was the first. Bruce managed the archives office and started creating an archival database of Old Boys during this time. We were particularly indebted to Keith Weymouth, supported by an able and willing team of members of the Masonic Lodge.

Paul Mishura, an old boy of Geelong College, has also given hundreds of hours in further developing the archives’ database of Old Boys and in work on the Ramsay Collection in the early days. The Ramsay Collection, bequeathed to Scotch by Old Boy Sir Thomas Ramsay, is undoubtedly one of the most significant collections of Australian, New Zealand and Pacific islands historical, anthropological and geographical material in the world. Sir Thomas collected the material over 60 years, after his interest was kindled by his late farther, from whom he inherited about 400 books.

Scotch is most fortunate to have this collection, which is a priceless treasure of enduring value to the School and the community. As well as Paul Mishura, Elizabeth Paton and Vikki Werrin (Roylance) helped me with the classification for many years, and Avril Clark for a short time. Monica Batkin has worked with me for 11 years. I am most sincerely grateful to these ladies for their help.

GS: You have endured a period of poor health recently. What is the current prognosis?

DB: I contracted a serious infection in my leg, and at one stage amputation was considered. In addition, the antibiotics I had to take to counteract the infection have caused further problems. However, I’m glad to say that my condition has been very well managed, and it has improved markedly. I’m even hoping to play golf again soon.

It was during my period of absence through ill-health in 2002 that Jim Mitchell was appointed Co-Archivist. This was an appointment I wholly endorsed, as Jim and I have had a wonderful working relationship throughout the nine years I have known him. I wish him well with the enormous task the future promises.

GS: What are your plans for the future?

DB: I’m very much enjoying getting to know my one grandchild, and God willing, time will produce more – and I was a science teacher! I’m currently researching the history of the Barker family, and I’m about to travel overseas for seven weeks. While I’m away I will conduct research for the history, and I have plans for a second.

I enjoy duplicate bridge very much, and I am currently a one-star national master. I have also had a long association with Toastmasters International – I was a district governor in 1998–99 – and I still serve Toastmasters as an adviser.

David Ashton