Scotch College

1940s

Gil Hendrie (’45) and his wife, Dorothy, have recently headed North to a retirement resort near Mooloolaba where they spend time playing table tennis, line dancing, playing bridge, bowls, tennis and billiards.

Ken McKenzie (’42) is now living in Queensland. Ken served in Vietnam as Deputy Commander of the 1st Australian Task Force. He is pictured here briefing Admiral Sir Victor Smith on the look out on top of Nui Dat hill.

1950s

David Clunies-Ross (’53) has recently been in touch with the School. David was the Co-Editor of The Collegian in 1953 with Michael Winneke. His older brother Anthony was editor in 1949 with Brian Shaw. Anthony is emeritus Professor of Economics at Strath Clyde University in Glasgow. At Scotch, Laurie Christie was the senior English master who encouraged David to continue with his writing. David worked for the British shipping company, Butterfield and Swine, in both Hong Kong and Japan. He wrote the book Springboard, which was about that particular time in his life. He has since written White Guard, which is a political thriller set in Australia in 1995. His latest offering is Black Orchestra, which is distributed by Tower Books and is available in all major book stores.

Trevor ‘Butch’ Lemke (’56) recently visited the School. Trevor has lived in Thailand for 14 years where he is a professional photographer. Many of his photos feature the exotic Thai landscape and are used in travel books and brochures. Trevor was the last ‘Marlboro Man’ in 1975 and featured as the Cleo centerfold in January 1976!

1960s

Doug Harrison (’67) recently wrote: I attended Scotch as a boarder from 1963 to ’67. Those five years at Scotch were the most influential in my life, second only to my parents.

I have just read Chaplain Graham Bradbeer’s excellent article in the December 2004 edition. Your great predecessor, the Rev. Alec Fraser, was a patriarch of Scotch in my time. One day in class in early 1965 he told the class ‘you should remain true and chaste for your loved one in life’. This hit me almost like a bolt of lightening as true for my life; it took me 20-odd years to realise it was God’s words to and for me. That influence of Scotch remains as powerful and true 40 years on.

That’s the power of Scotch College, and God!

Selby-Smith, Colin Healey, ‘Chesty’ Bond, Merve Stump, ‘Ocker’ Ferris, Ron Brown, Don Macmillan, Bill Blenkiron, ‘Percy’ Proven, Gath Tapp, ‘Gunner’ Davidson and Rev. Alec Fraser all appear personally before me as I write. To me as a student they were our dedicated teachers; to me as an adult I know they were that and far more; they gave me the chance to fulfil my life.

I learnt and played hockey for the first time. Since school, I have been involved in playing, umpiring, coaching juniors and administration in Bendigo, and presently umpire with Hockey Victoria and coach juniors with the Mornington Peninsula Hockey Club.

Other community involvement was more than six years as a Councillor on the Rural City of Marong.

After Scotch I did civil engineering at the now Bendigo campus of LaTrobe Uni. I graduated as gold medallist and dux of the Campus, so Scotch’s academic background proved sound. Coming from a farm, the lure of the land won, engineering a short half-head second.

Married, with three step-sons, I live with my wife, Helen, on the Mornington Peninsula, working in the vineyards of the peninsula.

I note with sadness, the passing of Don Macmillan and, like many other old boys, look forward to reading his full obituary. He was one of nature’s gentlemen who provided a very strong role model for us boarders to follow. Condolences to his family.

Melbourne lawyer and company director Ian Renard (‘64) has been appointed the 19th chancellor of Melbourne University. Ian has been Deputy Chancellor since 2001 after being elected onto the University Council in 1994 as a representative of the graduates. Ian recently said, ‘The University of Melbourne is entering an exciting and challenging time. I will be working with our new Vice-Chancellor, professor Glyn Davis, to ensure that the teaching and learning experience for all students is stimulating and invigorating, and that our research is of world-class standard. I also want Melbourne to be the university of Australia where first-class staff most want to work.’

1980s

Justin Auld (’87) recently visited the School, having spent the last 20 years living in the United States where he is a Management Consultant in the High Tech industry where he deals with Microsoft, Expedia and Starbucks. He left Scotch in 1985 when in 4th Form and completed his schooling in the United States. He studied International Affairs at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels prior to commencing work. Justin’s parents and brother also reside in the United States. Upon his visit, Justin commented on the ‘remarkable changes that words cannot express. The kids today are just blessed with the music and academic resources that were inconceivable twenty years ago.’

Tim Johnston (’85) studied for a degree in Rural Science from 1986 to 1990 at UNE Armidale NSW. In 1992 Tim married Amelia. They have four children: Alice 7, Emily 5, Richard 3 and Charlie 16 months. They live on ‘Waradgery’ north of Coleraine and run sheep and cattle.

Cameron McAdam (’89) has become the new Uniting Church Minister at Camperdown in western Victoria. This is his first ministry placement.

Chris Steer (’85) reports from Wodonga that it is a ‘busy practice here … It is fabulous living close to where I grew up. Cate, the mother to be, is very well and we are both excited. Work is busy … I am in practice with two other medical oncologists here and patients come from as far as Mansfield in the south and Deniliquin in the west. I am thinking about Scotch and also Ormond again today due to the sad news reported in The Age. Before I went to board at Scotch in 1982 I stayed with Rob Lawson (’85) and his family for a while to get me acclimatised to the city. I also worked with his father Peter (Harry) Lawson occasionally at Box Hill when I was there. I see Peter died recently. The Peter Lawson I knew was a great man and I am sure he will be missed.’

Ed: An obituary for Peter will appear in the next edition of Great Scot.

1990s

Andrew Ashton (’93) together with his partner, Genevieve Lean, an intensive-care nurse, are in Sri Lanka as volunteer tsunami relief workers. Restoring drinking water to communities shattered by the tsunami is a priority, and Andrew has been testing, pumping and treating wells that were fouled by the wave.

He writes: ‘We recently cleaned out a family’s well, and they said they would move back into their house from the refugee camp. There were lots of handshakes and a few tears.

‘Then we followed a lady to her well which she (like everyone else) wanted pumped out. We pumped it out ... and it turned out she had thrown all her crockery, knives, pots and pans down there when the wave hit (a tactic employed by the police force as well – they threw their ammo and weapons down their well). It was like Christmas for her, getting all her goods back in various states. She was rushing around, collecting all the stuff we brought up from the buckets with a huge grin on her face. Great moment. Smart lady.

‘We were feeling pretty good about ourselves by this time, and we headed over to another part of town to test a lady’s well. It was beyond help. She put on a brave face, but you could tell she was shattered. We asked her what had happened to her house, and she pointed to a pile of rubble about 100 metres away. The translator said the house had only been finished in December. I felt pretty rocked by this. Just couldn’t get my head around what it would be like to build a house and then have it washed into a pile of bricks. Up and down emotions!’

Miles Beeny (’95) is engaged to Felicity Hiller.

David Fitter (’94) began playing Rugby at Scotch in Year 11 and went on to represent the school in the 1994 Premiership side. He then began playing for Melbourne Rugby Club as well as Victoria at under 19, 21 and senior levels. He then moved to Sydney to try his luck in the much tougher Sydney competition. He began at Newcastle before moving to his current club, Sydney University. He then won a training contract with the ACT Brumbies before getting a full contract in 2002. Before this season he had come off the bench on about 10 occasions in the Super 12, with injuries disrupting him last season. In the first four games of the current season he has started in the prop position on two occasions, including the last game in South Africa on Saturday, 19 March. He has also been elevated into the Wallaby training squad over the past year, bringing him close to realising his dream of becoming an Australian Rugby player.

The ACT Brumbies play in the Super 12 competition with sides from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. All three countries select their national sides at the conclusion of the 11-game (plus semi and final) competition. The ACT Brumbies are the current champions.

Matthew Gwynn (’94) married Maija Nance on Saturday, 19 March at St John’s, Sorrento.

Ben Hallenstein (’99) and John Strainge (’99) both graduated from the Bachelor of Veterinary Science with honours from the University of Melbourne in December 2004. Both are now working in mixed practice in Victoria – Ben is working in Cohuna and John in Tatura.

James Paterson (’93) married Tina Gourlay on Saturday, 26 March at the Littlejohn memorial chapel, Scotch College.

Alistair Presnell (’97) recently finished fifth in The Australian Golf Open. In December 2003 Alistair turned professional and gained his Australasian PGA Tour card. In January 2004 he went to the Asian Tour school with his father, Ray, who was his caddie. Ray sadly died later in that year from a heart attack.

Andrew Speed (’92) and his wife, Bridget, have recently had a son, Samuel Charles, 7 April 2005.

Stuart Spiden (’94) married Katherine Hiney on 29 January at Glen Forbes.

John Brendon Taylor (’96) graduated from Duntroon RMC in June 2004 and was awarded the Queen’s Medal, which is awarded to the graduate who has achieved the highest aggregate marks over the 18-month Officer Course at RMC.

Simon Dart (’96) recently won the Jack Ryder Medal for the best player in Premier Grade cricket in Victoria. Simon scored 1098 runs at an average of 84.46 playing for Hawthorn-Monash University. He is only the fourth player in the 98-year history of district cricket to achieve this feat.

John Buchanan (Scotch College Chaplain from 1992 to 2003) was inducted into the pastoral charge of East Maitland Presbyterian Church.

Stephen Kong’s (far left) family were recently welcomed to Scotch College and were taken on a tour of the campus and its facilities. Maurice Gooey (front) attended Scotch from 1929 to 1933 when he was Dux.