I often reflect on how blessed I am. I was born in 1955 into a wonderfully loving family living in the newly created suburb of Oaklanks Park 100 metres from what is now the Marion Shopping Centre. By best friends were my cousins all of whom attended Warradale Lutheran Church where we’d meet every Sunday and later every weekend for Youth Group. We lived for surfing. A great weekend was to drive down the coast after Youth Group on a Friday night, Sleep at The Shack at New Surfers or at Waits in the car, be in the water at day break, surf 3 sessions until the muscles would not allow one to paddle back out the back for one more, drive home with salt red eyes, try to stay awake at the church social and then sleep comatosed ready to do it all again the next day if the wind was still off shore.

My 11 year old big sister Julie fell from a tree at Brown Hill Creek when I was 7. I was thrust into becoming the eldest child, breaking the ground for my younger brother Andrew who was 18 months at the time of the tragedy and my beautiful sister Sandra, born 3 years later.

My father had the strength of 10 elephants (as he always told us!) and is the wisest man man I have met. His strength, wisdom and faith kept us all grounded while mum and he struggled with the indescribable grief they were both going through. Now as a father of 3, I do not know how they got through it.

I wanted to be a teacher from the age of 6. At that time there was only one teachers college in Adelaide so my father promised to buy me a car if I managed to be accepted into teaching. 12 years later he kept his promise when I got into teaching at Sturt CAE. He did the same for Andy and Sandy many years later, both of whom are fine teachers in the Lutheran System. I was a diligent student, working hard so that I could get accepted into the B Ed 4th year course. I still found time to dominate the pool table with Philip Nippress in 1st year, become “addicted” to technology spending all my free time on the PDP 11 Mainframe computer and sit at the feet and gaze deeply into the eyes of Kathy Moore, an angel who played guitar and sang heavenly and taught me to play as well. It was in my first year, 1973 that I had my first trip to Cactus, a place that has played a major part of my life.

Dad could do anything. He designed and built anything and everything. He was the expert at everything. He was creative, logical, practical and a philosopher. He is the first person that I ring still for advice. he has had the greatest impact on me. I hope that I am a fraction of the man, the husband, the father and role model that he has been to me and others.

Many people say that I look a lot like my mother. She was beautiful – the black and white photo above my study desk attests to that. Her inner beauty was much deeper. She was totally selfless. I recall her returning a present that Dad had given her for her birthday so that she could afford to buy us kids things. She gave all she could to others, volunteering at church committees, fund raisers, Op Shop, hospital visiting and opened her home to foster a girl Denise and a disable aboriginal boy, Brian. My dear mum struggled with cancer for 3 years before it consumed her completely. Even when near death people came to see her, it was mum who ended up doing the comforting and consoling.

I recall her saying after coming though her first operation to remove her bladder and part of her bowel where she thought that she might die, “People say live each day as if it were your last. That’s nonsense. Live each day as it if were your first!” She said that she saw the world like a new born. Every thing and every colour vivid and fresh and exciting as seen for the first time. Nothing taken for granted. That is how I try to live my life.

She drew a charcoal picture of a bushfire blackened forest with a tiny red flower in one corner with the word “Courage” underneath.

My first teaching position was at Orrorroo Area School in South Australia’s mid north. I said on my teaching application form that I would teach anywhere near the sea due to my passion for surfing. I had to drive at least 300km for a surf and did almost every weekend! I could not have had a better place to begin my vocation. Great school, committed staff (made up of 8 first year teachers, 2 train spotters and a musician).

Due to mum’s illness, I transferred to Hendon Primary after one year at Orrorroo. I was there for 13 years. I married my childhood sweetheart, Pamela 3 weeks after my mother died. It was the start of a new life for me but the end of 27 years of loving marriage for Dad.

It was at Hendon that I began writing children’s musicals with Pam. She has a gift with words and together we created The Selfish Giant, Noah’s Ark, Snakes and Ladders and Not A Fairy Tale – all of which have been performed many times over and still live on today. Karyl Martin, ESL teacher at Hendon was invaluable at helping produce and direct these creations.

After 13 incredible years at Hendon with its multicultural diversity, disadvantage and amazing teaching colleagues, I got the 10 year flick and arrived at Hackham East Primary School. Around this time Pamela and I drifted (continents) apart. She to Europe to study art and pursue life as an artist and me to a new life.  After less than a term at Hackham East I saw an advertisement for Head Teacher at Penong Rural School. Penong is 75 km west of Ceduna near the Great Australian Bight and home to surfing mecca Cactus. I applied and could not believe it when I received confirmation that I won it. My Hackham East Principal, Graham Tilbrook encouraged me to take up the opportunity after I told him that I didn’t believe that I could go and abandon my class of children. His encouragement changed my life forever.

As I thought that I was only going to be at Penong for 3 terms, backfilling Karen Murray who was pregnant with her first child, my father allowed me to take his Kabana caravan over to live in as there was no available housing in the town. A Kabana is slightly bigger than a shoebox. I put it in the old generator shed and it became my home for nearly 4 years. 4 years of extreme heat, extreme cold, mice plague, brown snakes and dust storms but also some of the best 4 years of my life. Amazing surf on my doorstep, great wave sailing and fishing, stunning scenery, spectacular electrical storms and vivid sunsets. I was part of a unique community and Principal of the best small school in the land. It was here that I cut my teeth as an educational leader. My induction was a sheet of paper which read: Newsletter every 2 weeks, Strawberry Fete November 22, complete journal every Friday and Principals’ Cluster meeting next Friday. This piece of paper sat atop the Site Learning Plan which had 13 priorities!

I left Penong in January 1995, leaving a community that had taught me so much and one that I will always love. I return at least once a year. It’s in my blood.

I returned to Hackham East as Deputy for 5 years learning so much from my mentor and friend, Les Graham and inspirational co-Deputy Carolyn Mildrum. In the year 2000 I was privileged to win the position of Principal. I have never stopped learning from the committed and talented teachers and leaders that have worked at this wonderful school.

In 2004 I married Melissa, a wonderful person, inspiring teacher and avid Crows supporter.

One of the biggest impacts on my teaching life was the birth of our first child (and two more subsequently). Suddenly every child at school could be mine. How would I want my child to be treated, to be taught? My child could be the bully. My child could be the victim. she could be the slow learner or the one who requires challenging and extending. I would want her to learn and be encouraged to be the best she could be. To self actualise all her potential. I want her to be treated at all times with respect  so that she learns to be respectful. I wanted her wellbeing, her creativity and her spirituality to be as valued as her academic learning. So, as a Principal, I wanted this for every child in my school.

My class is my staff. The responsibility is great.

I am truly blessed to be in the learning business.