Student Stories Page
Quick links
Malcolm Irwin – Graeme Morton –
Juleen Cavanaugh
– Neil Watts – Barry Fordham – James Dale –
Richard (Nick) Reddan
Deceased people
– Peter Frostick
– Alan Carse – Robert (Robbie) Rahmann
– Graham Kirby – Jennifer Reid (Nee Brewer)
– Peter Herd – Peter Deslandes
Another catchup
James Dale, John Illingworth and Tony Bartlett had a catch up over breakfast down at Currumbin the other day. Tony could not make the reunion dinner because of prior commitments. He was in 11A2 and 12A2.
Malcolm Irwin
He writes about himself:
"My Wavell Story - I came in late, midway thru year 10. Tom Maher had lost control of the school, it was a rabble compared to the country. But Peter Frostick, Michael Reilly then Trevor Walz took me in. Scott McKenzie was always a bit cynical but set a firm standard. the week after I arrived he announced that he reluctantly became 10A1 form teacher. So I had a long stand off with him. Pat Pacey ran the weightlifting class so I went downstairs for Wednesday when Mr Karvolth refused me in the soccer. I went on to Uni as Barry Fordham notes. Won a few State, Intervarsity and one Aust title. Employed as a geo ever since. Several sad passings including Peter Frostick but nice to see the old faces, thanks Nick for being proactive. I remember Mr Gredden in physics slamming the board– "Juleen!" for the chatterbox."
Graeme Morton
He writes about himself:
"After Wavell I went to UQ to study music, and music has been the dominant theme in my career. From there I taught music at Somerville House, and later spent 28 years as Director of Music at St Peters Lutheran College. My wife, Barbara Morton (Keehn) taught at Wavell early in our marriage until the birth of our first daughter, so the Wavell connection remained strong. And in spite of those years in private schools I remain proudly a product of Wavell and of State Education.
"The last 10 years have been as a Lecturer in the School of Music at UQ, where I run choirs, teach conducting and music education. The other theme has been church music (I trained as an organist and as a conductor) and am also current Director of Music at St John's Cathedral. It is a busy but very fulfilled life and I treasure its early foundation at Wavell."
Juleen Cavanaugh
When I left school I never doubted that I would go into science. The 12AI teachers, Ian Stanger, Miss Bade, and Mr MacKenzie had shaped a scientist, though they might not have known it.
I started my working life at UQ and after a couple of years, got a job at CSIRO Long Pocket Laboratories. I moved to CSIRO Entomology in Canberra where I worked until 1985. I got a chance to do post graduate work at North Carolina State University a major centre for entomology. During that time I got hooked on the new molecular biology and on return to Australia I served out a year or two in CSIRO before heading back to ANU where I finished a PhD in human (rather than insect) genetics. I toiled in the Australian NHMRC system for years, riding the competitive grant train and ended up teaching in the ANU Medical School. A heart attack reminded me that there should be life after work.
I am now happily retired in Toowoomba where I enjoy competitive bridge. Jenny Brewer (who became Jenny Reid) and I stayed close throughout our lives. Barry Fordham (12A1) and I caught up at ANU and I have recently communicated with Jill Taylor (also 12A1) who like me, followed the research path, and now lives and works in the USA. We were fortunate indeed to be taught by inspired and inspiring teachers at Wavell High.
Neil Watts
Neil started his career as a Computer Programmer in 1969. To improve his business skills, he also began studying Accountancy, qualifying in 1978. By that time he had changed my career focus to Accounting and business with a large wholesaler where he designed and implemented new distribution systems. He was then recruited into the Chartered Accounting profession by Touche Ross & Co (later KPMG) in their Management Consulting practice in both Brisbane and Adelaide. Neil also graduated with a Masters qualification in Management Accounting in 1989. With a growing young family of 4, they decided to return from Adelaide and he found work with large computing houses including Oracle and Praxa. From 1997 onwards he contracted to large systems projects retiring from full time work in 2007 (doing the occasional project since then).
Neil's family has expanded to 4 children and currently 6 grand-children (all under 7). Nowadays he spends his time helping the family or on the Golf Course.
Barry Fordham
Barry Fordham is unfortunately not able to attend the 50th reunion, but says hello and wishes everyone a good time. He has wonderful memories of Wavell: lots of really nice, usually inclusive, fellow students, and good hearted and effective teachers. For the latter, I think of the solid (axiomatic, even!) grounding in maths from Miss (Georgina?) Bade, learning from Miss Wham that Will Shakespeare was a fun guy who wrote plays to be played, not just read and analysed (though thinking of her reminds me of that Monty Python sketch, "she knew all the tricks - sarcasm, hyperbole, ..."), Scott McKenzie happily and generously acknowledging Robbie Rahmann's knowledge of university-level chemistry and openly checking explanations with him before moving off a topic, and, for me above all, Geoff Gredden treating as equals as part of his Socratic approach to engaging and maturing the student (so it was quite unfair for his Mini Cooper S to have been covered in all that stuff at year-end, but I like to think it was a sign of real affection for his style from those pranksters).
I was so very sad to see that Graham Kirby is no longer with us. Along with Trevor Walz and Bruce Matthews-Frederick, we were more or less in the same class from Grade One (Wavell Heights State School), in the same (and very successful) footy teams, and Graham, Trevor, and I were the core of a tweenage guitar band, The Satellites, that didn't do too badly. I was lucky to talk to Graham over the phone in his last years (as it turned out), when a record enthusiast inquired about our one and only 45!
For those who might want an update from me, I (along with Mal Irwin, Bruce Kirk, ?and for a while, John Lomas) went to UQ to become a geologist. then I also a paleontologist, later off to Sydney, back to Brisbane for a long stretch with the Geological Survey of Queensland to be with my now wife and her two impressive sons (both now overseas but having delivered four grandchildren between them), leaving geology to take up a job in Sydney, then a long stint in Canberra, from where we're currently transitioning yet again to Sydney, possibly to stay put!
James Dale
January 1965, James's first day of high school. Most of us started then but few of us have a photographic record of the event. It is great that James shared his. Presumably it was both positive and negative to have some elder siblings at the school. His elder sister seems to be oozing attitude "Mum do I have to be here!!". Left to right in the photo are Peter Dale grade 10, Ann Dale grade 12, Janice Dale Grade 10 (Twin to Peter), James Dale grade 8, and their younger brother Brian in primary school. All the students in higher grades were so much bigger.
Nick Reddan
After senior Nick went to University of Queensland studying maths. After finishing in 1973 he worked four and a half year as a tutor at UNSW completing a research masters there. He then had a couple years in England teaching at high schools. On his return he spent a six months at UNSW tutoring then a few months at Mount Gravatt CAE lecturing. He then joined the public service with stints in the ABS, Defence, Finance and the ATO. While in canberra he completed a graduate diploma in statists and a bachelor of economics. He had a three years in London in the early 1990s when his wife was posted to the High Commission. While there he worked in the Central Statistical Office. After taking his first retirement in 2007 he worked a few more years in the Commonwealth Grants Commission, the National Blood Authority and the Department of Education.
For the past thirty years a lot of his time outside work has been taken up with family history research. He was president of his local genealogical society for six years and, he is a fellow of the Irish Genealogical Research Society and Family History ACT. He looks after a number of websites. He is a power user of Excel and is competent using PHP and other scripting languages.
For the first twenty years after leaving school Nick main sporting activity was fencing. He has Blues from UQ and UNSW, and represented Queensland, NSW, ACT and Kent. He now keeps fit riding his bicycle and playing social tennis. He is president of a local tennis club.
He married Robyn Priddle in 1980 and has one daughter. He and Robyn now live in Canberra. They like to travel and have visited all continents except Antarctica. His photos from many trips are available here.
Those no longer with us
Peter Frostick
Peter lifted until the end of school going down to Sydney for the 1969 Australian Junior competition, potentially a powerful young man. But study was foremost on his mind. Many of the weightlifting photos from the Uni times are a tribute to his hobby of photography. He had a lab at home in Wavell Heights.
Peter graduated from U of Q as an architect and worked with Robyn Gibson & Partners. He was involved in the design of the Queensland Performing Arts and Museum buildings and no doubt several other Brisbane landmarks. He was managing his first project as lead, the redesign of the Tattersall’s Club opposite McArthur Chambers on Queen St, when he collapsed at home and died on 28 August 1990. He was with his family including his father and infant. He had suffered an aneurysm in his brain.
Jennifer Reid (Nee Brewer)
Jennifer Reid (Nee Brewer) passed on 19 January 2011 after a long battle with breast cancer. Jenny is survived by her husband Peter and daughters Kate and Jean. See notice in The Courier Mail on 21 January 2011.
Alan Carse
Alan was a good student (topped the class) and played cricket. He was captain of the B grade cricket team. He studied Civil Engineering at UoQ and later completed a PhD. He died in 2005 here is his obituary Alse see notice in The Courier Mail on 3 September 2005. Mentions wife Joan and sons Ben and Nat.
Robert (Robbie) Rahmann
At UoQ Robbie studied physics. He was killed in a motorcycle crash on 14 July 1977 near Goonyella, inland from Mackay, Queensland. His funeral notice appeared in the Courier Mail on 16 July 1977 and mentions his parents and simlings.
Graham Kirby
Graham died in 2017.
Peter Herd
Peter passed away in a car accident on 19 December 2012. Peter worked as an optometrist, mainly at Chermside, had a lovely family, was a gifted tennis and squash player, and a terrific fella. See notice in The Courier Mail on 19 December 2012. It mentions wife Sue, children Renee and Ainsley, and, brothers Clint and Rick.
Peter Deslandes
Peter passed away aged 50 from cancer, leaving wife Irene and children Rebecca and Ryan.
Peter majored in Maths and German, but never taught the latter. He did not spend much time in the classroom, becoming a Teacher – Librarian instead.
He became very interested in real estate, constantly upgrading his home such that he had gone from a modest first home in Beenleigh to owning a beautiful home in Clayfield, not far from the official residence of the Anglican Archbishop in neighbouring Ascot.
He was very accepting of his impending death and wrote his own eulogy. He is very much missed. His funeral notice appeared in