Page93 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 2 December 2020
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I was born in the Hunter Valley in low socio-economic circumstances. My family never owned a car, and in one of our rented homes we burned coal in an open fireplace for warmth. In my primary school years, my cousins, friends and I had great enjoyment exploring abandoned mining equipment and infrastructure, though we wisely avoided crossing fields covered in slow-burning coke and coal deposits.
Most of my high school years were spent living in an igloo village—and I say that with respect—in west Cessnock, reserved mostly for new Australians. The common name for this housing estate was the migrant village. I say “igloo village” because our home, like most others, was in the shape of a half-cylinder, made from corrugated iron, erected on stumps and laid on its side. I had great pleasure from regular trips to the beaches at and near Newcastle, and spent several school breaks picking grapes in the vineyards of the Pokolbin region. One of my fondest memories, and a likely explanation for my love of all things science fiction, was watching Star Trek with my mother, something I am glad to say we are still able to enjoy together today.
I studied to be a teacher and graduated with an honours degree in mathematics at the University of Newcastle, followed by a diploma of education.
One of my earliest political observations was seeing and hearing Sir Robert Menzies on our black-and-white TV. As I watched how he presented himself and spoke, I thought, “That’s an impressive individual.” What also impressed me about the Liberal tradition, primitive though my understanding was, was the acknowledgement of the conscience vote, which in my mind recognised that the individual had an entitlement to their own personal vision and values, and permission to express those even if the majority of their colleagues thought otherwise.
The most impacting experience of my university days was meeting and being immediately smitten by my wife, Claire, who was also studying to be a teacher, a career in which she continues today. I taught mathematics in New South Wales schools from 1978 until Claire and I took our two New South Wales-born children to South Australia, where I taught in a non-government school, becoming its principal for part of our time there. While there, we built our first home and added three daughters to our family. We moved to Canberra in 1990, Claire carrying our sixth child. I was principal of a school here until 1998. During this time, we had our seventh child and purchased our current home in Evatt, fortunately a largish house on a largish block.
My school responsibilities sometimes brought me into contact with lawyers; and while this next statement may surprise some, I liked what I saw. So—though not because I lost my interest in education—I began a law degree in 1999. After graduating with honours, I began working in the ACT government, from 2002. For much of my time since 2011, I managed the ACT’s tax disputes section, objections and appeals—well known to our Chief Minister—which was located within the Treasury stream of the Chief Minister’s directorate.
Claire and I were temporarily empty nesters from late 2015 after our youngest daughter’s marriage. We are currently blessed with six grandchildren, three with
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