H for History
Mr H’s highway happenings
Mr H is on the road again. He will be in Geelong and Melbourne 10-13 August, Sydney 15-16 September and Wollongong 17- 18 September. Thank you to everyone who has gotten in touch with George to help him undertake his research for H for History. But he is still interested to hear more!
By Claire Osborne, Collegians’ Communications Officer
Mr H has undertaken trips to Jindabyne, Adelaide, Coonabarabran, Melbourne & surrounds, Port Macquarie & Central Coast, Sydney, Lake Macquarie district, Brisbane, Gold Coast & surrounds where he has caught up with many collegians and past staff for a cuppa, two or three (always decaf he says)!
This has been invaluable for him in compiling the stories and history of Radford.
He would like to say a big thank you to all the people that reached out and made some time for him. He has tried to connect with as many people as he could. From all accounts, he did not miss too many people, and will no doubt catch up with them soon. We plan to continue these catch ups over the next few months, so if he missed you or you are keen to catch up, do keep your eye out for upcoming trips or get in touch with us!
Mr H has also conducted numerous phone calls and Skype calls with collegians keen to chat. So if you are keen to have your say, please let us know.
George is a fabulous ambassador for the collegian community! He knows so many people! He has an amazing memory for people and the happenings around the school! And even those he doesn’t immediately know the name or face of, he is soon able to recall some anecdote with just a few hints.
He is truly interested in everyone’s story, as we are! We are absolutely loving hearing the enormous variety of things that collegians are doing!
Did you know he said he’d stay for two years when he started at Radford and he ended up staying for 3 decades because he says that he has “been born with an affliction for finishing anything I start. (But as a child that did not include the consumption of vegetables.) As I keep starting things, this ultimately means Radford may well be stuck with me for even longer. But the serious truth of the matter is that with every year I have stayed on, the connection with the school, the work and most importantly the people, grows stronger and is very hard, if not impossible, to sever. ”
After much deliberation and many interviews, George’s book will celebrate 35 storylines to coincide with 35thAnniversary Celebrations and will be available next year. The intent is to incorporate as many stories/people as possible. Themes may include such things as: Principals, Year 9 Camp, Overseas Trips, Australian Representatives, Rousing Performances, Quiet Heroes, Collegians on Staff, Memorable Assemblies, Student Voices, Students/Collegians In Print and On Disc, Foundation Day and more. If you have something to say on one of these topics, please get in touch.
We want to thank Mr H for his work so far and keep encouraging collegians to come forward to Help H.
George has provided me with his Best Of list….
… so here goes! He says he is sorry to anyone offended by these decisions.
Most Bizarre Interview Location: Three Monkeys Café, South Brisbane (selected by Lizy Dawson).
Most Picturesque View: Tie between the rooftop of 2KW Adelaide (selected by Andrew Perry and Kelly Noble) and Di Stuart’s Bangalow balcony.
Most Moving Moment: Being taken by the Mackinnon Family to Jock’s grave overlooking the Monaro at Gegedzerick.
Most Bizarre Response to what should not be left out of the school’s history: “Yoga.” (Alex Slater, Class of 2008)
Most Unpredictable Interview: Brendan Swan (Class of 2013), continually throughout.
Most Bizarre Bit of Research: Building plans for the school included an animal breeding house. These were knocked back due to costs.
Most Obscure Interview Location: Canungra Hotel (selected by Alex Patton – Class of 1990). It was Pizza Night and the drive was worth it due to Alex’s warmth and sharp memories of the past – like escaping Mrs Brownbill’s Maths class by climbing out the window.
Most used word/s in interviews thus far: “Community”. “Year 9 Camp”. “Quirky”. “Lifelong friendship”. “Chunion.”
Quotes: At Canungra, Alex Patton (Class of 1990) directed me to a quotation from Xan Oku: “Stay close to people who feel like sunlight.” And Raiph Mc Pherson (Class of 2003) while in Adelaide to a pearl from Dr Seuss: “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment, until it becomes a memory.”
I want to thank all collegians for their sunlight and invaluable memories.
H