Category Archives: 65th Reunion

2024 in review 11

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September

The highlighted ones first appeared in September

Browse September

Now I guess I must be a “living treasure”….

Posted on  by Neil

My classmate Harry certainly is!

I can’t give away too much, obviously, but in the past 24 hours I received a moving email from my 1959 classmate Harry, whose health issues are relevant but must remain private as I have no permission to discuss them. Let’s just say they make writing difficult.

But Harry — with many a dollop of mischief and humour but with an underlying very clear serious purpose — is wanting to put down some stories of his own family, especially of his parents. I understand this very well and have been doing the same these past 20 years!

Harry, I might add, is the proud grandfather of this young man:

Ah, the Class of 1959 is still chatting in this 65th anniversary year!

On being a treasure

The idea comes from a great day I had in the company of Mitchell, a Class of 2000 member, at the end of December 2001 when he kindly drove me out to Sutherland where we explored both his and my family histories, including the living, as Mitchell — now 42 and a teacher! — reported at the time.

We got back in the car and drove to Sans Souci to visit Aunt Beth, who I was prepared for by N’s reports of her alacrity. But nothing could have really prepared me for one of the most remarkable women I’ll ever meet. I’d only considered abstractly the notion of the elderly as living treasures; after yesterday, I have a concrete example. She told some amazing stories, and she’s immensely proud of her grandson Max, who I’d love to meet some day. We spent just 45 minutes, but there was never a dull moment!

See also Sans Souci, Aunt Beth, First Australians, Sydney High…; Aunt and uncles: a found photo.

Christisons: My mother’s siblings Uncle Neil, Aunt Beth, and Uncle Roy, taken I would guess in the early 2000s. Aunt Beth passed away in September 2007, Uncle Roy in November 2011, and Uncle Neil in May 2014.

So maybe we oldies do have a mission, like Old Dan in Judith Wright’s “South of my Days”. Even if no-one is listening….

Oh, they slide and they vanish
as he shuffles the years like a pack of conjuror’s cards.
True or not, it’s all the same; and the frost on the roof
cracks like a whip, and the back-log break into ash.
Wake, old man. This is winter, and the yarns are over.
No-one is listening
South of my days’ circle
I know it dark against the stars, the high lean country
full of old stories that still go walking in my sleep.

Yes, I have done a bit of family history too…

re Whitfields and Christisons

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Neil

Scroll down from this link to see the complete family history posts

My late father, Jeffery Noel Whitfield, was born in Shellharbour NSW in 1911. His grandfather, William Joseph John Whitfield, was still alive in the Picton area of NSW at that time. He was born in Sydney in 1836.

aaa014.jpg

J N Whitfield in his RAAF uniform, World War 2

William Whitfield, father of William Joseph John, born 16 Mar 1812 , Parish of Drumgoon, Cootehill, Co. Cavan, Ireland with his wife Caroline Philadelphia West

When I was growing up we were told very little about what happened before him. How did the Whitfields get to Australia? As Barry Allan notes in his family story Black Sheep and Gold Diggers, “Bill never mentioned that his own father had been a convict as well. It was socially unacceptable to have criminals in the family, and most families who had one invented all sorts of fanciful stories to explain how their ancestor came to Australia. These stories survived, often being embellished over the years, until the stigma faded and the truth was eventually discovered generations later.” Indeed, Jacob Whitfield, the grandfather of William Joseph John, arrived in Sydney as a life-sentenced convict from Ireland in 1822.  I first told that story here some years ago: Family stories 3 — About the Whitfields: from convict days…..

Sequel

See my October post We met again at City Diggers 65 years on…

I said in May

… Emails have been going back and forth. Just now I have replied at length to classmate Harry Goldsmith, who had written — and I edit a bit:

Neil, and you can tell by the turning my voice I am slightly angry, I really don’t mind you correcting me on my Latin. I know that Domini is “of the Lord” being the genitive Kate, I just had a temporary mind block. You can possibly see that I am dictating this which is why the words are disjointed and often wrong. You will recognize “Kate” should be “case”.

But this is not why I am angry. You know I’m not angry, really just pretending every time I go through K, which is not very often, I wonder how Neil Whitfield is, and then when we have a chance to meet at the school reunion, there is no sign in. Where the hell is he? What is he doing? why doesn’t he show himself?

And what about his Illawarra line mates… (and Harry here lists several and mentions that Roger Dye had died)… you would know because you lived on the same train line.

So Neil, speak up. Give every man his day. Why have you been avoiding me and how are you and I hope you are well.

Harry G

I replied:

Thanks, Harry for missing me on the day, but I opted to be there in spirit as public transport from The Gong on weekends could be better, and though well I do not get up to Sydney as much as I did. On the other hand, Sydney High and myself have had many a reunion, as the day I was teaching and K J Andrews looked through the window at me. Really! Talk about deja vu! Or when in 1985 Bob Outterside told me I owed him a Maths assignment from 1958 and even got an old markbook out to prove it!

Yes. my teaching career was not entirely linear 1966-2005, but most of 1985 to 2005 was at Sydney High.  Hence my pedantry about Kim Jaggar’s name. And yes, The Gong 1970-1980, except for a stint 1977-8 seconded to Sydney Uni. Then Fort Street after The Gong, then in the book business in Glebe, then SBHS with excursions to Wessex College of English 1990 teaching mainly Chinese students, Masada College at St Ives 1988-9…. Interesting, looking back, and I learned a lot.

And the Illawarra Line kids! Also Ted Oliver (Hurstville). Ian Toll of course, and others from Sutho Primary – Arno Eglitis who became a Maths teacher, Robert Burney, Ross Mackay who was at the reunion…

I did my reunion via my blog – I’m a mad blogger, have been for 20+ years, and the Facebook OBU Group.  The entire string of 65th Reunion entries on the blog is here: 65th Reunion | Neil’s Commonplace Book (wordpress.com)  Being a blog they go backwards chronologically, but I hope you can give them a go. May be memories there.

Best wishes,  

Neil

And as I am writing this Harry has replied! “…my career was almost exclusively in the computing field,, I think really in becoming director of information technology at the ABC long before the revolution of the 80s (computer Revolution)….” And it seems I taught his sons! I will now go to the archives to check that. Yes, seems I did!

And yesterday

… so siring a line that now includes the amazingly multitalented Ky Baldwin, and yes we did talk about him too yesterday.

Yesterday Harry came down to The Gong. And sampled the famous barramundi, while I had roast lamb.

I took no photos yesterday, just the ones in my mind — or should I say our minds? The talk hardly stopped as memories went back and forth. And many another topic from religion to history to current affairs….

Yes, a very good day indeed.

2024 in review 7

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May

This month’s selection rather chose itself as soon as I re-read it!

Browse May

Timor mortis conturbat nos…

Posted on  by Neil

In our 80s, such such are the joys….

The Class of 1959 are still sharing via email, and finding that where we are on our life journeys is inescapable, amidst all the memories. Clive Kessler puts it beautifully.

Here are just a few samples of our talk, in these days spanning continents but spiralling back to that long-ago yet so near time when we lifted up our voices with the generations before and to come: “Come rally round, boys, young and old….”

The news of Ted Oliver’s passing (Class of 1959) came as I was preparing yesterday’s post. I replied to Clive Kessler who had sent the news: “Oh my! timor mortis conturbat me. Mais où sont les neiges d’antan?” Clive answered:

THE NEIGES D’ANTAN HAVE NOW FLOWED INTO THE GREAT OCEAN OF ETERNITY, OF ENDURING EXISTENCE [OF SOMETHING] .. .. C.

Here is the medieval ballad: “Where are the snows of yesteryear?”

BALLADE DES DAMES DU TEMPS JADIS Dictes-moy où, n’en quel pays, Est Flora, la belle Romaine ; Archipiade, ne Thaïs, Qui fut sa cousine germaine ; Echo, parlant quand bruyt on maine Dessus rivière ou sus estan, Qui beauté eut trop plus qu’humaine ? Mais où sont les neiges d’antan ! Où est la très sage Heloïs, Pour qui fut chastré et puis moyne Pierre Esbaillart à Sainct-Denys ? Pour son amour eut cest essoyne. Semblablement, où est la royne Qui commanda que Buridan Fust jetté en ung sac en Seine ? Mais où sont les neiges d’antan ! La royne Blanche comme ung lys, Qui chantoit à voix de sereine ; Berthe au grand pied, Bietris, Allys ; Harembourges, qui tint le Mayne, Et Jehanne, la bonne Lorraine, Qu’Anglois bruslèrent à Rouen ; Où sont-ilz, Vierge souveraine ?… Mais où sont les neiges d’antan ! ENVOI Prince, n’enquerez de sepmaine Où elles sont, ne de cest an, Qu’à ce refrain ne vous remaine : Mais où sont les neiges d’antan ! — François Villon, 1458-9

There was a long discussion prompted by Herbert Huppert about whether high intelligence equated with later life achievements. Herbert had wondered whether Ted Oliver fulfilled his early promise. This was a question, not a condemnation I hasten to add. Our School Captain from 1959, Wayne Young, reacted strongly. More modestly I said “Perhaps he was happy”…. Clive Kessler wrote that some flame out early, but that success in life can’t so easily be measured. I went on:

I taught the whole range over the years – IQs from amazing to too low to assess, according to the school’s record cards. Over the years from 1966-2005 (my active years) the mean IQ drifted upwards… That is, 100 in 1966 was not the same as 100 in 2005. When my parents decided in 1954 that I should not go to Sydney High as I was not responsible enough to travel the distance, Eddie O’Neill [my then teacher] came to my home and pleaded with my parents to let me go as, he said, I had the highest IQ ever recorded at Sutherland Public School! (Which may not be as impressive as it sounds!) Obviously he won that argument.  Around ten years into my teaching career I no longer even looked at record cards or IQs… I taught, as far as I was able, the person in front of me. 

One of my greatest triumphs in teaching was at Dapto High in 1970 when I got TLA (too low to assess) Peter Abbott (yes, as in Peter Rabbit, poor kid) to write his own name…. And he was 14.

Even better in its own way than the class of 1968 at Cronulla High where from one class emerged two eminent specialists at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Yes, I revisited members of that class  in Cronulla in 2011. A delight. 

And of course in my years at SBHS I encountered some pretty formidable kids. One Federal Court judge from the class of 1986 is also now a friend on Facebook.

So all in all I take your point, Clive, except to acknowledge that among our lot yours has been a stellar career, and I am still benefiting from your published work on Israel and Palestine, which I find very apt and wise today.

Neil W

From David Sweeting

CHS winners
Back row: G Buggie, R King, M Johnson, A Skinner, I Toll, R Scouller, G Cohen
Second row: P Tzannes, G Ryan, Mr F R Fielding, I Scott (Captain), Mr L A Basser, R Evers, R Dye
Front row: K Owens, D Sweeting

And an email from a stranger:

I knew that at one time that an Edward “Eddie” Oliver was the head of the school of Economics at Macquarie Uni.

His field was in statistics.

He was also a train fanatic who was sought for counsel by government in matters of transport.

I would like to know if the Edward Oliver who passed away and is mentioned in your blog post is the same Edward Oliver who also was an academic at Macquarie Uni.

I told Harry G that Eric Sowey and I celebrated the end of our Sydney High experience in a rather odd way, by (unsuccessfully) visiting Roger Dye’s home in Lugarno. Unsuccessfully, because Roger was not at home!

That isn’t Eric and I, but it is the ferry….

Eric was just visiting Jannali. Yes, he lived in Kensington, but he, Brian Hennell, Philip Selden, Roger Dye, and until he went to London Ashok Hegde used to visit one or other of our places in the school holidays or weekends. At Roger’s place we would row on the river, and when they came to my place (Kirrawee to 1958, Jannali 1959) we often went hiking — and that’s what Eric and I did at the end of 59. Jannali to Woronora, then through Menai, crossed the river by the old car ferry, then Roger’s place on Moons Avenue Lugarno. A long walk on a hot day. Mrs Dye gave us food and drink, we caught the bus to Hurstville, and came back to Jannali by train.

I see I blogged about this earlier! But then we octogenarians often repeat our memory tales. And at the end of that earlier post came this song, one of my all-time favourites! It ties in so well with the email from Clive at the head of this post that I will repost it here. I am sure many a 1959 classmate will find a personal connection in it. 65 years after all is virtually a lifetime!

2024 in review 6

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April

The month was much given to the 65th Reunion of my High School Class, which I attended via Facebook rather than in person.

As at 29th April

Browse April

Anzac Day and Sydney Boys High reflections — 2

Posted on  by Neil

Notable military types among the ex-students

The fall of Singapore 1942

Sydney Boys High connections

I remember the Sydney High Anzac Day assembly in 1957, and I remember too that when I told Mum and Dad about it afterwards their enthusiasm was muted. Gordon Bennett was not entirely uncontroversial, as memories of the surrender of Singapore and what Bennett did were still quite fresh. Fifteen years does not seem long ago to me these days, nor did it to my parents in 1957. My Dad’s RAAF greatcoat was still hanging in our laundry…

For detail see this episode of Four Corners (ABC).

Despite highly decorated achievements during World War I, during which he commanded at both battalion and brigade level and became the youngest general in the Australian Army, Bennett is best remembered for his role during the fall of Singapore in February 1942. As commander of the 8th Australian Division, he escaped while his men became prisoners of the Imperial Japanese Army. After this, Bennett’s military career waned and, although he rose to command a corps, he never again commanded troops in battle. In 1945, his escape caused controversy and resulted in a Royal Commission and military enquiry. Both found that he had been unjustified in relinquishing his command. — Wikipedia

So our Colonel Des Duffy was in the thick of it!

Sydney Boys High — “The Record” 1957

UPDATE: I have found the citation for Des Duffy’s Military Cross. It can be viewed on the 2/30 Battalion Association site. Search for “Duffy”.

And for the local people:

Operation Jaywick

This was a truly epic venture, and a Sydney Boys High alumnus was a vital member of it.

WARNING: The following video is a religious telecast, so if you want to avoid the sermon stop it at 20 minutes! Up until then it really is a good account of the Krait.

Bob Page? Now there is a story!



This humble fishing trawler led a double life during World War II as part of Operation Jaywick.

See The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (NX19158) Captain Robert Charles Page, Z Special Unit, Second World War.

Bob Page was born on 21 July 1920 in Sydney, the eldest son of Harold and Anne Page. He attended Sydney Boys’ High School and enrolled to study medicine at the University of Sydney in 1940. He left his studies a little over 12 months later to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force. Joining the 2/4th Pioneer Battalion, he was quickly promoted to the rank of lieutenant.

In 1942 Page’s father, Harold, who had been a senior administrator in New Guinea, was captured by the Japanese at Rabaul. Later that year Harold Page was en route to Japan on board the Montevideo Maru with more than a thousand prisoners of war when it was torpedoed and sunk, killing all the prisoners on board.

In the same year Lieutenant Page transferred to Z Special Unit, a joint Allied unit formed to conduct clandestine operations behind Japanese lines in South East Asia. In September 1943 he took part in Operation Jaywick, devised by British officer Captain Ivan Lyon and using a dilapidated Japanese-built fishing vessel, the Krait, to sneak a crew of 14 into enemy waters. The Krait left Western Australia on the 2nd of September and arrived off Singapore about three weeks later. From there, Page and five other men paddled canoes in to Singapore Harbour and attached limpet mines to Japanese ships under cover of darkness. They destroyed or seriously damaged seven ships, more than 35,000 tonnes of shipping.

On his return, Bob Page married Roma Prowse in Canberra on the 1st of November, 1943. His role in Z Special Unit required him to keep the operation secret from Roma. Page was awarded the DSO for his “courage and devotion under extreme hazardous conditions”, but because of the need for secrecy it was not officially promulgated until 1945 and Bob never knew about it….

To conclude the story, I turn to the Australian Dictionary of Biography.

In September 1944 Page was one of twenty-three men taken by submarine to the South China Sea. There they seized a junk in which they sailed towards Singapore. On 6 October, off Laban Island, they mistakenly fired on a Malay police launch, killing some or all of the crew. With secrecy lost, the mission was abandoned. The commandos scuttled the junk and made their way in rubber dinghies to their base on Merapas Island. For about two months they either evaded or fought off the pursuing Japanese. A British submarine sent to collect them failed to make contact. Page and ten other survivors were eventually captured, taken to Singapore and sentenced to death. With nine comrades, he was beheaded on 7 July 1945 at Ulu Pandan. After the war had ended, his remains were reinterred in Kranji war cemetery. His wife survived him.

There was a made-for-TV movie in 1989, Heroes of the Krait. 

Sir Roden Cutler VC — from Sydney Boys High to WW2 in Syria

The road down the Moore Park side of the school is called Cutler Drive. I mentioned it yesterday.

Cutler Drive on the left

[Sir] Roden Cutler was awarded the VC and went on to be Governor of NSW. The driveway from Anzac Parade to Cleveland Street past the school’s front entrance is named after him. And the gates at Anzac Parade, dedicated to him in 2007.

Dr Jaggar, the Principal, said at the Dedication:

As a scholar, sportsman, soldier, leader,diplomat, concerned citizen and statesman,Sir Roden Cutler was an example in action of our SBHS ethos – with truth and courage. At High in 1934, Sir Roden was awarded School Blues for swimming, water polo and target rifle shooting. Sir Roden was described as a trier, a leader and a role model for younger boys. At High, then as now, we idealise the good all-rounder – the person who has the talent, courage, will power, self-discipline, flexibility and communication skills to succeed in a variety of endeavours. Sir Roden was such a man. His integrity in public life was legendary; his gallantry conspicuous, his humility inspirational. He was able to interact easily and warmly with people from all walks of life. He loved his sport. His lifelong dedication to public service and charitable causes marks him out as a very special Australian icon – a man of the people.

Most importantly of all for us here, Sir Roden held his old school in high regard and throughout his life supported its activities. His involvement as patron of our organisations made him special to our community. He was a point of reference for the school in its history and a champion of its causes. He dedicated buildings and made himself available at ceremonial occasions, despite his commitments as Governor. Even as late as 2000, nearly two decades after his retirement, he attended an Anzac Day assembly with a 1934-40 class reunion at High, despite his ill health and the inconvenience of being confined to a wheel chair. He joined in the singing of the school song with his old classmates. He followed closely the fortunes of the cadets and the rifle team and was very pleased with the gift of a picture of the High GPS Championship target rifle shooting team of 2001. It was with a solemn pride that twenty School Prefects formed up behind our school banner and led the procession into St Andrews cathedral at Sir Roden‟s state funeral in 2002.

As a staff member in 2000, I was at that Anzac Day assembly.

In the early hours of 6 July 1941, the Battle of Damour began. This operation, fought 30 km south of Beirut, was the last major operation of the Syria-Lebanon Campaign that Australians were involved in.From the start, Vichy French forces responded with constant shelling and mortar attacks. Australian losses began to mount.

As an artillery observation officer, Cutler was involved in heavy fighting. He captured 8 Vichy French soldiers from 3 separate machine-gun posts.

The enemy in the first nest were persuaded by the sight of this six feet four inches of elongated Aussie jumping right into their midst. Those in the second nest were talked into it by Cutler’s limited French. A grenade dropped into the third plus the assistance of a Bren-gunner from the battalion caused its occupants to make an instant decision on the subject.

[John William O’Brien, Guns and Gunners: the story of the 2/5th Australian Field Regiment in World War II, 1950, p 122]

As fighting continued in the hilly surrounds, communication became difficult. The Australians’ wireless would not work. Cutler offered to attempt to restore communication. He planned to go to a pre-arranged spot and try and lay a telephone line, despite the danger from ongoing heavy machine-gun fire.

Before he could complete the task, Cutler was wounded in the leg. He managed to stem the blood loss with a tourniquet. But he lay in the open, in excruciating pain, for 26 hours. Pinned down by enemy fire, his company was unable to rescue him.

Cutler was eventually rescued by French prisoners, who took him to the road. From there, he was taken for medical care at a dressing station. By this time, his leg had become septic. Amputation was the only option.

Cutler’s ‘conspicuous and sustained gallantry’ bravery was recognised with the awarding of a Victoria Cross (VC). When he was well enough to travel, he was invalided out of the army and returned to Australia.

That is from Anzac Portal — Australian Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

Arthur Roden Cutler (right) pictured at the awarding of his Victoria Cross with his mother, Ruby Cutler (centre) and the Governor-General of Australia, Lord Gowrie (left), at Admiralty House, Kirribilli, on 11 June 1942. AWM 012577