Old Collegians

Hi everyone,

As mentioned in the last newsletter, we now have the achievements of Bob Hillier (past student 1954-1955 - pictured back row 3rd from right) to report. Bob was born in Kalgoorlie on 27 March 1939. His siblings consisted of four sisters and two brothers. In 1945/1946 the family moved to Many Peaks where his father was granted a war service land settlement block. In 1955, whilst at Agricultural School his mother, Trillis, passed away. This affected Bob greatly, although he was fond of being at Ag school. 

After leaving school, between 1957 and 1960, he worked in farming at Mingenew, Dalwallinu and in construction of the grain terminal at Geraldton port. He joined the merchant marines in 1960 and during the next 7 years he travelled between Australia, North Africa and Asia. 

It was whilst in Belgium that he met Claire, who he married but divorced soon after returning to the farm in Albany.  In 1969, he worked in the north-west where he met Shirley, who became his second wife along with 4 step-children. After 1969 he was a stores clerk in the RAAF, working in Perth and Darwin. He and Shirley had two children – Nicole in 1972 and Shaune in 1974 – the year of the cyclone. They returned to Perth in 1975 and divorced in 1976.

In 1976, Bob met his third wife, Wendy and had a further four children – Ken, Tracy, Peter and Mark. He left the RAAF and was for a while an independent fisherman before joining Coaker, a road construction firm, for the rest of his working life. He was a caring man who enjoyed fishing, gardening and reading. He was quietly spoken and had a dry sense of humour. Sadly missed by all who knew him.

Also previously reported, Peter Paynter died in February. Born 18 November 1934, Peter was younger brother to Ken and Peggy. He joined Ag school at the age of 16 and stayed for one year, gaining a second-class diploma in 1951. As a young schoolboy in Cottesloe, he was fond of fishing, swimming, skylarking, and surf lifesaving.

Following school, he moved to Gnowangerup to help his father Harold, who owned the International Harvester dealership there. After completion of his national service obligation in 1958, he started work in the wool industry. Firstly, with Woolcombers, where he obtained his Probationers Wool Classer Certificate. In 1960, he worked on “Edjudina Station” 130 km south of Laverton skirting pieces and bellies off the fleece. There he played football at Gwalia on Sundays with the soon to be WAFL great Bill Walker. In Bill’s word (with tongue in cheek) “Peter did not possess great football skills, but he enjoyed himself nevertheless.” 

He moved to Commission Sorters in 1961 and worked his way from trainee Wool Buyer to a full-time gig as a Wool Buyer for their parent company Wool Exporters. In 1966 Peter moved to Katanning as a wool buyer under the Lohmann Wool brand (who later became Standard Wool). He covered a district bounded by Wagin to the north, Kojonup to the west, Boxwood Hills to the South and Pingrup to the east (give or take a few towns either way). 

Sometime in the early 70s, a new land block of around 3,500 acres was purchased at Pingrup and named “Camelot Park”. The ‘hobby farm’ needed clearing, there were piles of Mallee roots everywhere, it had a combined house, super shed and truck shed, an old caravan out the back and a rock where emus ran around in circles. Peter may have envisaged becoming a farmer, as his grandfather was a farmer at Doodlakine, but that dream never eventuated.

In-between buying wool, being an eager gardener and pretending to be a farmer, Peter was a determined golfer, playing nine-hole scroungers during the week and eighteen-hole golf on the weekends. If possible, he would play on both Saturday and Sunday. His golf handicap was sub-ten, and he was proud to have been crowned Club Champion at Katanning Golf Club in 1987. He was also the green keeper for many years at the Katanning Lawn Tennis Club. 

Peter married Dorothy and they had two children – Mason and Blakely along with step-children Tammy, Paul and Perry.. He was a grandfather to nine children and a great grandfather of a further nine children.

Peter stayed in the wool industry in Katanning until his retirement, covering large kilometres every year working with farmers to secure their wool. He also bought wool for his oddments shed in town. On retirement, he moved to Geraldton to pursue his love of fishing from the beach, the boat and from the Abrolhos Islands and holding the maximum number of recreational cray pots allowed. Peter and his wife Dorothy became regulars at the Spalding Park Golf Club, spending a lot of time there volunteering to maintain the beautiful gardens. He owned many cars and was overall a genuinely nice bloke who loved a beer and a chat.

Other news

As you may be aware, we have built a gazebo on the lawns of the original School of Agriculture (now Denmark TAFE). The bays have been filled with aluminium slats and we have already put lots of former staff and students’ names on them. Naturally, the names include ‘town’ staff and students as well as Ag staff and students. Pay a visit – you can’t miss it on the left of the rose garden. 

We are having a formal opening on Saturday 19 September at 2pm. All past staff and students from DSA, DAJHS, DADHS, DDHS and Denmark Agricultural College to the year 2000 as well as descendants of deceased staff/students are invited to attend. A great opportunity to get together and reminisce about 59 years of history and tradition of agricultural education in Denmark. As we will be having afternoon tea, could you please register your intention to attend by email to hisylvi@bigpond.com or phone Wendy Sutton (9848 3165) or Don McCausland (0428 526 398). Just in case, I’ll be reminding you in the next newsletter.

Please let us have your news so that we can let others know what is happening among past students.

Cheers for now