A Generous Gift

Tenterfield High School and The Sir Henry Parkes Memorial Public School are the benefactors of an incredibly generous monetary gift, bestowed upon them by a past student, Patricia Williams (Pat, nee Kelsey). Pat was the daughter of Leonard Kelsey (known as Kel) who was headmaster of Tenterfield Immediate High School from 1951 – 1964. Both schools received the following letter from Pat’s sister, Janet Kelsey, outlining Pat’s connection with Tenterfield, her passion for public education and reasons for the bequest.

To the Principal 

Tenterfield Public School 

Patricia Williams (Pat, nee Kelsey) attended Tenterfield Intermediate High School, where her father Leonard Kelsey, known as Kel, was headmaster for 13 years - January 1951 to December 1964. Sadly, Pat died suddenly and unexpectedly in June 2022. Pat was school captain and represented the school in basketball and various ball games, at the Triangular Sports Carnivals with students from Glenn Innes and lnverell High Schools. On completion of high school, she studied for her BA and Diploma of Education at Armidale. She specialised in geography and psychology. Her first teaching appointment was at Tamworth High. She then transferred to Lyneham High School in ACT and then taught at Telopea Park High School in the ACT. Pat also taught in Edinburgh - Scotland. She trained as a school counsellor, and continued in that role until early retirement. In 1990, she married Alan Williams, and they travelled extensively in Australia and overseas. Special trips, included Norway for the Northern Lights, Easter Island, Petra, sailing around Cape Horn, and bird trips to South Africa. Pat always enjoyed returning to Tenterfield to renew friendships from her school days. At the reunions, someone would always make a comment on the influence her father had on their life. Pat always had great empathy with people, and her positive outlook gave her great strength. She was an avid reader, politically aware and insightful, and enjoyed her golf. Pat was a firm believer in the value of education, and the broadening of student's experiences. Kel and Pat both believed in and did their best for those students who faced various difficulties, whether educational, social or economic. Pat in particular, was a firm believer in the way excursions could broaden the horizons and awareness of young students. It was always Pat's wish to give students at Tenterfield Public Schools, the opportunity to participate in excursions to our National Capital. This gift is a testament to Pat's strong belief in giving students the opportunity for alternative experiences, in different environments, such as Canberra. Yours sincerely Janet Kelsey (Sister)

As per Pat’s wishes, both schools will be using the money to subsidise excursions to Canberra for the next 10 years. Students will have the opportunity to visit and undertake educational programs at places such as Parliament House, The War Memorial, The Electoral Commission and Art Gallery as well as tours of The Australian National University and The University of Canberra, for the older students. Principals of the two schools, Anna Starcevic and Stephanie Scott, are thrilled with what this gift will mean for their students, as normally the cost associated with a trip of this distance is too much to even consider for the schools. Both schools are already planning the first of their Canberra excursions for 2024.