Vale Shirley Barbara-Heyworth
Remembering Shirley : 30/11/1963 – 5/2/2023
We lost Shirley, (“Ms Barbara” to her many students) on the 5th of February this year and celebrated her life at her memorial on the 16th. The sheer number of family, friends, students and colleagues was in itself a testament to the influence and importance she had in so many peoples’ lives.
It is no easy thing to sum up a life, or the contribution that someone like Shirley has made to the Northcote High School community over decades.
Shirley grew up in Sunshine, the youngest daughter of Maltese migrant parents. By all accounts she was a “ball of curiosity” as a child, a trait that would stay with her throughout her life. She wanted to know how things worked, especially the complex and complicated nature of how people worked.
She began her teaching career in the western suburbs of Melbourne, teaching at Kings Park High School before coming to Northcote High in 1990.
Throughout her time at the school, she taught a range of subjects from English to “Health”, but is best remembered for her expertise as a Drama teacher. Former student Callum Jones very eloquently explained her influence:
“I remember back in Year 7, when I was just 12 years old, you instructing our drama class to create a character profile of ourselves. I wrote about my appearance, I wrote about my values, I wrote about my personality. I wrote about myself. That is the earliest memory I have of being truly introspective. Thank you for nurturing that skill, because it is something I needed throughout my time at high school and beyond.”
So many of Shirley’s students have also conveyed how they found her classes both personally and creatively transformative.
A close friend and former colleague spoke of her “magical” skills as a teacher – her ability to connect with students, the respect and esteem in which she was held by them. Her ability to maintain order, but to have fun, whether that be in the classroom, on camps, during productions or on excursions was legendary. Though she may have been small in stature, her presence was huge.
Shirley’s wisdom and compassion extended well beyond her students in her other roles at the school, both official and unofficial. One example of which she was particularly proud was that of Professional Development Coordinator.
Being PD coordinator in a high school is a tough gig. Your audience of teachers is often very tired from hours at the chalk face. Delivering PD is a bit like doing a stand-up comedy. You might get eager volunteers for role plays, but you will have reluctant participants too – and also some vocal participants known in the stand-up business as ‘hecklers’.
Shirley loved that challenge and managed it with a balance of professionalism and empathy not often experienced by those of us who work in teaching.
Shirley also inducted new staff as part of her role. She handed over the mandatory info folder, went through it AND also laid down the law - NEVER BE LATE TO CLASS OR YARD DUTY was drilled hard. But she also took a personal interest in new staff – took them to lunch, checked in with them – found them buddies, and in many cases became a friend.
It was with just graduated teachers though that Shirley really shone. She was able to nurture nervous new teachers through to states of unrecognisable confidence, mentoring them on how to survive the early stages of their career and live rich lives as well. Many of her former inductees owe their dedicated teaching careers to Shirley.
The Northcote High School community identifies its official values as Curiosity. Achievement. Humanity. Fairness. No one embodied these values more.
Shirley is survived by her husband John Heyworth, a former teacher at NHS himself, who often came out of retirement to assist Shirley on really big external PD days and to accompany her and her VCE drama classes to plays. To both him and the rest of Shirley’s family we extend our deepest condolences.
Billy Bragg has recently toured Australia making it difficult (for some of us) to not be reminded of one of very few songs that include her name - perhaps you know it?
“Shirley… I’m celebrating my love for you with a pint of beer and a new tattoo…” (Billy Bragg – Greetings to the New Brunette)
The tattoo might be a bridge too far, but I would encourage all who knew her to raise a glass in memory of the life and legacy of Shirley Barbara-Heyworth.
~Leah Downey