Alumni

Life after Friends’ and LinkedIn workshops with Year 11 and 12 students

The Development team recently worked together with Clemes staff to facilitate two workshops with Year 11 and 12 students on LinkedIn, and on making a smooth transition to life after leaving the School. Students enjoyed a workshop with Sue Ellson, Independent LinkedIn Consultant, and took the opportunity to polish their educational and professional profiles on LinkedIn. The next workshop on life after Friends’ saw students consider practical information, start to set up or update email accounts, prepare to apply for unique student identifiers, tax file numbers, registering to vote and organising School references. Students commented on the usefulness of the sessions, and how Sue helped them as students to professionalise their profiles and understand how they can make LinkedIn work for them.

The Friends’ School LinkedIn

The Friends' School encourages alumni to register with the Friend's LinkedIn page to join our growing digital alumni community and participate in mentoring opportunities globally. For anyone who needs assistance to polish up their LinkedIn profile you might like to take a look at this workbook by Sue and shared with the Year 11 and 12 students. Don't forget to select The Friends' School from the drop down list in the education section of your profile to be included in the alumni section of the School's LinkedIn page, and follow the page for updates and information about the School and Alumni community.

Geraldine Triffitt (Lorimer) (1959)

Thank you to Geraldine for kindly sharing her story with us.

I was educated at the Friends’ School from 1947 to 1959. I have many happy memories of the school and I have kept in contact with some of my schoolmates and attend school reunions often with my sisters, Mary (now deceased) (1944) and Helen (1949) who lives in Hamilton, New Zealand. Reading 1887-1987 The Friendly Years has shown me how much the Quaker way of life and the community of the school has influenced my own life.

My post-school working life and retirement is a bit unusual in that it has followed my interests established before the age of 6. These were languages gained from the dinner table vocabulary discussions by Helen learning French and Mary learning German. My music career started with playing ‘Chopsticks’ on the piano before I could read music and with violin lessons when I was 7. My interest in tennis started with hitting a ball against the wall of the house. The “Twin” books from the library like The Scottish Twins introduced me to geography and travel. In 1948 I spent four months in New Zealand with my parents. Seeing a marae at Porirua and being surrounded by Maori place names probably started my interest in the Pacific cultures.

At school I studied French, German and Latin and dabbled with Esperanto which Marcel Leereveld, an expert speaker, taught. University subjects at the University of Tasmania included French, German, Music and Geography. I married my husband Tom in 1964. He was a librarian at the University and we moved to Canberra where he had a position at the National Library of Australia. I learnt librarianship mostly while doing the washing up and my first Canberra job was temporarily in charge of the Treasury Library.

After a year I joined the Geographic Section of the Department of National Development and worked on the Atlas of Australian Resources maps and Queensland resource maps. Iain was born in Tasmania but Ross was born while I was working part-time at the Australian National University. I studied linguistics and Indonesian at ANU while I was working at the National Library from 1972. Tom was in charge of librarianship training there and a visiting international training group which included two men from Fiji was the catalyst for our interest in Fiji. Tom was studying public administration and we had a holiday in Fiji. This led to him starting a Masters thesis on village and central administration in Fiji. Our family was adopted into the social structure of a village on a remote island in the Yasawas in 1976  and this was the beginning of frequent visits to Fiji and our friends there visiting us in Canberra.

Tom had retired for health reasons in 1977 and died in 1985. I worked as the language specialist in the Library of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) from 1986 until my retirement in 1997. This provided me with insights into First Nation culture and the opportunity to visit communities like Yuendumu and Katherine Language Centre. After retirement I started a bibliographical database of research in Indigenous languages, the copyright of which was sold to AIATSIS in 2006 and who employed me on contract to update OZBIB until 2018.

I had played tennis in pennants and tournaments while at school and continued to play at weekends while I worked. One of my goals in retirement was to learn how to do topspin in tennis. I tried for 18 months without success. Now my attempts to play with my school tennis team when I visit Hobart are an embarrassment to all. My exercise now is table tennis and walking.

Since my retirement I have studied Italian and travelled widely. Five visits to Bermuda, where Ross was living, enabled me to visit a lot of countries on a round-the-world ticket. Many of the trips were to language schools in Montpellier (French), Kassel (German), Lucca, Florence and Sardinia (Italian) and in Australia, Yuendumu (Warlpiri) and Alice Springs (Arrernte). Despite all this I have no fluency in any language (now I am also constantly searching for English words). I have a glorious mixture of foreign words and phrases in my head. Some languages have special uses. I count in German while waiting for traffic lights to change. I can mutter in Soso dialect when looking for something I had in my hand five minutes earlier without upsetting anyone. Languages are so fascinating.

After my photographer husband died I continued to photograph the people of the village of Soso. I have compiled several Fijian books; the family histories of the Soso village with over 700 portraits, a book about the village and some reading books in Soso dialect. I have frequent visits from my friend and co-author Onisimo Nayato and I visit the village every two years if Covid permits.

Music has become a major occupation lately. While I worked at the National Library I joined a group playing for their Christmas Party. This introduced me to folk music and bush dance music. I went to annual Celtic music schools at Gowrie Park in Tasmania, near Kyneton in Victoria and in the Snowy Mountains. For many years I have played  in different folk groups but recently I have joined an orchestra and I am now trying to play classical music again. The misplaced optimism of the aged!

I have been extremely fortunate to be able to work and participate in subjects that have interested me all my life. I think that The Friends’ School with its international emphasis was a major contributor to this. Language teachers Herman Wise, ‘Dotty’ Hancock and Marcel Leereveld and the brilliance of teachers Jean Yeates, Nancy Newbon and Wilf Asten under the supreme captaincy of Bill Oats have been a constant source of inspiration.

Mary-Lou Stephens (1978)

Thank you to Mary for kindly sharing her story with us.

After leaving Friends’ School in 1978, Mary-Lou Stephens (née Thorp) played in bands in Hobart, Melbourne, and Sydney and studied acting at The Victorian College of the Arts. Eventually, she “got a proper job” – in radio, where she was a presenter and music director, first with commercial radio and then with the ABC.

She received great reviews for her memoir Sex, Drugs and Meditation (Pan Macmillan, 2013), the true story of how meditation changed her life, saved her job and helped her find a husband. Mary-Lou has worked and played all over Australia and now lives on the Sunshine Coast with her husband and a hive of killer native bees.

Her debut novel, The Last of the Apple Blossom was published by HarperCollins (Harlequin HQ) in August this year to great acclaim.

The Last of the Apple Blossom is a novel set in the orchards of the Huon Valley, a love song to a way of life long gone, erased by natural and economic woes. It’s a big sweeping story from the Tasmanian bushfires of 1967 to the collapse of the apple industry in the 70s.

Mary-Lou was six years old and a student at Sandy Bay Infant School, where The Last of the Apple Blossom begins, on the day of the devastating bushfires. She has memories of her childhood home being full of children whose fathers were up Mount Nelson trying to save their homes with gunny sacks and garden hoses as the fires raged.

In 1973 Tasmania’s main export market disappeared overnight when England joined the Common Market. Apples were left to rot on the trees and the government came up with the Tree Pull Scheme to pay orchardists to bulldoze their trees. Many of those affected were tending orchards that had been in their families for generations. 

Mary-Lou’s extensive research included listening to the oral histories of orchardists who’d lived through these times, but she was still left with many questions. She tracked down Naomie Clark-Port, an orchardist in the Huon Valley on a property established by her family in the 1800s. To describe Naomie as tenacious is an understatement. No matter the natural and economic disasters that were thrown at her, Naomie was determined to keep the orchard viable. Mary-Lou stood in her orchard surrounded by apple trees, some over 160 years old, as Naomie told her stories of orchard life, struggle and perseverance. Naomie also arranged interviews with some of the old orchardists in the area who remembered the events in The Last of the Apple Blossom. Mary-Lou spent hours listening to their tales of bushfire, drought and hail, good harvests and bad. 

A line she heard in one of the orchardist’s oral histories haunted her through the writing of the book, ‘I worked my entire life for nothing.’ It makes an appearance in the novel via Catherine’s father. ‘Me and your mum? What have we got? Worked all our lives for nothing.’ Mary-Lou doesn’t believe it was for nothing. ‘Their stories and their lives are important,’ she says. ‘The orchardists created beauty and purpose. Tasmania was the ‘Apple Isle’ because of them – an enormous achievement. It might not have lasted, but everything is ephemeral in the end. To work and to create, to live a useful life, that is not nothing.’

Obituaries

John Beattie (1932-2020), Class of 1950

Our heartfelt thanks to Kathy Rundle and to John Beattie’s children, Gillian Turner, Susan Draskovic, David Beattie and Catherine Adams, for kindly sharing this obituary.

John Beattie was born in Melbourne as the second child of Thomas and Ethel (née Lean). Ethel and her siblings lived in Stanley; after early schooling there they each attended Friends’ as boarders during the early 1900s, becoming the first generation of Beatties to attend The Friends’ School.

The Beattie family moved to Tasmania when John’s father was transferred to a position with the National Bank in New Norfolk. John and his sister Dorothy (Scandrett) attended Friends’. John had very happy memories of his school years including catching the train to school. After his education at Friends’ John studied accountancy by correspondence, and worked in an accountancy firm in Huonville, then became a bank officer in the Commonwealth Bank in Hobart and later Devonport. In 1960 John joined the AMP Society and with his wife Barbara and children moved to live in Hobart where he had a very successful sales career.

John’s children Gillian, Susan, David and Catherine attended Friends’ during the later 1960s and 1970s and so the family connection with The Friends’ School continued. John's granddaughter Amelia is currently attending Year 12 at the School, making her the fourth generation of John's family to attend.

John enjoyed rowing as a youngster, later sailing and motor cruising allowed wonderful recreation. He enjoyed wood turning, bush walking and built many small boats which his children enjoyed using. John had a long-time interest in the Cerebral Palsy Association and enjoyed his involvement with their fundraising by The Miss Australia quest. He was involved for many years with the Variety club and participated in many "bashes". For the last ten years he was Chairman of Business East. John was a valued member of The Friends’ School Old Scholars’ Association and served for 40 years on the School’s Old Scholars’ Memorial Grant as a Trustee.

John Beattie was a Rotarian for 31 years and a Liberal Party stalwart. In 1972 John stood for election as a Liberal in the Tasmanian seat of Franklin, in which he was elected 5 times for 4-year terms. His representation on the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association for the 4-year term from 1985 involved a great deal of overseas travel and the highlight for him was meeting many members of the Royal Family.

John remarried and with his wife Melinda (née Moody, Friends’ student 1960 - 1969) spent happy years in retirement.

We give thanks for the life and loyalty of John Beattie. 

Noel Ruddock, Friends’ staff member 1953-1978

Our heartfelt thanks to Kathy Rundle for kindly sharing this obituary.

We were saddened to learn of the recent death of Noel Ruddock. Noel was a long time Sports Master and PE teacher at Friends’. During his years he influenced the lives of hundreds of students. His partnership with fellow Sports Mistress and PE teacher Pat Hood (McDougall) (1950) served as a model of leadership in the School.

Noel attended The Hutchins School as a school boy and during their boyhood his great mate and athletic competitor was Friends’ student Malcolm McRae (1943). After leaving school, Noel worked in an accountancy firm while playing cricket and football and being very involved in athletics. Noel was one of the founding players of the Sandy Bay Football Club in 1945. Noel applied in 1953 for a position at Friends’ after encouragement from his friend and long-time Friends’ School supporter, ‘Nunky’ Ayres, and ‘Cracker’ Morris, whom he knew through athletics. Following an interview with Headmaster Bill Oats, Noel took up the position of Senior Sports Master at the start of Term 3, 1953. He continued working at Friends’ for twenty five years, becoming a "living legend."

Noel’s children Simon (1978) and Kelly (1981) attended The Friends’ School. His wife Margaret was a popular long-time staff member in the School canteen. Simon started coaching at the School in 1979 and followed Noel as a Friends’ Sports Master in the 1980s. 

Noel was a fine sportsman and he had an outstanding career in coaching and administration of  athletics and football. He was very capable in most other sports and had the distinction of officiating at the 1959 Olympic Games in Melbourne and again in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. He was a doyen of the Tasmanian Olympic Council and Australian Commonwealth Games and a life member of both local bodies. He was awarded the Order of Australia in 1982.

We give thanks for the life and loyalty of Noel Ruddock.

Adrian “Mozza” Morrisby (1972-2021), Class of 1990

Our heartfelt thanks to Dean Young for kindly sharing this obituary.

“One life, live it ‘cos it sure as hell ain’t no dress rehearsal.”

I refuse to be sad, instead, let me tell you a story. A story about a man, a giant of a man, one who I will miss not being able to smile and laugh with while I watch him create havoc amongst the world.

If you haven’t already done so, go and search up Mozza’s hot bites, or if, like me, you were lucky enough to be one of his 5000 friends on facebook, watch some of his videos. Mozza loved the world, and we loved him back.

Karting and cars was the first love, well maybe fishing always was. He was part of a radio show talking about the sport in Hobart, and had also spent the past few years putting his heart and soul into the go-karting exploits of his son, Sammy J.

Rallying was never far from his heart though, and each year when Targa Tasmania rolled around, Mozza was the man who knew the news. He had “spies” all around the country and could quickly tell you who did what, when and where.

Then along came the true loves of his life, Meegs and Sammy. I hope you realised how lucky and grateful he was for you both. Proud beyond measure and super excited that Sammy had found his love of karting. I am hurting for you both today, but I hope you realise that there is a whole state ready to help you. 

My story with Mozza began way back in primary school, from getting a lift to sport (there were only a few of us that lived in the northern suburbs), to just hanging out. We lost touch over the years, but then his name came to me and I reached out. “Mozza, its been a while, but I don’t suppose you could…?” “Yep, sure no problems, what did you need?” You see, that was Mozza’s greatest word. He was the ultimate “yes” man. Always there ready to lend a hand. I loved seeing the occasional Facebook request, “hey, give this local guy’s page a quick like, help them out”, and we did.

He gave unconditionally and often, both with his friendship and his business. He sponsored, ran events, coaxed businesses and flat out arm-twisted to help people.

It is a bit cliché to say there will never be another Mozza, and there probably won’t, but if you can live a bit today by his words above then maybe we can all be a little like him.

I refuse to be sad today. I remember a giant of a man and I am now off to live life to the maximum, because that is what my friend wanted for us all.

Phillip (Pip) Wright, (1945-2021), Class of 1963

Our heartfelt thanks to Kathy Rundle for kindly sharing this obituary.

Philip (Pip) Wright (1963) recently passed peacefully at his home in Sandy Bay. Pip and his five siblings, Alison (1948), Helen (1951), Christopher (1953), Rosemary (deceased) (1958) and Janet (1964) all attended Friends’. The Wright family made a great contribution to the life of the School both academically and sports wise. Like his older brother, Chris, Pip went on to study law at UTAS. He became well known in Hobart’s legal scene especially for his work as a Magistrate and the Director of the Tasmanian Legal Practice Course. He supported the Old Scholars’ Association and is remembered fondly by a great many former students and staff.

We give thanks for the life of Pip Wright.

Quick alumni updates

Our thanks to the following alumni who kindly shared their stories, updates and snippets.

Elizabeth FIELD (Murphy) (1966) Living in Springwood in the Blue Mountains since 2004 with partner (also Elizabeth). In lockdown at present; so my choir is by Zoom only. Another old scholar also participates, Libby Sorrell (nee Emmett)! I live on the edge of the bush; so can enjoy birdwatching without leaving home. I have had a diamond python on the porch, echidna in the garden, and lyrebirds calling in the valley nearby!

Shared by Scott’s mother Maria:

Scott WINTER (1990) studied at the Australian Defence Academy and Duntroon. He served Australia in Canada, USA, the Netherlands, England, Timor, Iraq, Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea. He is currently the Australian Defence Force representative at the Pentagon. He holds the rank of Major General and is a Member of the Order of Australia. He is married to Mireille and has two children: Connor and Véronique.

Philip FOWLER (1950) Up to nothing - housebound, and dealing with some medical conditions which does not worry me in the slightest - just rather inconvenient.

The shadow of the day is ending

And none may here abide,

Being calm and comprehending,

Curious as to when, to where, and how; after eventide.

You did ask.

John LOVERING (1967) While at Friends’ for my last years I was awarded sporting colours. We won the premiership and I was one of three awarded sporting colours. I never sewed them onto my jacket because it didn’t seem to me to be in keeping with the spirit of the school. My previous school always had fights and bullying. The kindness and caring of Friends’ students was such a relief. The focus of practical Christianity and especially non-involvement in wars has motivated me all my life. Thank you Friends’ School.

Lyn Franklin (1976) I graduated as a social worker at the end of 1981 and worked in Launceston and Burnie before spending 1985 living in London (and yes, attending the incredible Live Aid concert at Wembley stadium!) I moved to Brisbane in 1986 and still love the warmer weather up here! I got married and had a daughter who works with children in Catholic Ed in Sydney. I've mainly worked with families of people with a disability, but for the last 7 years I've worked in a community Palliative Care team in Queensland Health. Our school motto 'no-one is born for self alone' resonates more than ever for me. I don't think I appreciated it at the time ...but I now am so thankful I attended Friends' for my entire schooling, as it provided me with the Quaker values that have informed all aspects of my personal and work life over the years.

Are your details up to date?

Please remember to update your details so you can receive news and information, including about upcoming events and reunions. Please pass this information on to family and friends so that they can update their details too. Enquiries to stayconnected@friends.tas.edu.au.

Alumni Rep quarterly meeting - August 2021

A summary of topics discussed:

• Principal Nelson File updated the Alumni Reps on the current and future focus of the School, including year group organisation, renovations/upgrades to the Bell Street site, and progress on the new sports centre development.
• Friends’ Together, our annual giving program, has seen an uptake in the community, with empathy and a return to philanthropy and associated values reflected in people’s giving. This year we have asked our community to help fund the installation of the court at the centre of our new sports centre.
• The Farrall Centre showcase event was an amazing night filled with student performance pieces as a meaningful way to thank the Friends’ community for their thoughtful contributions to support the building of the centre.
• Reunions are scheduled for November and December - visit Reunions & Events for more information.
  Please note, September reunions have unfortunately been postponed due to COVID restrictions and will be rescheduled.
• The next Hobart Alumni Community event is 12th November. This event is an opportunity for former students and families, past staff and volunteers and friends of the School to gather for an informal drink and catch up.
• A past staff reunion was previously suggested for the end of the year. Feedback from former staff was positive and had practical suggestions including linking in with the launch of the new sports centre in 2022. More details to come.
• Our focus on young alumni initiatives continues, with recent sessions held for Clemes students on LinkedIn and to support students to transition to life after School.
• As incoming Year 7 students will receive alumni pins, the majority of other secondary students received their pins through Gatherings. The remaining students who have yet to be presented with their pins will receive these in early 2022.
• We continue to seek alumni stories, news, updates and any snippets to share with our community. With the new sports centre being built and in an Olympic year, sports stories are also very welcome. Stories can be shared via stayconnected@friends.tas.edu.au.

Next Meeting: Monday 25 October, 2021

Your ideas: Have a great idea? Ready to tell your Friends’ story? Please get in touch!

Lucy Loney (Ogilvie) (1988) (Convener)

Flick Boucher (1989)

Sam Cairnduff (1994)

Tessa Fink (1999), Germany

Jade Galbally (1995), Melbourne

Alex Given (2009), London, UK

Roly Hill (1959), Western Australia

Tasman Inglis (2020)

Andrew Kibbey (1995), Melbourne

Charlotte Rogers (2020)

Roger Stilwell (1956), British Columbia, Canada

Mary Woolnough (1969)

About the Friends’ Alumni Community

The Friends’ Alumni Community (FAC) encompasses alumni and their families, former staff and volunteers, and friends of the School – wherever you are in the world. Membership is automatic – there is no application or membership fee. If you wish to receive updates about the activities of this group please ensure your details are up to date.

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