Peter Ryall

From the past:

David Wilson dug up this photo. God knows why people keep these sorts of things. Her name eludes me (well, perhaps not, but best to let bygones be bygones). I think we might have been an item for 5 or 6 months.

The open window was necessary as the pash was so hot.

2016

The anecdotes from you all bring many memories flooding back - Dr Goldstein's dislike of farts (I remember he would pinch his nose, motion with his hand as if he was pulling the toilet chain, and ask "Who fouled the atmosphere?"), the school song (I reckon I could sing it now off by heart), and even reminiscences of Jackie Weaver (although I must admit she was much too worldly for me to even fantasise about her). I can remember walking past Merv Brown's office at the old Hornsby tech site one day when he called me in. He had the representative from the company that was to make the school emblem for the blazer pockets with him, and he wanted to hold the sample on my jacket to see how it looked on a student. I felt very proud to be the first person to wear the Asquith emblem! (Well, everybody is entitled to their minute of fame!!). I was genuinely saddened when I read of the death of Merv Brown some years ago - in retrospect he did do a lot to mould our lives.

I've not had a lot to do with the old crew since those heady days. Like a few of you, I repeated the Leaving in 1965, and then did a B.A., Dip. Ed. at Sydney University, majoring in History (thank you Austen Hayes and Greg Hancock). I started teaching in 1970 at Crows Nest Boys' High, and half-way through the year was transferred to Young High where I stayed for nearly 9 years. A time as Head Teacher (History) at Bega, was followed by the same position at Gorokan High School on the Central Coast until my retirement at the end of 2006. This was broken by a period of 2 years when I spent time teaching in South Africa (Owen Frye scholarship), Brazil (Rotary scholarship) and Canada (teacher exchange program). I am married to Ann and we have 4 children - Jodie (public servant in Newcastle), Emma (nurse in Taree), Graham (company manager at Warnervale) and Lisa (teaching at Hallidays Point Public School). We have 6 grandchildren, 2 of whom live next door with Lisa and her husband.

Upon our retirement, Ann and I moved to Hallidays Point, midway between Forster and Taree, where we are actively involved in our community. Apart from membership of local organisations, I am a Justice of the Peace, do part-time contract work for the University of Newcastle's School of Education, am an assessor for Keep Australia Beautiful's Tidy Towns program, and for 5 years was a Civil Marriage Celebrant (I still do the occasional funeral). Currently I am in the middle of a 2 year term as National President of Apex 40 (a body of retired Apex members) which involves a fair bit of travel within Australia and overseas.

The attached 2014 photos show me on Ann's family's farm at Wingham with the second of my 6 grandchildren, at the Tuncurry races with my wife Ann, and being presented with the Myall Lakes Senior Citizen of the Year award by the ex-NSW Governor, Rear-Admiral Peter Sinclair.

20 Feb 2022

Happily enjoying retirement here on the mid north coast of NSW. Ann and I have Lisa, the youngest of our 4 children, living next door with her husband and their sons (7 and 10) so that keeps our lives busy.