My journey started in 1972 when my Yr 12 GD&P (Geometrical Drawing and Perspective as it was then) teacher asked the class what they planned to do after they left school. I replied that I intended to go to college to study to become a Town Planner. After finishing the course, I applied for a number of positions and either “I didn’t have enough experience” or “I was over qualified for the job”.

Following this little setback, a friend approached me and invited me to go camping with him. So, one night while we were sitting around the campfire, he suggested that maybe Town Planning was not what I was to do and with my involvement in working with young people in various environments, I should consider teaching and he specifically mentioned Manual Arts.

At the time, the Mount Gravatt College of Advanced Education was the training institution for Manual Arts teachers.

There were 2 courses offered. There was a 3 year course if you came straight from school or a 2 year course for tradesmen or if you had a higher qualification. I was eligible for the 2 yr course with my Bachelors Degree, (ie, a higher qualification), so I was the first (and possibly the only person) ever to do the 2 yr course this way. I had a lot of experience in the geometrical drawing side of things (because of my degree), but limited workshop skills. With the head of the school, we worked out my course to be completed as a 2 year course, but with some of the 3 year course subjects. That certainly made for an interested time juggling subjects, but did result in a very rewarding 37year long career.

My first teaching position was at the Claremont Special School in Ipswich. I spent a term there before taking up a position at MacGregor State High School in Brisbane. After almost 2 years at MacGregor, I was transferred to the Tara Secondary Department, a small school with about 60 students in the secondary department. To say it was a culture shock coming from a high school with over 1000 students and to a town with a population of less than 2000, is an understatement. My father worked in the Department of Agriculture and Stock (later to become the Department of Primary Industries) so I was a bit used to it, as we moved a couple of times to smaller towns when I was growing up. My wife however, born and raised in Brisbane, it was vastly different to what she was used to. We immersed ourselves into the town and, if I can make one suggestion to teachers relocating to small towns, become involved in the town and you’ll be surprised at what it becomes to you.

After 4 years in Tara, we moved to Gayndah where the town was a bit bigger and it had it’s own (small) high school, as apposed to a secondary department attached to a primary school, as Tara was. 

As Subject Area Coordinator at Gayndah, I really became aware of what it was like to be in a school that wasn’t in a major town/city. Yes, not far from major towns, but also not really exposed to the “benefits” of a larger places. After being exposed to the Queensland Manual Arts Teachers Association (QMATA) while at college, I gradually became more aware of the benefits of being involved in the association. After talking with a number of Manual Arts teachers in the North, South and Central Burnett, we decided to form a branch of QMATA. That branch extended from Yarraman in the South, Monto in the North, west to Proston and East to Biggenden and all the schools in between. We had quite an active little group and organised workshops, industry visits and regular meetings hosted by various schools in the area. One highlight was that we organised a “Project of the Year” trophy. Each school was invited to “bring a project” to the last meeting of the year where we all voted on it with the “winner” holding the trophy for the following year.  Much to our surprise, the principal of the winning school was proud to have the trophy displayed in the schools trophy cabinet.  Our branch was very strongly supported by all the principals in the region as they could see the benefits of our working together for the betterment of the students. (I don’t know where the trophy has ended up).

After 6 years at Gayndah, I was promoted to Subject Master (Manual Arts) at Murgon State High School. As well as my involvement with our local QMATA branch, I stayed involved with the state QMATA body where I was the branch coordinator for a couple of years. The state body used to do a “Country Meeting” each year where Brisbane Manual Arts Teachers got on a bus and travelled to a country town. I decided, “Why not” so suggested Murgon would be a good place for a country meeting. The executive supported the suggestion and it happened.  If I remember correctly, I’m sure the meeting at Murgon was where the discussion was held to change the name from The Queensland Manual Arts Teachers Association (QMATA) to The Industrial Technology and Design Teachers Association (INTAD).

It was all around the time of government directives and a paper that became known as The Hobart Declaration on Schooling and the establishment of the National Curriculum. That gave rise to the development of the 8 Key Learning Areas, of which Technology was one. I was invited to be on the Industrial Technology and Design Syllabus Sub-Committee. This involved many meetings in Brisbane and had a major input into the formulation of the Technology KLA learning experiences and outcomes.

After a couple of years at Murgon SHS, due to declining enrolments, the school lost entitlement to two subject masters, one of which was Manual Arts.

This meant a move to Gympie State High School, where the Subject Master (Manual Arts) position had just become vacant, so it was very timely and I became the The Industrial Technology and Design Head of Department.

This is where I remained until my retirement.

While at Gympie SHS, I stayed very connected to INTAD as I had benefited so much throughout my teaching career and always took the opportunity to promote the association and the benefits of being involved in the grass roots, not just as an onlooker. Due to transfers etc, unfortunately the Burnett branch dissolved but I fortunate to have the Sunshine Coast branch on my door step.

There were occasions where a colleague in Bundaberg and I occasionally discussed forming a Wide Bay branch, but we never formalised anything and continued to informally meet together at various times. We organised a couple of conferences/workshops in Gympie/Bundaberg/Hervey Bay over the years where would get up to 100 or so teachers.

INTAD became The Design and Technology Teachers Association of Queensland (DATTA Qld) where I continued to stay involved for many years helping as required and supporting many teachers in their own journey.