Scotch College

A vision of boyhood

Don Wirth reminisces and conducts some ‘elf reflection’.

Words: Don Wirth Illustration: Ben Shearer

From 1977 until 1985, I spent a very enjoyable part of my teaching life of 51 years, as Headmaster of the Junior School. This article is in response to a kind invitation from Tim Shearer to write about some of my experiences of those days.

However, many memories were re-awakened recently when I received a copy of the recently published treasure house of evocative images contained within Jim Mitchell’s and Stuart Gerstman’s Visions of Boyhood. As someone who has suffered from a lifetime obsession with photography, I was delighted to see a few of my images of days in the Junior School in Jim’s book.

But, I must apologise to a very helpful character who gave me advice and encouragement during this time, and who did not receive any recognition in the book. This is my fault entirely, and I intend to make up for this omission by telling the following story:

During 1985, ‘a judicial parent’ loaned me his ‘elf’, which he kept under the bench in his court and with whom he secretly consulted whenever he was confronted with a complex judgment. He felt that a few months’ trial would convince me to seek an elf of my own, and I think he suggested Mornington as a likely source. This later proved to be true, because I found one of my own which now sits in my study.

Anyway, some sub-primary boys consulted Elf whenever they lost anything and he never let them down. He was soon joined by ‘Hobo’ who was found on the oval and was never claimed. They became firm friends on my desk.

It occurred to my photographic nature that if I could find a pair of cooperative rabbits plus a few imaginative boys, we could create an illustrated account of the adventures of these characters as they wandered about the Junior School.

I am afraid to say this project presented my loyal and industrious deputy, Laurie MacLennan, with a much heavier workload as the Headmaster pursued his passion photographing the little scenarios the boys set up on this odyssey.

Unfortunately we never completed our objective even though the cast was so cooperative, including the two bunnies, as I left at the end of the year.

I recently found the negatives and have printed a few scenes from our story. I often wonder who the writers were who wandered about the School with me.

Ben Shearer, who was helping Denny Evans that year in the art room, presented me with a folder of his brilliant cartoons at my farewell function. I am glad to say one of them featured several of the cast sitting with the Headmaster at his desk. GS