Scotch College

Vale Serle, Lithgow, Richards

Sadly missed by the Scotch Family

The Scotch Family has been saddened by the recent deaths of three of its finest Old Boys and although they pursued different professions and interests, they shared commonly a passionate interest in and love of the School. They each had the attribute of humility and yet they had little to be humble about.

A Geoffrey Serle AO ('40)

Geoffrey was the younger son of Percival Serle (1887). A Prefect in his final year at school, Geoff was given the task of mentoring a recently arrived senior student,- Ninian Stephen. Geoff's University career was interrupted by WW2, during which he saw service in the AIF in New Guinea.

He resumed his study and was appointed the Victorian Rhodes Scholar in 1947. His sporting interests were tennis, football and athletics. He completed his PhD at Oxford. Geoff returned to Melbourne, where he spent his life as a research historian, steadfastly eschewing any academic appointment which might take him away from his research. We can be thankful for this, for he produced some outstanding histories : The Golden Age(1963), The Rush to be Rich(1970) and From Deserts the Prophets Come(1973). Amongst other publications were two remarkable biographies John Monash(1982) and Robin Boyd(1995).

One of the most meaningful Personal Notices in The Age was that from the Monash family, who clearly developed a very special relationship with Geoff. Since then he has written, but not published, a monograph of his former Principal, Colin Gilray, which we hope will be published. Geoff dropped into school last year and proudly announced that there were more entries of Old Scotch boys in The Australian Dictionary of Biography than from any other School. He would know, as he edited this work, which his father had begun.

It was Geoff who brought to the school's attention the need for another history and we appreciated his wise counsel, as a member of the committee set up to investigate this. Our thoughts go to his family, particularly to Donald ('73), Jamie ('80) and Richard ('85).

Don J Lithgow AM ('43)

Don left Scotch after gaining his Leaving Certificate to study Chartered Accountancy, and headed the firm, which became BDO Nelson Parkhill, for 36 years till his retirement in 1989. He had almost a lifetime interest in the scouting movement, starting as a cub in the 1st Hawthorn in 1936 and retiring 60 years later as Chairman of the Victorian executive committee, in the interim holding a number of other important posts. For 25 years he held an executive position on the Canterbury Citizens Welfare Committee and he did this unobtrusively, but with enormous success.

Don led by example : he believed that those who had benefited from a Scotch education should be of service to the community. He was a Life Member of OSCA and a trustee of the Scotch Foundation. He loved the country life and his pastoral and viticultural interests kept him responsibly close to nature. He lived a full life, true to his belief of a commitment to service and, among many others, we at Scotch have been the beneficiaries of Don's generosity.

John C Richards ('51)

John Richards came to Scotch College in 1939 starting with Allen Morris. Living close, he used to get to school at the crack of dawn, or before, to help Wally or Jim stoke the school's boilers. He loved Scotch from the start, in fact he loved it so much and has been seen around the School so often over the years, that some have asked if he ever left. Leave he did, as a Prefect in the centenary year - 1951.

His passion for Scotch temporarily transported to a passion for Old Scotch, gaining immediate success as manager of the Old Scotch Junior Football team in 1952, which won the premiership in its first year and as manager of the U19 OSCA Athletics team. John also joined the Vic Scottish Regt with Allen Morris in 1951, staying for a decade and gaining a commission. He successfully completed a law degree and entered practice.

Even at this time he was a magnificent manager of time : he did and achieved so much, yet was never hurried. He found time to enjoy his recreational interests in gardening, particularly vegetables, and golf at Peninsula CGC. He always had time for his children, loving to come to Scotch to watch his three sons play sport, and for his friends.

Meanwhile his career reached great heights as a practising lawyer and as a leader of his profession, yet he still found time to be President of OSCA and to join the Scotch College Council at the end of the '70s. Almost simultaneously he was involved in sensitive negotiations with the Presbyterian Church concerning the future of Scotch, and restoring public faith in the legal profession, following the largest defalcation to that time.

John remained on the School Council for 15 years. Such was his reputation and integrity that he served as a Company Director; as Chairman of several Government instrumentalities and Control Boards, an appointee of both political persuasions, retiring last year as Chairman of the Casino and Gaming Commission.

Our sympathy to Cynthia and to Michael ('75), Jim ('79), Andrew ('80) and Jane.

Mr Dick Briggs, School Archivist