Great Scot Archive
Issues from 1998
Issues from 1998
 
 
 
 

Publications

Obituaries

John B BRAITHWAITE ('27)
John B BRAITHWAITE (’27)
Neil J CLARK (’29)
Eric J CORRAN (’31)
Alex T DIX (’45)
Ian L FALCONER (’63)
Richard K FULLAGAR (’43)
Charles E GARDNER (’26)
Alexander G GOUDIE (’35)
Max I GUILD (’32)
John W HEYER OBE, OAM (’33)
Alan V R HORNE (’48)
Graeme L JAFFE (’64)
Peter JOUBERT (’49)
James T McDONELL (’26)
John D PATERSON (’29)
Peter J PATERSON (’53)
Frank J C PATON (’24)
Sir Benjamin RANK CMG (’28)
Jack A RICHARDS (’22)
Ronald Y SYME (’34)
Norman D VIMPANI (’28)
Eric G WARRELL (’40)
Ronald C WEBB (’41)
Keith H WILLIAMS (’29)


Peter Joubert (’49) was born in North Balwyn in 1931. He attended Mont Albert Central school before entering Scotch in 1943. His son Tony believed that his focus and interest was more on sport than that of being an academic.

His natural ‘spring’ was his major sporting asset. Many hours were spent on the football field where he played in the First XVIII and also represented Scotch in the Combined Sport athletics team for high jumping - performing the western roll!

After leaving school he was asked to train with the Richmond Football Club, but broke his leg in a practice game playing for Old Scotch - that was the end of his VFL aspirations.

On leaving school he joined Gollin and Co before joining the family company Joubert and Joubert Pty Ltd, which was started after World War I, in 1919, by Grandfather Alfred and Father George.

A family company, whose business was importing and exporting. Among the items imported were razor blades, liquor, motor cars and surgical dressings. At one stage exports to France included frozen rabbits for food during the war and cowhorns for combs. The company was best known for its car imports Daimler and Delage.

The Company’s major business before and after World War II was as agent for Australian and UK manufacturers of surgical dressings.

In the latter years of the company, before selling to Pacific Dunlop in 1986, it made carpet underlay/urethane foam and to a lesser extent cotton dressings, which were supplied to hospitals.

The Partnership successfully developed the business to include three factories – (Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide) with some 300 employees at its peak.

It was a unique team, while brother David ran the manufacturing and administration of the company, Peter was responsible for the sales and marketing.

When Peter retired, after selling our family home in Hawthorn, Sorrento became the focal point where he lived.

Here the garden and the Sorrento Golf Club became his centre of interest, particularly when he became head of the greens committee.

Golf was always his favourite sport – his lowest handicap was four.

Later in life he became very interested in tennis. As a natural sportman at most ball sports, he became frustrated at not excelling at tennis - this bought out his most competitive nature.

He had this uncanny ability to make people feel comfortable and welcome just with his smile, his voice and his warmth. Over 600 attended his memorial service and the family would like to thank everyone who came to the service, and to those who sent their condolences.

Survived by his wife Kaye, his children Tony (’75), Sally, Richard (’79) six grandcildren and his brother David (’47 ). Peter passed away on the 5 October, 2001, and a memorial service was held on the 9 October 2001 - the day of his 70th Birthday.

Gordon D Logan (’33) left Scotch to learn the Stock and Station Business, and was highly regarded in the industry as a man who could handle clearing sales and other allied activities. He lived and also farmed at Yellingbo, and like all busy men, found time to be involed in community affairs. He helped form the local Fire Brigade in 1954, and was Secretary for about 25 years. He was active at the Lilydale gym and a member of the Thistle Club for Scottish Dancing. He is survived by his wife Thelma, after 59 years of marriage.

Bill Fisher (’52) lost a four year battle with cancer when he died at Mildura Private Hospital on Friday 9 November, 2001.

Bill was born at Merbein in 1936 and attended Merbein Primary School before he went to Scotch as a boarder.

Upon the premature death of his father, Bill left school at 16 and returned home.

He briefly resumed his studies as a doctor, but then took on work as a truck driver instead, and then joined the family business.

Bill Fisher took a small family business of four small grocery stores to that of a substantial supermarket chain, with stores in Mildura (2), Merbein, Redcliffe, Wentworth, Robinvale, Dareton and Warracknabeal.

The success of Fishers as a supermarket chain grew from Bill’s work ethic - he worked a seven day week for most of his life.

He was active in community service and provided the funds to establish Fishers House at the former Mildura Base Hospital where his work will continue through the Fisher Family Fund which will sponsor the education of several young people in the field of medicine.

Dick Webb AM (’41) Victorian medical administrator Dr Dick Webb died, aged 76.

A Former Commonwealth Director of Health for Victoria and Deputy Director-General of Health in Canberra, Dr Webb died at Berwick Hospital after a long battle with cancer.

Born Ronald Campbell Webb at Caulfield on March 5, 1925, he was educated at Scotch and the University of Melbourne.

His Medical studies were interrupted by war service. In 1948 he married Denise and graduated in 1951. He began work in Williamstown as a general practitioner and also worked in the Northern Territory.

During his career, Dr Webb was Commonwealth Director of Health in two states and two territories, and chief medical officer at Australia House, London. During this time he was an Australian Delegate to the World Health Organisation.

In 1968, he started a 15 year stint as Commonwealth Director of Health for Victoria. In 1980 he was made a member of Order of Australia, and he retired to Beaconsfield in the early 1980’s.

He leaves his widow, Denise, six children and nineteen grandchildren.

Alexander Thomas Dix, A.O. 18.2.27 to 9.12.01 was Captain of Scotch for two years, 1944 and 1945 – a unique feat on its own. Apart from his considerable leadership qualities at school, Alex was very much involved in rowing being in the 1st VIII in 1943, 1944 and stroke in 1945.
He proceeded to Melbourne University, where he graduated with an Honours Arts degree. His postgraduate activities covered a broad spectrum, beginning as an Archivist with the National Library in Canberra.

He was then, for a number of years, with the South Pacific Commission’s social development section.

To broaden his horizons, he became secretary to Fred Osborne, who was the Minister of Air in the Menzies Government. After several years, he applied for a position with Reckitt and Colman and - so typical of Alex - was within a few years appointed Chairman of that company.

His love of the Arts was never very far away and he was appointed to head a wide-ranging inquiry into the future structure of the Australian Broadcasting Commission from 1979-1981. He was also on varying boards, and from 1988, he had a ten-year term as Deputy Chancellor of the University of Western Sydney.

Alex had the capacity to rise to the top in the various fields that he entered, and this he did with great ability and concomitant humility. John Staley said that he was a wonderfully civilised man and a great Australian.

After a long illness Alex died in December 2001, and is survived by his wife Ann and six children.

 

Athol Inglis Doig (’25) passed away peacefully at age 93, on 24 August, 2001.

He was Managing Director of Barrington Quarries Ltd in WA (a prominent quarry in the 1960s) and a long time member of Royal Perth Golf Club. Prior to leaving Victoria was one of the partners in Clive King, hardware and timber merchants. He is survived by his wife Jean, three children, Judith, Meredith and Ron, and numerous grand, and great grandchildren.

Russell Love, (’29) Professor of Mathematics at the University of Melbourne since 1952, died peacefully on August 7 2001, aged 89. He was active in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics in both teaching and research until the end of 1999.

Russell Lowe

After migrating to Melbourne in 1922, he attended Trinity Grammar for a term, and then moved to Scotch in 1923, where he completed his schooling in 1929 as Dux of the school. He obtained Honors Exhibitions in geometry, trigonometry, mechanics, and physics.

At the University of Melbourne from 1930 to 1933, Russell was an honors student in mathematics.

Graduating in 1933, and being awarded the Aitchison Travelling Scholarship, he journeyed to Cambridge and in 1935 was made a scholar of Trinity College, Cambridge.

In 1938, he was admitted to the degree of PhD and was elected into the Fellowship of Trinity College, which he deferred until 1948. As a PhD student he shared the Smith’s Prize. His research led to his first publication of four papers.

He returned to the University of Melbourne in 1940 as a lecturer. He progressed quickly up the academic ladder, being promoted to Professor in 1952, a position he held until he retired in 1977.

During his 37 years at the University of Melbourne, Russell Love set very high standards in research, teaching and administration. In 1942, he was seconded to the Munitions Supply Laboratories, Maribyrnong, where he conducted research into a variety of problems in armaments equipment.

In 1944, he was transferred to the Aeronautical Research Laboratories, Fishermans Bend, with the express purpose of inquiring into aircraft engine and propeller vibration. His war work provided a rich source of mathematical research for a number of years in peace time.

Many generations of students have benefited from Russell Love’s teaching.

Within the University, he was Dean of the Faculty of Arts from 1960 to 1962. And on Professor Cherry’s retirement at the end of 1963, Russell became the Head of the Department of Mathematics.

Russell retired in 1977. He became a Professor Emeritus, and was appointed Honorary Professional Fellow with the title of Professor in the Department of Mathematics. He was awarded ScD. University of Cambridge in 1978, for his work in analysis, and in 1991 he was awarded the Honorary degree of DSc, University of Melbourne.

Eric Warrell (’40), who died on 8 August 2001, aged 76, will be remembered as a distinguished engineer and administrator.

His main engineering career was with the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Authority, rising to Associate Commissioner in 1965-69, in which position his outstanding talents as an administrator were widely recognised. In his administrative career, he had two periods as Vice-president of the Sydney Water Board, and was President in 1981-83, the position in which he retired.

After retirement, he gave his services as a volunteer to the Australian Executive Service Overseas Program (AESOP), advising on a hydro-electric and water supply project in Rwanda, and on stormwater drainage in Labasa, Fiji.

Ian Farquhar Macrae (’22) was born in the Toorak Presbyterian Manse on Sunday 16 July, 1905, just before his father mounted the pulpit for morning service.

After a long and fruitful life he died in his room amongst his books at ‘Kareelah’, with loving carers who had battled together with him in his last days.

He was a wonderful leader and encourager of young and not so young, and this from an early age, because he was thrust into the role when his father died leaving a 34 year old widow with five young children of which he was, at 8, the eldest.

He joined the Citizen Military Forces in 1923 and was commissioned in 1929. He was a keen shot and ran the Battalion Rifle Club. During WWII his three brothers joined either the army or airforce. One was killed.

In the Scouts he led and others followed. He became District Commissioner, and a whole district of scouters also followed him, each taking inspiration from his example.

He was a leader in his industry. He chaired the board of the Plywood Distributors Association and attended many of their national meetings, to guide their business through an era of rapid growth - to face the challenges of the day: Masonite, the role of chipboard, and sustainable logging.

He nurtured and influenced a large cohort of young boys from the underprivileged inner Melbourne suburb of Richmond, through the scouting movement. Boys who had just arrived with their parents from a peasant lifestyle in the Mediterranean, joined his Sea Scout troop. He was still taking boys camping at the age of 70.

He was a supporter to the Richmond Lions Club, an organisation that encapsulates the spirit of giving and service.

If there was a job to be done, a need to fulfil, Ian would step right in and volunteer. He was active in the church Board of Management, post war, caring for the men of the battalion and their families, even initiating the rebuilding of things like water supply and medical facilities on Ambon, reaching out to succor and care for Ambonese who sheltered Australians during the war at great personal risk

Richard Fullagar (’43) spent two years at Scotch 1935 and 1936 before going to Geelong College as a boarder in Year 7.

In 1949 he joined the Victorian Bar, where he had an extensive practice. He became a QC in 1964 and was appointed a Judge of the Victorian Supreme Court in 1975.

He retired in 1994 and became Chairman of the Legal Profession Tribunal. His picture below is reproduced from the February Edition of the Law Institute Journal.

Richard Fullagar

John Hadley McKendrick (’56) was the only son of Bill McKendrick, who was the Scotch Bursar for many years. John started at Scotch in 1943 and spent his whole school life at Scotch.

After studying Law at the University of Melbourne he joined the Victorian Police Force but then moved quickly to the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation, a field in which he had a remarkable and natural flair.

In 1963, at the age of 26, he became the youngest officer to be appointed as Regional Director to the strategically important Darwin area. Following the posting he spent a number of years operating in countries throughout South East Asia, Greece and Argentina (during the Falklands War), where he provided dedicated and selfless service.

After returning to Australia in 1982 he carried out various invaluable roles as a senior officer of ASIO and was held in very high esteem throughout the organisation.

John passed away on the 23 September, 2001 after a long battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife Jillian, two married daughters, Anne and Helen, and grandson James.

Updated: Monday 24 June 2013