Alumni

Swan Districts premiership player winning the Grand final 1982  

Games played for swans 98  

Games played VFL/AFL 57 for St Kilda and Fitzroy   

Allen Newton
Journalist
GSSHS 1970-73

A migrant from the UK with his family, Allen Newton attended Governor Stirling after completing Third Year at Kalamunda High School.

After leaving school, Allen started work as a copy boy at the now defunct Sunday Independent before earning a cadetship at the paper and then as a graded journalist.

He has gone on to hold some of the most senior positions in Western Australian media, including Managing Editor for The Sunday Times and PerthNow and Editor-in-Chief for Fairfax Media’s WAtoday.

As the founding editor of News Corporation’s news website PerthNow and then as Editor-in-Chief of WAtoday Allen was a pioneer of the State’s digital media.

Over a more than 40-year career he has owned his own magazines, worked at all WA’s major newspapers and spent several years in the UK and USA, working in PR.

He also worked as Publicity Manager for Channel 7 and in his earlier days as a publicist for Channel 9.

Allen has worked for several public relations consultancies in Perth and now he and his wife Helen Ganska operate their own PR business, Newton Ganska Communications.

In addition Allen has been a Director on the Board of the Police and Community Youth Centres of WA for 10 years.

Professor Anne Dell CBE FRS FMedSci
Professor of Carbohydrate Biochemistry, Imperial College London
GSSHS 1965-1967

After completing her Junior Certificate at Kalamunda High School, Anne entered GSSHS in November 1965 on a Commonwealth Scholarship to take a two-year course for her Leaving Certificate studying English, French, Geography, Maths A and B, Chemistry and Physics. With the support of outstanding teachers, Anne thrived at GSSHS. She was dux of her class, obtaining distinctions in every subject in every examination. Outside her classwork she was President of the Maths Club, a member of the Debating Club and she participated in a French play in her final year. After leaving school, Anne was fortunate to be able to continue her studies at the University of Western Australia. She travelled to and from Nedlands each day, cycling six miles from the family farm to Kalamunda and then taking two buses to the university campus. At UWA she studied Chemistry, Maths, Physics and Biology, specialising in Organic Chemistry for her Honours. She was awarded the J.A. Wood Memorial Prize for the most outstanding UWA graduate, and the Masson Memorial Prize of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. Her mentors at UWA encouraged Anne to consider studying for a Doctor of Philosophy degree. In 1971 she was awarded a Science Research Scholarship by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, which, with the help of a travel grant from the British Council, enabled her to undertake her PhD in Organic Chemistry at the University of Cambridge. There she was fortunate to begin her PhD in Dudley William’s laboratory, under the guidance of a brilliant postdoctoral fellow, Howard Morris. Soon after Anne’s arrival in Cambridge, Howard was appointed to an independent academic research position at the prestigious Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology. Anne was lucky to become Howard’s first PhD student, working in an exciting new field of chemistry/biochemistry: the sequencing of peptides and proteins by mass spectrometry.

In 1975 Anne joined the Biochemistry Department at Imperial College London. There she rose through the ranks to a Personal Chair in 1991. She was Head of the Departments of Biochemistry (1999-2001) and Life Sciences (2017-2021). Anne’s research focuses on the application of mass spectrometry to glycobiology. She studies the role played by sugars in human health and disease. By determining how the sugar-rich layer that surrounds cells acts as an identifier, Anne’s work is helping to answer diverse biological questions such as how pathogens camouflage themselves against our immune system and how developing foetuses avoid being rejected.

Anne was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society in 2002 and was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in recognition of her services to science in 2009. Other honours include election to Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences and Membership of the European Academy of Science. She has Honorary Doctorates from the University of Western Australia and the University of Waterloo in Canada. Anne has a daughter, who was born in 1984.

Anne May (nee Moore)
State Squash Player
GSSHS 1972-76

Growing up on a small orchard in Helena Valley, I started tennis lessons at Greenmount when I was 10. A group of locals was coached by a retiree named Bill Benzie. Many of us went on to represent GSSHS where we won the Murcell Shield in 1974. I was also a member of the State Development Squad in 1972 and 1973.

At GSSHS, I was introduced to squash by one of the PE teachers (Mr Kennedy). We were fortunate to have squash courts at the school and Mr Kennedy was instrumental in putting together an inter school team that competed in a Saturday morning competition. That was the beginning of a journey that brought me much joy over about 20 years.

I competed in a number of junior tournaments while still at school. By 1980, I had been chosen in a state development squad and by 1982, I was a member of the State Women’s Squad. At that stage, i had trained to be a PE Teacher and was commuting from Waroona to Perth every weekend for training. I also travelled to Perth and Bunbury midweek for pennant competitions.

In 1985, I took a year off teaching and travelled overseas, taking my squash racquet with me. I competed in the British Open and the Geneva Open. I was based in Geneva for three months and represented the club in various competitions throughout Switzerland.
In 1986, I was selected as the manager of WA Junior Age Girls Team that competed in the Australian Junior Age Championships in Sydney.

While teaching at Perth Modern School in 1986, I successfully applied for a job as a Qantas International Flight Attendant and commenced training in Sydney in January 1987.
I joined the Sydney Squash Pennant Competition and was chosen as a member of the NSW State Team in 1987, representing NSW in the Australian Interstate Series.

The rigors of international travel, jet lag and a roster system for work made it difficult to continue the high level of training required to maintain the standard for further representation at State level. However, I continued to played pennants when my work roster allowed.

While working for Qantas, I was introduced to the Qantas Squash Club. Our team competed in the annual World Airline Squash Tournament hosted by various airlines worldwide. I was a member of the winning Qantas team in Sydney in 1988, Dublin in 1990 and Christchurch in 1993. Frequent injuries forced me to retire from squash around 2003.

The rigors of international travel, shift work, jet lag and the physical demands of flight attendant work took a toll on my body, so I made the decision to leave flying in 2015 after a career of 28 years. It was a job I had loved.

I still play tennis weekly, but golf is now my all-consuming sport. I joined the Women’s Committee at Monash Country Club (Sydney) in 2018 and served as Lady Captain in 2020 and 2021.

Dr Barry Hopkins

A caring Consultant Physician who made a difference to 1000’s of people’s lives

Founder Consultant Physician at St John of God Cardiology

Midland Senior High School 1950-55

Barry Edmund Hopkins dob 03/12/1938 MBBS(Hons) PhD FRACP FACC FPS

Midland High School Year 7 in 1951 Year 12 1955.

I studied Pharmacy at Perth Technical College from 1956 to 1959 whilst working with Mr Claude Sadler, Sadler’s Pharmacy Great Eastern Highway Midland.

Graduated Ph Ch MPS in1959.

Began studying Medicine at UWA in 1960 and graduated in 1965. Along the way I won24 prizes including all six prizes in final year and graduated MBBS(Hons) and was awarded the AMA Gold Medal for top graduate.

Married Christine Rucks in 1962 and had four children, Divorced 1977.

I worked part time as a locum pharmacist throughout Medical School

Married Sandy Ashton 1979 and inherited two more step children, still married 41 years later and have eleven wonderful grandchildren.

Intern and RMO at RPH 1966-67 and became a Registrar in Medicine 1968.

Passed specialty exams of the Royal Australian College of physicians in Feb, 1969 and became a Lecturer and then Senior Lecturer in Medicine at UWA 1970-1973.

Completed a PhD by research in Cardiovascular Physiology under the supervision of Prof Roger Taylor. (granted in 1974)

Awarded a National Heart Foundation and the John Halliday Overseas Research Fellowship of the Life Insurance Foundation of Australi1973 and left for Boston Massachusetts and Harvard Medical School.

Research into cardiac biochemistry and clinical cardiology with Professors Tom Smith and Edgar Haber at Massachusetts General Hospital and then made Assistant followed by Associate Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry at Harvard Medical School.

1976 returned to SCGH and UWA as Associate Professor of Cardiology 1977-1985.

At SCGH Instituted Echocardiography, and then designed and had built a new Cardiac Catheterisation Facility which I directed.

Practised clinical, investigative and interventional cardiology and taught medical students, residents and fellows in training in general medicine and cardiology.

Visiting Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Hospital Boston 1977-1994.

1977 started in part time practise as Consultant Cardiologist and founded (with Dr Brian Lloyd) St John of God Cardiology which became Western Cardiology at St John of God Hospital in Subiaco. Retired when aged 61 when according to my wife, Sandy, I had worked two life times

Published 42 scientific papers, 27 abstracts and three textbook chapters.

Honours. AMA GOLD Medal, Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Physicians, Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of WA and Member of the New York Academy of Science.

Hobbies Flying aircraft and gliders, Senior Glider Instructor and sailplane engineering inspector. Boating, sailing and fishing.

Drafted 1997 to Brisbane

91 games for Brisbane 1998 – 2007

Premiership Player 2001, 2002

Professor Bernard Dell

Recipient of the Friendship Award (China)

Murdoch University Professor

GSSHS 1967-68

I am a Professor in Agriculture and Forest Sciences at Murdoch University.

I have worked extensively on research projects, training PhD students in SE and E Asia over 3 decades, particularly with China, Vietnam, and Thailand. In the recent decade I have been active establishing international partnerships that enhance Postgraduate Research in Agriculture and Food Security, Forestry, and the Environment.

Historical appointments have included: Head of Plant Sciences (2004 – 2009); Director Sustainable Ecosystems Research Institute (2009 – 2011); Research Director (2011 – 2018); and Visiting Professor and Professor Emeritus, Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences, Chinese Academy of Forestry (2003).

I received a China Friendship Award (the highest award for “foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to the country’s economic and social progress”) in 2014 for my work in reforestation in China. For publication profile, consult https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=TIKjHokAAAAJ&hl=en

Bob McMullan AM

Politician/Cabinet Minster

GSSHS 1960-64

I have enjoyed a very lucky life. As a working class kid attending Governor Stirling I could never have imagined that I would become a Member of Parliament and a Cabinet Minister. Nor would I, or anyone else, have guessed that I would have the opportunity to work at satisfying and socially important jobs in Perth, then in Canberra and London

When I was deciding what I would like to do after I completed my time at Governor Stirling my ambitions were limited by my experience.
I knew no one who had ever been to University. Both my brothers, who are at least as smart as me, had left school at 15. I was only able to continue to Year 12 because they were earning money to help support the family and I had a small bursary from the Education Department.

I started out to be a schoolteacher because the Department helped me with a scholarship and then paid my University fees. (In those days there were very significant up-front fees to attend University and not many working class kids from the Midland area got to go there).

The Vocational Guidance Officer at the school (Mr McDougall I think) recommended that I should train to be a lawyer. All my family and friends thought that was very funny. None of us had met a lawyer. In hindsight it was good advice. I studied law 20 years later at the ANU. But like many other kids from my class in those years, I was living proof of the saying: “You can’t be what you can’t see”.

I never became a schoolteacher. This was the 60’s, a time dominated by the war in Vietnam and the associated issue of conscription. I was vehemently opposed to both. This led me to meet many political figures who encouraged me to go back to University to study economics and then to work for the trade union movement.
From there I fell into a position with the Labor Party in Perth, moved to Canberra and became a member of parliament for 22 years.

There were many factors which influenced my very surprising career path, but I could not have done any of it without the education I received at Governor Stirling. I have never forgotten it and always been grateful for the opportunities it opened up for me.

Bruce William McDonald FRAeS
Post Nominal Fellow Royal Aeronautical Society Military Pilot & Qualified Flying Instructor
GSSHS 1972-76

Head Boy: 1976

Student Council: 1975-76

DOB: 2 September 1959

Life after GSSHS

1977: Joined Royal Australian Air Force, trained as a jet engine engineer. Maintained P3C Orion Maritime Patrol aircraft at RAAF Base Edinburgh, South Australia.

1982: Accepted onto RAAF 124 Pilots Course, graduating in December 1983 at RAAF Base Pearce.

1984-87: Flew P3C Orion Maritime Patrol aircraft at 11 Squadron RAAF Base Edinburgh. Flew as Captain in Anti-Submarine warfare, Search and Rescue, Fisheries patrols.

1988: Completed RAAF Flying Instructors Course, on the Aero Macchi MB326H jet trainer.

1988-1991: Trained RAAF student pilots on the advanced flying course, 2 Flying Training School, RAAF Base Pearce.

1991-1992: Appointed as the Aide-de-Camp to the Air Commander Australia.

1992-1995: Flew the B707 aircraft nationally and internationally in VIP role, for Governor General of Australia and Prime Minister of Australia. Also, in tue Air to Air refuelling role for RAAF F18 Hornets.
In 1994, I was awarded the Australian Active Service Medal for being a member of crew extracting Australian Army troops from Mogadishu, Somalia. I also received the Australian Service Medal for South East Asia, for my maritime flying. I also have been awarded the Australian Long Service Medal and the Australian Defence Medal.

1995- present: Joined Emirates Airline, based in Dubai. I was the most junior pilot when I joined, and number 240 on the seniority list. Have seen Emirates grow to over 4500 pilots pre Covid. I am qualified as a B777 Captain, Type Rating Instructor, Type Rating Examiner, Standards Training Captain and Senior Examiner. I conduct both Full Flight Simulator and Aircraft Line training and checking in all roles and modes of Emirates operation, a role I feel privileged to have.

In 2003, I was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society (London) for my contribution to Aviation.

I am married to my wife, Tarja and we live in Dubai, with our 11 year old daughter Ella. We enjoy the traveling opportunities afforded by working in the airline industry.

To celebrate my aviation career, Tarja and I flew on Concorde from London to New York a month before the fleet was grounded, in September 2003. We travelled at Mach 2.0 at an altitude of 58,000 feet on a flight that lasted only 3.5 hours.

We also had the privilege of meeting the fourth man to walk on the moon. Captain Alan Bean, Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 12. He was also an amazing person and an artist, and we commissioned one of his paintings entitled Dedication. We became quite good friends, and when my young daughter asked me, “What does an astronaut do, when on the moon, they get an itchy nose?”, I asked Alan Bean, and his reply: “As humans, we can only think of one thing at a time, so we think of something else, which was easy on the moon, because we were very busy”.

Bruce Yardley was born on the 5th of September 1947 and attended Governor Stirling Senior High School from 1960 – 1962. The classroom certainly was not his natural habitat as he was drawn to the sporting world and outdoors from a young age.

Yardley began playing cricket for Midland-Guilford Cricket Club as a medium fast bowler and then broke through in the 1976-77 season as a full-time off spinner. He went on to play for Western Australia before becoming an Australian Test Cricketer with his test debut being in 1978 against India. Yardley played 33 tests for Australia.

Not only was Yardley one of the greatest spinners Australia has ever produced, he also held Australia’s fastest test fifty set in the West Indies in 1978 until 2017 when David Warner broke the 39 year record.

His charismatic personality and positive mindset lead to an extraordinary season in 1981-82 which saw him named ‘International Cricketer of the year’.

After retiring from test cricket, Yardley spent his time coaching and commentating the sport the had so much success performing in and was appointed coach of the Sri Lankan Cricket Team in 1997. He became influential in coaching Muttiah Muralitharan ‘Murali’, to becoming one of the most successful bowlers the world of cricket has ever seen.

Yardley’s coaching philosophy was to keep things simple. Practice your skills and don’t complicate things.

In 1998 Yardley noticed that he had lost the vision of his left eye. He immediately flew home to Australia from Sri Lanka to have emergency surgery to remove the eye due to an aggressive melanoma. A glass eye was fitted, and this provided much amusement to his grandchildren in the years to come.

His love for travel and different cultures continued throughout his retirement and he was an incredibly kind and generous character. When the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004 hit, within hours of the news Yardley had arranged for an extraordinary amount of medical supplies to be donated to the people of Sri Lanka. A week later he travelled to the country that was so devastated by the natural disaster to set up cricket camps and activities for children as a distraction to the chaos that surrounded them. He would do anything to help those in need and further supported orphanages in India that focused on educating and protecting young women.

Unfortunately, in 2016 Yardley was diagnosed again with melanoma and sadly passed away from the metastatic disease on the 27th of March 2019 in Kununurra. The Kimberley was the place where he felt most at home and his final years were spent fishing and watching sunsets from the Five Rivers Lookout in Wyndham.

Bruce Yardley will always be remembered for his infectious smile, charismatic personality and good deeds. His three children, Samantha, Andrew & Ella miss him greatly and are forever proud of his achievements.

Cherry Bradshaw (nee Thacker)
State and Australian Dart Player
GSSHS 1956 – 57

Achievements

Joined Perth Ladies Darts Association 1974 and was chosen to represent WA at the Australian Darts Championships.
I represented WA from 1974 until 1988.
Seven times in the Top Eight Averages.
Represented Australia in the Pacific Cup Championships in 1980 and 1984, winning several gold silver and bronze medals.
Captained and coached State under 18’s from 1982 to 1986.
Wundowie Sportswoman of the year 1991.
Berlie Sportswoman for the month of January 1981.
Winner State singles and doubles.
Winner Australian Doubles and R/up singles.
Inaugurated WA Darts Hall of Fame 1993.
Inaugurated Australian Darts Hall of Fame 2007.

Cheryl Stevenson (nee Sidebottom)

Australian Netballer

GSSHS 1965-66

State Netball School Girl 1965

Australian World Champion Team 1971 (Jamaica, Trinidad)

Australian World Champion Team 1975 (Christchurch, New Zealand)

Represented WA Schoolgirls in 1965

Her WA senior representation debut was in 1968 when she represented WA for the next five out of eight years.

2018 Inducted into the WA Hall of Champions under WA Institute of Sports (photos kept at WA Netball Centre in Floreat)

Australian Netball Diamond

Last time played Netball in 1975 when the team won the World Championship in New Zealand

Christine Nagel BA

Publisher

GSSHS 1969-70

Christine Nagel attended GSSHS during 1969—1970 after completing her junior high school years at Eastern Hills Junior High School.

She is a lover of literature and language, and enjoyed Jim Pilbeam’s classes until he left teaching. Christine wrote for the GSSHS school magazine, and was a player in Boorabilla, the performing arts extravaganza of 1970. She also enjoyed Egbert Visser’s French classes and enrolled in several terms of Alliance Française classes.

After leaving high school, she worked for several years for the PMG’s Department, before moving to Melbourne, where she returned to study to complete a BA in Creative Writing and Literature.

Since then, her career has bloomed in the writing and publishing field, first as a publications assistant and feature writer, then as editor of Police Life magazine for Victoria Police, through to coordinating editor of Homes & Living Magazine after she returned to WA in 1989.

In 1993, Christine established her own editorial consultancy and literary agency: Christine Nagel Literary Services. As well, she has also taught creative writing, feature writing and editing for Victoria University and Curtin University over many years.

In 2017, Christine moved to live near Lisbon, Portugal.

Christine is now semi-retired but continues to work on freelance editing projects for a range of fiction and creative non-fiction clients.

Clinical Associate Professor Elizabeth Wylie MBBS FRANZOR
Medical Director Breast Screen WA
GSSHS 1970-74

University of Western Australia, Medical School 1975 – 1980

Liz was the oldest of five children who all attended Governor Stirling High School in the 1970’s. Liz attended Governor Stirling from 1970-1974. Liz was a pretty good student, who was hopeless at anything sporting. Liz was one of three students in 1974 to gain entrance to the School of Medicine at University of Western Australia, however she was the only one able to attend.

Qualification: MB BS
1980
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Prize Paediatrics

FRACR Part I February 1984
FRACR Part II March 1987
HR Sear Prize for Most Outstanding Candidate in FRACR Part II
Clinical Senior Lecturer, University of Western Australia Department of Surgery since 2005
Clinical Associate Professor in University of Western Australia Department of Medicine since 2007
Current
Appointments: • Medical Director, BreastScreen WA (since March 2000).
• Appointed as Consultant Radiologist at Royal Perth Hospital in
February 1990. (Previously Head of Department from March 2007 to
September 2019)

Associate Professor University of Western Australia
Dr Wylie trained in medicine at the University of Western Australia. Liz completed her resident years at Royal Perth Hospital and trained in Radiology at Royal Perth Hospital. Liz spent two years in the United Kingdom undertaking post fellowship training.

Medical Director of BreastScreen WA (since March 2000)
Consultant Radiologist at Royal Perth Hospital in February 1990 and was Head of Department of Radiology, Royal Perth Hospital from March 2007 until September 2019.

Liz has an abiding interest in breast imaging, and population screening, she has been an author in a number of papers and presents to national academic meetings on a regular basis.

Research and Publications:
Dr Liz Wylie is a subeditor of Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology (JMIRO) and a member of the editorial board, with a special interest in breast imaging and practice quality and management issues.

Most notable achievement:
Leading BreastScreen WA for 20 years as Medical Director during which time 2 million screening mammogram examinations were undertaken.

Clyde Bevan

Restaurateur winning 7 Australian Awards

FRIENDS

Award winning Restaurant Owner

GSSHS 1966-71

When Clyde was a high school student, he worked Saturdays from 6.30am in his father’s furniture factory followed by a dash to umpire football. By the age of 19, he was married and held down five jobs simultaneously, having added to the earlier mix by working in a bank, being a night-time disc jockey and serving in the Swan Districts Football Club bar. So, unsurprisingly perhaps, his self-description is “hyperactive”. “I have never felt I was working too hard,” he says. “I think the moral of the story is to find something you like to do.”

Back in the ’80s, he was a nightclub proprietor in Fremantle, nine years after leaving Governor Stirling SHS which he attended from 1966 to 1971. But his greatest passion has been hospitality and for more than 30 years he has owned and run restaurants with his wife Lesley, including Friends Restaurant for more than two decades now.

His rewards as a dedicated restaurateur include seven national awards, including Best Restaurant with Entertainment in Australia three times, Best Fine Dining Restaurant in Australia twice, and Best New Restaurant in Australia. These accolades, together with multiple other nods in WA including Gold Plate awards, and awards from Trip Advisor, American Express, and American Wine Spectator Magazine, resulted in further national recognition when he was inducted into the Restaurant and Catering Association Hall of Fame for contribution to the hospitality industry.

Clyde’s prodigious knowledge of wine seems a natural hand-in-hander with his hospitality career but actually has a health origin. He has haemophilia which precluded any physical contact sports so at the tender age of 18 he took up the sport of wine appreciation instead and started what was to become an exciting cellar. This eventually culminated in his seventh national award, for Best Wine List in Australia, on top of winning two separate awards for Best Wine List in WA. He has regularly commented on food and wine on TV and radio and judged for numerous wine and food awards.

Clyde is a Perth City councillor and has worked as a Senior Policy Advisor for the WA Office of Premier and Cabinet. He has been a Board Member and CEO of the WA Restaurant and Catering Association, the State Supply Commission and the Kalamunda and Districts Hospital Board and was President of the Swan Valley Tourism Council for four years. One of his proudest achievements was to oversee the most successful and profitable period ever for Lotterywest during his six years as Chairman of the Board of Directors from 2004 to 2010.

His achievements in the worlds of hospitality, wine wisdom and public organisations are all the more remarkable, given that Clyde has severe dyslexia, which remained undiagnosed throughout his schooling and early adulthood, and was picked up only by luck when he was 30. He hopes that his story may encourage young people to see working as an enjoyment and a path, despite the inevitable setbacks along the way.

Doug entered GSSHS from Greenmount Primary School in 1959. He was notably a Track and Field Athlete and Hockey player and a School Cadet. He was the School Vice Captain and Cadet Senior Under Officer in 1964. Doug graduated from the Royal Military College Duntroon in 1968. He served in the Royal Australian Infantry including service in Vietnam in 1970/71 and also the Special Air Service Regiment. He commanded the North West Mobile Force based in Darwin in 1983/84; his outstanding contribution was recognised with the award of Member of the Order of Australia – the investiture being by the Queen at Government House in Canberra in 1986.

Doug retired from the Army in Darwin in 1996 from the position as Deputy Commander Northern Command. He became Deputy Commissioner NT Prison Service then Chief of NT Government Protocol and Visits. He was an active Rotarian, a member of Legacy Australia and a Masters Athlete. “Second best” was never good enough for Doug.

Craig Gregson LLB, LLM, TEP

Craig was admitted to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Western Australia in November of 2011 and the High Court of Australia in December of 2014.

Craig specialises in Succession law in Western Australia and is a registered TEP member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Edith Cowan University (WA) and a Masters of Applied Law majoring in Wills and Estates Practice (LLM)(NSW) from the College of Law. Craig is considered by many as one of Australia’s leading authorities in succession law and is a current Ph.D candidate at the University of Western Australia.

In both 2018 and 2019 Doyle’s Guide recognised Craig and his firm as leading Wills and Estate Litigation Lawyers. The listing recognises solicitors practicing within the areas of Wills & Estates Litigation, Disputes and Contested matters in the WA legal market who have been identified by their peers for their expertise and abilities in these areas.

Craig established his own law firm in 2018 as a sole practitioner. He now has a large staff of specialists whose day to day practice includes contentious and non-contentious probate, succession law litigation and estate planning. Such litigation, including but not limited to, proceedings under the Family Provision Act 1972 (WA) and other equitable jurisdictions of the Supreme Court of Western Australia.

Drafted 2001 Port Adelaide

55 games for Port Adelaide

Port Adelaide 2004 – 2008

David Clark
Professor Emeritus of Psychology/Addiction Recovery Advocate
GSSHS 1967-68

David was a key member of Governor Stirling’s successful chess team in 1968. His family returned to the UK near the end of his second year. He has very fond memories of his time at ‘Govo’.

After graduating in Psychology at City of London Polytechnic, David gained a PhD in Psychology at the University of Reading (UK). He then spent three years (1981-84) working with Arvid Carlsson, a winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, in Göteborg, Sweden. He also worked in the United States at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven and at Sinai Research Institute in Detroit. He returned to the UK to take up a prestigious five-year Senior Fellowship awarded by the Science and Engineering Research Council and set up his own neuroscience laboratory, which focused on the brain neurotransmitter dopamine. He was then awarded a five-year Welcome Trust Award and moved his laboratory to the University of Wales Swansea (now Swansea University).

David was awarded a Personal Chair (Professorship) in 2000. In the following year, he decided that focusing on brain chemistry and using drug treatment was not the answer to helping people overcome mental health problems and addiction. He closed his neuroscience laboratory and developed Wired In, a grassroots initiative focused on empowering individuals and families to overcome substance use problems.

Over the past 20 years, David has developed initiatives that empower people to recover from addiction, mental health problems and trauma. He has been a writer, educator, researcher, online community developer, recovery/healing advocate and filmmaker. He received widespread recognition for developing Wired In, as well as for his online recovery community Wired In To Recovery. For several years, he wrote a popular bi-weekly education column for Drink and Drugs News, the leading UK magazine in the field. He played a key role in the development of the Addiction Recovery Advocacy movement in the UK, working to catalyse activity at a grassroots level.

David took early retirement from Swansea University in 2006 to focus on Wired In. He moved to Perth in late-2008, 40 years after leaving the city. He continued running his online recovery community until late-2012, when he closed it down due to lack of funding. He developed Recovery Stories (www.recoverystories.info), which aims to facilitate recovery from addiction and mental health problems, in 2013, and the educational initiative Sharing Culture (www.sharingculture.info), which focuses on the healing of intergenerational trauma, in 2014.

David linked up with John Stanton, former Director of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology at The University of Western Australia, to launch The Carrolup Story (www.carrolup.info) in 2018. This Storytelling, Educational and Healing resource relates to the Aboriginal child artists of Carrolup. This is an inspiring and deeply moving story of trauma and the healing of trauma. David published the related eBook Connection: Aboriginal Child Artists Captivate Europe in 2020. In the following year, he published the eBook Our Recovery Stories: Journeys from Drug and Alcohol Addiction, which focuses on the lives of 15 inspirational people.

Drafted 2007 to Carlton

Played 63 games for Carlton 2008 – 2015

Swan Districts Captain 2019

David Phillips began violin at the age of nine taking lessons with former West Australian Symphony Orchestra musicians Jim Drummond, Vaughan Hanly and Graham Wood. He attended Governor Stirling Senior High School from 1959 until June 1962, when he left to learn to be a piano tuner and technician at Nicholson’s Music Store, which had a renowned piano workshop department.

He first joined the West Australian Symphony Orchestra on a six-month contract in 1966, then taught violin at Christchurch Grammar School for two years before joining the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra in 1970. He returned to the WASO in 1975.

During his long career with the orchestra he performed alongside many world class soloists and conductors, his favorites being the soprano Jessye Norman, violinist Frank Peter Zimmerman, and Australians, conductor Simone Young and clarinetist Jack Harrison.

David also made important contributions to WASO committees, including serving as President of the Players Association and Orchestra Representative of the Friends of WASO.

In addition to his orchestral duties, he performed in other ensembles, including being a member of the Australian Youth orchestra in 1965, being runner-up in a Musica Viva national chamber Music Competition in 1972 and a founding member of The Camerata of WA in the early 1990s.

For most of his orchestral career he also taught violin in schools and privately, and he continued to tune and repair pianos.
He retired from WASO in 2006, upon which occasion he was also awarded the honorary title of “BBQ Maestro”.

His other interests include fine woodwork and camping while exploring Australia’s natural wonders.

Debbie Yates (nee Hughes)

STEM & ICT Educator

GSSHS 1988-92

After leaving GSSHS, Debbie attended UWA for a year studying Psychology before making the decision to have a gap year and move to the eastern states to join her high school (also a GSSHS alumni) boyfriend who had joined the Airforce. She worked in numerous roles in recruitment in Canberra and Adelaide over a number of years working her way up to managing a large Administration team at Drake International, whilst consecutively achieving her Bachelor of Business degree.

Choosing then to start a family, Debbie had a short maternity break before the Airforce posted them to the United States. Debbie applied for and was successful at gaining a Project Officer job in the Embassy of Australia in Washington DC. They used the 18-month posting to travel extensively throughout the US before returning to Australia to live in Canberra again. Another two children and establishing her own Career Consulting business kept her busy for the next few years before moving back to Perth.

Upon arrival in Perth, Debbie was appointed the National Delegate for WA for Defence Families of Australia and represented West Australian families to key Defence personnel in Canberra. Between her family and travel related to this and her Career Consulting business, Debbie was kept busy until she decided to totally change direction and returned to study and completed a Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) at ECU.

Her second practicum led to a job offer at Ashdale Secondary College in Darch where she is now Head of ICT & STEM at the College. During her time at the College, Debbie won Beginning Teacher of the Year in the WA Education Awards in 2017, been nominated for a Women in Technology Award, and most recently in 2021, received a Highly Commended Award in the Prime Minister’s Science Award (for Science/STEM Teaching).

She plans to stay in education for the foreseeable future and wants schools to provide students with more project based and authentic learning opportunities that enable students to link their learning with real-life.

Dennis Yagmich FCPA
State Cricketer, Accountant & Vigneron
GSSHS 1961-63

Profession: State cricketer and accountant.
Achievements since leaving high school

Business
. 1974 qualified as an accountant through Perth Technical College and admitted as a
member of The Australian Society of Accounts, (now CPA Australia);
. Admitted as a fellow of CPA Australia;
. Registered taxation agent;
. Registered company auditor;
. I have been in private practice as a certified practising accountant in Midland since
1978.

Sport

Cricket
. 1972 to 1974 played first class cricket for Western Australian Sheffield Shield side as
wicket keeper and was a member of the 1972/73 winning Shield side;
. 1974 moved to South Australia and played in the South Australian Sheffield Shield side
until 1978. And was a member of the winning Shield side for the 1975/76 season;
. 1978 played with the World Series Cricket side sponsored by Kerry Packer;
. When leaving Governor Stirling played for Midland Guildford Cricket Club A grade
side from the 1963/64 season to 1973/74;
. Upon transfer to South Australia played for Kensington Cricket Club A grade side
during my time in the state;
. 1979/80 season appointed coach of Nedlands Cricket Club and captain of the A grade
side. Retired in 1984.
Fencing
. Australasian foil fencing champion in the over 50 category in 2001;
. Western Australian open foil champion in 2003.

Other
. Secretary of the Western Australian Cricketers Club;
. Treasurer of The Mount Lawley Golf Club;
. Trustee for Midland Guildford Cricket Club Foundation;
. Vice President of the Western Australian Croatian Chamber of Commerce;
. Life member of the Western Australian Croatian Chamber of Commerce;
. Life member of Midland Guildford Cricket Club;
. Auditor for a number of non-profit organisations.

Vigneron
. Grape grower and wine producer since 1978 having won wine production medals:
. 2005 Silver & Bronze;
. 2008 Bronze;
. 2017 Gold.

AFL Premiership Player & WA Police Officer

GSSHS 1971-74

Since leaving Governor Stirling High School in 1975 I worked in a timber mill in Wundowie a wheat and sheep farm in Dandaragan and a number of other employments until 1977.

In 1977 I joined the Australian Army where I served six years with the 8/9th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (RAR) based primarily in Queensland.

Whilst in Queensland I played football with the Mayne Football Club representing Queensland against Victoria in 1981.

In 1982 I was drafted to the Essendon Football club in the Victorian Football League (VFL), I played for Essendon for a further two years before returning to Western Australia (WA).

In 1984 I played with the Swan Districts Football Club in the Western Australian Football League (WAFL). I was a premiership player in that year 1984 and represented WA at state level in 1985.

In 1987 I left WA and relocated to South Australia to play with the Norwood Football Club in the South Australian Football League (SANFL). I stayed in South Australia midway through 1989 before returning to Swan Districts to play out the remainder of the 1989 season.

In 1990 I moved to the East Perth Football club in the WAFL where I played for two years until I moved back to Swan Districts in 1993 that was my last year of WAFL.

I played a total of 255 games representing Queensland and Western Australia at state level.

It was in 1993 that I joined the Western Australian Police Force (WAPF), I worked in a variety of police stations and squads until 2006 when I resigned and took up a position of Security Contractor in IRAQ.

I worked in IRAQ between 2006 – 2009 primarily being stationed in northern IRAQ for that time period.
In 1993 I re-joined the WAPF. I am a current serving Detective Sergeant with the Drug and Firearm Squad.

Diane Sidebottom (McDonald)

Australian Netball team 1981

Represented Australia at the Netball World Championships in 1983 in Singapore (World Champions)

A member of the Perth Orioles (the national league team before West Coast Fever)

Inaugural Head Coach and the WA Institute of Sport Head Coach from 1997 to 1999.

Dianne coached Hong Kong at the World Championships in 1999 and has had vast experience in coaching state teams and assisting with other national league teams in Queensland, where she lived for many years.

Australian Netball Diamond

Digby Graham Blight OA
Commissioner for Public Sector Standards
Officer in the Order of Australia

GSSHS (formerly Midland High School 1944 – 1946)

My greatest achievement was to progress steadily from the lowest classification of the WA Public Service to the highest.

Halfway through Year 9 at Midland Junction High School, my Technical Drawing teacher suggested I give thought to a drafting career- which impressed me. I joined the Public Service WA as a Junior Clerk with the intention of becoming a cadet draftsman. Unfortunately, due to a visual impairment I was never accepted into the cadetship. This did not affect me as much as I expected because I enjoyed clerical work and my elderley colleagues explained the wide opportunities I had if I made the effort.

So I made the effort.
Over the course of 16 years, I attended night school at the Perth Technical College and over a course of years I completed my leaving subjects, Diploma in Public Administration, Diploma in Accountancy and achieved an Associateship in Public Administration at Curtin University.

From 1946 onwards, I held various positions and gained steady promotion across the WA Public Service. Significant positions include: Employment Officer and Secretary to the Promotions Appeal Board and the Public Service Appeal Board.

My big career-changing break came in 1964 when I spent two years in London coordinating the Group Migration Scheme; interviewing potential trade persons for immigration into Western Australia. The scheme was highly successful, numbers exceeded expectations and the Premier at the time thanked me personally for our efforts when I returned.

Upon return to Perth, I obtained several more promotions including:

● Director General, Ministry of Premier and Cabinet – where I administered the Ministry and dealt directly with the Premiers to ensure their requirements were being fulfilled. I liaised with Departmental heads including overseas offices in the UK, Japan and South Korea;
● Commissioner of the Public Service Board; and
● Commissioner for Public Sector Standards – classified as the highest position at that level. I accepted that position until 65 when I eventually retired, but continued my appointment as the Chairman of the Salaries and Allowances Commission.

From 1988, I devoted effort into raising funds for Type 1 Diabetes research, a cause close to my heart. I later became Director of the Diabetes Association of WA and a Committee member of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation of Australia before later retiring from those positions.

In 1999, I was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.

In 2000, I was appointed a member of the Gunning Committee of Inquiry into the Finance Brokers Supervisory Board.

Alan Roberts

Governor Stirling Senior High School (GSSHS)

1961-65

Ah, the memories. The school buildings may not have been the most attractive, and the outdoor sporting facility was a rock hard or muddy hockey field, depending on the season, but it was what we had and we made the most of it.

I represented the school in athletics and basketball and I believe I still hold an interschool record for the hundred yards, created just before everything converted to meters.

I studied at UWA to be a physical education teacher but ended up staying in the tertiary education sector and studying for a PhD in what is now Sports Science. I later took career moves to Ballarat and then to Canberra. At the University of Canberra, I was Head of the Centre for Sports Studies and later Head of the School of Health Sciences.

In Canberra I was fortunate to also be able to work within the Australian Institute of Sport, particularly through the lead up to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. I was closely involved in research on the effects of altitude training on sports performance which developed protocols for the use of “altitude tents” in which athletes slept each night between training sessions. I also was part of a team which studied the effects of Coca Cola on sports performance, based on observations that stage race cyclists (eg Tour de France) often switched from sports drinks to defizzed coke in the latter stages of a 200+km day of racing. It worked, it did improve performance, and had a fair claim to being the “real thing”.

University life provided many opportunities for travel and work overseas, and for example I lived and worked in Switzerland (the Swiss National Sports Institute) and the USA (the US Olympic Training Centre Colorado Springs). I have presented invited conference keynote addresses in Australia and overseas and won, with others, both a national and an international prize for sports science research. For a time, I was also a member of a multidisciplinary group providing advice to NASA on the optimum protocols for exercise in space.

At various times I have been a consultant to the Federal and State/Territory governments in Australia, international Ministries of Sport, and national and international sporting organisations on matters relating to sports policy, programs and education.

In retirement I travel as much and as widely as I can, usually with some adventure element involved. I have circumnavigated Mt Blanc, trekking 180km through parts of France, Italy and Switzerland; open water kayaked in Alaska; volunteered on a game park and dived with the great whites in South Africa; cycled in France and Spain; stood on the Trolltunga in Norway; hiked across Switzerland, you get the picture.

Married, divorced, married again and now widowed, but fortunate to be enjoying the companionship of a later-in-life relationship. I have 3 children and 5 grandchildren. I live on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland about 200m from a surf beach.

Life is good.

Dr Alan Pritchard, B.Ed., M.Ed Admin., EdD

Educator & Army Reservist

GSSHS 1956-57

Alan graduated from Governor Stirling in the class of 1957. He has had a diverse career in Education spanning 55 years. This included 10 years as Principal of two Senior High Schools (Northam and Kewdale) and 20 years working with Masters and Doctoral students at two universities, UNE and UWA. During that time, he taught doctoral research methods and was First Supervisor of 24 graduating Doctoral students and 20 graduating Master’s students.

In 1998 and 1999 he led UNESCO review teams of major educational projects in Indonesia in the fields of parental involvement in schools and adjusting curriculum content to better fit local contexts. He has worked as a consultant in Government and Independent schools in the fields of leadership, curriculum, ethos and culture and performance management.

Alan’s army interest started as a school cadet at Governor Stirling. He was a National Serviceman in 1959, an Officer of Cadets through the 1960’s and an Army Reserve Officer in the 1970’s, 80’s and into the 90’s. He was Commanding Officer of the Sixteenth Battalion Royal Western Australian Regiment (1987-1990), Honorary Colonel of Army Cadets for WA (1992-96) and Regimental Colonel of the Royal Western Australia Regiment (1994-97).

Dr Gary Davis
Dentist

Midland High School 1951—1955 Attended Midland Primary School from 1943 to 1949 Was in the first year to attend 4th and 5th year at M.H.S before it became Governor Stirling Senior High School.

I was awarded a state bursary to attend U.W.A. and received my B.D.Sc in
1960.

Spent two years touring the south west as a school dentist.

In 1962 married Judith Marshall who also attended Midland Senior High School from 1951 to 1955 Started a dental practice in Bayswater in 1963 and retired in 2007.

During that time, I tutored, part time, at the Dental Faculty, from 1965
to 1995.

In 1974 I was invited to teach at the Dental School at North Western University in Chicago as visiting Associate Professor for one year.

During my practice years I was a member of four dental study groups in Perth.

After retirement I joined the Christian Health Aid Team and made 9 trips to Vietnam to help provide dental care and education to rural needy groups.

Golf, fishing and helping my 3 daughters and 3 grandchildren now fill in my leisure time.

Dr Isavel Carija

Setting up CBS Anaesthetics providing a 24/7 service to Midland Hospitals

Founder Consultant Anaesthetist CBS Anaesthetics

GSSHS 1965-69

I have lived most of my life on a vineyard in the Swan Valley.
I went to Upper Swan Primary in 1958 and from there to GSHS in 1965. In graduating from Governor Stirling in 1969.

I applied to do Medicine at UWA. I was accepted and started a fabulous journey doing what I enjoy most- looking after people. I stayed at Currie Hall (now University College) for the six years of medicine. I graduated as a Doctor in 1976 and started to work in the hospital system. In 1978 I applied and was accepted into the anaesthetist training program. I graduated as a Consultant Anaesthetist in 1983, the same year I married my wife, Laura who also was a doctor.

Soon after I went in private practice. I set up CBS anaesthetics which still exists today. Laura and I also set up Carilley Estate a winery and restaurant. Laura also set up North Street Medical in Midland.

In 2017 Laura and I bought a small farm in Denmark. In 2020 on the 15 March, we left Ushuaia on a Cruise Boat for Antarctica. The COVID19 went through the ship rapidly. Laura and I were both infected. After much uncertainty and many weeks later, we came back home to the Swan Valley. Laura and I have transitioned to part time work and we are spending more time together with family and friends.

Dr John R Owen graduated from the University of Western Australia in 1977 and entered private general dental practice in Midland WA. After spending 1980 in London, studying at the Royal College of Dental Surgeons and establishing a general dental practice in Finsbury Park, he returned to Perth to undertake his specialist training and Master’s degree in Orthodontics from 1981-1984. Over the next 30 years, John established two specialist orthodontic practices in the Perth suburbs of Midland and Mount Lawley. He remains the principal orthodontist and owner of Midland Orthodontists and is ably supported by four associate orthodontists and our very experienced and long serving support team.

John is active in many arenas, holding the current positions of:-
Chairman of Directors, Joint Coordinator and Principal Dentist, Kimberley Dental Team Ltd. www.kimberleydentalteam.com ,
UWA., Honorary Clinical Consultant, School of Dentistry, Oral Health Centre of WA., Clinical Past Clinical Associate Professor, School of Primary, Aboriginal and Rural Health Care,
Patron and Past Chair, Australian Society of Orthodontists, Foundation for Research and Education.
Immediate Past President and Regent, Section VIII, Australasian Section, International College of Dentists.
Past Chair, WA Immediate Action Committee of the Dental Board of Australia,
Foundation Member and proud supporter of the ASO, Give a Smile Program,
Past Executive Committee Member, the Order of Australia Association, WA Branch and current Member, Western Australia, Oral Health Advisory Council.

During his professional career, John has been President of the University Dental Students Society in 1976, Western Australian branches of the Australian Dental Association 1994-95, and Australian Society of Orthodontists 1990-91, and Federal President of the Australian Society of Orthodontists 2000-2002. He was President of the Dental Board of Western Australia from 1999 to 2010. He is a past director of the Australian Dental Council, past Congress Chairman for the 33rd Australian Dental Association Congress and Exhibition, Perth 2009 and was very proud to be the Honorary Consultant Orthodontist to the Disabilities Services Commission from 1986 to 2012.

From 2009 to 2012 John was an Inaugural Member of the Dental Board of Australia, chairing the National Registration and Notification Committees.

John has been recognized at many levels including being appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2010 Queens Birthday Honours list. His citation was, “for service to the specialty of orthodontics, and through a range of leadership roles within the dental profession”.

John was a finalist in the 2011 Western Australian Citizen of the Year Awards, Community Service category which “honours extraordinary service and dedication to the Western Australian community at a state wide level”.

In 2014, John was recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow by The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International,” in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among the peoples of the world”.

In May 2017, John was Awarded the prestigious, Dr John Booth Award, Australasian Dentist of the Year, by the Academy for Dentistry International.

Dr Owen is extremely proud of his appointment as the Inaugural Patron of Kalamunda Senior High School (2013 – 2020). John was a student at this school in 1967-1969. John has supported the School over the past 30 years, through his Incentive Award for a year 10 student which pays the approximate equivalent of the student’s Year 11 and Year 12 fees.
In early 2009, John and his wife Jan, founded the Kimberley Dental Team which became an ATO approved, not for profit organization in 2011. With the assistance of hundreds of volunteer dental personnel and the support of so many sponsors and supporters, the team has been able to visit the remote Kimberley region of WA over twenty five trips, 76 weeks, to provide much needed urgent general dental care, education and advice.

Since 2014, KDT Southern has been actively assisting clients at many centres for the vulnerable around Perth including, at Oxford Foyer for youth in transition, Uniting Care West for the homeless, Tuart Place, Uniting Care Family Foundations for families and Devenish Lodge and Franciscan Lodge mental health hostels.
Over $4 million dollars of free dental care has been provided by the Team over the last decade.

For two weeks in February 2017, he volunteered with 17 others (joint Dental, Medical, Optometric and Speech Pathology) for Equal Health in association with an organization called SEVAI that looks after the welfare of poor villages in the surrounds of a Southern Indian town called Trichy. We travel by bus from the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu, Chennai, for 6 hours to reach our destination. We are based in a small rural village called Amoor and travel out to work each day in a bus with all our gear. Was a great experience and worked hard and enjoyed the dentistry and company.

Over the past 21, John has have visited Nepal three times, firstly climbing Mera Peak in the Hinku Valley, East of Everest (6480m) in 1997 and in 2015, traveling into Nepal and Kathmandu after two weeks in Tibet. He returned to Nepal for two weeks, volunteering and working in Kathmandu at the Kopan Buddhist Monastery, with Project Yeti, April 2018.

Dr Laraine Brindle
Owning & running a General Practice
GSSHS 1964-65

Laraine attended GSSHS from 1964-65, having previously attended Belmont SHS.

Laraine worked in various, but mainly clerical government and private jobs until a position at UWA led her to consider a university degree in 1970.

In order to enter Medicine, Laraine studied to repeat her leaving to Matriculate for Medicine entry requirements and in 1977, successfully graduated to become Dr Brindle.

Following work in New Zealand and UK for several years, Dr Brindle returned home to Perth and commenced work in General Practice.

From 1982 to retirement in 2012 Dr Brindle mainly worked in her own General Practice.

Since retirement from General Practice Dr Laraine Brindle has and still works part time in a Drug Rehabilitation Centre.

Dr Michael Todd
Research for European Space Agency
GSSHS 1987-88

During his career Michael has worked as a Telstra Technician, a High School Maths and Science teacher, a researcher, a software developer and a data scientist.

Michael grew up in the Wheatbelt of Western Australia and attended GSSHS from 1987 to 1988 (Years 11 & 12). After finishing school, he completed an apprenticeship as a Telecommunications Technician with Telstra (then Telecom Australia) and worked as a Technician in the major telephone exchanges in the Perth CBD.

Early in Michael’s career he was appointed Senior Telecommunications Technical Officer responsible for the telecommunications exchanges in Telstra’s Pier Street (Perth) Telecommunications Facility. From there he moved to Telstra’s Data Production Branch during the Future Mode of Operations network modernisation programme where he managed numerous projects of varying scale and complexity, including the 8-digit numbering conversion project for the state of Western Australia.

In 2005 Michael attended Curtin University where he concurrently completed Bachelor of Science (Physics) and Bachelor of Education degrees, followed by a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Physics with 1st Class Honours. In 2014 Michael completed a PhD in Physics and received commendations for his thesis, “Detection of Trojan asteroids in the orbits of Earth and Mars.”
Some of his research findings were featured on the European Space Agency website. During his studies, Michael also discovered 40 asteroids in the Main Belt between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter.

Michael’s experience working with a wide range of technologies and software platforms has lent him the good fortune to have worked on many interesting projects of all sizes, which has led him to have lived and worked in France and Germany. He has learnt both French and German (useful when in those countries) and currently lives and works in Hamburg, Germany, as a specialist in algorithm development and data analysis for one of the largest eye-wear companies in Europe.

Ron was fortunate to attend Governor Stirling after beginning his education at West Midland Infants School and Midland Primary. He grew up close by at 12 Ford Street West Midland.

From Governor Stirling he went to UWA and Graduated with a Bachelor of Economics in 1967. By then he was a Graduate Administrative Trainee in the Public Service in Canberra moving then to Sydney where he worked in the public service and NSW TAFE.

In 1970 he married his wife Pam in Sydney and they had three children, Johanna, Richard born Sydney and Meredith born in Perth. By 1978 the family relocated to Perth where Ron worked at Edith Cowan University. Ron also completed a Master of Education with Honours at the University of Sydney

In 1983 Ron won election for the Federal Electorate of Stirling and was a member of the Hawke and Keating Labor Governments until 1993 and in this period became Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Since his time in Parliament Ron has worked in commercial radio with 6PR and been a consultant and Board Member in a number of roles working with government and industry including the Board of the Perth Mint .He also completed a Doctorate in Education at UWA in 2006.

Currently he is Chair of WA State Emergency Management Committee dealing with issues such as bushfires, cyclones and the coronavirus. As well he is a Founding Member of the Graham Polly Farmer Foundation dedicated to supporting Aboriginal youth through education.

Dr Trevor Fernihough MBBS WA dip Mid COG SA

AFS Exchange student scholarship and  Medical Degree

Senior Medical Officer at Broome Hospital

GSSHS 1965-68

I grew up in the remote bush town of Roebourne, with a population of approximately 100, in poor economic circumstance. Due to the efforts of my parents for us to do better, I was sent to boarding hostel at Swanleigh from Grade 7 (Middle Swan primary 1964) then Governor Sterling 1965-1968 (1st year in Woodbridge house!).

I was a CUO in the Governor Sterling Cadet unit, topping the course, and was invited to Duntroon to see if I might be interested in an Army Officer career. A week there was enough to say “NO”.

I was a prefect in my final year. Went to the USA as an AFS exchange student for a year 1969-70 (I think Governor Stirling managed to have five of the ten AFS exchange student selected from WA that year…amazing !!) Came back and went to UWA studying Medicine, graduating MBBS in 1977. I worked at Fremantle hospital, then three years as a GP in Dongara, then spent two years working in anaesthetics and obstetrics in a 2000 bed black South African hospital and achieved my diploma in Obstetrics while there. I returned to Australia to work as the Senior Medical Officer in Broome Hospital for three years then moved to Kempsey in Northern NSW where I worked for 10 years as a cattle farmer / solo GP. I then returned to WA where I spent the next 19 years working as an Emergency Department Doctor at St John of God Hospital in Murdoch, before giving that up in 2019 to become an oyster farmer/GP in Narooma NSW.

Edward (Eddie) Tomczak 1959 – 1963
Life’s Learning’s
• Believe in yourself
• Take Risks
• Grasp every opportunity
• Live outside the box
• Have Compassion
• Be happy with who you are
• Don’t be afraid to seek help – you will never know it all
1964: Life after school started at Royal Military College Duntroon – a tough year in many respects. Away from family, living in a structured military environment, sports injuries, a car accident and separation from close friends and social network. Then failed to graduate to the next level at years’ end. That was a year I learnt a lot about resilience and self reliance.
1965: A new start at the Officer Cadet School Portsea Victoria. With a year of hard knocks behind me the year was an outstanding success. Made some life friends and graduated 4th in a class of 120. That was the start of my career as a commissioned officer in the Australian Army.
1966: My first two appointments were in Metropolitan Melbourne each of 6months duration.
1967: Commenced 8 months of engineering training in Sydney and in September was posted to Perth to an Army Engineering unit where I consolidated my training on projects for defence and the State Government.
1968 – 1970: A posting to Sydney to undertake a 3 month course as a Maritime Engineer which started a very different 2 ½ years for someone in the Army, driving Australian cargo ships in support of the Vietnam War effort. Destinations covered most of SE Asia and included New Guinea and New Zealand as well as the Vietnam War Zone. Late 1969 managed to have time out to get married.
1970 -1971: Mid to late 1970 the sea faring life came to an end with a short training course and by early 1971 was on the ground in South Vietnam. After 9 months of operations and civil aid work, the Army’s forward base Nui Dat, was closed and I remained there with a small group decommissioning the area before returning to Australia in December.
1972 – 1974: Studied Civil Engineering at WAIT (now Curtin University) and graduated.
1975 – 1984: Several roles in Defence Facilities Management across Australia including South East Queensland, Perth and Western Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. The roles were much about Project Management to ensure the built asset was maintained and new facilities were funded and constructed as needed. These roles provided significant experience for my life after the Army.
1984 – 1995 Facilities Management roles over a period of 11 years for the Western Australian Government. Agencies included Prisons, Education, Courts and Fremantle Port Authority.

Garry was an Australian rules football player who played for St Kilda, Geelong and Fitzroy Football Clubs in the Victorian Football League and Swan Districts in the West Australian Football League during the 1970s and 80s.

Named in the Team of the Century

State Representative

Named in the WA Football League of Fame 2011

1962-63 I completed Years 11 & 12 at GSSHS. Following graduation I attended Claremont Teachers’ College and taught Physical Education in metropolitan high schools over the next decade.

During this period, I represented WA at Netball and in 1969 I had the distinction of being a member of the WA Open netball team that created history in winning the All Australia Netball Championships outright for the very first time.

I was selected in the All Australian Netball team chosen at each national championships and went on to represent Australia at 3 World Tournaments –

1967 Third World Netball championships Perth Australia 1967 (Runners up)

1971 Third World Netball championships Jamaica West Indies (Winners/Captain)

1979 Fifth World Netball championship Trinidad & Tobago West Indies (Vice captain)

The highlight of my playing career was captaining the Australian Netball team, to victory in the Third World Netball championships, Jamaica, 1971.

In 1982 I moved into professional coaching and took up the position of Assistant Coach Netball at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. In the early 1990’s I took over the position of Head Coach of the netball program at the AIS.

In 1999 I returned to WA to coach the Perth Orioles.

Other significant achievements:

1971 named the WA Sportsman of the Year

1989 inducted into the WA Hall of Champions

2009 Inducted into the Netball Australia Hall of Fame

The highlight of my coaching career was coaching the Australian Netball team to victory in the Johnson & Johnson Tri Series versus NZ and England, 1991.

Geoffrey Ajduk

WA State Bowls Team

Magistrate

GSSHS 1970-71

Geoffrey Ajduk – 1954 – 1993

Geoff Ajduk attended Governor Stirling Senior High School from 1970 to 1971. He graduated from the University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Jurisprudence and Law and was admitted to legal practice in May 1979. He completed his articles with the Legal Aid Commission, working mainly in the criminal jurisdiction, before joining the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department in 1980 as a legal officer. Within four years he had been promoted to principal legal officer, before being appointed as a special investigating officer with the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administrative Investigations (more commonly known as the Ombudsman). In June 1986 Geoff was appointed to the Magistracy and he was the first Magistrate of Croatian descent.

Geoff was also a champion lawn bowler. In 1982 he became Champion of Champions in the state singles competition. At the age of 27 he became the youngest player in WA lawn bowls history to win the Champion of Club Champions title. In the same year he won the Lindsay Rosenthal Medal for the most outstanding bowler in Western Australia for the 1981-82 season. This coveted trophy is the highest award in WA lawn bowls. In 1985 he won the Alan Eddy medal for best performance bowler for Western Australia. He played for Western Australia from 1983 to 1987 and in 1986 was the state side skipper.

Geoff passed away on 14 January 1993, aged 38, after a two-year battle with skin cancer. In a tribute to Geoff, former Chief Magistrate Con Zempilas said: “His dignified courage and cheerful devotion to duty in his darkest hours will be an inspiration to all those who practice the law”.

In 2004, in recognition of Geoff’s legacy and example, the Magistrates Society of Western Australia established the Geoff Ajduk Memorial Prize. The prize is awarded annually to a law student who has shown commitment to academic excellence, social justice and community service by providing legal assistance to disadvantaged groups.