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A father’s legacy takes centre stage

Few people follow in their father’s footsteps to the extent that Emma Buzo has done.
The Sydney-based actor and theatre producer has moved to Armidale to teach at The Armidale School, where the late Australian playwright, Alex Buzo, first discovered his love for language and drama about 60 years ago.
She is also teaching his first play, Norm and Ahmed, which rose to national prominence in the late ‘60s after being at the centre of a fierce censorship battle, being banned in three states.
Now the work is part of the HSC drama syllabus and year 12 students at The Armidale School would be hard pressed to find someone more qualified than the author’s own daughter to teach it.
“They’re being taught by the daughter of the playwright at the school the playwright went to,” Buzo says. “I know the background and can talk about the inspiration behind it that hasn’t been published anywhere.”
After the theatre great’s death in 2006, Buzo founded the Alex Buzo company and produced several plays, including Norm and Ahmed, under its banner. Then she lobbied to get the text included in the 2010-2012 HSC syllabus.
The play’s themes of racial tension, as valid today as they were in the 1960s, are talking points in the classroom. “It’s eerie, the journey of that play,” Buzo says.

Country life trumps the big smoke

Unique training centre accredited for commercial work

Car owners can now have their vehicles serviced at the only school-based training centre in the state licensed to do pink slip inspections and repairs.

The Armidale School’s Peter Hall Technology and Trade Training Centre at Doody Park has partnered with the Motor Traders Association to offer accredited on-the-job training in automotives, and is also the only school-based TTC facility registered with the RTA to do general inspections and repairs for the public.

Automotives teacher Richard Lee, an accredited trainer, said the commercial nature of the facility was mutually beneficial. “Students start undertaking their Certificate II in Automotive under the tuition of professional mechanics. Not only are they developing skills for careers, because we are a commercial business they are getting experience in a real-world setting on registered vehicles.”

This means not just the automotive component, but other aspects of small business including preparing quotations, book keeping, ordering parts and invoicing.

“Owners can be assured that just because students learn on the vehicles, there is no compromise to the quality of mechanical work done, which is all overseen by qualified mechanics,” Mr Lee said. Vehicles need to be out of manufacturers warranty.

The refurbished former YCW sports club has a new 600sq metre workshop space that features three automotive bays with hoists, welding and metal machining areas that are also used for custom steel fabrication. The centre is very much a community facility. Three registered training organisations in partnership offer various courses in welding, electronics and small farm skills, with a short course in automotives for women to be offered soon – and there are even recreational classes in Pilates.

For more information on motor vehicle service and repairs, or on community courses offered by the Peter Hall Technology and Trades Training Centre, ring Richard Lee on 0421 238 481.

February 24, 2011

Chairman's Address
Mr Andrew Murray

Headmaster's Address
Mr Murray Guest

Guest Speaker's Address
Mr Craig Foster

Senior Prefect's Address
Nic das Neves-Jones

TAS Boys give Service to Fiji Orphanage

Continuing a tradition started around a decade ago, a group of 20 students from The Armidale School, New England Girls School and PLC Armidale took part in a community and Christian service project at St Christopher’s Orphanage, Suva, Fiji. During their visit to the orphanage, which is run by an Anglican order of nuns, the group painted dormitories, made wooden tables and gave lessons to the orphans.

“We did evening prayer every night which included singing songs and hearing different stories from the Sisters,” said Jack Simmons of Tamworth.

“We also had ‘buddy time’ is where we would just chill with the buddy we were teamed up with.”

While they may have taught the locals something about Australia, they also learnt a lot about themselves.

“We have convinced ourselves that we need stuff to be happy but they have virtually nothing and are twice a happy. We take everything for granted. Our parents always say that we are so lucky when we complain about not getting that phone or that outfit, but now we all understand what they mean now, and know how lucky we really are.”

Trip co-ordinator Chris Spencer, the Head of English at TAS, said the pilgrimage is a transformative experience for those who attend, and is true Christian service in action.

“The students experienced a different cultural environment and gained a better understanding of themselves by learning to consider the needs of others,” he said.

Grant strengthens Japanese understanding

As part of the national Becoming Asia Literate: Grants to Schools (BALGS) initiative, TAS has secured a $20,000 Federal Government grant which will be used to help fund study tours to Japan and foster sister school relationships with Tezukayama Gakuin Elementary School (TEZ), Osaka, and Meitoku Senior High School, Koichi, Shikoku.

Tezukayama is a large independent primary school of around 700 students in one of Japan’s largest cities. An exchange between TAS Junior School and TEZ started in 1997, with TAS the most recent host, in August. A group of a dozen TAS students will visit TEZ next year.

Meanwhile for some years a student from Meitoku has attended TAS for a 12 month period - a relationship to be reciprocated over the 2011-2012 Christmas holidays by a visit from a group of year 10 TAS students who will board at the school and enjoy a week-long homestay with host families, who come from all over Japan.

In addition the funding will help subsidise a separate cultural visit by 12 year 9-10 over Easter, visiting TEZ, taking in the cities of Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima, and seeing for themselves the glory of Mt Fuji.

“It will increase the exposure of Japanese within the school and enable students to experience the Japanese culture beyond the classroom and strengthen existing links with two Japanese schools,” TAS Japanese teacher Allan Moore said.

“Asia’s influence with Australia is increasing and will only become more important, so it is a valuable experience for our students to be able to travel to Japan.”

Chair of the NALSSP Reference Group, Sid Myer, congratulated the 191 schools successful in the latest round of BALGS funding.

“These schools have created some very innovative programs to support the achievement of the NALSSP objectives,” Mr Myer said. “Their enthusiasm in helping to prepare Australians for the demands of the future is to be highly commended.”

Kathe Kirby, Executive Director of the AEF, said the recent announcement demonstrated a growing commitment of government and school communities to Asia literacy, a commitment strongly supported by business.

Photo: Students from Tezukayama Gakuin Elementary School (TEZ), Osaka, entertain TAS Junior School students during a visit to Australia in August.

18 NOVEMBER, 2010

Students break records in 111km canoe classic

FOUR Armidale students set two new class records in the 34th 111km overnight Hawkesbury Canoe Classic last weekend, despite rainy and windy conditions which forced organisers to pull many boats in early.

Angus Trenerry and Tim Pearson affix a torch to their canoe before the start of the event. The pair went on to win the MJRec2 class.

The Armidale School students Ben Brunckhorst, of Armidale, and Levi McKenzie-Kirkbright, a boarder from Sydney, came home first in the Junior Long Rec 2 class in a time of 13 hours 11 minutes, bettering by 42 minutes the previous record set by Simon Pain and Lachlan Shaw of TAS in 2005.

The pair was part of a team of 66 paddlers from TAS, New England Girls School and Presbyterian Ladies College Armidale who competed in the challenging event, in which paddlers canoe overnight rom Windsor to Brooklyn along a 111km stretch of the river to raise money for bone marrow research.

“The most challenging part from midnight onwards as we were alone, it was raining, it was dark and the finish was still 50km away,” Ben said.

Steven Broun of Armidale helps son George before setting off in the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic.

Lorne Gurney of TAS and Sarah Barker from NEGS also established a new record in the Mixed Junior Rec2 class of 15:36. Others to come first in their class were Angus Trenerry and Tim Pearson who were first in the MJRec2 class (14:17); Brittany Sisson and Georgia Diebold (PLC) first in the LJRec2 class (15:03) and Camilla Elliot and Lexie McCullagh (NEGS) in the same class.

The fastest male doubles from the contingent were Angus McDouall and Archie Campbell, and Rod and Cam Banks both with times under 12:30 with Rob Adams achieving the fastest single in a time of 12:29. Father and son pairing of Will and Josh Moloney also recorded a respectable time of 12:56 leading home six father- and-son entries.

While only two of the contingent’s 36 boats withdrew from the race, only 25 boats made the full distance, the remainder being stopped by race organisers at the 98km checkpoint, due to the adverse weather conditions between there and the finish.

Isabel Carey and Emilia Sedgwick of NEGS warm up after their 15 hour paddle.

Fifteen hours later, George Broun and Joss Guyer (of Armidale) cross the line.

Supporting the Armidale schools’ contingent were landcrew made up of more than 75 parents, staff, and friends. TAS had the single most entries in the event, which it has supported for more than 30 years. Students from Duval College, UNE, also took part.

“The event involved all members of the TAS community from Board members to students, parents and staff, and was a positive and unifying experience for all,” contingent organiser and event veteran Peter Hall of TAS said.

Crossing the line is Amanda Robins, the fastest single female paddler in the TAS contingent.

(photos by Tim Hughes)

TAS cricket tour promises summer success

OPEN cricketers from The Armidale School (TAS) have set themselves up for a good summer following success at a pre-season tour against three Sydney GPS schools, winning two games while a third was washed out.

After a week of rain, it was luck that the first game, on October 6 against Sydney Grammar School 2nd XII, even went ahead. The pitch was very wet but the teams were able to play a 25-over game after lunch. Sydney Grammar won the toss and batted and lost wickets at regular intervals. They were all out for 101 in the 25th over. The pick of the bowlers for TAS were Peter Gourlay one for 7, Andrew Patrick three for 19, Jack Scifleet two for 11 and Luke Webster two for 7. At the crease, after a steady start, Luke Webster (43 retired) and Sam Hutton (27) put on a 60 run partnership in quick time to put TAS in a winning position, passing Grammar’s score in the 17th over but continuing to bat out the 25 overs. Hutton, in only Year 9, was playing against boys two years older. TAS ended up with six for 155 with Andrew Patrick making the other major contribution of 22 not out.

The second game, set down for the following day against Scots College, was washed out. TAS continued its form in the final game of the tour, against St Joseph’s College Hunters Hill 2nd XII on October 8.

TAS Cricket master Allan Moore said it was encouraging to see the new players in the team performing so well in the first game of the season. “Despite the bad weather, the pre-season tour was a success with two victories out of two and every player making a contribution to the team. I believe this team has the potential to be successful in the local Armidale competition, and also against other school boy teams.” This was reflected in last week’s game against Uralla third grade, when Harry Guest scored 149 not out and took five wickets for four runs. The last 5 balls he faced were 6,4,6,4,6.

TAS pre-season cricket team: back row l to r: Mr Steve Webster, Harry Guest, Toby Crothers, Sam Webster, Nick Boulus, Jock Armstrong, Alex Finney, Peter Gourlay, Mr Allan Moore (MIC TAS cricket)
Front: Tom Walsh, Sam Hutton, Matthew Wykniet, Jack Scifleet, Andrew Patrick

Nigel Brennan - Address to guests at Valedictory Lunch

I have worked in lots of different professions and been fortunate to travel extensively over the years. It wasn’t until the age of thirty that I actually found something that I loved and was passionate about, that being photography and the media. Not only did it allow the advantage of travel but it gave me a chance of challenging peoples perception through the photographs that I took of issues that are important to me.

I’m sure most of you will know my story and what occurred to me in Somalia.

In August 2008, I travelled to Africa as a freelance photographer. I wanted to highlight the humanitarian and food crisis as well as the war that has ravaged the East African nation for nearly two decades. On the fourth day our plan was to visit IDP camps outside Mogadishu, all seemed to be going well until we were ambushed.

For the next 462 days I was held hostage by a criminal gang in Mogadishu, for thirteen months I was held in virtual isolation and for the last ten months shackled after a failed escape attempted. During this time I suffered both mental and physical torture, sleep deprivation and survived on a starvation diet. There were a number of times were I thought I was going to be killed by our captors. There was also times when I thought about taking my own life, the feeling of helplessness and depression taking its toll. The mental anxiety and stress that I was put under, I hope you will never have to experience or endure, my believe in humanity was sorely tested during my fifteen months of captivity.

The main reason I am here today is because of my amazing family, they paid the ultimate price not only having to raise money for the ransom but having to burden fifteen months of hell that my decisions and actions caused them. Your actions have consequences, the things you say and things you do actually effect other people so you shouldn’t be to flippant, it’s a trait you tend to have when you’re younger. Consider the consequences and be alert to the things that are happening around you. I’m not saying you have to miss out on the fun of life but take your life direction and decisions and the consequence of these a little more seriously.

What happened to me was an unpleasant experience in my life. People often ask if I could go back and change the course of events, would I. My answer is always no, not only because I believe that things happen for a reason, but it has taught me so much and made me think about the things that I value, the whole experience has altered my life forever. I guess in some respects I’m incredibly lucky as I realize now that I have a second chance at life. I think to many people float through life and get to the age of sixty and ask where did it go. I know at times I have done this in the past twenty years, I thought life was a bit of a breeze, just wonder from one thing to the next with no real direction.

My experience has changed my thinking and has been my wake up call. I used to have these grandiose plans that now seem so unimportant, instead I now savor the simple things in life, to spend time with friends and family and take some time for myself. I guess what I have taken from my experience is the importance of family, friends and community, without these things you really have nothing. Unfortunately you don’t get to choose your family but I know I wouldn’t swap any of mine.

You will have made friendships whilst here, some of these will last a life time, hang onto them they are extremely precious and rare.

I guess my one piece of advice to you today is the importance of networking. It was something I used to hate doing but since coming home I have realized its significance. Nobody likes to have to press the flesh but you have to learn to sell yourself because no one else is going to do it for you. Its how you make your mark on people, such a simple thing of talking to someone can open the most amazing doors in your life.

You’re entering an important part of your life, you come from privileged backgrounds with a fantastic education behind you, don’t waste it, you only get one chance to leave your mark on this world. Life moves at an incredibly frenetic pace, don’t get caught up in the whirlwind. Be kind to each other and don’t be blinded by success or money so much so that you trample over someone else. Take time to enjoy it, like a Cuban cigar or a beautiful woman. Don’t feel pressured to make a choice about what you will do with your life right now. If it means taking a gap year or three to travel, or working for a while and having some fun, then do it, but make sure you go back at some point and study. Go out and live a little, go and discover who you actually are and go and make some mistakes, you’re only young once.

Ladies and gentlemen I ask that you be upstanding, I would like to propose a toast.

To the Leaving year of 2010, I wish you the greatest success and a prosperous future, may your goals and aspirations come true.

Nigel Brennan congratulating Mitch Maguire

National honours for TAS polocrosse player

Harry, 17, a Year 11 student at The Armidale School, was the only New England member of the eight-person Australian Mixed Under 19s team which made the tour at the invitation of South Africa. The team, which included Harry’s cousin Lucy Grills from Albury, played three games, losing the first 26-18 but winning the second 24-23 and the third, 24-22.

Riding South African thoroughbreds was different to what the players were used to.

“They were a large step back from the horses here in Australia,” he said.

The competition also varied. “Their girls in the mixed competition were not very good and our girls put it over them, but their boys were very good with great ball skills and very tough,” Harry said.

On July 24-25, Harry played in the NSW under 21s side against Queensland at Grafton, winning two of three matches. This was a return series which was held in April in Warwick QLD where he was captain , however the side lost all games. He is picked in New England under 21s zone side to play next month, and then the boots are off until 2011, when he hopes to make the NSW under 21s team to contest the nationals in Queensland – considered by many to be the pinnacle of polocrosse in the world – in 2012.

Harry, who was the second youngest in the team, says he has riding “for as long as I can remember” and continues a polocrosse tradition rich in his mother’s family. Two years ago he was selected as captain of the NSW Mixed Junior team which won the national titles at Perth, having been undefeated in the championships. Earlier this year he traveled to Ballarat, Victoria and played in the open Under 21 side. Harry was the youngest in the team being only 16 when he was selected, but the team lost to Queensland in the final.

Members of the team that played in South Africa came from southern NSW, Queensland and Western Australia.