Tracey Wicks - the last 40 years

Occupation/s? Tell us what you have been doing

Mental Health Social Worker

What would you tell your 1977 self if you could send them a message now?

Relax, be comfortable with yourself, learn, learn.

What would you like to share about the last 40 years?

I hated everything about high school! All I wanted was to get out. Consequently I was one of 'those girls' that got pregnant right at the end of grade 10. I married, my gorgeous boyfriend Henk Dykstra, and we were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. During our short marriage, Henk developed Hodgkins Disease, we spent the majority of our time at the LGH doing chemo, blood transfusions and bone marrow. He lost his fight for life at 22, I was 19.

I remarried a couple of years later and moved to Launceston, had another two children, and sadly the marriage failed. I threw myself into rearing my three children, and contemplating what I'd do when I grew up! I decided I might go to Uni and do do social work!!! OMFG, 😱😱 what an experience, and I hated every minute of that as well!! I was told, I wrote 'telegram style assignments', 🙄🙄 really! why prattle academia crap when I could say it in 150 words, using my working class language, instead of their required 2,000 words 😡😡 how dare they!! I persevered though, I learnt how to write academic papers, and improved my language skills. While I studied I worked as an aged carer, did night shifts and weekend work when the kids were with their dad. And I made it, we all made it!! 😄😄 My children survived, I survived and I went on to gain my mental health accreditation through the Australian Social Work Association. 

I'm now a Medicare health provider. I work as a resident counsellor in residential aged care, provide Employee Assistance Program Services across Tas for SES, Law Enforcement Officers, as well as train in Mental Health First Aide and Suicide Awareness and Prevention. I also do private work.

What are you proudest of about your life? What have been your greatest achievements?

Of course my 3 children and 5 grandchildren, which I'm very proud of. However being presented with BSW degree on graduation day from University, that was pretty spesh!!!

Any regrets?

Nope!! Every thing happens for a reason, and my experiences have made me the person I am today!!

Rodney McCulloch - the last 40 years

Occupation/s? Tell us what you have been doing

Painter & decorator

What would you tell your 1977 self if you could send them a message now?

finish grade 10

What would you like to share about the last 40 years?

After leaving school sept holidays gr 10 to start my apprenticeship which i completed in 1982 i left Tassie to try some sun on the fabulous Gold Coast. where i worked on high-rise that was a new experience. 

After a couple of years i met my now wife Lyn 30 years married come oct. We have 2 beautiful daughters Teresa 28 a teacher married 1 grand daughter, Shelby, and Catherine a hairdresser. 

We are almost finished renovating our home thank god . Lyn has just completed a nursing degree and is working at the new university hospital on the gold coast. A few years i got a job on Pluto a new gas plant in Karratha WA. which was an exciting new experience having worked for myself for 7/8 years doing amount other things shop fitting going away for up to a month at a time was kind of used to working away . but this was so different 4 weeks on 1 week off FIFO but was amazing. I have just recently finished a 2 year stint at the Curtis Island gas plant which was very rewarding in many ways. 

I am currently awaiting a hip replacement before i start my next adventure, working and striving to own a home Lyn and i have become interested in travelling which started almost 4 years ago with me entering a radio station competition were they ask how to improve the music content, as they had just played a crowded house song . I SAID PLAY LESS CROWDED HOUSE. hate crowded house . long story short i won , 2 tickets to a Bruce Springsteen concert Wembley Stadium London . After the concert we could stay 2 weeks Catherine joined us in London we went to Scotland, AHHHHH NESSY. Then Paris and back to London before home, some times it does pay to be a smart ass.

I hope you have found this short story of 40 years more interesting than it sounds to me. A lot more has happened in 40 years but we wouldn't have anything to talk about at the reunion good luck till then. 

What are you proudest of about your life? What have been your greatest achievements?

my wife lyn almost 30 years married our 2 amazing daughters owning our home breeding our dogs Staffys .

Any regrets?

not finishing grade 10 not working smarter not travelling more

Danny Redman - the last 40 years

Occupation/s? Tell us what you have been doing

When we left UHS, I was already working part time at Roelf Vos Supermarket (now Woolworths) so that rolled into a fulltime position, in 1980 I moved to Georgetown and worked on the furnaces at BHP Temco for 12 months returning in July 81 and bought the milk round that Dad (aka Yogi) had sold 4 years earlier, I sold that in 1985 and started work with Coca Cola as Sales Rep, I had 18.5 years with Coke including a 12 month stint living in Launceston. In Jan 2004 i started work with National Foods (Pura Milk) as a Territory Manager. I stayed there until March 2009. During this time I also started studying Remedial Massage Graduating with a Diploma in Remedial Massage in November 2006. My part time massage business was getting busy so i decided to go fulltime in March 2009 and I am still doing this and loving it.

What would you tell your 1977 self if you could send them a message now?

Don't get too busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

What would you like to share about the last 40 years?

I Married Linda (Caunce) in 1985 we have 2 sons now 26 and 28 who have taken after us and love travelling the world, so no daughter in Laws or grand kids (that we know of) yet. Surf Lifesaving has played a big part in my and my families life, We have both travelled around Australia rowing and competing in Australian Championships and other races, this has given us a good look at Australia and our passion at the moment is overseas travel while we are still fit and active enough to enjoy the wonders of this world.

What are you proudest of about your life? What have been your greatest achievements?

The Obvious answer here are my Kids, and my wife but on a personal level being Named Surf Lifesaving Australia's National Volunteer of the year in 2002 was awesome.

Any regrets?

Life is too short for regrets!!!

Memories of Susannah Field

My first thought when I learned about the UHS77 reunion was "I hope Susannah will be there. It would be great to catch up." It seems that the passage of time narrows the chances of 'catching up'.

Rather than catch up with Susannah I can now only reflect on who she was and what she meant to me. I want to speak of her life and her achievements, but the truth is, I know very little about her. So my reflection becomes less about her, and more about me. What she meant to me, how I remember her, and the impact she had on my life, both as a friend when we were at school and as a memory now that she is gone.

The thoughts expressed during the few weeks of the reunion conversations have reflected the special person she was. Susannah was a friend to everyone, she effortlessly moved between the worlds of the cool kids and the swots (yes, me). I am proud that I was her friend.

An obstacle race. This is the thing that comes to my mind when I try to find my first memory of Susannah. I don't remember what year. I do remember that it was about the only sport I was any good at. I remember ladders and Susannah.

We got lost doing orienteering for PE one cold day. Well, I got lost, and I'm pretty sure I was with Susannah when I did. We wandered around in the bush for ages, and when we finally got back at the end of the lunch break, it seemed that nobody had missed us. And the teacher in charge told us to get cleaned up and changed and go to class. No lunch for us that day.

By far my fondest memory of Susannah was the invitation to her house for Christmas Baking Day. Her house was old and rambling, and I remember it at the top of a hill, surrounded by old trees and hedges. It sprawled with older sisters, a brother and strict parents, things far out of my experience. It was like a story book, a visit to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, or Hogwarts.

The experience of Christmas  Baking Day was something special. The air in the old kitchen was filled with flour dust and sunlight. All of us covered in a snowfall of flour, and sticky with fruit and cake mixture. We stirred with wooden spoons, and rolled wooden rolling pins on a wooden tabletop, and the wood fired stove constantly demanded attention. The smell of baking in that old kitchen was everything Christmas should be. It was right out of an episode of Upstairs Downstairs.

Susannah's life was different to mine, and I remember wishing for the large family and the deep tradition. I knew that what I saw was just the surface of things, and that the Field family was as complex as any other family, but I loved what they had together that day.

She visited me in Sydney in the early 1980's. We had the kind of time that country girls have in the big city. I remember a blind date arranged by her friend. That is a whole other story.

I visited her in Melbourne in the mid 1990's. I was travelling for work and she was settling into a new life as a mum and step-mum. Again her life was so different to mine.

There are people who make an impact on you as a teenager. They are adults, teachers, role-models or the people you spent time with. The impact they leave is lasting and profound. Susannah was one of those people. She had that impact on me just by being herself. I feel sad that I didn't see more of Susannah throughout her life, and I feel intensely grateful for the memories I have of her.

Lisa Harvey (Faulkes)

 

 

Marion Combe (Cagney) - the last 40 years

Occupation/s? Tell us what you have been doing

I had NO idea what I wanted to do and only now in my 50's have I truly found what I love doing! I started out in office work at St.Vincent's Hospital and The Age Newspaper and then returned to study. Studied and worked in libraries for 25 years. In 2013 I was made redundant from Bendigo TAFE Library, best thing that ever happened even though I didn't realise at the time! Since then I have happily been working for myself creating art and jewellery. I also have a casual job at Latrobe University as a simulated patient which is actually 'acting' WAY out of this introverts comfort zone, it is very interesting and rewarding working and helping health sciences students.

What would you tell your 1977 self if you could send them a message now?

It's OK to be your weird wonderful self

What would you like to share about the last 40 years?

When we moved to Kyneton Victoria (in 77) I went a bit feral in my 2 years of high-school there and it was really the start of my punk career! Met my first partner at high-school, his first band was Rancid Spam he went on to form the Cosmic Psychos and played a big part of the underground music scene in Melbourne. We were together for 12-13 years (of craziness) before he became world famous and started touring OS and thankfully our lives went in different directions, we're still friends :) I travelled and lived overseas in 1984, I met my grandfather and family in Ireland it was a great experience. Lived in Melbourne for around 8 years and find it hard to believe that I rode a motorbike around considering I don't even like driving there now. When Ross and I split up, I put in for a library job in Bendigo which was fortunate as it led me to meet the love of my life. Jim & I have been together since 1992 and have two children, our daughter is 21 this year and son is 17. We live out of town on 16 acres, with kids, crazy jack russells, chooks and all kinds of wildlife. I enjoy walking, yoga, natural therapies, camping, fishing, gardening, family history, crystals, making orgonite and other art pieces. My parents still live in Kyneton and three sisters all in Victoria.

What are you proudest of about your life? What have been your greatest achievements?

Learning resilience and persistence. Meeting my Grandfather and family in Ireland would be one of the best things I've ever done! Proud of our amazing children and surviving me as a parent ha ha

Any regrets?

Mercury Fillings.....whole 'nother story

Nick Stevenson - the last 40 years

Occupation/s? Tell us what you have been doing

I was in Service Station management for many years. For the last 10 years I have worked at Mount Isa Mines where I am a Metallurgical Technician.

What would you tell your 1977 self if you could send them a message now?

Hey idiot you don't know everything yet !!

What would you like to share about the last 40 years?

I left home and Tasmania just after I turned 18. I moved to Perth (W.A) where I lived for a few years - worked in steel fabrication and pretty much partied. Wandered around the country for a while getting a real life education and doing a vast array of jobs (Fun Times). Eventually moved to Brisbane where other members of my family had migrated to. Spent a couple of years there then moved to the Sunshine Coast where I worked in the building industry. I designed and built a couple of my own houses, good timing as the market there took off big time. Met my wife in Brisbane we have 7 kids - which explains why most of my hair has left me. They are all great young people 6 of them live in Mount Isa working in different fields from the mining industry to the police force the other one lives in Ireland. They have given us 7 grandkids So Far !!! Christmas is a full on show every year. I bought a house on the beachfront at Sarina (Qld) a couple of years ago where my wife and I will retire to - soon I hope.

What are you proudest of about your life? What have been your greatest achievements?

The obvious answer here would be raising 7 great humans - but there really is so much I am proud of that I have achieved through hard times and adversity (not mentioned on here). I am not finished yet..

Any regrets?

No - and not a good question to ask as its like that job interview question - "what are your weaknesses" i find it pushes people to focus on something negative.