Alumni Profile

Dustin Gold, an Old Boy from the Class of 2009, is an Australian Public Servant based in Washington DC. Dustin recently chatted with Director of Alumni and Community Relations, Mandy Loomes about his career.

What was the highlight from your time at Barker? There are so many great memories from my time at Barker, it’s really hard to choose a single highlight. What I loved was the variety of any given week or term. Barker really had something for everyone. For me, some really strong highlights were Swimming, Stage Band, Saxophone and Cadets. However, I also remember fondly Public Speaking, Surf Lifesaving, Mock Trial, Duke of Edinburgh, and Stage Crew. Was your time at Barker instrumental in your career direction and choices? Certainly. I vividly remember my disinterest in Cadets when I was in Year 7, but at Barker there’s an environment that encourages you to give everything a go. Some found incredible sporting talents but my friends will tell you that wasn’t the case for me. I couldn’t catch a cold – let alone a footy. In Cadets and Surf Lifesaving I found a sense of satisfaction through service and leadership, which I hadn’t experienced before. This led me to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and subsequently to the public service. My experiences in Public Speaking, Mock Trial and Debating, shaped my ability to communicate and led me to study Law. I have no doubt my time at Barker has been instrumental in my career to date. (That combination probably also accounts for my love of Sorkin’s The West Wing!) Have you had a mentor who has guided you along the way? In the early years, I was so fortunate to be guided by Barker staff who had previously worked in Government or the ADF, as well as friends who were a few years ahead of me at Barker. I fondly remember an ANZAC day about five years after I’d finished School. I was catching up with this diverse group of former Barker students, some from five years before me, some from five years after me as well as a few in my year group. We’d all joined the ADF in some form or another. It was so interesting to discuss our experiences, some shared, some different and talk about our goals and ambitions. I think we’re lucky to have access to that sort of mentoring, from a common base where we all had at least one common experience – Barker. What has your career journey been? As a child I wanted to be a Qantas Pilot. I remember the careers team at Barker were fantastic at helping me choose the right subjects in my final years. I was really excited as I started the process with Qantas, in Year 12. But 2009 was the depth of the ‘global financial crisis’ and it would be several years before the aviation industry would bounce back. I also didn’t enjoy Maths or Physics, no matter how hard I tried. People told me to do what I loved, so I started reflecting on all those highlights from Barker. I realised my favourite moments were in Cadets and Surf Lifesaving. There were few similarities between the two, except both gave a sense of satisfaction when leading a team that was doing something for others. This experience led me to the ADF and from there the public service. Along the way I studied Law and spent some time working in the New South Wales public service before making the move to Canberra.

How has you career in the Australian Defence Force led you to where you are today? As an Officer in the ADF you gain experiences very early in your career, that in other professions might take many years. It's not uncommon to find yourself as an instructor, mentor, manager and leader, in your first few years. Often you’ll be working with people who have had very different life experiences to your own. My time in the ADF, both full-time and as a reservist, was foundational in qualifying me for international engagement, capacity building and operational work that I undertook early in my public service career. I think my current role, in Washington DC, has a lot to do with those prior experiences representing the Australian Government in our near region. What does your role in Washington DC involve? My role is a little different to many other Diplomats in Washington DC. I spend half of my time embedded with the Department of Homeland Security and half working out of the Embassy of Australia. My primary focus is building collaborative partnerships, working with our American counterparts on matters of national security and countering the impacts of serious and organised crime. I’ve had some tremendous opportunities in Washington DC and often find myself supporting the needs of our Government at a moment’s notice. I’m fortunate too that I’m able to continue my service with the Australian Army Reserve through a foreign exchange arrangement with the District of Columba National Guard. To be able to work in a Joint Task Force Headquarters, coordinating the tasking, movement and logistics support of over 26,000 military personnel in support of this year’s Presidential Inauguration was an experience I'll never forget. Whether I’m working with the National Guard in my Army Reserve capacity or representing Australia’s interests with other American agencies and departments in my civilian role, the opportunity to exchange different approaches and tackle complex challenges has been truly incredible. What is it like working for Australia overseas? One of the great things is how closely the Australian team comes together – both personally and professionally. A few times I’ve said to colleagues here and those back in Canberra, that you’ve never really experienced interagency collaboration until you’ve seen it at a Diplomatic mission or post. We’re fortunate to be part of a high performing team, where everyone knows each other’s interests and has each other’s back. What’s more, there is a real sense of community within the Embassy family and with other Diplomats from our closest partners. Whether its trips away on weekends, happy hours, or getting together to watch a game, there’s always other Aussies around… and the Kiwis aren’t half-bad either (plus they’ve got a pool at their Embassy!) Do you get much spare time? How do you relax? There’s some really busy times, especially when senior officials or ministers are in town. The enduring challenge, as far as spare time goes, has to be managing all of the evening and late-night calls back to Australia. They’re essential to link up with our counterparts in Canberra and to help senior officials and ministers remain connected – especially with COVID travel restrictions over the last 18 months. That said, essential travel is starting to resume and the US is starting to reopen domestically. I’m really looking forward to exploring everything the US has to offer and getting some of my weeknights back to catch up with friends. What are three words you would use to describe yourself? That’s a really hard question… My mum say’s I’m “quick thinking, a talker, and organised,” all things she attributes to her unrelenting efforts to nurture a young Dustin. My dad would say “talks too much, talks too much, and…. talks too much” all things he’d probably attribute in the same way. Have you got any words of wisdom for today’s Barker students? Sometimes when I’m thinking about home, I like to flick through Bill Bryson’s In a Sunburned Country. There’s a passage where Bryson considers one of Australia’s most significant policy issues and concludes that if he was asked how we could do better he wouldn’t have the faintest idea. When pressed for an answer he offers: “Do more. Try harder. Start now.” Barker is a place where you can do so much and apply yourself to anything that interests you. You don’t have to be an academic, athlete, cadet or debater, but you can do more, and we can always try harder at whatever we choose. The post-pandemic world will be increasingly fragile and contested. More than ever our businesses, communities and country will need strong leaders to help tackle global challenges. So...“Do more. Try harder. Start now.”

Pandemic Pivot in Christian Studies

Where is God in a global pandemic? Is it ok to have doubts about God when faced with difficulties and challenges?

What guidance does the Bible give when making ethical decisions related to health and medicine? How can we be a good neighbour to those around us? These were some of the questions students wrestled within Christian Studies during the Term 3 lockdown. In a pivot from our usual course work, Years 8, 9 and 10 engaged with issues relevant to COVID-19 in our country and around the globe. They explored ways in which our contemporary experience is echoed in the Bible and how we can draw strength and hope from the Christian faith. In Year 8 students probed Jesus’ teaching to be ‘salt and light’ (Matthew 5:13-16) by examining the work of Christian organisations in countries worse hit by the pandemic than Australia. They also considered how they might be ‘salt and light’ to those around them at home and in their neighbourhood. In Year 9 our Term 3 unit focused on making good decisions, with a particular focus on ethical scenarios related to the health crisis. Students were encouraged to engage with several different ethical perspectives, including what it might be to make decisions motivated by Jesus’ command to love God and love our neighbour (Matthew 22:36-40). In Year 10 we shifted from our normal unit on Bible stories in their narrative context to exploring ‘Bible stories of hardship and hope’. A particular focus was on David’s experience while persecuted by Saul, prior to becoming King of Israel. David’s heartfelt cry to God in the midst of his doubt, coupled with his trust in God’s goodness despite his circumstances, were investigated through Psalm 22. Students created a personal response to this Psalm and were guided to reflect on how they might find encouragement from its message and themes. Our approach to Christian Studies in the Secondary School is to provide a hospitable classroom environment where the views of all students are respected and valued. We encourage students to wrestle with big questions about life and to seek to understand how the Bible and the Christian faith can offer deep meaning and purpose. We seek to inspire students to step empathetically into the shoes of others, as well as to personally respond to the material covered in the course. It is our hope that during their time at Barker, students will both understand and experience the love, grace and hope that are found in Jesus.

W wrestling

Wrestling with big questions from multiple perspectives.

U understanding

Understanding Christianity and other viewpoints.

C communicating

Communicating persuasively, appropriately and respectfully.

P PERSONAL

Personally responding to the questions raised in class and acting for positive transformation in our world.

Tom Anderson Head of Christian Studies Sharing The Christian Faith With Our Barker Community and Declaring The Love, Grace and Hope Found In Jesus

Shading

The rich resources of the Christian faith are thoughtfully brought to bear upon all that we do.

E empathy

A willingness to enter into the shoes of others and to attempt to see the world from their perspective.

Mathematics Trust Enrichment

During Term 3 2021, the Mathematics Department challenged students with thought-provoking questions from mathematical competitions and the Australian Mathematics Trust Enrichment series.

Two of these competitions were the Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) and the Australian Intermediate Mathematics Olympiad (AIMO). One student has shown his outstanding ability in these competitions claiming the Best in School position and submitting wonderful solutions to the AIMO. Lachlan Cassin in Year 9 won the title of Best in School in the AMC. In the AMC, the problems get progressively more difficult until the final problems which are very challenging to even the most gifted students and teachers. This is an outstanding result, ranking him in the top 1% of students competing in this international competition. Lachlan also completed the four-hour AIMO paper and submitted wonderful, carefully structured solutions. We look forward to seeing his results and are certain that he is to be a shining star in the mathematical world in the future. Here is the final question from the Intermediate AMC paper which Lachlan completed. Can you solve this problem?

Allison Davis Assistant Coordinator Mathematics and Mathematics Teacher Tyler has a large number of square tiles, all the same size. He has four times as many blue tiles as red tiles. He builds a large rectangle using all the tiles, with red tiles forming a boundary one tile wide around the blue tiles.

He then breaks up his rectangle and uses the tiles to make two smaller rectangles. Like the large rectangle, each of the smaller rectangles has four times as many blue tiles as red tiles, and the red tiles form a boundary one tile wide around the blue tiles. How many blue tiles does Tyler have?

All Year 7 students and Languages staff are very excited to offer the Aboriginal Languages course for a second year at Barker.

Aboriginal Languages

To build on the success achieved last year in embracing the language of the Dharug people, on whose land the School stands, Languages staff proactively sought support and collaboration from Jasmine Seymour, a Darug woman, artist, writer and a member of the Darug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation. The Barker Global team, William Clarke College and the Dharug organisation Muru Mittigar, have also played significant roles in advancing the learning experience for our students. Students and staff are extremely appreciative of this support and look forward to maintaining strong ties. In the first Year 7 Assembly of Term 4, led by James Denton, we were grateful to Phillip Heath for addressing the students with his words of encouragement as they commenced their course. It was also our honour to have Uncle Wayne Cornish1 join us to share his stories and knowledge, and to inspire all students and staff to embrace and enjoy this journey of language learning and cultural exploration. Through the themes of Country and Place, Ceremony and Dance, Story and Art, Animals and Weather and many more thought-provoking topics, students will work and learn together to develop the vocabulary in English and in Darug required to speak in a respectful and grateful way about the Dharug people. More importantly, the acknowledgment and celebration of cultural diversity at Barker contributes to students’ development of cultural sensitivity and understanding. Our Year 7 students and their Languages teachers are looking forward to an ochre painting experience, where we will have the opportunity to express our appreciation of and respect for Indigenous culture.

Stephanie Chen Languages Teacher

1 Uncle Wayne Cornish is a Ngemba man from Brewarinna NSW and is the Operations Manager at Muru Mittigar. Muru Mittigar, which means ‘pathway to friends’ in Darug language, is a Dharug Organisation that seeks to create a better understanding of Aboriginal culture in the wider community through student workshops, professional development for school staff, and land management consulting.

Since 2017, First Nations students at Barker College in Hornsby have come together with Indigenous Education staff once a week for ‘Yarn Up’.

Creating Community at School and at Home

Yarn Up takes place on Wednesday lunch times as a space for First Nations students to catch up with one another, share common experiences and form a community across year levels. Yarn Up is held in Mirrung Ngurang, the dedicated space for First Nations students on the Hornsby campus. Mirrung Ngurang, meaning ‘the belonging place’ in Darug functions as a break-out space where students can study, connect, relax, and access support staff. The room is decorated with artwork significant to the students, featuring many works created by the students themselves. The weekly sessions started with a group of three students and quickly became a founding element of Barker’s Indigenous Education program at Hornsby. Since then, Yarn Up has gone from strength to strength, with 12 students regularly attending in 2021, and nine students graduating last year. One of the program’s strongest assets is its facilitation of student leadership opportunities. Through Yarn Up Senior students can provide support to younger students, lead important School events such as the NAIDOC Assembly, and voice their thoughts on how to better pre-existing support programs. Yarn Up students have continued to demonstrate leadership even after they graduate, returning to give back to the First Nations community at Barker. We are lucky to have Eliza Darney returning as a cultural mentor and tutor. Eliza is a Wiradjuri woman and graduate of the Class of 2020, now studying Clinical Science at Macquarie University on her path to becoming a doctor. Although we were not able to meet in person for over four months, Yarn Up has continued. Each week at the regular time, Yarn Up students and support staff logged on to spend Wednesday lunch times catching up, completing online jigsaws, sharing jokes, and supporting one another.

Lucy Pitkin Dean of Indigenous Education Molly Glendenning Barker Global Research Assistant

Formal Logo Icon

During the week of 16 August 2021, members of the Barker College community sprang into action! Staff, teachers, students and their families committed to being active as part of a Move-a-thon for Dignity.

Be active and share in the fun!

Dignity is a charity that empowers people who are experiencing homelessness, or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Students sought sponsors to help them raise funds to sponsor participants of Dignity’s new Ready To Work program. The program provides employment opportunities and housing for people experiencing homelessness. Students in the Junior School and High School participated in the Move-a-thon for Dignity sharing their sporting spirit and support for this worthy cause. We partnered with the PDHPE Get Active program being run at the same time which saw the step count for the High School reach the thousands! Although we were apart, many photos and videos of students and their families being active were shared on the School socials which kept us motivated and connected. We are very grateful to the students and their generous sponsors for their support of the Move-a-thon for Dignity. ‘We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the Barker School community. It is so great to see students and their teachers moving for a cause and supporting our new Ready to Work housing program. Together, they raised $5,700 and we are so very grateful for their continued support.’ Suzanne Hopman, Dignity CEO

Sherobhi Rajamantri Coordinator of Service Learning

The purpose of Cadets is to cultivate initiative and creative problem solving in young men and women, qualities that have been needed in the last term more than ever before.

New Challenges

The Barker College Cadet Unit has been faced with new challenges, forcing us to adapt to circumstances we never could have predicted only two years ago. In April, our Year 10 and 11 Cadets attended their promotions camp before the start of the new Cadet year, but plans quickly changed as lockdowns began. As new Commanders were announced in the first few weeks of term, they had to navigate the regular challenges of taking a new command, as well as an evolving online environment. Nevertheless, it took less than a week for the new rank to step up and begin planning activities for Cadets to continue online. And so, the 2021/22 Cadet year kicked off with the newest Company Commanders meeting their junior rank in an online meeting – a theme of the Term, it would soon become clear. Our newest recruits soon started their Cadet journey, and the Unit’s activities were up and running for the year! The virtual environment didn’t stop our Cadets’ education – the unit rank worked hard to plan and record video lessons for their companies and platoons in a constantly changing environment, doing an amazing job at ensuring every Cadet was on their way to having the knowledge they need for Bivouacs next year. As well as their video lessons, Cadets also attended regular online Platoon meetings as a way of meeting those they are spending their recruit year with, and will be working with for the rest of their Cadet journey – this also provided the opportunity for Cadets to catch up with their peers outside of class and to get to know their rank before we return to Cadets on campus. Lessons and meetings were not the only activities that made up our online Cadets program – the recruit companies also ran a variety of activities over the course of the term for the Captain Khong Cup, awarded each year to the best recruit company. Recruits were involved in activities where they recreated military images, camouflaged themselves, practised knot and lashings and built bush furniture. They also did some at-home drill practice! Meanwhile, Bravo company worked hard on their knots and lashing, their drill and their radio telecommunications – mostly revision together from recruits! This was a great series of exercises for our newest Bravo company as we begin the process of making sure we are well and truly prepared for AFX 2022! Our Unit Commanders and rank worked hard over the holidays preparing for an exciting term for the Cadets.

Claire Kitching Year 11, CUO Tech/PR Wing

Online learning and lockdown did not slow the creativity, imagination and energy that the outstanding Barker Science staff put into their work with our students.

Lockdown did not hold us back!

The agility with which we have been able to pivot from in-class, hands-on activities in our laboratories to rich online experiences, has been impressive and we can see that many of our students have continued to thrive in their love of all things Science. The Stage 4 students engaged in some fierce competition to showcase some of the things they had been learning in creative ways. We were thrilled with the entries and pleased to award prizes as soon as we were back on campus. A highlight was Jessica Bradford (Year 7) and her original song composition, We are Animalia, taking us through the classification of living things. She filmed the song with her whole family involved, set to the tune of Kokomo, by the Beach Boys. It is well worth finding on the Barker Instagram! The iSTEAM Year 10 projects were extraordinary, with the design of a biomedical device that ranged from prosthetic devices to nanotechnology for cancer therapy. Impressive research and innovative ideas were evident in their work and the projects will be showcased via a community link during Term 4. The STEAM@Home program in the Student Connect Hub was developed by our amazing Dr Alison Gates and she designed a wonderful set of activities for all students to engage with as Term 3 progressed from home. This worked through an interactive interface of a model home with recycling, astronomy, citizen Science projects and the pollinator program, where the Barker Bee Club kept on clubbing!

Science Olympiad Results

Austin Lin (Year 11), was selected as a member of the Australian team earlier in the year and we are proud of his achievement of a bronze medal in this year’s International Chemistry Olympiad (123rd in the world!). Austin will further develop his skills as he helps to coach aspiring Olympiad students in 2022. We are also proud of Matthew McHarg (Year 11), who has recently been offered a place at the Australian Science Innovations Earth and Environmental Science Olympiad Summer School. We look forward to seeing where this opportunity may take another one of our gifted Science students.

Top to bottom Barker Bee Club; Jessie Bradford (Yr 7) prize winning science song; STEAM special guest speaker, Dr Lisa Emerson, Biomedical Technologies.

Virginia Ellis Head of Science & STEAM

The Barker Science program is highly regarded throughout New South Wales, and another example is through the School’s public leadership in the Science Extension course.

Sharing Science with the State

Science Extension Publications and Public Lectures

The large number of students choosing to do this course reflects how Barker students value the experience to have unrivalled research supervision, teaching, and publication opportunities. Consistent with the Barker vision and values, this privilege is being shared with the wider community via the Barker Institute through publications, public lectures, and training opportunities. The third edition of Scientific Research in Schools has been released and shared widely (www.barkerinstitute. com.au/research/student-research) and is being used by teachers and students from various schools to inform their own research projects in this course. To launch the course for 2022, the Barker Science Extension teaching team offered three public lectures with an open invitation to every school across NSW. Hundreds joined lectures on Storytelling in Science Education (Dr Alison Gates), Philosophy of Science (Dr Matthew Hill), and for the first time in 2021 a talkback-style panel reviewing student project ideas (Dr Terena Holdaway-Clarke, Dr Alison Gates and Dr Matthew Hill). The Barker staff have also been involved in running training sessions for teachers through the Association of Independent Schools. Barker students recognised on the highest stage

Academic journal and magazines feature articles from university researchers with many years of study and research experience. According to the Australian Institute of Physics, Barker College Year 12 student (and 2021 Barker Vice Captain) Harry Breden’s research meets this standard. Harry’s research into “The Boundary of Chaos: An Investigation into the Length Ratio Dependent Chaotic Dynamics of a Planar Double Pendulum” will be published in the OctoberDecember edition of Australian Physics. Scientific publication while at high school is a great honour and a testament to Harry’s intelligence, creativity, and tenacity in the discipline of science, as well as to the amazing opportunities for Barker students through studying Science.

Dr Matthew Hill Director of the Barker Institute and Science Teacher

Sports Science

The Strength & Conditioning Department at Barker College is made up of several components.

Our first and foremost is that the Strength & Conditioning Department provides an inclusive training space for the students at Barker. At the beginning of each term, the Strength & Conditioning Department releases a training timetable that caters for every student from Year 7 to Year 12, providing opportunities to train for sport or just for fun. Another component of the Strength & Conditioning Department is the sport science side of training, which is headed up by our resident sport scientist Andrew Smith. Barker is fortunate to be one of the only schools in NSW to have a full-time sport scientist working within the School. Within sport, the use of sport science assists coaches in decision-making to ensure that not only are our teams training effectively, but also training safely. Through the use of wellness questionnaires, training questionnaires, GPS units, and much more, coaches and Strength & Conditioning staff are getting an in-depth and highquality insight into how the students are going. Outside of sport, sport science is heavily involved with the PDHPE Department of the School. Throughout the year, students have the opportunity to experience and even get hands on with technology such as speed gates, GPS units and linear positional transducers within their PDHPE classes. Additionally, training and movement data that is accrued as a student trains can be utilised to provide the Strength & Conditioning Department with an insight into physical literacy trends at the School.

Sandro Clarke Strength & Conditioning High Performance Coordinator

Fostering a Love of The Game

Barker Sport aims to provide enjoyable experiences for all students across all sports.

A sense of belonging is important, as is an environment that challenges students of all abilities. Our programs cater for beginners and high performing athletes alike. This year, two of our departing Year 12 students will be joining the professional sporting ranks on fulltime contracts. Barker Rugby Captain, Ned Slack-Smith, will be moving to Perth to join the Western Force on a two-year contract. The first year will see Ned join the Academy ranks where he will learn about the professional game and lifestyle and hopefully develop his already impressive Rugby skills and overall athletic potential. In the second year he will join the wider senior program and look to make his way into the Super Rugby squad. Ned will be studying a Bachelor of Business online during this time. When asked about his Barker experience, Ned commented, “Barker has helped me not only with their amazing Rugby program and coaching, but also fostered my love for the game and provided mentors to help me get to where I am today.” Ned was selected in the NSW Rugby Gen Blue U18 Squad this year, but unfortunately the pathway was cut short due to COVID-19. Georgie Fowler has signed a one-year deal with the Greater Western Sydney Giants AFL squad. Currently in pre-season training, Georgie is looking forward to Round 1 of the 10-week competition beginning early January. She has an interest in sport science and exercise physiology and will be taking a year off from studying to concentrate on developing her game for long term success in the professional ranks. Georgie notes, “Barker has been imperative to the success of my footy, in particular the Barker Strength and Conditioning team. The staff are extremely good at what they do and provided a supportive environment, unique programs specific to the goals I had on and off the field and created a welcoming culture for everyone around.” Georgie also played Rugby 7s for Barker and attributes her attitude and mindset as an athlete to the program, as well as allowing her to just have fun and enjoy sport without the pressures of performing. “Barker as a whole has played its role in fostering maturity on and off the field and without the support from the School and the community, I’m not sure I would have the opportunities I do now, for which I am extremely grateful and forever indebted.”

Adam Watson Director of Sport - Operations

Designing for Future Generations

At Hornsby BMW we see design as an integral part of daily life. Architecture, vehicles, and even the future can be designed to be sustainable.

The goal of sustainable design is to not only meet our needs, but more importantly, the needs of future generations. It's about building a better future by eliminating negative environmental impacts, minimising waste, creating healthy environments, and reducing the consumption of non-renewable resources. Both the award-winning Rosewood Centre at Barker and our BMW dealership have implemented sustainable design with great success. The Rosewood Centre is a showcase of sustainable thinking, featuring ample natural light, mixed-mode ventilation, water-efficient appliances, and rainwater irrigation. The space also contributes to a significant reduction in the School's carbon footprint with over 500 photovoltaic panels on the roof and charge points for electric vehicles. Likewise, at Hornsby BMW, we have five EV charging stations within our facility and another three stations planned. We are also collaborating with Hornsby Council to convert our power box into a public charging station. These innovations are part of our all-encompassing approach to sustainability which includes an everexpanding range of electric vehicles, such as the upcoming BMW iX3, BMW iX and BMW i4. Ready to test-drive soon, the BMW iX is spearheading areas of electromobility. It provides the joy of emission-free driving combined with electric all-wheel drive, exceptional range, and powerful acceleration from a standstill. The design goal of this visionary vehicle was to achieve a rate of 100% recycled materials or 100% recyclability. In addition to bio-based and certified raw materials, secondary materials that have already passed through a product life cycle are used. This applies to the solid-state battery too; it is 100% recyclable and made from mostly recycled materials. The principles of sustainability also carry through to our facility and services. Natural light is maximised throughout our whole building, and recycled water is used for our gardens, bathrooms and for cleaning our cars. Designing for sustainability is not new, but as more people become aware of the effects of climate change, it becomes more critical. Society is making a push towards sustainability in all aspects of life. We are proud to be considered, along with Barker, as front runners in the sustainability movement with the adoption of new attitudes and technologies – the Rosewood Centre and Hornsby BMW are superb examples of what can be achieved. We invite you to join us in our drive toward sustainability. To be one of the first to experience the future of luxury electromobility, please register your interest with us: barker@hornsbybmw.com.au Barker is grateful for the support provided by Hornsby BMW of the School's Sports program.

Barker College Parents’ Association

A message from the BCPA

On behalf of the parents of the School, we organised a cookie care package to be sent to each Year 12 student to send them our support through what was a very difficult time for them leading up to the Trial exams along with this message.

We know the last few weeks have been tough.

So here is a little gift from everyone at the BCPA to say we are thinking of you all.

We hope you enjoy and our very best wishes for the future which is bright.

Barker College Parents’ Association

At our AGM in September the following Executive committee was re-elected: President: Warren Davis Vice-President: Michele Biet Secretary: Karen Gilbert Treasurer: Kris White Class Parent Coordinator: Deanne Uy Class Parent Coordinator: Suzanne Gibson Whilst the recent lockdown prevented us from going ahead with events and gatherings, we are now excited about focusing on a bright future and an exciting 2022. There is much to look forward to including: • BCPA Welcome, Inside the Mint Gates

Friday 19 February • Welcome Morning tea – Senior School

Friday 25 February • Welcome Morning tea – Middle School

Friday 4 March • Welcome Morning tea – Junior School

Friday 11 March • New Parent Dinner

Tuesday 15 March • Trivia Night

Saturday 14 May • Spring Fair

Saturday 17 September • Volunteers Afternoon Tea

Friday 21 October • BCPA Christmas Lunch

Friday 25 October

Warren Davis BCPA President

Central Australia Safaris

Ian Campbell was initially a Science and Geology teacher at Barker for just two terms in 1955, but his keen interest in the great outdoors meant that in that short time he attended the Cadet camp at Singleton and commenced a bushwalking group.

Upon returning to Barker in 1964, Mr Campbell joined the Cadet Unit, reestablished the Bushwalking Club and arranged for students across the School to travel to unfamiliar places with magnificent scenery, including Central Australia, New Zealand and Nepal. In his 25 years of teaching service to Barker, Ian Campbell ran over 150 camps including 15 ‘safari style’ major expeditions, open to all boys in the Secondary School, with these eventually becoming known as Adventure Country expeditions. Adventure Country’s tours to Central Australia were at a time when air travel was expensive so three-week trips with the husband and wife owned bus company Sundowner Tours, were arranged with students experiencing a true outback experience. “We were delayed for a day at Granite Downs Station while Mr Hand, Mr Campbell and Mr Hayman and a few of the boys repaired the clutch of the bus, which had broken down in the middle of the Stony Desert…. On the way out to the Rock we lost safari member Drury Heath, who was flown by flying doctor to Alice Springs, because of what turned out to be an attack of German measles and an appendix which had to be removed” The College Barker, 1964, p.41. In 1989, after nine successful tours to Central Australia with Mr and Mrs Hand of Sundowner Tours, Barker College guided by Ian Campbell in his retiring teaching year, purchased The Grange at Mount Victoria and established the Outdoor Education program which continues at the School today. In 1991, Ian returned to Barker as the Alumni Liaison Officer, a role he held until his second, and final retirement in 2013.

Jackie Rossington Assistant Archivist

Towards a Culture of Giving

Barker’s history is full of generous acts of giving and community fundraising efforts. It is the generous benefactors over the course of Barker’s history and across generations, along with those who actively support the growth of philanthropy today, who contribute to the ongoing development of the School. Reaching any philanthropic goals requires unprecedented generosity and support from the entire Barker community including families, alumni and staff. Accomplishing these goals, will continue to advance Barker College to new levels of excellence. The Foundation’s role is to work with the School to ensure the fabric of Barker stays strong now and in the future. The Foundation of Barker College firmly believes that fostering a culture of giving in the Barker Community is fundamental in making Barker the vibrant and dynamic community our students engage in and are inspired by each day. There are different opportunities to support the School and its initiatives including: Named Scholarships Named scholarships that will encourage a tradition of scholarships funded by the Barker community in areas of specific interest e.g. sport, academic, Indigenous, that align with the School’s values. Master Plan To accommodate population growth and increased demand, Barker is preparing a master plan that focuses on the needs of students of Barker today, whilst building with the future in mind. Bequest Program A bequest program is a gift in a will that supports the provision and ongoing enhancement of the educational opportunities provided at Barker for all students. Indigenous Education A practical two-way reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, based on education and on a dream that will close the gap between Indigenous learners and non-Indigenous learners and based on the celebration of aboriginal identity and cultural experience. Our focus is to support Junior School aged students ‘on country’ and support Secondary School aged students with scholarships to attend Barker. Please consider supporting the Foundation’s initiatives through termly giving or through the Barker website: www.barker.nsw.edu.au. If you would like more information about the work of the Foundation please email foundation@barker.nsw. edu.au or visit the Barker website: www.barker.nsw. edu.au.

John Slack-Smith Foundation Chair

Inside this issue 51 OBA President 52 Life Beyond Barker 58 54 OBA Groups 59 Community Events 60 Personal Notes 62 Community Chaplain 63 Obituaries

Old Barker Association Contacts

email: oba@barker.nsw.edu.au (Please note that the number in brackets after a name is the graduating year) President Angus Abadee (07) 0433 108 525

Honorary Vice-President Emily Tutt (09) 0426 751 165

Honorary Treasurer Andrew Hassall (86) 0412 610 434

Assistant Honorary Treasurer Benjamin Ho (09) Honorary Secretary Josh Grace (90) Assistant Honorary Secretary Anna Sutton (05) General Committee Vanessa Bennett (91) Georgia Breckenridge (18) Gemma Dywer (Davies 09) Declan Flaherty (16) Anthony Hearne (90) Jenny Kalaf (Melville 78) Lachie Lloyd (18) Nominees to School Council Michael Brodie (79) Tony Gamson (78) David Trayner (84) OBA Ambassador Chris Russell (70) OBA Annual Patron Sandy Hollway (64) OBA Seniors Contact Ian Pont (63) oba@barker.nsw.edu.au

OBA Support for Life https://landing.mymirror.com.au/old-barkerassociation

Talk to an online psychologist today

Old Barker Association is supporting you with 3 sessions with My Mirror online psychologist. School Contacts

Alumni and Community Karina Drummond (02) 8438 7283 kdrummond@barker.nsw.edu.au Archives Rachel Byrne Jackie Rossington (02) 8438 7291 archives@barker.nsw.edu.au

Interstate and International Barker Contacts

Adelaide Lane Hinchcliffe (00) 0412 130 935 (m) lane@lkggroup.com.au Brisbane Andrew Wilkie (01) 0412 779 383 (m) andrew.wilkie@morgans.com.au Canberra Andrew McColl (74) 0422 985 281(m) as.mccoll@icloud.com Melbourne Murray Anderson (65) 0457 000 407 (m) murray@capricorngroup.net.au Newcastle Nicholas Bedggood (88) 0410 565 101 (m) nickbedggood@yahoo.com.au Northern Rivers Jim Poulos (61) 0413 087 412 pamio@bigpond.net.au Perth Gus Elliot (92) 0416 298 774 (m) gus.elliot14@gmail.com

Contributions Welcome Please send contributions to Alumni and Community Relations, 91 Pacific Highway, Hornsby NSW 2077 or community@barker.nsw.edu.au.

For further information please contact Alumni and Community Relations on 8438 7283. Personal notes are published in good faith, as a service to the Barker Community.

Sunshine Coast Phil Benjamin (61) pandj.benjamin@bigpond.com Upper Hunter Charles Cooke (65) (02) 6545 8141 (w) charles_cooke@esat.net.au Canada, Ontario George Darling (70) gdarling@sandstormgold.com Hong Kong Vacant

Japan Carl Bastian (93) carl@rwo.okinawa Middle East David Baker (85) +965 9950 1657 drwbaker2002@yahoo.co.uk New Zealand Michelle McLachlan (Dooley 96) +64 27 838 7838 mmclachlan@trustwave.com Oceania (Fiji) Neil Underhill (75) (679) 336 3968 (w) neilunderhill@connect.com.fj Papua New Guinea Johnson Kalo (83) (675) 305 6703 (w) jhnsnka03@gmail.com Philippines Steven Robinson (77) steve.robinson@dfat.gov.au Singapore Carly Switzer (94) carlyswitzer@yahoo.com.au UK, London Annette French (Slattery 88) (44) 1732 382 281 (h) annette.e.french@sky.com USA, East Coast New York Alex Skellet (94) (917) 251 3361 (h) alexandraskellet@gmail.com USA, West Coast Phoenix, Arizona Digby Cook (56) (623) 523 4321 (h) digbyhcook@gmail.com