Obituaries

Douglas John Howard (1961)

7 September 1943 – 15 May 2021

Father to James (1987) and grandfather to Carson (2020) and Tim (Year 10).

Past Staff

We were saddened to learn of the passing of Maureen McDermott on March 21 2021, an Art/Craft teacher in the Junior School during the late 70s and early 80s, and Virginia Weekes, a visiting Music teacher.

Gordon Wilson

11 March 1956 – 12 May 2021

Recently, the Camberwell Grammar community received the sad and unexpected news that our Head of Science, Gordon Wilson had suddenly passed away with a suspected heart attack. I consider myself fortunate to have worked with Gordon for 17 of his 32 years at Camberwell Grammar. Throughout this time, it quickly became evident that he had the experience and knowledge of an established teacher combined with the energy, passion and enthusiasm of a new first-year-out teacher. It is these very qualities that have enabled Camberwell Grammar to not only increase participation in VCE Science subjects, often in contrast to a state-wide decrease, but also ensured students consistently achieved high VCE scores in Biology, Physics and Chemistry. Gordon’s ability to use visual elements to promote an interest in science will remain evident in the Department for many years to come. The design and layout of the science labs, complete with colourful posters, and the countless unit booklets and PowerPoints he created all bear the hallmarks of his passion and provide a rich legacy of resources, which Gordon was always proud to share with his colleagues. Even people outside the Department were invited to marvel in the wonders of science, with Gordon’s ambitious project of creating a high-quality scientific display cabinet to provide a visual interface between the corridor and the teaching labs. No stone was left unturned in the pursuit of creating the best possible displays and professional advice was sought from several experts to produce a final product which became a highlight of School tours for many prospective students and their families. Gordon further developed his command and knowledge of Chemistry as a co-author of the popular Heinemann VCE textbook and a regular marker of VCE examination papers. However, his passion for chemistry was on display for all when he combined theatre with experiments. Music, lights and often unpredictable experiments were all cleverly choreographed together with the magic ingredient of student involvement to create a unique spectacular performance. These were often performed at Open Days or Chemistry Conferences and the focus was always on maximising student participation. Gordon was an avid hiker and a keen explorer and, in more recent times, was instrumental in establishing two exciting overseas excursions to further push the boundaries of student engagement with science. Students who were lucky enough to attend Space Camp in the USA participated in an intensive and immersive educational experience combining real-world applications of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. However, Gordon’s energy and enthusiasm also saw him pioneer a more ambitious journey for students to explore the many species on the Galápagos Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage Centre made famous by Charles Darwin and pivotal in developing the current theory of evolution. Regardless of the type or nature of these school excursions, students were never passengers, as they were required to engage and fully immerse themselves in the experience.

As a father of five children, Gordon was more than adept at forming strong relationships with his tutees in his Bridgeland House tutor group. He took the time to engage each tutee and he knew them well. He was interested in their extra-curricular interests and, given his own broad interest range and curiosity, it was never difficult to find mutual connections. Gordon always looked for opportunities to provide praise and he encouraged their growth and development through their senior years at school. He fostered a strong sense of belonging within his Tutor Group. Gordon also knew the fine line between when to be direct with students or even parents, but equally, would also not hesitate to advocate on behalf of his tutees should the need arise.

Gordon’s love of learning was not just contained to the classroom. He enthusiastically embraced learning languages, was interested in graphic design and photography and was always eager to learn new skills. He aimed high and sought advice to improve his outcomes and regularly reflected on how his learning was progressing. His natural curiosity and desire to expand his knowledge and horizons was particularly on display during his ‘mature-age gap year’ when, accompanied by his wife and their youngest daughter, he lived and worked in the UK. During this time, Gordon planned action-packed weekends and holidays full of visits to historical places, national parks, museums, galleries and famous European cities. During these visits, he was always on the lookout for resources he could bring back to CGS. As a further reminder and also evidence that science is everpresent, later in the afternoon at Camberwell Grammar after Gordon’s funeral, a vivid rainbow illuminated the horizon, only to be outdone the next day with the rare astronomical event of the blood moon visible to all across the Melbourne night sky. Perhaps this was one of the many opportunities for all of us to value the natural world and marvel in the wonders of science. I know that Gordon would have.

Mr Jack Smith

Chemistry and Science Teacher