Farewell Christopher Daunt Watney

MS ELIZABETH STONE PRINCIPAL

Mr Daunt Watney grew up in Africa, was sent to boarding school in England at a young age, and eventually made his way to Australia. He began his career as a journalist and theatre critic where he was paid by the word – which only encouraged his natural instinct to explore the outer limits of the English vocabulary. It has not been hard to tell which notices and policies are the fruits of his labour – words such as ‘opprobrium’, ‘infelicitous’ or ‘cartilage adornment’ (for excessive piercings) are not just a linguistic delight but a dead giveaway! Ever the English teacher, he knows more poetry by heart than most of us have ever read and will launch into The Canterbury Tales in the original Middle English at surprising moments.

Having served in senior positions in leading schools in Sydney and New South Wales, he first took on Headship at Redlands in 2002 and then went on to lead Trinity Anglican School in Cairns. After 13 years of Headship, he was ready to return to Sydney and also to return to a role that brought him closer to the daily life of students, and it was our great good fortune that he agreed in 2016 to step into the role of Deputy Principal of Queenwood.

His exceptional service in this role is well known to you all. He has brought energy, insight and astute judgment to his oversight of the daily life of the School. He has brought all his years of experience to our strategic work and, perhaps most visibly, he has overseen the pastoral care of the Senior School girls with untold patience, deep wisdom and immense compassion. At the core of a school is its care for students, and Mr Daunt Watney’s contribution has set an example for us all.

On a personal note, it has been my great pleasure to begin almost every day with a quiet chat with Mr Daunt Watney. We have shared ideas, frustrations, insights, current affairs and distant visions. He is a scholar and a gentleman, and a dear and cherished friend. For the last few months, however, he has been sharing with anyone who will listen the demonstration video of his camper trailer in which he plans to set off with his wife, Annabel, to explore this great continent. We thank him for the tremendous legacy he leaves in the lives of our students and wish him all the very best for the future. •