Adventures outside RGS gates Henry Norman Armstrong (RGS 1924) followed education pursuits to the Torres Strait Islands after leaving school Researching the School’s past student records for family enquiries can lead to some fascinating stories. Simply finding a record of a name and date of enrolment can lead to a treasure of photographic memories and fascinating stories from family members, both from that past student’s school days and their life beyond the gates of The Rockhampton Grammar School. Henry “Norm” Norman Armstrong is one such past student. A boarder from “Targinnie” Station, near Yarwun, Norm arrived at RGS on 19 July 1920 and finished school in December 1924. Norm’s family had long connections to the Rockhampton region. His father, Henry Armstrong was head stockman on the station which was owned then by the Archer brothers from Gracemere. His grandfather, James Armstrong arrived in Rockhampton in 1864 on the “Bayswater” and worked for the Archer family for 44 years. He ran their dairy farm, “Matcham Farm”, for 28 years out of his 44 years service. At School, Norm performed strongly both academically and in sport. A School Prefect, Norm was also on the School Magazine committee and was captain of the Football Committee. In the sporting arena he was the stroke in rowing, captained the football team, was in cadets and the Rockhampton Miniature Rifle Club. In 1923 Norm Armstrong was presented with the “Kingel Memorial Prize”. An article from The Morning Bulletin Friday 14 December 1923 explains the awards: “1923 will be remembered as the year in which two permanent prizes were established; one by Mrs Kingel as a memorial of her son Eric who gave his live in the Great War at Messines, France 1916 and the other by Old Boys, contemporary with John Denis Fryer, who died at Springsure early in this year as a result of gas poisoning during his war service the Fryer Prize.” Norm was a member of the 42nd Battalion “11th Mixed Brigade” from 1924, as a Cadet, and then resigned in 1929 as a Lieutenant. Competing in the Rockhampton Miniature Rifle Club, his men’s team won the championship in 1927, his future wife won the ladies championship in 1929 and 1930. Life after Rockhampton would lead Norm to the Torres Strait Islands. He went to Saibai Island to work at the end of 1928, where he was the only white person on the island at the time, where Norm was an administrator/ teacher for the “Department of Native Affairs”. During the Christmas break he would return to Rockhampton and catch up with friends and family. In July 1930 he moved from Saibai Island to Mua Island and worked at an old settlement
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called Poid (no longer there). He was again in charge of the school and administration. He married Edna Dunning, from a Yarwun and Rockhampton family, on Thursday Island in September 1930. The family grew with three children being born in the Torres Straits. In 1936 the family moved to Brisbane. Norm submitted an article to the RGS Capricornus Yearbook in 1929 outlining his experiences in the Torres Strait. For years after attending The Rockhampton Grammar School he was still involved with the “Old Grammarians” when his family visited Rockhampton, he would attend luncheons held at Kirby’s Café. Henry “Norm” Norman Armstrong passed away on 26 June 1957 leaving behind a family of two boys and two girls.
Thank you to Michelle Wheeler, one of “Norm’s” granddaughters’, for providing this historical background on Henry Norman Armstrong.
