People
Head of Admissions Cindy Wockner It was a long-held family dream of owning our own acreage so we could walk out the front door to our horses. It was the catalyst that prompted our move from the city to the country. Trawling through real estate sites one day late in 2021, I spied a property near Withcott that ticked all the boxes – land, horse paddocks, a show jumping arena, sheds, stables and somewhere to live. So, in a whirlwind of decision making, we made an offer, sold our house in Brisbane, packed up our horses and our cat and, just days before Christmas, moved into our dream property.
It was a true “tree change” for us all. I worked for more than 30 years as a journalist, including as a foreign correspondent in Indonesia and Africa, covering some of the world’s biggest stories, including the Bali terrorist bombings, the Boxing Day Asian tsunami, the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine, and the arrest and execution of the Bali Nine in Indonesia, along with the arrest and trial of Schapelle Corby in Bali. I have also authored three non-fiction books – “Evil in the Suburbs”, about a series of racially motivated crimes in Sydney; “Bali 9, The Untold Story”, about the arrest of nine Australians on drug trafficking charges in Bali, coauthored with Madonna King; and “The Pastor and the Painter”, about the lives of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, Bali 9 members executed in Indonesia. My husband, Chris, a Scottish native, had spent his working life in the British diplomatic service. Our son Tom, born while we were in Indonesia, had lived there and in Africa and Brisbane. But the Toowoomba region was not unfamiliar. I grew up on a farm at Brymaroo, northwest of Toowoomba, with my two brothers and my mother, who is now living in Toowoomba.
As 2022 dawned and we settled into our new home, it felt right to embark on a new career. When I saw the Toowoomba Grammar School’s Head of Admissions role advertised, I knew I had many valuable skills to bring to the role, having spent my working life building relationships, and analysing and sharing information. I was also familiar with TGS. My late father Thurlow attended in 1945, and my grandfather, Harold Wockner, was a student in 1913 and beyond. My uncle had been a student, my three nephews are present and past students, and my son was already enrolled to attend when we moved. When I learned that I was the successful candidate for the role, I smiled for days. I couldn’t believe I was so lucky. It’s an exciting challenge, and I have always believed that life is about challenging ourselves and stepping outside our comfort zone. I feel enormously privileged to be working at such a beautiful and historic school which has one of its core goals as developing young men of good character. I have always believed that one of the most important attributes we can instil in our children is kindness. I look forward to meeting both new and current families, along with our Old Boys, as I navigate my way through the next phase of my working life.
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