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TRINITY TODAY 40 OBITUARIES JOHN KING NIXON (TC 1954) 18 July 1935 – 11 March 2021 John attended Geelong Grammar School where he played cricket, sang in the chapel choir and was on the debating team. In 1954, he began his law degree at the University of Melbourne, graduating in 1957. He was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship and won the FL Armytage Scholarship for residence at Trinity. He was joined there by his Geelong Grammar mate Tim Murray, with whom he would ‘wive’ in Behan, and law students John Batt, Adrian Smithers and Clive Tadgell, all of whom went on to become judges. John represented the College on the tennis and squash teams, and in his final year was vice-captain of tennis and captain of squash, winning all his matches except for a couple of doubles games. He was awarded a ‘University blue’ for squash and a half blue for tennis. He also excelled academically, winning the Law School’s Jessie Leggatt Scholarship for Contracts in 1956. John completed Articles in 1958 and was admitted to practise in 1959, reading with Basil Murray and John Mornane and establishing himself in the field of common law. He was soon called to the bar. He was appointed a Judge of the County Court in 1981 and served for 29 years, the last three as a Reserve Judge. He also acted as chairman of the Racing Appeals Tribunal for much of that period. Following his retirement in 2010, John served as a senior member of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). At his retirement, Justice Forrest noted John’s ‘courteous, fair and incisive qualities’ and his ability to ‘appreciate that many had traversed a difficult road before appearing before him in court’. John married Elizabeth Hawdon in 1959 and they had four children.
(ADAM) BOYD MUNRO (TC 1961) 12 June 1942 – 13 March 2021
Known as ‘The Captain’ for his exploits in the air, Boyd had a large personality and fierce determination. Whether competing in an air race, presiding in a boardroom or negotiating with government regulators, he was fearless and passionate about everything he took on. Boyd studied mathematics at the University of Melbourne, entering Trinity in 1961. At College, he rowed in the 2nd VIII and was on the swimming team. His daring nature and love of flight manifested early. In 1962, an Ansett helicopter landed on the Bulpadock during Juttoddie and the favourite to win was kidnapped in the arms of “secret agent” Munro. The scene was recreated for the Juttoddie’s 30th anniversary in 1992, with Boyd present. On graduation, Boyd joined IBM. Having offered his employer an input spooling solution for IBM’s mainframe computers and been rebuffed, he left for London in 1969 where he joined Hawker Siddeley, manufacturer of aircraft and railway locomotives. With Peter Hargrave, Boyd formed Software Design, Inc (SDI), developing and marketing his
product, now called GRASP, which was one of the first global, independent successes in the industry. In 1973, Boyd established the company’s base in Bermuda, but always maintained strong links to Australia. He had land at Wards Mistake Station near Guyra in northern NSW, and ran his own train, transporting cargo and hauling heritage passenger carriages. As president of the Association for the Protection of Users of Mobile Phones (APUMP), he argued against the premature shutdown of the analogue phone network in 1999, especially in rural areas where no satisfactory alternative had been provided. Boyd is remembered most for his many flying exploits, holding the speed record for London to Milan set in 1979, winning the inaugural Paris-New York-Paris race in 1981, and taking out the Singapore to Christchurch race in 1987 to claim a Tiger Moth as a prize, though not before winning a legal challenge brought by the organisers. He flew his prize to Sydney, flying under the Harbour Bridge without permission, but claiming a trans-Tasman single-engine record. He was president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Australia (AOPA) and, in 2000, established the lobby group Air Safety Australia, representing it at senate hearings on rural transport. He was instrumental in gaining approval from regulators for aircraft to carry portable emergency locator transmitters. Boyd married twice and had five children, one of whom, Thomas, entered Trinity in 1990. With his wife Jo Ann, Boyd bought Orchil Castle, a country house near Gleneagles in Scotland, living there for 13 years while renovating it to its former glory before returning to Australia in 2016. Boyd was a generous donor to the College and his gifts enabled the founding of the David Wells Scholarship.
BELINDA CHU-FONG WONG-BARKER (TC 1995) 17 June 1977 – 5 March 2021
Belinda was born in London, the only child of Kingsley Wong – a doctor working at Hammersmith Hospital – and his wife, Maria. When Belinda was three years old, she and her family moved to Hong Kong, where she was educated at King George V School. At age 14, she became a boarder at Methodist Ladies’ College (MLC) in Melbourne. She was school accompanist and attained her Royal School of Music Advanced Certificate in piano. Belinda entered Trinity in 1994, studying combined commerce and science degrees, having been advised by her father not to study music. She did, however, join the Trinity choir and a College singing group, performing in musicals and serving as treasurer for the College chamber orchestra. Belinda was assistant musical director on the 1996 College production of Bye Bye Birdie, editor of the College Bulletin in 1997 and a member of the choir on its first overseas tour in 1998. Music was also a big part of Belinda’s life after College. She joined the early-music chamber choir Ensemble Gombert in 2004, becoming president in 2015. She also sang regularly with the Melbourne Chorale Ensemble, Consort of Melbourne, St John’s Toorak and St John’s Southgate Bach Choir and Melbourne Octet. Belinda was a member of the board of the Australian International Opera Awards and was active on her local primary school P&C committee.
