Obituaries FROM PREFECT TO MINISTER From a Prefect at The Terrace in 1949 to Western Australia's Education Minister in 1982, Jim Clarko – who died suddenly on 7 April, aged 87 – never let the grass grow under his feet. Even after retiring from politics in 1996, after almost four years as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Jim continued his community involvement, including becoming patron or vice-patron of diverse recreational and sporting organisations. Jim was one of ten College Prefects in his Leaving year before embarking on an initial career in education. He graduated with a BA and DipEd from the University of Western Australia and lectured in history and politics.
In a change of direction in 1974, he was elected to State Parliament as the Liberal Party Member for Karrinyup, which he represented for 15 years. After a redistribution of boundaries, the seat was abolished and Jim was returned for the new Marmion electorate which he represented for the next seven years. His commitment to helping young people become better equipped for life's challenges was rewarded in 1982 when then Premier, Ray O'Connor, appointed him Minister for Education. When Richard Court's coalition government was elected in 1993, Jim was appointed Assembly Speaker, a post he held until his retirement in 1996. But he remained active, including as patron of both the German Shepherd Dog Association and the North Beach Football Club, and vice patron – for 22 years – of the Claremont Football Club.
At Claremont he renewed acquaintances with John O'Connell, 1949 Terrace Head Prefect, who served as Club President at Claremont Football Club after a distinguished playing career with both the ‘Monts’ and Geelong. In a tribute in The West Australian, John described his old classmate as "an outstanding citizen of integrity, strong character and high moral values". Jim also became a Member of the Order of Australia in 2006 for services to the WA Parliament and community of the City of Stirling. The College offers its sincere condolences to Jim's wife Edith, daughters Fiona, Julie and Lisa and their families, including seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Peter Kennedy (’59)
GOLD PLATED CONTRIBUTOR Peter Lalor (’59), who started at The Terrace in Grade 5 in 1953 and was later a driving force in the revival of Western Australia's gold industry, died on 5 April 2020 after a battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was aged 78. Peter was a popular student, a competitive handballer and an active member of the College's underage football teams coached by Brother Rod Doyle. His classmates also soon learnt that he was a valuable source of very good football intelligence. Peter was a second-generation Lalor at The Terrace and his father, Jack, was chairman of selectors at the East Perth Football Club during the club's ‘golden years’ (1956–61). Peter would tell us during intense discussions about the next round of matches how one of the club's promising players – who had been a dinner guest at the Lalor’s during the week – believed the Royals could win. We took more notice of
Peter when it emerged that the player was Graham (Polly) Farmer, the ruckman who would go on to win just about every major football award that counted. Other dinner guests at the Lalor’s included Polly's teammates, Sandover Medallist Ted Kilmurray and key player, Jack Hunt. Polly coached Peter when he played with East Perth's Thirds team. Unlike his older brother Jim (’54), who had been Head Prefect and Dux in 1954, Peter left school after the Junior Certificate year and joined the Rural and Industries Bank (now Bankwest). He also attended Leederville Technical College to qualify to enter the University of WA. Coincidentally he and his younger brother Chris (’62), who had also made his mark at The Terrace and then Trinity – Chris was College Dux in 1962 – both enrolled to study law at UWA in 1963. After graduating, Peter joined the legal firm, Lavan and Walsh, and soon was admitted as a partner. In 1981, he and Chris formed their own partnership and two years later got serious about emulating one of their famous forebears – Peter Lalor of Eureka Stockade fame – by floating Sons of Gwalia NL on the stock exchange to mine gold. At one stage the company was Australia's third
biggest gold producer and controlled one third of the world's tantalum. Peter was an inaugural director of the World Gold Council, President of the WA Chamber of Minerals and Energy and a Director of Gold Corporation. He was also closely involved in the arts – including film and ballet – and chaired the steering committee to help establish the Edmund Rice Centre for Social Justice at the University of Notre Dame Australia. The extensive Lalor family involvement at The Terrace also included their mother Marie, who found time to coordinate the daily mothers' roster for the college's well-stocked – and lucrative – Tuckshop. In her ‘spare time’ Marie also ran the East Perth players' lunches at Perth Oval. Peter is survived by his wife Diana, sons Morgan and Shane, brothers Jim (who lives in Melbourne) and Chris, sisters Kathy and Pauline (older sister Maureen has died), and 17 nieces and nephews. The College extends sincere sympathy to the Lalor family on their sad loss and acknowledges their wonderful contribution to both The Terrace and Trinity. Peter Kennedy a 1959 Leaving Classmate
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