It's great to be able to post another couple of interesting BIOs.
WARNING: Don't miss out on those earlier BIOs and photos. You only get to see recent ones on this first page. You need to scroll down to the
very end of this web page and click on the words "Older Post" at the
very bottom right, and keep clicking on "Older Post" until you've read them all!!!
The first one up in today's posting is from Toss Gascoigne:
It's a
very challenging task, writing bio notes for a school reunion. Almost as
challenging as trying to lose 5 kg and grow more hair so you don't look the
oldest, the fattest and most decrepit of the class of 62: it's a competitive
world out there.
I'm going
to pick out a few career highlights.
First I
was a bus driver in Cambridge in the UK. My girlfriend was doing a PhD, I
needed a job, and became the driver of red double decker busses. In a four
month career, I hit:
a. a Humber Super Snipe,
b. a large road sign pointing the
way to London,
c. a student from Oklahoma (he'd
arrived in England the day before and looked the wrong way); and
d. knocked out my conductor (long
story).
At least
the student got a free bus ride back to his college, and a good story to send
home on a postcard: "Dear Mum. Arrived safely. Have settled in. Today run
over by red double-decker but am ok."
Then I
stood as an ALP candidate in the State elections in Tasmania, "the new
face in Tasmanian politics". Apparently I was not new enough, failing to
win although it was a close call. This was probably a merciful release, because
I discovered what a rotten job it was to go round knocking on people's doors to
solicit votes.
Then a
modest success: joining CSIRO and publicising a story on measuring methane
emissions from cows. Why would anyone want to do that? The media was interested
and that sort-of launched an unexpected career sideline in training scientists
to publicise their work.
There was
a stint as a lobbyist for researchers. That has to be another failure (but a
noble one): we failed to persuade Governments of both persuasions to invest the
sort of money in science and research that Australia needs.
An
enduring failure over 40 years is a complete inability to grow lemons, either
in Hobart or Canberra. My wife says it's something to do with the quality of
the urine which I thought lemon trees loved. Suggestions and advice welcome.
To finish off today's posting we have a BIO from Tony Preston-Stanley:
After finally completing the leaving certificate at Telopea
Park in 1964, I went first to Wagga Agricultural College then in early 1966 to
Kapooka Army base for the start of what turned out to be a brief and inglorious
career in the Army. Numerous inconsequential
jobs followed, including in the agricultural, transport and mineral exploration
industries in various parts of Australia before an accident led me into the
Australian Public Service. I remained
there for an unexpected number of years, acquiring a couple of degrees and
moving around several agencies, a Ministerial office, and a posting overseas
among other things. I resigned shortly
before my 55th birthday to take up another career as a Consultant in
what have become known as “post conflict” countries, although in most of them
the war continues. First up was a job
as Minister for Finance in Kosovo until they found a real one a couple of years
later.
This last career has taken me to other such attractive
places as, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Palestine, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, the
Philippines and Montenegro to advise on arcane aspects of institution building
and better government. My current areas
of interest are centre of government improvement and the improvement of
education in societies in conflict and I am a professional associate at the ANZ
School of Governance.
I remain married to my first wife and we have two adult
children and two young grandchildren. We live variously in Canberra, Malua Bay
and an off road caravan when not bringing order and better schools to failed
states or travelling to the World Interhash in some other exotic location.
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