We are still receiving BIOs and that is really exciting and interesting.

In this posting the first one is from Ruth Whitrod Blackburn:

About me - my parents thought I would make a good preschool teacher. They were right, of course, but first I went nursing at the Royal Canberra Hospital along with Marg Davies.  Keith and I married. We have three kids, all of whom oddly, have careers in Science. We have travelled a great deal, perhaps too much. We lived in Kabul, then Manila. Later we went to Kiev and Kuwait. At different points along the way, I was a child care director.  Because of the demands of this work, I felt the need for counseling qualifications which led naturally to a degree in Social Welfare, completed primarily externally. I am aware of the strongly radicalizing effect of Uni. Currently I manage a drop in centre and my interest in the needs of the marginalized is strong. We have primarily resettled in Canberra where I am happy although I should admit to the fact that one of us is chronically restless.

In addition, I need to mention that as a consequence of all this travel, I encountered several of my old school buddies in weird and unexpected locations such as Sally in a department store in Beijing and, less weird, Rory in Adelaide. Then there was that male person whose name I have forgotten, sorry, on a remote Greek border crossing in the late seventies (Macedonia/Yugoslavia). Enid Watson should be pleased with me. I have dabbled in four or five languages. My Russian is OK but, sorry Sally, no Mandarin.  

and our second BIO for this posting is from  Sue Price (Holmes):

 

AUCKLAND NEW ZEALAND

TEACHER (EARLY CHILDHOOD)

After leaving Telopea, I went to Sydney to do a 3 year course of study to become a teacher. I then returned to Canberra and taught for 5 years.

During this time I met and married (1968) Jim Holmes, a New Zealander. 

In 1972 we moved to Otaki, New Zealand with our 1 year old, Sarah, to the Holmes family farm. Here our 2nd daughter Katie was born.

Australian have to have a thick skin while living in NZ, but I hold my head high and my car rego plate is OZ1 !!!!

In 1976 we purchased a Sheep and Cattle farm near Taumarunui (Central North Island) and farmed there for 20 years. A complete change of lifestyle for me where I was involved in farming business and practice ...... heading sheep off, docking lambs, feeding shearers/stockagents, cookie tins always filled, some fleece throwing, up in a helicopter dropping off fencing gear, collecting eggs, fattening pigs, milking a house cow, driving daughters to and from their one teacher school .......  while enjoying the peace and tranquility, the vista up and down our own valley, the fresh air and the green GREEN grass .... a large garden ..... and perpetually chasing out the errant stock of our neighbours!! Teachers were in short supply, somehow my 'arm was twisted' and I returned to teaching for 8 years!   In Taumarunui our interests in golf and bridge developed.

In 1996 we semi-retired to Auckland. Our daughters now live in Auckland after 9 years of travelling and working overseas. Also we are 4.5 hours closer to OZ!!

We have made many new friends through Jim's Rotary involvement and through golf - not even time for bridge!

I enjoy golf, overseas travel, walking (some tramping), patchwork/sewing, reading, I belong to Inner Wheel and I do a little relief teaching.

My Dad, Bill Price, English and History Master at TPHS 1955 -1971, died in 1995, while playing golf at the RCGC. What a way to go!

Keep checking our BLOG, and I hope we soon receive some more interesting BIOs and "head shot" photos ......