Page 39 - Luce 2021

A l umni News A l umni News

I have been on the school council of We taught close by at a privately owned with it a sudden realisation that it’s
St Peter’s College for almost a decade school called the Shenzhen College of been a while since I left JCH. My three
and enjoy tremendously the challenges International Education (SCIE), which years in College still seem foundational
that running a school presents. I think had been the first school in China to and very special, but as I get older I
in many respects it presents more teach an English curriculum, that being realise that the opportunity was a real
difficulties than a regular commercial the International General Certificate privilege – and that the richness came
enterprise; there is so much at stake in of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and not from the study, but from the 3am
the education of young people. ‘A’ levels. The students, who had to discussions with Adam Weisser (1990)
be proficient in English, came from all and NASA Neil Hanson (1990),
It does not seem that long ago that I over China and, at the completion of Fi Setchel’s (1989) arvo teas and
rounded College Crescent in Parkville to their secondary courses, all completed surviving some dubious homemade
meet that beautiful red brick and stone their tertiary studies overseas. At least ‘Baileys’.
façade; those days are forever with me six were accepted into Oxford and
and have shaped and guided the path Cambridge each year and some came to My log book suggests that I conned
I chose to take. I remember all my old Melbourne, where we met up with them at least a few people out of $20 for a
friends of those days, some of whom on our return. quick flight at Moorabbin – funding an
have remained and others from whom addiction that has become a career.
I have drifted. I hope this article sparks The students were very focused and My 28 years as a fighter pilot have
some wonderful memories for each hard-working and some excelled in the flashed past, but the journey has been
of them. ‘A’ level English Literature course, with anything but static, with a job change
one boy saying, ‘…I have discovered and new challenge every 2-3 years…
Wendy another part of my mind’. not to mention the 18 houses, a few
Sandiford deployments, four kids and a couple
(Clark 1971) We made some close friends among of dogs.
‘Suit recently the local teachers in Shenzhen. They
retired but were very good to us and kindly helped In my current role, as the Commander
fit teacher’. us by translating (via mobile phone) of Air Combat Group, I’m responsible
So read the when we were in some difficulty during for the preparation of Australia’s Air
advertisement our travels to 32 of China’s provinces. Combat Force, made up of about
in The Times Fortunately, we are still able to keep in 120 fighter aircraft and 1,800 of the
Educational contact with them. smartest and most motivated young
Supplement in 2006 which catapulted people in the nation. The job has
my husband, Tim, and me into five We managed to reach Tibet in 2010 presented some fairly challenging, and
extraordinary years living and working and the base camp of Mt. Everest (5200 sometimes wicked, problems over
in China. meters), where we lunched at the nearby the years, but the moral and ethical
Rongphu monastery, best known as perspectives, built during those three
I was in residence in JCH in 1971 one of the few where both female and magnificent years at JCH, have served
studying Arts, majoring in English and male monks lived. We also spent time me well.
German. After completing my Diploma in Xinjiang, sleeping in a yurt on the
of Education I taught at four – mainly banks of the Heavenly Lake and eating To those from that period, I admit I’ve
country – high schools before settling in tomatoes and cabbage for every meal! been pretty bad at staying in touch, but
Ballarat with Tim and raising two boys. the memories regularly bring a smile to
Air Commodore Tim Alsop (1990) my face. Let’s hope we can share some
Tim and I had always been keen to Sending my first child off to his Fresher stories and a drink before another 30
work overseas, with China being of year in Brisbane 12 months ago brought years zip by!
particular interest as Tim had travelled
there in 1975-6 as part of the Australia
China Friendship Society.

The China that greeted us in 2005 was
vastly different from that which Tim
had experienced in the mid-seventies –
especially the city of Shenzhen, where
we lived. Constructed in 1981 on the
grounds of a fishing village of 30,000
people, Shenzhen was created as a
Special Economic Zone to compete
with Hong Kong, 30 kms over the
border. With a population of 15 million,
everyone was housed in multi-storey
flats with no 4th, 14th or 24th floors
as the number four was considered
unlucky!

J anet Clarke Hall 39