47 Things About Me
17 Comments »Thursday July 13th, 2006
You may be wondering who I am and various things about me. Here is a list of 47 things about me that might not be obvious from my blog.
UPDATE: many items on this list were updated on 28th November 2009.
- I was born in 1947 (sssh - yes - I am THAT old - just keep it quiet)
- I have blue eyes.
- I have fair hair. (Update: it’s getting thinner)
- I wear glasses.
- I have been happily married since 1971.
- I was a primary school teacher for 35 years until I retired in 2004.
- I write poetry and have had several dozen published. In 2009 I won first prize in a major poetry competition.
- I have a great passion for birding.
- I enjoy writing stories and have several published.
- I am a legend in my home town for telling jokes - I’ve have even been a stand-up comic on a number of occasions (but not professionally)
- I collect maps - 100s of them.
- I have trekked the Himalayas as far as Tengboche about 5 days’ walk from Everest base camp.
- I have a daughter who is a high school teacher.
- I have a married son who is a computer whizz (and you thought that I maintained this site????)
- My wife has a small Australian native plant nursery.
- I live in Murray Bridge, South Australia, 80km east of our state capital city, beautiful Adelaide.
- I have a small aviary in the garden.
- I spend too much time watching the Australian cricket team.
- I love attending cricket matches at the best cricket oval in the world, the Adelaide Oval.
- I follow the Adelaide Crows in the AFL (Australian Football League).
- I like reading.
- I usually read magazines from cover to cover (if I’ve paid for it I want to get my money’s worth).
- I have a large, growing heap of unread magazines.
- I enjoy reading stories aloud (this comes from reading aloud to my classes while a teacher for so long.)
- I love the smell of rain on dry ground.
- My favourite movie is “Pirates of the Caribbean” but this is subject to change with my mood.
- I love taking my daughter’s dog Nancy for a walk. (Update: sadly Nancy went to Doggy Heaven in 2008)
- I have been a member of Birds SA, South Australia’s main birding association, for over 30 years.
- I grew up on a wheat and sheep farm in the Murray Mallee districts of South Australia.
- I once lived in Clare in the mid-north of South Australia, just around the corner from where my daughter now lives!
- My son and daughter-in-law live in Sydney. (Update: they adopted a Colombian boy in 2009 so I’m now a Grand Dad).
- My interest in photography has returned since buying a digital camera in 2005.
- I love sitting in front of a wood fire.
- I love going camping, especially in the Flinders Ranges.
- My first teaching appointment was to Parachilna Rural School, a one teacher school in the Australian outback.
- My favourite bird is the Rufous Fantail, a member of the flycatcher family.
- I am a Life Member of the Adelaide Zoological Society.
- I have been a member of the South Australian Writers’ Centre since about 1992.
- I enjoy watching natural history programmes, especially if they feature birds.
- I am a member of Birds Australia, our largest birding association.
- My favourite animal is the Red Panda; unfortunately I didn’t see one when in Nepal in January 2006.
- I have written several novels and picture books for children, as yet unpublished.
- I have had six books published (in the early 1990s now sadly out of print)
- I enjoy watching the Tour de France - and wished I had 1% of their energy and endurance.
- I have an in-ground swimming pool in the garden affectionately known as “Le Swamp” when I don’t maintain it properly.
- In February 2008 I went back to university. I am doing my Master of Arts in Creative Writing. It is fun - but hard work.
- This list started out being called “100 Things About Me” but I ran out of steam at 47, so this is it. Why stop at 47? Well, I was born in 1947, and thinking up a list of 1,947 things about me would mean no-one in their right mind would read it. Besides, that many things about me would be rather silly. So there you have it.
Follow my Twitters
The trip to Nepal must have been fantastic. Unfortunately, I’ve never made it out of the US, even though I told the Air Force to send me anywhere when they had control of my life.
The trip to Nepal was truly awesome. I could not come to terms with the sheer magnitude and beauty of the mountains. I did not know that mountains could be so, high, so steep and so amazing. The trek was something I had dreamt of doing for about 30 years so you can imagine how I felt. It was also the hardest thing I have ever done - physically, mentally and emotionally. Have you read my journal of the trek? Go to the links section under “Trevor’s Travels” and then use the archives. Over the coming weeks I will be adding photos from the trek to the photo gallery.
Hello there. It’s great to meet another blogging Trevor.
Hi Trevor,
I was at Parachilna school around 1970 with my two sisters Alison and Kathy. I seem to remember a Gymkana being staged there. I have returned recently and just can’t imagine this. Do you have any other memories of this time?
Andy.
Welcome to my blog Andy. What a small world this is! Probably less than two hundred or so children ever attended Parachilna Rural School and only a handful of teachers actually taught there - and you happened to find me on my blog.
I taught there in 1969 and 1970 before moving to Port Augusta to teach. I believe that the gymkarna being held there was sometime in the 1970s after I had left. The teacher who succeeded me organised it as a fund raiser for the school. I didn’t attend as I only heard about it after the event.
It took me until the mid-1990s to get back there for a visit. I was amazed at the transformation of the “township” especially the hotel. This has been ungraded and expanded considerably in the last decade or so and it now has something of an international reputation, a far cry from the country pub atmosphere it had in the late 1960s.
The original school building is there plus another building. It is now used as a campsite - or was when I was last there.
We are long overdue for a return visit to that part of the world. There is actually a double reason for returning - my wife’s first teaching appointment was at Blinman. That’s how we met.
Hi Trevor,
I attended Parachilna Rural School back in the early 80’s just before it closed down, 1 teacher& 9 students.
What great memories growing up in and around Para.
My mother went to Blinman school back in the 50’s with her two sisters, beautiful place.
I also lived in Clare for a period of 7 years, married and had our first child there, and worked at the Bentleys Hotel for a number of years, very nice but a cold place.
Brenton.
What a small world this is - welcome to my blog Brenton - and thank you for leaving some comments.
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Hey Trevor,
my grandparents owned the hotel in Parachilna through the 60’s and 70′ (Mac and Dos Mackenzie). You probably stayed there while you were teaching as was the custom then. I attended the school for grade 1 in 1966 and continued to return during school holidays for as long as 1974 to visit the grandparents. I actually used to play with Kathy Connolly mentioned in item 4. The place is no longer the same.
Hi there Dean,
Welcome to my blog. It continues to astonish me how people find this reference to Parachilna - I guess that is the power of the internet these days.
How could I forget your grandparents at the hotel. They were amazing characters, especially your grandfather. They were both very kind and helpful to me a fresh out of college new teacher struggling to find his feet in his first appointment. I am now at the other end of my teaching career - I retired four years ago and have just recently returned to full time university study.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hello Trevor. You have brought back many happy & sad memories of the Parachilna Rural School. I attended from 1971 grade 4 till 1974 grade 7. Had a teacher named David Jones. How could I forget his name. A yard stick accross the rear end at 9.00am every Monday morning was the norm for me. As for Old Mac at the “Para Pub”, yes I remember him as well. I also remember the 3 gymkarnas in the early 1970’s. My family were in the district for approx 20 yers so know the place fairly well, although, it has been some time since I was there. Must go back sometime. Regards Gary
Hi there Gary,
Looks like you just missed out on having me as a teacher. The yard stick treatment sounds harsh - or did you deserve it? LOL.
I vaguely remember meeting David Jones several times at teacher conferences in Port Augusta during the time he was at Parachilna.
I’d strongly recommend a return visit sometime - if the memories are not too painful for you!!
Thanks for stopping by.
Hello again Trevor.
The yard stick was mainly due to not singing God Save the Queen, for which we had to sing whilst raising the Australian Flag each Monday morning. I wander if that’s why i’m pro republican???
Anyway, it’s a great area to live & learn & i will endevour to get back soon, & the memories are not bad, mostly good!
All the best Gary
Kathy here as mentioned above by Gary Johnson …very vague memories but fireworks come to mind associated with that name.
I remember David Jones I think his cane was called “Percy”. I remember having barbecues at the gangers house, helping out at the pub with my friend Vicki (her auntie worked at the pub). We used to go out for the day at rock pools to swim and visit the aboriginal caves at tomara rocks (I think that is what they were called). I have very fond memories.. The Tea and Sugar train for supplies etc.
Was surprised to see your blog and intriged me.
Bye for now.
Hi Trevor
You have a great site here. I’ll be back to check more of it out. I see your doing a Masters in Creative Writing. I started a Master of Arts in Creative Writing, but was quite unhappy with the format. I’m interested to know what you think about your course.
Hi there Sharon,
Thanks for stopping by. I’ve also had a look at your blog and enjoyed the experience - came to it through your comments on Karen’s blog. I must remember to bookmark your site and return to read more.
Thanks for your kind comments about this blog. I haven’t written as frequently this year because of the demands of my studies. That will change shortly because I have finished the course work (only last week). I also write regularly for 2 other blogs (see side bar for links) My wife, daughter and son also blog - the family that blogs together….??
As I said - I’ve finished all of the course work for my MA. For the rest of this year I need to complete my 40,000 word novel for children. This is well under way and I should be working on that RIGHT NOW. (Procrastination is my middle name!) After completing the novel I need to write a 10,000 word exegesis on the writing process, my research and how this all came together in the writing of the novel.
I have been studying at Tabor Adelaide. This uni is about to get full accreditation as our 4th university here. Originally it was a theological college. It still caters for that area, but now has a well established and highly recognised teaching course and next year commence a nursing course. They also have extensive TESOL courses (my wife is doing her MA in TESOL), counselling courses and now the creative writing course which started 5 years ago and continues to grow and expand. I’m hoping to be the first doctorate candidate when this starts next year.
I’ve found the course to be extremely useful. It has taught me many things, especially the importance of rewriting, careful editing, being very self critical, being about to give fellow students valuable feedback on their writing etc.
Before starting the course I had a string of 30 rejections and nearly gave up writing. Since starting the course I’ve had success with 18 successes out of about 32 submissions - these were all stories, articles and poems. Included in that was first prize in a major poetry competition. The cash prize was a bonus.
While Tabor Adelaide is a Christian college/university, there are no requirements that students be Christians. All the staff are - but only a percentage of the student body. Go to the web site to see what they offer. Being small (about 1200) every student gets very well looked after. The writing course is offered externally. Consider transferring - Dr Mark Worthing as head of Humanities would give you credit for what you’ve already done. Drop my name if you like. LOL.
All the best with your writing.
Wow, thank you Trevor. I’ll definitely take a look at the website. I haven’t heard of Tabor before today. I’ve examined every course possible in writing and was going to do a doctorate at Uni of Sunshine Coast, but my plans have been put on hold. I don’t envy you the task of creating an exegesis. This part of the requirements for the doctorate had me chewing my nails a bit.
Congratulations on getting as far as you have, and keep hammering away at that novel.