Jack Peake

My first appointment was to Thebarton Technical High School. Thebarton, according to the date on the front portico, was established in 1919 but was not fully available to secondary students until 1924 because much of the school was used for apprentice training. The school was one of Dr Fenner’s special interests and was staffed by some excellent teachers. The school was not zoned and boys travelled considerable distances to benefit from the wide technical education offered. It had two brothers who pedalled bicycles from Parkside. The school used the Dalton Plan, a teaching method that had originated in Dalton High School in USA.

This approach to learning was promoted by Helen Parkhurst, who had an interest in the Montessori method, in 1913. It spread to many countries. Thebarton’s scheme was probably a modification of the original format. We gave a basic lesson in each subject once a week and the students were then expected to complete assignment work in their own time and in an order which suited them. Classrooms were set up as academic workshops, each supplying its own atmosphere. A staff member would be based in each room for marking and consultation.

When the student completed a unit of work, it was recorded on his record card. The class teacher was expected to check these cards from time to time to see that progress was being made in all subjects. There was a tendency to do the ‘pleasant’ subject! The system demanded a lot of printing, using wax sheets! This was done as part of teaching. As I recall the system was fine for good students but was subject to much ‘rorting’.

Practical subjects and drawing were not part of the Dalton Plan and there was a fixed timetable for each class. I believe the Dalton scheme faded out during the war years. It would have required that teachers were available for individual students and wartime, with the decline in teachers and shortage of supplies, left no room for what might be seen as a luxury.

There were some interesting characters among the staff – it was also the era of nicknames. I remember ‘Hoot’ Gibson, Dr ‘Niggly’ Naegeli, ‘Jazz’ Golley, ‘Curly’ Martin, ‘Windy’ Gale, ‘Beaker’ Harvey and ‘General’ Gordon. ‘General’ Gordon was a metalworker – specialising in blacksmithing. He was an ex-serviceman from World War I and claimed to have seen the Red Baron shot down: he used to produce a photograph to prove it. Ted Matthews, another sheetmetal teacher, was an Anzac and his talk on Anzac Day was something to remember. Most of the established craft teachers had come out of the ‘trade’ and their practical skills and experience left we ‘youngsters’ for dead. Some of their teaching techniques however left something to be desired.

Jasper Golley, a one-time teacher of woodwork, switched over to general teaching. He had an interest in wireless and established a ‘ham’ broadcasting station in his classroom. The call sign was V K 5 T T (Theb Tech). The level of interest and activity was indicated by the number of cards from other ‘hams’ that adorned the room.

Craft and art teachers were generally held in more respect in tech schools than in high schools. In my experience and observation the ‘Crafties’ (I cannot speak for the women) were, in general, good organisers of such things as sports days.

Among the art teachers I remember Adolf Kriehn for beautiful ‘petit point’ work. Geoff Mainwaring was responsible for a large mural with an educational theme in the main room in the front building. He later taught at the Art School and was a war artist. A contemporary of Ivor Hele, his work was similar and comparable. There are many examples of his work in the Australian War Memorial. After the war he went to Ballarat Technical School.

Joseph Choate modelled clay. He was responsible for modelling the sculpture – the Pioneer memorial at Glenelg. He taught at the Art School for many years. Many artists, like John Dowie, studied under him. He moved to St. Peter’s College during the war years and finished his career there.

‘Youngsters’ of my time included Vic Adolfsson, Dave Dallwitz and Ron Bell. A student I remember is Lawrence Daws who after studying engineering and architecture at the University of Adelaide pursued a career in painting. He is represented in many galleries and private collections.

The nearness of the Thebarton Oval attracted the boys to football and many became league players. Stan Wickham, who became a well-known football character, was a student in my time at Thebarton. I later played cricket with him. I have mentioned Dr Naegeli earlier. He was a Swiss migrant who had among his interests chess playing. He regularly spent his lunch period playing with the craft staff who did all they could to cause him to lose. He never won the draw because his opposition invariably had the same colour pawn in each hand and it was not unusual to distract him and remove a piece from the board!

The doctor had a light weight motor cycle which he rode to work. This was the source of an incident told to me by Ron Karney who was a student at the school. Jack Prior, a craft teacher and a strong physical man, posted Ron in the school yard with the instruction to signal him when Dr Naegeli left his classroom to go home. The signal was soon received, whereupon Jack picked up the bike and held it above his head and staggered under the weight. The Doctor’s excited and dramatic reaction was a source of much amusement to those who were party to the performance. Jack was also keen on wrestling and claimed he could break any grip put on him. Harry Cant, the head, took up the challenge and next moment found himself flat on the floor in the foyer of the school. Jack may have got some satisfaction from the act but I doubt whether it helped him in the long run!

From Thebarton Technical High School to Mitchell Park Technical High School – a journey of 22 Years

During my two years at Thebarton from 1939 to December 1940, I spent much time doing relieving teaching which, despite inconvenience, provided me with much insight into other schools. At Norwood Boys Tech I relieved W.W. Fyfe for several weeks. In the timber store at the rear of the workshop I noticed a platform constructed just below a window. On enquiries I learned that this enabled W.F. to view the football on the Norwood Oval free of charge.

It was at Norwood that I met Bert Mack, the sheetmetal teacher who was an avid philatelist. I later came across him in stamp collecting circles and still have several nice stamp items which I acquired from him.

It was at Thebarton that I got to know Jeff Smart. He was attending the school as part of his art teacher training. He encouraged me to join him in a landscape painting class in 1940. The class was conducted by Tom Bone, a Victorian, who had taught at Thebarton but later transferred to Adelaide High School in the early ’30s. On the completion of his College course, Jeff was appointed to Goodwood Technical School. Stories of his behaviour at this school are legendary and he must have been the bane of Paul Hilbig’s life. He did, however, get together a collection of art work for the school. This included works by Hans Heysen, Ivor Hele, Jacqueline Hick and himself. Later in the school’s career the collection disappeared and was not found for some time. It was located above the ceiling where it had been placed for safe-keeping during the painting of the school. John Hardy was the head at the time of their rediscovery. He showed me the list and their valuation which ran into thousands.

Soon after serving out his bond Jeff left the department. For a time he lived interstate and worked for the ABC, taking the role of ‘Phidias’ in the children’s radio show, The Argonauts. Jeff travelled to Europe to continue his art career and finally settled in Tuscany. His work is internationally well known and he is well represented in Australian galleries.

I mentioned earlier some of the teaching staff of quality at Thebarton, however, technical school staffing was often, in spite of these examples of brilliant artists, craftsmen and technical studies teachers, a sorry business. As mentioned above, the staff at Thebarton Technical High School was well chosen because Dr Fenner was determined that the school should be well established. In later years, after Dr Fenner was no longer Director of Education, it was generally agreed that the high school hierarchy should have first choice of students coming out of Adelaide Teachers College and the technical and area schools had what remained.⁵⁴ Many students who had failed in college and left after three years were appointed to tech and area schools.

These students were regarded as ‘second class’ by their peers and a glance through The Education Gazettes would reveal a lesser number of degreed persons in the tech schools. Interestingly enough many of these students became excellent teachers mainly because they were sympathetic to the learning problems of their pupils. They also had better teaching opportunities, particularly in the area schools.

The Technical Branch had first choice of its own people and the situation above was reversed. Craft teaching in the high schools was aimed towards the PEB and craft teachers were expected to prepare their students – often in two years rather than three – for the Intermediate examination. The art teaching also suffered the same limitations. When I was appointed to a high school I was expected to sign on last even after a teacher in his first year out! Even after pointing this out to the head (my qualifications were best after his) I still signed on last!

Dr Fenner must have believed in his own educational aims as he sent one of his own boys to Thebarton Technical High School. Frank went there for several years before transferring to Adelaide High to matriculate. He became a medical doctor but soon switched to research – his early reputation rested on myxomatosis in the war years. He later worked on tropical diseases and completed his career at the Australian National University in Canberra. Another son and daughter became teachers. Lyle, after teaching in primary schools, changed to technical studies and taught in area schools.

Among the schools at which I relieved was Nailsworth. I had relieved there for a month in 1936. Primary school students attended Nailsworth Tech before the war to make up the numbers. In 1940 I relieved there for a term. The school, which developed from a central school, was situated on North Road in the same grounds as the Nailsworth Primary and the Girls Technical School. From memory there were no solid buildings just a line of ‘portables’ along the western boundary. The ‘portables’ were the usual 20 by 20 feet, but again, from memory, included at least one ‘pavilion room’. These were 20 by 20 feet, unlined and had wall sections that swung out to let in light and ventilation.

They were particularly cold. I was to teach sixth and seventh grades in one at Karoonda Area School to which I was appointed in 1941. One winter the ink froze in the inkwells which prompted the students and myself to line the building with match board. Don’t say we didn’t do a bit extra in the old days!

The workshops were of galvanised iron and unlined – hot in summer, cold in winter. The floors in many of those original craft shops were asphalt or concrete which resulted in many early teachers having leg complaints. Many had duck boards in their teaching and demonstration areas.

With the housing expansion northward new schools were required. Land was acquired in the early fifties on Junction Road and the usual wooden buildings were erected. For some time students commuted between the two sites. Solid buildings followed for the metal and wood workshops. Those buildings, which were to be the standard pattern for years, were far superior to anything which preceded them. The Education Department, in its wisdom, left the racking of the tools to the teachers. This generally proved to be a long and tedious job which could not be done while teaching! (During my career I opened three ‘new’ schools and was faced each time with the task of racking. By the time I got to Mitchell Park most of the design problems were solved.)

Before I returned to Nailsworth I spent 12 years at Karoonda and two years at Gladstone High School. The craft work at Gladstone was at a low level and I suspect that I had been brought in to lift the standard. This may have been flattering but it was not the best atmosphere to work in. While I was at Nailsworth the school was transferred to the new site on Regency Road. I had the responsibility of setting up the new workshops with Ron Karney, a rough diamond but an excellent teacher.

Often teachers showed their initiative rather than wait for the Education Department to act. At the North Street site of Nailsworth there was a shed which the head considered would be useful as a store shed for the Army Cadet unit if it could be transferred to the new site. This he mentioned and thought no more about it. Ron Karney, now a craft teacher, decided something needed to be done. He freed the shed from the ground, fixed strong pieces across and underneath, put a class of boys inside to lift the shed and, with Karney beating time on the outside, they marched off to the new site. The first the principal knew about it was when he saw the shed (with its numerous legs) advancing up the road towards the school! I worked there for several years learning again the responsibilities of working in a large city school.

Sport was an important part of the curriculum in technical schools. Each Wednesday afternoon was devoted to interschool competition. Athletics and swimming carnivals, both within the school and between schools were regular activities. Interschool swimming at my time was held in the City Baths and the athletics at Adelaide Oval. Both events were keenly contested with the usual school rivalry.

A story comes to mind related to a sports’ day. A certain art teacher who had been a race starter still had the pistol on his desk the day following the sports. Being frustrated with his class, he said he had no alternative but to do away with himself by shooting himself. This he did, not realising that there was a blank shell in the chamber. The resultant spark considerably singed his hair. Relating the story in the staffroom at lunch time he pronounced dramatically that there was blood and brains everywhere. To which the head replied, ‘Not so, only blood!’

As I had to travel from Somerton Park to Nailsworth by bus and tram car, it was with some relief that I was appointed, in 1958, to the newly established Mitchell Park Boys Technical High School. In the first year there were only seven on the staff and we had all the ‘fun’ of establishing a new school, with new courses, racking of tools, coping with mud, working in incomplete buildings, preparing playing fields, waiting for furniture, filling in forms and teaching.

Mitchell Park became well-established after a few years and was regarded as one of the glamour schools at the time. It was at Mitchell Park that, after 22 years in the profession, I finally became a senior master. There were only four craft seniors and promotion only came to me when a former senior died. There was no such delay among high school seniors.

In 1962 I won the position of lecturer in craft methodology at the Western Teachers College where Bert Lamshed was the only lecturer with a craft background working with future technical studies teachers. My appointment therefore was to assist him and to help cope with the work load due to the increasing number of students being admitted to the college. The story of those years is full of the frustration of moving from one site to another until in the end, at Underdale, I was able to get back to benchwork and enjoy working on wood turning and wood sculpture with student teachers.

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