I was born in Sydney in 1949, the second son of Harold and Norma (nee Dent). Married, with no children, but with an insubstantial mortgage, I live in Allawah (the name is derived either from an Aboriginal term meaning 'suburb next to Hurstville' or from an Arabic word suggesting to a place where God is found - depending on my mood on any given day), in southern Sydney, near Botany Bay, with my wife and partner, Cath. My chief interests, other than being happy with her, are history, travel, reading, sport-watching and the finest art form of the twentieth century, the motion picture.
I suffered formal education at Scots College (until early in year 8) before moving to a more companionable state school, Vaucluse Boys' High. Tertiary education has taken place at the University of Sydney, Sydney Teachers' College, the University of New England and the University of Technology, Sydney.
I'm currently the Executive Secretary of the Australian Press Council. I came to the Press Council after a varied career that has included fifteen years as a High School teacher (where in addition to teaching English, History and General Studies, I spent four years as a teacher of English as a Second Language), and time as a Professional Conference Organiser, a Reader for a press clipping service, a partner in a desktop publishing consultancy and a Director of a Internet Development company.
As the Press Council's chief executive officer I am responsible for the day-to-day running of the Council office, management of its finances, and all other relevant administrative duties. I handle the processing of public complaints about the press, including attempts to mediate them. Additionally, I edit the Council's publications, including the Press Council News, the Annual Report, the Conference paper series and any occasional papers, such as the State of the News Print Media in Australia. I joined the Press Council in November 1991 as Administrative Officer and have been Executive Secretary since April 1994. Among my other duties at the Council I has been responsible for the computerisation of the office and its use of the Internet, including the establishment of its Website, and has overseen the development of the Case Studies Seminars, writing many of the case studies and developing the Teachers' Notes that enable them to be used in the university classroom.
After an indifferent early teriary career in the late sixties and early seventies, when I majored in student politics, civil protest and debating, I returned to university in 1995-6. At that time, I completed a Bachelor of Arts degree, by correspondence, at the University of New England, Armidale, specialising in Medieval History, graduating in April 1997, 29 years after matriculating to the University of Sydney. In 2001, I commenced study towards a Graduate Certificate in Accounting at the University of Technology, Sydney, graduating in 2003, with a High Distinction average.
In my spare (ha!) time, I'm an avid reader, with particular interest in fantasy, crime fiction and historical works, and movie watcher. Cath and I like to travel, exploring various parts of Australia and taking the occasional bush-walk. We have been planning and saving so that we can afford another overseas jaunt like the six months in Europe, the UK and the US in 1988-9. In 2004 we spent a month in Italy and Spain, including walks around the Cinque Terre in Liguria and a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. More travel overseas is required, so we are heading to paris and the south of France for our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, in December 2009.
I spent too much time in the 1970s and 1980s involved in Science Fiction fandom, editing my own fanzine (WAHF-full, pronounced "waffle"), organising conventions (including 3 Australian National SF Cons), unsuccessfully bidding for a World SF Con, running a club, writing a Constitution and chairing 12 National Con and 2 WorldCon Business Meetings. I chaired my thirteenth (and last) Natcon Business Meeting in Melbourne in 2002.
I have been a competition debater, winning the NSW A Grade [Teams] Championship on 4 occasions, and the Singles Debating Championship once and twice represented NSW at the Australian Debating Championships. I was once named to the Australian Universities' Debating team. I've also written a number of articles for literary journals, particularly on subjects relating to fantasy and, in particular, to the work of Professor J R R Tolkien. As a result of these essays, I won the William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism or Review in 1980. I am currently a member of the Australian and New Zealand Amateur Press Association.
In 2003, Cath and I joined the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard, being a member of the Flotilla which patrols Botany Bay and the Georges River. As a part of the AVCG, we have qualified as motor boat licensees, hold marine radio operators certificates and qualifications in coastal navigation, and are rated as Advanced Crew and as Radio Officers. Additionally, I am Flotilla Training Officer, Commander of Solander Division (which runs the marine radio base at Kurnell) and an Examiner for NSW Maritime Authority Boat Licences. We are currently involved in the amalgamation of the three exisitng NSW volunteer marine rescue associations into a single body, Volunteer Marine Rescue NSW. For my sins I was on the committee that drafted the MR NSW Constitution.
Having wasted much of my youth supporting the Eastern Suburbs Rugby League club, when they were still the 'Tricolors', I switched allegiances in the 1980s to Australian football. Cath and I are members of the Sydney Swans, the local AFL club, and attend their games whenever possible.
Quote of moment:
"Why this whole country is run on epidemics - where you been? Big business, price-fixing, crooked TV shows, income tax finagling, souped-up expense accounts. How many honest men do you know?" Hud.
see also
Not Drowning, Raving - a series of monologs on matters of the moment