Nudgee Stories

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Mark Loane

Whether charging down a rugby field or providing the miracles of sight in indigenous communities in Cape York, Mark Loane has found success in many areas of this life. Shirley Glaister, writing in UQ – Graduate Contact describes Mark as ‘a modern Renaissance man excelling in study and sport and devoted to using his knowledge and skills to improve the lives of others.

 After a highly successful Rugby career during which he played 10 seasons for University, 89 games for Queensland, 61 games for Australia and 29 games for the Wallabies. He represented Australia at eighteen becoming the youngest forward at that time to represent his country in Rugby.

At the age of 28 he decided to specialise in ophthalmology. As part of his specialist training he completed study at Flinders Medical Centre in 1988 and at the University of California, San Diego in 1990 working with Professor Robert Weinreb. He now works at the Eye Centre, River City in Auchenflower. He also oversees the Cape York Eye Health Project, which provides mobile high tech clinical support to more than a dozen communities throughout the cape area. It also provides advanced cataract and general eye surgery at the Weipa Hospital.

His interest in the visual arts was sparked through his rugby days  both by his overseas contact with European Art Galleries and Museums as well as his contact with indigenous art while working in the Cape York area. He is back at UQ studying towards an Art History degree

Dr Loane considers himself fortunate to have been able to combine his medical studies with a top level career in international rugby, but he is still searching for rivers to cross and mountains to climb. 

Michael P Sullivan

Michael P Sullivan of 4/12  Lochaber St., DUTTON PARK   being presented with his ALP Life Membership Certificate by the Prime Minister Mr K Rudd and the Queensland Premier Anna Bligh. The presentation took place at the State Conference held recently on the Gold Coast. We extend our congratulations to Mick.

In response to a request for stories of ‘Life after Nudgee’, Earl responded with his story which reflects a very interesting and satisfying life.

In 1947 I sat for the State Scholarship Examination, the first big test of my scholastic life.  After a long wait the results arrived - a magnificent 52.4%. The next thing I knew was that I was off to boarding school for my secondary education at Nudgee College.  This was probably the turning point of my life.  It was a great opportunity for which I have been forever grateful. At Nudgee I was very small weighing 6st 12lbs when I arrived and 7st12lbs when I left.  At this size one was an easy target for the bigger thugs that are invariably present in this type of institution. 

In 1949 I sat for the Junior Examination and obtained 4 As, 2 Bs and 2 Cs which was a slight improvement on the results two years before.  It was in this exam that I failed a subject - Latin.  During Latin classes I sat up and looked attentive, had questions directed at me by ‘Croc’, got them wrong generally and then received the gat for my effort. My good friend Jim Gallen who sat in the adjacent row of desks would put his head down on the desk, would ignore ‘Croc’, would not be questioned and therefore never got the strap.  But the irony in this situation was that Jim passed Latin with flying colours. Not having this second language to my credit plagued me somewhat in my attempts to do further university work later on.

At the end of 1949 I left Nudgee without making a great mark on the place.  A lot of strap was flung about those days and I can’t say I particularly enjoyed the experience, although I don’t believe I was left psychologically scarred in any way.

Home from boarding school I was sent to work on the farm. Midway through 1951, I went to work at a sawmill.  I stayed there until the end of 1952 during which time I had saved enough for a deposit on a decent motorcycle - a 1950 AJS 350cc. 
 
I went to Brisbane to attend the Teachers’ College as a Junior Scholarship holder in 1953. I took my bike of course. Life at Teachers College was most enjoyable. In 1953 and 1954 there were 900 students studying at Kelvin Grove. Only 300 were males. During 1953 I passed an internal Senior exam and the professional subjects in 1954. This qualification helped me in achieve my dreams in later life. It allowed me to compete for a RAAF National Service flying scholarship and to enroll in the Education Faculty at Qld. Uni.

 In those days only one year of training was needed to become a teacher. A job was assured at the end.  My appointment was to Gympie Central State School but before I could start there, I was required to complete my National Service which I had deferred a couple of times.

 So in January 1955 I began six months of training in the RAAF at Amberley.  Three thousand young guys from Qld. and NSW went into military camps at this time. Three hundred made it into the Air Force and went to Amberley.  Of these ten were selected for aircrew training. I can remember my great glee at hearing my name read out as a member of ‘F’ Flight to be selected.  This meant a move to Archerfield RAAF Base for the ten trainees. 

We did ground training with the RAAF but flew with the Qld. Aero Club. My main flying instructor was an elderly fellow named Francis Findlay - a great guy and a skilful pilot.  So skilful in fact that he sent me solo at eight hours.  On the day I soloed Francis asked me to come back and pick him up from the western side of the aerodrome.  But being in a state of exhilaration I forgot Francis and taxied back to the hangar, leaving him to walk a mile.  He wasn’t laughing much when he eventually arrived at the hangar but seemed to understand that first soloists sometimes produce illogical consequences.

 This was probably the most exciting time of my life. In May 1955 I was tested for and granted a private pilot licence after fifty hours of training. One of the greatest mistakes of my life was not accepting an offer to enroll full time in the RAAF as a pilot. This involved a six year commitment with a possible opportunity to enter airlines after the six years. Unfortunately I had a bond with the Education Department whereby I would have owed them five hundred pounds if I left them so I did not venture into flying at that point - something I now see as a gross mistake. However some of my brothers saw the opportunity and became professional pilots. As the eldest of the family I may have provided some of the inspiration for their choices.

During the Christmas holidays between Teachers’ College and national service I met a lovely little lady named Pauline Shephard of Kin Kin.  After a whirlwind courtship of nearly three years Pauline eventually ran me to ground and we were married in Kin Kin’s quaint little church on 10th August, 1957. Just before my marriage I had been transferred to Oakview, a small one-teacher school near Kilkivan with about twenty pupils. After a honeymoon at Mooloolaba we rented a house in Kilkivan. I drove the six miles each day to Oakview in my first car, a small Morris E tourer which was prone to regular breakdowns.

While at Kilkivan two sons were born - Geoffrey in 1959 and Anthony in 1962. During these years I enrolled in a Certificate of Education course (AEd.) at Qld.Uni.  The course was completed in 1962.  Early in 1963 we were transferred to Glenaubyn near Miles but a little over a year later we were off again, this time to Bollon. between St George and Cunnamulla.   A friend of ours was observant enough to note that if we had any more transfers west we’d end up coming home by ship. During the six years at Bollon Stephen was born in 1967 and John in 1969. While at Bollon I studied for the Commercial Pilot Licence theory exams and did the flying part with Kev. Henebery at Maroochydore during the Christmas holidays 1968-69.  After gaining the CPL Kev gave me lots of charter flying during school holidays.

Thank God my next move was to the east, to Kumbia near Kingaroy in 1969. Kumbia was near the Bunya Mountains and it snowed on the mountains at times. Kumbia’s location close to Kingaroy gave me the opportunity to join the Kingaroy Soaring Club where I soon became a gliding instructor.  Many enjoyable days were spent aloft. Geoff completed Year 12 at the St Mary’s in Kingaroy and went on to the Qld. Uni. to do Commerce/Law.

In 1976 we transferred again, this time to Ayr in North Queensland. The school at East Ayr had 700 pupils and thirty or more teachers. While this occupied much of my time I still found some time to use my newly acquired boat to fish and crab. In my spare time I helped a couple of enthusiasts set up the Burdekin Soaring Club.  I trained some instructors and together we graduated about thirty glider pilots.  It was here that Tony, our second son learnt to fly and this skill I believe enabled him to join the RAAF as a pilot at seventeen.

At Ayr I enrolled again for university studies because it was obvious that a degree was now necessary and  in 1981 completed my Bachelor of Arts by correspondence. Stephen and John were at the Marist College when word of the next transfer came in 1982.  It was to Aspley East in Brisbane. We bought a house at Bracken Ridge and the boys enrolled at St Patrick’s in Shorncliffe.  After Year 12 Stephen did Industrial Design and John did Civil Engineering at QUT. After working for a few years as a solicitor in Ayr, Geoff came to Brisbane to join KPMG.   He is now CEO at Sanctuary Cove. Tony was in the Roulettes for a time, then went to F111 and his most recent job was CO of 82 Wing at Amberley. Stephen works as a computer programmer at the Education Office in Cairns.  John is with PPK in Brisbane as a civil engineer mainly on mine work.

At the end of 1985 I received my last transfer to Kippa Ring School.  After three years there I felt the time had come to retire. The job of a teacher or principal was becoming more difficult. Discipline was on the wane, nobody seemed to think a standard was necessary anymore and the Education Dept. was filling Principal’s positions with managers from other areas of the Public Service, not necessarily teaching. Consequently I decided to take early retirement at 55 years.  I have never regretted this move.

In late 1989 I decided to add an instructor rating to my fixed wing licence and in 1990 I was offered a job as flying instructor (aeroplanes) at Chopperline in Caloundra.  We lived in a caravan for a while but as it became obvious that the position was reasonably permanent, we purchased a unit overlooking King’s Beach.  I spent nearly ten years in this job, returning to Bracken Ridge each weekend.  During those ten years I became the Chief Flying Instructor of the fixed wing division.  This involved testing Private Pilot applicants for their licence and for night flying ratings as well as hours of basic training.

It was a wonderful way to end a working life and I could not have managed it without the support of my patient wife, Pauline. But as all good things must eventually end I retired from flying on Christmas Eve 2000. Since then most of my time has been taken up managing my own superannuation, growing some lovely fruit trees, having a couple of trips to New Zealand, learning a few computer skills and carrying out visits for St Vincent de Paul. 
 
In October 2006 I had a small heart attack which required the addition of a stent in my heart.  But apart from this life is still a breeze. I wish those of you who are still lucky enough to be with us to read this, the best of luck and God’s blessing always.