In the 61st Edition of Signum Fidei, we advised that
one of our old boys, Thomas Graham recently turned one hundred. Our secretary,
Lawrie Cusack spoke by phone to Mrs Helen McKeague who lives in Malanda,
North Queensland.
She had rung the College to enquire if Nudgee celebrated the 100th
birthdays of Old Boys. Her father, Thomas Gerald Graham, is a Nudgee
Old Boy. He celebrated his 100th birthday on 2nd April 2006 and she
wondered if he is the oldest living Nudgee old Boy?
Trish Buckley, the Personal Assistant to the Principal, Daryl Hanly
rang Lawrie and asked him to follow up this enquiry. His research revealed
the following story, which we now share with all Nudgee old boys.
During his conversation with Helen McKeague, Thomas Graham’s daughter,
he learnt that: her father is one of four brothers, Thomas, Kevin, Malcolm
and John. They all came to Nudgee.
Their father, also named Thomas, was a Cattle Station Manager, in North
Queensland. In 1919 he was appointed Manager of Victoria River Downs
Station in Northern Territory. He took up residence with Mrs Graham,
their daughter and four sons.
In 1920 Thomas and Kevin were enrolled as boarders at Nudgee and in
1922 Malcolm and John followed suit. Their daughter, meanwhile, boarded
at the Catholic College in Cooktown.
From the day they left home to go to boarding school the children did
not see their parents until they finished school and returned to Victoria
River Downs.
Tom’s three brothers have died – each at an advanced age.
Their sister is living but Lawrie was not able to find where.
After working with his father at Victoria River Downs for a couple of
years Thomas went to Gatton Agricultural College to pursue his studies
of Agricultural Science. After graduation he taught at Gatton for some
time and was then appointed to the Dept of Primary Industries and carried
out work related to the early tobacco crops in Mareeba. From there he
moved to Rockhampton area and later retired there.
He enjoys good health, reads without
glasses, has an excellent memory, is a good conversationalist and ‘does
for himself’. He is hard of hearing but can talk and listen ‘one
on one’ but is not able to participate in group conversation.
He would not attend a reunion but
would greatly appreciate a visit from Nudgee Old Boys.
He resides in a unit attached to his son’s residence at:
298 Glendale Road
GLENDALE 4711
His son’s name is Gavan. He attended Rockhampton Grammar.
It would be a really great gesture if some Rocky Old Boys
visited Thomas and even better if they could send a photograph and a
short account of their visit to be shared through this publication. |