OLD GUILDFORDIANS
Old Guildfordian of the Year
Australian Federal Police
2021
Commissioner Reece Kershaw
A life of justice and public service
For Reece Kershaw ( Prep / Be 1980-1985 ), Australian Federal Police Commissioner , service is more than a vocation , it is a lifestyle . For most of his career , Reece Kershaw has dedicated himself to justice and public service .
Reece ’ s career and remarkable achievements were recognised at the Old Guildfordians ’ Annual Dinner on Saturday , 9 October , when 231 former students and staff gathered to celebrate and applaud his selection as the ‘ 2021 Old Guildfordian of the Year ’. While Reece was unable to attend in person , due to COVID-19 border restrictions , his address was live-streamed from Canberra .
Reece attended Guildford Grammar School from 1980 to 1985 as a student in the Preparatory School and Bennett House . In Year 12 he was a House Prefect , a member of the debating team and captain of the chess team . He said of playing in the chess team : “ The skills I learnt playing chess at school have stayed with me today . The strategic moves and counter-moves we make harden our borders and help keep Australians safe .”
Reece spoke about how navigating adolescent life and its challenges had the potential to throw him off course , but that he always knew his ‘ true north ’ because of the values instilled in him by his parents and Guildford Grammar School ’ s guiding spirit . After his six years at the School , respect , fairness , tolerance , resilience , self-reliance and embracing a sense of justice became muscle memory .
One of Reece ’ s early role models was his former Headmaster , the late John Moody ( Staff 1979-1996 ). To him , Headmaster Moody epitomised resilience and the importance of forging ahead in life , despite setbacks . John Moody graduated from Duntroon Military College in 1958 with the Queen ’ s Medal and Sword of Honour . Unfortunately , when playing his first game for Norwood Football Club , he ruptured a kidney , ending his military and football career . Despite no teaching qualifications ,
“ The AFP , like Guildford Grammar School , is to me about deep-rooted connection .”
Moody was offered a job at his former school , Kings College . He studied Economics and Education part-time at the University of Adelaide , becoming the Headmaster of Kings in 1973 . In 1979 , he was appointed the Headmaster of GGS . Headmaster Moody strived to increase enrolments , which then required the creation of a new day house , which was named Bennett House after GGS ’ s first principal , Frank Bennett .
Reece played 1st XI Cricket in Year 12 , along with 1st XI Soccer in Years 10 , 11 and 12 . At the Annual Dinner , Reece shared an anecdote of a cricket game with Headmaster Moody ’ s son , Tom Moody ( Wb 1979-1983 ), a former Australian international cricketer . Reece recalled delivering Moody what he thought was the best ‘ yorker ’ in his life and quickly shot his arm up , expecting the bails to fall . As he waited for a line-up of back slapping from his teammates , one of them asked : “ Reece , what are you doing ? Tom just hit the biggest six I ’ ve ever seen !”.
After leaving Guildford Grammar School , Reece moved to the north-west to work as a bank teller . A career in banking could have been satisfying , but he felt something was missing . Reece had been taught by and knew of so many people who had served their country , including his father , and had a strong feeling he was cheating his country if he didn ’ t serve in a similar way .
His father sent him advertisements for two jobs – one with the Australian Defence Force ( ADF ) and one with the Australian Federal Police ( AFP ). Reece was instinctively drawn to the Army , as his father had a been a solider and served overseas before becoming an accountant . He wanted to emulate his father and wear a uniform to make him proud . However , his father believed it would be career-limiting to start as a Private in the ADF and strongly steered him to the AFP . Reece took his father ’ s counsel and applied to join the AFP in Western Australia , with John Moody as a referee .
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