IAN SUTHERLAND AO (’ 47 ) DESCRIBES HIS SCHOOLDAYS AT SCOTCH AS ‘ A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE ’
ABOVE : IAN SUTHERLAND (' 48 ) AS A SCOTCH BOY . RIGHT : IAN AS A CADET LIEUTENANT IN EARLY 1948 . FAR RIGHT : IAN AS AN RAAF OFFICER .
GRATITUDE FOR THE START IN LIFE SCOTCH PROVIDED
Ian Sutherland ’ s Scotch years were from 1942 to the early months of 1948 . Having been appointed a Probationer and a Cadet Lieutenant in 1948 , Ian left the School in April of that year after being offered the opportunity to begin RAAF cadet training at the Royal Australian Air Force College at Point Cook .
From Point Cook Ian went to Sydney University , where he graduated as Bachelor of Science in 1951 , then in 1954 as Bachelor of Aeronautical Engineering with First Class Honours . He had been commissioned as an RAAF officer in 1952 , after completing four years as an RAAF cadet .
After his university graduation , Ian embarked on a satisfying 41-year career in the RAAF , which included a number of senior overseas postings and a final four-year duty as the RAAF ’ s Assistant Chief of Air Staff for Engineering .
In the 1984 Queen ’ s Birthday honours , Ian received an Officer of the Order of Australia award ( AO ), for service to the Royal Australian Air Force .
Music has figured large in Ian ’ s life . While at Scotch , Ian ’ s involvement in music was sparked by Scotch ’ s inaugural Director of Music , John Bishop . Ian learned the piano , leading to a couple of House Music Concert performances and a continuing interest in keyboard music . While at Point Cook he became the RAAF College organist . Throughout his time at Sydney University , Ian was a resident at the university ’ s St Paul ’ s College , and played the organ during St Paul ’ s College church services .
Participation in choirs at Scotch generated a long-term interest in singing , leading to Ian ’ s 20-year involvement with what is now the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Chorus . Ian ’ s late wife , Mary , also sang with the chorus .
Ian firmly believes these wonderful lifetime experiences were all a direct outcome of the start in life that Scotch gave him , for which he is eternally grateful . Ian ’ s Scotch education was facilitated by a government scholarship , aided by a school supplement . This inspired him to make a donation to the Foundation of $ 800,000 , to endow a perpetual scholarship in his name , to enable boys who would otherwise not be able to attend the School to enjoy a Scotch education .
Ian says : ‘ I hope others with a similar motivation will share with me the satisfaction of giving boys the opportunity to enjoy the excellent education we had at Scotch .’
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