WHAT THEY ' RE DOING NOW – compiled by David Ashton (' 65 )
LEFT TO RIGHT : JOHN CATHCART (’ 48 ); DAVID KELLY (’ 54 ), IAN MORRISON (’ 55 ) AND JIM DERHAM (’ 56 ); BLAIR CURRIE (’ 57 ) AS A SCHOOLBOY
1940s
FATHER JOHN CATHCART (’ 48 ) resigned at the age of 90 , against protest , from the leadership of an international humanitarian and missionary organisation . His final job prior to retirement was to install a water ducting and distribution system in the Philippines province of Mindoro Orientale for the rainforest Mang Yang people , in cooperation with General Johnny Macanas of the Philippines Army .
At 90 John started ranching and farming in the wild Piney Woods of East Texas , near the Texan town of Atlanta on the borders of Arkansas and Louisiana . East Texas does not fit the Texas stereotype of desert , cactus , cowboys and tumbleweeds – it is heavily watered and forested . On the ranch , John is accompanied by a grandson in his mid-twenties who helps with the work .
Ranching is just one of John ’ s wide range of interests . ‘ I write books of a theological , historic , and cultural nature , and I score regional and rural music , courtesy of my professionally-trained Scottish father ,’ he told Great Scot . ‘ I am going to develop a vineyard , cultivate Mason bees , and raise prize cattle ,’ he said . ‘ I will always be indebted to Scotch College for the way the School transformed my life .’
1950s
DAVID (‘ NED ’) KELLY (’ 54 ), IAN (‘ NIPPER ’) MORRISON (’ 55 ) and JIM DERHAM (’ 56 ) got together in November at ‘ Toonwilloo ’, Jim ’ s farm at Winchelsea . ( See photo above .)
DR BLAIR CURRIE (’ 57 ) graduated in Medicine and Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne , and in tropical medicine at Liverpool University in England . Blair has had a most interesting working life , predominantly in mental health . He initially spent a year in South Africa and a year in the army in Papua New Guinea . For the next 20 years he was with the Victorian Mental Health Authority at Ararat Mental Hospital , in J Ward ( originally the Ararat County Gaol ) and then at Pentridge Prison . For approximately another 20 years Blair worked in a mental hospital on the prairie in Alberta , Canada . He is now semi-retired , but is still a part-time member of the Mental Health Tribunal .
Blair and his late wife Bernice settled at Forrest in the Otways . Blair and Bernice had five children , with two sons BLAIR (' 88 ) and JOHN (' 89 ) having attended Scotch ; a grandson WILL (' 20 ) also attended the School .
After leaving Scotch , GEOFF SMITH (’ 58 ) studied accountancy and qualified as a chartered accountant in 1963 , after which he was employed by large city firms for some years , and eventually went into partnership in a suburban accountancy firm , where he worked for several decades before retiring in 2016 . Over the years he has done honorary work as treasurer or auditor for various community organisations .
Geoff has always been keen on sport , and he has played cricket , football , tennis and golf . He still plays and enjoys golf . He also loves camping in the bush and travelling in the outback , often with family members .
1960s
Philosopher Professor PETER SINGER AC (’ 63 ) has been awarded the 2021
Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture , of US $ 1 million . The Berggruen Institute , located in Los Angeles , awards the prize annually to individuals in recognition of ‘ major achievements in advancing ideas that shape the world ’.
Peter , who is Ira W DeCamp Professor of Bioethics in the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University , told National Public Radio in the USA : ‘ Half of the prize will go to people in extreme poverty , and a third of it is going to help reduce the suffering of factory-farmed animals . And [ the rest ] will go to other causes . Global poverty and reducing the suffering of animals are things I ' ve worked on pretty much my whole adult life , and I continue to think that they are important objectives .’
In a report in The Age , Peter said he didn ’ t consider keeping the prize money , though he did first consult his wife , Renata . ‘ She was supportive , so , once I was clear about that , I didn ’ t have any doubts ,’ he told the paper .
After university , JOHN STEWART (’ 68 ) worked for 13 years in the tyre industry and after that for 24 years for a machine tool company , retiring at 61 , as he says , ‘ to do what I want to do ’. John and his wife Margaret have been married for 47 years , and have four daughters and four grandsons . They live at East Kew . John told Great Scot : ‘ I spend my time with grandparenting , family home maintenance , helping out at the kindergarten , time at the beach house and travelling . I am known as “ Mr Fixit ”’.
1970s
Having completed a degree in Veterinary
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