Great Scot May 2020 Great Scot 159_MAY 2020_ONLINE_V3 | Page 65
JAMES ROBINSON (‘83)-OSFC, JAN GOLDSMITH-PAST PARENT-OSMAD, GWEN ADAMS-PAST PARENT-OSFS, JOHN CHRISTENSEN (‘57)-BELLARINE BRANCH
with his family connection at Scotch dating
back to 1860.
David was a senior academic at
Melbourne University from 1972-1990, and
was elected as Member of the House of
Representatives for Goldstein (1990-2004).
He was Federal Minister for Schools and
Vocational Education and Training (1996-97),
Minister Assisting the Minister for Finance
on Privatisation Matters (1996-97), Minister
Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public
Service (1997-2001), Federal Minister for
Education, Training and Youth Affairs (1998-
2001), and Minister for the Environment and
Heritage (2001-04). He was Vice President of
the Executive Council (1998-2004).
Since 2005 David has been an OSCA
nominee on the School Council, and has
been Chairman of the Council since 2012. His
term has been characterised by the passion,
devotion, energy, diplomacy, direction and
knowledge he has given to this role.
Under David’s chairmanship, Scotch’s
facilities have expanded and improved,
along with a rise in academic results. The
magnificent Sir Zelman Cowen Centre for
Science and the Spencer Centre for Design
and Technology have been conceived and
developed during David’s term as School
Council Chairman.
David is passionate about Scotch’s
Scottish heritage, and has highlighted this
in his writings in Scotch publications. As a
member of the Melbourne Scots he was
a founding board member of the Victorian
Scottish Heritage Cultural Foundation (2010-
2019), and was a co-author of The Pipes and
Drums Scotch College Melbourne: a history
(2007). David instigated the replacement of
the dilapidated monument on the grave of
Scotch’s founder, the Rev. James Forbes.
As the head of the Council’s Archives and
Museum committee, David has promoted the
protection of Scotch’s heritage, helping to bring
about greatly improved protection and display
facilities for the Scotch Archives and Museum.
Bruce Alfred Brown (’60) attended
Scotch from 1955 to 1960. His uncles,
grandson Michael McHenry (’19) and more
distant relatives have attended Scotch.
At school, Bruce was a Scout Quartermaster,
Secretary of the Geography Club, a member
of the Library Committee, and a football
umpire.
On 15 December 1967, Bruce married
Susan Mary Brunsdon in the Littlejohn
Memorial Chapel at Scotch.
Bruce taught History and Politics at
Scotch from 1985 to 2007. He was House
Master of Shew House (1986-87), Form
3 Group Master for 17 years, Teacher-in-
Charge of Cricket (1986-2007), under 13/
Year 7 football coach (1985-88), Editor of
Two Flags (the Scotch football news-sheet
(1994-2007), a foundation member in 1997
of the 1858 Club (Scotch’s football support
club, of which he was Vice President from
2000); and a 2002 member of the Common
Room Association executive.
On his retirement in 2007 Bruce joined
the OSCA Council (2007-2017). He wrote
the OSCA centenary history, With a Keen
but Loving Eye, and in 2013 he was OSCA
President in the Association’s centenary year.
Bruce has been a member of the Old
Scotch Heritage Club since 2010 and its
President since 2014. He has helped to drive
the push for greater protection of Scotch’s
history, which has culminated in improved
and expanded facilities being built. Bruce
www.scotch.vic.edu.au Great Scot
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