I was transferred to St George Girls High School, Kogarah from Figtree High School, Wollongong during February 1977, and remained on staff until December 2011-35 years . If i estimate that there were 900 students in the school each year, this totals to at least 31,500 students over my 35 year tenure .
My farewell speech from St George Girls High School in late December 2011 is on my website annefield.net.au – in the blog.
I had an enriching and rewarding teaching career, as well as a challenging political career from 1991-2008 as a Local Government Councillor -Rockdale Council (1991-1999) and then Kogarah Council (1999-2008). I had a previously served on St George Hospital Board (1985-1988).
After my official retirement on January 26 2012, I had no hesitation in what i planned to do . Post my St George Girls tenure, i wanted to write. My priority was to finish my History of Moorefield Racecourse, Kogarah .Sydney (1888-1951) so that it could be launched, after many years of research. My book was launched on July 14 2016, at James Cook Boys Technology High School.
However, i needed to first undertake my Message in a Bottle journey to Albany, Western Australia in mid- April 2012. This adventure took a great deal of planning throughout the year as there is a twist to the story. My bottle, which i had committed to the powerful Southern Ocean, washed in at Bremer Bay, and was found as flotsam on the beach by a Perth fisherman. And so i returned to Perth mid -year to collect my bottle. My bottle should have earned Frequent Flyer points! The bottle was recommitted to the ocean, east of Eden, on September 30 2012. Inside my bottle was the story of my Grannie’s life – it honoured her journey from Glasgow, Scotland to Sydney in 1912. Check out the 8 minute you Tube, Anne’s Adventure, which was made in 2013. The bottle is still at sea.
I was instrumental in running the community campaign for local residents, from September 2012 until April 2013, to save Griffith House, Gray Street, and Kogarah. Griffith House was located on the St George Hospital Campus, and was the home of a former Kogarah Mayor, Peter Herrmann. Sadly, this property was being demolished in April 2013 .i am angry each time i walk past the car park, where this beautiful house once stood.
My two websites were set up respectively in 2013 and 2014. Today, they are viewed in over 130 countries around the world. My Moorefield Racecourse material is viewed across Australia and in over 20 countries internationally. I write all of the articles myself. My Facebook site Moorefield Racecourse was set up in late 2015.
In mid -May 2013, i Flew Virgin Atlantic from Sydney , via Hong Kong and onto London. After staying in London for a week , i travelled to Wakefield , Yorkshire as I was to attend a special football celebration, in late May. I then travelled north from Wakefield to Edinburgh for a few days, and then to Glasgow to visit my relatives. I returned home from London via Hong Kong , where i caught up with 2 former St Georgians, Connie Carnabuci from 1980 HSC , and Lydia Trotter from 2001 HSC, at a luncheon at Sha Tin Racecourse.
May 2015, i had a 4.5 spinal operation – a fusion and a disc. I recall being wheeled into the very daunting operating theatre at Karina Private Hospital , the neurosurgeon called out to me “good morning boss . “ i replied “ you are the boss today .”
The remainder of 2015, and the first part of 2016 were devoted to moving my Moorefield book along. The pressure was on ……. i recall walking into James Cook Boys High School Assembly Hall with a fellow racing historian , Graham on the day of the launch , and saying “we finally made it “ Mr Jagelman , former Head of Languages at St George Girls , was the capable compere for this well attended launch.
After my hard copy book launch in October 2016, i have undertaken many guest talks over the following years : to Council , retirement villages , Probus Club , Garden Club , Friendship Groups and Historical Societies.
In mid-2017, residents of the Moorefield Estate, Kogarah held a meeting in Civic Avenue, Kogarah to discuss the then F6, now called M6. I chaired the Moorefield Estate M6 Committee, and have 4 other residents on the Committee. Whilst the M6 was approved by the State Government in late 2019, local residents are mindful of concerns with the project.
In August 2018, Bob a local video and film maker and i, made a 2 hour video on Moorefield Racecourse. It was launched at St Patricks Green Retirement Village, Kogarah in late January 2019. Three former Moorefield jockeys attended: Ray Selkrig, Cliff Clare and Ted Mills.
In late September 2019, i flew Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong. I caught up with Valerie Suen, HSC 2005, who is a partner in a Hong Kong Law firm specialising in China and Hong Kong intellectual property. We had a wonderful lunch at Ye Shanghai in the Pacific Place Shopping Centre in Admiralty. She said that she had worked in Hong Kong for 9 years.
Then, on to Amsterdam to meet with an elderly Australian lady, Topsy with whom i had contact since Easter time 2016. (She had found me through my website). Topy’s daughter, Petronella brought her to my hotel, Mercure at 10 Joan Muyskenweg Amsterdam. Topsy had connections to Maurice McCarten, former jockey and then horse trainer.
And finally to Glasgow, i was then to travel on a ten day tour of Scotland, which took in the Isle of Skye and the Orkneys. They were on my bucket list! I flew out of Edinburgh to Amsterdam for a few days, and then on to Hong Kong for a few days, before returning to Sydney. A report on this trip, along with photos, is on my website annefield.net.au –in the blog.
In 2020 , i did a road trip to Port Macquarie in early September , and to Mudgee in November , where i caught up with Ms Holt (former Social Science teacher) and Jo Ryan , former English teacher , in the early 1980’s. Jo had travelled from Bathurst to meet me in Wallerawang. I also travelled to Tea Gardens in late November.
In 2021, i travelled again to Tea Gardens on two occasions, and to Scone in mid -June to undertake a tour of horse studs.
Covid in 2021 put paid to our travelling. A Melbourne Cup visit in November 2020 was rescheduled to an Orange trip in October 2021. This was rescheduled to a trip to Orange in autumn, 2022. In early September I flew to Melbourne and in late October I completed a 10 day road trip to Eden. And in late November 2022 I flew to Port Macquarie.
In November 2021, I letterboxed countless letterboxes in Ward 3 Bayside Council . Ward 3 is now a much larger Ward than it had been previously. I was number two candidate on Andrew Tsounis Independent ticket. On December 4 2021, Andrew was re-elected to represent Third Ward. I was delighted that 2 former St Georgians were elected to Council – i have maintained contact with both former students to provide advice. Christina Petrakis, now Jameson HSC 1991 was elected to Georges River Council, and Jessica Nguyen HSC 2012, was elected to Canterbury Bankstown Council.
My “retirement” has given me the opportunity to move on to the creative world. This year, i will finish my children’s book, and i plan to start on my Message in a Bottle story. Scottish Tourism has as their theme this year ‘Stories from Scotland. “
I look forward to the next decade of working with the written word which may include additional Moorefield Racecourse material.
Beryl Hatton and Gillian Cappelletto (front row)
at Bexley Pool Swimming Carnival 1982
