State school teachers have always been expected to go where they are told to go. This is the nature of state service. It is a condition that teachers accept when they join the service; and it is one that most accept with an adventurous spirit. From their point of view its lottery-like challenge places them in centres where they had never expected to live, but came to enjoy despite drawbacks. Transport and communications systems were not always of a high standard.
Following marriage teachers took their wives to unknown, even unwelcomed places where conditions were primitive compared with their home town. It was not uncommon for the school and residence to have no electricity, medical service or sanitary service as indicated in this ditty by Ray. Seldom recognised, teachers as servants of the public are required to go to places much more remote than any other officer of the crown would know about; and at greater personal cost.
Governments, however, can claim that even the most isolated child has a teacher who measures-up in quality to all others in state or private systems. The B-quadrangle of Boigu , Burketown, Birdsville and Bollon and its margins contains places not readily ones of choice for many professional people.
Principals seeking promotion accepted the challenge more readily than others. During the period that Ray and Lawrie went bush, it was a well-graded military-style, apprenticeship promotion system. Learning leadership roles, step by step, through small schools to large, Principals had to earn their credits at one level, for a set period, before they were promoted to the next level. Survivors of this decades-long course graduated with High Distinction from the many campuses of that Hard Knock University with higher degrees of professionalism and expertise than others can claim.
Without doubt, schools in Queensland’s outback were led by experienced practitioners who were the equal to any on the globe. Fortunately for families in remote areas, for the government of Queensland and for their own continuing professional development, they went where they were sent.
DEPARTMENTAL OFFICER
[Tune: "My Way"]
Of schools I’ve had a few with one or two not of my choosing -
I went where I was sent without lament, without refusing.
From De-partmental tee I missed the De-partmental fairway
Well, tough! So in the rough – I did it their way.
Dear wife would share my life, the old wood stove, the quaint chip heater,
The track to shack out back here sawdust scoop interred the foetor.
E.C. it had to be for me to climb promotion’s stairway:
In lieu of Swish and Bloo – I did it their way.
When I felt low you understand
I felt like throw-ing in my hand:
But through it all when there was doubt,
I lacked the gall to just walk out -
I stayed and did as I was bid – I did it their way.
So king of singers sing if singing bring your restless heart ease,
Of how you did your thing by challenging all other parties;
But while Sinatra-style, you went your own devil-may-care way,
My course was run perforce - I did it their way.
Yes, times galore I must confess,
I hoped for more but coped with less: My pilgrim’s pro-gress wasn’t fleet -
What can I show now it’s complete ?
The afterglow of Bunyaned feat - I did it their way.
