After marrying Margaret in Sydney in 1972, the couple spent six months in Darwin assisting the integration of Indigenous students into community schools and preschools.

Looking back on their Territory service, they said Katherine was the best, especially working on a project to establish why Indigenous students weren’t much involved in school and community.

Margaret was the preschool representative on the committee that oversaw this part of the project.

By the end of 1972, the couple had moved to the USA where Peter completed a Bachelor of Education at Toledo University in Ohio.

Back in Australia in 1975 he was appointed teacher-in-charge of Grosvenor Hospital School beginning a 13 year career in which he was Principal of Lakeside Public School in Newcastle and Principal of Glendon Public School before his eight years as Principal of Hillsborough Primary School.

During these years Margaret also taught as a part-time TAFE teacher at Belmont/Tighes Hill and Windale Outreach schools.

After retiring from full-time teaching he became a casual teacher for visually impaired students.

Peter and Margaret retired to a most pleasant area north of Newcastle, Peter saying it would be “established on a slope with an outlook so we can rock on the verandah together and enjoy life to the end.”

I’m guessing that Peter was about 83 when he died. He was an astute and jovial man and his career, much of it as an educator of students who were experiencing learning challenges for one reason or another, was no surprise to those of us who knew him as a person of both compassion and practicality.

We extend our condolences and sorrow at the loss of an upstanding man to Margaret, Michael and Rebecca.