Who was Bong, Who Was He? (Paul Feldman)

According to the online index of NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages,  Harold Bird Brown was born at Narrandera in 1906.

He was therefore 65 when he retired in 1971. The school Journal I acquired from my brother has three pieces by or about him. The STHS admin. file in custody of NSW State Records also yields insights.

The biography says that HB's father taught for 42 years, starting as a pupil teacher at 14. HB may have been encouraged to follow in that tradition. He was probably a pupil at his father's school [one who did not rebel]. HB is between 8 and 12 during WWI. Like HB twenty five years later, his father sticks to his profession and does not join up [so probably takes huge dose of patriotism to counteract guilt]

As might have been expected,  HB is encouraged to get as good an education as possible. He does his Leaving at Sydney Boys Hiigh at the old age of 18 in 1924 [illness? repeating in order to matriculate?].  He gets into Sydney Uni where he does well in Geology [and could therefore go into mining]. But he decides on teaching  [admires his father, wants to outdo him, believes in the betterment of mankind...] He finishes his science degree in 1928 and the following year starts teaching at North Sydney Boys High. He sets the seal on this choice of occupation by going back to uni. and completing a BA. He spends a few happy years at Broken Hill as educational desert missionary, sharing his knowledge of science and geology. He courts and marries the attractive young Connie.

For the next fifteen years he moves around NSW, spending three years here, three years there. He ends up at Newcastle Tech High as science master in 1945. He does that for only three years, then it's off to Young in 1948 to become Deputy Head. He stays there until 1957, becoming Headmaster at some point. [Did they keep moving you around until you became part of management, therefore a lot of attraction in getting promoted?] He has at least one child by this stage.

STHS is a jewel, and he gets it. The school has only recently been established in Bexley. There are apparently fights with the Old Boys Union over the name of the school and other traditions [hats? teachers in academic gowns?].  The school used to be the feeder institution for Sydney Technical College, so it's not surprising there is a lot of Old Boy sentiment and muscle. Many have gone on to greater things and can lean on politicians - they win the fight to retain the school name as STHS rather than St George Boys High. My 1963 journal has a feature about the "Consecration of 'Lodge Sydney Technical High School" featuring men called Worshipful Brothers Les Rice and Les Padman, with photo of exhumed old man with far-away eyes. But HB cultivates countervailing power in the form of the P&C, headed by smooth-spoken George Brown and supposedly has a number of victories over the OBU.

[How seriously did HB take these challenges to his authority, how nervous did they make him feel, and how much did he feel reliant on the Department's backing in them?]

HB wants the school to be conspicuously successful and well-regarded After all, it is a selective high school and both the Department and the community expect and deserve excellence. He gets active in promoting the school and lobbying for resources. [Most years I was there, Speech Night featured someone important and interesting, and was reported in the Herald and on ABC Radio news the following day.]

HB takes criticism of the school very personally . The school admin. file shows that in 1960 Mr X writes to his MP, who is the Minister, and complains that on the basis of this year's Leaving results in English,  this is indeed a Technical High School because it produces illiterates. Department sends HB a 'please explain'. File shows HB smarting with indignation.  'Mr X has never approached me to discuss this. If he had, I would have told him (blah blah blah)...'

Eight years later  when Gary Simes tops HSC English, HB and Haddrill arrive on his doorstep at 7am carolling praise. HB recounts incident of Mr X and says 'this will show Mr X and his ilk'.

Given these sensitivities, HB must have been fretting throughout 60s about weakness of Science staff and later Language staff. In 1963, the school recalls ancient retired Science master to drag Honours class through Leaving.Certificate  His replacement then leaves within the year. In 1965, departure of ailing Baldwin and feisty Simmonds further dilutes degreed staff in Science causing over-reliance on specimens like Frog and Bitmead.  In Language Department, Scrag Edmonds retires. Then follows sad ordeal of Smiley Walker. Then Whittaker, Rennie and Pettit leave en masse in 1967.  These traumas are glimpsed darkly through a bureaucratic glass, on school admin. file.

HB is equally sensitive to any suggestion of disrespect. I did not realise he was nearly 60 when so many of us became surly and challenging in the mid 60s. His opposition to long hair and free speech now more understandable. Not surprisingly, he bans the Socratic Society and sends Mackie and Henderson to teach at Blacktown. The 1971 journal reprints text of speech he delivered at 1970 speech night. Front half of speech is about why 6th Form boys are under so much stress. Then follows Reichstag rave about university sit-ins providing model for mass student vandalism. Visions of flying squads of vandals and police contesting amid rubble of school bathed in flour, eggs, treacle and sump oil...
 
Quotes:
'He was a hollow man... one of many unfortunately...' (Chris Ellis)
'His doctor told him he was thinking too hard about things, so he gave up thinking' (Alby Jenkins).

In '63. HB is extremely disappointed when tries to drum up enthusiasm for a visit to the Moore Park sports ground to see the Queen - very few put up their hands. In '65 he is predictably pleased about Askin's election victory and not just because he is an old boy of the school. You can tell he thinks Askin is wonderful.

In 1968 Bing goes on the warpath about people crossing Forest Road without using the pedestrian crossing, but then Bong gets collected by a car one morning when crossing illegally. The car is moving slowly, but HB actually goes up onto the bonnet and slides off after hitting the windscreen. No injuries and all kept quiet.

Shortly after that event HB comes down with suspected meningitis. We are never told what the eventual diagnosis is, but when he comes back it's obvious he's gone a bit silly. He gets vague at assemblies and starts being light hearted, which is strange. He bids a jovial public farewell to Mr Twigg as Mr Quigg.  He makes a reference to 'Professor Hesser' and there is a swell of sniggering. And he laughs and says 'Well you might think that's a funny name, but my name's Brown and that's as common as dirt.' Loud sardonic laughter. One or two teachers look embarrassed, one or two others struggle with facial control.

Bing comes back to an assembly early in 1968 to be presented with a farewell gift, after retiring the previous year. Bong makes a speech about how Bing is 'Captain of South Strathfield Bowling Club, and now when he goes bowling he can go along to his club with his very own bowling bag.' More sardonic laughter.

Instantly Bing steps to the microphone and says  'All right now, settle down...' with signature menace. 'Oh Bing, you're back...' croons someone softly.