1939
JACK SHEEDY: John “Jack” Sheedy is a former AFL footballer and coach. He is considered one of the greatest WA footballers ever and is a member of both the Australian and West Australian Football Halls of Fame. He played 360 senior football matches, kicking 528 goals, and coached 272 games. He attended what was then Richmond State School and Fremantle Boys’ School, captaining both schools’ football teams.
1940
PATRICIA McCASKIE: Went on to Princess May School and Perth Business College, and is now a great grandma.
CHARLES (CHARLIE) RENNER: Attended from 1934, then returned in 1942 when schools were moved out of Fremantle in case of bombing during WWII. Watch Charlie’s interview.
1942
SIR WILLIAM HESELTINE: Private Secretary to the Sovereign – Queen Elizabeth II – from 1986 to 1990 and Private Secretary to Sir Robert Menzies, Prime Minister, from 1955 to 1959. He joined the Royal Household as Assistant Press Secretary to the Queen in 1965. He was educated at Richmond State School, Christ Church Grammar School and UWA.
1946
ALAN REED: Flew 100 missions in Vietnam War flying USAF Phantom aircraft 1968. Awarded two US Distinguished Flying Crosses. Appointed Officer in Order of Australia 1989. Author “Invited to a War”. Air Vice Marshal AO, RAAF Retired. Educated at Fremantle Boys High School, RAAF Staff College, Joint Services Staff College.
1949
ROBIN LYONS: Attended from 1942. He recalls what it was like to get the cane, walking barefoot to school and other memories in this interview.
DAVID LYONS: Attended from 1943. In this interview, David remembers swimming lessons at Bicton Baths, the Bird Lovers Association and many of his teachers.
EDDIE MUNZEL: Attended from 1943 to the late 1940s. His memories of the cricket and football teams are shared in this interview. In high school, Eddie displayed a special talent for woodwork, which he went on to teach in his education career.
1951
ROBERT FLOYD: Went on to Fremantle Boys School, got a BSc Agriculture (UWA) and MPhil Horticulture (Massey University), and is now retired.
COLIN JONES: Attended from 1945 and remembers how the oval started out as a gravel pit with a concrete cricket pitch. Colin share his memories in this interview.
1955
DARYL WILLIAMS: Former Australian politician who was a member of the House of Representatives from 1993-2004 and Attorney General in the Howard Government from 1996-2003. He attended Richmond State School, Perth Modern School and UWA before becoming a Rhodes Scholar.
1956
DENNIS PENTONY: Attended from 1950. He shares his memories of the teachers and school games in this interview.
1957
BRUCE GRIEVE: Attended from 1952. In this interview, he remembers blasting limestone out of the oval and a prank (don’t try this one at home! – parent guidance recommended).
1959
MAREE FAIRCLOUGH (POLAND): Attended from 1953. She recalls her determination to remain barefoot after the compulsory shoes policy was introduced in this interview.
1961
MARGARET AUSTIN (SPRY): Went on to Princess May School, became a hairdresser and married harness racing champion Lou Austin, who trained San Simeon. As a couple Margaret and Lou achieved the highest awards in the Harness Racing industry.
GARTH CAESAR: Attended from 1954. He shares his memories of blasting the bore, several teachers, the inkwells and old copiers in this interview. Garth became a clock maker and has worked on clocks all around the world – including the Fremantle Town Hall clock.
1962
NAUREEN TANNER: Went on to John Curtin SHS and Fremantle Technical School, and is now a photographer.
1966
REBECCA JEFFREY (PALMER): Rebecca arrived from the UK in 1963. She loved school, remembering the pine trees, sports and Mr Duncan in this interview.
1968
PAM ALLEN (VERCO): Attended from 1962. She remembers swimming lessons at Bicton Baths, how children were punished for bad behaviour and making friends for life in this interview.
GAIL DIXON: Attended for a couple of years from 1966. She was determined not to wear shoes and recalls her attempts to remain barefoot in this interview.
1969
GLENICE SANDERS and HELENA SARDELIC: Were both school parents in the 1960s. They recall how the canteen started in this side-by-side interview.
1970
CAREY SIMPSON: Attended from 1963. In this interview, he shares a prank that definitely should not be repeated. (Parent guidance recommended).
1971
NOLA WELLS (GROSVENOR): Attended from 1965. Nola shares her memories of barn dances, open fireplaces and much more in this detailed interview.
GUY HOUSTON: Attended from 1967 after moving over from Canberra. His memories of winning the Citizenship Award, being a milk monitor and the headmaster passing away from a heart attack are shared in this interview (alongside brother David, 1973). Guy became a senior journalist with the ABC in Perth and Sydney; and with Channel 7 at Parliament House in Canberra. He worked as a media advisor to former WA Premiers Geoff Gallop and Alan Carpenter. Guy was also Chief of Staff to WA Labor Leader and Premier, Mark McGowan for 9 years from 2012-2021. He went to John Curtin Senior High School.
JULIA SANDVIK: Attended from 1965. She recalls becoming Champion Girl in this interview (alongside daughter Amy Short, 1998 and granddaughter Maddi Mann, 2021).
1972
GEORGE PRINCE: Attended from 1966. He made lifelong friends at Richmond, and recalls what it was like to live close to the school in this interview.
1973
DAVID HOUSTON: Attended from 1967. He was Head Boy in his final year and shares memories of a rogue school dog, Patches, biting students and watching the moon landing on his teacher’s TV in this interview (alongside brother Guy, 1971).
NOLA MATTINGLEY: Attended from 1967. She remembers loving the building blocks used to teach maths and what assemblies were like in this interview.
1982
MELISSA HENSON: Attended from 1976, heading to St Hilda’s for high school. She remembers the teachers fondly – especially Mrs Gaskin, who is still teaching at Richmond in 2021! – in this interview.
1983
MARK JONES: Attended from 1977, following in his father’s footsteps (Colin Jones, 1951). He remembers the sporting teams and chess club, as well as having to choose between the cane and writing lines for punishments in this interview.
1984
NIC PERPITCH: Attended from 1978. He remembers much of the pop culture from the era – Asterix and Star Wars included. He shares memories of the fete that got out of control in 1983 (which also included a dunk tank!) in this interview (alongside friend Paul Hansen, 1984). Nic is a journalist and reporter for the ABC.
PAUL HANSEN: Attended from 1978. He recalls the WAFL legends and how the in-joke was to emulate Kevin Taylor’s outstanding mark in this interview (alongside friend Nic Perpitch, 1984).
1986
CHO LAMB: Attended from 1980. She fondly remembers Chess Club and Mr Skull in this interview (alongside friend Shane Merriman, 1986).
SHANE MERRIMAN: CHO LAMB: Attended from 1980. He fondly remembers Chess Club and Mr Skull in this interview (alongside friend Cho Lamb, 1986).
SHARNELL AVERY: Attended from 1980. She remembers spending time on the oval, how the Library used to be on stilts and basketball in this interview.
SHARON JOHNSTONE: Attended from 1980. She remembers how the school layout has changed and burying a time capsule under the flag pole in this interview.
1990
KELLY PUMPHREY: Attended from 1984. She remembers the virus that went around the Year 7 camp, class visits to her teacher’s pool and becoming Champion Girl in this interview.
1998
AMY SHORT (FUSSELL): Attended from 1992. She shares memories of the school, including seeing her mum’s name on the Champion Girl board in this interview (alongside mother Julia Sandvik, 1971 and niece Maddi Mann, 2021).
2004
TAHNEE ATKINSON: Won Australia’s Next Top Model in 2009 and works as an international model.
AARON YOUNGER: Made his Australian Water Polo ‘Aussie Sharks’ debut as a 19 year old and has represented Australia at the 2012 London, 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games . In 2016, he was elected as a commissioner on Water Polo Australia’s (WPA) Athletes’ Commission. He went to Hungarian national water polo in 2010 when he joined one of their national water polo league team, Szeged, for three seasons. Since 2013, he has played in the Australia and Croatian national leagues until 2015 when he returned to Hungary’s national league competition to compete for Szolnok, before singing with Hungarian powerhouse, Ferencváros, for the new season in 2018.
Outside of the pool Aaron has completed a Bachelor of Commerce at Curtin University and an MBA at the University of New South Wales.
2006
LUCY CLEMENTS: Established her own theatre company, New Ghosts, in 2014 which she has since used as a platform to create and produce new work. She has a number of theatre credits. Lucy attended JCCA and WAAPA after Richmond PS and has a Bachelor of Performing Arts.
2010
JACK CRAWFORD: Attended CBC Fremantle after Richmond PS and is loving life as a roof carpenter.
2021
MADDI MANN: Attended from 2015. She recalls winning Champion Girl just like her grandmother this interview (alongside grandmother Julia Sandvik, 1971 and aunt Amy Short, 1998).
Nomination Form
[contact-form to=”richmond.ps@education.wa.edu.au” subject=”Former Student Form”][contact-field label=”Former Student’s Name” type=”name” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Date of graduation from Richmond PS” type=”date” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Secondary school” type=”text” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Further education” type=”textarea” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Current achievement” type=”textarea” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Nominee’s name” type=”name” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Nominee’s contact phone number” type=”text” required=”1″][/contact-form]