Walter's Background:
I entered this life in 1943. Born into the low socioeconomic suburb of East Perth, a wonderful post-World War II adventure playground comprising electricity powerhouse, town gas works, creeks, river, mud flats, railway, bridges and haunted graveyard. I survived many youthful misadventures and learned valuable life skills along the way.
My first major setback in life came at the age of 13 with the sudden hit and run death of my mother, upon which my sister and I were farmed out to relatives. My father lacked the means to support us. I completed junior high school a year later after which I was compelled to join the workforce - I needed a job to support myself. I enjoyed considerable success as a coxswain with six State championship wins, culminating with an Australian championship title in 1960. I qualified as a surf life-saver and commenced a cadastral drafting cadetship and night school diploma course in 1961. Given the miserly salary of a cadet draftsman, I bought a motorcycle!
A second major setback occurred shortly after, as a result of a coming together of bike and bus, my leg sandwiched between. My father courageously refused to give consent to the amputation demanded by surgeons. I survived a multitude of operations and left hospital on crutches some three months later and returned to night school... only to slip on a carelessly discarded match, which resulted in a fall that drove my plastered leg into a wall. Broken once more, I was admitted into hospital for a further two months, where I received skin and bone grafts. With the bike wrecked and rowing career over, I developed an interest in music, fast cars and sailing.
Things were on the up! In 1972, having teamed up with two work-mates, I enjoyed a trip of a lifetime... a seven month trip around the Uk and Europe, an Australian right of passage. Five months into the trip, I fell madly in love at the first sight of an English girl, by the name of Sue, as our paths briefly crossed in Munich. After parting, I eventually split from my two friends, struck out for Richmond where she lived, courted intensely for my two remaining weeks and returned to Australia. Sue emigrated to Australia in 1973 and we married later that year. Our marriage heralded a very fruitful and happy period in our lives together. We were privileged to produce three fine daughters and grew very close to my sister, brother-in-law and three nephews. Along the way I enjoyed a successful career in mapping, geographic information systems, systems development, information management, strategic planning and process improvement.
My involvement with choirs commenced in 1997 when our youngest daughter entered junior high school on a music scholarship (violin). The school's choir master sent a note home with students, inviting parents to form a community choir. Having strummed a folk guitar and sung for many years, I couldn't resist. My sister and I joined immediately. I was duly appointed President and lead the Choir during its initial three formative years towards incorporated association.
However, as we entered the 21st Millenia, fate had more in store for me and mine with a third round challenge. I developed the first symptoms of Parkinson's and in 2008, our lives were rocked by the suicide of one of our daughters, the marriage breakdown of another and a bicycle spill that broke my artificial hip (the trauma of '61 had necessitated a total hip joint replacement in the early 90's).
Four years on finds the two of us as 'empty nesters' and retired from corporate life. In 2010, I was honoured to have been conferred life membership of the Churchlands Choral Society and the MGTC Owners Club.
My first major setback in life came at the age of 13 with the sudden hit and run death of my mother, upon which my sister and I were farmed out to relatives. My father lacked the means to support us. I completed junior high school a year later after which I was compelled to join the workforce - I needed a job to support myself. I enjoyed considerable success as a coxswain with six State championship wins, culminating with an Australian championship title in 1960. I qualified as a surf life-saver and commenced a cadastral drafting cadetship and night school diploma course in 1961. Given the miserly salary of a cadet draftsman, I bought a motorcycle!
A second major setback occurred shortly after, as a result of a coming together of bike and bus, my leg sandwiched between. My father courageously refused to give consent to the amputation demanded by surgeons. I survived a multitude of operations and left hospital on crutches some three months later and returned to night school... only to slip on a carelessly discarded match, which resulted in a fall that drove my plastered leg into a wall. Broken once more, I was admitted into hospital for a further two months, where I received skin and bone grafts. With the bike wrecked and rowing career over, I developed an interest in music, fast cars and sailing.
Things were on the up! In 1972, having teamed up with two work-mates, I enjoyed a trip of a lifetime... a seven month trip around the Uk and Europe, an Australian right of passage. Five months into the trip, I fell madly in love at the first sight of an English girl, by the name of Sue, as our paths briefly crossed in Munich. After parting, I eventually split from my two friends, struck out for Richmond where she lived, courted intensely for my two remaining weeks and returned to Australia. Sue emigrated to Australia in 1973 and we married later that year. Our marriage heralded a very fruitful and happy period in our lives together. We were privileged to produce three fine daughters and grew very close to my sister, brother-in-law and three nephews. Along the way I enjoyed a successful career in mapping, geographic information systems, systems development, information management, strategic planning and process improvement.
My involvement with choirs commenced in 1997 when our youngest daughter entered junior high school on a music scholarship (violin). The school's choir master sent a note home with students, inviting parents to form a community choir. Having strummed a folk guitar and sung for many years, I couldn't resist. My sister and I joined immediately. I was duly appointed President and lead the Choir during its initial three formative years towards incorporated association.
However, as we entered the 21st Millenia, fate had more in store for me and mine with a third round challenge. I developed the first symptoms of Parkinson's and in 2008, our lives were rocked by the suicide of one of our daughters, the marriage breakdown of another and a bicycle spill that broke my artificial hip (the trauma of '61 had necessitated a total hip joint replacement in the early 90's).
Four years on finds the two of us as 'empty nesters' and retired from corporate life. In 2010, I was honoured to have been conferred life membership of the Churchlands Choral Society and the MGTC Owners Club.