Former staff
09/02/1946 – 29/04/2026
Rob was ordained in November 1974 but was always drawn to a career in teaching. He was offered the chance to take up a teaching scholarship of two pounds a month, provided he was prepared to sign up for teacher training when he finished at high school.
He said, ‘When I was a boy, I wanted to be a teacher from the word go. I used to like what my teachers did. I think I might have been a teachers' pet! When I was about 15, I had a teacher whom I found to be inspirational. He used to stop mid-lesson to give us different monologues and sermons on this and that, so he inspired me.’
He commenced his working life in Adelaide in 1967 but moved to Sunbury with his family – wife Judy, and two sons Simon (OW1987) and Damien (OW1988) – to take up theological studies at Ormond College. From 1975-1985, he worked in a combined role as minister at the North Essendon Presbyterian Church and as chaplain to Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School.
Rob joined the staff at Wesley in 1986 as the chaplain at Glen Waverley Campus, and two years later was appointed as the last Principal of Cato College which amalgamated with Wesley in 1989, becoming the Elsternwick Campus. He was twice Acting Principal of the College, and Head of both Clunes and St Kilda Road campuses.
The joy of working in education for Rob essentially lay in working with children. One parent recalled, ‘He was a wonderful man who welcomed our son to Cato College. Toby has Cerebral Palsy.
'We had experienced one rejection after another from so many schools. Rob was a breath of fresh air and a balm to our aching hearts. He did everything possible to ensure Toby was accepted and included.
'We will never forget his kindness and compassion. He even came to Beaumaris to attend Toby’s 40th birthday in 2016. A real Christian and an amazing Principal.’
On his retirement he said, ‘I’ve found the Wesley College community, the parents, the kids and the staff to be fundamentally a decent bunch... not too pretentious and dead keen about education. I have always admired that.’
In keeping with his warm heart, he said he wished for students to ‘remember that the most important things that you can achieve are things that are associated with the heart, rather than with financial gain.
Achieving a balance in life, recognising that love is more important than money. If people remembered that as a message from me, then I'd be thrilled.’
