Bill Waddell

Dear All

Hope you are all well. Looking back over 40 years is a bit scary.
The Principal at Santa Sabina Strathfield had heard that I was leaving the monks at Easter (1974) and so contacted me at Ashgrove to take up a science position with them. After returning to Sydney I reluctantly went and talked to them (I had intended to have a go in Govt schools) and they talked me into it. They also talked me into being Science Coordinator which began a steep learning curve for me. (Ann Clark, of CEO Parra fame, was on my science staff at this time -she had just left the convent!). The nuns at Santa treated me extremely well and for 2 years invited me to stay (rent free) at their ‘Berith Park’ mansion at Wahroonga (was the Novitiate for a while I think). I bought my present house in Eastwood in 1978. Many of my Santa students from those days are still my close friends.
In 1980 I became Assistant Principal at the now Mercy College at Chatswood- it used to be coed in Yrs.11&12 with St.Pius Christian Bros. My main teaching areas were physics, maths and RE. John Watkins (the present Deputy Premier) was on our staff for 2 years and besides being close mates we shared senior RE classes. He is a top fellow.
I decided to take the second half of 1982 off and ‘travel the world’ … which I did! In 1983 I became the Assistant Principal at St.Johns Auburn which then amalgamated into Trinity where Paul Fensom now reigns and doing a great job.
In 1998 I left Trinity to be AP at a new amalgamating De La Salle school at Bankstown( LaSalle College). You may remember Br. Ambrose Payne from football days at the Schol(a tough little hooker!)- he was my Principal…and a truly great man.
After working with the Dominicans at Santa, the Mercy nuns and Christies at Chatswood, the Daughters of Charity at Auburn and the De La Salles in Bankstown, I returned to the Marist fold in 2002 when I became the AP at St.Pats Dundas- a lovely 960 coed. 5 minutes from home.
As you can see my career reached a plateau in 1980 where I have roamed ever since!
In 1983 I met Therese (a good looking science teacher!) and we married in 1986. We now have 5 kids -Hayden (19- Ecs. at Syd.Uni), Patrick(17-Yr.11), James(13-Yr.7), Joshua(12-Yr.6) and Emma(8-Yr.2). I started late but made up for it! They are all going well, enjoying multiple sports and musical instruments- Therese teaches piano. I spent many of my pre-kids years sailing competitively on the harbour and doing a number of shows with the Parramatta Musical Society (a few G&S productions) but since kids…an occasional game of golf with my sons if I’m lucky. The majority of my out of school time is spent on kid related activities.
Last year Therese & I went to Europe for 5 weeks with part of that time being with the Hermitage ’05 group and spent some time with the Brothers at The Hermitage in France.
My greatest treasure … a loving family.
My wishes for the future… own a boat and do more overseas travel.
My only chance …win lotto!!
Enjoy life
Bill Waddell