List of Perth Modernians

This is a list of Perth Modernians, the notable alumni of Perth Modern School, an academically-selective co-educational public high school located in Subiaco, an inner city suburb of Perth, Western Australia.

Perth Modern School alumni have received more top Order of Australia honours than the alumni of any other school in Western Australia.^[1]

Heads of state

Viceroys

• Sir Phillip Bennett, AC – Governor of Tasmania
• Sir Paul Hasluck (1909–1993) – 17th Governor-General of Australia
• Malcolm McCusker, AC – 31st Governor of Western Australia^[2]
• Ken Michael, AC – 30th Governor of Western Australia
• Sir Albert Wolff (1899–1977) – Lieutenant Governor of Western Australia

Government

Heads of government

• Bob Hawke, AC – 23rd Prime Minister of Australia
• Alexander Taylor – Deputy Premier of Western Australia & Tonkin Ministry 1971–1974, Western Australia

Executive branch

Cabinet

• Kim Edward Beazley (1917–2007) – Minister for Education 1972–1975, Australia
• Ron Davies (1926–2011) – Tonkin Ministry 1971–1974, Burke Ministry 1983–1986, Western Australia
• Julian Grill - Burke Ministry 1983-1986 & Dowding Ministry 1986-1990, Western Australia
• Sir Paul Hasluck (1905–1993) – Minister for Home Affairs 1951–1963, Minister for Defence 1963–1964, Minister for Foreign Affairs 1964–1969, Australia
• Judyth Watson – Lawrence Ministry 1991–1993, Western Australia
• Daryl Williams – Attorney-General of Australia 1996–2003, Minister for Justice 1996–1997, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts 2003–2004, Australia
• Ray Young (1938–2001) – Court Ministry 1977–1982, O'Connor Ministry 1982–1983, Western Australia

Other executives

• Wilson Tuckey – Second Howard Ministry and Third Howard Ministry, Australia
• John Wheeldon (1929–2006) – Australian Senator for Western Australia, Third Whitlam Ministry, Australia

Legislative branch

• Adair Macalistar Blain - (1894–1983) – Australian Senator for Northern Territory
• Richard Cleaver (1917–2006) – MHR, Australia
• Howard Olney – MLC, Western Australia
• John Stone – Australian Senator for Queensland
• Peter Watson – MLA, Western Australia
• Laurie Wilkinson (1903–1991) – Australian Senator for Western Australia

Judicial branch

Presiding judges

• Alan Barblett (1929-2013) - Deputy Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia, Acting Justice of the Supreme Court of Western Australia
• Kevin Parker – Vice-President of the International Criminal Tribunal, Presiding Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia Trial Chamber II, Justice of the Supreme Court of Western Australia
• Sir Albert Wolff (1899–1977) – Chief Justice of Western Australia

Judges, superior courts

• Theodore Bredmeyer – Master of the Supreme Court of Western Australia
• Gordon D'Arcy (1902-1969) - Justice of the Supreme Court of Western Australia
• Geoffry Miller – Justice of the Court of Appeal Western Australia, Justice of the Supreme Court of Western Australia^[3]
• Roy Neville (1904–1970) – Justice of the Supreme Court of Western Australia
• Howard Olney – Justice of the Federal Court of Australia, Justice of the Supreme Court of WA, Acting Justice of the Supreme Court of the NT
• David Tonge (1933–2008) – Justice of the Family Court of Australia

Military

Chiefs of services

• Sir Phillip Bennett, AC, DSO, LOM – General, first Chief of the Australian Defence Force
• David Leach, AC – Vice-Admiral, Chief of the Royal Australian Navy
• Sheila McClemans (1909–1988) – Chief Officer of the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service
• Laurie O'Donnell, AC – Lieutenant General, Chief of the Australian Army

Air, flag, and general officers

• Norman Ashworth - Air Commodore, Royal Australian Air Force, Australian military historian
• Alfred Baxter-Cox (1898-1958) – Brigadier, Australian Army
• Ron Grey, DSO – Major General, Australian Army
• Charles Lloyd (1899–1956) – Major General, Australian Army, Chief of Staff during the Siege of Tobruk, Chief of Mission for the United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency 1951–1953
• Kevin Parker – Air Commodore, Royal Australian Air Force (Reserves)
• William Rourke, CSC (1928–2012) – Rear Admiral, Royal Australian Navy
• James Thyer, DSO (1897–1977) – Brigadier, Australian Army
• Allan Walters, AFC (1905–1968) – Air Vice Marshall, Royal Australian Air Force, Head of the Australian Joint Services Staff in Washington DC 1952–1953

Others – military

• Sir Arthur Amies (1916–1977) – maxillofacial plastic surgeon, Patron of the Rats of Tobruk
• Ralph Honner, DSO, MC, (1904–1994) – Lieutenant Colonel, Australian Army, distinguished commanding officer in World War II
• John McGuire, AFC (1911-1942) - Wing Commander, Royal Air Force bomber test pilot
• Kim Patterson (1937-2011) – Lieutenant Colonel, Australian Army
• Desmond Sands, DSO, DFC (1911-1999) - Squadron Leader, Royal Air Force

Public service

Public servants

• William Bridgman (1911–1985) – Principal Parliamentary Reporter of Hansard at Parliament House Canberra
• Colin Campbell (1921–1977) – Comptroller General, Department of Prisons, Western Australia
• H.C. "Nugget" Coombs (1906–1997) – first Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Governor & Chairman of Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Chairman of the Council for the Arts and of the Council for Aboriginal Affairs, Hackett Scholar
• Ross Garnaut – senior advisor to the Australian Government, appointed by Kevin Rudd to write Garnaut Climate Change Review
• Ron Grey – Commissioner of Australian Federal Police
• Les McCarrey – Under-Treasurer, Western Australia
• Ken Michael, AC – Chairman of East Perth Redevelopment Authority, Commissioner of Main Roads Western Australia
• Margaret Nadebaum – Chief Executive of the Ministry of Education, Western Australia
• Kevin Parker – Solicitor General & Chief Crown Prosecutor, Western Australia
• Phillip Playford – Director of the Geological Survey, surveyed Carnarvon Basin with Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR) and Barrow Island with WAPET which led to commercial oil & gas production, Chairman of the Museum of Natural Science
• Thomas Robertson (1901-1969) - educationist, assistant-director of the Commonwealth Office of Education in 1946, director of education in Western Australia (1951-1966), founding member of Australian College of Education (1959), president of Australian Council for Educational Research (1967)
• Sir Walter Scott, AC (1903–1981) – Chairman of Commonwealth Decimal Currency Committee who oversaw the introduction of the Australian dollar, World President of the International Congress of Scientific Management
• John Stone – Secretary to the Treasury, Australia
• Ralph Slatyer, AC (1929–2012) – first Chief Scientist of Australia
• Ian Temby – first Director of Commonwealth Public Prosecutions, Royal Commissioner, Commissioner of the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption

Diplomats

• John Cummins (1902–1989) – CSIRO chief scientific liaison officer at London, UNESCO committee member, IAEA science & technical director at Vienna
• Ron Davies (1926–2011) – Agent-General London
• Ross Garnaut – Ambassador to China
• Sir Paul Hasluck (1905–1993) – delegate at San Francisco Conference 1945 which founded the United Nations, leading delegate of the Australian mission to the United Nations Security Council 1946
• Ralph Honner (1904–1994) – Ambassador to Ireland
• Sir Leslie Johnson (1916–2000) – last Administrator & first High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Ambassador to Greece, High Commissioner to Cyprus, Director-General of the Australian Development Assistance Agency (now AusAid)
• Thomas Robertson (1901-1969) – delegate to conferences of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO 1961-1964
• Ralph Slatyer, AC (1929–2012) – Ambassador to UNESCO
• Joe Starke (1911–2006) – member of the League of Nations secretariat at Geneva^[4][5]

Politicians

• Margaret Battye (1909–1949) – Australian women's rights activist, first female court lawyer in Western Australia
• Joan Dowson (1906–2006) – co-founder of Australian Defence Association
• Bill Gaynor – President of RSL (WA)
• Irene Greenwood – international women's rights and peace activist
• Bob Hawke, AC – President of Australian Council of Trade Unions
• Clarrie Isaacs (1948–2003) – Australian Aboriginal activist
• Shirley Randell – international women's rights activist and advocate for public sector reform
• Rob Riley (1954–1996) – Australian Aboriginal activist
• Jessie Robertson (1909-1976) - State president of the National Council of Women 1956-1959 & 1966-1972, of the Australian-Asian Association (1960-1965), international president of the Pan-Pacific and South East Asia Women's Association 1961-1964; co-founder of Association of Western Australia 1947, the Soroptimist Club of Perth 1958, King Edward Memorial Hospital auxiliary 1958, and of the women's auxiliary of the Country and Democratic League 1957 and was president 1961-1964
• William Rourke (1928–2012) – chief executive officer of Institute of Engineers Australia, director of International Institute of Engineers
• Shirley Sampson (1927–2007) – feminist educator who pioneered gender studies in Australia, Chairman of the Premier's Committee of Equal Opportunity 1975–1977, founder of Australian Women's Education Committee in 1976
• Vincent Serventy (1917–2007) – established world first nature conservation day, now Earth Day, Commissioner of Australian Heritage Commission, President of Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia, and founder of WA National Trust, WA Tree Society, WA Gould League of Birdlovers^[6]
• Lex Watson (1943-2014) - gay & lesbian activist

Others – public service

• Sheila McClemans (1909–1988) – first female barrister before the WA Supreme Court, co-founder of the first all-female law firm in WA
• Enid Russell (1903–1985) – first female graduate of UWA law school, first WA born female to be admitted to legal practice in WA
• Hubert Scotney (1903–1984) – President of the High Council of the Salvation Army

Academia and science

Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors

• H.C. "Nugget" Coombs (1906–1997) – fourth Chancellor of Australian National University 1968-1975, Hackett Scholar
• Ross Garnaut – Vice-Chancellor's Fellow, University of Melbourne
• John Hay, AC – Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Queensland, Deakin University; Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Monash University, Hackett Scholar
• John de Laeter (1933–2010) – Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Development, Curtin University
• Marcus Liveris (1931–2011) – Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Health Sciences, Curtin University
• Ken Michael, AC – Chancellor, University of Western Australia
• Sir Fred Schonell (1900–1969) – Vice-Chancellor, University of Queensland, Hackett Scholar
• Sir Walter Scott, AC (1903–1981) – Chancellor of the International Academy of Management

Chairs

• Sir Arthur Amies (1916–1977) – Professor of Dental Science, University of Melbourne
• Harry Anderson (1917–1961) – foundation Professor of Law, University of Queensland
• Bruce Armstrong – Professor of Public Health, The University of Sydney
• Athel Berthwick (1930–2010) – Professor of Organic Chemistry, The University of Adelaide
• Philip Best – Professor of Physics, University of Connecticut
• David Black – Professor of History and Politics, Curtin University
• Andrew Cole – Professor of Physical Chemistry, University of Western Australia, Hackett Scholar
• Brian De Garis – Professor of History, Murdoch University
• John de Laeter (1933–2010) – Professor of Physics, Curtin University
• Ross Garnaut – Professor of Economics, Australian National University
• Brian Hill – Professor of Education, Murdoch University
• John Masarei – Professor of Chemical Pathology, Chinese University of Hong Kong
• Jennifer McComb – Professor of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Murdoch University
• John La Nauze (1911–1990) – Professor of History, Australian National University, University of Melbourne; Professor of Australian Studies, Harvard University
• John Penrose – Professor of the Centre of Marine Science and Technology, Curtin University
• Buddy Rogers (1914–1996) – Professor of Zoology, The University of Adelaide, Hackett Scholar
• Ralph Slatyer, AC (1929–2012) – foundation Professor of Environmental Biology at the Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University
• Tom Stannage (1944–2012) – Professor of History, Curtin University, University of Western Australia
• Sir Fred Schonell (1900–1969) – Professor of Education, Birmingham University
• Laurence Teakle (1901–1979) – Professor of Agriculture, University of Queensland
• Bob Tonkinson - Emeritus Professor of Anthropology, University of Western Australia
• Eric John Underwood (1905–1980) – Professor of Agriculture, University of Western Australia, Hackett Scholar

Other notable academics and scientists

• Bill Compston – Visiting Professor of Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, identified mineral found in Western Australia as the oldest in the world
• Dan Dunn – co-founder of Murdoch University
• Tim Marshall (1907–2008) – CSIRO assistant chief of Soils Division, first to raise concern on water sustainability of the Murray-Darling system
• Dom Serventy (1904–1988) – ornithologist, CSIRO, in 1947 began his 30-year and ongoing study Pufinus tenuirostris on Bass Strait mutton-birds, co-wrote Handbook to the Birds of Western Australia with H. M. Whittell, and Handbook of Australian Sea-birds with his brother Vince Serventy
• Thomas Robertson (1901-1969) – co-founder of Western Australian Institute of Technology (now Curtin University)
• Joe Starke (1911–2006) – Visiting Professor of Law at University of Paris, International Institute of Humanitarian Law, and at Max Planck Institute of International Law; 6th editor of the Australia Law Journal, and international law advocate^[4]
• George Westlake (1927-2012) - pioneering heart surgeon
• Patricia Woolley – zoologist, La Trobe University, in 1992 searched and found Julia Creek dunnart, Sminthopsis douglasi, a marsupial species thought to be extinct

Rhodes Scholars

• 1926: Karl Allen^[5][7]
• 1927: Keith Leo Cooper^[5][7][8]
• 1928: Alfred Smith^[5][7]
• 1931: John La Nauze^[5][7]
• 1932: Joe Starke^[5][7][9]
• 1933: Arthur Finn^[7]
• 1937: Edward Barr^[7]
• 1938: Harry Ross Anderson
• 1939: Edmund Ernest Jarvis^[7][10]
• 1951: John Stone^[7]
• 1952: John Robert Hall^[7][10]
• 1953: Bob Hawke^[7]
• 1962: Brian De Garis^[7]
• 1965: Daryl Williams^[7]

Art, entertainment and media

Artists

• Peter Bladen (1922–2001) – poet, sketch-writer The Mavis Bramston Show
• Graeme Blevins - jazz saxopinist
• Oswald Chisholm (1903–?) – architect; partner at Cameron, Chisholm & Nicol; designed the Cottesloe Bathers Pavilion
• Philip Darbyshire (1898–1969) – scriptwriter, ABC Radio
• Bonnie Davies – comedian & director of Bootleg Comedy
• Simone De-Haan – trombonist
• Stephen Dornan (1916-2012) - pianist, composed the music to PMS School Song to accompany fellow student John Colman's Latin poem Vir Carbone
• Alison Eddington – percussionist, Synergy Energy
• John Ewers (1904–1978) – writer, With the Sun on My Back, first President of the Fellowship of Australian Writers (WA) 1938-1939 & 1946-1947^[11]
• Rae-Helen Fiesden – flautist & vocalist
• Timothy Harford – dancer, The Australian Ballet
• Rolf Harris – painter & variety entertainer, commissioned to paint portrait of Queen Elizabeth II
• Rex Horan – musician, Cinema Prague, Air Ensemble & Mamas Gun
• John Hepworth (1921–1995) – writer, Nation Review magazine
• Jean Hopper - writer
• Alex Kalajzic – actor
• Brian Klopper – architect
• Robyne Latham – theatre & film designer, installation artist, ceramist, sculptor
• Emma Matthews – lyric soprano, Opera Australia
• Geoffry Michaels – violinist, Liebesfreud
• Len Randell – naval architect, designed and built Leeuwin II
• Coralie Rees (1908–1972) – writer, Silent his Wings, editor of feminist magazine Dawn, and writer for Australian Women's Weekly
• Leslie Rees (1905–2000) – writer, Digit Dick
• Paul Ridge – musician, Drapht
• Desmond Sands (1911-1999) - architect, President of Royal Australian Institute of Architects (WA)1959-1960, Hackett Scholar
• Victor Sangiorgio – pianist
• Emma Scott – clarinetist, Moderntimes 1800, Concerto d'Amsterdam
• Vincent Serventy (1917–2007) – writer & film maker, Emeritus Fellow of the Australia Council Literature Board 1993^[6]
• Alan Seymour – playwright and author, The One Day of the Year
• Donald Stuart (1913–1983) – playwight and author, President of the Fellowship of Australian Writers
• Howard Taylor (1918–2001) – painter & sculptor, commissioned to create sculpture Compass and Perspective at Parliament House Canberra
• Jay Weston – tenor, Opera Australia & international theatre productions
• Ian Westrip – choral conductor, Carols by Candlelight Perth
• Helen Helga Wilson (1902–1991) – writer, The Mulga Tree
• Gregory Yurisich – bass baritone, Opera Australia & The Royal Opera

Entertainment and media

• Alan Bateman (1936–2012) – managing director of Seven Network, General Manager of Network Ten
• Boronia "Bonnie" Giles (1909-1978) – creative writer and illustrator at Daily News under pseudonyms 'Peg Peggoty', 'Auntie Nell' and ‘Mary Ferber’, editor of Our Children magazine
• Graeme Hunt – presenter STW Channel 9,^[12] news editor TVW Channel 7
• Lou Klepac – art critic, founding publisher of The Beagle Press
• Robert Marshall – Executive Producer of Globe on Screen at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, Black Swan Theatre Company, & at Queensland Performing Arts Centre
• Beryl Mills (1907–1977) – Miss Australia 1926
• Geoffry Milne (1945—2013) - theatre critic & academic
• Ronald Monson (1905–1973) – war correspondent
• Maxwell Newton (1929–1990) – first editor The Australian, editor Australian Financial Review, financial editor New York Post, publisher Melbourne Observer & reprinted Marvel Comics editions in Australia, Hackett Scholar
• John Nicholls – radio journalist, Fairfax Media
• Jessie Robertson (1909-1976) - 6IX radio programme host, "Aunt Judy"
• Malcolm Uren (1900–1973) – Editor-in-Chief, West Australian Newspapers
• Bruce Walker – presenter STW Channel 9^[12]
• Kenneth Watts (1919–1990) – founding chairman of Australian Film Commission

Business

• Sir Garrick Agnew (1930–1987) – founder of Robe River Mine, Chairman of Agnew Clough (now Clough Limited)^[13]
• Sir Cyril Bird (1904–1984) – managing director of C.P. Bird & Associates (now RSM Bird Cameron)
• Len Buckeridge (1936-2014) – founder of Buckeridge Group of Companies (BGC)
• Norman Fernie (1898–1977) – managing director of Griffin Coal Mining, Chairman of WA State Electricity
• Ross Garnaut – Chairman of Bankwest, Lihir Gold, Primary Industry Bank of Australia
• Philip Harvey – first CEO of Alinta
• Arthur Hill – Vice-President Business Development AT&T
• Janet Holmes à Court, AC – Chairman of Heytesbury, philanthropist
• Bruce Middleton – founder of Asia Pacific Aerospace Consultants, head of Australian Space Office
• Kevin Parry (1933–2010) – founder of Parry Corporation
• Sir Walter Scott, AC (1903–1981) – founder of WD Scott, co-founder & Chairman of Australian Institute of Management

Sport

• Sir Garrick Agnew (1930–1987) – swimming, London Olympics 1948, Helsinki Olympics 1952^[14][15]
• Alan Barblett (1929-2013) - hockey, Melbourne Olympics 1956
• Caitlin Bassett – Australian Netball Diamonds
• Brian Falconer – VFL footballer, Hawthorn
• Ern Henfry (1921–2007) – VFL footballer, Carlton premiership captain 1947, Victorian state captain^[16] – WA Hall of Champions 1993^[17]
• Anthony Jones – AFL footballer, Fremantle, Sandover Medal 2007
• Betty Judge-Beazley (1921-2015) – athletics world records holder, coach of Shirley Strickland, president of the Australian Women's Amateur Athletics Union
• Lawrence O’Donnell – Australian shooting team, NRA Bisley, United Kingdom
• Kevin Parry (1933–2010) – America's Cup, Parry's yacht Kookaburra III defeated Alan Bond's Australia IV 5-nil & then lost 4-nil to Dennis Connor's Stars & Stripes 87, Parry was also a WA state baseball player
• Russell Perry – Chairman of RugbyWA & WA state rugby union player
• Tom Stannage (1944–2012) – WAFL footballer & WA state representative
• Ray Strauss (1927-2013) - Australian hockey player & first class cricketer
• Ken Watson – squash, Danish champion 4 times, managed & coached Australian women's squash team to world championships 1983 & 2002
• Peter Watson - athletics, Mexico Olympics 1968
• David White – athletics, Australian 800m champion, Auckland Commonwealth Games 1950

See also

• List of schools in Perth, Western Australia

References

Notes

Further reading

• Sphinx Foundation (2005). Perth Modern School: The History and the Heritage. Cottesloe, WA: B+G Resource Enterprises; Sphinx Foundation. ISBN 9781920715953. 
• Woodman, Alison; Staaden, Ross (2011). Past, Present & Future: Celebrating 100 Years of Exceptional Education at Perth Modern School (1911–2011). Subiaco, WA: Perth Modern School P & C Association. ISBN 9780646557847. 

External links

• Perth Modern School website
• Perth Modernian Society website