Part 5: Armidale
I share this evening a few images from my visit earlier today to the
Northern Tablelands city of
Armidale. I spent several hours in Armidale on my way from
Gunnedah back to Gulmarrad.
As I previously mentioned
here,
here and
here, I attended college in Armidale from 1984-1986 (left, looking very studious!). They were three very happy years. I studied for my Diploma of Teaching at the
Armidale College of Advanced Education (ACAE), formerly the
Armidale Teachers’ College (pictured below in 1985).
Notes Wikipedia:
The Armidale Teachers’ College is an impressive Classical Revival building that stands high on a hill overlooking the City of Armidale. . . . The College Building is surrounded by gardens that are representative of the 1930s period. Until mid-2016, the north-eastern (main) vehicular entry to the precinct from Mossman Street was along an avenue of “English” (European) elm trees (Ulmus procera) – many dating [back to the late 1800s]; and an "English" (European) oak (Quercus robur), past a hedge made of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis). The elm trees were removed in July 2016 after being deemed too hazardous to remain, and were replaced with juvenile English elm trees. Formal rose gardens line the eastern and southern sides. Annual garden beds are dotted throughout the grounds.
. . . The building has a long hipped slate roof with colonnaded verandahs recessed under the roofline. The Armidale blue brick has rendered quoining around the windows and doorways. Wide steps lead to the verandah then into a central entrance hall with a staircase leading to the first floor and auditorium. This area features terrazzo, parquetry floor and a variety of local Australian timbers lining the walls. The central section of the building on its high verandah features massive, two storey, Ionic columns. The arches to the lower windows continue the effect of the verandah. No significant alterations have been completed to the front facade.
The garden retains significant elements of a 1930s formal garden. The rose gardens were first established in 1933. Situated on the eastern and western sides of the college, the species trace the history of roses. The rosemary hedge and memorial gates are dedicated to those who died during World War Two. A memorial pool is dedicated to the first gardener, Frederick T. Dye, head gardener 1930–1954. The gardens provide the opportunity for research on garden design and introduced botanical species.
The college building has retained a relatively high degree of intact original fabric in major and lesser spaces. The building still retains much original fabric including parquetry floor, slate roof, and terrazzo stairs.
The building today. Now called the
C. B. Newling Centre, it serves as the home of the
New England Conservatorium which notes the following on its website.
New England Conservatorium of Music resides on the land of the Anaiwan People and works across a number of regional and remote nations in the New England and North West areas of New South Wates. We wish to acknowledge the traditional custodians, storytellers and musicians of the lands on which we work and perform, and pay respect to elders past, present and emerging.
Right: With my college friend Cherie.
Above: My class (or “group”) at ACAE in 1986.
Back row (from left): Ron Stevens (Academic Advisor), Carmel Boland, Cherie Chesworth, Traci Bromfield, Michael Ostler, Doug Garnett, Merry Houghton, Sharon Quinn, and Sharon Fernandes.
Third row: Cherie Ebert, Julieanne Campbell, Jenny Bissett, and Sue Page.
Second row: Jacquie Turner, Gail Miller, Sharyn Chisholm, Jane Blacker, and me.
Front row: Rowan Bullock and Paul Smart.
Absent: Anna Georgopoulos, Karen McGufficke and Jenny Hood.
Above: With Mum at my graduation from the Armidale College of Advanced Education (ACAE). I completed my Diploma of Teaching at Armidale in 1986, but this photo was taken at the graduation ceremony which took place in April 1987. Dad took the photo and he clearly wanted to include as much of the beautiful gardens of the college as possible!
While studying in Armidale I lived at
St. Albert’s College, a residential college on the campus of the
University of New England. I have such wonderful and happy memories from those days.
Indeed, as I wandered the halls and courtyards of both ACAE and St. Albert’s today, I found myself in a total state of reverie. Has it really been 40 years since my time in Armidale? Incredibly, yes. Although I felt at times a little melancholic, overall I felt that “mellow glow” that Steve Taylor
writes about.
Above: I worked hard and partied hard, especially in ’85 and ’86. This photo was taken at my friend Donna’s 21st in Lismore in September 1985.
Pictured
above is St. Albert’s (“Albies”) in 1985, while
below is how it looks today.
Above: During my three years at Albies I lived on “Middle C,” the second floor of C-Block – Room C-34 from 1984-85 and Room C-24 (a much-coveted corner room) in 1986. “Bottom C” and “Top C” were occupied by female students.
Above: With friends Hugh and Sophie – October 23, 1985. I remember the date as it was my 20th birthday.
Wednesday, October 23, 1985 is famous in pop culture as it’s the date that
Marty McFly travels to in the classic film
Back to the Future.
Also, that crucifix behind me was made by a work colleague of my
grandfather’s. It’s been with me all these years – in Armidale,
Canberra,
Goulburn, and in my various homes in the Twin Cities of St. Paul/Minneapolis.
Above: One of C-Block’s two “cleaning ladies,” Lyn, with four residents of Middle C. At left is my friend Greg, about whom I
previously wrote the following.
I recently came across a faded snapshot of the first guy I ever found myself attracted to. When we first became friends in college in Armidale I was 18 and he was 21. It’s funny, but he seemed so much older than me, and, in many ways, he was. I wouldn’t say he was the first guy I ever feel in love with. (No, that wouldn’t happen until 1987 and with someone very different.) Yet, without doubt, our friendship and, moreover, my attraction to him physically, awakened within me the realization that, yes, I really was gay. I guess I have him to thank for helping me grow in self-awareness, for nudging me along on my coming out journey.
He himself was as straight as they come – a robust and athletic young man who, as far as I know, is still in good shape and works as a professional surf lifesaver in Australia. Good for him! I haven’t seen him since 1989, but I still sometimes think of him and wish him well.
Above: The C-Men of Albies in 1984. Our motto was "Through rain and hail and stormy weather, C-Men always stick together!"
Back row (from left): Tim Ryan, Anthony O’Regan, Greg Toman, John Bourke, Guy Hannan, and Sid Hewgill.
Middle row: Will Owen, Jack Fahey, me, Rowan Bullock, Rowan's brother who was visiting, another former C-man whose name I can’t recall, and Chris Gittoes.
Front row: Phil Vercoe, Grant Hando, Danny Speedy, Hugh Armstrong, and Brett Andrew.
Above: Armidale was a rural centre, and many of the guys at Albies were studying things like Ag Economics and Rural Science. It kinda shows in this photo, don’t you think?
Above: Along with my friend Rowan, three others at Albies were studying across town at the Armidale College of Advanced Education (ACAE) – Lindy, Jackie, and Michelle. I'd often give a lift to class to all four.
Above: At left with friends Sharon and Will in 1985.
Above: My friend Enid’s birthday. From left: Dom, Kurt, Mark, Sharon, Enid, Will, and Mickey. Of all my friends from Albies, I’ve stayed most in touch with Enid. (See, for example,
here and
here.)
Above: The C-Men of Albies in 1986. Some familiar faces, some new ones.
Above: Albies’ coat-of-arms has changed since 1986 as the college is no longer administered by its founders, the
Dominican Order, but by the
Diocese of Armidale. (For more on the history of St. Albert’s,
click here.)
Above: Howzat!
Above: The Great Water Fight of 1986!
Above: I turned 21 in 1986 and celebrated with a party in
Dangarsleigh Hall, a little country church hall a few miles outside of Armidale. At that time I was
very much into Hal Foster’s adventure strip character
Prince Valiant, and so had the hall decorated with huge colorful images of this hero who was both a
Viking prince and a
knight of
King Arthur’s
Round Table.
Left: Mum and Dad with one of the images that were part of my 21st birthday celebration. This image shows Prince Valiant and the
love of his life, Queen
Aleta of the Misty Isles.
My 21st was somewhat different in that it brought together my Albies friends and my ACAE friends (not to mention family and friends from
Gunnedah). In some ways I really did live in two different worlds while in Armidale. It took a while, but members of both groups soon started mixing and enjoying themselves, as did all the Gunnedah folks.
Above: At the C-Block 1986 Christmas party we presented flowers to our two wonderful cleaning ladies, Diane and Lyn. I often wonder where these lovely women are now.
Above: Albies’ validictorians of 1986.
Above:The Armidale College of Advanced Education’s Class of 1986.
NEXT: Gulmarrad, Maclean,
and Brooms Head
See also the previous Wild Reed post:
• Darren Hayes, Coming Out . . . Oh, and Time Travel
Images: Michael J. Bayly.
