I joined the Police Cadets on 4 August 1970 and began a very different
life to the one I envisaged as a teenager.
Went through all the usual cadet activities and was lucky enough to have
shorthand stopped halfway through my time as a cadet (what a drag that was).
I was sworn in on 1 August 1972. My
first station was Cronulla before being transferred to that wonderful ‘country’
station called Port Kembla where I found policing to be very different to the
way we were taught in the Academy. After
Port Kembla I was stationed at Warilla, Kiama and then Warilla again where I
also performed Rescue Squad, Induction Training Officer and Community Relations
duties.
In 1987 I received an ‘outstanding’classification and was subsequently transferred to Headquarters (what a great reward
for doing well). I spent 18 months at
headquarters before deciding to resign and try my luck in the big world. I didn’t leave the Police Force disillusioned
– I honestly enjoyed my 18 years in the job.
I enjoyed the work and I particularly enjoyed the fellowship, but I had
a yearning to try some other things in life.
Since leaving the Police Force in 1988 I’ve travelled the following
road.
1988 – 1991 Ran
my own business
1991 – 1993
Business Manager at the
Salvation Army drug & alcohol rehab
1993 – 2002
Business Manager at the Nuclear
Reactor (LucasHeights)
2002 – 2008
Baptist Pastor at Padstow and Punchbowl churches
2008 –
Present: Transferred my ordination
from Baptist to Australian Christian Churches (ACC). I currently co-pastor a church at Bankstown and manage a Drug and Alcohol rehabilitation
organisation at Harris Park (Parramatta)
Over the years I gained a Bachelor of Business,
a Bachelor of Ministry and a Diploma of Justice Administration.
In 1991 my 20 year marriage collapsed and in 1995 I married my current
wife whom I’m very happily married to.
Between us we have five children and eight grandchildren. My hobbies are cycling and playing my saxophone.
You just need to listen to a few stories at the reunions to understand
that life certainly takes some twists and turns to the dreams or expectations
we have as 19yr olds (it certainly did for me).
I’ve had a good life, experiencing some of the ups and downs we all
experience in life. I’m still enjoying and
living life to the full – I have no intention of retiring before my seventies.
What happened to...?
