Rowney Family Tree

Extracts from the eulogy given by Fred ROWNEY, at George's funeral:

"Most of what I am about to say has been prepared by John, but I have added some of my own comments.

"My earliest recollection of George was when he visited us one day at Caulfield and my parents encouraged him to try to help me with some school work. This was a thankless task, since I was a poor student, but George, who was still in the very early days of his teaching career, did his best, and I remember it well, even in those very early days it was obvious he had found his calling.

"George was born on 24th December 1920, the only child of Florence Louisa and Henry Penrose ROWNEY, (known to me as Auntie Floss, and Uncle Harry). Living in Fisher Street East Malvern, was a good time for George as a young boy, with plenty of room to roam around since it was on the outer edge of the suburbs at the end of the tram line. The family always had a favorite dog or two and George kept ferrets to hunt rabbits in the nearby paddocks.

"George attended Lloyd St Central School and then Melbourne High School. He was a keen athlete and specialized in the quarter mile as it was then, and also loved lacrosse and rowing. He must have been a pretty good student, since he did minimal work in form 5, when he taught himself how to play the piano, in later years he kept people entertained at parties playing Boogie-Woogie and other Jazz .

"The depression in the thirties was tough for most people, and the ROWNEYs in Fisher Street were caught up in the country's financial difficulties like lots of their fellow Australians. George had to leave Melbourne High, to get a job, before finishing off his matriculation year. He had a choice between working in a bank and teaching. It was a pretty easy choice for him - teaching offered ten weeks holiday a year versus two weeks leave per year in the bank. Knowing his subsequent rather scratchy record in managing financial affairs, both banking and teaching benefited immensely from his choice of teaching as a career.

"Starting as a student teacher at South Caulfield State School, meant that George was thrown in at the deep end. Can you imagine, aged 17, fronting a huge class of kids, without a scrap of training? He then went bush to teach at Fumina, (near Noojee). Later, he came back to the city and taught at Murrumbeena State School and formally qualified as a primary teacher at the Teacher's college. He returned to the bush to be the headmaster at Coringle (which I can't find on the map) - it was easy to be the Headmaster, since he was the only teacher at the school and had to teach all 8 grades simultaneously.

"With the coming of the second world war, in 1942 George enlisted in the Army. After his initial training, he joined the 9th Australian Radar Detachment. While posted in Newcastle he met, and fell in love with Daphne, at a dance, and they were married in early 1945.

"George later served in New Guinea and surrounding islands. When his son, John, came back from a visit to Papua New Guinea a couple of years ago, he asked George what he thought of New Guinea. George said that he didn't like it at all. On further questioning, George admitted that it really was a beautiful country, but the problem was that there were all those Japanese trying to shoot him!

"George and Daphne returned to Melbourne where John was born in June 1946. John has calculated that he must have been one of the first of the baby boomers, since he was born almost exactly 9 months after the war ended. Pam was born in July 1949 to complete the family.

"After returning to Melbourne, George lectured at the Teachers College and studied at Melbourne University, becoming the first of the ROWNEY family to gain a degree. With his science degree and a diploma of education, George returned to Melbourne High School, teaching Science, Physics and Geology.

"Tragedy struck in 1953 when Daphne passed away after a debilitating illness. George did a wonderful job bringing up Pam and John single handedly. He showed love and compassion and gave up opportunities, to keep the family together in the one stable place, without having to move location to chase promotions.

"He was a wonderful father who gave the kids all the support and opportunity for education and any aim they had in life. He really knew how to reassure them when problems arose. Pam recalls how he comforted her as a young girl when she was frightened of the thunder and lightning. George told here that it was just God moving his piano upstairs and there was nothing to worry about. Pam still tells that to young kids today when the thunder starts rolling in.

"He was also a best selling author or co-author - not of detective yarns, but of widely used and highly respected General Science books, all produced while he taught at Melbourne High. Many a midnight session was spent with the bottomless cup of coffee as he plugged away writing chapter after chapter.

"After many years without a companion, Thelma and George struck up a wonderful relationship in the 60s and eventually married in 1971. Thelma's two adult children, Kelvin and Glenda and their families then became part of a suddenly expanded family. At last count the combined number of generations is 12 grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren.

"George eventually left Melbourne High to become Vice-Principal of Ashwood High. After several years, he began his favorite time as an educator becoming the Principal of Brighton High School, a position he held for six years until he retired in 1981. He was liked and respected by his students and fellow staff members and many students have come back even years later to thank him for the way he positively influenced them as they progressed. He is a life member of Melbourne High School Old Boys, and when Joan and I visited him in hospital last year, he proudly sang the School Song to us.

"George and Thelma's great passion was fly fishing and all its aspects. As foundation members of the Southern Fly Fishers, they enthusiastically put all their efforts into promoting the club and the sport of Fly Fishing. George was a great fisherman, who didn't eat the fish he caught, but loved to catch them, especially for Thelma's plate - she adored tucking into some of the best fish available on the planet. My father loved fish, but was always looking for a better recipe to cook it. He once rang George to ask how to cook a trout he had bought, forgetting that George didn't like fish. George's reply was - "Spread a piece of brown paper on the bench, sprinkle a little flour and a pinch of salt on it, roll the fish in the flour, then carefully wrap the lot in the brown paper and throw it in the rubbish bin".

"The teacher in George certainly came out as he became one of the great fly tying teachers. He regularly gave 10 week courses at the Southern Fly Fishers, training hundreds of fly tying enthusiasts in the fine art. Eventually he drew together all his lesson notes and used them as a foundation for his great book on fly tying - "The Pursuit of Fly Tying". He was also the driving force behind the Southern Fly Fishers' monthly newsletter for over 30 years. He was the complete editor, writer and printer (on an old Gestetner) for the newsletter, which was littered with George's unique humor, and often contained his stand for causes dear to him for the advancement of fishing. I understand he was known as Mulligan, or Old Mudgutz, and also doubled as Ted Penrose the copy boy. Thelma, as treasurer, was known as Mrs McScrouge.

"George was an enthusiast in everything he did, with firm views of the world, but always based on fair principles and compassionate treatment of all.

"In my working life, I have travelled all over Victoria and into most Australian states. I have lost count of the number of times I have been asked, "Do you have a brother George?" When I explained that George was my cousin, invariably the reply was, "He was my teacher, the best teacher I ever had".

"George survived two great tragedies in his life. The loss of Daphne when he was in a most fragile position, still in the early stages of his career and bringing up two children, I know that hit him very hard; and the loss of Thelma, which devastated him at another fragile time in life. However he moved on with life and showed his true colours in the way he handled both situations. He remains an example to us all.

"George, your life's work lives on in the lives of those you have taught, both in the formal sense, and in all of us who have seen you hold fast to the things of life you valued. We will all miss you greatly. May you enjoy the fishing in heavenly streams."