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Remembrances
Antony (Tony) Winder Former staff
24/12/1937- 03/03/2022
Tony Winder came to Wesley in 1978, originally a Yorkshire man who had found himself on the far side of the world at Launceston Grammar. He excellently and artfully combined educational qualifications in Physical Education and English Literature, enabling him to engage in school life, both at Wesley and at earlier schools, in an emphatic and comprehensive fashion. Not short of a word, his views were always articulated strongly, but with a sense of humour and frequently, self-deprecation, in addition to an ironic tone.
Tony was appointed to the position of Head of English in 1979 to replace the legendary Laurie ‘Hisser’ Humphries and he used the influence of this position to work energetically on behalf of reason and good sense. The students were always and unwaveringly at the very centre of his actions and his annoyance with bureaucratic pettiness (where and when it raised its head) doubtless won their approval. He always had their best interests at heart.
Pic: Tony Winder with wife Dr Helen Drennen AM, former Wesley College Principal
His leadership in the role of Head of Faculty, from 1980 until 1985, was warmly endorsed not just by the students, but by his fellow-teachers, whom he managed with clarity, respect and a warm heart, personal qualities emanating from his deep attachment to the civilising values of art, literature and a true sporting ethic.
Tony Winder’s service to a school he fell in love with was characterised by essential components of his character, as should always be the case. He was driven by his belief in the power of language and literature to work effectively in further developing growing minds, and his message to his students about the joys of reading and writing was authentic and passionately delivered. But he equally supported debate about a variety of points of view on numerous topics; he relished the rough and tumble of the classroom, as did his fortunate students. They would also have enjoyed his frequent satiric views of life, and his classes were a healthy mix of levity and seriousness, as the situation demanded. He subscribed fully to the English teacher’s role in the curriculum to stimulate the mind and the imagination as a means of more fully exploring the health and prosperity of the inner life. But he never made this sound unattainable. We can be certain that his students were entertained and well-instructed at the same time.
His students (and the staff, needless to say) were impressed by his singular and often eccentric forms of dress, and this remains for many of us an evocative, pictorial impression of the ‘Winder years’. He was never afraid to express his personality, another personal impulse that made him a memorable part of a school that values such individuality. He also rarely raised his voice in ire or angst, in the classroom or in the English faculty office, where an atmosphere of good humour invariably prevailed. Those of us who worked with Tony in his sixteen-year stay were blessed by his equanimity and calm. Only petty and obstructive bureaucratic interference, disturbing the general atmosphere of well-being, could raise his ire.
Tony’s admirable energies also found their way outside his classroom duties into the cocurricular zones. He was a gifted sportsman, coaching basketball and athletics with dedication and youthful enjoyment. He also regularly put his hand up for work in the theatre and student publications.
None of this was done to gather kudos; he simply and comprehensively enjoyed the wonderful variety of a Wesley life, and this touched so many, students and colleagues alike.
Tony was an intellectually agile and imaginative participant in a Wesley growing and developing in so many rich ways through the 1980s and is fondly remembered by the many students and fellow staff to whom he gave so much of himself.
Contributed by Dawson Hann