These names are just a listing of teachers that readily spring to mind. You are invited to send details of others for adding to the list.
Miss Annie Fahey
Miss Melville
Miss Mabel Alice Charlton
Mr Albert Bottcher
Miss Edith Atkinson (died 24 July 1954)
Miss Dell MacBeth Matches
Miss Madge Pedersen
Mr Jack Simmonds
Mr Gwylym David Ryrie John
Miss Grace Patricia Egan
Miss Shirley Margaret Woods
Mrs Grace
Mrs Hughes (a test case, I think, of the first married teacher to continue teaching while pregnant?)
Mr Arthur Charles Woodward
Mr Albert Bottcher
Mr Frederick James Ingram
Mr Robert James
Mr Henry George Soper
Mr Leslie Willson Bailey
Mr Norman Fitzroy Kiorgaard
Mr George William Grundy
Mr Maurice Edmund Hyland
Mr Colin David Wotherspoon
Mr Kenneth John Jarman
Mr Eugene James Alexander
Miss Nora Baird
Anyone wishing to know
more about Miss Baird can read about her in a publication titled "Nora Baird MBE
(1900-1991)" by Dan O'Donnell. Bowen Hills, Qld: Boolarong Publications
1992. The book gives this summary: A
biography of Queensland's
most famous music teacher. Irish-born Nora Baird came to Australia at the age of 27 having already
established a considerable reputation as a pianist, organist and teacher in her
native Belfast.
In the course of a long career she made a great contribution to music in Queensland, as a
teacher, foundation member of Queensland Conservatorium, church organist,
examiner, supporter of the ABC and tireless worker in the cause of her art.
Mr Alan Moxey - below are some snippets
which I received some months ago:
Dear Ray,
Thank you for your email re Mr Moxey and Miss Baird.
They were both music specialists with the Queensland Education Department and
visited primary schools on a weekly basis. Their particular schools were
Wilston, Newmarket,
Enoggera, Oakleigh, Ithaca Creek and Mitchelton and on occasion they would fill
in for other specialists at various other State schools. It was from these schools that Mr Moxey chose choristers for a combined schools
choir, which soon after became the Brisbane Eisteddfod Junior Choir. My eldest
sister was a foundation member of the choir and my middle sister and I also
were asked to join. A chorister had to be chosen by Mr Moxey, who would listen
intently during class music lessons for potential singers. The choir practised at Ithaca Creek State School Hall (now demolished and replaced)
every Saturday morning. The choir competed in the various Eisteddfodau in Queensland and some
trips were also made to Ballarat for the Australian Eisteddfod. We always won!
In 1959 a decision was made to take the BEJC to New Zealand in 1960 and I am proud
to say I was one of the lucky people who went on this trip. It was the first time an Australian choir had
toured overseas.
The choir performed once a year at the City Hall as a fund-raising venture, and
we also took part in the annual Labour Day Parade through Brisbane streets, representing the Queensland
Education Department. We sang our way down Adelaide Street with great gusto!
Miss Baird was the pianist for BEJC for many years and after her retirement we
had another three or so accompanists.
Mr Moxey married relatively late in life and became the proud father of a son,
William, in the mid 1950s. Sadly, his wife died suddenly when William was still
a toddler. (On one trip to Ballarat my sister Joyce was asked by Mr Moxey to go
along as Nanny for the baby). Alan Moxey was a diabetic, and many times he
would ask me to pop over to the local shop to get him a sandwich - he had to eat regular meals to keep his diabetes in check. Later on
he suffered a mild heart attack, which, for some inexplicable reason, cured his
diabetes.
William (or Bill as we knew him) is now an accomplished musician himself, and
was the founding conductor of the Jubilee Singers, a choir formed from ex
members of BEJC. We were asked to perform as a group at the Junior Choir's
Silver Anniversary Concert in 1972, and such was the acclaim, a decision was
made to keep this choir going, hence the name "Jubilee Singers". Bill
was with us for many years, but in order to further his own musical career was
forced to resign as our conductor. The Jubilee Singers is still going strong
and we have at least 10 members who were part of the BEJC still with us.
William Moxey will be attending our reunion on the Saturday and will also be a
guest artist at the Jubilee Singers Concert the following Sunday (27th May
[2007]).
I am attaching an invitation to the reunion - you may or may not want to
attend, but you would be very welcome and would be able to "pick the
brains" of a lot of people who knew Alan Moxey and Miss Baird. There is
also a mention of our concert the following day - veritable musical feast!
Please feel free to contact me again if I can be of any further use.
Cheers,
Jean Schneider
Mr Alan Blackburn, attached to Breakfast Creek State School
Were these classes conducted at the Ascot State School?
Dorothy Spurgeon Weller (opportunity classes were previously held at the Boys' School prior to 1950)
Ruby Maud Sterling (opportunity classes were previously held at the Boys' School prior to 1950)
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