Both 1950 editorials are not clearly legible in the scan. The dominant themes of the year were the School's continued post-war vigour, the generosity of benefactor Mr. Frank Walker (whose address to the boys is printed at length, and whose donations funded School amenities including the Gymnasium and a new piano), and — in the November issue — the death of the long-serving OBA Secretary, J. G. Nowlan (see below).
The June 1950 issue records Commander N. S. Pixley as President of the Brisbane Grammar School Old Boys' Association for 1949–1950. By the November issue, the Annual General Meeting had elected a new President.
The retiring President, Commander N. S. Pixley, spoke of the great and untiring work performed by the late Mr. Nowlan, saying that it was due to his unselfish efforts that the Association "stood second to none in the Commonwealth," and asked those present to stand as a mark of respect. He recorded the Association's thanks to Mr. Vivian Burris and his wife, who carried on the work during Nowlan's illness and since his death. Owing to the creation of new offices, the Rules were amended. The meeting voted a gift of £50 to Mrs. Nowlan, and (separately) the new President noted F. J. Morgan's standing in Brisbane commercial life.
The election of office-bearers resulted as follows (1950–51): President (unopposed) F. J. Morgan; Senior Vice-President Commander N. S. Pixley; Vice-President (unopposed) Dr. S. A. Trout; General Secretary (unopposed) Vivian Burris; Treasurer (unopposed) O. C. H. Smith; Magazine Secretary (unopposed) K. A. Lemon; Membership Secretary — no election; Council: Col. H. C. Harris, H. K. Batley, H. R. Berg, Hal Gehrmann, N. H. Traves (all re-elected) and Dr. Konrad Hirschfeld (former Vice-President, elected to Council); Honorary Auditor W. C. Betts.
The new President of the Association, F. J. Morgan (1898), has been prominent for many years in the commercial life of Brisbane, where from 1931 until his retirement in 1945 he was State Manager for the National Bank of Australasia. Although retired from the Bank, he is still very active: besides being a Company Director, he is prominent in various charitable and public causes. (Morgan was later made C.M.G. in 1959 — see the 1959/1960 issues.)
Old Boys' Association (Founded 1898).
Reginald Heber Roe Bursary — Founded by the O.B.A. in memory of R. H. Roe, M.A., Headmaster of the School 1876–1909.
1950 Roe Bursary: G. F. Walker — named (as "R. H. Roe Bursary") among the "Winners of Scholarships" in the June 1950 issue (the A. J. Mason Scholarship that year went to M. J. Webster).
A. Ramm as the Roe "awarded Foundation Day, 1950" — but R. A. Ramm was still a schoolboy in 1950 (a "newcomer to the First XI"), so that label is likely a misprint for a later year. The R. H. Roe Scholarship Fund note in the 1952 issue lists the three concurrent holders (the award is tenable three years) as S. M. Rowe, R. A. Ramm and D. W. Ramm; D. W. Ramm is independently recorded as the 1951 Roe. Treat the 1950–1952 Roe sequence as: 1950 G. F. Walker, 1951 D. W. Ramm, 1952 S. M. Rowe** — pending confirmation from the scans.
J. G. Nowlan Bursary — established in 1950 as the memorial to J. G. Nowlan (no award yet). The Sub-committee of three (the Headmaster, the Chairman of Trustees Mr. V. Grenning, and the then President Commander N. S. Pixley) recommended that a J. G. Nowlan Bursary be established to provide financial assistance to the State Scholarship winner entering the School with the highest marks. A Fund was opened by public subscription; the OBA's £280 share of the 1952 Annual Ball was later donated to it, and the first award was made in 1953 (to Robert Young).
Joined the School in 1908 and received his early naval training in England. He shared in a great deal of convoy-escorting and patrol work; was one of the very few Australians present at the surrender of the German High Sea Fleet at the end of World War I, and also present at the surrender of Japan in World War II; was the first Australian in the R.A.N. to fly his flag as a Rear-Admiral, having held the position of Second Naval Member of the Australian Naval Board until appointed Rear-Admiral in 1944 (C.B.E. 1944). On retiring from Naval Service he turned to diplomacy as "His Majesty's Australian Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Republic of the Philippines."
Mr. J. G. Nowlan died on 3 June 1950. Born in Ireland, he came to Australia early in life and took his B.A. at Sydney University. In 1910 he joined the Teaching Staff of the B.G.S., continuing until 1946; the same year (1910) he first undertook the role of Secretary of the O.B.A., and even after retiring from the Staff he continued as Secretary and "died in harness." His enthusiasm brought results not only in Brisbane but throughout the State and beyond; he kept in touch with Old Boys by letter and by personal calls on country Branches during School holidays. The funeral service was conducted by an Old Boy, the Rev. E. Ballinger (1921). The J. G. Nowlan Bursary and the J. G. Nowlan Memorial Regatta (a perpetual rowing trophy, with a new eight to be named "J. G. Nowlan") were established as his memorials.
Both 1950 issues carry Old Boys' Births / Marriages / Deaths registers and personal news; not reproduced here.
Source: The Brisbane Grammar School Magazine, June 1950 and November 1950 (two termly issues of that year, combined into this one transcript). Notation: Bracketed "(year)" after a name = year of ENTRY to the School. School Captain 1950: T. P. Thomas (Captain of the School in both the June and November issues; Captain of Stephenson House). Headmaster: H. R. Pigott, B.A., B.Sc. (the "School Institutions" page lists Mr. S. G. Kennedy as President of the school clubs and the Headmaster as Chairman of Committee). Dux of the School (1949): S. M. Rowe.
In this era, an Old Boy's year designation was the year he entered Grammar; the convention today is the year he finished. A boy who started in 1993 and finished in 1997 was (93) but is now '97.
Brisbane Grammar School Old Boys' Association · Old Boys History. Part of the OBA Knowledge Project.
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