John Holland

John completed his science degree at the University of New South Wales, where he majored in both Geology and Chemistry. For the next six years he worked as an exploration geologist in remote areas of Australia. He became a teacher when his children reached school age, and has taught at St Patrick’s College, Sutherland and, more recently, at St Clare’s High School, Taree. When the latter school introduced senior classes in 1986, John was the foundation Science Coordinator, a position he held until 1992.

At the moment, John is enjoying a break from teaching. He spends a lot of time bushwalking, camping and prospecting for gold and sapphires in New South Wales and Victoria.

His most exciting teaching experience was in a unit on the history of technology. Year 8 students enjoyed the movie ‘Castaway’ about a businessman who was forced to spend five years on his own on a small island in the Pacific Ocean. Impressed by the scene where the man makes fire, a group of students asked if they could try to make fire by rubbing pieces of wood together.

To John’s amazement, after about ten minutes they were successful. A ball of bark held by one of the students began to smoke and then burst into flame. The entire class, including the teacher, became immensely excited and it was quite a while until everyone calmed down enough to discuss the whys and wherefores of fire making.

If only every lesson was like that one!