So many stories have come down to me about my remarkable family going right back to escaping from France in an open boat in 1572. There was a great-grandfather who was City Surveyor of the Melbourne Corporation and a remarkable hero, Sir James D’Ombrain, who refused to follow Westminster orders and delivered grain, aboard the revenue cruisers, to the starving in Ireland during the potato famine. Then at age ninety I am blessed with a clear memory going right back to the days when I was but three years old. I have so many memories I wish to share. Some are amusing and some hard to believe. There are simple stories that bring life to many family members I have known, past and present. A love of the sea and craft that sail upon it is also woven through the text. I tell stories of friends, and people whose contributions to society should not be forgotten. I tell the story of how I came to establish a ground-breaking tertiary music education program. I share my reflections on war, religion and politics and tell some amazing tales of closer contact with our remarkable First Nations’ Australians. Our family has long displayed a passion for botanical and zoological pursuits. It is appropriate that I conclude the book with a few unbelievable stories about my encounters with birds. In all my stories I am ‘somewhere in the middle’ closely watching life’s cavalcade.
عن المؤلف
Geoffrey d’Ombrain has lived a very long life, turning 90 while completing this book. He has engaged fully in all aspects of the life that he has encountered. Creativity in education and musical performance/composition has been the hallmark of his career. Growing up in the great depression he became conscious of the sharp divides in life. He describes himself as a socialist. He was old enough to experience the horror of World War 2, be it at a distance. Geoffrey is famous for telling stories; but Geoffrey’s stories are about real people and real happenings in life. He has a remarkable memory and eye for detail. More than this research skills honed in the field of education are expertly applied to historical stories so that authenticity is diligently sought. Geoffrey still attends reunions with former students from the course he established in music at Melbourne State College and they never cease to sing its praises. When Geoffrey first went overseas to American 1972, he asked himself what he could be proud of in being an Australian? He had and still has only one answer to this question, the remarkable cultures of our now appropriately called, First Nations’ Australians. Geoffrey is very fortunate. He can still exercise his passion for singing folk songs from around the world and improvise on the flute with virtuosic prowess. Geoffrey’s life has displayed a passion for music, literature, visual arts, theatre and dance.
المزيد من الكتب الإلكترونية من نفس المؤلف (المؤلفين) / محرر
47٬207 كتب إلكترونية في هذه الفئة
