Henry Winters YHS 1954 wrote: “Just read Jan 07 YOGA newsletter and the Beanland family was very interesting - I worked with Graham's section at Yallourn Power Station early 60s.
The Richard Bush memories were good ones, but it was Ernie Homan (not Herman) who was vice principal in my era 1954 on. (Henry...this could well have been a typo on my part...Editor)
The 'Underpants Ernie' tag was due to his tucking his shirt and singlet inside his underpants such that when his trousers were pulled up sometimes (especially the warmer weather) the elastic band in his undies, approx 1 inch wide in those days, could be seen above his trousers. In winter, wearing a cardigan, the underpants could not be seen. My class mate, Peter Bavinton, and myself would have a giggle whenever we noticed this phenomena and it was later, in adult life, when I realised the use-by-date of underpants elastic that would slip down into ones trousers, reducing support. A quick repair to get through the day was to adopt the Ernie remedy, then discard to the rag bag. No doubt boiling them in the old days of the copper never did wonders for the elastic waist band, and Ernie probably wanted to get a little more life out of his underwear.
I agree with Richard Bush on his remarks on Anzac Day, that Simpson and his donkey was a good mushy yarn for impressionable school children, but the compassion and ability of Monash, as a General in charge of our servicemen in the front lines, would have been more interesting with his achievements at war and his remarkable engineering abilities in the post war era. Vandalism today on public property is mostly due to ignorance of the history of the statues erected and no appreciation of the value of property. A wise elderly sister of my father would also say of a person who had scant regard for property or history - "well, he has the credentials".