Des grew up in a typical western district family. Des’ father trained horses and greyhounds; and his mother was a dressmaker. Des also recalls attending Kevin Lafferty’s riding school.
During his time at CBC, Br Hughes was the Principal, and Des remembers him for his leadership of the school choir and his encouragement of students in theatrical productions. Des recalls being cast as the Grasshopper in a production.
Some years later, Br Hughes recognised Des in a chance encounter on the streets of Melbourne. Des calls to mind the moment with a giggle, as his first response was to hide the fact that he was smoking!
While study and playing matches of cricket were also central to his remembrances of his school days, some of the more unique experiences by today’s standards included training in the sport of boxing, and digging trenches! Students dug trenches to act as air raid shelters during recess and lunchtime. At the time, gum trees lined the playground, making the task of digging substantially more difficult!
Since leaving school at the end of Form II (Year 8), Des has faced the world head on and gone on to wear many hats throughout his life. He started out working at the Woollen Mill, before relocating to Melbourne with the rest of his family. There, Des worked in some high-end clothing retailers, such as Myers and Georges, where he caught the eye of esteemed fashion photographer Athol Shmith. This led to some modelling work. “They picked me out because I was tall” he admits.
One highlight he tells us was modelling Australian woollen garments as part of a fashion parade for Queen Elizabeth during her 1954 Australian Tour.
Des has also been a passionate activist throughout his life, rallying against concerns such as deforestation and nuclear testing; and for recognition of our First Nations peoples. At 94 years of age, the activist in him remains strong. He continues to attend rallies for various causes, and immediately following his visit to the College, he went on to attend the Bob Brown Foundation’s rally for Native Forests in Melbourne.
This passion for community issues led Des from his retail and modelling work to a career in government. Initially working as a staffer for the Mayor of South Melbourne, before running his own campaign for a place in the Senate.
Alongside all of this, Des has also prioritised time to create and collect art. His home is room-upon-room of a lifetime of colourful garments, artwork, and curios. On his visit to Emmanuel College he brought a sample of his self-made collection of staffs to show our students. Each one has its own story to tell, with each beginning as a stick found on one of his regular walks through the forest.
Bringing together his love for art, colour and community, Des has also spent many years fundraising for the Fr Bob Maguire Foundation to support the homeless.
Today he continues to be a unique identity, embracing the pseudonym of the Belgrave Wizard. Well known among his home community, each year he leads the procession of their annual community solstice event – the Belgrave Lantern Festival.
