GEOFFREY DUMAYNE [CHS 1958-1963]
The Dumayne family originated in France. My great grandfather came to Australia from Glamorgan in Wales to settle in Baringhup Victoria in 1862. He is buried in the pioneer section of the Muldon cemetery. My grandfather George moved to Melbourne and was the head Cooper for the Carlton & United Brewery. My father left school at 14 and started off as a grocer but began work at Carlton & United Brewery during the depression and worked his way up to be the head storeman covering all their sites. My grand mother on my mothers side was the youngest daughter of the famous Melbourne photographer Charles Nettleton whose most recognised works are the last photo of Ned Kelly before he was hanged and the First Test Match between England and Australia at the MCG. He was appointed the royal photographer when royalty were in Australia and has works in galleries all over the country.
I was born in 1946 and grew up as an only child. I believed this was because my parents achieved perfection at the first try but I have not been able to find a single person to agree with me. I went to Coburg West Primary which was within walking distance from my home in Melville Rd Pascoe Vale South. I had some great teachers and loved my sport. I was captain of the cricket team and vice-captain of the football side. Our home was outside the zone for Coburg High School but I was fortunate enough to win a scholarship that gave me entry to CHS which had a high reputation for both academia and sport.
I loved my years at CHS and had a great number of friends and made friendships that have continued to this day. I was fortunate to make the football team in year 10 and travel to Adelaide (my first plane trip). I was football captain in year 12 and again travelled to Adelaide but we were not so successful that year against Brighton High. I was a House captain but my biggest thrill was to be a school prefect in year 12. I had some wonderful teachers who I probably did not appreciate fully at the time. What I quickly realised was that they prepared you for tertiary studies by not spoon feeding you, and making you work hard to get results. I will never forget visiting HM Prison (Pentridge) to watch debates and art exhibitions which were arranged by teachers from CHS.
I played junior football for West Coburg, and senior football for Coburg Amateurs in the VAFA A Grade competition. I loved all sports and particularly enjoyed cricket, golf and squash. Growing up and being educated in Coburg I believe gave me a very broad outlook on life and to appreciate people from all walks of life.
I commenced my pharmacy studies at the then Victorian College of Pharmacy (now a faculty of Monash University). I was fortunate to win a Commonwealth Scholarship based on my first year results. My interest in pharmacy began at the age of 12 when I had a job after school washing bottles at the West Brunswick UFS Dispensary. The manager there left to be the manager at a new pharmacy opening in Sydney Rd and I went with him to be the delivery boy. He got me really interested in pharmacy and in year 12 I was masquerading in a white coat on Saturday mornings. This was the first pharmacy to employ Italian shop assistants and use the word Farmacia.
I met my wife Jenny in January 1966 at Barwon Heads where each year a group of us from school went surfing and camping. We were married in 1968 and have three children, two sons and a daughter. Our youngest son we adopted in the Phillipines and we all went to Manila in 1983 to bring him into our family. We now have 7 grandchildren. We lived in Wheelers Hill and Kew for many years but now live mainly in Noosa Heads with a Melbourne base in Armadale.
I have spent most of my adult life as a member of community service groups including Apex, Kiwanis International, Rotary International (Paul Harris Fellow), and currently I am a member of Lions International in Noosa Heads. I worked as a community pharmacist from 1968 to 2001. During that time we owned pharmacies at East Vermont and Middle Brighton. I expanded into aged care and hospital pharmacy which serviced numerous aged care facilities and private hospitals. Also during this time I was one of the first pharmacies in Melbourne to open 9am to 9pm 7 days a week and also was a pioneer of the Methadone Program for drug addicts and served on the panel developing this program for many years. I also served on The Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.
In 1998 I was asked by the Dean of Pharmacy at Monash to be part of a panel to develop a Practical Experience Program for students. After selling my business in 2001 the Dean asked me to be part of that program. My role was to assist final year students and help them prepare for life in the real world. This involved visiting them while on placements in community, hospital and rural pharmacy sites. I would help them with intern and career choices, and most of all motivating them to be the best they can at what ever they do. Over the next 20 years the faculty estimated I had worked with over 4,000 students.
I also ran 3 day tours for Monash Pharmacy Faculty. I would take visiting academics and exchange students on placements at Monash to see how pharmacy operated in Australia. Visits included hospital, community and rural plus some sightseeing as well. I found my career in pharmacy to be both personally and professionally very rewarding. I was honoured to be made a Life Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia in 2022. I also spent time as a property developer from 2003 to 2013 where in that time our family company built three boutique apartment developments in Toorak. I have been very fortunate in my life and have found it very rewarding. I could not have achieved any of it without the love and support of my parents, Jenny, Anthia, Justin and Kim
I was born in 1946 and grew up as an only child. I believed this was because my parents achieved perfection at the first try but I have not been able to find a single person to agree with me. I went to Coburg West Primary which was within walking distance from my home in Melville Rd Pascoe Vale South. I had some great teachers and loved my sport. I was captain of the cricket team and vice-captain of the football side. Our home was outside the zone for Coburg High School but I was fortunate enough to win a scholarship that gave me entry to CHS which had a high reputation for both academia and sport.
I loved my years at CHS and had a great number of friends and made friendships that have continued to this day. I was fortunate to make the football team in year 10 and travel to Adelaide (my first plane trip). I was football captain in year 12 and again travelled to Adelaide but we were not so successful that year against Brighton High. I was a House captain but my biggest thrill was to be a school prefect in year 12. I had some wonderful teachers who I probably did not appreciate fully at the time. What I quickly realised was that they prepared you for tertiary studies by not spoon feeding you, and making you work hard to get results. I will never forget visiting HM Prison (Pentridge) to watch debates and art exhibitions which were arranged by teachers from CHS.
I played junior football for West Coburg, and senior football for Coburg Amateurs in the VAFA A Grade competition. I loved all sports and particularly enjoyed cricket, golf and squash. Growing up and being educated in Coburg I believe gave me a very broad outlook on life and to appreciate people from all walks of life.
I commenced my pharmacy studies at the then Victorian College of Pharmacy (now a faculty of Monash University). I was fortunate to win a Commonwealth Scholarship based on my first year results. My interest in pharmacy began at the age of 12 when I had a job after school washing bottles at the West Brunswick UFS Dispensary. The manager there left to be the manager at a new pharmacy opening in Sydney Rd and I went with him to be the delivery boy. He got me really interested in pharmacy and in year 12 I was masquerading in a white coat on Saturday mornings. This was the first pharmacy to employ Italian shop assistants and use the word Farmacia.
I met my wife Jenny in January 1966 at Barwon Heads where each year a group of us from school went surfing and camping. We were married in 1968 and have three children, two sons and a daughter. Our youngest son we adopted in the Phillipines and we all went to Manila in 1983 to bring him into our family. We now have 7 grandchildren. We lived in Wheelers Hill and Kew for many years but now live mainly in Noosa Heads with a Melbourne base in Armadale.
I have spent most of my adult life as a member of community service groups including Apex, Kiwanis International, Rotary International (Paul Harris Fellow), and currently I am a member of Lions International in Noosa Heads. I worked as a community pharmacist from 1968 to 2001. During that time we owned pharmacies at East Vermont and Middle Brighton. I expanded into aged care and hospital pharmacy which serviced numerous aged care facilities and private hospitals. Also during this time I was one of the first pharmacies in Melbourne to open 9am to 9pm 7 days a week and also was a pioneer of the Methadone Program for drug addicts and served on the panel developing this program for many years. I also served on The Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.
In 1998 I was asked by the Dean of Pharmacy at Monash to be part of a panel to develop a Practical Experience Program for students. After selling my business in 2001 the Dean asked me to be part of that program. My role was to assist final year students and help them prepare for life in the real world. This involved visiting them while on placements in community, hospital and rural pharmacy sites. I would help them with intern and career choices, and most of all motivating them to be the best they can at what ever they do. Over the next 20 years the faculty estimated I had worked with over 4,000 students.
I also ran 3 day tours for Monash Pharmacy Faculty. I would take visiting academics and exchange students on placements at Monash to see how pharmacy operated in Australia. Visits included hospital, community and rural plus some sightseeing as well. I found my career in pharmacy to be both personally and professionally very rewarding. I was honoured to be made a Life Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia in 2022. I also spent time as a property developer from 2003 to 2013 where in that time our family company built three boutique apartment developments in Toorak. I have been very fortunate in my life and have found it very rewarding. I could not have achieved any of it without the love and support of my parents, Jenny, Anthia, Justin and Kim