verging_on_random

Andrew Podger

November 15, 2007 on 8:31 pm | In Uncategorized |

In recent years I’ve enjoyed reading about Andrew Podger, who retired not long ago as Public Service Commissioner after previously having a distinguished career in the APS, including a stint as Permanent Secretary of the Health Department if memory serves me right.

The reason I’ve taken such a personal interest is that Andrew was a good mate of mine a longass time ago, from 5th class through to 3rd year high school, after which he went off to a private school and we lost touch as you do at that age.

Club Troppo linked to an interview with him and it was nice to see that he was ageing nearly as gracefully as I am, and has equally managed to retain his intelligence and sense of humour. One day I must write about the remarkable group of kids that I was privileged to be a member of nearly 50 years ago, in one of the first NSW ‘opportunity classes’. Andy is only one of several members who have gone on to make outstanding contributions to the country.

If you’re bored you can try and pick which one is him (clue … he’s in the front row). I’m there too if you’re really bored, along with a university chancellor, a few doctors, a headmaster, a lawyer turned merchant banker and so on. Apart from the lawyer/merchant banker, few of them have been too concerned with making lots of money. Perhaps that was just a characteristic of that generation.

A couple of them are dead now too … yet if figures are to be believed, those still alive have more than 20 years of life ahead of them on average. It will be interesting to see what they and thousands like them do as the first generation to have such an extended average lifespan; one in which they will not only be comfortably off and well-informed but also have access to instant means of communication. Somehow I can’t see them being content to while away the hours on the golf course or the bowling green.