I live much of my time in Alice which is my official home, with my official address, the base from which I pay tax, the place where my car is registered and the place from where I vote. However, I do get down to my little farm in the High Country of Victoria and I’m here for ten days at the moment. My two favourite places in the world are not found in the suburbs of Melbourne where I mostly grew up, but rather the charismatic appeal of Central Australia and the High Country.

Clearly, I love Central Australia as I have lived here for 37 years, and it is truly now in my blood. In 2014 I had the excitement of some major operations which took place in Melbourne. The journey home was by car and I could feel the thrill of being back in the “Land of the Big Blue Sky”. I couldn’t wait to throw my two Kelpies in the back of my Patrol, at 5.30 in the morning, and head out to the bush in the wonderful hills that lie on the doorstep of Alice.

The night sky was inviting and then, within 10 minutes, out into the bush, captivated as always by the spectacular colour change of the dawn sky at the time when the Nighttime Creatures scurry to their homes to weather safely the expectant day and to get some well-deserved rest. And then the Daytime Creatures awake and set off on their determined quest for food even as the sky drifts through the shades of a dynamic pastel, soon casting shadows over the land as the glory of the rising sun reveals itself in the Far East, first a glow and then the fire of its life-giving blaze changing by the second, the shadows across the Dawning landscape. I opened the door, and my Kelpies leap out ready for the adventure of a 7km run as Kelpies want to do - they are indeed the complete embodiment of enthusiasm.

The soft palate of the sky, the dramatic arrival of the sun, appearing and fiercely determined to enhance life in our world and then the pack of six Dingoes drifting from the bush then melting back again, clearly there but not to view. My bigger dog thought he could mix it with the dingoes but thank heaven chose the path of obedience and leapt into the back of the car.

And me? Well, the morning symphony surged through my frame, and I could feel the untold good and healing the bush and rising sun was doing for me. How lucky am I. My love of Alice is obvious and cloaked with rich purpose, but what about my love of the High Country - where did that come from? Yep, you guessed it, it was from school. My school had a pretty sophisticated and indeed pioneering program centered on the Victorian Alps. It was tough, rugged and even as a student demanded real initiative and responsibility.

It was centered around learning and leadership. I gained so much from it - it found its way well and truly into the depths of my spirit. My brother, who also became a school principal, was older than me and had the same experience. We both, after leaving school, set out to give the same opportunity to other young people. Even after fifty years young people still talk about and value the experience they had in the Alps. Both of us set out to encourage students into the Alpine Bushwalking experience at the various schools where we taught. For both of us it is knitted into our psyche and so we both love to be near the mountains. Thus the reason why I have 104 acres on the side of a ridge in the High Country is ultimately because of my school.

Though three years apart (I’m the younger) both of us were taught the craft of Adventuring in the Alps by a truly brilliant teacher who amongst other things helped to set up The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme in Australia. This teacher profoundly affected the lives of both of us and it was fortuitous that we both visited him, then an old man about a week before he died. He meant heaps to us and in a way we did to him. Though he had taught us 45 years ago, in that small part of his failing life we were able to yarn about our time together in the Alps. He was also partly responsible for my time as a traditional folk singer for he introduced me to the famous Irish group the Clancy Brothers and he taught me many of their songs, not in the classroom but around the campfire. He was a reason why both my brother and I spent our lives in Education.

This is but another powerful example of how teachers can have a lifelong effect on young people. You see, to me education is first and foremost about developing students as people, making them strong, aware and valuable citizens who are keen to play their part in making the world a better place. Academic and other skills I believe are next, but to ignore the personal development and not give its place at the heart of a student’s education, I know that we are` selling them short.

The paths of development for a student are many. Some may choose to tackle University, which is great, but some may settle on a trade or indeed the service industry. Most of us will be impressed by a shop attendant that is polite and helpful, and we will most probably preference that shop or business in the future. Through my life I have met and indeed worked with some “gun” tradesmen. They have not chosen the academic path but the practical journey. As I sit here writing in the High Country, I have an excavator operator transforming the landscape around my house.

I emphasise that this is not a job for the unskilled because it’s in steep country, but he is one for the best of best operators. He is second generation in the trade. I love watching him as he gracefully carves the landscape, then feathers it with what could be an artist’s soft brush or palate knife but instead is a “dirty big” 20-ton excavator with all the power to knock my house down the hill! He is indeed a highly skilled master, a pleasure to witness. I told him I have nicknamed him “The Michelangelo of the Mountains”. However, beyond that, he is a thoroughly decent businessman. He is friendly, polite, obliging and is able to truly “get” what you are trying to do. He is a tradesman of whom Australia can be justly proud. Our job as teachers is to not only encourage those on the academic trajectory but those also tackling the trades, service industries, acting, forces etc etc.

One student we had struggled academically. However, he threw himself into school life and all the many opportunities it offered. He was relentless in this. After leaving School he joined the Navy where he is having a wonderful career in what seems to be a highly important but dangerous section. I would like to think that we played some part in him developing as a strong, resilient person not afraid to tackle new challenges, as he truly did. Good on him and I’m proud of him.

I remember one student who did his primary education at Alice Steiner and threw himself into life at St Philips He was academically bright a terrific young person and eventually became College Captain. He had loved participating in all the Outdoor Ed camps and saw that he could make a difference to young people working in that field. So it was off to La Trobe Bendigo to undertake a Bachelor of Arts in Outdoor Ed. His school experience at both schools, I believe, had a profound effect on the career he chose. The school has had quite a few students undertake Outdoor Ed as a result of being inspired by their school experience. There is another college captain who had studied at Araluen Christian College until the end of year 9. He loved Outdoor Ed and gained enormously from the experience of being College Captain. He also went off to study Outdoor Ed at Bendigo as well. He is now fully qualified and works with a number of schools. Occasionally he sends me messages from the top of one of the Alpine mountains.

Wangaratta Tech, where I first taught, had quite a large cadet corps in the days when cadets were supported by the army. I was the recruit training officer and worked with two 17/18-year-old Cadet Under Officers. Both loved the experience that cadets gave them and were hard working and talented. Years later I had dinner with one in Canberra, organised by one of the Canberra ISCA team.

She knew him - what a huge coincidence. The dinner was filled with reminiscing and catch-up stories. He had joined the Commonwealth Public Service but had also had a distinguished career in the Army Reserve. The other CUO joined the army full time and I think ended up as a Colonel. I venture to say that their school experience had a major influence on their choice of career.

A girl who started as a border at St Philips, was not only an enthusiastic participator in whatever opportunities the school offered. She also become highly engaged with the local Air Cadet squadron - there were others in the school who belonged to it. Year 12, and she was popularly elected as vice - captain of the College. She took to this leadership position with initiative, loyalty and a true desire to make a difference. It was not surprising that she won an ADFA scholarship and on completing a successful year 12 joined the Airforce and went to ADFA. As school vice - captain she had already had the experience of real leadership so it was not surprising that she navigated her way through ADFA successfully, graduating as an Officer. At that time women were not able to be pilots so she held the position of navigator. Not that I knew the details but I did know that she had served a number of times overseas. Then RAAF policy changed and women could train as pilots. Naturally she took up the challenge and gained her “wings”. How thrilled I was when I watched the RAAF 100 year celebrations and she, as a squadron leader, lead part of the fly over and indeed was interviewed in the air. I would think that her time at school lead partly to this achievement.

Schools do make a difference particularly if they walk with their student's part of the way, always respecting their journey and assisting them to chase their dreams. They won’t be the only factor but will likely be a really valuable one.

To all of you as school principals as you tackle the vast challenges of your jobs, be assured that you really do make a difference.

Sayings For the Week Which May be Useful - I am trying to include some sayings which come from those notable thinkers who have influenced different schools in the Association

Rudolf Steiner “The true teachers and educators are not those who have learned pedagogy as the science of dealing with children, but those in whom pedagogy has awakened through understanding the human being”.

Albert Einstein “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”

Benjamin Franklin “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”

Prophet Muhammad “Be kind, for whenever kindness becomes part of something, it beautifies it. Whenever it is taken from something, it leaves it tarnished.” “The best among you is the one who doesn’t harm others with his tongue and hands.”

Martin Luther “Nothing good ever comes of violence.” “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”

Dalai Lama “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”

Written by Chris Tudor