Rob Olston

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Rob Olston recently after a long illness. A well known and long serving teacher at my old school, Rob was one of the most cheerful and genuine men I have ever met. He had a great sense of humor, and would frequently digress from the lesson to tell tall tales of his early days in the outback. He also had an incredible memory for ex-students, remembering me instantly when I ran into him at a Collectibles fair last June, even thought it had been several decades since we'd last met. A great man, held in high regard by all that knew him, he will be fondly remembered by his colleagues and many former students (Picture of Rob from the Ballarat Courier).

Postscript March 11, 2010: Attended Rob's memorial service with over a thousand other people yesterday. A fitting tribute to a great teacher, historian & family man. Rob had the last word with his open letter published posthumously last Monday.