Clarrie Diefenbach Interview

Clarrie Diefenbach wrote:

“From my first day at school, I knew I wanted to be a teacher.
I forget what steps we had to take to apply for a position in the Teachers’ Training College, but there came the day when we were going to Brisbane for my interview at The Treasury Building. The local Methodist minister had driven us down. I had been worried about that interview, but it was nothing, really.
Not one of the applicants was knocked back. We were now students at the Queensland Teachers’ Training College, and were to report there to the principal that afternoon for an interview.

Dad and I then went to McDonnell and East’s to buy me a pair of long trousers, then out to the College, which was in the process of moving from Turbot Street to the Kelvin Grove Intermediate school, where the College was to occupy the upper floor. The Principal, Mr. Robinson, was seeing us new students one at a time, and I was pleased to see that the parents were allowed to accompany the students into his office.

Eventually our turn came, and Mr. Robinson held out a hand, first to dad, and then to me. He was a gentleman, ‘Rocks’ Robinson. First he asked if I was settled and such questions, and dad wanted to know if the students wore long or short trousers. It all depended on what the student wanted to wear, Rocks assured him. Some wore shorts, others wore longs.

I found out first day that this was not true […] but I wanted to save dad as much money as I could.

I was still only fourteen years old, and all lecturers called me ‘Mr. Diefenbach’!

Singapore had fallen on 15th February, 1942, the day after I started.

My first teaching student placement was at Ascot Practising School.”

Maurice Whitby, Jim Bodimeade, Clarrie Diefenbach, Dick Fitzgerald, Eagle Junction S.S., 1943.

From Ascot Practising School, Clarrie was sent to Eagle Junction State School. Image above.

Having gone to Brisbane on a 2-year scholarship to the Queensland Teachers’ Training College in February 1942, in May 1943, Clarrie passed his Class 3 Teachers’ exams. Though he wanted to ﬁnish his Senior, which he was doing at night school, he was appointed to Maleny State School in August as assistant teacher. He was just 16. After all, it was war time, and teachers were wanted.
In February 1944, still at age 16, he was appointed as head teacher of Yaparaba State School – a school 7 miles beyond the Callide Valley rail terminus. […]

In January 1967, after stints in many bush schools and at Caloundra, Clarrie Diefenbach was seconded as Lecturer in Education to Kelvin Grove Teachers’ College. He was Senior Lecturer at Brisbane College of Advanced Education until his retirement in 1987.

This interview was recorded on 1 May 2024.