Rick Bayley

 
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Leaving NSBHS at the tender age of 15, post Intermediate Certificate, I instantaneously archived whatever scant memories I may have had of my educational alma mater. As an innocuous undersized individual in a mob of intellectually superior extroverts and troublemakers it is apparent that my impression on the school was only equalled by the school’s impression on me. However, NSBHS was, in retrospect, a picnic compared with the three and a half years spent being educated and reshaped at the Naval College, Jervis Bay.

Having learnt at that establishment everything of value to a future naval officer, from tying a bowline to statistical calculus to Scottish Country dancing (with male partners!), I was launched on the first and longest of my careers to date. Working on the basis that, if you keep on the move, your past has trouble catching up, I elected to take the path of the true mariner, spending large parts of my early career either overseas or at sea.

In the traditions of the times I spent some years being gentrified and professionally educated in "the olde country" – where else could you learn to drink gallons of beer at a sitting. I also picked up the odd snippets of learnings which enabled me to pursue a career as a navigation and operations specialist. Naturally, the attractions of Asia did not go unnoticed and for many of those early years I managed to be a regular visitor in vessels various.

Best naval experience was two years as the commissioning captain of a brand new guided missile frigate (naval version of a Porsche) based in Seattle, USA. I left the Navy to pursue a commercial career in 1987. I was satisfied that the Navy and our national defences could survive without me, given the number of NSBHS grads running it, including our year-mate Chris Barrie.

Spent four years learning about life in the real world, working for Chase Manhattan Bank. Then moved into Optus Communications as it was starting up in 1992 and have been there ever since, enjoying the interminable challenges of life in the communications and technology sector.

Married in a never-to-be forgotten (or forgiven) ceremony in 1970 in Plymouth, England, to Beverly, an Australian lady of good repute. We enjoyed life as DINKS until 1990 when son, James, came along and changed our lives for the better. Current passions are typical of a lifelong north shore boy – tennis, golf and skiing for exercise and rugby, Aussie Rules and cricket to satisfy my spectator instincts.