Former Teacher Jon Inge | 35 Years of Service

Many old scholars will remember fondly Mr Jon Inge, a former teacher who retired last year after 35 years of service to St Peter’s College - during which time he made a profound impact as an educator, mentor and leader. He was fittingly farewelled with a standing ovation following his Address at the Senior School's Speech Day. We hope you enjoy the reading his speech to the boys. 

Way back in the early ’70s, there was no Google, no YouTube tutorials, no ChatGPT.

Wisdom wasn’t an effortless instant click away — it was hard earned, shared, and sometimes even printed on the back of a five-cent bus tickets which carried short, sharp truths like “The reward of a thing well done is to have done it,” or “The best thing to save for your old age is yourself.”

Yes, back then we had bus tickets that cost 5 cents, but the buses had hot vinyl seats and no air conditioning!

The tuck shop lunch of legends - a meat pie and a chocolate donut - would set you back just 25 cents. When I was starting high school, the average annual income was $4000, an average house was only $12,000 and a brand new Kingswood Holden was only $2500.

Yes, you could buy a car for less than the price of a decent gaming laptop today.

My past is a world far away from today, I have been amazed at how fast and how far technology has advanced since I was a boy your age. Try and imagine  it:  there was no internet, no smart phones, no Wi-Fi, no streaming, no computer games, no social media, no GPS, no laptops, no smart watches and no cloud! Life was simpler, but people faced the same challenges — adapting, striving, learning.

Yes, prices are higher, incomes have increased, but we have more information available to us than ever in human history, and technology continues to open up new horizons and opportunities everywhere.

Now, wisdom and advice are tik tok’d, tweeted, snapchatted or instagrammed as life hacks.

The challenge isn’t finding advice anymore - it’s figuring out which advice actually matters. Let’s be honest - TikTok is the only place on Earth where you can lose three hours of your life and somehow come out knowing absolutely nothing. It’s addictive like a poker machine - but instead of money, you’re gambling your attention span. Not everything on TikTok counts as deep wisdom, no matter how dramatic the background music sounds.

I would like to share you with you two very simple life hacks, that I have learned from my journey through life and believe that can make a difference in how you flourish in school and far into your future.

First that your future success is a team effort, and second to be brave and take risks.

I have been fortunate… so very fortunate – I had a father who inspired me with his creativity, work ethic and determination and a mother who showered me with kindness, encouragement and support in good and bad times. I had teachers who ignited my love of history, economics and geography. I worked with outstanding passionate teachers, whose passion for their subject knowledge and their teaching craft helped inspire me.

All their support and encouragement helped me achieve my goals and I learned so much from them all, and I have been so blessed to have been a teacher and served at this wonderful school.

You will know that there are messages whispered and sometimes even shouted all around you by the people who care about you and want the very best for you – your parents, families, your teachers, coaches, mentors. The people who are sharing what they have already learnt on their life journeys, so that they can help speed yours.

There are times when that help and guidance may feel unfair especially when your parents say things like:
Do your homework now so you can relax later,
or you need to get off that screen,
or if you went to bed earlier you wouldn’t be so tired,
Or my favourite – If you spent as much time studying as you do arguing with me,…

Sometimes, you don’t always understand why they are leaning on you, when they suggest or tell you to do something – it’s not for their benefit, they are saying it for your benefit far into your future.

We often see success as a clean finish line - but in truth, it’s built from a pile of mistakes. Failure isn’t the opposite of success; it’s the raw material that success is built from. You only truly fail when you give up.

Every setback gives you new insights and awareness - another strategy on how to improve. That’s how elite athletes, inventors, and entrepreneurs think. They don’t fear mistakes; they study them and work with their team and mentors to be even better.

When astronaut Neil Armstrong walked on the moon on the 20th of July 1969 – it was not just his achievement, but the dreams and work of thousands, who together had made that impossible dream come true so far from our small blue earth.

So yes, set your goals high – with determination, passion and self-discipline it can be achieved, but you can’t do it alone.

Like the team that put man on the moon, you need to build your support team, and learn from their experiences and advice.

Take risks.
Try challenging things.
You may fall flat the first time - or even the tenth time. But every time you get back up, you’re closer to achieving something great.

Remember: if everything you try works perfectly the first time, you’re probably not aiming high enough. Or perhaps you’re secretly Iron Man.

Here’s the truth: the easy path is tempting - it’s comfortable, predictable, and feels safe. But the easy path leads to average results. The hard path, the one that demands effort, uncertainty, and patience, is the one that builds strength, confidence, and character.

I would like to challenge you to be brave – to take risks – to accept that you may not succeed… this time, but that you will, if you refuse to give in, learn from your mistakes and challenge yourself to go farther than you originally thought possible.

Don’t take the easy path – that is the road of mediocrity.
Don’t wait to be told what to do, don’t wait for the answer – think about the question, the task – it’s OK to be uncertain, find the information you need, read widely, test out your ideas and then apply what you have learnt.

That’s real learning. As Aristotle said, “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” In other words - struggle now, and you’ll enjoy the rewards later. Think of it as the weight training for your brain - it hurts at first, but the gains show up when it counts.

The smartest people aren’t the ones who know everything; they’re the ones who know how to find out.

School is the perfect place to be brave – all around you here at Saints are a wonderful safety net and support system – your family, teachers, mentors, counsellors, peers.  If you struggle, they are there to help you and from your struggles you will emerge stronger, wiser and better prepared for your future

Every time you face something hard, you’re training and creating the future version of yourself — the one who’s ready to take on the world. So don’t take shortcuts. Don’t coast.
Choose the path that challenges you - because that’s where all the best stories, and the best versions of you, begin.

Today with enormous gratitude I have looked back at my life journey, but today as the young men of St Peter’s college you are looking forward towards your future. The pages are blank, you are each one of you, the author of your life story.

Be brave and listen to those who want the very best for you. Explore your interests, push past your comfort zones, take advantage of the amazing opportunities that Saints offers and like Neil Armstrong, reach for the stars.

Your family, teachers and friends and I wish you all the best for the years ahead. Don’t take them for granted, you will be amazed how quickly the time will fly, and the memories you will be creating.

Thank you, have a wonderful break.

Jon Inge