With wife Susan and Helena Healey (Jackowski), June 2006
At Nordkapp (nothernmost point in Norway), July 2002
Very brief resume after BHS:
- BSc at UQ major in Metallurgy
- Early 70’s downturn after late 60’s mining boom meant virtually
no jobs for fresh graduates in mining and associated disciplines
- Accepted at Churchie in Brisbane for stint as an untrained teacher of Grades
8, 9, and 11 Maths and Chemistry, and live-in Boarding Master. Tough assignment.
- 18 months later accepted traineeship in Computer programming with BHP in
Wollongong at Port Kembla steelworks. End of GPS experience.
- 17 years with BHP in Wollongong in IT covering the full spectrum of designing,
programming, and maintaining computer systems in a massive steel making plant.
- All of the above was, of course, secondary to the real reason for my existence
viz my sporting career which was, and remains, a great passion. Long and mostly
injury free careers in first grade cricket, baseball, tennis and squash
- Reached the proverbial fork in the road – turn right to continue a
mundane, ordered though comfortable existence, or turn left into a relatively
unknown (for me) world of contract or freelance IT work and see the world.
I turned left.
- Off to the UK. A week later I was in Norwich, Norfolk with a 12 month contract,
and, of course, more importantly, ten new cricketing team-mates and new tennis
and squash sparring partners. Whacko, what took me so long?
- Spent a lot of time traveling around the UK and Europe, and one beautiful
summer’s evening in Venice met Yorkshire’s Susan. Wedding 20 months
later.
- Returned to Oz after several other UK contracting assignments, and continued
in IT contracting at a few different sites in Brisbane. While this Brisbane
thing was happening, we dabbled in Management Rights in the revitalized Tenneriffe
area in Brisbane, Susan doing all the work. I moonlighted as the janitor.
- At end 2000, I jagged a 2 year contract in Edinburgh with the Royal Bank
of Scotland. This was perfect as it meant Susan could spend time with her
rellies, and provided another opportunity for us to explore this beautiful
part of the world.
- We returned to our home in Montville (Sunshine Coast hinterland) in 03/2003.
Since then we have bought Management Rights again, but we have (as I write)
sold the business, so come 01 Aug, we shall declare stumps on all work.
- Still maintaining high fitness level, and remain very competitive in the
Sunshine Coast A-grade squash comp.
Created: 28 June 2006 -
Last Amended: 28 June 2006
by Roger Clarke
- Site Last Verified: 15 February 2009
This document is at www.anu.edu.au/BHS66/PeterCoombe.html
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