Mark LittleCrikey! I attended Oakey State High School from 1973 to 1977. Bloody Hell! That was the mid 70's! That's over 50 years ago. That's the 'New Olden Days'.
I'm glad I've been asked to recall some of my memories of my Oakey High School days because it won't be long before I'm forgetting everything. Don't worry, these aren't going to be the nostalgic ramblings of some old late boomer trying to impress a bunch of millennials/alpha's about the good old days. However, Oakey High in the 70's was really special and I feel lucky to have been there. It was established in 1964, so it was the really early days. The days of flares and Bay City Rollers and Slade and Hush and school disco's. Oh yes, we were dags alright. Super Dags!
The thing about any school in any era, that makes it special, is the kids and the teachers. That's what schools are basically, the kids and the teachers. There's also cleaners, ground staff and administration of course but you know what I mean. Oakey High in the 70's had great kids, great teachers, great cleaners, great ground staff.
I wasn't a Townie. I was bussed in from the bush like so many others. Oakey High was a country high school plonked in the middle of the Darling Downs. We were rural. Lots of farmers kids, a smattering of townies and some army kids from the base.There were about 350 of us and we had a great time because we had some great teachers.
For some reason this young country high school had attracted some brave and dynamic staff. Uniquely, Oakey had attracted a gaggle of teachers who hailed from England. Mr. Rimmer (London), Mr. Yeabsley (Yorkshire) and Mr. Taylor (Newcastle). Teachers that would ultimately mentor me, shape me and steer me in the direction of the mad performance artist I eventually became.
The school God's had smiled on us and sent us Mr. Rimmer. Mr Michael Rimmer (RIP), a devoted historian, educator, teacher and oddball. His immersive slide projected Geography lessons will live with me forever. It was Mr. Rimmer who believed that young minds should travel. The trip to Uluru he planned for us helped bond us as a school of fun and learning. Mr. Rimmer's love of English football impacted us in two important ways. Our chants at district swim carnivals were second to none. We were small but we were raucous and Mr. Rimmer had also drilled us into one of the most formidable soccer teams in the district. This was way before soccer was cool, long before there were Socceroo's, let alone Matilda's. Only dags played soccer and we were dags. Super Dags.
We were also graced with Mr. Yeabsley (RIP), our English teacher and a force of nature. He did his utmost to give us as many cultural experiences and inspirations as possible. He trained our debating squads and we were excellent. Funny and fierce. He established an after school drama club that would see us as a major contributor when the Darling Downs Youth Theatre was created in 76/77. I was cast as Fagan in our school musical of Oliver in the new assembly hall. Mr Rimmer helped me with the accent.
Another great influence in the late 70's was Monty Python's Flying Circus and wonderful absurd humour coming out of the UK. Mr. Rimmer and Mr. Yeabsley were huge Python fans and could do classic Python sketches with hilarious authenticity. It was also the time of Norman Gunston, Spike Milligan and Strop from the Paul Hogan Show. Humour and laughter were a huge part of my life. Mr. Yeabsley recognised this in my creative writing and Mr. Rimmer recognised my 'creative mischief making' and both helped me channel these attributes into my very own version of Aussie humour that I would carry into my artistic life as a performer. Oakey High provided me with invaluable mentors that nurtured and helped me make sense of my own brand of rebellious performance and existence.
I truly believe the main achievement of Oakey High in the 70's was fun. I was in a great soccer team, The Dagaroos! I remember scoring 5 goals in a game in one tournament. We had a great debating squad. We'd go into Toowoomba and confound the 'posh schools' with our abilities, panache and wit, thrashing Downlands and St Ursula's. We were the Geebung Polo Club of high school debating. Oakey High Ruled.
Foolishly, when I reached Grade 12, they made me a prefect. Ha! I think they thought it would suppress my mischievous ways but alas, it gave me more opportunities for subversion and chaos. Prefecture gave me access to the Parade Book Announcements. The perfect platform for prank announcements only us kids would laugh at. Oh, and Mr. Yeabsley. We had the 'Fall Out Club' where we would award points for the most amazing and embarrassing 'Fall Down's'. On Parade was afforded maximum points or when accepting an award or in Science with Mr. Mc Alpine (very brave points). We had the Loony Olympics at lunchtime. I'll leave that to your imagination.
At Oakey we had a strong athletics team. I went to the state schools athletic championships in Brisbane and was able to boast being the 37th highest high jumper in Queensland in 1975. A boast I still make to this day. Not to mention 'Youth Speaks for Australia' as the Darling Down's representative with a speech riddled with Alice Cooper quotes. (“Welcome to my Nightmare").
Oakey High was fun. I had great mates and great mentors. It was a time of laughter, creative mischief and sport. By the end of my time there I had developed a very confident idea of my artistic persona and the subversive direction in which I'd take myself. My creative mischief had peaked by my final senior exams. I was mistakenly given the Ancient History paper instead of Maths. I said nothing. I took my Etruscan chances and did the Ancient History exam instead. I'm convinced I did better than I would have Maths. We'll never know.
At the end of the year, I was called to the office of Mr. Buckle, the Principal, to pick up my senior results with one hand behind my back as I had accidentally locked myself in handcuffs on the way to school in my father's police car. Yes, my dad was a Queensland copper (Might explain a lot). At this fateful handcuffs meeting, Mr Buckle informed me that I had received the lowest senior mark he had ever seen and had managed to score in the bottom 5% of the state. He knew I could have done better. So did I. I stayed calm amongst the anxiety of 'university entry'. As it turned out I was the first to receive a placement. Thanks to another teacher's recommendation, I auditioned for the Acting Diploma at Kelvin Grove University in Brisbane. I didn't know what an audition was but I learnt a couple of pages of a Spike Milligan novel and sang the 'Eric the half bee' song from Monty Python. And I got in! Me, the 'super dag' from Oakey High. I remember riding my Honda 100 motorbike to school and waving sarcastically to Mr. Buckle who had voted me 'least likely to succeed'. I was Mr. Smug. I was leaving Oakey High to go to the big smoke, Brisbane and Punk Rock had just crash landed.
As it turned out, I never went to Brisbane. I ended up in the bigger smoke, Sydney, at the National Institute of Dramatic Art. NIDA, they called it. I'd never heard of it but it was prestigious and pretentious and free. I had won a scholarship into the bargain. Dad was happy and so was I. City or the bush they say and I'd done my time in the bush and thankfully for me, Oakey State High School existed in my little dusty corner of the universe.
I owe so much to Mr. Yeabsley and Monty Python and Mr. Rimmer and Spike Milligan and Norman Gunston and my form teacher whose name I forget but she suggested auditioning for drama school and not to forget Ernie the groundskeeper. All of whom helped me lay a great foundation for my uniquely unorthodox style that was to inform both my solo comedy work and my acting as I pursed 'My Strife in Art' ( the title of my memoir if I ever write it).
I have now been a writer/performer for 45 years. I've appeared in seventeen feature films, including 'A Cry in the Dark' with Meryl Streep and recently I received Best Actor awards at a couple of film festivals for my role in the independent film 'Passing Through'. I've appeared in London's West End in both 'Taboo', playing another controversial Australian performance artist, Leigh Bowery and 'Defending the Caveman' receiving the prestigious Olivier Award for Best Entertainment. I was in Neighbours in the early days as Joe Mangel as well as The Flying Doctors, receiving the Australian Television Society, Best Actor Award. I've done lots of telly. I have taken many live shows to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and toured them throughout Britain. I have a published poetry anthology and written several short films. I've also directed a short film and directed myself in Jack Hibberd's play, ' A Stretch of the Imagination'. I've also narrated books and nature programs. I've appeared in radio plays and game shows and hosted breakfast TV in the UK. I've even won two 'Pointless' trophies. Do you have 'Pointless' In Australia? My career has been exciting and varied. Sometimes ridiculous.
I now live in a Welsh forest where I tend my magic acre. I walk my dogs and dream of someday writing my novel. I live with my partner Cath of 44 years and enjoy my London granddaughters coming here to breathe the fresh air whenever they can.
I have returned to the bush.
Throughout my career I was forever trying to innovate and surprise with a serious punk undertone, all traits cultivated in my formative years at Oakey State High School. Super Dags Rule OK!
