Peter John Scott (OW1952)

As a schoolboy, Peter excelled at cricket, football and gymnastics at Wesley and represented the Associated Public Schools (APS) in cricket. In 1953, he was a member of the celebrated First XI Championship team which included fast bowler Ellis Hicks (OW1953) who gained notoriety for taking four Melbourne Grammar wickets in the first four balls in the opening over of the match on Wesley’s famed Jack Kroger Front Turf. As a gymnast, Peter won State Championships at junior and senior levels. After leaving Wesley, he played cricket for the Melbourne and South Yarra Cricket Clubs.

He lived variously in Echuca, Toorak, Elsternwick, Hawthorn, Hamilton and eventually in Newtown, Geelong.

In 1960, Peter married Ann Gilchrist, a schoolteacher. They went on to have two daughters, Elizabeth and Kate. Peter's occupations were diverse and included working as a wool classer with the Wool Testing Authority and as a medical representative for various pharmaceutical companies. His real love, however, was school and community sport, and he became Sports Master at Hamilton and Alexandra College and at Monivae College in Hamilton.

Peter had gained considerable farming experience as a young man on his father's sheep and cattle property and he and Ann subsequently built their home at Strathkellar, some 6km northeast of Hamilton. Here they grew beef cattle and produced wool. He farmed there until 2002.

From 1976, Peter played and coached at Hamilton’s St Andrew’s Cricket Club, being involved in many premiership sides in various capacities, including Captain and President. He was awarded Life Membership in recognition of his contribution. Peter’s involvement with sport in Hamilton extended well beyond St Andrew’s. He instigated Western District schoolboy cricket tours of English public schools which led him to becoming Director of Cricket at St Joseph’s School in Suffolk. He also coached the Highton Cricket Club and coached cricket at Geelong Grammar School.

He went on to coach gymnastics and was co-founder of the Hamilton Gymnastic Club where he was also awarded a Life Membership. He gained experience coaching gymnasts at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra and at the Ladywell Gymnastic Club in London, England. He was a cricket umpire for the APS and also umpired for the Hamilton District Umpires Association. Peter also coached and judged diving and swimming.

Peter’s other key sport was football. He played for and coached Collegians Football Club in the Victorian Amateur Football Association, during which time they won multiple premierships. He also coached Old Geelong Grammar Amateur Football, which went on to win a premiership. Later, in 1976, he coached the Cavendish Football Club in the Western District. As a result, he was awarded the Service to the Community Medallion in 2000.

Outside of sport, his hobbies included classical music, gardening, travel, reading, collecting antiques and art and border collies.

Peter and Ann moved to Geelong in 2002, having purchased a National Trust Heritage classified historical property, 'Newtown Brae.' This property kept them very busy - learning, renovating, enjoying and valuing the fruits of their labour. Consequently, they gained an extremely beautiful home, surrounded by a very extensive garden.

In 2004, the National Trust of Australia Heritage Award was presented to Peter and Ann in recognition of the outstanding renovation of this historical property. Apart from all of this, Peter and Ann went on regular overseas trips. He liked to remind anyone listening that they had visited every corner of the world, plus a few crevices!

In his later years, Peter was an enthusiastic member of the Old Wesley Tall Ships luncheon group, the longest lasting OW reunion group, which has met monthly for lunch for almost four decades. Of all his Wesley friends, it is this OW group, in particular, which mourns his passing.

Contributed by Peter’s daughter, Kate Tol and Frank Opray (OW1963)