From a kindergarten in Essendon to schools, rail yards and university study: a first draft of the route, pieced together from memory and older records.
This is a working timeline. School order is clear; most calendar years and the names of two tertiary courses still need to be checked against certificates, school records or family photographs.
The route so far
The sequence below keeps remembered events together while marking which dates are only estimates. Links open the places or source records in a new tab.
Early childhood · year to confirm
Kindergarten with Chris Stacey
Martin remembers going to kindergarten with Chris Stacey somewhere in Essendon. The exact kindergarten is not yet identified. He recalls being born at a home in Airport West; this public draft leaves out the street number.
Family portrait of Martin as a young child. Google Photos identifies him in the image; the original date is unknown, so this is not presented as a kindergarten photograph.
Primary school · years to confirm
Aberfeldie Primary School
After kindergarten, Martin went to Aberfeldie Primary. A 2026 message with an old school friend also places them at Aberfeldie together. The school opened in 1925, so it was already part of the neighbourhood when Martin was growing up.
Current school photograph from Aberfeldie Primary School’s official website; a period photograph would be better here.
Secondary school · Form 1 to Form 5 · years to confirm
Essendon Grammar School
Martin remembers attending Essendon Grammar through Form 5. In his 2019 life-story recording, he says the school asked him not to return because they did not think he would pass Form 6, the year then leading to the HSC.
Martin went to work for the railways. His 2019 account recalls goods checking and clerical work connected with the Spencer Street goods operation. After about six months, he decided he had had enough and returned to school.
Return to secondary school · HSC / matriculation · year to confirm
Buckley Park High School
Martin returned to school and completed his matriculation / HSC at Buckley Park. He remembers subjects including Economics, English and English Literature. An older profile lists Buckley Park High School among his education details.
There are at least three study threads to untangle. Martin recalls a certificate in Communication Studies at an institute in Caulfield, but is unsure of the exact institution and award. He also recalls studying Mathematical Sciences at Adelaide University for about a year, and an engineering course at an institute whose name sounds like “Footscray Institute of Technology.”
Possible match · CaulfieldCaulfield Institute of Technology is plausible for Communication Studies; the course and qualification need confirmation.
Likely name · FootscrayA saved profile lists Footscray Institute of Technology. That may be the institute Martin remembers as “Gray Institute”, but the engineering course remains unverified.
Caulfield Institute of Technology, 1977 · Monash University Archives.
Records behind this draft
Martin’s own 2019 life-story transcript, “Early exposure to Music” — recalls leaving Essendon Grammar after Form 5, about six months at Victorian Railways, then returning to complete matriculation. The transcript also recounts school years and the school’s response in first person.
Facebook message exchange with an old school friend, May 2026 — confirms Aberfeldie Primary and Buckley Park High School in the shared school history.
Saved Facebook profile details — lists Buckley Park High School and Footscray Institute of Technology; useful corroboration for the institution name, but not a course record.
Personal recollections and institutional history are kept distinct. The photographs are illustrations of places and periods; they are not identified as Martin’s personal school photographs. Course titles, award names, campus locations and calendar years remain open until supported by a personal record.
