Peter WHITE
-
1973
Alumni Profiles
Description
I was born in Sydney in 1951 and completed my secondary schooling at St Patrick’s College Strathfield in 1968. After my HSC, I completed three years of a Bachelor of Law degree at the University of Sydney, but I decided that the Law was not really ready for me, or more realistically, I wasn’t meant for the Law.
I had earlier joined the Army Reserve at 1/15 RNSWL in Parramatta and realised that I enjoyed this much more than I was enjoying study and work. So, in January 1973, I joined the Regular Army in order to attend OCS Portsea. I graduated from OCS in December 1973 and was posted to 1st Armoured Regiment, Puckapunyal as a Troop Leader.
I remained at 1 Armd Regt until 1975 when I was posted to 4 Cav Regt in Enoggera as LO A Sqn. In 1976 I was posted as QM 4 Cav Regt and promoted to Captain. I served in the role of QM until 1979 when I resigned from the ARA in order to assist my father with the family business.
I returned to the Army Reserve after leaving the ARA and was posted as 2IC A Sqn, 1/15 RNSWL in 1979. I served in that role until 1982 when I was appointed as OC Training Sqn 1/15 RNSWL. By 1983, the business had grown to the stage where I was unable to devote the amount of time that was required to 1/15 RNSWL, so I resigned my commission.
At about this time I bought my first computer. I had to teach myself how to use it and then how to program it so that I could use it properly. I quickly discovered that there were many other people who wanted to be told, and shown, how to use their computers which would otherwise just be gathering dust in a corner. I started a small business doing software development and also teaching people and businesses how to use basic computer applications.
In 1992 I was single again and I moved to the Central West of NSW. I started teaching computer applications and programming at the Western Institute of TAFE alongside my contracting business. I picked up a contract to do some Systems Administration at the Land Information Centre in Bathurst. This contract was continually extended until I was eventually employed in 1997 as a full time Systems Administrator for the Department of Lands.
In the last 16 years, I have sat at the same desk but have worked for, successively: Land Information Centre, Department of Lands, Surveyor General’s Department, Department of Information Technology and Management, Department of Lands, Land and Property Management Authority and
Land and Property Information. It’s not a bad record; I’ve worked for 7 NSW Government Departments or Agencies without ever having to move from my desk!
In 1994 I decided that it was about time that I formalised my computer qualifications and I began a Bachelor of Information Technology degree at Charles Sturt University, Bathurst. I completed this degree in 1999 and then started my Master of Information Technology degree in 2002, which I completed in 2006.
The Department offered to fund me through a doctoral degree if my research could be used by them. So, I began my doctorate in 2007 and started research into Identity Management Architecture and how it could be applied in a public sector organisation. I graduated with a Doctor of Information Technology in 2009 and was immediately appointed as an Adjunct Lecturer at Charles Sturt University. I’ve been teaching a number of subjects at CSU, in addition to my full-time work at LPI, where I am now the Enterprise Technical Architect. These subjects include Database Management Systems, Interface Design, IT Risk Management, Virtualisation and Cloud Computing and Data Mining and Visualisation at both Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate levels. In 2012 I won the CSU Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Sessional Teaching. One great advantage of having my academic robes is that some of my grandchildren think that I’m actually the Red Wiggle!
I met Geraldine during the 1990’s and we quickly became firm friends. Our friendship continued to develop and we were married in 2005. This really is the best time of our life!
