Alumni Profiles

Chris RAYMOND

• Graduated :

  1973

Description

APOLOGY & EXPLANATION 

An apology – my profound apologies that I will not be attending the Portsea Class of December ‘73 40th Reunion – my Middle Daughter’s wedding on 7th December would see me ‘At Priority Call’ to her. Try as I might the logistics of being in two places in the same time elude me.

An explanation – ‘Luz-Raymond’ is a merger with Ana in circa 1987 that has moving me up the alphabetical order significantly!

MILITARY CAREER 

Graduation saw me enter the world of Air Defence gunnery – specifically to 16th Air Defence Regiment, Woodside South Australia. Postings included Troop Commander, Assistant Adjutant, Battery Captain, and Adjutant culminating in sub-unit command as Battery Commander 110 Air Defence Battery.

Interspersed between three or was it four regimental postings were sojourns to the 1st Recruit Training Battalion (Kapooka), 3 Army Recruiting Unit (Melbourne), SO2 Operations (3rd Military District), SO3 Personnel (Central Army Records Unit), Command & Staff College (1989), SO2 Personnel (Directorate of Personnel Planning) Canberra and finally SO2 Personnel (HQ 4th Military District) in Adelaide. A modest career of some 20 plus years and not a single shot fired in anger! Highlights – definitely sub-unit command and perhaps C&SC where I saw the leadership of the Australian Army into the 21st Century…and I became concerned, very concerned!

And all the while re-acquainting with friends and colleagues of the Class of December ’73…from memory and in no order – TW Smith, Ken Powell, Dave Moon, Mark Gallagher, Lou Hatton (Big hug to Sue!), Peter Feeney, gunner colleagues Pete Franklin, Timmy Bakker & John Platt, Chris Grigsby, Tony Hinchon, Bob Huby, Kas Paul, Brent Olsen, Peter Roberts, Lex Shuttlewood (Love to Enid), John Duff, others that I may have forgotten – my apologies. And of course the irrepressible Tom Moylan!

POST-MILITARY 

For whatever reason I fell into the world of the ‘…not-for-profit…’ sector, agriculture initially then sports administration post military! This has included a stint with the South Australian Dairyfarmers Association, Bowls SA, Hockey SA and currently Golf SA. The more observant of you may notice a South Australian geographic bent, others may just see that my ‘…balls keep getting smaller…’

One of the delights over the last decade or so has been the ‘Second Tuesday Breakfast’ Club – a motley group of ex (and sometimes current) service types that gather and breakfast at Bocelli Café in CBD Adelaide. Great camaraderie and good fun!

From time to time those who work with me will hear me mutter ‘…I’m going back into the Army, at least I knew what I was doing there…’ On more than one occasion all that military stuff has come in handy…writing appreciations, operations and administration orders.

THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT 

Unsurprisingly, Ana and our three girls (it’s a blend of hers, mine and ours!) mean the world to me. Although reading through the various bios I suspect I’m not the only one who feels the same. ‘Loyalty and Service’ did someone say? And that four letter word ‘Daad…’

At last count we have had some eight or nine house guests this year…staying as people do from a few days to a few weeks or more! I suspect friends are very important – both old friends and new friends. A knock at the door of our home at Kenton Street will invariably get you a meal and a good bottle of wine!

Somewhere along the way I learned to ride a motor-bike…not those ponderous, chrome and black monstrosities that ex-military types are prone to…something a little more elegant and red…a Ducati! And of course cricket – I still play and intend to play for as long as I possibly can. Perhaps it’s the Sri Lankan heritage.

AND SO… 

And so Colleagues I wish you the very best for the Reunion. Organising Committee – well done! I suspect the tales of the Class of ’73 will stretch well into the night perhaps into the next morning. Longer than a Tom Moylan stride on a route march…I wish you good health and look forward to seeing you at the 50th!

Ubique!

Chris Luz-Raymond