John Lang - Redlands Recollections

Extracts from correspondence directly relevant to SCECGS Redlands’ reconstruction, independence and growth 1973 to 2003.

From John Lang, 5 November 2019.

“…To now enjoin myself with John Roberts in the very early days bringing our relationship with the Redlands school, the new Canteen, and Mrs Humphery (Head of School) around the Sixties/1970 was a special privilege. ..what arose in a most unacceptable dilemma of the SCEGGS saga, was only realised today, as I once again read in the John Roberts’ excellent story (separate text), on the accurate recording of the purchase of the SCEGGS Redlands school in its outrageous life in the Sixties/Seventies. I can now see why it added my fervour back in 1974, into the search to find a solution to that SCEGGS Redlands Limited Seventies drama, and its needed dynamic purpose and goal, for the continuance of the school beyond that early Seventies period. I can see now why we were being led to our appropriate together role within this circle of families, and their togetherness in a most unintended action plan of success….” (Page 1)

“In (our daughter’s) first years at the school, my wife Fay and I, like all parents of the school, were invited to attend a parents’ Fund-Raising Meeting which was to raise funds for the school’s new Canteen. As it happened I met the parent leader of that project…a Mr Stanley Cooper, with the Head of School Mrs Isobel Humphery. Extraordinarily Mr Cooper was also another family friend, a Redlander, and also a Member of the NSW Branch of the Australian Institute of Sales and Marketing for which I was also the Australian National Chairman…I was then encouraged to accept a position on the School’s Fund-raising Committee which I had to decline at the time (because) I had just been appointed the Business Executive of the USA Company Simplex Corporation of Massachusetts – supervising the Australian, Asian, China and Far East, Mid East and African Division of Simplex. I had been head-hunted as the first international employee, and I was by chance residing in Australia despite operating across possibly 25% of the business world sector. I planned to remain a resident of Australia….” (Page 2)

“At that time I was also invited to become the auditor of the new Redlands School’s Canteen Committee presumably because of my accounting background – and I did accept that Office…Little did I think these items were important in the scheme of things in the Sixties and Seventies but it became a major challenge….John Roberts’ and my mutuality in our parent undertaking responsibility to face the needs demanded by the Seventies to step up and face the critical dilemma we had been exposed to by Canon Prescott (Chair), the Board of the SCEGGS Corporation, the Diocese of Sydney, and the Anglican Church of Australia….

We did not set out to acquire/and control our School, but finally we did, for it to be placed into independence from the other SCEGGS schools, to be separate in our operations, not managed by any other body, and specially not to be controlled by other operators, and we did seek to administer and meet the responsibilities and obligations of our Business, whilst pursuing and maintaining a world leading educational institution, also continuing and pursuing the Anglican Faith. This was a need we had asked to have agreed, and believed we had been given when we purchased the school and its (reduced) assets back in 1976. “ ( page 2)

John Lang’s note of November 2019 makes a ‘belated apology to (the late) John Roberts, for not making these connections earlier…they are most important in our long-term goals and the purpose of our acquisition…” John Lang also acknowledges the contribution of the third Trustee Bruce Adams, who came into the direct action to ‘save’ Redlands, through his friendship with John Roberts and most probably because of the friendship between Fay Lang and Marcia Adams, strong within the SCEGGS Redlands Canteen Committee, which was a daily commitment to the children of the school. A busy, demanding schedule within which friendship bloomed.

PJC 6 Feb 2020.