We invite you to explore the key milestones, stories and personalities of our history in our 125 Years Timeline. We also invite you toShare your story and become part of our digital history.
One of the problems of living in Christ College was that we had to provide our own light relief. A system known as “quiet hours” applied from 8.00pm to 8.00am. This was supposed to inculcate a study habit. In some cases it did. With me, I regret to say, it failed miserably.
One form of light relief was a regular singing session round the piano in the Common Room. Our repertoire was not extensive, consisting largely of bawdy student songs. At times that could be embarrassing. There was the occasion when Paul Dudley, the Warden's son, was playing us through “The Good Ship Venus”. Suddenly his father, Rev Canon Lance Dudley appeared beside us and said mildly, ‘Paul, there is someone in the Lodge to see you’. Having delivered his message, the Warden departed without another word, leaving behind a rather abashed group of residents.
Then there was the time a promising Afro-American singer brought out three records to rave reviews. So half a dozen of the 3rd and 4th men rushed off and bought the three records. It didn't matter that there was only one record player in the college. We took it in turns to play our three records on John's record player. In the intervening years, I became very addicted to that singer. I found some of her songs the epitome of erotica. Her name? She was the late, very great Eartha Kitt. Listen to her songs An Old Fashioned Girl, or Under the Bridges of Paris and you will know what I mean.
Cricket played an important part in our lives. Although University did not have a team in those days, the game was alive and well at College. Our daily hit outs on the tennis court were taken very seriously. It became a bit costly for me; we had to replace personally any balls we hit and which could not be found either in the nearby streets or the jungle that used to be the College garden. I lost quite a few which hit my pocket hard. The annual Freshers v Lifers match at the end of the year was played as fiercely as any Test Match at Lord's. Unfortunately, due to the then licensing laws, we could not officially unwind with a few beers in our 'local' as Test players could. Fortunately, the licensee at the nearby Tasmanian Inn turned a blind eye to our failure to have reached the legal age of 21.
I mentioned quiet hours. At some time, someone – and I really do not know who it was – “liberated” the shot (as in shot put) from the University Athletics Club. It wound up in the room of one Lloyd Lack. Lloyd's room was at the opposite end of the first floor to mine. (I chose my room because the chimney of the Common Room passed up one wall; it saved me a lot of money in electricity and kept me warm in winter.) At some time in quiet hours, Lloyd would roll the 16-pound shot along the concrete floor. The noise on a concrete floor was a bit like a clap of thunder going full bore. When the shot came to my end, I would grab it and after a suitable, probably pregnant, interval, roll it back to Lloyd. Again, the noise was spectacular. After one return trip, the shot retired for the night, to rest for another journey.
I regret that I do not have space to tell of the times motor bikes were taken apart, repaired and reassembled in the space under the roof and behind the library. On one occasion, the owner of a bike laid out a board track and tested the repair job by riding the motor bike along it. I do not believe it was done during quiet hours.
Childish? Yes, but remember we had no television in those days and with the cost of radios, very few students could afford them. So we had to resort to simple pleasures, especially those that were cost effective (i.e. cheap!).
Of course, when we graduated, we all regrettably grew up. But I still do not know who liberated the shot.
About the author: Robert J Clarke BA 1954 DipEd spent four fruitless years teaching, then qualified as an accountant and is now enjoying retirement, reading Mediaeval History. He spent four years living at Christ College and spent a couple of years working on Togatus, the student newspaper.
Image source: "Christ College Hobart". Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Christ_College_Hobart.jpg#/media/File:Christ_College_Hobart.jpg