Fond send-off for retiring head

TEARS flowed as one of the Far North’s most popular principals ended nearly four decades of teaching with a choir of 800 children farewelling him.

The principal of Redlynch State College’s primary campus, Rob Hanlon, was yesterday described by colleagues as inspirational, caring, genuine, fun loving and generous.

Mr Hanlon retired after 37 years in education, the last 17 as deputy principal and principal at the Redlynch school.

“It was such an emotional moment having an 800-strong choir singing See You Again as a tribute to him,” said college spokeswoman Kelly Cresswell.

“It was very touching. Staff were in tears. It was a very proud moment for our college,” Ms Cresswell said.

Mr Hanlon said his final day was a rollercoaster.

“There’s excitement, joy, sadness. One minute you’re happy, the next emotional because people are saying goodbye and thanking you.”

He was a Year 10 army cadet when he realised his vocation. “I used to take lessons with the junior cadets. I thought ‘I can do this’.

“I went to teachers college in Brisbane, went bush and never went back to Brisbane.”

After teaching in Emerald and Capella, he and wife Joscelyn arrived in the Far North.

“We were itinerant teachers with the Primary Correspondence School in Brisbane, but based at the Flying Doctor Service with the School of Air in Junction St, Cairns.

“We travelled all over the Far North in a 4WD, visiting stations and properties.”

The arrival of the first of their four sons changed things.

“I taught at Caravonica, then the Sunshine Coast, back to Cairns and then up to Torres Strait as principal of Yorke Island State School.”

Mr Hanlon arrived at Redlynch as deputy principal to then head Richard Ruddell.

“The school grew from about 500 kids to what it is now, 1900 from P-12. This is the longest I’ve ever been in one place. It tells you something about the school community, people and kids.”

Deputy principal Sam Molloy said Mr Hanlon was an “inspirational leader and mentor”, while head of teaching and learning Susan Hall said he was “loyal to the core” and “generous beyond belief”.

Mr Hanlon said too much emphasis was placed on academic achievement today.

“We should be focusing on student wellbeing, then their academic achievement. If they’re happy, they become good learners, not the other way around. Connections with family, connections with staff and connections with kids. If you get all those right, everything else takes care of itself.”