Teacher always took the time to listen to others
John Panckhurst, who has died aged 87, grew up during the Depression and started work as a bricklayer’s labourer, before becoming a teacher, a senior lecturer in education at Victoria University, and principal of Wellington Teachers’ College.
He was born John David Panckhurst in Reefton, the second of six children. With a vegetable garden, a henhouse, and a cow that he milked at his grandparents’ place 100 metres away, the family never went hungry despite the Depression.
At 17, he became a farm cadet at Lincoln Agricultural College. When he went home for a holiday after several months, his father, realising he wasn’t happy at Lincoln, said to him: ‘‘You could throw it all in and become a teacher.’’
After 15 months at Lincoln, he worked as a bricklayer’s labourer for six months and a trucker in a coal mine for three months, before training as a teacher. In 1952, he married a classmate from Reefton District High School, Fay Latham, who was also one of his lecturers at the University of Canterbury.
Panckhurst’s postgraduate study and work experience were in educational psychology, with a particular interest in the education of children with special needs. He gained a diploma in teaching in 1962. His academic qualifications included a postgraduate diploma in educational psychology (University of Auckland, 1962), and an MA in dducation (University of Canterbury, 1963).
From 1954 to 1978, he worked as a teacher of children with special needs, an educational psychologist in the Department of Education, and a senior lecturer and dean of students at Christchurch Teachers’ College, before becoming a senior lecturer in education at Victoria University of Wellington.
In 1978, he and Fay moved to London, where he was an occupational psychologist, then a senior research officer at the National Foundation for Educational Research. Two years later, he was appointed principal of Wellington Teachers’ College, a position he maintained until 1982. A building on the Karori campus has been named after him.
Subsequently, he and Fay moved to Brisbane, where they both held positions as visiting researchers at the University of Queensland. He later worked as a school psychologist in Canberra. In 1983-84, the couple travelled in many countries, including Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar (then Burma), Nepal, India, Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Greece, Hungary, England, France, Spain and Indonesia. They then resettled in Wellington, sharing a senior research officer position at the New Zealand Council for Educational Research. Later, as a selfemployed psychologist, John specialised in assessment, mediation and counselling for the Family Court until he retired.
He loved making things. He made furniture and objects, usually out of wood, and designed and built stone walls. In his workshop, he enjoyed showing his grandchildren how to use tools.
When anyone had something they needed to discuss, he was always ready to listen and offer suggestions, usually by asking a question, to help others clarify their own thoughts.
He had an easy relationship with children, often addressing them first, before adults, when he entered a room.
He will be remembered, among many other qualities, for his willingness always to listen to others, his fairness, strong interest in political issues, humour, irony, modesty, and his unfailing support to family and friends.
He died in Sydney after a sudden, brief illness. Survivors include wife Fay; children Helen, Michael, and Rachel; grandchildren Adrian, Gabriel, Oscar, Samson, Atticus and Saji; and siblings Pauline, Lois, David and Graham.
A celebration of his life will be held on January 20 at The Nielsen, in Sydney.