Tim Ford
I am now back in Sydney and semi retired after some 40 years in the Army with the last few being with the UN in the Middle East and then New York. Chris and I are living in Redfern with frequent trips to our beach house at Macmasters Beach. Besides a couple of gratis appointments and some continuing work for the UN on strategic leadership and peacekeeping, I am now into fly fishing, ocean swims and keeping in touch with our many friends around the world.
2020 Update
Well, I must have written the above in about 2005/6 just a couple of years after retiring from the Army in early 2003 when I was settling back into Sydney life, so before a catch up on what has happened since then, perhaps some amplification of my earlier story is appropriate.
I came to NSBHS in 1960 after doing my first three high school years at Manly BHS, having scraped through the intermediate certificate and done a fair bit of surfing. We had moved to Mosman and somehow my Dad got me into NSBHS where I joined you lot but still getting a very average pass in the Leaving Certificate in 1961. I wanted to follow my Dad into the military but was too young to go to Duntroon (16 years and 4 months) so I repeated the Leaving in 1962 (along with a few others) , improved my marks and certainly had a better year in rugby, swimming, cadets and various other nefarious activities.
After 4 years at Duntroon which included an academic course as well as military training, I graduated in 1966 as a Lieutenant in the Artillery, with enough credits to then complete an electrical engineering degree at Sydney University during 1967-68. After then it was a full-on military career which included many courses, including three 12 month courses overseas in the UK, India and the US, a year in Vietnam, plenty of postings and exercises around Australia, plus command of an artillery regiment in Townsville and the 1st Division in Brisbane. Somehow, Along the way I also married Chris, helped bring up two lovely daughters and moved house over 20 times.
To cap off my career, from 1998-2003 I was seconded to the United Nations, firstly as a Head of Mission in Jerusalem, commanding UN military observers from 22 nations, and then as the Military Adviser in UN Headquarters in New York. After leaving the Australian Army in early 2003, and until 2010, I undertook several investigations for the UN and others and helped as a mentor and author on various UN senior leadership courses.
Now in 2020 we have basically “bunkered down” at Macmasters Beach where we have been lucky that we could walk, swim in the earlier months, exercise, garden and plan in a safe environment. As things have improved, we have been able to invite family and friends to join us for short periods, and then take short mid-week trips back to Sydney to support others and occasionally attend some socially distanced concerts and theatre.
I am still into “fly fishing” not only for trout but also for many saltwater species including tuna, barramundi and large queenies. I have had several great fishing trips to Tasmania, New Zealand and to the Cape over the last few years. I still surf at Macmasters beach and support the local Surf Life Saving Club, but no long ocean swims now.
One good project I was involved from 2005 was the construction of the Australian Peacekeeping Memorial on Anzac Parade in Canberra which was opened by the Governor General on the 70th anniversary of Australian peacekeeping on September 2017. I am also still doing some volunteer activities with the UN Association of Australia (NSW), plus giving the occasional presentation on UN peace operations, andhelping the Artillery historical society at North Head.