{"id":268,"date":"2026-01-26T13:22:48","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T03:22:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mytestsite.com.au\/tocah\/?p=268"},"modified":"2026-03-09T16:32:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T06:32:53","slug":"clarrie-diefenbach-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mytestsite.com.au\/tocah\/clarrie-diefenbach-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Clarrie Diefenbach Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clarrie Diefenbach wrote:<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom my first day at school, I knew I wanted to be a teacher.
\nI forget what steps we had to take to apply for a position in the Teachers\u2019 Training College, but there came the day when we were going to Brisbane for my interview at The Treasury Building. The local Methodist minister had driven us down. I had been worried about that interview, but it was nothing, really.
\nNot one of the applicants was knocked back. We were now students at the Queensland Teachers\u2019 Training College, and were to report there to the principal that afternoon for an interview.<\/p>\n

Dad and I then went to McDonnell and East\u2019s to buy me a pair of long trousers, then out to the College, which was in the process of moving from Turbot Street to the Kelvin Grove Intermediate school, where the College was to occupy the upper floor. The Principal, Mr. Robinson, was seeing us new students one at a time, and I was pleased to see that the parents were allowed to accompany the students into his office.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Eventually our turn came, and Mr. Robinson held out a hand, first to dad, and then to me. He was a gentleman, \u2018Rocks\u2019 Robinson. First he asked if I was settled and such questions, and dad wanted to know if the students wore long or short trousers. It all depended on what the student wanted to wear, Rocks assured him. Some wore shorts, others wore longs.<\/p>\n

I found out first day that this was not true [\u2026] but I wanted to save dad as much money as I could.<\/p>\n

I was still only fourteen years old, and all lecturers called me \u2018Mr. Diefenbach\u2019!<\/p>\n

Singapore had fallen on 15th February, 1942, the day after I started.<\/p>\n

My first teaching student placement was at Ascot Practising School.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"\"<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

From Ascot Practising School, Clarrie was sent to Eagle Junction State School. Image above.<\/p>\n

Having gone to Brisbane on a 2-year scholarship to the Queensland Teachers\u2019 Training College in February 1942, in May 1943, Clarrie passed his Class 3 Teachers\u2019 exams. Though he wanted to \ufb01nish his Senior, which he was doing at night school, he was appointed to Maleny State School in August as assistant teacher. He was just 16. After all, it was war time, and teachers were wanted.
\nIn February 1944, still at age 16, he was appointed as head teacher of Yaparaba State School \u2013 a school 7 miles beyond the Callide Valley rail terminus. [\u2026]<\/p>\n

In January 1967, after stints in many bush schools and at Caloundra, Clarrie Diefenbach was seconded as Lecturer in Education to Kelvin Grove Teachers\u2019 College. He was Senior Lecturer at Brisbane College of Advanced Education until his retirement in 1987.<\/p>\n

This interview was recorded on 1 May 2024.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Clarrie recounts an experience as a young teacher during war time.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In February 1944, still at age 16, Clarrie Diefenbach was appointed as head teacher of Yaparaba State School –
\na school 7 miles beyond the Callide Valley rail terminus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":269,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,3],"tags":[],"series":[41],"class_list":["post-268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-stories","category-interviews","series-tocah"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/mytestsite.com.au\/tocah\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/vintage-interview-3-scaled.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/mytestsite.com.au\/tocah\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/vintage-interview-3-scaled.jpg","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/mytestsite.com.au\/tocah\/feed\/podcast\/tocah","embedCode":"

Clarrie Diefenbach Interview<\/a><\/blockquote>