OAM for former Trinity Senior Master

“Teaching is a people business.” So says Dr Stuart Braga, former Senior Master of Trinity Grammar School, who was honoured in the latest King’s Birthday list.

“I like to think I’m a people person. That’s why since leaving education I have never forgotten that it all comes back to people.”

Dr Braga was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the King’s Birthday Honours for contributions to education administration and community history.

“Trinity was a fine school and I greatly enjoyed all of my time there. I remember with great fondness a lot of the boys and the staff, who were capable and very dedicated.

“I was responsible for encouraging professional development, and the staff were keen to be involved in that.”

Administrative duties increasingly demanded his time at Trinity, but he always taught two history classes, the top Year 8 class and the second bottom Year 9 class – “to show the Senior Master was quite prepared to tackle more difficult assignments”.

“I greatly enjoyed escaping to the classroom,” he said.

He was Senior Master and Director of Studies at Trinity from 1985 until his retirement 13 years later, serving as number two in the School hierarchy, firstly to Rod West and later Milton Cujes.

He was also president of the Teachers’ Guild of NSW and chair of the awards committee of the Australian College of Educators. He is a fellow and life member of both organisations.

He has written two military history books – “Anzac Doctor”, a biography of Australia’s first VC winner, and “Kokoda Commander” on General ‘Tubby’ Allen, who drove the Japanese back across the Kokoda Trail – and a number of family and community histories, including St James’ Church, Turramurra, and the Beecroft Men’s Probus Club.

His three sons and three of his grandsons have attended Trinity.