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Remembrances
Kenneth (Ken) Victor Merry
Former staff
16/12/1926 - 01/07/2022
Ken Merry had an extraordinary career at Wesley College.
He started at Wesley in 1953 and was appointed by Professor Frederick. He retired in 1985. In his time at the College, Wesley moved from a one campus school to two campuses, growing from around 800 boys to an enrolment well above 1500. It was a boys’ school in 1953 but by 1985, the College was just a few years away from becoming entirely coeducational. There was no such thing as outdoor education in 1953. By 1985, every student was going on a variety of camps. In 1953, there were four sports in which colours were awarded. In 1985, colours were awarded not just for a range of sports, but also for the Arts.
Ken Merry witnessed the birth of the modern Wesley College.
He was more than simply present. Ken was a Form Teacher, a Housemaster, and held any number of roles within the pastoral structure of the College. He was a passionate teacher of Physics and Mathematics. The former, in particular, was Ken’s academic love.
Ken was a very successful coach of the First XI, indulging in another love of his, cricket. A very good cricketer in his own right, having played district cricket, he coached the First XI to a premiership in 1969, thus joining a very select group. Ken also coached football and athletics. He was teacher in charge of Athletics from 1963 to 1967. Indeed, the Chronicle, on his retirement, wondered if anyone had contributed more to cricket, football and athletics in the history of the College.
Yet sport was not the sum of him. Ken was a man of faith and was an active member of the Syndal Baptist Church. He was also a member of the Student Christian Movement from 1956 to 1970, a Head of House from 1968 to 1973 and, when the Arts Colours mentioned above were instituted in 1973, Ken was the first Chair of the Arts Awards Committee, thus ushering in a new age for arts at the College.
It was as a leader of the College that many of those privileged to know him will remember him. Ken was appointed Deputy Principal in 1975 and was the first Head of Campus for what was then the Prahran campus, and is now the St Kilda Road Campus. On two occasions, in 1978 and 1985, Ken was Acting Principal of Wesley College. This was at a time of great growth for the College and he was the enduring leadership presence at the Prahran Campus while David Prest was engaged in the extraordinary growth of the school. He always maintained an impressive dignity, something that can be hard to do when dealing with young people. He was never one for an easy familiarity, but Ken clearly cared, and he communicated that care to all.
Such a career is generational. Some who read this will remember him as a young, dynamic Physics and Maths teacher, as a cricket, football and athletics coach, as one of the young Turks of a new Wesley. Others, from the late 1970s and 80s, will recall the dignified and sober leader, a presence that spoke to a different age but was, nonetheless, reassuring. He seemed to embody the school and was, somehow, ageless.
Ken did, of course, have a life outside of Wesley College. Many will remember his wife Dawn with great fondness. He retired to Ocean Grove and, until very recently, still attended Wesley events.
It seems appropriate to end with scripture:
“His Lord send unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler of many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord”.
This could have been written for Ken Merry.
Contributed by Nick Evans (OW1985), Principal
