WEST Moreton Anglican College has farewelled Queensland’s longest serving teacher Dell Rathbone, who retired at the end of last year.

Ms Rathbone, 84, first applied to join Queensland’s teaching ranks 70 years ago when she was 14-years-old.

She graduated from Teachers’ College at 17 to embark on a trailblazing and remarkable career.

When married, by law women were required to cease work, undeterred Ms Rathbone was determined to maintain her teaching skills and elected to teach children, including her own children, through the School of the Air.

Upon returning to Ipswich in 1973 to raise her four children as a single parent, Ms Rathbone commenced her career at Brassall State School, where she rose to Deputy Principal, became a stalwart of the education landscape in Brisbane.

Further obstacles challenged Ms Rathbone when she turned 55, as teachers were encouraged by the Department of Education to retire.

However, she was privy to early plans for a new private co-educational school, later founded as West Moreton Anglican College in 1993, and her expertise soon found a new teaching home.

In 2020, Dell won the prestigious Professor Betty Watts OBE Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution to Teaching and she says she has enjoyed every minute of being a teacher.

“There is no job which gives you greater intrinsic satisfaction than being a teacher and there is nothing better than when a child comes to you and says I could not do it without you,” she said.

“The West Moreton Anglican College have a wonderful community for both staff and students, and I am grateful to the college for giving me the opportunity to fulfil my teaching passion for over 29 years.

“The students give back as much as I give to them which is so rewarding.’’

Deputy Principal Janelle Lecinski paid tribute to Ms Rathbone saying that the core of her commitment is the genuine desire to assist each student to achieve the best they can be.

“Ms Rathbone has demonstrated that age is no barrier to value-adding to the educational experience of students and she has made an indelible and undeniably profound contribution to shaping the lives of over two full generations of Australian and International students.

“[She] has held numerous roles at the college including Head of English Second Language and Learning Support.

“She pioneered teaching strategies for children with autism from the 1950s becoming a Learning Support Specialist, working with students in the WMAC International Student Program and she has continually updated her qualifications, returning to further study several times.

“She is named as an award-winning teacher at WMAC for 29 years after rising to Deputy Principal at Brassall State School and she is Queensland University’s Technology’s oldest working alumni.

“Ms Rathbone’s spirited personality is characterised by true grit and unfaltering resilience, she is tenacious and stubborn with an infectious zest for life and an insatiable thirst for knowledge and it is through this approach that she is equipped her to meet and defeat life’s many challenges.

“She has always shown exemplary commitment to students, whether supporting a Year 12 student who had severe anxiety and depression, with study sessions in hospital, helping a student with muscular dystrophy, staying back late for study sessions with international students.”

College Principal Geoff McLay said Ms Rathbone has been a key component of the College’s International Students Program.

“Ms Rathbone has developed a deep understanding of her students diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds and of teaching strategies that are most likely to be successful for these students,” he said.

“She is a true polymath and has had the responsibility for the learning of students across many disciplines and year levels.

“At 84 she retains the mental acuity to solve the most challenging and complex mathematical equation or assist university level alumni in advanced statistics.

“She willingly and selflessly takes calls from WestMAC alumni, who continue to seek her unique and invaluable tutoring assistance.

“A teacher-student bond that stands the test of time as she travels to attend alumni weddings in China.”

Looking back on her career Ms Rathbone said that WMAC is a school that has given her the support to demonstrate her passion for not only creating a safe and thriving learning environment for children but for devising and implementing pedagogical strategies.

“In my time I found it joyful to teach students who learned easily to help them feel challenged to push their levels of achievement and found fulfilment in teaching those that had challenges whether it be cultural, psychological, or linguistical.”