PR E PA R ATORY S C HO OL
From outstanding teacher to
professional grandfather
After nearly 18 years as a teacher at
Guildford Grammar Preparatory School,
the end of an era will occur for Mr Robert
Baynes on July 4, 2014. A significant day in
the history of the USA, Mr Baynes has named
this day Baynes Independence Day – when
he retires both from the School and 46 years
in the workforce.
Mr Baynes left school when he was fifteen,
having completed the Western Australian
Junior Certificate of Education at Hamilton
Hill High School. He worked at the Bank of
New South Wales (now Westpac) before
joining the Royal Australian Air Force in
1971 at the age of 17. For the next 20
years he was involved in aviation, firstly in
the Air Force as a military Air Traffic Control
Officer then as a civilian air traffic controller
at various locations around Australia. His
final position was at Perth Airport as the
Air Traffic Control Training Manager for
Western Australia; this was in 1991.
For the next three years Mr Baynes
studied for his Teaching Degree full time
at Murdoch University and graduated in
1994. After working for the Education
Department, he considered himself very
fortunate to secure a teaching position
at Guildford Grammar School under the
guidance of Mr Robert Armstrong, the then
Head of the Preparatory School, and the
Headmaster Mr Kim Walton.
His first year at the School was 1997 and
he taught three different classes during
periods of long service leave relief for three
teachers; Year 4, 5 and 6.
For the next three years he taught Year 4,
before moving to Year 7 in 2001. When Year
7