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Born at Finchley, London in 1932.
Educated at the Finchley Secondary Grammar School.
David got his first interest in cooking at the
tender age of 8, when he cooked the family meals
whilst his parents were doing war work.
On graduating from Finchley Grammar School in
1948, was accepted as a student at the Westminster
Technical College a world-renown Hospitality
training centre and the only one of its kind in
the U.K.
David graduated with a Diploma (Senior Chef's
course) and was offered a position with the Cunard
White Star Line as a Student Chef. David accepted
and his first appointment was to the R.M.S. Queen
Mary At the end of his studentship after working
in all positions of the Galley and experiencing
International Cuisine he was promoted to Chef de
Partie on the R.M.S. Mauratania, cruising the
Caribbean Sea for 3 years. David ended up as Chef
Tournant and finally Ex Chef- Re-appointed back to
the Queen Mary as Ex Chef for six months.
The Cunard Line was then approached by Buckingham
Palace for a chef, to be seconded to the R.Y.
Britannia and which he accepted.
His responsibilities were to cook for H.R.H.
Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh and to introduce
new dishes to the royal table. He spent 8 months
on the Royal Yacht in 1956 visiting many ports in
a round the world cruise, which included The Dukes
opening of the Olympic Games in Melbourne. David
also visited the Antarctic on his way back to W.
Africa and finally Gibraltar. He was requested to
stay on for a further 4 weeks for H.M. Queen
Elizabeth II visit to Oporto in Portugal, which
David did.
On completion of his experience on the Royal Yacht
and after encountering for a short time the
life-style and conditions in Australia, decided,
with his wife Yvonne and son to emigrate to
Melbourne.
David arrived in Melbourne at Easter in 1957,
after sailing in a White Star cargo vessel and
landing in Devonport.
David applied for a position with the William
Angliss Food Trades School in Melbourne and was
accepted only to be told that he must get 12
months experience in local catering establishments
which David did.
David commenced as a student teacher in 1958 and
was given the responsibility of all cookery
apprentices, and some night classes. Gaining his
teaching qualification, David developed and
planned apprentice syllabuses, eventually
advancing to Head of Department (Food Production),
but not before there had been an explosion in
apprentice numbers, and the college was soon to
become short of classrooms and teaching kitchens
not to say very few staff.
Told by the Education Department to recruit 16
more student teachers, David was able to secure
and fill these positions with ex-apprentices who
had shown good aptitude and had 1st class trade
experience.
This started the ball rolling and the W.A.F.T.S.
underwent a big rebuilding program to not only
accommodate apprentices but take the Hotel
Management students as well for their cookery
units of study. A larger commercial restaurant was
built and operated as such giving valuable
training and experience to students and
apprentices alike. However, the college was still
not big enough, and the beginning was started to
decentralize and open other centers across the
State to train apprentices.
In 1968 David was selected and asked to represent
Australia at the Culinary Olympics in Frankfurt,
Germany. The team of 6 won nine gold medals in
total.
In 1972, David applied for and was accepted at a
Tertiary Institution S.C.V. Rusden. He was
appointed as a Senior Lecturer (Food and Food
Services) at the Larnook campus in Armadale
(Melbourne).
His responsibilities entailed lecturing and taking
practical classes to High School teachers who were
updating their qualifications from a Diploma to a
Degree in Home Economics. Units in cookery were
also given to under-graduates.
In 1981 David was forced into retirement due to
illness.
During his career as a teacher he was a founding
member of the Australian Guild of Professional
Cooks being their first Vice President and holding
various seats of office finally being honoured
with a Life Membership (Honorary).
Soon after retirement David and his wife moved to
Terang in Western Victoria where he pursued his
hobby of fly-fishing and fly tying, and his wife
with her interests in spinning and weaving.
They have recently moved back to the Mornington
Peninsula to be nearer their family. |
