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Obituaries
Lex Dalziel Hibbins (OW1953)
07/08/1934 – 03/04/2020
The youngest of four boys, Lex Dalziel Hibbins (OW1953) started at Wesley in 1944 in Year 5 with Mrs Krome, following in the footsteps of brothers Ian (OW1945) (dec.), Geoff (OW1948) (dec.) and Colin (OW1949) (dec.). As Mrs Krome wrote in Lex’s report, ‘Lex shows a healthy interest and keenness in all branches of school life. He possesses a most pleasant manner.’ That report describes much of Lex’s life!
Lex enjoyed school so much that he repeated his matriculation three times, returning for his final year in 1953 as School Captain and Captain of the First XVIII. It was in 1953 that he stood behind the stumps as wicket keeper on the Front Turf against Melbourne Grammar, when Ellis Hicks (OW1953) took four wickets with the first four balls on a Friday afternoon.
The mid-1950s were spent working in his father’s wholesale vegetable merchant business, playing football with the Collegians Football Club, studying a Commerce degree at the University of Melbourne, and holding hands with his then girlfriend and future wife, Gillian Mary Susan Parker.
When Lex was only 23 years old, his father William died suddenly one early morning at Queen Victoria Market. Lex stopped studying and joined his brother Geoff in a business partnership as a wholesale vegetable merchant.
Lex become famous for his ‘market speak,’ sayings of the blue-collar working man, particularly amongst the boys he would go on to coach in the First XVIII at Wesley. In the market he became familiar with the moving stories of immigrants from Southern Europe. Men from Italy, Greece, Yugoslavia and Malta found work at the Queen Vic or on market garden farms. Lex and Geoff, in the tradition of their father, would often help the market gardeners ride out a difficult season. His ability to speak a bit of Greek used to impress the large Greek student community at Wesley College, where Lex taught Physical Education in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s.
Lex played more than 200 games with Collegians Football Club, forming a formidable ruck combination with Geoff. The two brothers helped Collegians win five Premierships in the late ’50s and early ’60s and Lex would go on to coach, be President and become a Life Member of the club.
The first family home was in Haydens Road, Beaumaris. Little did Lex realise he had bought next to Peter Bennett (OW1943) and just down the road from John Hall (OW1951). This home saw Lex and Jill welcome three children, Mark (OW1978), Anne and Nicholas (OW1982).
Lex spent the 1960s working in the market, playing football and cricket on the weekends, and building a very happy family with his wife Jill. She was a major influence on Lex, opening his mind to issues facing women, Australian politics and the wider world. It was Jill who encouraged him to retire from the Queen Vic and pursue another vocation. After experimenting with farming in South Gippsland, Lex returned to university, as a 40-year old, to undertake a degree in Physical Education.
By 1970 the family had moved to a new home in Avenel Road, Kooyong, next door to Ken Newton (OW1942), and Lex’s eldest son Mark had started at Wesley College. Lex soon became involved in all things Wesley: President of the Glen Waverley Parents’ Association, President of the OWCA and a member of the Wesley College Council. Before long, Lex found himself entertaining a new young Principal, David Prest; it was the start of a long friendship. In 1977 Lex was appointed to the College staff as a Physical Education teacher and coach of the First XVIII. He went on to coach the 1979 team to an APS Premiership.
Under Prest’s direction, Lex was made responsible for staff social activities, a role he took very seriously. Friday afternoons at the College Lawn became a regular ritual, as would the family home being opened up for the staff Christmas parties in the late ’70s and early ’80s.
Lex spent 17 very productive years at Wesley where he cherished his time teaching. The students and staff seemed to appreciate his enthusiastic and caring nature for each individual and the school.
As word spread of Lex’s death, his family has been overwhelmed with the messages of condolences from friends, past and current staff, and many hundreds of past students. Lex had clearly influenced many people and was regarded as a generous and well-respected individual.
Lex is survived by Jill, his loving wife of 60 years, his three children Mark, Anne and Nick and eight grandchildren, including Sam (OW2011) and Jack (OW2015) Hibbins.