BA(UWA) DipEd(ECU)

Digby joined the School in 2002 as a teacher and started in the Head of House role in 2008. He is currently also in the School’s cadet unit as Lieutenant and Medical and Administrative Officer.

Before joining Christ Church, Digby taught Society and Environment and English for just over four years at Karratha Senior High School. Prior to that, he spent two years relief teaching and travelling through England.

Digby is a Christ Church old boy and is very happy to be back to the School, which he has fond memories of as a student. He said it was initially strange to come back to the School in a teaching capacity, but soon found himself very comfortable.

And since starting at Head of House, he finds his days at Christ Church even more fulfilling. “Being Head of House is extremely rewarding for me,” Digby said. “I was a year co-ordinator at Karratha for a couple of years and since coming to Christ Church it’s a role I’ve been looking forward to. “It’s extremely rewarding getting to know the boys, finding out what makes them tick and what their interests are. I want to make sure they feel welcomed and appreciated within the house.”

Digby said his aim was for Queenslea to be a house that all the boys appreciated and felt a part of. “It needs to be fun. There needs to be acknowledgement for good efforts. There needs to be leadership opportunities, and the boys must learn to respect and appreciate each other within the house,” he explained.

“Head of House is a pastoral care role. Working with the seven tutors, it’s about guiding, monitoring, encouraging and appreciating every single boy within the house and what they achieve. It’s a job I look forward to every day. On any day, any situation could arise that needs to be dealt with immediately. Spontaneity is good. It’s the nature of the job. I enjoy the many challenges the job throws out.”

Digby also finds much reward in seeing boys turn corners and come through problems. He said he was looking forward to watching the boys grow and develop through their Senior School years and completing a full five years with his first year group.

In terms of his teaching role, Digby has always loved history. “It’s something I have always enjoyed learning about,” he said. “I remember as a little kid I would just open an encyclopedia and read. And I’ve always loved looking at atlases and maps. Now I really enjoy reading history novels – that’s my type of reading.”

Digby said it was great to see the boys take an interest in history. “Lots of events from the past fire them up, especially when it’s about battles and includes a bit of blood and gore… But they also like the aspect of current affairs. A lot of what happens today is played out because of past events. It’s important for the boys to understand that what and who we are is a direct result of what has happened in the past, and that as a civilisation, a society, we are constantly evolving.

“History gives us all a sense of who we are and the place we live in. We can appreciate what happened before us and how we came to exist in the society we’re in. History continues to impact on our lives now.”