Brendon Fotheringham jokes he is Port Kembla High School's 'last man standing'.
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And having retired from teaching on Thursday, Mr Fotheringham will forever be the last connection to the school which ceased to exist in 1993, and is now known as Five Islands Secondary College.
"I started teaching at Port High in 1988. I've been in the same classroom for 34 years. My lab is like a museum, I never leave it," he said.
When Port High ceased to exist in 1993 and the name changed to Illawarra Senior College, only Mr Fotheringham and the school's year 7 cohort continued.
"The majority of this cohort graduated in 1998," he said.
"I'm still here. I never really left school. I went straight from school to uni, and straight from uni to teaching. I've been in school for 55 years."
As such, Mr Fotheringham is looking ahead to life in retirement with a "mixture of trepidation and excitement".
"I've been here so long, it's played such a big part in my life," he said.
"It is going to be a very different feeling waking up and not having to go to work. I've been here 34 years in the one classroom."
Mr Fotheringham, who was relieved from his regular teaching duties when teaching marine biology to students from a number of Illawarra schools, will continue offering this course to students next term.
'I used to get relieved when I did this course but now I can offer it and not worry about school. As a result I'm sure I'll have the chance to spend more time in and under the water as well as on my mountain bike," he said.
Mr Fotheringham said there were many more highs than lows during his 34-year teaching career.
The 60-year-old took great pride in making a positive difference in students' lives.
"That's the reason we do this job," he said. "Seeing kids develop new skills, whether it's academic stuff in the classroom or sporting stuff outside, is what makes this a very rewarding career for me."
And thanks to his long involvement in school sport, particularly football (soccer), Mr Fotheringham has been all over the world. "I've been to Brazil, Argentina, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Zealand, the UK, Japan and Korea. It's been great," he said.
Other highlights include the success the school had in Environmental Education particularly during the 1990s, winning numerous awards and grants.
Mr Fotheringham also won numerous awards including the Minister's Award for Excellence in Teaching, BHP Science Teacher Award - Curriculum Development and the Keep Australia Beautiful Environmental Visionary 1997.
He was also a Community Torch Bearer at the 2000 Olympics for contributions to Env Ed and School Sport.
Mr Fotheringham has also received Life Membership of CHS Football and School Sport Australia Service Award.
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Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
