TERENCE BALL - A SHORT BIOGRAPHY

Terry was born on 2nd January 1933 at the world famous Queen Charlotte's Hospital, then located in Goldhawk Road, Hammersmith, and thereafter spent the next 21 years of his life living in Hammersmith with his parents at 51 Tabor Road.

His primary education commenced in 1938 at Brackenbury Road School, but this came to an abrupt end with the outbreak of World War II on 3rd September 1939 when he was evacuated to stay with distant relatives (who he had never previously met) at the tiny village of Castor, near Peterborough. There having been no enemy action over London, Terry was brought back to Hammersmith by his parents in time for Christmas 1939, and he remained there for the duration of the war.

Terry continued his primary education at Latymer's Endowed School in Hammersmith Road (long since demolished) in 1942 before commencing his secondary education at Latymer Upper School as a fee-paying student in mid-1943. Awarded an LCC Junior County Scholarship in 1944, he thereafter continued his education at Latymer Upper until July 1949 when he completed the first part of the Grammar School course, passing the GSC Examination of the University of London with exemption from Matriculation, but, to his eternal regret, decided not to proceed to 6th Form and university.

He commenced his working life in 1949 as a clerk with the London County Council, then the largest municipal authority in the world. One of the benefits of being employed by such a large employer was the existence, years ahead of its time, of formalised training for young officers, now de rigeur in most workplaces. This (somewhat strict by today's standards) training provided the groundwork for a career in administration spanning more than 50 years.

Following a brief sojourn into the world of commerce with the Mercantile Bank of India (1954/55) at its head office in the City, he resumed his career in local government with positions in St.Ives, Cornwall (1955/59) and Winchester (1959/61), followed by a transfer to the NHS at Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital (1961/65).

Migration to the antipodes was very popular about this time (1965) and he (and wife Patricia, whom he had married at Hammersmith in 1955) decided to cash in his accumulated superannuation and make the trip down under. However, this was not a "ten quid Pom" migrant's voyage on the Fairstar et al, but a nine month overland journey by Land Rover at his own expense! There is a separate account of this journey here. Arriving in Western Australia on 4th March 1966 he decided to give farming a go and spent nearly 4 years in the very different environment of the WA wheatbelt.

But he had left it too late for a change of career, and, not having sufficient capital to purchase a property of his own, returned to hospital administration at Gnowangerup District Hospital in 1969. This was followed by similar positions at a variety of hospitals throughout the state from Wyndham in the north to Esperance in the south. During his employment in the WA hospital service he was awarded a scholarship by the Minister for Health to attend the University of New South Wales in Sydney where he (eventually!) graduated Bachelor of Health Administration in 1984.

Finally, in November 1989, after 9 years as Administrator of Narrogin Regional Hospital, he called it a day, took early retirement from the WA hospital service, and moved to Perth where he had built a house a few years previously following his second marriage (to Janice) in 1985.

An extended visit to England ensued after Christmas 1989, but a return to Perth was made after a few months. Having been "retired" for several months more, he decided to seek employment once again, and was appointed Administrator with the Badminton Association of WA (Inc) early in 1991, where he remained until mid-1993. He took up the position of Administrator with the Spina Bifida Association of WA (Inc) in October 1993, and he retired for the third and final time on 25th January 2001.

In 2015 he moved to Bridgetown, having previously sold his Perth house to his son Cameron.

Terry has three married daughters (and eight grandchildren!) from his first marriage and two adult sons (and one grandchild) from the second.

Click here to return to Terence's page.