Brian Harvey McDonnell
16 February 1924 – 13 November 2019
MHS 1937-1938

Brian was born in Canowindra (west of Bathurst), and attended North Sydney High School (his father worked for the Bank of New South Wales, and thus moved around) before coming to Melbourne High School.  He was noted for his French skills and wit:

McDonnel our French star from Sydney, says that our French is as bad as our weather. We naturally conclude our French is excellent.  The Unicorn, December 1937, page 31.

Brian followed his father into the Bank, as a Clerk.  He was enlisted in the Army, initially in the Infantry, but transferred to the Central Bureau, spending time in the Northern Territory and then Queensland, where he married Cecilia Jack in February 1946.  He was demobilised in May 1946 from the 1 Australian Specialist Intelligence Personnel Group with the Rank of Lance Sergeant.  He settled in Queensland for a time, before moving back to Sydney.

Luke Savage, Honorary School Archivist