My earliest failure of note was an academic failure.
My secondary education was available due to a scholarship which entitled me to four years schooling at St. Patrick’s College in Ballarat. This was to cover the classes of Sub-Intermediate, Intermediate, Leaving and Matriculation.
Over the time I was a little more than an average student, ranking in the top 5 of a class of approximately 50 students each year.
My failure came in the Leaving Certificate year of 1948. In an external examination I unexpectedly failed dismally. Being an external examination, held at the Ballarat Town Hall, I put the failure down to nerves, or stage fright, and set my mind to a second year in the Leaving Certificate class.
The results were published in early January 1949.
Uncle Ned Caine, my carer, was losing the fight against cancer (he died later that month), so my failure was not a significant issue with my carers. I remained at their place for the balance of the holidays, but that was the end of my tenure there.
The real issue, of course, was back at St. Pat’s, where I had let the school down and suffered the indignity of being a ‘second term Leaving Certificate student’.
I took it in my stride and, with no fanfare, spent 1949 redoing Leaving, passing as I should have in 1948.
The problem? This had taken up the fourth year of my scholarship. To Matriculate would require another year’s study, for which there were no funds. And so, I had to forego Matriculation. Shame!!
Much later in my life, in 1973 as a mature aged accountancy student, I experienced another academic failure. I failed my final accounting subject and examinations had terminated. There was, however, a reprieve. The Australian Society of Accountants gained me entry to the Bendigo Institute of Technology (now La Trobe University), where I had to study the Auditing class. This was to take three trips per week for 12 months before qualification.
On qualifying, I approached my boss with a request for partnership. He heard me out but stipulated that I must be a Chartered Accountant! I was only a C.P.A.! Curses!
Undaunted, however, I pursued this idea and registered for the Chartered Institute’s ‘Professional Year’. This was successful and I then purchased a 1/3rd share in the business (on monthly instalments. I had no money). Having paid this off, I increased this purchase to a 50% share, again in instalments.
The firm then became Smith O’Shannessy and guaranteed my security. My failures were behind me.
Ray O’Shannessy
March 2025
My secondary education was available due to a scholarship which entitled me to four years schooling at St. Patrick’s College in Ballarat. This was to cover the classes of Sub-Intermediate, Intermediate, Leaving and Matriculation.
Over the time I was a little more than an average student, ranking in the top 5 of a class of approximately 50 students each year.
My failure came in the Leaving Certificate year of 1948. In an external examination I unexpectedly failed dismally. Being an external examination, held at the Ballarat Town Hall, I put the failure down to nerves, or stage fright, and set my mind to a second year in the Leaving Certificate class.
The results were published in early January 1949.
Uncle Ned Caine, my carer, was losing the fight against cancer (he died later that month), so my failure was not a significant issue with my carers. I remained at their place for the balance of the holidays, but that was the end of my tenure there.
The real issue, of course, was back at St. Pat’s, where I had let the school down and suffered the indignity of being a ‘second term Leaving Certificate student’.
I took it in my stride and, with no fanfare, spent 1949 redoing Leaving, passing as I should have in 1948.
The problem? This had taken up the fourth year of my scholarship. To Matriculate would require another year’s study, for which there were no funds. And so, I had to forego Matriculation. Shame!!
Much later in my life, in 1973 as a mature aged accountancy student, I experienced another academic failure. I failed my final accounting subject and examinations had terminated. There was, however, a reprieve. The Australian Society of Accountants gained me entry to the Bendigo Institute of Technology (now La Trobe University), where I had to study the Auditing class. This was to take three trips per week for 12 months before qualification.
On qualifying, I approached my boss with a request for partnership. He heard me out but stipulated that I must be a Chartered Accountant! I was only a C.P.A.! Curses!
Undaunted, however, I pursued this idea and registered for the Chartered Institute’s ‘Professional Year’. This was successful and I then purchased a 1/3rd share in the business (on monthly instalments. I had no money). Having paid this off, I increased this purchase to a 50% share, again in instalments.
The firm then became Smith O’Shannessy and guaranteed my security. My failures were behind me.
Ray O’Shannessy
March 2025
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