Clarendon College principal David Shepherd to depart school at end of 2023

A private school principal will have led his Ballarat school for 27 years when he concludes his tenure next year.

Principal David Shepherd with students from Ballarat Clarendon college. Mr Shepherd will leave the school after 27 years in 2023.

The principal of one of Victoria’s largest private schools will next year depart an institution of which he has been a part for nearly three decades.

Principal David Shepherd, who was last year an OAM recipient, will have led Ballarat’s Clarendon College for 27 years when he concludes his tenure at the end of 2023.

The announcement was made by the school’s Board of Directors chair Mark Patterson in a letter to parents at the end of September.

Mr Patterson wrote that the Clarendon community was “indebted to and exceptionally proud” of the work done by Mr Shepherd.

“Clarendon is the highly esteemed school it is today because of David’s perceptive vision, skilful leadership and exceptional drive,” he said.

“David’s belief in young people, his commitment to ensuring the progress of every student within Clarendon’s care, his energy and his determination have inspired so many other leaders and thinkers to join him on this journey.”

Clarendon College principal David Shepherd and bursar Colin Price out the front of the school in March 1998.

Mr Shepherd said he simply felt it was time for him to move on.

“I absolutely love my job at school,” he said.

“But obviously you can’t go on doing that forever. There comes a time when I think it’s just time to do something else.

“I think it’s time just to hand over the baton to someone else.”

He said he would like to spend time with family and travelling, and may do some work elsewhere to “add value to our community”.

“Clarendon when I started in 1997, I think when I started we had 584 students, and next year we look like having 1930 students, so it’s gone through a large change,” Mr Shepherd said.

“I suppose it reflects the propserity that Ballarat has gone through over that time, which is a really nice thing.”

Despite Clarendon’s growth in terms of student numbers, Mr Shepherd said the basics of education remained the same.

In an interview earlier this year, he said he got into teaching because he watched the joy his mother, also a teacher, received from positively influencing the lives of young people.

“In the end that’s really why I went into it, because I just enjoyed being around young people and I enjoyed hopefully making a bit of a difference in their lives and in the trajectory of their hopes to achieve their dreams,” he said.

“A lot has changed in terms of the environment that the kids grow up in, but what hasn’t changed is the kids were fantastic when I started teaching in 1981, they were fantastic when I was deputy over in Adelaide, and they’re beautiful here.”

Next year will mark Clarendon College’s 159th year.

Mr Patterson went on to describe its long-time principal as an “outstanding leader”.

“Over the history of his leadership, we have seen the school grow and evolve in significant ways – enrolments, buildings and grounds, reputation.

“Clarendon is acknowledged in the educational community as an outstanding school and David Shepherd as an outstanding leader.”

Mr Shepherd will take long service leave during Terms 3 and 4 next year.