Michael enrolled on a Masters degree course - 2009.
He contributed the following details about his life after his visit with Pauline to our home in Yorkshire.
Born in Sydney in 1954, home birth at 72 Davidson St North Strathfield
Moved to Batlow with family at age 18 months after father released from the army - he was retained after the war to rehabilitate psychiatric patients at Kenmore mental institution in Goulbourn - he was trained as a psychiatrist by the army when he joined up in 1939.
Stayed in Batlow until age 4, then moved to Canberra, where father started a medical practice.
Started school at Canberra Grammar school - grades 1, 2 and 3.
Started grade 4 at Ainslie primary (Canberra) in 1954, and waved hello to the queen on her visit in February that year.
Caught hepatitis at the start of grade 6 and was home schooled by a teacher, Mr Scardino, who visited him every day after school for seven months as he was very ill.
At a result of his home schooling, he was top student in the ACT at the end of the year.
He started Canberra High in 1957 but left mid 1958 and moved with his family to Mary Kathleen, a uranium mining town near Mt. Isa in North Queensland as his father redirected his career toward industrial and occupational health.
Was sent to boarding school in Charters Towers, near Townsville and stayed there until the family moved to Broken Hill, once again directed by his father's career.
Started at Broken Hill High school in February 1961 and was made a school prefect a few weeks later. Completed high school at 16 years of age and enrolled at Adelaide University.
During this time, he was conscripted into the army (by birthday ballot), but received a deferral due to study. Bored with university he left and went to the Pilbara in Western Australia as an ore sampler on the Mt. Tom Price iron ore mine (Rio Tinto owned).
After seven months, he injured his foot and returned to Sydney, where he worked for a short time as a wardsman at Eastern Suburbs hospital. He then applied for medicine, with veterinary science as a second choice and was accepted on the veterinary science in 1968.
He met Pauline in 1968 and married on 6th September 1969 at Edgecliff in Sydney. The marriage was performed by Pauline's brother.
Michael graduated in 1972 and Malcolm was born two days before his final exams began.
After graduation, he took a job working with small animals at Wyong for three weeks. Moved to Camperdown in Western Victoria where he worked in mixed large and small animal practice for a year and a half. He then took a job with the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) at Prospect in Sydney in their Animal Physiology division.
He was their resident veterinarian, looking after all the laboratory and other research animals, including sheep and cattle. Brendan was born at Parramatta hospital at this time (31st October 1974).
He left the CSIRO after 12 months and worked in a number of locum tenens jobs in and around Sydney for about a year, then moved to Perth where Sean was born (1st January 1976).
He worked in a number of locum jobs in Perth and Geraldton before starting a veterinary practice in Lesmurdie in the hills east of the CBD working in that practice for four years (1976-1980), before taking a job with the Commonwealth Department of Health as Officer in charge of the Torrens Island Animal quarantine Station at Port Adelaide.
The family moved to Canberra in 1984 and Michael continued with the Quarantine service and was sent overseas on numerous occasions.
We were delighted when Michael and Pauline visited our home in the Yorkshire Dales, (photo link in top left column this page) and we had hoped to meet up with them at the CUMPSTON family reunion but by then Michael was very ill.
Michael died June 2012.
Michael is the son of Alan George Cumpston and my 5th Cousin.
Born in Sydney 1945, home birth at 72 Davidson St North Strathfield. Married Pauline
6th September 1969 at Edgecliff in Sydney
Michael visited me with his wife when he was working in Norfolk, England during the Foot and Mouth disease. You can see photographs of that visit
SUFFOLK PARK VET CLINIC Michael Cumpston 66853696
Byron Shire Echo July 3, 2007 39
CAN ANYONE IDENTIFY THE CUMPSTON'S ENGRAVING WORKS MENTIONED HERE?
AUSTRALIAN VETERINARY
HISTORY RECORD
JULY 2007 JULY 2007 — NUMBER 49
'Official seal
The regulations for the 1911 Act stipulated that certificates should carry an official seal so, in 1913, the board arranged to have a seal made by a company named Cumpston’s Engraving Works at a cost of £4/10/-.
Mr Gibbs of South Perth was
asked to make a drawing of a Hackney stallion named Matchless Methias and this design was to be used in the seal. The seal was to incorporate the words “The
Veterinary Board of Western Australia” and a motto “Advance Veterinary Science” written in Latin. Unfortunately the seal has been lost and to date I have been unable to find any images made by it.'
http://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/bitstream/2123/1906/1/avhs_049.pdf
Australian Capital Territory Gazette No. S70, Friday 15 December, 2000
VETERINARY SURGEONS BOARD OF THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
CIVIC SQUARE ACT 2608
VETERINARY SURGEONS REGISTERED IN THE A.C.T. UNDER THE VETERINARY SURGEONS REGISTRATION ACT 1965
Cumpston Michael Vaughan 4 Avon Place DUFFY ACT 2611
Children of Pauline and Michael CUMPSTON
Malcolm born 1972
Arts/Law degree works in Department of Innovation Canberra - note - after the Cumpston family reunion Malcolm will be updating his details for me. GM 9th January 2011.
Brendan born at Parramatta hospital 1974.
Diploma in advanced Electronics, Microsoft certified systems administrator - works for the Australian Medical Council, Canberra
Sean 1976. Perth
Bachelor human Biology, Currently studying for a Masters in Environmental studies, works for the Victoria police in their environmental section
Jeffrey - Known as Jeff, Bachelor of photonics, Bachelor of Science (Hons). PhD student (engineering), Currently in Antarctica (Davis station) for eighteen months)