Lyn Knight draws the curtain after half a century of teaching

Lyn began her teaching career in 1968 at Kingswood Public School and she taught at numerous schools, including a stint in the United Kingdom, before she landed in the Macleay as the Social Sciences teacher at Frederickton Public School in 1990.

Lyn worked for six years at Frederickton before she transitioned to Kempsey South Public School in 1996 and she stayed there until she pulled up stumps at the end of 2017.

Lyn is very modest about her time as a teacher but she made a positive impact on many lives.

The teacher was proud to give her all to the students she taught over the last half a century.

“I always felt like the Lily Tomlin quote ‘I always wanted to be somebody, but I realised I should have been more specific.‘ But After about forty years I realised that I was somebody. I was a teacher,” Mrs Knights said.

“More seriously though, I have worked passionately for kids and public education and I’m proud of that.”

Lyn met her husband Chris Austin in 1976, when teaching at the Leggatts School in Watford, United Kingdom.

Chris, who recently retired from his position as drama teacher at Kempsey High School, held high praise for Lyn, who he loves dearly.

“I’ve met many teachers but none of them have had the breadth and depth of experience that Lyn can boast and none of them have had the raw passion for the job that she has displayed for over fifty years,” Chris said.

“Lyn is an outstanding teacher but she is much more than that, she is an educator.

“Coming from what may be described as a disadvantaged background, Lyn has fought tirelessly for the disadvantaged. She knows firsthand the obstacles faced by working class kids and has made it her mission to improve their lives.”

Lyn’s Daughters Jessica and and Martha Austin both followed in their mother’s footsteps and are now teachers and Jessica claims the reason they are teachers is because Lyn “inspired us”.

“My mum was so committed and really lived and breathed teaching,” Jessica said.

“She would host Christmas dinners for the students in her class and make sure all the students felt like stars when she would put on performances. No one was left behind.

“Her sense of social justice is so innate that she worked often to her own personal loss. When we were little we would often be at school with her into the evenings, on weekends and during the school holidays.

“That’s why I am a teacher, she showed me that one of the surest ways to bring about equity in society is through education for all.”

More than 40 people gathered at the Gladstone Riverside Cafe earlier this year to reflect on the impact of Lyn’s work.

The students at South Kempsey Public School made Lyn a beautiful artwork and many of the loyal teaching staff from KSPS were there to show how much they respect her.

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