Peter grew up in Kingsgrove in the 1940s and attended Kingsgrove Primary School followed by Canterbury Boys’ High. He was a keen scout and a leader of the Kingsgrove Troop. In the Parish of St Thomas’ Kingsgrove, he attended Sunday School, was confirmed and joined the youth group. He later taught Sunday School and was a Leader in the CEBS Group. His Christian Commitment was made at St Thomas following a challenging question by a fellow member of the youth group. Between School and Moore College he worked in finance, including banking and accounting.
While at Kingsgrove the Rector encouraged the Youth Group to attend events associated with CMS and with Moore College. The Catechist facilitated the youth group attending the Moore College Convention, which was held in a marquee on campus. This was where Peter first heard Alan Cole preach. At the time, Alan was on leave from missionary service in Malaysia.
With the encouragement of others, Peter decided to go to Moore College (1961-65). While at College he was a catechist in the Parishes of Panania/East Hills/Moorebank; Padstow/Revesby; and St John’s Darlinghurst. He was supported while at College by a Catechist stipend, a Diocesan Scholarship, vacation employment and previous savings.
At High School Peter did poorly in French and Latin and didn’t study languages beyond 3rd form (Year 9). At College he did well in both Greek and Hebrew, which led him in the direction of Linguistics and Bible Translation rather than Ordination. In the Northern Teritory he worked first with CMS as a Linguist and Bible Translator, then as a Linguistic and Cultural adviser to the Commonwealth and NT Governments, and finally as a Translation Consultant with the Bible Society. In the NT, he was an adviser to the Commonwealth Government on the social impact of uranium mining on Aboriginal people, and to both Governments in relation to Aboriginal Land Rights, and other issues.
While single at Moore, he was engaged in his final years and married Thelma when he left College. Together they have been blessed with 4 children and 13 grandchildren.
In 1967 Peter had gone to the NT with CMS as the first missionary to work specifically as a Linguist and Bible Translator. As a consultant with the Bible Society he was a member of the team that produced the Kriol Bible, which when published in 2007 was the first complete Bible in any Australian Indigenous language.
Peter remembers a highlight at Moore was the ministry of Dr Alan Cole, both in lectures and in Chapel. This was the start of Peter’s preparation to be a bible translator and translation consultant.
