BACKWELL, Edwin John William (1936-2023)John was enrolled at the College in 1946, starting form MIV having previously attended South Geelong School. Following school he completed a Diploma in Engineering at the Gordon Institute of Technology having already joined the family business, Backwell IXL (established in Geelong in 1858). In the 1970s he followed a trend in the US for bathroom heat lamps. Along with Brian Bishop, they invented the IXL-Tastic, combining heating and ventilation. The first working model was installed in his family home in 1975 and the design for the Tastic appliance was granted in 1977.
John married Diedre and they have two sons who also attended the College. Outside of the business, John was an avid sailor and a member of the Royal Yacht Club since 1951.
John passed away 3 February 2023 aged 86 years.
Sources: Geelong Advertiser 4 February 2023, Pegasus, History behind the ‘Tastic’ range. An excerpt from “Innovation and Enterprise. A history of Backwell IXL 1858–2008.”, OGC 1949.