HERBERT, Dean
Dean Herbert was enrolled at Geelong College from 9 February 1981 to December 1982. He was School Vice-Captain, Vice-Captain of the 1st Cricket XI, and played in the 1st Football XVIII. The 1st Cricket XI won the Associated Public Schools (APS) premiership and Dean captured 52 wickets for the season, at that time an APS record for the most wickets in a season.
On leaving school at the end of 1982, he joined the Carlton Football Club, where he played in the Under 19s and Reserves. (Dean's father Harry played in the Geelong VFL teams during the period 1951 to 1956; he played in the side that still holds the record for the highest number of consecutive wins - 26). Dean played cricket for the Geelong Cricket Club as an all-rounder for a number of years.
After deciding that a career playing football was too risky, he sought a professional career and entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon. He graduated from there in 1987 and served in a range of regimental, instructional and command appointments. The highlights of his military career included, instructing in Leadership at the Royal Military College, serving with the United Nations as a military observer in the Middle East (Syria and Lebanon), and commanding 176 Air Dispatch Squadron. In 1997, he led the Top End Distribution Squadron in Darwin and was responsible for the provision of logistics support to the Australian Defence Force during the Timor lodgement. This included the provision of food drops to the Timorese who fled to the mountains to escape the conflict.
In 2000, Dean attended the Commmand and Staff College in Queenscliff where he completed a Master's degree. Dean held the rank of Lieutnant Colonel when he left the Australian Army. He subsequentl worked as the Operations Manager of a Melbourn-based firm. He moved back to Geelong to reside on a small property in Wallington.
Sources: 'Geelong Collegians at the Second World War and Subsequent Conflicts' compiled by J. Affleck p567 (citing The Pegasus; Australian War Memorial).