Vale George Whaley - Rod Bishop remembers a titan and a man of many parts

“We’re out here on the Edge of the Known World” bellowed George Whaley in a staff meeting, referring to the North Ryde campus of the Australian Film Television and Radio School. 

His utterance became the title of the School’s glossy 300-page coffee-table tome celebrating the first 25 years of AFTRS.

George’s career included spells as an actor, director and writer in film, television and theatre, much of it championing Australian work. Among his many positions, he was Resident Director of the Old Tote Theatre Company (1973-75), the precursor to the Sydney Theatre Company; Head of Acting at NIDA (1976-81); artistic director of Theatre ACT, Canberra (1981-83); and Head of Directing at AFTRS (1993-2002).

I first met George when I became Director of AFTRS in 1996 and George taught direction for six of the seven years I was at the School.

During his stewardship - and with his staff Robin de Crespigny, Ross McGregor and Anna Lang - they produced notable feature film directors: Ivan Sen (Beneath Clouds, Dreamland, Toomelah, Mystery Road, Goldstone); Cate Shortland (Somersault, Lore, Berlin Syndrome), Kim Farrant (Strangerland, Angel of Mine), Steve McGregor (Big Name No Blanket, Croker Island Exodus), Sean Byrne (The Loved Ones, The Devil’s Candy), Clare McCarthy (Cross Life, The Waiting City, Ophelia), Serhat Caradee (Cedar Boys, A Lion Returns), Tony Krawitz (Dead Europe, The Tall Man), Catriona McKenzie (Satellite Boy), Rupert Glasson (Coffin Rock, What Lola Wants), Erica Glynn (She Who Must Be Loved), Peter Duncan (Children of the Revolution, A Little Bit of Soul, Passion, Unfinished Sky) and Alister Grierson (Kokoda, Sanctum). Features aside, these graduates have more than 130 television credits between them.

It was a remarkable achievement and significantly added to AFTRS’s history of producing “industry-ready” directors. Sadly, this output of feature film directors has catastrophically declined in the 17 years since George held the position.

One memory of George stands out. At AFTRS, I tried to attend the recruitment sessions for new students, but with 11 departments all interviewing simultaneously, it was difficult. 

Watching George and his staff assess potential students was a remarkable experience. After finalizing a short list of applicants, the prospective students would be brought into the School for a full day assessment. I’m not sure if I remember the entire process, but each applicant was given a time-limit to mark up a script for direction; then each would be asked to direct a three-camera television set-up; after which a copy of a Charles Condor painting was produced and, on the spot, the applicants were asked to construct a storyline from the painting; the applicants were asked to bring VHS tapes of films cued up to sequences they found impressive, screen them and explain why; their previous short films would be screened and discussed; and the final hour of the day taken up with wide ranging discussion on life history, their views on the industry and where their aspirations might take them.

World-class best practice. And like the other Heads of Department at AFTRS at the time, delivered without any discernable threat or jealousy over the talent shown by the applicants before them.

Sara Hourez, a veteran AFTRS staffer, emailed me when George passed: “He was a true gentleman, a generous person.  I was in Newtown when he introduced me to his wife and I still remember it like yesterday as it was an adoring, caring husband presenting his wife to me.  He was always respectful and inclusive.  Always had a soft spot for him. Always will have.”

Rod Bishop is a film-maker, film producer, critic, teacher, commentator, former CEO of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School and currently a member of the Organising Committee of Cinema Reborn