The case for Drummond
Across the last few days, there has been a sick story developing, and becoming more localised with more detail each day — the incident taking place in our very own Warringah Mall. It was somewhat disconcerting considering that such a perverse act was taking place in a shopping mall that I’ve known for so long; that there were people like that in my area. Honestly, it shocks me that there are guys out there that are believing that its okay to do things like this; I pray that more news about people being caught stops those who still practice it.
Learning that the man was from Harbord hit even closer to home, having spent a better part of my teenage years in neighbouring Manly High School. However, the latest update (thanks Will), names and shames the perpetrator as a Mr Robert Drummond, a teacher at Cromer High. Those who attended Manly High and read this no doubt were met with immediate shock, as many of us went to school with a science teacher by the name of Mr Drummond! Could this be true… could the originator of this sick crime be someone we had known for 6 years…?
After the initial shock settled passed, the question of “Is that our Drummond?!” began to rise more fervently. After all, how many guys with a surname like ‘Drummond’, would be living in Harbord and teaching?
An investigation to determine this was launched… and resulted in a few reasons to suggest that it was in fact a different Drummond who just happened to live in the area and be a teacher:
- being 41 now, would mean he was 31-37 during the time we knew him at school, and between his balding scalp, and the remaining whispers of hair being reasonably grey, there was a strong claim for him being far older than these news articles would imply
- the teacher referenced in the article taught English, whereas our Drummond was a Science teacher and seemed quite content with staying within that discipline
- Cromer High students have confirmed the presence of a Mr Drummond teaching English there during the same time as a Mr Drummond was teaching Science at Manly High school.
Yep, that about seals it. Different Drummond…
During the investigation however, certain other interesting facts surfaced:
- there was more than one member of the Cromer High staff whom could share some resemblance to Manly Drummond
- there is no Drummond listed in the Manly staff anymore, but there is still one at Cromer.
- Manly Drummond was a teacher who chose not to undertake any other co-curricular activities within the school
- the name Robert Drummond as the teacher of a NSW school has risen before - a different age, a different school and different scandal.
It’s interesting in a way; news and current affairs often seem a little detached; everything happens everywhere else, and even when its local, e.g. the Manly Daily, there is still a certain sense of disenchantment. However, upon seeing a name that was immediately recognisable, and fitting together with so many other local details, it suddenly brought the news right close to home, and for a brief moment, everything seems to be in your own world.
This doesn’t in any way lessen the fact that someone still committed this crime; but it is of some relief to me at least that it was not a teacher that I went to school with, and who taught classes that I sat in. Hopefully whatever punishment is doled out scares off other people who behave like that.
cromer high, drummond, manly high, news, northern beaches, smh, warringah mall Find similar posts: news
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May 13th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
very interesting post fradam! too to hear its not our drummond lol
i love how u’ve linked up various sources to back your claims. It’s also interesting to see that goyk is still teaching, and trevor (goodear, or goodyear - i dunno) isnt.
May 13th, 2007 at 9:52 pm
So, it is a closed case for your drummond then? I spose that’s good
May 13th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
@Will: Brother Goodear is no longer teaching at Manly… can’t remember where he is now. Goykie is quite buff now, not sure if you’ve seen him, but his muscles rival yours! ;o
@Eystia: Well, sorted for our Drummond, but the real culprit still has his fate to be decided!
May 13th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Wow.
Ok, the upskirts thing is not cool, but what I found evern more disturbing was the other Robert Drummond. 17 and 52 is just too big an age difference in my books.
Did you know Miss Feros has a baby now? Well, she had one a while ago, so she has a toddler now i guess. Isabella.
May 13th, 2007 at 11:51 pm
Goyky is buff? Awesome. Im gonna have good dreams tonight!
May 14th, 2007 at 3:42 am
Good detective work there Adam.
Now to solve the case of when in the world will Marta visit her silver plattered friend!
May 14th, 2007 at 6:51 am
@mle: Yeah, it is quite.. disturbing. Evidently, she must see something in him… I’m not sure I could ever be attracted to a 52 year old man, so I dont know what it is she’d see, but it’d be something. And wow! I didn’t know about Miss Feros’ baby! May yet have to put in a visit :p
@Tam: Hahaha, oh deaaar. He is married too you know, the wedding was on April Fools Day last year … I almost didn’t believe it.
@Marta: You definitely need to visit more often!
May 14th, 2007 at 8:03 am
WOHOOOOOOO
May 14th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Yeah.. that was definitely a shocking article to read. Glad to hear it’s not our Drummond.. not so glad about the whole thing in general. Very disturbing that it was in -our- mall of all places.. ;-/
May 14th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
hey guys/girls,
i was looking up info on this story and found your site i read what you had to say and it’s not the guy your talking about as you have descovered.
i had him in year 12 for english a few years ago .i heard the reports and shit in the paper and was quite disscusted with what it sad but then i found out that it was my old teacher gross ay.
To tell you the truth, he wasnt that bad of a guy/teacher but everyone knew he was a huge pervert just not as bad as what we now know.
i think what he did was fucked and he should be locked up.
May 15th, 2007 at 7:42 am
@Jess: Not so much wooohooo on this :/
@Eeeegor: Freaky part was actually going to the Mall on Sunday, walking right past the Priceline and realising that it all happened right -here-.
@raw dogg: Thanks for the background info.. we can only hope that the lesson learnt here puts people like him away.
May 15th, 2007 at 9:46 am
Hey Fradam,
Good to see you’ve still retained your sense of humor after all these years mate! I await with interest to see what you can bust open next!
Have a good one,
Smitty.
May 16th, 2007 at 9:02 pm
Yes, Fradam, but when you’re 52 will you be seducing 17 yr old high school girls?
I’m pretty sure miss feros has left manly high now. She was pretty much my favourite teacher ever. Up there with Mr Reading, Miss Gee and Mr Shea. I can still remember Mr Reading and Miss Gee having a war for who would be the favourite teacher. Twas amusing.
May 17th, 2007 at 6:35 am
hey guys,
Yeah just heard about this the other week when my sister said “my teacher is a pedo”. She had this guy for english for the last 2 years at Cromer and would’ve been in his class again this year except she moved schools. Also just wanted to add that my friend used to go to Cromer and he said that everyone always thought this guy was a pedo. He was apparently hard on the guys but really nice to the girls, and often asked the girls to stay back after class. There were a few rumours but one stood out: he asked a girl to stay back after class and she was never again seen at the school afterwards. Perhaps she left the school… perhaps something more sinister? lol i hope not!
May 17th, 2007 at 6:50 am
@Smitty: Yo! Good to see you too
@mle: I certainly hope I won’t be single and attempting to seduce people at the age of 52.
According to this Miss Feros is still there, so still worth the visit! Along with Mr Reading and Miss Gee, you’re steadily describing all my Year 7 teachers
Definitely amongst my favourite too!
@Evan: Erk, I feel for your sister being a student in his class
Amazing though, that someone could act blatantly… different toward the sexes, and nobody ever complained/pursued it any further!
June 16th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
Absolutley bull Shit, I dont condome what he did and if he is guilty he should face the conqequecnices. But he did not favour girls over boys in anyway and no one at the school at this time would have expected that from him
June 16th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
I had Drummo for 6 years at cromer high, got me through the hsc in 4 unit english. Not defending what we did, but he was an awesome teacher, knew his shit thats for sure.
Regarding the pedo comments, the rumour i heard was that at a year 7 camp he asked the year 11 girls who went along as leaders to go down the the beach at broken bay. he then gave them pot while they sat on the beach and us year 7s were asleep in our huts… hmmmm
We used to joke that he would drop his pen in class so he could bend over and pick it up and look up our skirts in the meantime. We were just joking.. and then on the morning that this all came out in the daily, we were shocked, i had people calling me from everywhere going “holy, shit, we were right”..
But i mean, if it just photos, sure thats sick, but its not like rape or anything right? i like to think its nothing worse….
June 16th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
whoa… reading back… it was meant to say what HE did… not what WE did… ahhh
August 16th, 2008 at 12:43 am
i had drummond for yr 10 english , when i heard this it didnt come as a suprise he had often flirted with a friend of mine and showed some odd behaviour , on a day to day basis he came across as a very normal person though …… scary
November 24th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
What the hell is it with the name Robert Drummond’s!!! If you ever marry a Drummond, NEVER NEVER call your sons Robert.
In regard to the 52 & 17 Robert Drummond. They are still married and now have 2 kids.
July 22nd, 2009 at 10:42 am
“Goyky is buff? Awesome. Im gonna have good dreams tonight! ”
GOYKY IS THAT YOU U WANKER?
March 24th, 2010 at 9:11 am
The Robert Drummond in the article was my english teacher in year 10. Most of my friends had him as their english teacher at some stage around that time. He definintely didn’t have a balding head or grey hair.. he had a full head of hair and had a young surfie look to him (young looks for his age, i mean). You wouldn’t think, to look at him, that he’d even consider doing suss things like this.. very morally upstanding sort of air he puts out. But there you go - you can never tell with some people! The news stuff stated that he had psychological problems, but once again, he never had that feel to him either.. he puts out the vibe that “i am a very confident person”. But then again… you can never tell with some people!
I’m quite relieved (for myself.. not the people he did it to) that all his upskirt antics occurred after I finished school! Thank god for that.
March 24th, 2010 at 9:13 am
Oh and i just remembered a rumour i heard too. The year after I left I remember hearing about how he was at the Steyne every friday night dirty dancing with the new school captains and their friends (female of course). GROSS!!