John G. Radvansky

Story

Hungarian hereditary baron, John Radvansky ( Báro Radvánszky János), the academic, was born in Radván (Radvaň, Slovakia since WW1, post-collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire). He was the son of the hereditary nobleman, landed baron Antal Radvánszky and his second wife Wanda Gleiman. He grew up as a privileged first and only child where the pre-WW1 original family property consisted of vast estates and the lifestyle allowed for a retinue of servants, cook, butler, maids, gardeners and coachman. Following the Treaty of Trianon 1920, the birth of Czechoslovakia and subsequent confiscation of the bulk of their property, the family had to endure serious financial difficulties but despite this adversity the family managed to own an apartment block in Budapest which would come in handy to John, later in life when pursuing his university studies. He was nine years old when he lost his father aged only 51 and this absence left a deep hole in his life. John never went to primary school in Radván but instead had an English and German speaking governess as well as a private teacher which gave him an excellent grounding in the mastery of these languages, beside the elementary education. John started his formal schooling at fifth form level attending the English College at Sárospatak, Hungary. The period of his senior school years was during WW2 and the difficult times under Nazi occupation of Hungary.

He went on to study at the University of Budapest. During his student days, he worked for an underground anti-Nazi resistance paper. At one stage he also briefly worked with Raoul Wallenberg the neutral Sweden’s Ambassador who used his diplomatic immunity and privilege to get Swedish passports to Hungarian Jews facing deportation and the holocaust. John used his perfect German to go into the forced labour camps and say that a number of workers were needed outside the compound. He would take them into town and tell them to scram in different directions. The role John played was included in the documentary about the legendary saviour Raoul Wallenberg\’s life. He had every reason to fear for his life as those who had been taken before him had been shot. He was eventually caught, jailed in fact, but saved just hours before his scheduled execution when the Soviets then ‘liberated’ Hungary from the Nazis. Towards the end of the war, John met his soon to be wife Susan who was then studying medicine and they decided that it would be wise to leave the country

as life under gradual conversion to ruthless communism had no future for them. In 1949, carrying little treasured possessions and in great fear they crossed the border to Austria.

Their Australian friend Rhodes Fairbridge, who as a young geologist, had stayed with John’s parents at Radvaň had remembered the family very fondly and secured them a sponsorship/landing permit in Australia. This meant that John and Susan were migrants and not refugees who had to work on government assigned jobs for two years. They arrived in Perth and both enrolled at the University of W.A. where they both studied philosophy and psychology. After their graduation, Susan went on to study librarianship and got a job at Melbourne University whereas John obtained his teaching qualification at Mercer House Teacher Training College, Melbourne and started teaching at Lauriston Girls School . John also pursued Masters Degree at Melbourne University to completion and launched himself into academic career. He became a much respected and loved lecturer. After a few years, he transferred to the newly formed Monash University where his wife Susan also worked as a librarian.

In 1972, Colleges of Advanced Education sprang up all over Australia. Following marital estrangement, John decided to move to Tasmania to take up the position of head of the inaugural ‘ History of Ideas ‘ course in the Tasmanian C. A.E. He soon proved to be a most inspirational and lively teacher. In about 1979 he was appointed Director of that college. Problems in Hobart with competition between the TCAE and the University for a small pool of students and overlapping courses, especially in teacher training, meant that, despite controversy and protests, in 1981 the University absorbed some Hobart courses. After restructuring, the TCAE was incorporated into the University of Tasmania. He then was appointed Reader in Education in the Faculty of Education where he taught until his retirement in 1989. In retirement he enjoyed teaching at the University of the Third Age.

John Radvansky was a wonderful educator in the old fashioned sense, deeply interested in his students getting a first rate education. He could explain brilliantly abstract concepts and make learning entertaining.

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