Hubert Harry Penny

Hubert Harry Penny was born in Manchester, England in 1902. He arrived in South Australia aged 10 in 1912. He was educated at Woodville and Adelaide High Schools, and became a junior teacher in 1919. He went to Adelaide Teachers College and the University of Adelaide from 1920-1921, where he had an impressive academic career. He completed a Bachelor of Arts in 1926, a Diploma of Economics in 1928, a Diploma of Education in 1932, and a Master of Arts in 1932.1

Penny began his career as primary school teacher from 1922 until 1931, when he was appointed as a Lecturer at Adelaide Teachers College.2 He became a Doctor of Philosophy in Education in 1935 in London.3 He then became a Senior Lecturer at Adelaide Teachers College in 1937, and Vice-Principal in 1947.4

Dr. Penny was appointed as Principal of Adelaide Teachers College in 1948, following the retirement of Dr. Adolf Schulz. During his tenure as Principal, Dr. Penny oversaw significant expansion of the College. In 1964, six temporary structures on the Kintore Avenue site were replaced with new buildings – the high-rise Schulz Building, Madley Gymnasium and Scott Theatre.5 Additional campuses were also established around the suburbs of Adelaide. Wattle Park Teachers College opened in 1957. Western Teachers College was established in 1962. Bedford Park Teachers College was established in 1966, and by the end of 1967 was located in its own building adjacent Flinders University. Salisbury Teachers College was founded on Smith Road, Salisbury East in 1968.

Over the years Dr. Penny published numerous articles and served on a significant number of committees. He was deputy Chairman of the Educational Policy Board, a member of the Education Enquiry Committee, an executive member of the SA Institute of Education, secretary of the Board of Social Science, University, and a member of the British Psychological Society.6 He lectured in education and educational psychology, and was passionate about teaching. His former students noted, “He believed that the curriculum should provide for individual differences, the whole child should be nurtured and taught to live, for, too often he is expected only to learn. He believed that employment of the whole mind was essential to good learning. Doc Penny was a unique educator, and cared greatly for all people, believing in their innate goodness.”7

Dr. Penny retired as Principal in 1967, and was succeeded by Mr. Eric Norman Pfitzner. After his retirement Dr. Penny spent three years as an adviser in teacher education in Papua New Guinea (he had worked as a UNESCO education adviser in Thailand previously in 1954-1955).8 He later engaged in work for the Department of Education in the Northern Territory, training Indigenous teachers. Dr. Penny was almost 80 when he retired from field work, and thereafter wrote numerous on Aboriginal education.

Hubert Harry Penny passed away in 2001, aged 99 years.

End Notes

1 “Teachers’ New Head,” The Advertiser, September 18, 1948, 2, accessed November 11, 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article43783662.

2 “H.H. Penny: Summary Record,” accessed November 16, 2020, https://encore.slsa.sa.gov.au/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2187723__Shubert%20harry%20penny__P0%2C5__Orightresult__U__X1?lang=eng&suite=cobalt.

3 “Teachers’ New Head,” http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article43783662.

4 “New Job for Dr. Penny,” Adelaide News, September 17, 1948, 10, accessed November 11, 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129894488

5 “Provenance Adelaide Teachers College - 1876 – 1973,” University Archives, accessed November 9, 2020, https://archives.adelaide.edu.au/#details=ecatalogue.320.

6 “Teachers’ New Head”

7 A Remarkable Group, 84.

8 "Hubert Harry Penny: The Man, His Ideas and His Deeds," Unicorn (Carlton), 14, no. 3, 1988, 177.

Prepared by Danielle Hernen (2020)