Physical description

Black and white photographs of the Farewell to Alex Cowmeadow on 10 October 1961. On the reverse of two photos is written '10/10/61 A. Cowmeadow Farewell'. Another photo has on reverse a handwritten note 'Dear Alex / In / memory of happy / days at Collingwood. / Seasons greetings / to Mrs Cowmeadow. / 'Dick'.' Alex Cowmeadow started at Collingwood as a teacher of carpentry and cabinet making in 1927 and stayed there for 34 years until his retirement in 1961 when he was head of the Cabinetmaking and Chair and Couch Making Departments. Besides his trade teaching activity, Alex was involved in the sporting activities of the school and also organised interchange visits between students of Collingwood and Goodwood Technical School in South Australia.
After his death in 1970 it was discovered that he had left his property for the benefit of Collingwood Technical School. This generous gesture enabled the development of a much better school camp at Camp Westlake in Buxton, where two wings of the camp were named after Alex and his wife Doris Cowmeadow – reminders to the students of the generosity of their former teacher. (George Eraclides, 2013).