ON April 19 1979, Charlie Barnett returned to his former school, Kempsey High.
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During his school days he was always in uniform, but this time it was the uniform of an Australian Army Aviator.
He was there as Lieutenant Colonel Charles Barnett, then Commander of No 2 Cadet Group, to inspect the Kempsey High School cadet unit of 55 cadets.
Charles' great-great-grandfather William Barnett and his wife Jane (nee Warren) immigrated to Australia from Surry, England, in 1848 with their sons William Henry and baby John.
William Senior became a tenant farmer on John Verge's Austral Eden estate on the Macleay River before purchasing land just south of Verge's grant near Barnett's Lagoon, named after the family.
William and Jane Barnett raised another nine children on their property named Waterloo Plains.
These were the first of many generations of Barnett families who would reside on and farm the Macleay and Nambucca rivers.
Charles Thomas Barnett was born in July 1940, the son of Joseph William Patrick and Nona Peace (nee Wilson) Barnett.
Joe, as his father was known as, ran a butcher's business in Kinchela.
He built up a strong business serving the Lower Macleay, but when World War II broke out, his employees left him to enlist leaving him no choice but to close his business and enlist himself.
Joe saw service in the Middle East and New Guinea before he was discharged in 1945 to return to his Kinchela butchery business.
Two of Joe's uncles had seen service in World War I, so it was likely that Charlie would choose a military career.
Charlie attended Kempsey High School, where he was in the cadets and gained his Intermediate Certificate.
He completed his schooling at Sydney Church of England Grammar School (Shore) and was accepted into Royal Military College, Duntroon, after matriculation.
After completing his officer training in 1960, Charlie was commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant in the Australian Army.
He then trained as a pilot, saw service in Vietnam, was posted as second-in-command of the newly created School of Army Aviation, and did tours of duty with the Australian Embassy in Washington and at an RAF instructional school in England.
In 1981, Charlie became Commanding Officer of the 1st Aviation Regiment, Australian Army, a career goal, before retiring in 1987.
Even though he is now domiciled in Mosman, Sydney, Charlie likes to spend a lot of time on the Macleay at South West Rocks.
The Kempsey Museum has Charlie's Nomex flying suit dating from his 1966-1967 service in Vietnam.
Nomex is a flame-resistant material that had just been developed then by Dupont.
Other donated uniforms from Charlie's distinguished career will be rotated on display soon.
The Macleay River Historical Society is pleased to host the launch of Charlie's book The Barnett Family at Kempsey Museum on Monday, November 1 at 11am.
Copies of the book may be purchased for $30 from Kempsey Museum or at the launch.
RSVP for the book launch (free) to 6562 7572 or email mrhs5@bigpond.com.
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