When Geoff Naylor retired five years ago he decided to learn how to play the saxophone.
He hadn’t been involved in any music since his high-school days, but learned quickly and is now a member of the Geelong Community Band.
Geoff played with the band at the Anzac Day service in Ocean Grove last year and was scheduled to do the same this year before COVID-19 took over.
Geoff, who has lived in Ocean Grove for 35 years, decided to take matters into his own hands and perform The Last Post at 6am on Anzac Day from his balcony overlooking Blue Waters Lake.
“I did it in particular memory of my parents who both served in the Australian Air Force in WWII,” he said.
Geoff’s father, George Naylor was one of Australia’s earliest industrial psychologists.
He introduced the concept of, and devised, all the test material for psychological/aptitude testing in the RAAF during WWII2.
“This was a major shift for the air force,” Geoff said.
“Instead of being assigned to a particular role based either randomly, or perhaps on who you knew, his vision was that via aptitude testing, each person could then be better placed and utilised by the air force for the war effort.
“After the war, dad became the founding member of the psychology department at The University of Queensland.”
Geoff’s mother, Audrey Naylor, had a number of different roles in the WRAAF during the War.
“She was most proud of her time working in ‘Intelligence’ with General MacArthur,” Geoff said.
“Her role was to examine aerial reconnaissance photos taken over New Guinea.”
