Originally published in The Gateway Issue No. 31 (May 2011)
Brother Austin was born on the 12th October 1900 in Rangoon, Burma, the country that is now called Myanmar. Some snippets from his early life are best told in his own words.
“My father was an engineer on the Burma railways. He died when I was five years old. An uncle took my mother and three sisters into his home. I was in the eleventh standard when, during our annual retreat, I experienced a strong desire to become a religious. At first I wanted to become a Franciscan, but a friend of mine, who was about to join the De La Salle Brothers, persuaded me to join the Novitiate of the Brothers. Six other boys had also made up their minds to join. My dear mother was at the jetty to see me off. My mother and I broke down but God gave both of us his grace to carry out my resolve to be a Brother. I never met my mother again, for she died seven months later.”
Brother Austin, together with eleven companions, joined the De La Salle Brothers as an aspirant on the 21st November 1916. They had all been taught by the Brothers in the famed St Paul’s High School, Rangoon. They had to travel to Kuala Lumpur for their initial training. In 1918 they were transferred to Penang where Brother Austin did his Novitiate and took the religious habit on the 1st October 1921. The Scholasticate years followed until he qualified for classroom teaching in 1924.
A strong, determined spirit was one of his characteristics. Everything he did was done with a will. One way this was shown was his persistent and continuous efforts to control stammering. When stuck while reading aloud, he repeatedly stamped the floor with vigour till he regained his speech. At this early stage, he also displayed a remarkable memory, particularly for the scriptures.
His many years of dedicated service to education began at St. John's Kuala Lumpur in 1924 and from then until 1954 he taught in the Lasallian schools in Penang, Melaka, Taiping, Seremban and Singapore. As one Brother contemporary put it: "I clearly remember the stacks of exercise books that lay piled on his desk, but not for long. The piles diminished visibly as he laboured long and arduously at them.” Throughout his teaching career he paid particular attention to the teaching of catechism and moral education. He prepared these lessons carefully and taught with fervour and sincerity.
He did have one “break” during this time, having been chosen to follow a 9 month Second Novitiate programme in Belgium from 1932 to 1933. There were sixty four Brothers on the course. As Brother Austin puts it: “The nine months did us a lot of good; heightened and deepened our love for our Lasallian vocation, helped us to see its importance and its grandeur.”
Another less welcome “break” came with the outbreak of World War 11. Brother Austin was in Penang at the time. Since he had a British passport and was pro British in every way, he chaffed at the restrictions brought about by the war. In typical determined fashion he refused to learn Japanese. He preferred to play ‘God save the King’ on his mouth-organ while standing to attention!
One of his longer teaching stretches was at St Francis Institution, Melaka, from 1945 to 1953. His old boys have very clear memories of him. His nickname was “Austin Botak”, which can be translated as “The Potter” or more loosely as “Baldy Austin”! He was often observed tenderly stroking his bald head. Some students wondered whether he was of Indian descent or Burmese by race. Brother Austin impressed them by claiming that Afghanistan blood ran through his veins!
In the classroom he was the master in every sense of the word. Learning was a serious business, and especially when it came to religion. All his lessons were meticulously prepared and often accompanied by sketch notes. He would often bring along his jelly printing machine, a forerunner of the duplicating machine. When students questioned him as to how he made this unique machine he would invariably reply: “Sorry, it’s a family secret!” He taught his students to be morally upright and courageous, citing the exemplary lives of many Christians throughout history. He would usually demand learning important scriptural passages by heart. Among his many accomplishments, one in particular used to mesmerise his pupils. He could draw a complete perfect circle on the blackboard, without the aid of compasses.
Another of his talents was in music. He trained a choir to sing in four parts and their public performances drew loud applause and demands for encores. Though usually serious in manner, there was always a glint in the eye. Once, in a foreign land, he was asked to sing a Chinese song. Not knowing any, he immediately improvised by using a tune to the names of his Chinese pupils! His listeners thought he was fluent in Chinese. On social occasions, he would play the harmonica and the Brothers would often ask him to sing, the Irish Brothers demanding an ancient ditty called “Tim O’Shea”. Brother Austin had an accurate tone and a sweet voice.
Yet another talent was in games, especially in cricket, hockey and football. Although pint-sized, what was lacking in stature was made up for in speed and skill. His favourite trick was selling the dummy, leaving his opponent flat-footed and bemused. Besides playing games himself, he would take a keen interest in class and inter-school games and always expected his teams to win. Everyone in the sports-field knew where his loyalties lay. He was generous, however, after defeat, as long as the players had done their best.
Finally, there is the testimony of a Brother who lived in Community with Austin at this time. “No one doubted his religious spirit or his piety. His piety was simple and deep, centring around the Eucharist and Mary. He was very easy to live with and always lived simply.”
1954 marked the end of what may be considered the first phase of Brother Austin’s teaching career. He was then transferred to Burma, the country of his birth, and was appointed Director in Moulmein from 1954 to 1959 and in Twante from 1959 to 1963. It was while he was in Twante that his legendary dogged defence of human rights was severely tested. He was once approached by local protection racketeers who demanded protection money to maintain peace and safety at such a troubled time. Brother Austin refused point blank. Not many days after that, however, some Brothers were abducted and held for ransom. Brother Austin refused to pay at first, arguing that it was not just. In the end he was, most reluctantly, forced to yield.
From Twante he was transferred to Rangoon and appointed the Principal of St Paul’s Primary School and, at the same time, Director of the Brothers’ Scholasticate. It was while he was at this work that the nationalisation of all Catholic schools took place. That was in 1965 and it came as a huge shock to all those working in the Catholic missions. And it put an end to the second phase of Brother Austin’s teaching career.
He held on to his British Passport for dear life, although this necessitated his forced departure from Burma. He clung to his British citizenship and believed he could sail through any country with a British Passport in tow. This was not to be the case and from 1965 to 1977 he shuttled between Malaysia and Singapore. He then spent the year 1974-1975 in Vietnam prior to its fall to the Vietcong. He spent much of his time there at La Salle, Nhatrang, teaching the young aspirants to the Brothers. When the political situation got bad he was brought to Saigon. The Brothers were able to get him a seat on a plane that was taking out evacuees from the beleaguered city. He landed in Singapore but was refused entry and eventually he obtained refuge in Malaysia.
Brother Austin's 'retirement' years were first spent mainly in Malaysia (1966-1977) and then in La Salle Col¬lege, Kowloon, Hong Kong (1977-1995). Retirement is hardly the appropriate word for Brother Austin, because even up to a few months before his death, he had continued to teach and tutor students. Indeed, he expected to live a long life. He applied for a new passport at the age of 90 and complained that it would expire in only 10 years!
Many images spring to mind when recalling Brother Austin’s life of retirement in La Salle College, Kowloon.
Austin the religious Brother: He was a man of prayer; “knocking sparks off the Blessed Sacrament” as one Brother colourfully put it. He was devoted to the daily religious exercises, particularly devoted to Mary, the Mother of God and therefore to the rosary. He was also a staunch spiritual director of the Legion of Mary Praesidium, Our Lady of Fatima. Br Austin seemed to pray with a direct line, uttering numerous pious ejaculations and he expected answers to prayer and must have got them. And then there was his devotion to the Saints, such that he often amazed people with his detailed knowledge of each Saint. Any hint, however, that he himself might be a holy man would be dismissed categorically.
Austin the teacher: Although officially retired he did not know the meaning of the word and therefore continued to teach in the spirit of faith and zeal as long as his physical and mental energies allowed. He taught mainly in La Salle Primary School, teaching English and even some French but paying much attention to the teaching of religion. He would also tutor boys of both the Primary and College in his spare time. He was a versatile teacher, equally at home with English, French, Geography, Religion and so on. He taught with authority, expecting good order and of course getting it. Yet his type of discipline was always tempered with great kindness, which attracted students to him. He never gave up on a student no matter how slow the learning process and would conclude his lessons with a human and spiritual reflection, suited to the student’s age and maturity.
Austin the chess-player: He would light up at the mention of chess and especially on “chess days”. Prior to the encounter, he seemed to gird his loins for battle and would give 100% concentration to the task. He played to win and might occasionally request the opponent to allow him take back a move he had already made! He kept a tally of his victories against John Lam, a pupil of Brother Austin back in 1949 in Malaysia and who came faithfully to play with him every week. Needless to say, Brother Austin usually had the edge on John but he could never rest on his oars.
Austin’s love for England: England could do little wrong, be it in politics, sports, what have you. Living in a Community with a number of Irishmen made for some delightful banter. The Irish would rag Brother Austin no end with every scandalous story they could find about England.
One good Brother regularly wondered if England would ever learn how to play cricket! He took the banter in good part, saying he understood the Irish temperament! But he didn’t budge an inch!
Austin’s love for his family: He would send his family members parcels, wrote most regularly and spoke lovingly of them all. He really looked forward to his visits to India and also looked forward to all the letters and cards he received from the family. Towards the end, when he could not read their letters or write to them, he asked for help. And when the letters were read out to him, he cried. The very mention of a relative was enough to bring tears to his eyes. Quite simply, he loved his family very much.
Other noticeable characteristics of Br Austin were that he never failed to say thank you for any favour or recognition or help; that he was proud of being a De La Salle Brother and wore the robe almost everywhere and that he could remember and relate incidents, names and stories of yesteryear, which were all fresh in his mind. He was also dead set against waste of any kind, food, paper, clothes. ‘Waste not, Want not’ was his motto.
From October 1995 there was a very noticeable decline in his health and he became bed ridden and had to make use of a wheel chair. He asked at first for hospitalization but after two weeks he wanted home. So he saw the rest of the time out in his room until a few days before his death.
Anita, a Filipina nurse, took care of him during the day and a night nurse was employed from the local St. Teresa’s hospital. The Brothers paid frequent visits to his room, though these were not made easy because Br Austin was shouting loudly at this stage – shouting out prayers of longing for God as well as his family.
A few days before his death he stopped eating and drinking so on the 11th of December, he was brought back to St. Teresa’s Hospital. There he was made comfortable. He could not speak but followed visitors with his eyes. On the 13th he could not open his eyes, though he was breathing normally. However, he had a lot of phlegm. He died peacefully at about five in the morning of the 14th December. He had written to a Brother friend a few years previously: “Now the Evening has arrived, and our dear Lord will soon summon us and say, ‘Come and receive your wages.’
At the funeral Mass eulogy the large congregation was reminded that “Brother Austin witnessed events of world shaking importance including two World Wars and he lived through huge changes of society and of thought. Through them all, he remained himself, true to his vocation and to his life values.”
Brother Austin's life was a fine illustration of the spirit of the Institute he joined, the spirit of faith and zeal. In the spirit of faith, he always sought to do God’s will and to see everybody and everything with the eyes of faith. In the spirit of zeal for the instruction of chil¬dren, he taught with efficiency and enthusiasm and regarded the teaching profession with pride.
Here is a prayer which he typed on the back of a picture of the sacred Heart: “May each morning be for me a new day with possibilities of love, of a smile for all, a new force to welcome with a ‘Yes, my God,’ to all that you will or permit today. May your holy will always be the joy of my heart.”
May his kind gentle soul rest in peace.
