House Structure

Cobram Secondary College houses bear the names of four brave Anzacs who lost their lives during World War II. Goodman House (Blue) is named in honour of Corporal George John “Parker” Goodman, Shadforth House (Green) is named in honour of Flight Sergeant Harold Shadforth, Jordan House (Yellow) is named in honour of Gunner Robert Ian Jordan and Rose House (Red) is named in honour of Private Kenneth Leslie Rose.

Our houses honour all Anzacs. We remember them because of their service and sacrifice for our country, and seek to uphold the values they live by: service, courage, strength of character, integrity and excellence in the face of dreadful odds.

The Ode They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

Lest we forget.

Flt.Sgt. H.R.SHADFORTH

Shadforth House is named in honour of Flight Sergeant Harold Shadforth, 449303 of the No. 24 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

Harold was the son of Walter and Grace Shadforth and enlisted in the RAAF at age 18. Harold served as an air gunner in No. 24 Squadron, flying in Liberator bombers with a crew of 11 men.

Harold’s aircraft, number A72-196, was flying in support of the invasion at Balikpapan, Borneo on July 5th, 1945.

Following enemy fire, the aircraft then exploded in mid-air, with no survivors.

Harold was 19 years and 5 months of age when he was killed. He is buried, along with the crew at the Balikpapan War Cemetery, Labuan, Malaysia.

Gnr. R.I. JORDAN

Jordan House is named in honour of Gunner Robert Ian Jordan, VX62494 of the 2/4th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment of the Australian Army.

Robert was the only child of Robert and Lucy Jordan. He was born and raised in Cobram and attended Cobram Secondary College (formerly Cobram State School) and enlisted in Melbourne at the age of 18.

Robert served in the 2/4th Light Anti-Aircraft regiment for two and a half years in the Middle East. He died in an accident on the railway near Gloucester in NSW on 15th July 1943. He is buried at Gloucester Cemetery, NSW.

Robert was 20 years old when he was killed.

Pte.K.L.ROSE

Rose House is named in honour of Private Ken Leslie Rose, VX64289, Australian Infantry Battalion.

Ken was the son of Leslie and May Rose, Cobram.

Ken worked in the family’s Cobram bakery before the war broke out. He was a skilled baker.

Ken enlisted in October 1941 at the age of 21.

Ken joined the 2/26th Battalion who were sent to defend Singapore in 1942 when Japan invaded. Singapore was captured by the Japanese on 15th February 1942 with most of the 2/26th battalion becoming prisoners of war.

The Battalion were mostly housed in Changi jail and was used as labour for the Thailand/Burma railway. The conditions for POWs were unspeakable. During construction, approximately 13,000 prisoners of war died and were buried along the railway.

Ken Rose died as a POW on 6th September 1943 at the age of 23.

He is buried at the Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery, Burma.

Cpl. G.J.P. GOODMAN

Goodman House is named in honour of Corporal George John “Parker” Goodman, VX21001, of the 2/2nd Australian Pioneer Battalion.

Parker Goodman was born in Cobram, the son of George and Eliza Goodman. He was a former student at Cobram Secondary College (formerly Cobram State School) and played for the local football team, the Cobram Tigers and the local cricket team. Parker worked in the Cobram fruit packing shed and was popular with everyone who knew him.

Parker enlisted in the 2/2nd Pioneers in 1940 and fought in Syria until called home due to the Japanese threat. He fought the Japanese in Java and was taken as a prisoner of war by the Japanese. Parker was among the 1159 POWs killed when the Japanese transport ship was sunk on its way to Japan on 12/9/1944.

Parker was 26 years old when he died. He is remembered on the Labuan Memorial, Borneo, Malaysia