Thursday, 30 October 2025

 Danny PEARSON (Essendon – Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs, Minister for Finance) (09:48): I rise to acknowledge the recent passing of Arthur Toussaint, who gave his professional life to public education in Victoria as a teacher, a leader, a principal and a mentor. Arthur did a teaching round at Scotch College but preferred to make his educational mark in public education. Starting at Sunshine Technical School, it was not very long before his enthusiasm, love of learning and leadership skills saw him rise to be the vice-principal at Werribee Technical School. During this time he was instrumental in establishing the western region vice-principals association, and he was appointed as the principal of Werribee Technical School from 1986 to 2003. Arthur initiated a shared campus program between Werribee High School and Werribee Tech in order to offer the HSC for the tech school but also a wider range of courses, and he initiated a free bus service to facilitate student transition between the shared campuses.

Arthur seized the opportunity to work with the chair of the western region principals association, and to that end he represented the western region on the central committee of the Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals, promoting the cause of the VASSP as a united and inclusive association of principals and assistant principals, as it is today. Arthur passionately mentored countless teachers and leaders in the mid-1990s. He invested his time, his knowledge and his interest in those around him. He was interested in their stories, and he had an instinct for recognising leadership potential.

In 1997 Arthur was recognised as an associate fellow of the Australian principals’ centre. He received a PSM in 2004 and was awarded life membership of the Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals in 2005. To those who knew Arthur professionally, he was a mentor and fiercely loyal. He revelled in the success of others. He was honest and trustworthy, but above all else, he was a friend, a mentor for life and a man who dedicated his professional life to the betterment of public education.