Throughout most of this journey Barry Hilson has been accompanied by two quite remarkable Montessorians – Pat Hilson, the first Australian AMI Director of Training, and then following her death in 1996, Julia Hilson, Director of 0-3 Training for AMI. Barry was able to understand and support their respective visions for Montessori to flourish in Australia.
His more than 35 years in Montessori has seen his own important contributions also. Upon returning to WA after their years in Europe, Barry played a key role in the setting up of the MSWA (Montessori Society of Western Australia) in 1980. In 1982 Pat and Barry Hilson moved from Perth to Canberra, inspiring the Canberra Montessori Society to aim for the highest standard Montessori education possible. Barry served as President of the Canberra Montessori Society in 1983 and 1984.
In the early eighties, a group emerged in Sydney, working to set up the Sydney Montessori Teachers College with supporters (including Pat and Barry Hilson) going on to become members of the Academic Board of the SMTC. Barry played a pivotal role from formatting to fruition of the Sydney Montessori Teachers College. Over subsequent decades Patricia and Barry gave the rapidly widening community a cohesion and an ability to identify goals of priority towards a shared vision. They brought visibility to Australian Montessorians with the international AMI community and this international attention made access to training and trainers more realistic and achievable. Their work on Thursday Island in bringing Montessori to indigenous communities was particularly notable. In 2013 Barry gave an address as “Australian Montessori Centenary” Speaker.
Barry’s statue, openness and his courtesies were disarming. Always comfortable and inviting of trust, his connection with others was through a ‘sharing’ of his thoughts. Such an approach was generous and enabling for contributions from all – equal among equals without reservation or judgement.
