By KATH GANNAWAY
YARRA Junction teacher Martie Buckland is being remembered for his leadership and passion for teaching in the ‘outdoor classroom’.
The worst fears of his family, friends and colleagues was realised when searchers found his body, buried under snow at around 10.30am this morning (Tuesday, 15 July).
Mr Buckland was a teacher at Caulfield Grammar’s Yarra Junction Campus, husband to Sally and father of a young son.
Mr Buckland and his close friend Daniel Kerr were reported missing on Saturday after heading out on Wednesday 9 July to snowboard in the Mount Bogong area.
Mr Kerr’s body was found on Monday.
Inspector Dave Ryan from Victoria Police said Mr Buckland’s body was found under about 1.5 metres of snow, about 60 metres up the hill from where his friend was found.
He said it was a tragic end to what has been a long and protracted search and a lot of time of uncertainty for Mr Buckland’s family.
The principal of Caulfield Grammar, the Reverend Andrew Syme, in a notification to parents said emotions were extremely raw and painful.
He said the news of Mr Buckland’s death had confirmed their worst fears.
Mr Buckland has worked at the Yarra Junction campus as a specialist outdoor education teacher for nearly seven years and Rev Syme said was a highly respected and much-loved member of the small and close-knit team there.
“He was an incredibly positive person with a wonderful zest for life and had a significant impact on the many students he came into contact with,” he said.
He said both men were experienced in backcountry snowboarding, snow camping and bushwalking and were well equipped with extensive knowledge and experience of the Mount Bogong region.
“As a community we will be supporting Martie’s wife, his son and family, together with his colleagues at Yarra Junction Campus throughout this difficult time,” he said.
He said counselling services were available to students and their families at the school.
On Monday, as the search continued, Mr Buckland’s wife, Sally, said Mt Bogong was her husband’s favourite place.
“He knows it like the back of his hand,” she said.
The Mail extends its sympathy to both families and to Mr Buckland’s Yarra Junction friends and colleagues.
