Graduation is early Father's Day present for Dad-of-nine

Graduation is early Father's Day present for Dad-of-nine

Dad-of-nine Bernie Gaynor will get his Father's Day present early this year when he graduates from the University of Queensland with his Masters of Laws on Thursday, August 26.

Wife Therese and eight of their nine children will be on hand to see Mr Gaynor receive his degree at the graduation ceremony in Mayne Hall at 6pm.

A former Captain in the Regular Army's Air Defence and Ground Liaison sections and currently a Major in the Army Reserve, Mr Gaynor works as a costs assessor for Brisbane firm Monsour Legal Costs Pty Ltd. He said his masters degree greatly enhanced his career prospects, adding to the LLB (honours) he received from Bond University in the middle of 1996.

He recently completed his Articles of Clerkship with both Ebsworth & Ebsworth and Sciacca's Lawyers in Brisbane.

"The masters degree has been enormously worthwhile and I'd like to thank Business, Economics and Law Faculty senior administrative officer Denis Brosnan for all his patient assistance. The masters program facilitators are either senior practitioners within top Australian firms or leading University academics, all of whom offer students the benefit of unparalleled professional expertise and experience. Their efforts have been most impressive," Mr Gaynor said.

Mr Gaynor said combining study, full-time work and a large family was a difficult juggling act at times with his wife picking up 99 percent of home duties and child care. "I couldn't have done it without my wife's support. She has worked harder than me. Sometimes we both felt I was more like a hotel guest coming home to eat, sleep then go again," Mr Gaynor said.

"There is great satisfaction in having a lot of kids, especially as they grow up. Therese and I are increasingly dealing with a large group of young, sharp minds. Our eldest, young Bern (20), has just started his information technology degree through the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra."

Originally from Melbourne, Mr Gaynor's former army career involved many moves for the family before they settled near Logan Village. The children have been born in Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra, Gold Coast and Brisbane.

Mr and Mrs Gaynor's children are: Bernard (20), Caroline (18), Maree (16), Elizabeth (13), Claire (9), Patrick (8), Monica (6), Daniel (4) and Phillip (2).

For more information, contact Bernie Gaynor (telephone 07 3229 7433 at work or 07 5546 8008 at home).