Because that is how Scone’s David Hill is known. 

He likes working with students so he is a teacher, he loves mathematics so he teaches it, he enjoys photography so he snaps it and he loves outdoor sports so he cycles. 

Mr Hill has been living in Scone for 30 years this year and he wouldn’t change his ‘by chance’ move to the region for anything. 

After settling in Scone, he has married his wife Kimberley, they have raised three sons they are extremely proud of and Mr Hill has had the chance to lead many a student that has passed through the grades at Scone High School. 

It’s interesting to know that although Mr Hill was born and reared in Cessnock including all of his educational years, his family roots lie in Scone and the Upper Hunter region. 

It is also fitting that both Mr Hill’s father and grandfather were school teachers, suggesting the career path was one that is in the Hill blood. 

Mr Hill’s father, Allyn Hill was a mathematics teacher who taught at the old Kars Springs School and his grandfather, Alex Badior, was a teacher at Moonan Flat. 

In fact, Mr Hill’s mother was born on the floor of the Moonan Flat Public School room as the horse and sulky couldn’t get through to take his grandmother into the hospital in Scone in time for the birth. 

After completing his own education at Cessnock High School, Mr Hill was keen to follow in his patriarchal footsteps and begin a career in teaching. 

He applied and started studying at the Newcastle College of Advanced Education and later transferred to the University of Newcastle to study mathematics. 

Mr Hill said there was an extreme shortage of maths teachers at the time, and funnily enough, there is still a shortage of maths teachers today, more than 30 years later.

Due to the shortage, Mr Hill started teaching when he still had one year of his degree to go, so he finished the final year of studies externally. 

He received a telegram from the department offering him a job at Mount Druitt High School teaching mathematics. 

Mr Hill said he remembers those early days when he was just 20-years-old teaching senior mathematics with one of his students being 19.

“I think at the time I was just so keen and excited it didn’t worry me too much, but it was a tough school to start out at,” he said. 

“Once I took the senior class on an excursion into the city and when we got on the train (which was Mr Hill’s first train trip ever) all the passengers simply got off the train.

“I later realised the senior boys from Mount Druitt High School had the dominance that day on the train,” Mr Hill said. 

Mr Hill stayed at Mount Druitt for the minimum period of three years during which time he started a Masters in Computing.

It was then by complete chance that he came to be transferred to Scone. 

He had applied for a transfer and at the time there were 22 schools in the state without a mathematics teacher.

Mr Hill said the department had advised he could go to any one of them, so he asked which one was the best school on the list and the answer he received was ‘Scone’, so he came to Scone. 

“I still remember when I first moved to Scone High School thinking it was rather clean as I was so used to seeing graffiti on walls, etc,” he said.

Mr Hill has since been teaching mathematics and computing subjects at the school, and is now the current head mathematics teacher.

He also enjoys leading the students in extra-curricular challenges such as the  Aurecon Bridge Building Competition and the Robocup challenge which involves building a robot designed to rescue something. 

Mr Hill said he loves teaching as he enjoys working with children. 

“If you get on with kids then teaching is a good job,” he said. 

“I always liked maths and photography at school, so I guess that is why I’ve gone on to pursue my career in those fields.”

Mr Hill is also a very talented and keen photographer who takes all the school’s history photos, as well as school formals, presentations and any other special occasions occurring. 

Throughout the past 20 years he has captured many a local wedding, sporting event, debutante ball and any other special occasion requested. 

“I have also done a few flying jobs, which were really fun,” he said. 

Also a keen sportsman and with a passion for health and fitness, Mr Hill continues to cycle competitively and is a committee member of the Muswellbrook Cycle Club, which he has been involved in for about 15 years. 

In the past two weeks alone, the fitness fanatic has cycled 600 kilometres including rides out to Belltrees, which is one of his favourites. 

He generally cycles five days a week and is currently in training for the Mark Dwyer Classic and Robert Oatley Scratch Race to be held in Mudgee in a few weeks’ time. 

Having just been promoted from E Grade to D Grade in the Open Division, Mr Hill is continuing to remain competitive in his game, one he has also passed on to his three sons who are all keen and extremely talented cyclists. 

Mr Hill said they visit the Tour Down Under in Adelaide each year to do the participant leg, but his big goal for next year is to take on the Triple Peak Challenge at Mount Hotham.

“The challenge is a 240 kilometre ride with four vertical kilometres, so it will be tough,” he said. 

When the boys were younger Mr Hill coached junior soccer for about 20 years and he held almost every position on the Scone Soccer Club’s committee throughout that time.

He said he also played soccer as a lad and then played all aged soccer in Scone when it existed. 

Triathlon and water polo are two other keen interests and Mr Hill currently coaches water polo in Scone. 

Mr Hill said he has always been quite pleased his path led to Scone as he loves living here. 

“It’s a brilliant place to live and a brilliant place to ride, I love showing visitors where I’m from,” he said.