Yesterday, the Physie world lost one of its most colourful characters, Shirley Wolfson, aged 99. I had the privilege of teaching alongside her in the 1980s and learned how to teach children in a way that keeps them coming back for more. There are very few people who will live as large in my memory. So this is a personal tribute to an amazing woman.

Shirley began Physie in the 1940s after seeing a Health Week physical culture display at Martin Place, Sydney, during her lunch hour. She instantly fell in love with it, beginning a teaching career that would span 50 years. She performed in Health Week Physie displays herself and, throughout her Physie career constantly contributed to the organisation, ready to roll up her sleeves and volunteer for anything. Remarkably, she continued participating in Physie well into her nineties, right up until she physically could no longer dance another step.

A true example of a glass-half-full outlook, Shirley approached life with unwavering positivity, no matter the circumstances. Her philosophy was simple: give it a go, do your best and, if it doesn’t work out, try harder. Brimming with enthusiasm, she had a gift for teaching that achieved results while always being fun for her class. Her infectious sense of humour made her an absolute joy to be around, whatever the situation.

We will miss her innovative – sometimes delightfully outlandish – choreography for the senior girls’ exits at the Opera House and her hilariously entertaining skits at Teachers’ Conferences. But most of all, we will miss her smile, her carefree and joyful approach to life, and her unwavering belief that everything will work out if you forget the nonsense and just get cracking.

Jackie Rawlings