At the commencement of the 1933 school year, Mr Cecil Shinkfield MA was appointed to the staff of Carey Baptist Grammar School. His three sons – Maurice and identical twins, Des and Ralph – enrolled at the School alongside him.

Mr Ralph Shinkfield was a student at Carey, the son of a member of staff, and himself a member of staff from 1959 to 1984.

In 1940, Ralph Shinkfield accepted a position in the Navy, having already given notable service to the School. Earlier that year he had established the Carey Cadets. A photograph of the Cadet Officers, including Captain Shinkfield with Ralph and Des in the front row, appears in the December 1940 Chronicle. The same year, Ralph was a member of the First XIII Football Premiership team.

Both Des and Ralph later served during the Second World War: Des in the Navy, and Ralph in the RAAF (1943–46) as a Catalina flying boat pilot. Following the war, Ralph studied accounting and trained as a teacher in Perth and Melbourne.

Ralph commenced his 26-year teaching career at Carey in 1959, joining the Junior School under the leadership of Ken Lyall. He retired in 1984 as Senior Master of the Junior School. Over his tenure he served for 23 years as a Housemaster and also held the roles of Teacher-in-Charge of Mathematics and Quartermaster at Camp Toonallook.

Bryan Marshall (1964), a past student and fellow staff member, reflected that during the period 1966 to 1984 Ralph was one of the staff “who has shaped the spirit and meaning of our camp.”

A tribute published in The Age (24 August) by past student James Nixon (1977), who remained in contact with Ralph, read:

“WW2 RAAF Catalina pilot and teacher. His campfire stories inspired me to fly.”
— James Nixon, Emirates A380 Captain (Ret.)

Ralph and his late wife, Jean, had four children, three of whom attended Carey: Murray (1967), Rowan (1969), Rosslyn and Jonathan (1978).