A FORMER Leeton resident has proven it doesn't matter your age - new learning opportunities always await.
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This week marks Adult Learners Week, with 83-year-old Reverend Tony Lang sharing his experiences of studying at a later stage in life.
Reverend Lang was born and bred in Leeton, where his father and grandfather were farmers.
A career in agriculture was not something he was keen on, instead embarking on a long career as a military chaplain and, more recently a police chaplain.
He has had numerous postings in parishes in NSW, Queensland, and Scotland.
Now, Reverend Lang is nearing completion of a Master of Arts (Theological Studies) in the Charles Sturt University School of Theology.
"Working towards a masters is an intellectual challenge, but who would have it any other way?" he said.
"Those who want to study at masters level are driven for many reasons, including for the intellectual challenge and the undoubted satisfaction of acquiring it and, even I, in my retirement, don't want simply to hang it on the wall upon completion."
Mr Lang was once a staff member at The Murrumbidgee Irrigator for six years before moving on.
He met his wife Janet, a Gunnedah girl, while he was working at the Newcastle Morning Herald and they were married in 1962.
Soon after, he was accepted as a student of the ministry of the Presbyterian Church.
What has followed has been a long and distinguished career, including being awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the Presbyterian Church in the field of chaplaincy.
Reverend Lang said all the subjects he has chosen in the Master of Arts (Theological Studies) will assist him with the next book he's planning to write, and he chose to study at Charles Sturt after approaching a number of other universities.
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"I was really impressed when I saw the number of theological courses on offer; everything up to a PhD, let alone all the other degrees available," he said.
Reverend Lang also has diplomas in Divinity, and Pastoral Studies, both from Melbourne College of Divinity, a Master of Theology (from University of Newcastle), and a Graduate Diploma of Education from the South Australian College of Advanced Education.
So, what's next for this irrepressible octogenarian?
"I'm not sure what the future holds, but I'm still a bit restless," Reverend Lang said.
"The call of Scotland is still there, so who knows?"
Students of all ages can find out more about CSU's courses online here.