John Mayer, Adjunct Professor of English Education at Lehman College, City University of New York, and Professor Emeritus of English Education at New York University, begins by saying that he still Misses Garth Boomer, and has known no other friend or colleague with whom he has had more stimulating professional and personal conversations. Garth Boomer, Australia's very distinguished English educator, challenged the status quo for many years and he consistently encouraged colleagues to do the same. Boomer is described in this article as a passionate supporter of those teachers who were able to reach and teach kids through heart and mind. The author puts his memories of Garth Boomer into an American context by sharing memories of Boomer's leadership and support, as he urged the profession to break free of the tidal wave of high-stakes standardised testing which was getting underway and still shows no signs of abating today.