PLC in Print - April 2022 by Presbyterian Ladies' College Melbourne

Presbyterian Ladies’ College MELBOURNE

Issue 114 March 2022

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Contents From the Principal

Ye a r 1 2 R e s u l t s

Junior School

Early Learning Centre

Senior School

Boarding House

Community News

From the Principal

ON THE COVER Students enjoying early-morning yoga on Year 9 camp.

1. The class of 2021 celebrate their wonderful Year 12 results. 2. Stirling wins the 2022 House Concerts.

www.plc.vic.edu.au

I am writing at a very exciting time for the College with students and staff having returned to the campus after the uncertainties of the past two years. Despite some restrictions earlier in the term, PLC is back! I have so enjoyed welcoming families back and to see that so many new students and families are beginning their PLC journey. We were so happy to welcome new and returning boarders after all the past travel restrictions. Our much-loved House Concerts really helped the Senior School girls to connect across the year levels. Their performances were so enjoyable, of the usual very high standard and full of fun and creativity. Orientation days, House Concerts, Investiture assemblies, welcome events and other activities that occur at the beginning of each year bind us together and give us a strong sense of belonging and continuity. Our impressive history through the decades has given us a quiet confidence which helped us manage the very difficult challenges imposed by COVID. On 15 February, PLC turned 147 years old! It was on this day, in 1875, the Ladies’ College as it was then known, held its first classes with just 60 students, in East Melbourne. The College was built on two acres of grounds belonging to the Presbyterian Church, opposite Fitzroy Gardens, and was described as being “situated in one of the healthiest parts of Melbourne!” What would those early students make of our beautiful, large campus here in Burwood today? The College was built to house 150 day students and 30 boarders. Students did not wear uniforms but fashionable dresses of the day. I wonder how many of our current students would manage spending the last hour of every school day, restricted to reading aloud and doing needlework, as was the rule! Girls at PLC, though, were lucky. They were not confined to learning traditional female subjects like dancing, sewing and sketching. PLC was a pioneering school that

challenged these stereotypes by giving its students the best, most forward-looking education possible. Students were taught Physics, Chemistry, Maths, Greek and Latin which enabled them to attend university and to study for serious careers alongside male students. However, the privileged education which decades of PLC girls have experienced was not purely directed at academic glory, or equality of opportunity, but aimed to produce students who, equipped with strong Christian values, would go out to make a difference in their local communities, and globally, though serving others, whether as professional women, volunteers or through family life. What an honour it was to hear from one of these change-making women at our Foundation Day Assembly. Our special speaker was Professor Ruth Stewart, a former boarder from the Class of 1977. At school she loved literature and debating, and both these interests have made her an eloquent and passionate spokesperson as a country doctor and academic in the area of rural and remote health services. Ruth has worked tirelessly as a rural general practitioner with obstetric skills, devoting her career to improving mothers’ and babies’ health services. She set up culturally safe medical programs and training for Indigenous Health practitioners in very remote areas in northern Australia. She is a caring, resilient and informed advocate of better and more equitable access to medical care and facilities in country areas often facing shortages of doctors and possible closures of health and maternity services. Ruth was appointed as the second National Rural Health Commissioner in 2020, a challenging role well suited to someone like her who grew up and worked in the country, and has been an articulate, strong supporter and mentor of female medical students and doctors. Ruth has another passion of cycling and in fact her daughter, Grace Brown who was a boarder from the Class of 2010, is a professional road racing cyclist who participated in the Tokyo Olympics! It is a long way from the PLC Boarding House and her childhood home in Tatura in rural Victoria to living on Thursday Island in Queensland, where Ruth often flew by helicopter to bring medical help to remote communities, and now Roma, a town in the southwest of Outback Queensland from where she spoke so engagingly and candidly. We are so proud of PLC’s Class of 2021 for the outstanding results that they achieved in both the VCE and IB. Their results were an enormous achievement and are a witness to their resilience, patience and optimism over

the long periods of distance learning and to the devotion and creativity of their teachers. PLC had the pleasure of hosting the 2021 Victorian and Tasmanian IB Awards Ceremony at Federation Square in February. At this special evening, students who excelled in their IB studies and achieved scores of 40 and above were honoured and acknowledged. The guest speaker, Nicole TJ from the Class of 2008 attended this very same ceremony and celebrated her success in her IB studies 14 years ago. Her journey since then has been exciting and varied, first as a classical pianist and co-founder of a chamber music ensemble, anon., which she developed alongside her career as a highly regarded digital and innovations strategist and consultant. Nicole’s latest fascinating career step is as an entrepreneur, and she was named as one of the top 100 Innovators 2021 by The Australian. Nicole encouraged students to step out of their comfort zone and explore new career possibilities. I sincerely thank all students, parents, staff, and other members of our wonderful PLC family for their support and commitment to our College over recent times. It is so heartwarming to see our special PLC community connecting again and we look forward to all the riches, learning and fellowship that we will share during this school year. With blessings and best wishes, Cheryl Penberthy Principal

Ruth Stewart

Ruth Stewart Video

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Congratulations to the Class of 2021 We would like to congratulate every Year 12 student who, in a year unlike any other, saw the final year of their PLC school journey through to the end with dedication, adaptability and grace. Our students’ determination to make the most of this year and to look out for others has been inspiring. After years of close, warm friendships and the fun of participation in activities together, whether on the stage, sports grounds, on exchanges, excursions or in community service activities, new ways of communication and mutual support were established. Our Year 12 girls proved what proactive, motivated and independent learners they are. All these skills will send them into the exciting world beyond PLC well prepared for success. The outstanding Class of 2021 results in both the VCE and IB, are a testament to our students’ purposeful and focused study and the unconditional support of their teachers and families. Congratulations again to our girls for triumphing over such a challenging year. We look forward to welcoming the Class of 2021 back for Old Collegians’ reunions and hearing about the various paths they have travelled and demonstrating the ways in which they will continue to grow and learn and contribute positively to the world.

girls achieved 99.95

95.95

Celebrating Our Duces

Samiha Arulshankar

Zara Boubouras

Julie Boktor

the Median ATAR score

Cassandra Lim

99.5+

17% achieved an ATAR

of 99.5+ placing them in the top .5% in Australia

95+

59% achieved an ATAR

of 95+ placing them in the top 5% in Australia

Ellie Lin

99+

28% achieved an ATAR

90+

77% achieved an ATAR

98+

37% achieved an ATAR

80+

89% achieved an ATAR

of 99+ placing them in the top 1% in Australia

of 98+ placing them in the top 2% in Australia

of 90+ placing them in the top 10% in Australia

Judy Ma

of 80+ placing them in the top 20% in Australia

Vaishnavi Muddam

Tharushi Walisinghe

Anna Xia

My Time As School Captain The step from school to the outside world represents a major milestone, marking a transition involving an array of emotions including excitement, apprehension and intimidation. It is only once you go through it, that you are able to comprehend how impossible it really is to be fully prepared for the degree of change it truly involves. The fast-paced and rapidly transforming nature of the world of work makes it impossible for educational institutions such as schools, and even universities, to properly equip students with the exact skill sets they require. However, retrospectively, I can attest to the fact that there certainly are specific skills and capabilities that do make this transition easier, allowing graduates to continue achieving past Year 12. Since graduating in 2019, I’ve had the opportunity to experience life at university and in the workplace, and am hence able to appreciate both the fundamental and intricate differences between them, and what exactly they demand. From a university perspective, it is commonly acknowledged that as a student, you yourself are responsible for your learning, as well as your professional development outside of the lecture theatre or tutorial class. Advice and guidance can certainly be sought after, but at your own initiative. The days of getting handed opportunities on a silver platter no longer exist, as now you are expected to invest your own time to pioneer your personal and professional development. Such mindsets and actions are not necessarily instinctual to all university students, particularly as we try to balance such tasks alongside part-time jobs, additional responsibilities and of course, what is meant to be ‘some of the best years of your life’. However, being responsible for your own growth is a key factor that contributes towards excelling. Having studied the International Baccalaureate, I felt as though this sense of responsibility was not completely foreign to me, as I had been introduced to the notion of staying accountable for my work. Being a two-year program, paying attention in class and simply keeping up for the duration of the two years only got you so far. There were many self-initiated elements involved, whether in terms of academics, or in relation to the other elements of the program that encourage students to be well-rounded and develop their interpersonal, communication and critical thinking skills. Although completing these things as part of school felt like a chore at the time, I now appreciate that these were all contributing factors towards improving my skill set, setting me up for the world beyond school. I will always be grateful for the academic skills and knowledge I gained during my time at PLC. However, I strongly believe that the most valuable parts of what I took away from my senior school life all revolve around the development of my interpersonal skills. Throughout my five years at PLC I was provided with a safe environment to experiment, grow and grasp every opportunity, with nothing holding me back. My involvement in leadership, sport, music and even just socially have all contributed to my growth, allowing me to go on and achieve what I have over the past two years. I have learnt that balance really is key, and that the major characteristics demanded universally today are a positive attitude, an open mind and a willingness to learn. Imashi Iddawela 2019 School Captain

Imashi Iddawela 2019 School Captain

National Chess Champions for Sixth Year Running For a historic 6th year in a row, PLC has defended its title as the reigning Australian Girls Schools’ Chess Teams Champions. The PLC team of Harani Dissanayake, Malavika Chander, Jennifer Lu, Karis Yap, Angela Zhang and Cassandra Lim won an amazing 16 of the 20 games at the Nationals last December against the best young Australian chess talent. Chess is sport for the mind and it is good that participation has grown over recent years. PLC is blessed to have so many talented girls involved in this sport. Sadly, after close to 30 years as the PLC Senior School Chess Co-ordinator, Peter Mansell is retiring, and wishes everyone he has coached and mentored over those many years the very best for their future and expresses his grateful thanks for having had the privilege of being part of their chess journey.

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GRADUATE PATHWAYS My time at PLC has been truly memorable and it feels surreal to have finished Year 12. Though challenging, the IB has been such a fulfilling programme that has prepared me to face the future with a sense of eagerness and confidence. I’m so excited to begin university after a restful holiday — it’s been wonderful to be able to spend more time with my friends and family, travel interstate, play sports, and plan fishing trips. I’m also looking forward to continuing my endeavours in chess, hopefully travelling to Canberra in April to compete in the Doeberl Cup. I was fortunate to receive the Melbourne Chancellor’s Scholarship, which covers the full cost of my chosen undergraduate degree at The University of Melbourne, provides guaranteed entry into any graduate program, and includes a living allowance. As part of this scholarship, there is an option to study abroad or be involved in an exchange program, with additional funding from the Melbourne Global Scholars Award. I am currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne for three years, followed by guaranteed entry into postgraduate Medicine. I think ultimately it is about choosing a course that fits well for you as an individual. Some unique features of the pathway at The University of Melbourne are the breadth subjects and the opportunity to volunteer in international projects around the world. I feel that these opportunities will help to develop other areas of my life and enable me to pursue other interests outside of my main vocational training, which is probably a very healthy thing, seeing that Medicine can be quite intense. One subject I have chosen is sports coaching, where I can learn skills which are transferable to chess coaching (I have started coaching primary school chess during the holidays!) while enjoying a variety of different sports at university. There are so many different breadth courses available - from courses in other streams, to subjects like wine tasting, movie-making, and samba band. One thing that has stayed with me from my Year 10 work experience in hospitals, was seeing how doctors care for their patients, and this inspired me to pursue a career in health care. While I’m not entirely sure what I’d like to specialise in (I’ve been told there’s plenty of time to work this out!) - I know I absolutely adore kids and I think I may be interested in paediatrics. I’m so grateful for all that PLC has done for me over the years. I wouldn’t be here without the constant support of the dedicated teachers, staff and community. Despite the many uncertainties we have faced in the pandemic during these past two years, the amazing support and guidance from the school gave me the confidence I needed to press on and keep focused, which was very difficult at times. It’s been so special seeing our cohort grow together and encourage each other; these are friendships I’ll definitely cherish and continue to build well into the future, irrespective of our different paths. PLC has empowered me to pursue my passions, to face hardship with a growth mindset and to stay grounded in my faith. I hope to be able to make a difference in the lives of others and to give back to the school that has given me so much. Cassandra Lim

My foundational years at PLC have helped mould the person I am now, on the brink of entering the adult world. Perhaps the most essential quality is the love for learning; as someone hoping to enter the field of medical research, my interest in answering the unanswered stems from an enriching education. Thus, after Year 12 I was led to pursue a Bachelor of Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne, hoping afterwards to continue studying and working in graduate research programs. In this degree there is a strong focus on scientific investigation. For example, we are currently working on developing IVF techniques using mice embryos, and I am loving the opportunity to combine creativity and writing skills with scientific frameworks. Another highlight of my degree at the University of Melbourne is the opportunity for a more holistic education granted by the breadth subjects and active student societies. One quarter of my degree focuses on 20th century history, allowing me to explore my hobby/ passion at the same time as focusing on my career. Through this I get to engage in stimulating discussions on racialism, feminism, and the Cold War, along with getting the opportunity to hear from leading experts in politics and history, something I have been thoroughly enjoying. With various clubs including the Debating Society, Eurovision Social Club, and History Society providing forums to discuss these sorts of topics outside of class as well, I can gladly say I feel as though I am able to pursue both my interests in science and humanities through my university education. Zara Boubouras

PLC Graduate Accepted Into Cambridge University We are delighted to share that Judy Ma from the IB Class of 2021 has been accepted into studying Law at Trinity College, Cambridge in the UK. She joins many IB students who have gone on to study at institutions around the world such as Harvard, Yale, London School of Economics and Oxford. She passed on her appreciation to the school upon receipt of the news: “I am very thankful to the Principal and staff for providing me with a wonderful educational environment. I know that a PLC education has set a solid foundation for my future studies”, she said. Judy Ma

Junior School

After the disruptions of the past two years, there is a palpable feeling of joy in the Junior School corridors as the girls and teachers return to school with hope and expectancy for the year ahead. We return with renewed gratitude for the things that we may have previously taken for granted, in particular, face-to-face connection and feeling part of a vibrant school community. The start of a school year brings with it the opportunity to embrace change and new beginnings – new teachers, new students, new friends, and for some, a new school. This year we welcome 101 new girls to the Junior School from Prep right through to Year 6. Our Prep girls have begun well and settled into school life with confidence and excitement. We also have five new teachers joining us in various classes and subject areas across the Junior School and we warmly welcome them to our dynamic learning community. Leadership has been a key theme of Term 1, with the investiture of our Year 6 leaders, Leadership Day for our Year 6 students, the formation of Student Action Teams, and the induction of our SRC members. I look forward to watching our girls seize the opportunities that 2022 will bring them: the opportunity to serve their community, make new friends, try something new, learn new things about themselves and to grow in confidence and independence. Mrs Melissa Voce Acting Head of Junior School

Year 6 Investiture

Leadership Day

At the Investiture Assembly, the Year 6 students were each presented with a honorary badge by Mrs Penberthy. Accepting this badge means we are now officially the leaders of the Junior School and will take responsibility for being good role models to the younger students. As a Year 6 myself, I am looking forward to learning more about leadership and helping others. We are encouraged to be ‘skilful thinkers’ — to solve problems by looking at them from different perspectives to be a good collaborator and to be a strong communicator. These are some of the traits a Year 6 student should have in order to lead others. I hope the Grade 6s will be able to keep using these traits as leaders.

On February 3rd, the Year 6 students all enjoyed Leadership Day. To begin with, we listened to Imashi Iddawela, a previous PLC student, who shared that leadership is not shown by having a badge, but rather, by possessing the main qualities of a leader — kindness, positivity and service. We then did some engaging, physical activities with Mr Newell about leadership, strategy and teamwork. To finish off the day, we decided on the most important qualities of being a leader to us. We will remember and value Leadership Day and put the lessons to good use in our daily lives, particularly as leaders of the Junior School this year.

Madison 6C

Matilda 6B

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What I Am Looking Forward to as a Year 6 Leader This year, in 2022, I have a role to lead the school as Junior School Captain. There are many activities that I am looking forward to this year such as SRC meetings because it allows me to express my ideas and listen to the ideas of others to make our school a better place. I am also excited for many events like camp and our Year 6 Social. Everyone is hoping for a COVID-free year this year. There are many opportunities for all the Grade 6 leaders to show leadership this year and inspire the students around us. There are many enjoyable events to look forward to as leaders of the Junior School. Chloe 6A

Prep, Years 1 and 2 Sports Day On Thursday 3rd March the Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 students participated in their Sports Carnivals. The girls had practised their athletics skills during Physical Education classes and were very excited to showcase their skills. Cheered on by parents and friends the girls participated in sprints, hurdles, weaving, long jump and many more enjoyable activities. The events were conducted by our PLC Junior School Sport and House Captains, all of whom did an outstanding job. At the conclusion of the day the girls were delighted that their efforts were rewarded with an icy-pole supplied by the Friends of Junior School. Ashley Newell Junior School Sport

Junior School Action Teams In Year 6 there are many leadership opportunities. One of these is to join an Action Team. An Action Team is a group of students who help in different subject areas around the school, giving them an opportunity to demonstrate their leadership skills. There are many different Action Teams including the Drama Action Team, Assembly Action Team, PE Action Team and Science Action Team. I am fortunate enough to be in the Library Action Team. In the Library we help out in many different ways. This includes working with the younger girls in the arts and crafts section at lunchtime, creating displays and helping girls borrow and return books. We are also lucky enough to prepare a play for the Book Week Assembly. I learn so many leadership skills day in and day out when helping in the Library. In the Library Action Team we are developing patience when it comes to the younger girls, and cooperation when the Captains and Action Team make displays together. We are also learning problem-solving skills and learning to be flexible when things take a turn and need fixing. We are also learning kindness. We learn all these attributes without even knowing it while having fun. Being on the Action Team is one of the most enjoyable leadership opportunities that the Year 6 students have. Ashmita 6D

CE Assemblies in Term 1

Welcome to the Faculty

Every Monday morning our school week begins with a CE Assembly. Usually, we would all gather in the Betty Caldwell Hall, but this term we have been meeting in a slightly different way, albeit all together and all at the same time. Thanks to modern technology we have been enjoying our regular Monday CE Assemblies via Zoom in a Live Webinar format. It has been a treat to all be singing, reading the Bible and praying together across the school. This term I have been looking at how we can live our best lives now. I was inspired by one of my holiday reading books entitled 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin. Each Monday I looked at some of these ideas which psychologists have found and which the Bible teaches are good for us: • putting love relationships first • helping others • being thankful • forgiving others • sticking with hard tasks in the long term • not loving money I was able to explain that ‘Jesus never promised us an easy life now. In fact, he said the opposite. But following Jesus and living as the Bible calls us to live turns out to be really good for us.’ It is nearly the end of Term 1 as I write, and to finish the term, we are all looking forward to being able to share our Easter Service in the PAC with parents and friends of the Junior School. It will be so exciting to all be together singing and celebrating the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. We celebrate with Christians all around the world that Christ is Risen, He is risen indeed. Blessings,

Bonjour! My name is Emmanuelle Brunet and I am delighted to join the PLC team in the role of Junior School French Teacher. I am a native French speaker from Quebec, Canada. In the last eight years, I have been teaching in various roles in the French language at the bilingual school in Camberwell (Camberwell Primary School). I taught in the classroom and mainly as the specialist Science French immersion teacher. My philosophy of teaching a Language Other Than English (LOTE) is influenced by my years of immersion teaching. I believe that taking risks in speaking in French, or any LOTE, is the key to the acquisition of a new language. I utilise the Accelerated Integrated Approach (AIM) in my teaching; a verb-based approach using meaningful pairing gestures to support the acquisition of language. Merci beaucoup de vôtre attention et au plaisir d’enseigner à vos filles ! (Thank you for your attention and for the pleasure of teaching your girls French)

Sharon Catchpoole Junior School Christian Education

Students watching a CE Assembly via Zoom in their classroom.

S.S.V. Mulgrave District Swimming Carnival Congratulations to every girl in the Junior School District Swimming Team for their outstanding performance in the Mulgrave District Swimming Carnival in February. PLC entered all events. This year we were allowed to enter two competitors in the girls’ races and most of them placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in these events. It was wonderful having the parents back and cheering from the sidelines. Our well-trained swimmers dominated the pool, earning points for our school and resulting in an easy win for the title of the 2022 Mulgrave District Swimming Champions for the 12th year in a row. Congratulations to those girls who progressed through to the SSV Division Competition. A special thank you to all the parents for their support and to Rachel, Nicky and Damien from PLC Aquatic for coaching and training the team. Congratulations to the following girls for representing the PLC Junior School District Swimming Team:

• • • • • • • •

9/10s Maya Zhang Isabella Lau Candice Sam Elena Shen Evelyn Leung Isha Sugumaran Olivia Lu Charlotte Ku

• • • • • • • •

11s Simone Wei Vivienne Van Elizabeth Ko Matilda Draper Janae Quach Rebecca Wibowo Amy Ding Iris Zhang

• • • • • • • •

12/13s Madison Kuay Sriya Chahal Eva Chen Chloe Huo Amy Li Rosalie Bandara Chelsea Yang Anisha Bien

Emmanuelle Brunet Junior School French Teacher

Year 4 Camp The scorching sand seeps into my shoes, and I slither unsteadily down the slippery sand dune behind the special back door of Camp Wyuna. I half slide, half run the rest of the way, fuelled by anticipation. Then I see it. The beach. The beautiful, powdery white beach that looks like it’s straight out of a picture postcard. I gasp with wonder and as soon as we’re allowed, I rush straight into that wonderful expanse of cerulean blue crested with green and white, screaming with sheer joy. Nothing on Camp Wyuna could ever be as glorious as this. On the 9th of February, 2022, 66 extremely excited Year 4 girls plus staff set out on an epic one-hour-and-45 minute bus journey from suburban Melbourne to sandy Queenscliff. Even though they had high expectations of the camp ahead, many of the girls were perhaps feeling a smidgeon apprehensive. However, upon arrival, all trepidation faded away as the girls enjoyed paying visits to the Marine Discovery Centre, Point Lonsdale, Queenscliff Harbour and of course Camp Wyuna itself. The 66 girls who came back from Camp Wyuna a few days later had all had a memorable time and were all much the richer in new experiences and friendships. After the disappointment of missing out on camp in Year 3, Camp Wyuna was a wonderful way to embark on Year 4! Emily 4A

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House Concerts 2022

Early Learning Centre

House Concerts represents weeks of intense work by girls across various categories of endeavour and the leaders of various House Concert categories share their thoughts about their achievements. Stirling won the event for the first time in 10 years, with Balmoral second and Glamis third.

Senior School

House Concerts Video

Let the children play! Historically, play has been viewed as a frivolous break from important endeavours like working and learning when, in fact, a child’s ability to fully and freely engage in play is essential to their overall development. People often think of play in terms of specific ‘play activities’ such as chasey, dress ups, or playing in the sandpit. In contrast, they think of work in terms of activities like raking leaves, cooking, cleaning, or doing homework. It is the belief of early childhood teachers that any activity, as long as it is done with a playful approach, is play. In other words, it’s not about what you do, it’s about how you do it. Children from every society on earth spend time playing. From an infant’s first smile to a pre-schooler’s careful construction of a tower, children use play to engage with and learn about their world. For a small child there is no division between playing and learning; between the things they do ‘just for fun’ and things that are ‘educational’. The child learns while living and any part of living that is enjoyable is also play. All children need the opportunity to play in an unrestricted manner, to ponder, to shape and re-shape their worlds. Young children are the best audience: they are curious, enthusiastic, impulsive, generous, and pleased by simple joys. They are hopeful, open-minded, and open-hearted with a voracious hunger to understand the world in which they live. They are continuously

Rosslyn - House Spirit

acting and reacting, thinking and responding, anticipating and reflecting. The sandpit, the home corner, the block area, the nature garden, all become vehicles for learning about life, and help children develop their curiosity, concentration and persistence. When adults restrict play opportunities they reduce the powerful natural capabilities that children bring to the learning experience and, as a consequence, they take the love out of learning. Childhood is a time of celebration, a time to question, probe and investigate. At the ELC,

teachers try to create an environment for the children that treasures childhood. They are given time – time to explore, time to discover, time to interact with their peers, time to play and time to ‘just be children’. ELC teachers always endeavour to nurture the unique thoughts and skills of each child so that the natural freshness of the child’s mind never disappears, but stays with them always. Childhood should last a lifetime.

As Rosslyn House Captains, we were very proud to work with the girls to produce our Concert this year. They demonstrated amazing House spirit and we were delighted with everyone who dedicated their time, effort, imagination and talents to the performance. It is so heartening to see their passion for everything Rosslyn! Seshani, Catherine and Tulasi

Deborah Hendren Head of Early Learning Centre

Glamis — Costume It went from an initial, quirky idea in 2021 to undertake the project together, into reality in 2022 that saw us win the Costume category. The numerous video chats and shared documents with inspiration and fabric from Spotlight made this an experience we will never forget. Although there was little sleep on some nights, it was worth it to see our name at the top that had us in tears of happiness. Huge thanks to every girl that helped us out and our Captains for trusting and believing in us. Good luck and all the best for the Heads of Costumes in 2023! Joumana and Margot

Stirling — Script After bouncing ideas off one another to create our storyline, we were mentally transported to the world of our play and spent many hours discussing, sharing moments of laughter, and even some actual script writing! With Ms Garrett’s and Ms Archman’s wonderful support, we were able to translate these initial ideas into the final script. Cheryl, Faria, Caitlin, Ava and Natalie

Atholl — Singing The surreal feeling of listening to extremely talented singers bringing our original musical arrangement to life is genuinely indescribable. Although it was a work in progress at the start, our Athollite singers executed their performances beautifully. We are truly grateful for the experience. Winning the category and seeing everyone’s hard work recognised was simply the cherry on top! It was an amazing performance by every House and we look forward to singing with everyone again next year! Tiffany, Alexa and Alison

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Balmoral — Backdrop As this is our second year being Heads of Backdrop, we learnt from past experiences and drafted multiple scenarios, then compared and chose the most stunning design. We found it hard to organise the helpers and work productively at the same time, but we managed to divide the work between the Heads and present to the best of our ability for Balmoral.

Stirling — Characterisation With a talented and enthusiastic cast of capable actors, it was plenty of fun to explore their characters with them and see how they made them their own. All our actors did such a wonderful job of bringing the story to life, and we had a BALL working with them. Cheryl, Faria and Caitlin

Zoe and Coco

Atholl — Direction We adopted a friendly and open approach when directing our House Concert performance, ‘The Taste of Paradise’. In addition to including stage directions in our master script, it was equally important to listen to and understand each actor’s interpretation of her character to help ensure that the entire process was as inclusive and supportive as possible. Isabella, Sangeetha and Maddie

Atholl — Backstage

Leven — Props

Stirling — Sound and Lighting Stirling’s win in the Sound and Lighting category was a reflection of the immense effort made by our crew. Through many meetings and rehearsals, we were able to develop the technical elements that helped showcase the performers on stage and at the same time, form some wonderful inter-year level bonds. It was a joy to celebrate at the end with everyone! Ava, Bianca, Scarlett and Ivy

This year we have had the privilege of being Leven’s Heads of Props. It was a fantastic opportunity for us to exemplify the organisation and communication skills required in leadership. Right from the start of receiving the list of props, to the day of the performance, there was a lot of hard work, sweat and tears! Although the time and effort put into coordinating props proved to be difficult, witnessing younger girls getting involved and older girls making new friends made it a truly worthwhile experience. This leadership role has given us a chance to showcase our House spirit, and we are grateful to everyone who made this event possible. PROPS to all the other House Concert leaders and congratulations to everyone involved!

Glamis — Hair and Makeup From late night video chats to early morning meetings, from strangers to close friends, we built a strong bond and help lead our department to success. Of course there were occasional road bumps along the way but they were easily resolved with glitter and stick-on moustaches. Congratulations to all the Glamis girls, the crew and our mums, and an even bigger congratulations to our House Captains for trusting our crazy ideas. All the best to the Hair and Makeup girls next year! Clarissa and Lucy

Anna and Erica

Balmoral — Dance Leading Balmoral’s House Concerts Dance was a thrilling opportunity which enabled us to showcase each girl’s talents through our guidance and clear direction. We were overjoyed to work closely with numerous students to ensure successful and engaging performances. This experience allowed us to enhance our leadership

Glamis — Music By incorporating highly recognisable tunes, we created an engaging musical overture that reflected our play’s themes. We led the ensemble by providing guidance and working closely with each section. It was incredibly rewarding to watch our orchestra members flourish like flowers, as they slowly improved over time to create a polished performance, executed with maturity and adeptness. Maddy, Caitlin and Claire

qualities, and have fun, while seeing a growth in the confidence levels and skills of our dancers during the process.

Lamisse and Amelie

We will never forget our overwhelming joy when Atholl placed first for Backstage. We are truly grateful to our crew, who consistently attended meetings, listened to instructions and took initiative in solving problems and helping ensuring our success! Ultimately, having confidence and faith in our crew enabled us to achieve this fantastic outcome. Vasi and Shuyang

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Camp Week, Years 7-9

Christian Ministries

Year 7

We are delighted to report back on another successful PLC camp week! During the five days it was inspiring to see our girls practising PLC leadership competencies such as resilience, self-awareness, responsibility and collaboration. Year 7 girls consolidated and formed new friendships while participating in a diverse program which involved two nights of sleeping in cabins and two nights in tents. Highlights included white water rafting on the Goulburn River, rock scrambling and climbing in the Cathedral Ranges and learning about Taungurung Indigenous culture. Year 8 girls explored the rainforest and coastal ecosystems of the iconic Wilsons Promontory National Park. Sleeping in tents each night, girls participated in group cooking, surfing lessons, canoeing, and hiking. Year 9 girls embarked on a journey to either an alpine, lake or grassland environment. Students who chose to go to the Victorian High Plains enjoyed stunning views while hiking and abseiling in this alpine region. The rock climbing and walking group spent time exploring waterfalls and the stunning orange rock cliffs of the Northern Grampians region while the Lake Eildon National Park group enjoyed bushwalks and paddling on the lake. We are very proud of the way our girls displayed a positive mindset whilst on camp. They clearly enjoyed the benefits that Outdoor Education and time in nature provide… feelings of happiness, selfdiscovery, digital detox, renewed creativity and a strong sense of community.

Are You Flourishing in 2022?

Year 7

Jo Stackhouse Outdoor Education Coordinator

Year 9

Year 8

Today I would like to share with you the talk I shared with the Year 12 Class of 2022 around the topic of, “Are you flourishing?” I was asked that question by my former Theology Professor, Mr Peter Adam, a man I have a great respect for. The question caught me off guard because as we met, we were just exchanging casual greetings and handshakes, back when it was socially acceptable! I had asked him how we was going. He had ‘returned serve’ and asked me, but he didn’t stop there, he finished the greeting with; “And how are you going Nick... are you flourishing?” This really got me thinking, to flourish I imagine you could not honestly answer with a “yes” if you were tired from too much YouTube or Netflix. You couldn’t honestly answer “yes” if you’d been neglecting your diet by hiding the good chocolate in the vegetable section of the fridge, so the kids didn’t find it. You couldn’t answer “yes” if you neglected your emotional and spiritual health by going to bed angry rather than handing things over to God. So, what does it mean to flourish? Is it possible after two very difficult years navigating COVID? Well, I believe it is possible, and that is part of the message of what God can do in your life. To begin I needed a definition. The English word ‘flourish’ means to grow in a healthy and vigorous way, it is derived from the Latin ‘florere’, meaning to flower. To thrive. The opposite would be to fade or decline. So, in sharing with the Class of 2022, I said I can offer three ways to help us with this idea of flourishing: • Vision • The role of faith • Your legacy or to put it another way, what will you leave behind? Vision includes the ability to be in the ‘now’ as well as to take in the bigger picture. It includes the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination and wisdom. Isn’t imagination a competency we need more and more in these challenging days? Less time on our phones and more time flexing our creative muscles! Having a vision means looking and planning ahead, but not to the neglect of the here and now. When we lose sight of both, we can get hurt.

As I was running on the beach, barefoot over the break I was enjoying watching a big storm out at sea. It wasn’t long before I had painfully run into a log and stubbed my toe. While we can look forward to the future it must not be to the neglect of being in the present. The role of faith is an enormously important role when it comes to flourishing. I shared three English translations of Proverbs 29:18 which says: “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” KJV “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful”. “Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction”. NIV Albert Einstein said, “The deeper one penetrates into nature’s secrets, the greater becomes one’s respect for God.” We are so fortunate at PLC that as a Christian school we not only allow space for faith, but we openly encourage our community to consider the invitational love of God, that He has shown us in Jesus to be a part of our life. When we invite God in, He transforms our life and the darkness to light. Someone once said, “the heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart.” Try as we may, no matter what we achieve, build or create, we can’t seem to get rid of the brokenness, but God can. Consider God’s invitation to get to know him. Through his Holy Spirit he can bring a peace that passes all understanding, transform, empower, refine and help you to flourish.

Finally, to flourish we need to think about our legacy, considering the question “what will you leave behind?” For this part of the talk, I asked the girls to consider if they knew the person behind some of the many traditions and events that we still currently practise at PLC. There are many fine examples of amazing female leaders who have helped so many at PLC to flourish so I had a lot of examples to choose from, but on this occasion I chose to share the example of Mrs Elizabeth Ward, PLC’s ninth Principal. Due to running out of space I will leave her remarkable achievement aside for now. The point was that Mrs Ward was an amazing example of someone who not only passionately advocated for girls’ education, but she also had a big vision for PLC as both proudly Australian and proudly global. We celebrate the many diverse cultures that make up our special community. She was a faithful follower of Jesus. She was strategic but also warm and knew how to laugh and celebrate. She left PLC in very good shape and her parting gift was the flags that line the back of Wyselaskie Hall that remind us of the richness of our many cultures. Vision, faith and legacy. Not the only components to flourish in life but certainly three very important ingredients. May you flourish this year and may you know God’s transforming love, peace and grace. Reverend Nick Curtis Director of Christian Ministries

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Boarding House I am delighted to have been appointed as the new Head of Boarding at PLC and to be joining such a wonderful boarding community. In coming to PLC, I bring many years of experience working with young people in a range of settings. I am a qualified teacher and was most recently a Year Level Coordinator for over 150 students. Student wellbeing is my primary area of interest. I feel passionately about nurturing the development of young women so that they can become confident adults who have a positive impact on the people and world around them. I understand that joining the Boarding House is a significant experience for families. Our Boarding House is a home away from home for our girls where they can have fun, feel safe and are well cared for. As the year progresses, I continue to learn more about our girls as individuals and I am really enjoying discovering their personalities, interests, and goals. I have enjoyed a really positive start and I look forward to continuing to build strong connections with our girls and their families in the years to come.

Amy Munro Head of Boarding

PLC Community Senior School Parents’ Association

Boarders’ Parents’ Association On Thursday 27th January, the Boarders’ Parents’ Association had a wonderful start-of-year meeting with all the new boarders’ parents’ as well as College Principal, Mrs Penberthy, Deputy Principals Mrs Williams and Mrs Saffin and the new Head of Boarding, Ms Munro. Normally, the BPA AGM is held at this meeting. However, it was rescheduled this year to allow more overseas parents to join. Those families in attendance enjoyed a light lunch together and shared many stories of their journey to PLC. Another event postponed in 2022 was the College Twilight Picnic. This had a flow-on effect of reducing the BPA’s fundraising for 2022 as it would normally represent the group’s primary fundraiser. However, with funds already made available, last year the BPA purchased numerous items including new ‘egg chairs’, an X-Box and a drum kit, leaving the Boarding House well equipped for relaxation and socialising. The BPA looks forward to working with Ms Amy Munro as she settles into her new role at the PLC Boarding House. Clinton Dawson President Boarders’ Parents’ Association

The Senior School Parents’ Association began into the new year with a planning meeting held in January and a Term 1 meeting in February. Both meetings were held via Zoom and were well attended with many new members joining and exciting new ideas being explored. The group’s first fund raising event for the year was providing meals for girls prior to House Concerts. The dedicated team served dozens of pizzas and fried rice meals to the hungry performers and behind-the-scenes teams. Our volunteers were also busy at the Year 10 Bright Stars evening in March. The next major event was the Vision Portraits photo event, where families had the opportunity to create some wonderful family photo moments with these professional photographers. We are always happy to welcome new members to the SSPA. If you are interested in joining our group, please contact us at plcsspa@plc.edu.au

WED 16 MARCH AUTUMN MELODIES FRI 20 MAY MUSIC ROUNDABOUT FRI 15 JULY JAZZ CAB WED 3 AUG MUSIC SCHOLARS CONCERT SAT 3 SEP ORCHESTRA FUNDRAISING CONCERT WED 7 SEP SPRING CONCERT FRI 7 OCT RETRO NIGHT THUR 13 OCT FMS AGM TUE 6 DEC FMS XMAS DINNER

Clinton Dawson President Senior School Parents’ Association

Community Prayer Group This year the various Prayer Groups across the College have combined to work as a whole under the new title of the PLC Community Prayer Group. While the schedule is primarily devised to accommodate parents, we would be delighted to have anyone from across the PLC Community join us for prayer each week as we work to share and connect with those who value the role of prayer in the life of the College. A monthly newsletter is available, so please feel free to subscribe by contacting prayergroup@plc.vic.edu.au. You are also able to leave us any prayer requests or check meeting times via that email. May Lo Co-Convenor Community Prayer Group

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Friends of Music School

The LAMPAS Society

In December last year, the Friends of Music School were delighted to host their Christmas Dinner for the music staff and the Committee. It was so wonderful to finally gather and celebrate after a period of COVID-induced hibernation. But it was also bittersweet as we farewelled two well-loved and long-serving music teachers, Ms Daphne Proietto and Ms Hui-Ling Yeo. Combined, both piano teachers had been at PLC for almost half a century and have left an indelible mark during their time at the school. Their dedication and contribution to the girls and school will be sorely missed by the ELC and Junior School right through to the Senior School. Ms Daphne’s farewell speech took us on a historical journey back to the beginnings of the FMS Christmas Dinner in 1997, when then President, Ruth Harbor, volunteered her home to host the event. Over the years the venue changed to Hethersett Hall and finally to the PAC. Entrée and mains are now catered for, but the FMS still provides a beautiful array of desserts! The night is always a wonderful way to cap off a busy year and to show our gratitude to the dedicated music staff. We also farewelled Ms Fiona Cross, who has moved to a different role within the school. Fiona may have been the Music Administrator but she was also a wonderful asset to the FMS! It was also through Ms Daphne’s speech that we remembered the inception of the Music Roundabout in 2002. As the name suggests, this event is a night of music-making involving multiple venues around the school. Such an event provides greater opportunities for the girls to perform in groups, large and small, and solos that all occur simultaneously across different venues during the event. The last Music Roundabout was held in 2015 and we are delighted to announce that we will be hosting the Music Roundabout in May 2022! This is a major fundraising event for FMS. Funds from the last event contributed to the purchase of the Schimmel grand pianos now used in the PAC. We invite all families to be part of this very special, celebratory event! The FMS is also excited to announce a new Brass Bursary, thanks to an incredibly generous donation from past parents Ken Liow and Melissa Wong (1987). In recognition of their outstanding generosity, FMS has named the bursary “The Jacqueline and Stephanie Liow Brass Bursary”. Both Jacqueline (2019) and Stephanie (2021) were dedicated and talented trumpet players. Details of this bursary and how to apply will be listed on the Music Tile on Wyse.

How lucky we were to able to hold two really enjoyable Lampas functions last year. Optimistic planning continues in anticipation of more in-person events for the year ahead! The AGM meeting and luncheon is scheduled for Saturday 21 May, where the guest speaker will be the Principal, Mrs Cheryl Penberthy. The other confirmed date is the annual Soup Lunch on 10 September where we will have a very interesting Old Collegian as our speaker, Freya Dinshaw (2005), who will speak about her work at the Human Rights Law Centre. We are also hoping to incorporate a tour of the school to see recent building developments at one of these events. In March, Lampas members and friends had a fascinating tour of the Boroondara (Kew) Cemetery, led by past staff member and local historian, Mark Hennessy. There were many features of historical interest especially the memorial to John Wyselaskie, a noted pastoralist and PLC benefactor. The Old Collegians have invited members to their rescheduled lunch with Sally Capp, Lord Mayor of Melbourne, on 12 November. Details of these events will be sent to members, along with other opportunities to catch up during the year. A reminder that Lampas invites past staff, parents and friends of PLC to join our activities. For more information, contact

Li-Leen Tan President Friends of Music School

Hethersett Parents’ Group The Hethersett Parents’ Group was thrilled to be back in business in the final term of 2021. For the first time since the pandemic, the group was able to host a full complement of events with the highlight being the annual Christmas Luncheon, a memorable event on many fronts. With a remarkable guest speaker in OC Kishwar Chowdhury (2000) and Master Chef 2021 Finalist, an energetic live auction, a fantastic raffle as well as other entertainment, the record number of guests certainly walked away with a real spring in their step! The hope and joy of taking the new normal in our stride was short-lived however, as Term 1 2022 returned activities to a degree of uncertainty. That ‘change is the only constant in life’ became louder and clearer this year and with that spirit in mind, our group is looking at ways to fulfil our role within the community both responsively and differently. In February, we organised a BYO coffee/breakfast at Wattle Park for current and prospective Committee members (in lieu of a morning tea at Hethersett Hall). Although the sun was absent that morning, there was much warmth and laughter amongst

those gathered. We all learnt so much more about one another by sharing our personal favourites across diverse topics such as a recent purchase or gift, plants, pets and travel with tips and inspiration in plentiful supply. In March our focus is planning for the House Athletics Carnival, the biggest girls’ event on our calendar, and being adaptive to any changes to our traditional service of food and drinks to ensure everyone’s health and safety. Undoubtedly our group has had a busy and engaging time since we last went to print and if you think you would enjoy the fun and fellowship that are at the heart of the Hethersett Parents’ Group, while participating and supporting the girls, we would be delighted to hear from you. Email us at plchethersett@plc.vic.edu.au Dhakshi Ravishankar President Hethersett Parents’ Group

lampas@plc.vic.edu.au Janet Driver President The LAMPAS Society

2021 Graduate Dinner Event The College was delighted to host a very different, yet very warm, inclusive and joyous graduation celebration for the Class of 2021 during December last year. Through the many trials and challenges that this cohort faced not only in their final year but also to their previous year due to COVID, it was such a wonderful opportunity for the girls and their families and friends to mark the conclusion to their time as students of PLC. It was also a very special opportunity to host an event in the PLC Quad, a first for the girls and a first for the College. We wish them all the very best and look forward to welcoming them back to their First Year Reunion in 2022.

Maree Gray Farewell Maree has been a wonderful colleague – always enthusiastic, happy to share her work and so caring about her students. She specialised in Years 7 to 9 History, including the Year 7 Learning Teams program, presenting topics in interesting and appealing ways. Her in-class lessons were not only original, but she also fully embraced the ‘special days’, such as the Year 8 Elizabethan Festival. She always encouraged the girls to dress up, put on the Elizabethan-style white make-up and dance with style and grace? One of her greatest achievements was her management of the National History Challenge. In this role, she met with students, explained the themes and topics, gave suggestions, guided their research, organised school judging and sent off winning entries. Many students were thrilled with their prizes, with some students going to Canberra for the National awards ceremony and on several occasions, including last year, winning the National prize. This year two Year 7 PLC girls were awarded Young Historian of the Year at National level and one Year 8 girl was awarded the Young Historian of the Year at State level. Maree was instrumental in helping to set up the Year 9 Outlook program. She enthusiastically visited student groups on placement at childcare and aged care facilities and her input was valued by all, especially the girls with whom she always had a caring rapport. She enjoyed seeing them incrementally increase their independence during the program, from local exploration of Whitehorse to adventuring into the city. City Week was often the highlight of the girls’ experience at Year 9. The team will miss her selfless work. As the use of technology became increasingly important, she embraced the challenges, earning praise from many for her skills in Wyse and for organising online learning. Maree has also been a much-loved and valued member of the Christian Studies Department, always willing to listen and to share in a laugh. Her thorough knowledge of her subject areas brought to life much enquiry and insight. Maree has a lovely, gentle manner with the girls in her classes and encouraged her students to think deeply and act with compassion. We were very blessed to have Maree teach here at PLC for so long. Her dedication to her subjects saw her put in many long days. Maree has been such a pleasure to work with and she will be very sorely missed. We wish her every success in the next exciting chapter of her life. Provided by Katherine Wells, Helena Dunn, Christine Casinader, Janet Driver and Nick Curtis

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Overseas Postings During COVID 19

OCA

OCA President’s Report As Victoria opens up, the OCA remains optimistic about holding our regular events back on PLC campus, so please save our 2022 dates in your diary. We hope you have enjoyed the new initiative of Principal Cheryl Penberthy to email all Old Collegians with video links of PLC concerts and highlights. I felt PLC was sending us all the most beautiful moments of a PLC education to guide us through a very difficult year. Rolling lockdowns have left few opportunities to gather at OCA events, so in this issue we will hear reports from some Old Collegians whose work and life changed due to COVID. From overseas postings in Shanghai and Bangkok, St Vincent’s Hospital, West Wimmera Health Service in Nhill, a dentist in McKinnon and a first baby born in Melbourne, Old Collegians have navigated challenges and unexpected situations. As with many of you, they have taken on extra challenges and had to adapt. We hope you enjoy reading their stories and feel proud and encouraged by how our PLC education and values have helped us all be a bit more resilient and adaptable on our own personal journey through the pandemic. There are many opportunities to join us and serve on the OCA Committee, so please contact us on plc.melb.oca@gmail.com and join us on our Facebook page: https://www.

facebook.com/groups/plcmelbourneoca Ailsa Wilson (Watson 1978) President Old Collegians’ Association

My COVID journey began in Shanghai in February 2020, right at the start of the pandemic. My husband, Colin, and I were on posting to Shanghai with the Department of Home Affairs and witnessed China’s early response to the outbreak in Wuhan in December 2019. When the virus began to spread, the Australian government became concerned about the welfare of all Australian diplomats posted to China and the dramatic reduction in outbound flights. In late January they acted quickly to bring most of us back home, leaving only a skeleton staff. Within a week we were evacuated, and around a dozen posted officers and their families were escorted to Shanghai airport with only a suitcase of clothes each, leaving most of their possessions locked in their apartments, and facing an uncertain future. After nine months of working from home in Melbourne, and no news of a return to Shanghai, I was unexpectedly offered a short-term opportunity at the Australian

The COVID- 19 Pandemic: My experiences and reflections of the past two years

Embassy in Bangkok, just as Melbourne went into lockdown. So Colin and I embarked on another COVID journey. This time we had to navigate the bureaucratic COVID travel procedures of the Thai government. We finally arrived at our quarantine hotel and survived our 14-day ‘prison sentence’ in a hotel room without sliding windows or a balcony. For the next eight months we experienced COVID ‘Thai-style’, with ever-changing government restrictions regarding shopping centres, restaurants, services and domestic travel. Embassy work was done in shifts and our expat life was mainly limited to our apartment complex, except for the national Songkran water festival in April. We then came home to another Melbourne lockdown in August 2021. Two years on, the pandemic continues, but we can all reflect on the challenges we’ve overcome and the lessons we’ve learnt during this unimaginable global event. Wendy Davenport (1976)

My COVID Experience as a Dentist Exactly two years ago, in February 2020 we heard about a novel corona virus. Here is Australia, dentists and other health care workers were becoming increasingly concerned that we would not be able to obtain surgical masks, gloves and other personal protective supplies and would not be able to work. The following month, Australia went into lockdown. I cancelled my patients, redirected my mail, changed the answering machine message and put a sign outside my practice stating that I was closed until further notice. Only patients with extreme pain, facial swellings or trauma from the teeth could be seen. In my field of dentistry (periodontics – gum specialist), I rarely see patients with true emergencies and stopped work. Jobkeeper was a life saver, paying my staff wages and covering my basic expenses. I had gone from being a busy dentist and practice owner to a stayat-home mum making hot lunches, baking, gardening, watching Netflix and cleaning the kitchen cupboards. As my husband was working in the study and my son was home-schooling in his bedroom, I did the Australian Institute of Company Director’s Governance course. Returning to work, there was a huge backlog of patients. Some were very eager to come back, others were nervous and postponed their appointments. Many patient’s oral health had deteriorated from not seeing their dentist or other dental practitioner and there was an increase in cracked teeth and gum disease. Dentists always have very strict infection control, wiping down the dental chair and equipment between patients and wearing gloves, surgical masks and safety glasses. However, there are new additions to the protocols including wearing N95 or P2 masks, patients having a pre-procedural mouth rinse, temperature tests for staff and patients and no magazines in the waiting rooms. Susan Wise (1989)

It has been a very opportune time to reflect on the past two rather tumultuous years of COVID in Melbourne. Life for us all has changed irrevocably – and although we have all lived through the same pandemic, we have all had very different experiences during these COVID times. My personal experience has been very much focused on my role as Manager, Allied Health and Pharmacy at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne − a large public tertiary hospital located on the edge of the CBD. As part of our Mission at St Vincent’s, we have a strong commitment to supporting people who are particularly vulnerable, including people who are homeless. I am responsible for leading a team of wonderful Allied Health and Pharmacy Managers and supporting our 300+ allied health and pharmacy staff. It would be an understatement to say that it has been an extraordinarily tough and challenging time working in health care during the COVID pandemic. It has also been an incredibly inspiring time. It has been tough on all clinical and non-clinical staff, who have been concerned about the care and safety of their patients, and the safety of themselves and their families. Our world changed in March 2020, and I am privileged to share some reflections from that time. From the outset, our executive leadership team at St Vincent’s ensured that we had an excellent communication system in place, with comprehensive, clear and timely information. Our COVID ‘waves’ were coming after the Northern Hemisphere, and we were able to learn from their experiences, particularly through our UK colleagues working in the NHS. With this information, we were as prepared as we could be for this new and highly infectious disease, implementing extensive staff training, establishing wards for COVID patients, and developing clear processes to ensure the safety of our staff and patients. Staff caring for patients with COVID were required to wear full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) − masks, gowns, face shields, caps, gloves and booties, with careful ‘donning and doffing’ to avoid any contamination of exposed skin or airways. ‘COVID-Safe’ principles were rapidly implemented; elective surgery was put on hold; there was an exponential growth in Telehealth consultations and staff were working from home where feasible. We provided mobile community services to reach our vulnerable communities. We became adept at contract tracing, deep cleaning and

managing exposure sites and reviewing the data modelling to predict our likely patient admissions. We worked as a very collaborative and supportive team in both clinical and nonclinical roles. We were so fortunate to have wonderful executive and clinical leadership, and outstanding expertise across our Infectious Diseases Team. Our on-call roster was comprehensive and always busy and demanding − but never with the good news stories! Our staff were managing their home lives, juggling home-schooling commitments, and care of their families and elderly parents with their work commitments. It was an extraordinary professional and personal load. We braced ourselves coming to work each day. The wellbeing of staff was a constant focus − we needed to care for our precious staff, as well as our patients. The introduction of COVID vaccinations in the first half of 2021 was a great milestone for the community − and indeed for medical science! At St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, we take great pride in our vaccination hubs at the Royal Exhibition Building and Campbellfield − and it took such a wonderful team effort to get these hubs up and running so quickly. We have now provided over 500,000 vaccinations to the Melbourne community! I have been inspired by our wonderful team at St Vincent’s − our staff providing clinical care, our cleaners, our food services staff, our Communications team, our Vaccination and Fever Testing staff. Everyone has played a vital role in this pandemic, providing compassionate and expert care in extraordinary circumstances. There has been strong camaraderie across all areas of the hospital, and a great sense that ‘we were all in this together’. These past two years have been amongst the most challenging of my 40-plus(!)-year career. They have also been the most rewarding and satisfying. I have been privileged to see the amazing spirit, resilience, expertise, compassion and innovation demonstrated by a most wonderful team, and to be part of the fabulous wider team across St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne. Fiona McKinnon (1975) General Manager, Allied Health and Pharmacy, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne

COVID Negative but Positively Pregnant As a housebound, newly-wedded couple for 112 days (without Netflix, might I add) we were either going to end up pulling each other’s hair out or having a baby. I discovered I was pregnant the day Dan Andrews announced Melbourne was finally getting out of its longest lockdown (at the time). I was elated, even though the prospect of wining and dining nauseated me and the only thing I could eat was sour cream and onion chips. Thankfully, Victoria was out of its COVID crisis for the remainder of my pregnancy, and my husband was able to attend all our doctor’s appointments and scans, we were able to go on our babymoon, and we even had hopes that my in-laws who live abroad could come to visit when bub was due to arrive in July 2021. Little did we know that another COVID wave was to ensue and a few weeks before the birth, we were told that lockdown-level hospital rules were being reintroduced. The rules were quite reasonable, but the worst part was the fact that they kept changing weekly leading up to the birth! As a result, midwives and hospital staff were often giving us conflicting information. During our hospital stay, we weren’t allowed any visitors (which turned out to be a blessing in disguise and something maternity wards should think about doing permanently). We were allowed one support person to stay with us, but they were only allowed to leave the hospital once per day. When we came home with our little EJ (short for Emilia Jane), Melbourne had gone back into lockdown, and we were all housebound yet again. Since I was doing the Chinese confinement month (a tradition whereby new mothers are confined to their homes for 30 days postpartum to allow for optimum recovery), this lockdown had absolutely no impact on me whatsoever! Most of our friends and extended family first met EJ in video calls or through the window that faced our front porch. My parents were able to visit frequently under caretaking rules, but my in-laws are still yet to meet their first grandchild! Lucy Munanto (2008)

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Changes in the life of a Rural Infection Prevention and Control Nurse Pre COVID, my job at Infection Prevention and Control at West Wimmera Health Service in Nhill involved overseeing five Acute Wards located at five different sites, ten Residential Aged Care facilities over six sites and three Community Health Centres. These sites ranged from Kaniva near the South Australian Border to Rupanyup in the East Wimmera region. Education, surveillance and vaccination of 575 staff kept me busy. I spent a lot of time travelling to these sites and an even larger proportion of time reporting surveillance to various State and Commonwealth Departments. Reporting included vaccination rates of staff and residents, hand hygiene

PLC i n P ri nt | Mar ch 2 0 2 2

compliance of staff (do they clean their hands appropriately?) and antibiotic usage (are the antibiotics correctly documented and where possible, ordered appropriately?). I was effectively a single operator, with a nurse at each site providing me with local knowledge. The entry of COVID into our lives put my work life into hyper-drive. Education and surveillance became very COVID-focused, with mandatory education for all staff on the usage and wearing of PPE (Personal, Protective Equipment), managing visits from assessors from the ADF, and arranging COVID vaccinations. Keeping the staff and families of residents calm and accepting of the many restrictions and changes needed a team effort to maintain. This required increasing my team of vaccinators from eight to thirty-plus and involved a vaccination qualification plus an additional eighteen hours of COVID-specific training for each of them. Then we were required to sign off each staff member on their competence with the complexity of drawing up and administering the COVID vaccinations. We have undertaken two COVID vaccinations, a COVID booster and an influenza vaccination for 575 staff, 140

aged care Residents, 200 abattoir staff at Luvaduck and various local schools and businesses. Most of these activities we have undertaken dressed in full PPE! We have run community clinics, both for the local public and to facilitate the rollout of the 12 to 18-year-old vaccinations in September and October and the 5 to 11-year-old vaccinations in January. The public clinics have involved more than 100 vaccinations per day. We have also provided special vaccination times to ensure our large Karen population (refugees from Myanmar) are all vaccinated. As well as the vaccinations, we have managed isolation of returned travellers; our area remained COVID-free until November 2021. We have made videos to promote vaccination and educate about handwashing, run webinars to provide answers to the questions within the community and swabbed staff and community for PCR testing. As we venture into 2022, I manage a team of vaccinators, PCR testers and RAT providers and continue to answer questions about isolation, symptoms and many other COVIDrelated activities.

OCA Committee 2022

President − Ailsa Wilson (1978) Vice President − Phoebe Costello (2011) Vice President − Denise Poon (1978) Secretary − Dr Mabel Yan (2011) Assistant Secretary − Kathy Telford (1979) Assistant Treasurer − Naomi Wijaysinghe (2004) Communications − Lucy Munanto (2008) Birthday League − Robyn Byrne OAM (1973)

PLC-OCA Birthday League for The Helen Hailes Memorial Scholarship Our thanks go to all the Old Collegians who made donations to the Scholarship Fund in 2021. Robyn Byrne (1973) has now taken over the role of managing the Birthday League from the very able Pam Booth (1959) and we would like to thank Pam for her assistance in 2021. Robyn’s mother, Glad Byrne (Meadows 1943), was a member of the Birthday League and loved getting a card from PLCOCA for her birthday. Glad was at PLC East Melbourne during the war years when Helen Hailes was at PLC. Robyn is honoured to make a contribution to this wonderful scholarship program and keep a tradition going. Robyn’s address is 7/75 Park Street St Kilda West 3182 for mailed cheques. For direct donations please made them via online banking to: Account Name: PLCOCA BSB: 063197 Account: 00900486 Add reference details: HH (and your name if you wish to be acknowledged in PLC in Print).

Chris Dufty (1978)

OCA 2022 DATES May

OCA AGM Luncheon − BCH Foyer 12-3pm

PLC Golf Day − RMCG 7.30am

We would also like to thank Jan Kirchner (Morrison 1963) for her donation after selling some of the jewellery she made during lockdown. Jan and many other PLC OCs were at the PLC-OCA Mornington Friendship Group function in November 2021. Our thanks go to Jan and all who bought her jewellery. If you would like to be included in the Birthday League, please contact Robyn Byrne. Many thanks to our donors: Janet Brown, Helen Beanham, Claire MacMillan, Diane Mary Cherry, Helen Bailey and Alison Rechner.

June

Driver Cup − PLC Hockey Field 3.45pm

Olympic Cyclist Grace Brown (2010) − BCH 2-4pm

August

6 10

60 Years On Reunion - BCH − 12pm Helen Johnson (1997) Art Exhibition - MUMA Caulfield Monash 10th August to 11th November

November

12 TBC

OCA Contact Details collegian@plc.vic.edu.au plc.melb.oca@gmail.com

Lord Mayor Sally Capp (1986) − Save the Date PLC Women − Speakers to be confirmed

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ plcmelbourneoca

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Geelong Group

News of Old Collegian Groups

OCA Sport

Mornington Peninsula Friendship Group

OCA Netball Our Old Collegians Netball Club has started up again for 2022 with three teams. We are very excited to be back and we hope that there will be no more interruptions to the season. Two teams, PLC-OCA Monty and PLC-OCA Majesty play on a Tuesday night at Oakleigh Recreation Centre. It is a fantastic indoor venue for a night of social netball. Our founding team, PLC-OCA Melba also plays at 3.20pm every Saturday at Ashwood High School. We have welcomed some new faces to the team, including some from the Class of 2021 who didn’t want to stop playing netball after finishing in Year 12. We are of course still looking for more people to join us, particularly on Saturday afternoons and Tuesday evenings. Whether you are new to netball or played in the past, it’s a fantastic way to stay in touch with old friends, and make some new ones along the way. We are celebrating our 6th year of PLC OCA Netball this year and are all very proud of the community that we have built. Claire Haysom (2016)

Tuesday Night’s Teams PLC-OCA Monty and PLC-OCA Majesty (in black) Back row, left to right: Sharanya Yoganathan (2012), Nat Zheng (2012), Clare Haysom (2016), Evie Fitzgerald (2020), Tara Lake (2020), Paris Glover (2020), Madellyn Porch (2020), Siobhan Lane (2012)

Twenty-four members enjoyed lunch together once again, relishing the opportunity to get together. It was a pleasure to be able to organise the lunch, knowing that it would happen! Although there were not as many

Front row left to right: Sarah Gregor (2019), Sarah Joyce (2012), Sam Tyrrell (2014), Georgie Abella (2012)

Kellet Tennis Cup Team Old Collegian has taken out the historic 90th running of the Kellet Tennis Cup. In a closely fought match, Team OC took out the honours with their largest team in recent years. There was also a fantastic contingent of OC representatives in attendance including the President of the OCA, Ailsa Wilson (Watson 1978), as well as our very own PLC ‘ball girls’ and an enthusiastic student cheer squad. Huge congratulations to Ms Payne for being the amazing driving force behind this much-loved event and to Mrs Jan Dimmick (Colclough 1945) for being so integral to its ongoing success!

North East Old Collegians’ Group After needing to cancel two meetings last year due to COVID restrictions we were pleased to be able to meet for the first Lunch of the year on March 2nd. This was held at King River Café at Oxley with 20 Old Collegians present. Two Melbourne members were also able to be with us. We were delighted to meet Principal Cheryl Penberthy who joined us for the occasion. Cheryl spoke about her early life and her journey to becoming Principal of our wonderful school. The next lunch is scheduled for June 1st and will be held once again at King River Café. As this will be 60 years since the Benalla group began, we are planning to make it a special celebration. We have one original member who is still able to attend, who has some interesting stories to tell about the catering disasters that occurred at times! If you live in the NE area and would like to join us at the next meeting, please email Judy Cuddon for details: jcuddon@outlook.com Judy Cuddon (Clezy 1957)

On Tuesday 19 July 2022, the Geelong Branch will be celebrating its founding 72 years ago in 1950. They will be holding a special lunch in Geelong and the Principal, Mrs Cheryl Penberthy, will be attending.

Invitations will be sent out to Old Collegians already on our mailing list. Any Old Collegians who have recently settled in the Geelong/Bellarine area who would like to join us, please ring President Anne Parton (Donaldson 1955) on 5241 9344.

in attendance as in November, our group is growing in both size and fellowship. Those who responded that they couldn’t join us this time expressed their eagerness to make future lunches. We were delighted to welcome Principal Cheryl Penberthy who spoke about events, happenings and changes at the school, including news about the new uniforms. The age range attending the lunches continues to cover a broad range of school leaving years from the 1950s to the 1980s. Our next lunch is planned for Wednesday 22 June. This will be a fund raiser for the Helen Hayles Memorial Scholarship Fund. We welcome any Old Collegians, whether you live on the Peninsula or not. As we discovered during the lockdowns, the Peninsula is considered to be part of Greater Melbourne.

Those who live here may not entirely agree! We are always looking to welcome new members, so if you would like to be included in our emailing list, please contact either: Jan Kirchner (Morrison 1963) on 0418 550 446 or lemonjam.lj@gmail.com or Pam Booth (1959) on 0438 907 701 or gagabooth4@gmail.com

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Research Award in Education

News of Old Collegians Deputy Chief Judge Old Collegian Meryl Sexton (1977) has been appointed as first Deputy Chief Judge of the County Court in Victoria’s history. Judge Sexton was appointed as a Judge in the County Court in 2001 and in 2005 she was appointed as the inaugural Judge in charge of the Court’s Sex Offences List. She has been a member of the Advisory Committee for the Child Witness Service since its establishment in 2007, and is a member of the State Government’s Jury Directions Advisory Group. She has been acting Chair of the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre Trust, committee member of the Women Barrister’s Association and member of the Equality before the Law Committee. She holds a Bachelor of Laws at Monash University and began her career in criminal law, first appearing in trials in 1987. In 1995 she was appointed as a Crown Prosecutor and from 1997 to 2001 she was an advocate member of the Legal Profession Tribunal. We congratulate Her Honour Judge Meryl Sexton on this prestigious appointment and wish her all the best in her new position.

Dr Lucinda McKnight (1984) has been awarded one of only two 2022 Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards (DECRAs) in education. She takes up the role of Australian Research Council Fellow at Deakin University to investigate how English teachers are conceptualising and teaching digital writing, over a three-year period. Her project seeks to make English education more relevant to the current and future lives and careers of students. A former English teacher herself, Lucinda is on the council of the Victorian Association for the Teaching of English and is inspired in all her work by fond memories of her wonderful English teachers at PLC, including Ilana Snyder, Pam Chessell and Janet Maher.

Alumni Recognised in Australia Day Honours We congratulate Old Collegian Helene Bender (Gillman 1968) on being awarded a Member of the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in the 2022 Australia Day Honours List for her service to the community through health, education, not-for-profit and sporting organisations.

Cynthia Mahoney Cynthia Mahoney (1988) has just published her first book called, Cultivate: how neuroscience and well-being support rural leaders to thrive. Cynthia grew up in Benalla before becoming a boarder at PLC. She studied Agricultural Science at the University of Melbourne and worked for the Department of Agriculture of Victoria for 17 years during which time she gained a Master of Agricultural Science (farm business management economics/rural sociology). She has established her own leadership development practice and is a facilitator, coach and mentor focusing on how to develop sustainable human performance where wellbeing is the foundation.

When she was in Year 11, Cindy Nguyen (2013) attended a National Young Leaders Day conference where she was inspired by a speaker from the Australian Army. The presentation motivated Cindy to expand her leadership skills and challenge herself in a physically, emotionally, and mentally demanding environment and it led, many years later, to her attaining her current position as a commissioned General Service Officer, with the rank of Lieutenant in the Corps of Royal Australian Engineers (RAE) within the Australian Army. Following that conference, Cindy was elected as Rosslyn House Captain and a member of the Student Leadership Team. These experiences strengthened her resolve to serve not only the girls at PLC, but to lead and serve others in the future, for a bigger and greater purpose, for our nation. On completion of her Bachelor of Science (Physiology Major), degree with Honours at the University of Melbourne, Cindy voluntarily served a two-year Contract Full-Time Service (CFTS) with the Australian Army, as an Army Reservist. She has now returned home to Surrey Hills, Melbourne, to pursue a Postgraduate Medicine degree to become a doctor (her life-long ambition) while serving as an Army Reservist. This is in line with her ambition to one day be able to serve and deploy as a Medical Doctor in the Army with combat experience. Cindy says she owes her leadership and teamwork abilities to the experiences provided at PLC and feels deep gratitude for the school and her education at PLC from 2006 to 2013. “By sharing my news with current students and Old Collegians, I hope to inspire others to serve in their own ways and follow their dreams, for the benefit and growth of the communities and world around us. It is only by serving from the passion in our hearts that we can truly and positively impact others and the organisations we are in, and I thank PLC for igniting that flame to serve.”

Swee Yue Tan (1992) was awarded the prize of In-House Lawyer of the Year at the Australian Law Awards 2021, which were announced on 2 December. She completed the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Melbourne in 1997 and has been practising law as an in-house counsel since the 2000s. We congratulate Swee, who is currently with AGL Energy, on this prestigious award and wish her continuing success in her career. Swee’s daughter, Isabelle (2000) is studying a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Biotechnology at ANU and her daughter Cheryl, is currently in Year 11.

Amy Leong (Nhan 2006) was one of 10 female authors of a book collaboration project called, “My Courageous Journey” that launched on International Women’s Day on 8 March 2022. Amy’s chapter is titled, “From pain, birthed purpose” which details some of the challenges related to burnout she experienced prior to leaving private practice as a lawyer. The experience has now put Amy on a mission to end burnout culture so ALL can thrive and not just survive and “live life well” through her burnout prevention and wellbeing coaching business called the LIVE LIFE WELL Movement.

https://amyleong.org/

PLC 50 (+2) Year Reunion, 19 March 2022

Arani Satgunaseelan (2004) was named in the Australian Financial Review’s Top 100 Fast Starters list for 2021 for her role as co-founder Managing Director of management consulting firm Vollardian.

Dr Sonia Fullerton (1988) has been appointed to the role of Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Sonia is a medically trained palliative care specialist.

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There and Back Again Everyone has the pure intention to keep in touch with their friends after high school, but the reality is that life isn’t that simple. There are groups of high school friends who remain best friends into university and afterwards, but for most of us, we lose touch once we leave school and begin our careers in the big wide world. In general, family, school and home location characterise us and heavily influence our associations in later life. Family has been found to have the strongest influence, with schooling being the next most important impact. Teachers guide children on what they want to become in the future; they also push kids to go beyond their limits and help them achieve their best. All these influences shape our character. Three Old Collegians have suddenly crossed paths at the Federation of Community Legal Centres in Victoria. Louisa Gibbs is the organisation’s CEO; Michelle Taylor is the Operations Manager; and Linda Loveder is the Executive Assistant to the CEO. None of these co-workers had come across ex-PLC girls before, nor had they met each other, as they were all from different years; however, they found they shared a common outlook. The values instilled in these pupils, by the school, have generated a camaraderie in their professional lives. Whether we like it or not, we are all connected to our teenage years in some way. High school friends strengthen that connection by setting up Facebook groups and organising school reunions to relive the moments from the past. You will always be connected to your secondary school in some way because those were the years when you grew up. We all walked down the same hallways, had the same teachers, sang the same anthem, lived by the same rules and gained close friends as we grew up in the strong social environment our school created for us. People who went to the same school share a familiar and safe place, no matter how much time or distance separates them, and they can always go back in time and laugh about the silly things that they did at school while growing up. When you reconnect or connect with someone from the same school, it is as if for a moment, nothing has changed. You share traditions and a unique aspect, aspects that helped define you as you grew up.

We’ve all wondered at times if high school determines who we become as adults and now that these three women have met, many years after their time at PLC, it is obvious that the school environment does have an immense impact on adult lives. The Federation of Community Legal

Centres Victoria is a not-for-profit peak body that supports and advocates for Victoria’s 47 Community Legal Centres (CLCs). For fifty years, CLCs have been at the forefront of helping those facing economic, cultural, or social disadvantages to access free legal services; and advocating for more equitable laws.

News of Old Collegians Births Sara Tavasz (Hancock 2006) and James welcomed a son, Dominic, on 8 October 2021. Dominic is their first child.

Marriages

Left to right: Michelle Taylor, Louisa Gibbs and Linda Loveder are delighted to be working together at the Federation of Community Legal Centres (VIC)

Katherine Scott (Moore 2010) married Sam Scott on 13 February 2022 in a joyous outdoor ceremony in the Yarra Valley. Their marriage was celebrated with many Old Collegians in attendance, including maid of honour, Saran Jones (2010), and bridesmaid, Natalie Kieleithner (2010).

Michelle Taylor (Lam 1997) spent her early career years working in community grass roots sports and event management, then went on to spend much of her career in business operations across the corporate sector in the financial, telecommunications and technology industries. She joined the not-for-profit sector in 2019 and in 2021 commenced with the Federation of Community Legal Centres. Michelle has three primary-school-aged children. In closing, these three women are ever so thankful to PLC for its full academic and social guidance, which has touched their lives and been a lasting influence in their adult lives.

Louisa Gibbs (1992) commenced with the Federation in August 2021. Earlier in her career, Louisa served as Principal Solicitor of Inner Melbourne Community Legal. She also spent 13 years living and working in Vietnam, Solomon Islands and Senegal, working on justice sector strengthening programs, building the capacity of national lawyers, and partnering with women’s groups to draft and advocate for the introduction of dedicated domestic violence legislation in three Pacific Island countries. Louisa and her husband Andrew have three sons aged 14, 13 and 11.

The PLC community is saddened to learn of the passing of the following Old Collegians and community members. Obituaries

Linda Loveder (Black 1979) is happily married with one child and has travelled extensively and worked throughout her career as a professional Executive Assistant to many CEOs in private, corporate, and not-for-profit organisations. Some major career highlights for Linda were working for Qantas, Mercedes-Benz, and the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne. Linda divides her time between Collingwood and Phillip Island. As Linda is nearing retirement in the next ten years, she will see her only son getting married this year and looks forward to grandchildren.

Rosemary Post (Gladwell 1948) died peacefully, aged 90 years on 11 March, 2022, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where she had been a long-time resident and an active and much-loved member of the local community. She is survived by her elder sister Mrs Patricia Storey (Gladwell 1946), a former Head Prefect of PLC. Ann Radford (Bromilow 1961) passed away on December 11, 2021.

The Hon Raymond Moyle Northrop QC passed away on 31 December, 2021, aged 96. Ray had a long and distinguished career as a barrister and judge. He served on the PLC Council from 1968-1980. Ray joined the PLC Council in 1968 and was elected Chairman in 1972. His time as Chair coincided with the difficult and challenging period for the school as the Presbyterian Church entered into union with the Congregational and Methodist Churches to establish the Uniting Church in Australia. Ray remained Chair of the Council until 1980 when a new Council was established following the awarding of the school to the Continuing Presbyterian Church. Ray was committed to the success of the school and was a staunch supporter of its then Principal Joan Montgomery. In her recent book, The Vetting of Wisdom, Kim Rubenstein (1982) provides a compelling analysis of this tumultuous period. With his two daughters attending the school, Ray’s support of the school was consistent with his deeply held belief in the importance of a liberal, humane and scientific education for women. Ray was born on 10 August 1925 in New Britain, then part of the Australian Mandated Territory of New Guinea. He returned to Australia with his family at age two. Ray completed his secondary education in Melbourne, matriculating from Melbourne High School in 1942 before joining the Royal Australian Navy in January 1943. He served as a seaman on the Tribal Class destroyer HMAS Arunta until 1945, seeing active service in the South West Pacific, New Guinea, the Philippines and Borneo. Ray graduated Masters of Laws from the University of Melbourne in 1950, and was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in Victoria the following year. From 1952 Ray practised solely as a barrister, later specialising in industrial law. In 1976 Ray was appointed a judge of the Australian Industrial Court and the Supreme Court of the ACT, and was appointed a founding judge of the newly formed Federal Court of Australia in February the following year. Ray served on a number of legal bodies during his professional career, before voluntarily retiring from the Federal Court in 1998. He was the last remaining founding judge to retire, aged 73. Ray married Joan Peacock in December 1954. Ray would later reflect that marrying Joan was without doubt the most important decision of his life. Joan was a source of great inspiration, support and loving care for over

50 years until her death in 2008. Together they had five children: Merinda (1974), Nerida (1975), Christopher, Rohan and James. Education and the Church were very important to both Ray and Joan. Ray was a member of the University of Melbourne Standing Committee of Convocation for ten years from 1965, becoming Warden of Convocation and later President of the Graduates. In 1975 he was elected to the University of Melbourne Council, serving as Deputy Chancellor of the University from 1985 to 1993. It was in his capacity as Deputy Chancellor that Ray had the honour of conferring the degree of Doctor of Philosophy on his wife Joan in 1990. Throughout his life Ray was a respected member of the Presbyterian Church and later the Uniting Church, serving as procurator of the Presbyterian Church from 1974-1976. Ray’s community service was recognised in 1995 when the University of Melbourne conferred him with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws “for long and distinguished service to the community, particularly in the fields of law and education.” Following his retirement Ray became involved in the Navy Historical Society and the HMAS Arunta Association. Amongst other things, Ray was instrumental in the successful campaign to erect a memorial to the three World War II Tribal Class destroyers on the foreshore at Queenscliff. A highlight of his retirement years was leading the 2012 ANZAC Day march in Melbourne. Throughout his life Ray was guided by a strong sense of duty and obligation, and was unfailingly supportive and encouraging of those around him. His good humour and the twinkle in his eye persisted even through the trials of the COVID lockdowns over the past two years. He is survived by his five children, ten grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren.

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Obituaries

Fiona Alexandra Ogilvy-O’Donnell (1973) 9 January 1956 – 17 January 2022. Fi undertook her entire secondary education at PLC, finishing Sixth Form in 1973. Fi attended La Trobe University, gaining a Diploma of Education in 1977 and her Bachelor’s Degree in Behavioural Science in 1978. During her years at La Trobe University, Fi, a resident of Menzies College, was also a member of the University Student Representative Council and editor of the College weekly newspaper.

Fi spent time in the hospitality industry, as a student and part-time/full-time waitress in various restaurants in Melbourne and at Sorrento, and then as manager at La Bouffe Restaurant. During 1980, Fi worked at the Commonwealth School Commission and began developing her thinking on schooling and curriculum. In 1982, Fi joined the Association of Independent Schools of Victoria (AISV) and from 1986 to 2002 Fi was the Association’s Executive Director. Under Fi’s leadership, AISV developed the School Funding Reforms model. The new funding model corrected injustices and guaranteed the right of every student to public support. Fi had a great passion for the education sector and she felt that her greatest professional fulfilment was the achievement of Schools Funding reforms. In 2002, Fi resigned as Executive Director, AISV and commenced building her home and holiday cottages with her husband Bod at

their Warburton property. In 2010 Fi joined the Liberal Party. Within two years she was a member of its ruling Administrative Committee, Chair of several of its Standing Committees and in 2016 Chair of the State Council Agenda Committee. She was secretary of the Casey Federal Electorate Conference and of the Eildon State Electoral Conference, and President of the local Upper Yarra Branch of the Liberal Party. Fi was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive type of T-Cell Lymphoma in October 2021. Fi chose not to have treatment due to the acute stage of the cancer and a life expectancy of a few weeks. Fi died peacefully, surrounded by her family on 17 January, 2022.

Lorna May Tilson Harris (Newman 1948) passed away on 11 November, 2021. Lorna Newman was born on 8 October, 1931 to her long-unknown German father, Albert Neumann and her Irish descendant mother, Rita Tilson from Croki, NSW. Her father later changed his name to Newman. These were tumultuous times with the Great Depression, the stock market crash, and soon, WW2. Her father served in the Australian armed forces. She would always tell us, “if you do something, do it properly or not at all” − as was her own philosophy. Lorna grew up on a large orchard at Wantirna, and a dairy farm in Warragul. She attended Bayswater Primary School and later PLC, where she excelled in science, music and ballet. After graduating in 1948, she went to Pharmacy College and became a registered pharmacist. She always spoke fondly of her days at PLC, as the best school. She joined the Box Hill Symphony Orchestra and Coy Ballet. Lorna married Alan Harris in 1953 and had two sons – Andrew and Sean. Her greatest regret was not to have a daughter. Her other great passion was to breed and show British bulldogs at the Royal Melbourne Show. Her father later died from TB, which caused her great pain, splitting her time between the orchard and pharmacy. Her marriage ended, unfortunately.

Lorna ensured both her sons had a Scotch College education. Sean was an Australian swimming champion, but due to a car accident had a partial amputation of his left leg. With his mother's help, he overcame this disability and went to the 2004 Atlanta Paralympic Games. He was the first amputee to swim the English Channel. He tragically passed away in 2008. Andrew graduated from Monash University. Tragedy again struck when Lorna was subsequently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia. PLC no doubt helps women to be strong and independent. These medical conditions hit her hard. Lorna was assisted in her closing years with in-home assistance, another bulldog, “Coco”, and specific programs. Andrew moved to her home to coordinate her care. Of recent times, Andrew arranged for Lorna to attend the oldest surviving PLC Old Collegians' reunions, for Years 1955 and before – an elite group of at least 26 women – including the 1943 School Captain. They were putting us men to shame! In October 2021 Lorna was admitted to hospital after a fall at home. She passed away on 11 November, 2021. She will be truly missed by many, but as my four-year-old grand-daughter Ruby told me, “Your mummy is with the stars now Pops and she will be at peace” – I think that says it all. Provided by Andrew Harris (Lorna’s son)

Joan Alice Anderson (White 1940) passed away on 22 January, 2022. In 1937 Joan commenced her secondary schooling at Presbyterian Ladies' College (PLC). The school was then at the Abbott Street, East Melbourne campus. Joan wrote in her diary, “In my teens I felt as though my brain had suddenly come alive! At first, I felt an outsider at school but soon fell in with a group of girls that became lifelong friends”. Joan recalls, “There was a wave in the polio epidemic then, and schools were closed. Studies had to be done by correspondence. Many families were close to, or knew people afflicted by the disease”. In 1938 a diphtheria epidemic struck Melbourne, and Joan’s sister was very sick with it, and almost died. Then WW2 commenced in 1939, men were enlisting to fight, and the mood of the war weighed on everyone. (Joan’s father, a member of a New Zealand Army Ambulance Corp, had been wounded in France during

MaryStuart McCahon Denver (Sinclair 1951) passed away on 17 January 2022. She was a student at PLC during the 1940s and was the younger sister of Nancy Sinclair (1937). After leaving PLC, MaryStuart joined the ES&A Bank in Melbourne and later transferred to their London branch for two years. On her return to Australia, she married and then opened five retail shops called “Maternity Faire” in suburban shopping centres, Little Collins Street and in Adelaide. She later opened other retail businesses in Olinda and Melbourne before she moved into hospitality and was the proprietor with her husband of hotels in Victoria, Tasmania and later a motel in Queensland. MaryStuart had a very busy life and many

WW1). In Joan's words, “1940 was my final year of secondary school, then known as MATRICULATION. It was a major milestone on the way to university or other pursuits. To add to this success, I had won a Tertiary Education scholarship. Many parties to celebrate!” "From 1941 to 1943 I was enrolled in science, (Melbourne University being the only Victorian university in those days). Through these war years I was at Melbourne University’s Women’s College residence. Due to the war, there were dugouts in lawn areas and blackouts to building windows and lighting. There were shortages and rationing of food and clothing. Vacation jobs included fruit picking and working in the SPC cannery at Shepparton and working as a laboratory technician at the old Queen Victoria Hospital. I graduated at the end of 1943 with a BSc, with majors in biology and zoology. In 1944, with fresh BSc in hand, I was employed for a short time with Heinze quality control lab (back to canned peas and tomatoes). I then got a job with the Department of Health – National Food Survey. Two women would be paired, and we would be sent off to distant towns all over Australia, often by train, and then with bicycles and questionnaires in hand, data was collected to assess the food availability and nutrition within the population. There were no ballpoint pens in those days and electronic calculators were still decades away." In 1946 Joan started a course in medicine where she met Ross Anderson, a returned soldier who was also studying medicine. They were married in 1947 and

talents including playing the piano, being brilliant on the computer, patch-working, and she also excelled in cooking. She successfully balanced the demands of being a businesswoman with those of being a homemaker. She had three children, Elspeth (deceased), Janine and Stuart who now live overseas and she had five grandchildren. In 1971, she was elected by the Melbourne Royal Women’s Hospital as an Honorary Life Governor for her services to expectant mothers. MaryStuart attended her PLC 50th reunion at Burwood many years ago and always valued her association with PLC. She is sadly missed by her family and friends. Provided by Desmond Denver (MaryStuart’s husband)

Joan became a devoted mother and wife, while her husband completed his degree in medicine. As was common for the times, Joan’s career ambitions came to a stop, and it was not until many years later that she took up part-time employment, teaching of Grade 11 and 12 Biology at a variety of Melbourne schools. Knowledge (or the access to information) was vastly different then, with no Google or computer files. Joan would carry a collection of thick binders filled with handwritten course notes, and useful information like a giant ready reckoner. Joan enjoyed observing the natural world and was fortunate to have had stimulating trips abroad, some involving long boat journeys to the UK. Joan had a long and active life, and died aged 98 from a relatively short, age-related illness. Life is often a mixed bag of joys and sorrows and in reflection Joan would say “C’est la vie (That’s life) − make the best of things!” Joan leaves four surviving children, eight grandchildren and eight greatgrandchildren. Provided by Robert (Joan’s son)

Presbyterian Ladies’ College MELBOURNE ABN 16 005 650 386 CRICOS No. 00334M 141 Burwood Highway Burwood, VIC 3125 Australia Tel: (61 3) 9808 5811 www.plc.vic.edu.au Submissions for the next edition of PLC in Print are due by Friday 3 June 2022 Please send submissions to news@plc.vic.edu.au INCORPORATING THE OLD COLLEGIANS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

PLC in Print - April 2022

Articles inside

Births, Deaths and Marriages

News of Old Collegians

News of Old Collegian Groups

OCA Sport

Old Collegians

Boarding

Christian Ministries

Camp Week Years 7-9

Early Learning

Junior School

Imashi Iddawela 2019 School Captain

Class of 2021 Results

From The Principal

House Concerts 2022