umber 2 / volume 27 / n spring 2 011 /
r e h t e Tog e e Women’s colleg the journal of th ey dn sy of ity within the univers
Content s 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 6 6 7 7 7 8 10 10 11 12 14 15 15 16
Principal points & Chair notes WEW abroad: USA WEW abroad: Italy Our donors WATSA breakfast New Council members Oration honours 2011 Profile: Tiffanny Junee 3 minute thesis Climate exchange College notebook Softball win On the Balcony From the Alumnae President Writers’ Festival report Best friends Alumnae Awards 2011 finalists Vale Staying connected Sakuko Matsui lunch Events calendar
PRINCIPAL points
I
n 2012, the College will be 120 years old and we have begun to consider how to celebrate this important milestone. There have been a number of publications that have charted the history of the College including: Vere Hole and Treweeke’s (1953) history, the architectural history (Edwards 2001) and the wonderful biographical registers (1995, 2005, 2007) so painstakingly compiled by Rosemary Annable. However, none of these texts captures the everyday experiences of living and working in our community. I have certainly become aware of the ‘hidden histories’ this place has encompassed in my discussions with alumnae. In their stories, College rules, the old telephone system and the ‘mousetrap’ are amongst the things they remember. Now a group of alumnae and staff has started an oral history project to capture some of these memories. Currently, we are contacting our 1940s cohort, with the redoubtable Margaret Ford promising to provide the first interview. Digital technologies will enable us to share these stories more easily than was the case in the past and, in the longer term, we expect these histories to have a special place in our 120th birthday celebrations and beyond. I would be pleased to hear from any alumna who wishes to be involved in the project.
Jane Williamson
Principal, The Women’s College
2 / The Journal of The Women’s College / spring 2011
CHAIR notes
S
ex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick gave the sixth Louisa Macdonald Oration at College on 27 May. Her speech reminded us of the gains made by Australian women over the past few decades, and the challenges still to be faced. Elizabeth paid tribute to Women’s College as a “unique and inspiring institution … a centre of excellence where young women from all backgrounds are nurtured and empowered in their pursuit of learning.” She stressed that gender equality cannot happen in isolation: it needed to ensure that “men are part of the debate and part of the process.” While Australia was ranked number one for women’s educational attainment in the most recent Global Gender Gap Report, women are lagging behind in workforce participation and leadership positions, and they continue to be subject to unacceptable levels of domestic violence and sexual harassment. There is still work to be done. I am confident that the education and role models which students take from their College and University experience will assist our students to be forces for positive change in the world. History shows this is already the case.
Lucinda Warren
Chair, The Women’s College Council
WEWabroad WEW student conference
Our connections with the Women’s Education Worldwide network are growing, with staff and students attending important international meetings in June.
V
ice Principal Tiffany Donnelly and Senior Resident Assistant Louise Prowse travelled to Mt Holyoke and Smith Colleges in Massachusetts, USA, to participate in the first Women’s Education Worldwide Faculty conference, which brought together teaching and administrative staff from women’s colleges around the globe. The conference picked up on threads explored at the WEW Heads’ conference hosted by College in January 2010, with the focus on teaching leadership and women’s history, and a special emphasis on the virtual classroom. Discussions among delegates opened up a fruitful dialogue about fostering research, peer mentoring, internships and career development, staff and student exchange, archives and digitisation. “Hearing about the challenges of educating women from the different perspectives of delegates at the conference was so valuable,” remarked Louise, “particularly the social challenges facing women in developing countries. We learned a lot but it was also exciting to share ideas about what we do here – people were especially keen to learn about our amazing mentoring program.” In addition to attending the WEW conference, Louise and Tiffany visited Harvard and Yale Universities, and “sister” institutions Barnard College in New York and Bryn Mawr College in Philadelphia.
Also in June, second-year International and Global Studies student Danielle Chiaverini and fourth-year Liberal Arts and Science student Emma Byrne attended the Women’s Education Worldwide Student Leadership Conference at Collegio Nuovo in Pavia, Italy. Forty-one students from eighteen institutions around the world came together to hear lectures on subjects ranging from science to economics to architecture, all with the aim to foster global understanding and young women’s leadership. Emma writes: A highlight of the conference was visiting historic Turin, especially the Venaria Reale Palace, an architectural masterpiece. The town centre has a square surrounded by cute cafes and a beautiful little church. It was so relaxing to walk down car-less streets and interact with locals who were more than willing to tell us about their culture and food. In talking to the other girls at the conference I really saw the contrast between our ‘typical’ University experience – especially the Uni experience of the girls from Sudan. It made me realise how much we take education and equality for granted.
spring 2011 / The Journal of The Women’s College / 3
OF OUR DONORS
With thanks to all who supported the college in the last six months. This column recognises our donors and celebrates the diverse range of support the college receives. No matter how small or large, each gift makes a difference to our students and the projects we support. Peter & Rosemary Amos, Janet Barriskill, Ruth Barry, Josephine Bastian, Camille Blackburn, Melissa Blackwood, Melody Boxall, James & Judith Bridge, Victoria Brooke, Merilyn Bryce, Victoria Burke, Meredith Burn, Pamela Carpenter, Jeffrey Castledine, Stephen Chapman, Jocelyn Chey, Yasuko Claremont, John Clark, Hugh Clarke, Hiroko Cockerill, Alan Coleman, Pamela Coleman, Hideko Coombes, John Copland, Anne David, Ann Eyland, Janet Flint, Margaret Ford, Jill Forrest, Paul Glynn, Rachel Grahame, Anne Green, Wendy Greenwood, Valerie Grogan, Dinah Hales, Debra Hazelton, Jill Heris, Jacqueline Hicks, Audrey Horn, Kathryn Hunyor, Roslyn Hunyor, Seiko Iwai, Julie James, Elizabeth Jane, Sue Johnson, Catherine Jonak, Lotte Christine Lawrence, Rosmane Lawson, Mabel Lee, Susanne Lester, Lucy Lind-Lloyd, Alison Main, Robert Maple-Brown, Peter & Patricia Marshall, Sakuko Matsui, Mary McGuirk, Tazuko McLaren, Jacqueline Menzies, Jane Munro, K R Neale, Robert & Anita Nightingale, Linda O’Brien, David Ojerholm, Rowena O’Neill, May Ong, Duk-Soo Park, Joan Perkins, Matthew Pulford, Catherine Rothery, Anne & Martin Roughley, Melanie Rundall, Alison Russell-French, Margaret Sargent, Kaoru Sato, Lisa Shand, Noriko Shimada, Lucy Shook-Ng, Michael Slattery, David Smith, Alan Edwards & Stephanie Pratley, Mary Stewart, Yuri Takahashi, Naoyuki Takezaua, Keiko Tamura, Nobukazu Tanii, Elise Tipton, Victoria Todd, Eiko Woodhouse, Masahito Yamaguchi, Seiko Yasumoto.
2011
Appreciation
WATSA BREAKFAST
IN
Above (left to right): Outgoing WATSA President, Francesca Neely with Shane Houston, Deputy ViceChancellor Indigenous Strategy, and students Annette and Cassandra McFarlane. Left: Filmmaker Alex Edmonson.
The annual Women’s College Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander Alliance (WATSA) fundraising breakfast was held on 19 April. In addition to the raffles and silent floral auction, supporters were treated to the screening of the short film, The Burnt Cork. Filmmaker Alexandra Edmonson gave a personal reflection on the making of the haunting film, which explores the stolen generation theme in one regional NSW family. Third-year Primary Education student and Indigenous scholarship holder Cassandra McFarlane said she really loved the film: “it reflected a similar story in my family – the shame associated with being Indigenous came across and I think it’s amazing how far we’ve come in such a short time.” Funds raised from the breakfast go towards WATSA’s many outreach programs.
New council members
C
ollege has welcomed three new members to its Council this year. Alumna Dr Jennifer Davidson MBBS FACEM (at College 1990 – 92) joined following the retirement of Justice Jane Mathews AO. Dr Davidson is Director of Emergency Medicine Training, Liverpool Hospital. Mr Leo E. Tutt FCA FCPA FAIM FAICD was appointed Honorary Treasurer on the retirement of Stephen Harrison. Mr Tutt is retired Principal of a firm of Chartered Accountants. He has extensive board experience and is Commodore of the Newport Royal Motor Yacht Club. New Senate representative on Council, Professor Marian Baird BEc (Hons) DipEd PhD (Syd) is a researcher in the fields of women, work and family and industrial relations. Professor Baird replaces Dr Ros Bohringer, who retired from the University and Senate in May.
4 / The Journal of The Women’s College / spring 2011
2
Oration Honours
2011
On 27 May 2011 Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick (top left) delivered the sixth Louisa Macdonald Oration. The biennial dinner also honoured alumnae with the presentation of three alumnae awards. Continuing anticlockwise: Alumnae award winner Professor Margaret Burgess AO; Pam Coleman and alumna Margaret Ford; current students Katherine Wiltshire and Jessica Yeo; alumnae Jane Mathews AO, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO, Janet McCredie AO; John Copland and Deirdre Johnson.
spring 2011 / The Journal of The Women’s College / 5
Ti f fanny
JUnee
Postgraduate student Tiffanny Junee has many strings to her bow; after recently completing her Masters of Publishing degree at Sydney University, her sights are now set on a PhD.
T
iffanny’s masters focussed on screen writing, digital research and publishing, and led to her thesis on the use of social media as strategic communication in Australian Rugby Union. Her research examined how elite athletes, organisations and teams have used Twitter and Facebook to construct their brand image in the virtual sphere. Tiffanny’s thesis was awarded a high distinction at the end of semester one, and her research has propelled her toward further study. She is currently learning Russian with a view to writing a PhD on
the construction of the Rugby Union brand in Russia, America and Australia. Tiffanny entered College in 2010 after a high flying career in marketing and media. A former editor for Australian and International Rugby Review, Tiffanny went on to work as a marketing director for PBL Media. Before taking the leap to return to tertiary study she was head of corporate communications and media at Hyundai. While study is now her main focus, Tiffanny hasn’t left the corporate world behind altogether: she is currently dividing her
time between a role as Managing Director of an online recruitment hub for the automotive industry, lecturing in marketing, public relations and advertising, and tutoring at College. On top of this, she is also developing several screen projects. Tiffanny says: “I am loving the opportunity to nurture the creative, the intellectual and the business and communications parts of myself. It’s an evolving process, but it’s taken me a long time to realise that’s what makes me happy. Women’s offers me an intellectual haven which supports me in all of my different roles.”
How much was said in 3 minutes? On Sunday 14 August Women’s College students had the opportunity to hear honours and post-graduate students speak about their current thesis topics. Each student had just three minutes to present their research as concisely as possible. Subject matter ranged from the evolution of television production and consumption to the use of social media as a platform for strategic communication. Fourth-year Commerce/Law student Nhi-Y Pham, who is undertaking honours in finance, won the Best Speaker Award for her clear, well-organised presentation on investment ethics, while Clea Grace’s colourful powerpoint slide detailing the development of new tuberculosis vaccines was judged the most creative. Jessica Sun delved into Oscar Wilde’s poetry and Stephanie Cooper summarised the results of her research on the production of oboe reeds in Australia and New Zealand. The final speaker, Louise Prowse, College’s Senior RA, briefly described her PhD research on the changing identities of rural Australian towns. The audience thoroughly enjoyed the broad range of topics, even at the furious three minute pace.
mi
3 6 / The Journal of The Women’s College / spring 2011
s
i s e h t nute
Climate exchange Catherine Dawson and Sanjana Mahtani are back in warm climes after their semester on exchange.
C
ommerce Liberal Studies student Catherine (inset photo) spent semester one at the University of Edinburgh’s Business School. She says the independence was a great learning experience: “I have family in England and wanted to be close enough to see them – but not close enough to rely on them.” Catherine’s family originated in Scotland: first College Principal Louisa Macdonald is a relation on her father’s side. “The University was ancient, and the Business School very small and personal,” said Catherine. “But it was minus sixteen when I got there and absolutely freezing!” An international student whose home is Jakarta, Sanjana (main photo) says that she came to Australia “to get a quality degree overseas. But I wanted to go on exchange for the adventure of it.” Sanjana continued her psychology studies at the University of Oslow in Norway, where all of her classes were taught in English. “Living in one of the most developed countries in the world was amazing and I enjoyed every minute,” says Sanjana. “The snowball fights at midnight, skiing on the Opera House, spotting an elk in my back yard. I even went hiking for the first time - with a 2-year old in my backpack!” Both students have returned for semester two. “Coming back to College was a given” remarks Sanjana. “I wanted to end where I began, because this is where I’ve formed my community.”
College
notebook
Học Mãi scholarship Medical students Aimee Wiseman and Ashleigh Smith were awarded the 2011 Học Mãi Scholarship to travel to Vietnam in December for a medical placement. Cup half full Lavinia Chrystal (Econ/SocSc) won the prestigious Australian New Zealand Continental Cup for Giant Slalom at Mt Hotham in August. She is currently leading in this four-race international series. in her own write Arts/Law student Aun Qi Koh placed first in Malaysia’s Perdana Leadership Foundation ‘Nurturing the Minds of Future Leaders’ Essay Competition, for her essay on the theme: Malaysia in a Globalised World. lost in space
softball win!
First-year Engineering/Science student Isabelle Casey attended aerospace engineering conference “Aerospace Futures” in Melbourne in July. The College softball team posted a spectacular Rosebowl win in the decider game against St Andrew’s College on 10 August. Our team had a straight run of victories against all the other colleges, but Andrew’s were the team to beat, and the win was literally snatched in the final seconds of the last innings when Jamaya Ferguson slid into home base off the bat of Senior Student Alicia Wells. The victory was especially sweet in that Women’s College will hold the softball trophy in perpetuity – softball will be replaced by soccer in the Rosebowl competition from 2012.
cattle call Isabella Skladnev (Vet Science) has recently appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Weekend (16/07) for her work as a cattle judge. plain sailing Antonia Watson (first year Arts/Law) represented the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron at the Harken Women’s International Match Racing Regatta on Sydney Harbour in March.
spring 2011 / The Journal of The Women’s College / 7
Since the College was built, the balconies have been an integral part of student life, and a persistent feature of the College photo album.
This photo-collage, sourced from the College archives, reveals the dramatic, scientific, studious and social moments College balconies have witnessed. Main photo, opposite page: Jeanne MAWSON (1928-30) at The Maples old building, 1928. Opposite, inset: “Whit” finishes an essay, 1948: Margaret WHITFELD (1945–46, 1948). Inset, above: On top floor Main balcony, 1913: Kathleen ENGLISH (1912–14); Marjory ROSS (1913–14); Mona ROSS (1912–16), Marian Fuller (WINDEYER: 1911–1913). Photos at right, from top: “Brock” charms a snake 1948: Patricia BROCKBANK (1946–48). On Maples verandah, 1947: Yvonne Marshall (ISAAC: 1946-49, out-student 1950). Patricia VICKERY (1946–48) on Main balcony, 1948. On the front verandah, 1913: Marian Fuller (WINDEYER: 1911–13) and Annie EDWARDS (1910–13). Dissecting sting-rays, Main balcony, Stu-Vac, 1946: Margaret Howard (MIDDLETON: 1946–48); Patricia BROCKBANK (1946–48); Nancye TAYLOR (1946–48); Gwendoline CROKER (1946–48). Students on Main balcony c 1948.
8 / The Journal of The Women’s College / spring 2011
on the
Balcony spring 2011 / The Journal of The Women’s College / 9
jacqueline hicks
W
hat a great way to continue our busy year with the Alumnae Morning Tea on 2 April. Attendees were charmed by Stephanie Bennett’s wonderful piano playing and I would like to thank her. We also welcomed Alicia Wells, 2011 Senior Student, and Nicole Tooby, Alumnae Scholarship Holder, as well as other members of House Committee.
From the
Alumnae President The Oral History Project is gathering pace. The movers and shakers of this initiative have been perfecting their skills ready to gather memories. In other celebrations, we acknowledged outstanding Alumnae at the Louisa MacDonald Oration Dinner. I would like also to congratulate current Women’s girls for the WATSA Breakfast where Alumnae and friends gathered to celebrate
Alumnae committee 2011–12 President Jacqueline HICKS (1975–76)
this great initiative, and to raise funds for further activities. The Alumnae AGM was held on 23 July. Afterwards, those who came to the meeting gathered for lunch in Main Common Room. Julia FEATHERSTONE (1964– 67) entertained us with spectacular photography and a thought-provoking discussion of Desert Australia. At the AGM, a new committee was elected. Jennifer Harrison, who has been a stalwart member, stepped down. She has been an asset and will be greatly missed. Melissa Robins also stepped down as Vice-President but remains a committee member. I want to acknowledge with gratitude her hard work in this position. A successful writers’ festival was held on Saturday, 6th August, with great participants, speakers, and much animated discussion. Many thanks to the hardworking committee!
Vice-President India HARDY (1999–2002) Secretary Eliza NEWTON (2002– 05) Treasurer Robin WINES (1956–59) Membership Secretary Victoria Harper (MORGAN 1981– 84) Committee Stephanie MOFFITT (2002–07) and Melissa Robins (GLASSON 1992–95)
I would like to welcome the new Committee and I look forward to our year ahead together.
Jacqueline Hicks
History or Herstory?
Hijacking Historical Discourse!
Netting History in an ephemeral world the Women’s College writers’ festival Are books more valuable in a printed or digital format? How do writers shape our society, culture and identity? Guest speakers and attendees alike tackled these questions and others at The Women’s College Writers’ Festival, held on Saturday 6 August. Speakers covered topics ranging from the role women should have in constructing history to the ethics of writing fiction based on real people and events. The day-long festival allowed Women’s College students and alumnae as well as members of the wider community to interact with professionals from the writing industry, including editors, publishers, authors and academics. Robyn Dalton (WATERHOUSE 1957) was impressed by the calibre of speakers, and said the issues addressed were “broad yet pertinent to anyone interested in writing, professionally or for enjoyment.”
10 / The Journal of The Women’s College / spring 2011
Best friends Janet McCredie and Janet Flint (PHIPPARD) entered College as Freshers in 1953. The two Janets or Mac decades and Ph of frien Janet McCredie is a distinguished researcher ip : dship. on congenital malformations, and Janet Flint is Honorary Librarian at College. They still refer to each other by their College nicknames: “Mac” and “Phip.”
Janet McCredie I don’t think Phip or I had best friends. Our group didn’t break up into cliques; we remained a large amorphous mass. Phip was one of the rather quieter, more shy ones, and I liked that. We were in Cottage together in third year, and hosted many “brews” (coffee breaks). I was in hospital residence for two years after finishing medicine, then spent four years in England, which chopped about six years out of any close contact. Phip had a family so she’s got a whole ramification of interests that I don’t have, but I’ve enjoyed her children as they’ve grown up. I’m actually more shy than Phip. She’s a natural catalyst, a visionary, and a gifted networker. She sees what has to be done and she works out a subtle way of doing it! When I was writing my book, “Beyond Thalidomide”, I spent many hours in the biomedical libraries of the Universities of Sydney and NSW. Phip volunteered to come with me: she found the volumes on the shelves and brought them to me; I skimmed each paper and decided which ones I needed. Thanks to her library skills, the whole operation took a much shorter time than if I had done it alone. We both had grandparents who were prominent builders in Victorian Sydney. Phippards built the Queen Victoria Building, and McCredie Brothers
built the GPO and Colonial Secretary’s Office. Our families must have known each other. Like builders, we are both practical problem solvers: Phip sees problems that need solving in our human society, and I see problems in medical science. Neither of us can resist having a go at them! Phip is a constant reliable presence; she’s thoughtful, and fun, and discreet. I value her opinion on things. Sometimes I think she’s bossy, but it’s always in a good cause and usually I’m just being sluggish! When I look at the situation clearly I can see that she’s right and I’m wrong, and I should get on with it.
Janet Flint There was such a small group of us in our fresher year. We all shared rooms and were mixed up at formal dinners. Mac and I were members of SUMS (Sydney University Musical Society) and we went on camps, and had mutual friends. Our friendship was really cemented by being in Cottage together. Most of us got married when we left, and became involved with family and children. Mac’s father delivered all of my children, so I’d become quite fond of Dr McCredie. It was only after Mac came back from England that we kept in touch regularly, and since about 1974 we’ve seen much more of each other. I used to visit her
father at Darling Point and she had moved to Woollahra. I’d become single by then so we saw more of each other after that time. Mac has got a very sharp brain. She didn’t display extraordinary brilliance in her first years at College, but as years progressed you discerned what a sharp clear mind she has. She is very exact in what she means, and I can be a bit vague. I enjoyed helping with her research – I’d trot round and get the volumes out and find the article for her and she’d peruse it, and ever since I feel that perhaps I’d been a sounding board for her, in that she knows she’s got to explain things in layman’s terms, even when putting cases to lawyers, professors and scientists who might oppose her views on Thalidomide. We ring each other about once a week or fortnight – we’re not in each other’s pockets, but we still know what’s going on. Mac has a vast number of friends, and I feel privileged to be included amongst them. She is very hospitable to all her friends, and her friends’ friends, and strays! She certainly doesn’t let on, but she’s always looking after someone. There’s a great kindness behind that. Tell us your best friend story. Email: vp@thewomenscollege.com.au
spring 2011 / The Journal of The Women’s College / 11
alumnae awards finalists
open CATEGORY finalists
College honoured the achievements of its alumnae at the Louisa Macdonald Oration Dinner on 27 May. Margaret Burgess won the Open category, Rebecca Ordish the Young Alumna category, and Jill Hodgson the Community Achievement category.
Margaret Burgess AO (MENSER)
Penny Cameron
Elizabeth Jane OAM
(WYNDHAM)
At Women’s College 1947–52
At Women’s College 1960
At Women’s College 1957–59
Margaret Burgess is Emeritus Professor at the University of Sydney and Emeritus Consultant Physician at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
Penny Cameron is a key figure in teaching English as a second language (TESOL), publishing extensively over the course of her long career, and teaching at school and university level.
Elizabeth Jane has worked in General Practice since graduating as a doctor in the 1950s.
She is a pioneer researcher in the fields of congenital rubella infection, immunisation, infectious diseases and teratology. Over her career Margaret’s contribution to child health in Australia has been substantial. Through medical research and publications, community service, teaching and mentoring, Margaret has worked to benefit public health, and to foster the careers of women in the medical profession.
Penny has written more than sixty books, and her readership includes school and adult learners, as well as TESOL practitioners. As President of the Women’s College Alumnae from 2004 to 2007, Penny worked tirelessly to reconnect alumnae with College. She has continued this work more recently as a member of the University’s Alumni Council.
12 / The Journal of The Women’s College / spring 2011
She has worked extensively with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) mentoring younger colleagues, and assisting with interviewing and recruiting graduates into rural professional practice. In 2001 she was appointed Censor-in-Chief to the RACGP, a position responsible for the standards of assessment for entry into General Practice. Elizabeth has worked throughout her career to improve the quality of primary health care in Australia.
young alumna
Fiona McCuaig is a wildlife activist and member of the Sea Shepherd anti-whaling coalition. She has spent two seasons in the Antarctic tracking and physically confronting the Japanese whaling fleet, successfully saving hundreds of endangered whales. She has volunteered in Africa and America in wildlife rehabilitation, and is now head of the youth committee for the Foundation for the National Parks and Wildlife in New South Wales. Fiona also started her own organisation to redevelop substandard animal enclosures in the third world. Known as Excellence in World Zoos, her first project was the Australian Zone of the Beijing Zoo in time for the Olympics. Fiona holds a Bachelor of Economics and is a property consultant at Colliers International.
finalists
Fiona McCuaig At Women’s College 1997–1999
Rebecca Ordish (STEELE) At Women’s College 1993–1995 Rebecca Ordish is an intellectual property lawyer whose specialty is assisting companies to protect their intellectual property in the challenging China market. Rebecca and husband Adam founded the Mitrataa Foundation in 2001, an organisation devoted to empowering women and girls in Nepal through education and training initiatives. The foundation grew out of the couple’s experience living and working as volunteer teachers in Nepal. Mitrataa provides scholarships for Nepali girls to attend school and runs literacy and numeracy programs for Nepali women, as well as providing business mentoring and group saving programs. Drawing on her intellectual property experience, Rebecca is also assisting the indigenous Nepal pashmina industry to maintain its quality through a cooperative trademarks scheme.
community achievement
finalists
Roya Baghai (ARDJOMAND) At Women’s College 1987–1990 Roya Baghai is co-founder and co-chair of the High Resolves Initiative, a program which motivates high school students to see themselves as purposeful global citizens by assisting them to acquire community leadership skills. Now in over fifty schools in NSW and Victoria, High Resolves has reached more than 15,000 students. Roya’s background in architecture and design has informed her professional life so far. She has worked in architecture firms both in Sydney and in Toronto, Canada, and has extended her creativity to multimedia design projects and creating graphic identities for individuals and corporate clients. Through her work developing, marketing, and delivering curriculum for High Resolves, Roya has demonstrated her commitment to creating transformative educational experiences for young people in Australia.
Jill Hodgson (BOWLER) At Women’s College 1961–1963 and 1965 Jill Hodgson’s community work in her home of Boorowa, in the tablelands north of Canberra, has been longstanding, unremitting, and extremely varied. On top of the demands of running a farm, Jill’s work shows a dedicated commitment to her local community, her church community, and the hearing loss community. Amongst her many activities, Jill has worked on the Boorowa Show Committee, the setting up and management of Boorowa Meals on Wheels, the Boorowa Sports Council, Bushfire Brigade, church and cemetery restoration, and the dissemination of information for hearing-impaired people in rural communities. The scope, intensity and impact of her work and her personal input has been immense.
spring 2011 / The Journal of The Women’s College / 13
Alison Hope Hewitt (TILLYARD: 1933–35)
Gertrude Horn (FINCKH: 1941– 45)
Jean RAPHAEL 1940 – 43
BA Hons MA BComm
Assoc Dip Music (AMusA) MBBS DipFamilyPlanning
Grad BSc Cert Diet Cert Herbal Medicine
18 March 2011 Alison Hope Tillyard was born in Sydney in 1915, one of four daughters of English immigrants. Hope’s early years were spent in New Zealand, where her father Robin headed the biological department at the Cawthron Institute in Nelson. The family moved to Canberra in 1928. Gough Whitlam was a school friend and fellow student at Telopea Park High School. All the girls played sport; Hope excelled at tennis and hockey. Hope’s academic gifts won her scholarships, first to study arts at the University of Sydney, followed by fine arts at Sydney Technology College. She attended Women’s College, as did her sisters Patience (1929 –31) and Faith (1931–33). Hope’s first love was painting and in the late 1930s she went to Paris, where she rented a tiny apartment in Montparnasse and painted until the War broke out. Hope met Lenox Hewitt in Canberra in 1941; they were married in 1942. Hope made her mark as a university lecturer, theatre critic and book reviewer. She was the first woman appointed to teach English literature at Canberra University College, later the Australian National University, and was a senior lecturer specialising in Elizabethan and Jacobean drama, 18th- and 19th-century English novels from 1965 until she retired in 1981. Hope combined a demanding, full-time career with bringing up four children, in addition to her work for The Canberra Times as a theatre critic, book reviewer and popular poet. She served on the National Literature Board of Review, the council of Garran College at ANU, and the Canberra Theatre, and contributed to the community as a hospital volunteer and supporter of several charities. Sources: Biographical Register Vol 2, Sydney Morning Herald, family information.
3 December 2010 Truda attended Birchgrove Public School during the 1930s and later caught the ferry to SCEGGS Darlinghurst with Margaret Dovey (later Whitlam). A meticulous and successful student, she matriculated into Medicine at Sydney University in 1940, studying with an illustrious group including Meg Mulvey and Catherine Hamlyn. A qualified piano teacher, Truda had also studied Strauss, Beethoven and Bach while at school. The decision to study medicine or to become a concert pianist was a difficult one. In 1946 Truda took up a post as an intern in emergency treatment and surgery at Cairns Base Hospital. In 1949, after returning to Sydney to study for her Pathology specialty, she met Radiologist Dr Craig Horn over a microscope at Camperdown Children’s Hospital. They were married after three months, and then for fifty-nine years, raising three children, Graham (deceased), Alexander and Margot. Truda and Craig started a medical x-ray practice in Hunter Street Newcastle. They built a weekender at Copacabana on the Central Coast and spent every summer holiday there. Truda immersed herself in bringing up her children and returned to practice in the 1970s, doing research on hypertension and blood pressure and later working as a medical practitioner for the Family Planning Association until she retired in 1982. Truda Horn will be remembered for her attention to learning, the arts and the advancement of the intellectual status of women. She applied the principles of research and diagnosis in her everyday life; she felt and thought like a doctor to the end. Sources: Biographical Register Vol 2, family information.
14 / The Journal of The Women’s College / spring 2011
16 February 2011 Jean grew up on a farm in Griffith that was allocated to her father after WWI. He died when Jean was five, leaving her mother and four young children to keep the farm going. Jean’s mother Ellen was a great believer in education and encouraged all her children to become educated. Jean was sent to Sydney by Legacy to finish her schooling; she trained in science and dietetics while at Women’s College in the 1940s. In her first year out of university Jean ran the main kitchen of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. She worked in many hospitals in Sydney, Newcastle and Melbourne. In London in the 1950s she was the group dietician for five hospitals. She married Douglas Coppard in 1956 and they raised three children, Nicholas, Sandra and Louise. Doug was a key participant in all of Jean’s adventures. Jean was no shrinking violet; she was committed to nutrition and its potential for disease prevention. She had strong views about the rights of women and was not afraid to express them. Jean was always keen to make the world a better place and to assist other people to become better people. For her, science was a way to understanding the world. In her seventies she earned a certificate of herbal medicine; she also studied botany and took creative writing courses. Jean was a fantastic cook; she loved learning and teaching about food, its taste and its nutritional and health benefits to the end of her days. Sources: Biographical Register Vol 2, family information.
Staying connected News from some of our alumnae
1960s
Margaret Carroll (HAMILTON: 1966– 67) BA MTCP GDSE In October 2011 Allen and Unwin will release Margaret’s third book, The Man who Loved Crocodiles and stories of other adventurous Australians. Margaret spoke about her forthcoming book at the College Writers’ Festival in August. Roslyn Garwen SIMMONDS (1965– 68) BA Dip Ed Roslyn is French teacher at Oxley College, working with fellow College alumnae Emma Calver (GORDON: 1983 – 84) and Sarah OFFNER (2009 – 10). She maintains strong connections with friends from her fresher year.
Geoffrey Watson (1985) MBBS FRCPA Geoffrey is Senior Staff Specialist in Tissue Pathology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
1990s
Kristina Fleur Wright (MOSES: 1996 – 97) BCom Hons Kristina Fleur has just returned to Australia after eight years living in London. She continues to work in equity sales for UBS. Her first son Arthur was born in July 2010. Below: Joanna Wood and her team rowing on Tamar in May this year.
2000s
Kristy KENNEDY (2001– 04, 2007– 09) BA LLB Grad Dip Legal Practice After undertaking a placement at the Public Defender’s Office working on the most serious criminal offences, in May Kristy started as a Tipstaff for the Honorable Justice Michael Slattery. Joanna WOOD (2008 –10) After two months of intensive training in Tasmania, Jo competed in the World Rowing Under 23 Championship in July. College provided a donation towards Jo’s training costs.
1980s
Bronwynne ROBERTS (1983 – 84) BEc LLB Grad Dip Lab Rel Law In 1999 Bronwynne left legal practice and started a food business with her husband, “Irrewarra Sourdough,” making sourdough bread, granola, biscuits and slices. They now employ thirty staff. She has two children.
Please send us your news to: vp@thewomenscollege.com.au
Sakuko Matsui
lunch
On Sunday 20 March, Dr Sakuko Matsui celebrated the anniversary of her fiftieth year in Australia at a lunch with friends, former students and colleagues at Women’s College.
D
r Matsui came to College in March 1961, directly after arriving in Sydney from Japan. She remained at College for the next ten years, while working as a lecturer in Japanese at Sydney University. Dr Matsui eventually rose to become head of Japanese Studies before retiring in 2001. She is now an honorary associate professor in the School of Languages and Cultures. As Japan is renowned as a gift-giving culture, Dr Matsui was determined that this tradition would benefit the College, and not herself. Guests at her anniversary lunch were invited to contribute towards a Japan Study Travel Grant or Asian Studies Prize for a Women’s College student. A number of them agreed to be acknowledged in the donors column on page 4. Dr Matsui says she is very pleased about the success of her party: “I am still hearing from my friends about how lovely it was,” she says. “I benefitted so much from the College, and felt very lucky to be living here.”
Above: Dr Matsui in the 1960s.
Sources: Sydney Alumni Magazine, personal information from Dr Matsui.
spring 2011 / The Journal of The Women’s College / 15
Events calendar
WOMEN IN SPORT DINNER Friday 16 September 2011 Showcasing our talented sportswomen and the sporting opportunities at College. WISTERIA LUNCH Sunday 18 September 2011 For alumnae who entered College in 1971 and before. JOBS FOR THE GIRLS: THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE CAREERS DAY Friday 14 October 2011 Alumnae are invited to showcase their workplaces at this careers market for current students. For information contact Tiffany Donnelly: vp@thewomenscollege.com.au or phone 02 95175005. VALEDICTORY DINNER Monday 24 October 2011 College farewells the students completing degrees in 2011. THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE CONCERT Thursday 3 November 2011 A special presentation by the musicians of Women’s College. looking forward 2012 The Women’s College 120 Years celebrations. Dates to be announced.
For details of all events, see the website: www.thewomenscollege.com.au/events-list.php Or contact Kate Brabant on Phone: +61 2 9517– 5008 Email: community@thewomenscollege.com.au All events take place at The Women’s College unless otherwise stated.
Photo credits:
Maja Baska Anousha Fluck Gary Stokes Staff, students and alumnae of The Women’s College
Editor:
Tiffany Donnelly
Designer: Regina Safro
Student journalist: Contact details: The Women’s College The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia Phone: +61 2 9517 5000 Fax: +61 2 9517 5006 www.thewomenscollege.com.au
16 / The Journal of The Women’s College / spring 2011
Eleanor Barz
Our cover:
Fiona McCUAIG (1997– 99) on an anti-whaling mission in the Antarctic. Photo: Gary Stokes. Designed and produced by The Women’s College within The University of Sydney in August 2011.