The Barker #141

Issue 141 Summer 2023 ISSN: 2204-938X

Summer 2023 Issue 141

48 International Conference Nairobi, Kenya A delegation of Barker students joined 1,200 student delegates from 160 schools from across the world at our first Round Square International Conference hosted by Brookhouse School, Nairobi Kenya, during the last week of the Term 3 holidays and the first week of Term 4.

Inside this issue

The Regulars 10 20 22 30 52

Junior School Virtual Reality Design and Technology HSC Major Works Visual Arts HSC Bodies of Work & New York Tour Music The Circle of (Musical) Life Alumni Profile Dr Jason Lam (Class of 1998)

The Features 01

From the Head of Barker Phillip Heath AM

03

From the Chair of Council David Charles Barker Foundation Donor Impact Report OBA President’s Message Angus Abadee

56 61

62

42 40

Exponential Results

An exponential increase in athletics training numbers has seen some fantastic performances.

Life Beyond Barker Vanessa Bennett from the Class of 1991

58

Barker Dance

Indigenous Fundraising Dinner

The Barker Dancers truly showcased the power of a unified group at the second Whole School Dance Showcase.

Against the magnificent backdrop of Sydney Harbour, the 2023 Indigenous Fundraising Dinner hosted by Deloitte, was held on Thursday 26 October. 150 guests enjoyed delicious food and drinks, as they heard about the progress on the construction of the school buildings at Dhupuma Barker in Gunyangara, Arnhem Land.

Editor-in-Chief

Editor

Coordinator

Print Production

Art Direction

Phillip Heath AM

Julie McAllister

Karina Drummond

Ian Lindsay

Naaz Hanson-Kerr

From the Head

Part of the Solution At Barker these recent weeks have been a time of endings and beginnings. We celebrated the graduation and Valedictory events dedicated to the Class of 2023.

They have completed their Higher School Certificate and join the many thousands of graduates from our wonderful community. I watched many of them as they left the Mint Gates for the final time, pausing to take “selfies” and to savour the moment. Their schooling years were completed and they were on the threshold of their future. The important years of schooling had taught them far more than the content to succeed in examinations. They learned to think, to co-operate, to respect the minds of others, and to imagine the world they long to see. For many, there was more than a hint of reluctance about leaving the familiarity and kindness of Barker; but they are ready.

Almost simultaneously, we were welcoming the new leadership team, the new Year 12s. I routinely remind our community that no school rises above its Senior year. The culture they establish (generally for good) permeates the whole student community and becomes part of the narrative of Barker. Another marvellous group of capable young people have made their own beginnings into the final year.

Yet beyond our Mint Gates the world is experiencing troubled times. Wars, climatic disruptions, political and racial tensions, equity in resources and even equity in respectful relationships in combination are challenging our notions of being human. An education worth having must prepare our students to have a mindset of adaptability as well as capacity. Examinations, despite their importance, can be a poor preparation for life and even for learning.

We seek to equip our students to become part of the solution to the problems they discover. We can no longer wait for someone or some group to arrive to “save the day”. In God’s care, we want our graduates to be creators of the future rather than just consumers.

Dr Paul Porteous, Visiting Fellow at Harvard and the Adjunct Association Professor and Director of Leadership and International Development at the Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis at the University of Canberra, argues that our current paradigm for leadership, including educational leadership, is flawed: On many critical issues facing Australia, we have been content as a population to allow “someone else” (usually the government or some other authority) to take “ownership” of the problem and consequently take the blame when it is not fixed. In that sense, we sit back in judgement, deciding whether a politician, head of department or corporation has actually “performed” sufficiently well. In most cases, we judge that they have not – and support and perpetuate a system that ensures that they cannot. Bad outcomes are someone else’s fault – our adversarial system of parliament, law and industrial relations demands it.

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From the Head

This lofty expectation for our graduates is accomplished by providing rich experiences of the kind that are celebrated in these pages and has long been the tradition of Barker. Through such experiences, our students learn resilience. They build friendships that will last their lifetimes. They come to understand the world through the eyes of another person; and they begin to appreciate with thankful hearts how much has been provided to them.

It is more about the journey than the destination; more about the experience than the successes they might bring. At the heart of this, as all our community knows, is our cherished motto Honor Non Honores.

Peace Phillip Heath AM Head of Barker College

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From the Chair of Council

Round Square Named after a curiously shaped seventeenth century building at Gordonstoun School in Scotland, Round Square is an internationally diverse network of likeminded schools in 50 countries across six continents that connect and collaborate to offer students worldclass programs, and experiences, developing global competence, character, and confidence.

Barker College recently became a Round Square Global Member.

Round Square schools share a commitment to character education and experiential learning emphasising six IDEALS – International Understanding, Democracy, Environmental Stewardship, Adventure, Leadership, and Service. Students at Round Square schools are encouraged to develop a spirit of Internationalism: to seek out, discover and embrace the similarities and differences between cultures and nationalities in ways that promote meaningful and lasting understanding and respect.

Round Square IDEALS are represented throughout Barker’s holistic educational program from Prep through to Year 12, in subjects like Global Studies, Geography, Business Studies, Economics, Christian Studies, and PDHPE, and in the Middle and Senior Schools’ scope and sequenced service learning: Year 7 – Environment, Year 8 – Care, Year 9 – Shelter, Year 10 – Education and Years 11 and 12 – Community Leadership.

Importantly, Year 10 service opportunities connect with our NSW Indigenous campuses, Darkinjung Barker and Ngarralingayil Barker.

We want Barker’s students to take ownership of their growth in character, leadership, and life skills as promoted through the ethos of Round Square IDEALS. The objectives are to: • facilitate student leadership opportunities to grow voice and agency • identify and enhance local and global partnerships and connections • provide enrichment opportunities • align experiential education programs and opportunities • develop sustainability.

Barker has a comprehensive outdoor education program whether at ‘The Grange’, in the Blue Mountains, or at other Year Group camps; in Cadets, or in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme from Year 8 Term 4; or in Barker’s Extended Stay Program, a special offering, and voluntary opportunity, for Year 9 students.

Environmental Stewardship is spearheaded by a cocurricular group for all students, ‘Footprint’, which sets an example of sustainability and highlights social justice issues. Aside from weekly recycling throughout the Campus, this voluntary group led Barker’s approach to International Women’s Day, World Environment Day, and associated charities’ fundraising.

Barker has formal student leadership structures: House Captains in the Junior, Middle, and Senior Schools, Year 9 Seniors, Year 11 Monitors, and Year 12 Prefects. This year a Senior School Round Square Committee attended a Round Square workshop with MLC Girls, Burwood and the World Oceans Day Event at Redlands College, Cremorne. The Committee participated in the Kinross Wollaroi School Postcard and will host their own Postcard. Committee Members represented Barker at our first Round Square International Conference.

International tours allow Barker students to engage in wonderful learning, character development, leadership, and global awareness opportunities, such as participating in the World Robotics Championship in Houston, USA, Japanese Language Tour, European STEAM Tour, Oxford Scholars Tour, and in Rugby teams touring New Zealand.

Part of Barker’s Great Cause is to live out an aspiration of looking Beyond the Mint Gates, our iconic Pacific Highway entrance.

That aspiration, now augmented by the Round Square IDEALS, is the lodestar for Barker’s call to inspire Global Hope.

David Charles (75) Chair of Council

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From the Chaplain

Giving Hope The tragic news of inflamed conflict in the Middle East reminds us of the darkness of our world.

The common themes of nations tearing nations apart, families living in fear, the spread of retaliation and violence confirm that Isaiah’s ancient description of “a people walking in darkness” remains an apt diagnosis of our world today. So, what is God doing about it?

What has God done about it?

Roughly 700 years before the Christian era, a promise came, through the prophet Isaiah, of God acting through a baby.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light…

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:2,6

These words gave hope to those “living in darkness” in Isaiah’s day and eventually landed in the Christmas story with a baby who cannot be confined to the manger. Jesus grew to fulfil the words spoken about him. He is the Wonderful Counsellor who spoke truth about humanity and the kingdom of God. His wisdom is sound. Through miracles his identity as mighty God was demonstrated before the crowds. He never lorded his power over others like a greedy dictator, but was loving and gentle like a father.

The outcome of his rule is described in the last phrase: Prince of Peace. Peace is the outcome of his rule. He wins peace with God through his death and will establish ultimate peace when he brings justice at his return. This is the kind of rule for which our world cries out.

The issues in the Middle East are not new to our history, nor are they confined to that part of the world. As Term 4 hurtles us towards the end of another calendar year, the last thing we need is more Christmas hype. Rather, in the story of Jesus may we know genuine Christmas hope.

Rev Peter Tong Senior Chaplain

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Junior School School Junior

Dance Barker Dance is the competitive performance dance program which commenced in 2020.

Partnered with REDed, Barker Dance aligns itself with the School Values and provides opportunities for students to grow their technical and performance skills, develop friendships and have fun. In 2023 Barker Dance has grown to four large troupes, three coeducational, and the exciting introduction of the Boys Crew, a space for boys to experience and share a love of dance.

Barker Dance performed at several competitions throughout the year, and all troupes received outstanding results, including several placings.

Performing at the iconic Sydney Opera House for Sydney Eisteddfod is an exciting day and this year our 3-6 troupe were awarded Highly Commended! All troupes put on exceptional performances in a very tough competition and should all be congratulated.

The season concluded with the inaugural Barker Dance Showcase, a whole school performance and highlight of the year. Leslie Hall was a full house and the standard of dance was incredible!

Sydney Dance Company visited the School to extend the students' dance experience and to invite some of our other students to give dance a try. Everyone had a wonderful time, including the teachers who couldn’t help but join in.

To finish the year the Years 5-6 dancers headed 'up the hill' for transition classes in the Secondary School.

The Dance teams in the Junior and Senior Schools work closely together to provide a whole school dance experience and these classes are the bridge for those who would like to continue their dance journey.

It has been a spectacular year for Barker Dance and we look forward to 2024.

Isabel Snowden CCC JS Dance Pip Cardwell Acting CCC JS Dance

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Junior School

Artistic Adventure: Inaugural Art Camp at Bundanon A group of eager students from Year 5 and Year 6 embarked on an artistic adventure, setting off for the inaugural Art Camp at the picturesque Bundanon, nestled by the enchanting Shoalhaven River. The camp was a remarkable opportunity for young artists to delve into the world of art making, while also immersing themselves in the tranquil beauty of the landscape and the legacy of the renowned Australian artist, Arthur Boyd.

The enchanting Bundanon served as the perfect learning landscape for our aspiring young creatives.

Bestowing a generous gift to the Australian people, Arthur Boyd and his wife Yvonne presented their property "Bundanon," sprawling across 1,100 hectares, as an artistic sanctuary. Now, this sanctuary becomes a playground of inspiration for our budding artists.

The primary purpose of the Art Camp was to nurture the students' passion for art making and encourage them to explore their creativity through various mediums. The camp was expertly designed to cater to the interests and talents of the participating students.

A highlight of the camp was the opportunity to visit Arthur Boyd's homestead. The students were awestruck as they explored the property and created pen and ink drawings along the banks of the Shoalhaven River. The familiar landscapes from Boyd's iconic

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paintings seemed to come alive before their eyes, leaving a lasting impression on their young minds.

Throughout the camp, the students developed a deep appreciation for the natural environment and the importance of preserving it for future generations.

The open-air art sessions allowed the students to experience firsthand how many landscape artists work, drawing inspiration from the world around them.

Year 5 students engaged in a captivating landscape charcoal work, while Year 6 embarked on a plein air acrylic landscape painting at the Riversdale Learning Centre. These courses challenged the students to experiment with different art materials, encouraging them to step out of their comfort zones and explore new techniques.

Junior School

Throughout the camp, the students developed a deep appreciation for the natural environment and the importance of preserving it for future generations. The legacy of Arthur Boyd also served as a profound influence on the young artists. Visiting Boyd's studio and home provided a unique insight into the life and work of a celebrated artist, fostering connections between the students and the artistic greats who produce art in both natural and studio settings.

As the inaugural Art Camp came to an end, it was evident that the journey had not only deepened the students' passion for art but also enriched their understanding of the natural world and the power of artistic expression. Bundanon's breathtaking beauty and the legacy of Arthur Boyd will forever hold a special place in the hearts of these young artists, inspiring them on their artistic journeys.

Upon their return, the students showcased their completed artworks in a special school gallery, shared with the wider community. The creativity and talent displayed in their masterpieces left all who saw them in awe, reflecting the profound impact of the Art Camp experience.

The success of the inaugural Art Camp has left us eagerly anticipating future artistic explorations and the continued nurturing of creativity within our talented students.

Yvonne Howard Deputy Head of Junior School Nell Clark Junior School Specialist Teacher - Art

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Junior School

Sharing the Love NAIDOC Week is always an exciting time filled with family, music, love and BIG celebrations.

NAIDOC

The theme this year was For Our Elders which is just so special! Across every generation, our Elders have played, and continue to play, an important role and hold a prominent place in our communities and families. Celebrations were buzzing at both campuses and included; visits to community events, singing and performing, visits from the Land Council, cultural group activities, dancing, music, making, cooking and devouring johnny cakes, and community visiting our campuses. The highlight of the week was the exhibition of a very special art activity that all the children completed. The students shared their love for a special Elder by sharing their story on why they are so special to them. Mrs Sturt then took a photo of all our students at both campuses and the students wrote their special memories in a speech bubble. They are absolutely heart-warming, with such beautiful, meaningful words that are special to them! We loved reading them and so did all our guests.

We love them so much that they are still on display at our campuses!

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day As always, we celebrated our wonderful students on this day which fell on 4 August this year. The theme was Little Voices, Loud Futures. It is all about the potential for our kids' voices to pave a new path for themselves, their future and our nation. To celebrate, Darkinjung were lucky to be invited to a colour run at the University at the Ourimbah campus.

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It was such a great day! We spent some time in the Food Science classrooms, doing some group activities in the library, a special lunch and treat from the food trucks and of course, the wonderful, messy, fun, exhausting, colour run!

Ngarralingayil celebrated a jam-packed day with games, stories, food, art and music.

Celebrating Stories, Languages, Cultures Both campuses celebrated Indigenous Literacy Day with a focus on A is for Aunty by Elaine Russell. Elaine Russell was born at Tingha, New South Wales, and spent her early years at La Perouse in Sydney. Her family then moved to the Murrin Bridge Mission, on the Lachlan River, near Lake Cargellico, New South Wales. A is for Aunty is about Elaine’s life on the mission, and she shares some daily routines and memories using the alphabet. It encourages literacy and an awareness of Aboriginal history in the younger generation. We took on the challenge to share our amazing campuses with others who may never visit, by writing our own book to share. Every student was given a letter or two and they worked hard on how that letter connects to our campuses. They came up with some fantastic ideas and worked on the illustrations for their letters. We think they have the makings of a best seller!! Stay tuned for D is for Darkinjung and N is for Ngarralingayil!

Mandy Shaw Director of Aboriginal Campuses

Junior School

Look up, Look ahead, Look to the Future These were Dr Yunupingu’s words when he opened Dhupuma Barker in his community of Gunyangara. I’m sure he is looking down on all the djamarrkuli at Ski Beach and is feeling proud of what is happening.

So what does two and a half years look like at Dhupuma Barker? Attendance continues to increase, students are engaged more than ever and the students have had a number of amazing experiences.

Who would think so much could happen in such a small, remote community in East Arnhem Land?

These experiences have included: • Working twice a term with experienced Apple iPad educators who support the children and staff with technology. Their skills on the iPad and linking it to their everyday learning has been amazing.

• NASA launching three rockets and our students getting to sign one of the fins of the rocket. We all watched the rockets launch from the front of our houses in Gunyangara.

• Swimming lessons. Students received ten swimming lessons in Term 1 and again in Term 4. This is extremely important for our students, considering where they live. The swimming instructor who has been here for a number of years, commented on the improved behaviours and attitude of our students since we have opened our school.

• Nhulunbuy Christian College – we have partnered with NCC where we meet every Friday in town to play sport, paint and share stories and have lunch together.

• Miwatj Health team join us every Thursday morning to talk to the students about healthy bodies, healthy homes and healthy lifestyles.

• Flinders University join us every fortnight and bring their medical students to work with all the Dhupuma students.

• Our Djirikitj Firebirds robotics team finishing 5th in Nationals and competed in Dallas.

• Indigenous Hip Hop team have visited our school twice. The community involvement and student attendance during hip hop is incredible.

Check out both film clips here www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-to0Q5GWpI www.youtube.com/watch?v=t57OpTCth8E • On Country learning sees our students making spears, collecting pandanas leaves for weaving, swimming at local water holes, eating local bush food including maypal (oysters), djindjalma (mud crab), ngarirri (fish), maranydjalk (stingray), miyapunu (turtle), dhambala (mud mussels) and mundjutj (berries).

We would like to thank all the community members across Arnhem Land who continue to support our students. To all of the Barker community, a big thank you for your continued support of our djarmarrkuli.

Tom Spencer Dhupuma Barker Classroom Teacher

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Junior School

Virtual Reality The Junior School hosted the annual Year 6 Primary Years Program exhibition in early September. This year, the Digital Learning Team introduced the opportunity to work in the virtual world using the online tool FrameVR, an online platform that allows students to construct a virtual exhibition space filled with rich media, including images, text, videos, and sounds. These virtual spaces were made accessible to audience members via Oculus Rift headsets, allowing for a fully immersive and interactive experience.

The introduction of this technology generated a real buzz amongst participating student groups and exhibition attendees. This experience highlights the potential of virtual reality to present research in engaging and immersive ways.

Paul Harmon Junior School Digital Learning Leader

Here's what students had to say about their projects: My group explored the passion area, Welfare of Refugees. We used VR because we thought it would be an engaging way to present our information and inform others of the issues around refugees. We decided to create a FrameVR virtual experience to target the younger children of our school to create an interactive way to spread awareness of the different issues refugees face. By using this platform, my group and I learned how VR works and how it can be used effectively in education. I would definitely consider using VR again in my future schooling as it was a great tool to show my group's research.

Sayuri Orfanos and Lucy Walther

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Junior School

My job was to create the VR experience on the website. I found the iPad challenging, so I moved to using a computer with a keyboard and a mouse to create a more accurate placement of the information. I had to be patient as I was developing my skills in this area and learning along the way. I needed to understand how the program works and effectively display my group's information on this platform. We had to overcome some challenging issues around sound and video creation, but in the end, we were happy with the final product. I can’t wait to use Frame VR again in my learning.

Caleb Hua

My group explored the passion area of cyberbullying and how technology affects mental health. We decided to use VR from a discussion we had with our mentor, Dr Mifsud. We sorted through our research and gathered our information to share with our group member Loui Metzmacher, who spent time at home and school putting the information into our FrameVR experience. We made videos at school, which then were embedded into the virtual world for our viewers to interact with. We found VR beneficial in spreading the message about cyberbullying issues and the effects of technology on mental health as we created this virtual space for our audience to view without having to print multiple copies of information on flyers. We have developed our skills in this platform and can’t wait to use it again.

Izaac Wyzenbeek, Alexa Payne and Abigail Hollis

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Junior School

Quiet Play Space A tranquil haven amidst the hustle and bustle of the Junior School, our quiet play space has quickly become a beloved addition, offering our Primary students a multitude of benefits during lunchtime.

Imagine a garden retreat where the clamour of the playground fades away and the serenity takes over.

This is precisely what this unique space provides, nurturing the mental wellbeing of our young learners.

Within this haven, the seeds of creativity and imagination flourish. It’s a realm where the noise of the playground is replaced with the whisper of rustling leaves, allowing students to dive into books, unleash their artistic talents through painting, drawing, colouring and explore the boundless realm of their thoughts without interruption. They can engage in quiet games of Uno and Connect Four, providing the opportunity to connect with their peers while playing a game.

Beyond this, the space also provides a stage for collective adventures. On Thursdays, the Year 6 students are able to gather together for a yarning circle, creating a space for meaningful discussions and forging friendships. Conversations flow freely, relationships are nurtured, and social skills honed.

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Overall, the space has provided a sanctuary for our Primary students, where they can find solace, enhance their creativity, engage in group activities, and develop an appreciation for the environment. It’s a place where young minds can find rest, recharge and foster both personal and social growth.

Hannah Yeow​ Junior School Classroom Teacher

Junior School

Igniting Interests and Passions The Ignite program aims to cultivate student interests, unlock passions and develop new skills. The 40+ afterschool co-curricular sessions that are on offer across each week look to ‘Ignite’ the interests and passions of children beyond the classroom.

The program provides for a diverse range of learning experiences, appealing to an equally diverse range of interests of students.

2023 has seen additional sessions for Robotics, Drama, Woodwork, Cartooning, Public Speaking, Tennis and Debating. The program continues to grow as does the involvement from both our Junior School staff and students.

There is constant reflection towards our Ignite program. We look to 2024 with the view to enhance the experience for students and families. Next year will see the addition of more sessions for our popular classes, improvements to our timetabling, increasing the variety of activities that are offered and extending invitations to families to connect with the program.

Thank you to our staff, students and families who have made the Ignite program possible and we look forward to an enjoyable and successful 2024.

Nick Pluss Junior School Coordinator of Co‑Curricular Activities

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Junior School

Keys to Rhythm

This meticulously crafted revue took us on a musical journey through five extraordinary doors of musical themes. Each opened door unlocked a new and enchanting musical genre, revealing stories of growing up, friendship, love, holidays, and the out-of-this-world experiences that life has to offer.

We are thrilled to share the resounding success of the Junior School 2023 production, A Chorus of Doors: Keys to Rhythm.

The 28 popular songs that composed this revue resonated deeply with the audience, offering a unique and heartfelt perspective on the universal themes that shape our lives. What makes this production truly special is that it was told through the eyes of several alumni students, each of whom chose their own unique path after leaving Barker College. Their narratives, interwoven with the performances, reminded us of the enduring place Barker College holds in their hearts and the impact it continues to have on their lives.

With a cast of 150 talented students, including all Year 5 and Year 6 students joining the Year Choir, the performance was nothing short of sensational. The dedication and passion displayed by our young artists were truly remarkable. The teamwork, commitment, and effort that went into this production were evident in every note sung and every step danced.

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The performing arts are undeniably critical for the holistic development of our students. They provide a platform for creativity, self-expression, and personal growth. Through music, art, and drama, our students learn essential life skills, from confidence and communication to discipline and teamwork.

Productions like A Chorus of Doors offer a stage for our children to perform, learn, and grow, shaping their character and nurturing their talents.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the students and staff who dedicated themselves to this extraordinary production.

Yvonne Howard Deputy Head of Junior School

Junior School

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Junior School

Learning for Friendship

Over recent years, the Junior School has developed a partnership with URSTRONG. The common language of friendships, and the wealth of teaching and learning resources, provide Junior School teachers with a scope and sequence of target material to support the children as they build connections, explore skills and engage in learning to prepare them to make and maintain healthy relationships.

Friendships contribute significantly to the development of social skills, being sensitive to another’s viewpoints, learning the rules of conversation, and age-appropriate behaviours, all of which are key to seeing children learn how to make and maintain healthy relationships. Friendships enable children to learn about themselves and develop their identities. As children mature, friends can help reduce stress and navigate challenging developmental experiences.

(Paul Schwartz PhD., 2019) During 2023, the Junior School has employed the customised URSTRONG Friendship Journal for every student from Pre-K to Year 6 at the Hornsby Campus, Darkinjung Barker and Ngarralingayil Barker. The student journal has provided a companion for teaching Friendology 101 with daily friendship skills and language references throughout to support our commitment to creating a culture of kindness and equipping the children.

The Junior School Friendship Journal for the younger years helps the children learn core concepts in a fun and playful way. Reflecting the concepts taught in Friendology, students apply friendship skills reinforcing the use of language and tools taught in the classroom. For older students, social-emotional learning meets executive functioning providing students with opportunities to reflect on the concepts taught in Friendology while using the Friendship Journal as a tool for communication and personal organisation.

With alignment to the Barker College Values, the language of Thriving at Barker and the International Baccalaureate Primary Years learner profile attributes, the practical skills and language within the journal provide a connection between school and home, in doing so connecting the circles of care for the children. The Junior School Friendship Journal has become a valuable tool in supporting learning communities for our students and teachers alike.

Martin Conway Junior School Director of Students

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Design & Technology

An Appetising Experience The success of the new Food Technology course offered in Stage 5 at Barker College is nothing short of amazing. The course was offered last year for the first time to Year 9 students and this year some 67 students undertook Food Technology in Year 10.

Led by the Course Coordinator Emily Nightingale, she explained; “the experiences have enabled students to develop their knowledge and skills around: nutrition, hygiene and safe work practices, planning and managing, appreciating different cultures and cooking methods, and collaboration and team work.”

Following are a few comments from students who are completing the Stage 5 Food Technology Course: "The Food Technology course was an amazing journey of culinary exploration. With not one bad lesson, it has always been my favourite subject and always the highlight of my day. What I enjoyed most about it was the opportunity to learn and hone essential life skills.

From mastering knife techniques to understanding the science of food, this course equipped me with valuable skills for a lifetime. The creative aspect of experimenting with diverse ingredients and cooking methods was a highlight. I chose the Food Technology course because it offered a hands-on experience that not only gave me an extra meal in the day but also enriched my knowledge of the art and science of cooking."

"It has been an amazing experience, as it has allowed me to understand more about the food industry, why we make choices and decisions about food, and how it affects us throughout our lives. I have learnt some

great practical skills, which I have been able to apply at home and it was a definite highlight each week making dishes I had not made before, and which were challenging."

"Year 10 Food Technology was an absolute joy! I was able to learn more about the importance of food and its impact in society. This year we researched different trends, evolving technologies, nutritional value, and its effect on the human body, along with recipes that corelate with this. It was extremely interesting, relevant, and engaging."

"Year 10 Food Tech has been fantastic. I enjoy learning how to make various meals and snacks from different countries. I chose this subject because everybody needs food to live, therefore knowing basic cooking skills and understanding how different foods can contribute to our bodies is both practical and useful."

It is extremely pleasing to view how successful the Food Technology course has been and how much the students have enjoyed their learning within this new subject area.

Darren Woodrow Head of Design and Technology

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Barker Institute

The Barker Journey heads up Chapel Hill Listening to the voices of Year 7 2023.

The Barker Journey is now in its fifth year! In this, it celebrates a significant milestone: our Barker Journey cohort of students are now in Year 7 and have started Secondary School. The stories the students shared revealed a year full of change but one where community remained as important as ever. We have been following these students since Year 3 2019 when they were the first coeducational cohort in Barker Junior School Years 3-6. As 2023 marks the beginning of Secondary School for the Year 7 Barker Journey cohort, interviews with these students were accompanied by a survey of the entire year group helping to capture student voice on student experience.

So, what findings have emerged from the Barker Journey project this year?

Year 7 students are balancing independence and community: They are embracing a newfound sense of autonomy, navigating a larger school environment, and taking the initiative to form social connections.

They are becoming more independent learners while nurturing their sense of community. There is a wonderful, emerging blend of self-sufficiency and community-mindedness.

Year 7 has been different to what I experienced last year by having more responsibility of your time and work with needing to be more independent.

Student survey response 108

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Year 7 students are willingly engaging in “productive struggle”: Learning, for them, becomes meaningful when it offers rich opportunities and nurtures resilience. They have come to understand that meaningful learning comes about when there are ample chances to explore; both within and outside the classroom. To achieve their goals, they've learned to be tenacious in their pursuit of knowledge and personal growth.

I want to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone… I’ve got to do the things that I find difficult more. - Student 6B To the Year 7 students, learning remains a social endeavour. This has been a consistent finding each year of the study and a finding that has become stronger, too. The understanding of “learning is social” is a source of strength for the Year 7 students as they adapt to change and prepare for future learning.

Social connections help them make sense of their world, they help them to thrive – and they understand this. They recognise the importance of social interactions as they move into a more mature and independent phase of schooling. This emphasis on social interactions, on forging new friendships and getting to know their classmates, was evident in the interviews we undertook and the surveys to which students responded.

Barker Institute

They care... when I get stressed out they make sure that I'm ok. Everyone's always looking out for everyone... more than just the teachers... my friends check on me… It's just like always looking out for everyone and it's caring.

Student 1G

We were delighted to see in the gathered data the importance students assigned to their teachers for the caring and enjoyable learning environment they foster. Support, creativity, and engaging lessons were but three of the things to which students made explicit reference as they shared their stories about being a student in Year 7 at Barker.

This year’s glimpses into the Barker Journey reflected the students' present experiences, revealing the qualities that matter most to this generation of Barker students: kindness remained incredibly important, as it has done each year since the start of the study. It has also helped our understanding of Barker today as a place where students are encouraged to be independent yet mindful of their community, where they willingly embrace the challenges of learning and where the social aspect of education remains vital as they seek to thrive with promise, purpose and a commitment to excellence.

Dr Timothy Scott History Teacher & Barker Institute Research Fellow

Values on display in Year 7 I have seen courage when someone is willing to just come and say “hi” and be friends.

I have seen commitment from a group of girls collecting recycling around the school each week I have seen integrity in certain students handing in lost money rather than keeping it.

I have seen respect in students standing for teachers and how referees are treated at sport.

I have seen compassion when people share money or food when others have forgotten lunch.

More information on the Barker Journey can be found on the project website linked to this QR code

Dr Matthew Hill Director of the Barker Institute

Summer 2023 • Issue 141 • The Barker • 19

Design & Technology

Major Works This year’s Design and Technology and Industrial Technology exhibition was somewhat dampened by a storm which blacked out the Upper North Shore. However, the mood and support toward our students' achievements was positive and uplifting.

Congratulations to the students in 2023, who recently exhibited their Major Projects. Taking on the challenge of designing and making a major project, managing and documenting the journey and then publicly displaying their work is a significant achievement and is commendable.

Designing and making is difficult. It takes considerable time and effort to learn how to use tools and machines to fashion materials into components and to be able to assemble and finish these. And the process takes even longer if students seek to develop solutions that have not been tried before. In our service economy today, there are fewer people who understand making, and fewer people who want to make. This is a serious concern and it hasn’t been properly understood, nor realised, nor respected.

Educational institutions from Pre-K through to Tertiary level have pulled back on the delivery of experiences which engage students in opportunities to produce outcomes through hands-on making. Society has embraced a digital world, which provides enormous potential for students on many fronts, but it cannot render up all of the secrets and skills that are to be gained through physically making and exploring different materials, tools and processes. It’s an extraordinary situation and will take strong leadership to arrest. I am reminded, ‘but God has chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise’.

1 Corinthians 1:27.

At Barker we are extremely fortunate to have retained traditional tools and equipment for making whilst adding digital equipment and automated machines into the mix. Our students have had opportunities to

20 • The Barker • Issue 141 • Summer 2023

explore these processes and they are more able because of these experiences which highlight connections between traditional methods and the digital transition to the use of automated processes.

The timber projects that have been produced in Industrial Technology this year display a wide diversity in materials, manufacture, form and function. The Design and Technology students have wrestled with how best to provide a creative solution for a genuine need and explored a range of options to achieve this, with several of these projects tapping into unchartered waters or new market opportunities.

Dr Julie Wilson-Reynolds judged Sophia Tweed’s arm-chairs as the best Industrial Technology project, and Sam Walter’s work bench was highly commended.

Samuel Thomas’ eco-friendly modular housing solution was judged to be the best Design and Technology project, with Sebastian Leim’s torsion golf club for arthritic users and Max Hanley’s Remote Aerial Delivery of Emergency Medical Supplies (RADEMS) also being highly commended.

We are extremely proud of all the Design and Technology and Industrial Technology students’ projects this year and realise that it takes sustained effort over a long period of time to produce quality.

Their ability to frame a genuine need or opportunity and respond appropriately through making, is an essential skill to Australia’s future. May you continue to value add to our resources beyond the Mint Gates and shape a better world for tomorrow.

Darren Woodrow Head of Design & Technology

Design & Technology

Summer Winter 2023 2023 •• Issue Issue 139 141 • The Barker • 21

Visual Arts

Bodies of Work The HSC Visual Arts Exhibition was a joyous evening celebrating the success of our Year 12 students and their Bodies of Works.

This exhibition represents many hours of investment from the students, their families and staff. Their artworks on display were a testament to the dedicated work each student has put into their art making and the challenges they have overcome along the way.

The diverse range of expressive media and subject matter impressively reflected the breadth of ideas and proficiencies of our students. We congratulate them on reaching the finish line and for the high standard of art making they produced.

Rikki Latella Acting Head of Visual Arts

End of the Line

Barker College was selected for the annual HIDDEN Rookwood Sculptures exhibition. It is an annual outdoor sculpture exhibition installed amongst the pathways and gardens of the Rookwood Cemetery on Dharug Land. This artwork is a joint project made by students from the after-school ceramics group together with Visual Arts students from Years 9 and 10 and the Junior School. Their ceramic installation is inspired by the history of the cemetery and the trains which ran from Mortuary Station near Central to the Rookwood necropolis. End of the Line is made from approximately 7,000 hand clasps of clay, each revealing the signature mark mapping the imprint of the maker’s hand. The black parallel lines represent the railway tracks of the past and are embossed with feathers and crows. The floral motifs on the brightly glazed hand clasps used for the text, reference the colourful tributes brought to the grave sites.

Ellen Macdonald Ceramics Teacher

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Visual Arts

Summer 2023 • Issue 141 • The Barker • 23

Visual Arts

New York Tour Early on a sunny Sydney morning on September 21 this year, 23 intrepid travellers and three Barker staff set off for the 2023 Barker Visual Arts Tour to New York City. And that was the last time we saw the sun.

Well not quite, but as it turned out we were in New York City for the wettest September recorded since 1882. It rained and rained, and then rained some more! But, despite getting wet, our spirits were not dampened.

Each day we joined our fantastic local guide Neil at the Port Authority Building. From here we spent our days going to the famous Art Galleries like the Metropolitan Museum, the Guggenheim and the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) where we saw works of art that we had only previously seen on screens. It was fantastic to see some of the works we knew, in the flesh, so to speak. We also saw many of the icons of New York. We had a tour of Radio City Hall where we met a Rockette dancer and we also saw the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. When the clouds finally cleared, we went to the top of the One World Tower which has been built just next to where the Twin Towers had been. We also walked around the moving memorial to those who perished in 9/11.

24 • The Barker • Issue 141 • Summer 2023

Our guide Neil was wonderful. He knew every inch of Manhattan and took us to some interesting areas and plenty of great places to eat. The bagels were to die for! We also spent some time in Brooklyn at the amazing Brooklyn Museum and at Bushwick where incredible Street Art has revived the once derelict industrial area. We saw Moulin Rouge on Broadway, walked the High Line and shopped at Chelsea Markets, Woodbury Common and anywhere else we found a shop. And we found plenty! We also spent a morning wandering through the Commercial Art Galleries in Chelsea where we saw many interesting contemporary art works. Everyone had a great time exploring New York and hopefully got some great ideas for their own artmaking in the future. Did I mention it was wet?

Andrew Love Visual Arts Teacher

Visual Arts

Summer 2023 • Issue 141 • The Barker • 25

Drama

by Roald Dahl | Adaptation by David Wood A week before the opening of The Witches, students from the Year 9 cast and crew were asked to respond to some questions based on their experience. It was a privilege to work with this entire Production team. They should all be so proud of what they managed to achieve together.

Why do this play?

Funniest rehearsal moment?

Louisa: I wanted to get out there and try something new and … (thought) “I should just give it a go” … I managed to get a spot and it was the most amazing experience.

Addison: I thought that it would be an interesting and new experience. I was wanting to develop a new skill in lighting/sound as I had never done it before.

Manny: Easily the chefs, they are absolutely phenomenal and hilarious!

Shawn: When Manny (Grandma) showed up to Sultans with his walking stick and was completely in character.

Biggest achievement?

Louisa: On auditioning, I was worried that I wasn't going to get a role, but the day that the cast list came up I saw my name and thought “Oh my goodness I cannot believe this, I'm actually in the play!” … So that's what I'm proudest of. I know that I'm really putting myself out there and pushing my comfort zones.

Manny: I simply find that working together as a team to create something amazing is the biggest achievement that we all have done.

26 • The Barker • Issue 141 • Summer 2023

Moments of excellence for peers?

Zoya: Our production wouldn’t be where it is without Addy. She has put in so much effort and it’s amazing to see how she works behind the scenes.

Jimmy & Zoya: Manny’s dedication to the Grandma role is unmatched. He walks into the room and starts acting like he’s an old woman, pulling off the accent, posture and he never breaks character. It’s awesome.

Best thing about this play?

Zoya: Everyone in it. We’re all like a family and that’s something about the Drama community that I love.

Shawn: In all honesty, the memories I have made with all of my fellow cast members and the crew, whether that be the small mistakes we make while rehearsing

Drama

which caused everyone to break down, or the intentional mistakes to get a good laugh from everyone. These moments have all been precious and enjoyable and I will cherish them forever.

Manny: I think that the amount of creative freedom in this play has led to a lot of great things. It’s led to some humorous interactions which have been brilliant.

Just being able to converse with everyone in general has just been the most delightful thing about this production. It’s sure to make you (audiences) laugh.

Never before have I had the privilege of being a part of something this hilarious, and also watching something so light-hearted and joyful that anyone can enjoy.

What would you say to Year 8s thinking about being involved in the Year 9 production?

Zoya: Go for it! Don’t hold back, there’s something for everyone in the production, everyone is welcome. It’s also an amazing experience. I’ve had so much fun and would recommend it to everyone who is passionate and keen.

Louisa: It's just a good way for you to get a taste of what the Barker Drama department is like. Everyone is welcome and it doesn't matter who you are or what you like, it brings together all the different sides of the School, and you get to meet so many new people, especially the people who you would have never thought you’d be friends with.

Shawn: I always encourage people to give new experiences a shot, because it doesn't cost you anything to try something and you never know what this new experience will do for you. And if you’re feeling nervous about joining the play in Year 9 just remember that the Drama teachers are some of the most welcoming and easy to communicate with teachers at Barker, they make this whole experience that extra bit better. It's honestly great and I really recommend it.

Jennie Bradbury Director

Summer 2023 • Issue 141 • The Barker • 27

Drama

ChatGPT can’t do this…

With artificial intelligence developing at such a rate that bots like ChatGPT can now create and shape content faster than we can think of what to ask it next, skills that are often called ‘soft skills’ (or more appropriately ‘21st Century Skills’) are more important than ever.

The 4 Cs - Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Creativity and Communication are sought after qualities that everyone from local SMEs to major players like Google and Apple are looking for. The top seven skills Google recognises as ‘required skills’ when employing include complex thinking and planning, communication and listening, and empathy.

Barker Drama students are working on these skills every lesson. We ask students to reflect on their own collaborative abilities early in the year and revisit them throughout each unit of work. Ask any Barker Drama student (or their parents) and they will tell you that the most challenging, yet rewarding, assessment every year in Drama is their Group Performance. This is where they are tangibly strengthening their ‘21st Century skills’. Whether it is their first taste in Year 9 with the Ancient Greek theatre task, or at the very end of their schooling with the HSC Group Performance assessment (worth 30% of their final external HSC mark) the “GP”, as it is fondly known, is equal parts frustration and passion. Making it just like real life, as students are reminded.

One of the most important aspects of a successful Group Performance is the ability to navigate a creative group that is building a ‘product’ from a small stimulus. Complex personalities, conflicting ideas, and time management expectations beyond the classroom, can be tiring, and it can be emotional but most of all it is exceptionally rewarding. I have never met a student that walks off the stage after performing their HSC Group Performance for the last time that says, “I wish I had never done that”. As the only subject in the HSC where students share some of their exam with others; the power and importance of a Group Performance goes above and beyond just another exam that adds to their ATAR. It is a piece of art that they have collectively created and an opportunity to develop and strengthen these life skills that are applicable in any career path beyond the Mint Gates.

We have had a phenomenal year in Barker Drama this year. Six of our ten groups have been nominated for OnStage – building on the successes of the past. Our great HSC results are a testament to this process of offering opportunities beyond ChatGPT. Pia Midgley Head of Drama

28 • The Barker • Issue 141 • Summer 2023

Debating & Public Speaking

Opportunities to Excel and to Grow 2023 has been a year when well-known past Barker debaters, Bo Seo and Nat Ware, returned to spruik the value of debating and public speaking in their lives and careers.

It has also been a memorable and exciting time at Barker in the arenas of Debating, Public Speaking, Mock Trial and Model United Nations, with a rich and expanding program of activities.

In debating, Barker had a great year with six teams making the finals stage of the 32-school ISDA competition with two teams making the final four – the Firsts and 8As – with some exceptional performances from our Senior Bs, Year 7s and Primary teams. Our FED teams also had five teams in the finals stage.

In the Term 3 CAS competition, Barker won the Firsts premiership, 5-0 – the sixth time the Firsts have won the premiership in the past decade. The Seconds also won their premiership, 5-0. Overall, Barker came a narrow second, by two wins, in the overall CAS debating shield to Knox. To reward our Firsts and Seconds teams, Iris Lee (captain), Jeremy Davie and Anna Steele were all selected as speakers in the CAS representative Firsts, an unprecedented representation from one school, with the team going on to defeat the combined girls’ schools in the Firsts (an association of 20 elite girls’ debating schools). Iris Lee also represented NSW in the Australian debating championships, with NSW coming third overall, and Iris was selected as reserve in the Australian Schools debating side.

Pleasingly, Barker has also joined the SSD competition (Sydney Schools Debating) which is an online debating competition running on Friday afternoons across the year and this has enabled an additional 30 students across Years 7 and 8 to debate regularly against other schools, meaning there are five Year 7 and four Year 8 teams regularly debating across three terms.

Barker’s Mock Trial team made the knock-out stage this year after making the final four last year with students spending hours learning the ins and outs of the law and court presentations.

Finally, Barker is continuing to grow its participation in Model United Nations events, hosting a MUN event this year and attending other events. We have also joined a new North Shore Schools Association of MUN and are planning to offer four or five days each year for students to participate in, as well as training sessions.

We would deeply encourage students to consider joining a number of these activities in 2024 for all the benefits it gives both at school and in life.

Andrew Hood Director Academic Writing & Oratory

Summer 2023 • Issue 141 • The Barker • 29

Music

The Circle of (Musical) Life It is only natural to perceive the journey of life through school as being a linear one. You start school at the age of four or five years old and progress through the years until you leave school in Year 12.

You can see the same sort of progression in the ensemble program, from the Junior School, through the Middle School and into the Senior School. But for the music teachers, the perception is different, and we experience these changes as cyclical. There are always students starting out, there are always students developing and there are always students who are leading the way with outstanding performances and contributions to the Music program.

At the end of Term 3, we had the opportunity to pause this cycle and appreciate where we are. In many different concerts, there were major performances for our Junior, Middle and Senior School Ensembles, the jazz and rock bands and our HSC cohort. Even the Year 3 Ensembles also got to demonstrate their progress.

Participation in performance is not the only reason for being a musician, but it is an important moment when the work done in rehearsal, the understanding of one’s part in relation to others, and a desire to communicate, comes together with the audience’s open ears and hearts.

30 • The Barker • Issue 141 • Summer 2023

The performances in which our Year 12 students were involved were particularly significant, for most of them being the last ones in which they performed at school, culminating in the Senior Ensembles Concert on Friday September 1. Earlier that week, all of our HSC musicians had performed solos in the HSC Showcase concerts.

Also that week, and the next, there were two Middle School Ensemble concerts and the Junior School Ensembles concert. Rock Bands and Jazz Ensembles popped up frequently to entertain staff and students for Wellbeing Week, Music Week and there were performances in chapels and assemblies and at the Mint Gates in the mornings to support the whole school project Lift@Barker.

So, when you pause the cycle, what do you discover?

You hear increasingly accomplished and sophisticated performances that allow you to sit back and enjoy the music making without having to qualify it with “they are only students”. Listen to the cohesive sound and control of the Year 3 Ensembles, hear the quality of the Junior School Ensembles, delight in the freedom and commitment of the Jazz Ensembles and Rock

Music

Bands, be impressed by the sophistication of the Middle School Ensembles, delight in the HSC solo performances and marvel at the quality of the Senior School Ensembles. At each stage of the program there are students doing their “last” performance before moving on to their next stage. They think in a linear way, but we know there are more students coming on to take their places.

But let’s take a moment to recognise our 2023 Year 12 cohort. From the HSC classes, four students received nominations for Encore and dozens were in our flagship ensembles showing musical excellence and leadership. A number have been in the Music program since Year 3 – a decade of music making.

Soloists in that final concert dazzled us with their stylish performances, the Chamber Choir sang beautifully, the Wind Symphony’s items were joyous and the orchestras presented a range of music from the deeply introspective to the brash and irrepressible. All gave their best to make the Senior Ensembles concert a memorable one. There followed the opportunity for the students and their parents to

gather in the Music Centre in an informal setting to acknowledge and recognise the musical journey they have been on and to thank the Music staff with whom they have shared that journey.

The Year 12 students head out the Mint Gates, our Middle School students move to new challenges, the Year 6 students head “up the hill”, the Year 3 students move into the Junior School Ensemble program, and new students will start their Barker musical journey in Years 2 and 3.

As Elton John sang: It’s the circle of life It's the wheel of fortune It's the leap of faith It's the band of hope Till we find our place On the path unwinding In the circle, the circle of life David Saffir Director of Strings

Summer 2023 • Issue 141 • The Barker • 31

Social Learning in the Hub Since its opening in Term 2, the Senior Study Hub has become a very popular place for Year 11 and Year 12 students to settle down to study.

From early in the morning to late at night, students can be found in the various study areas. Some students prefer the Quiet Carriage; a few Year 12 students have been known to go and reserve their booth to ensure access. Others have taken advantage of the open learning areas of the Incubator and Dining Commons. These spaces have provided students with more comfortable, well-lit spaces where they can study with their peers. Students have been supported by teaching staff who have moved subject access sessions to the Hub, and by a small team of ex-student mentors who are available to guide students on study and revision techniques.

As students have become familiar with the spaces, we are beginning to see the obvious benefits of students learning together. At the same time, the new spaces require students to learn how to collaborate effectively so that collaboration does not become the cause of distraction. Cognitive scientist, Professor

32 • The Barker • Issue 141 • Summer 2023

Daniel Willingham, identifies that some study tasks are going to be better completed alone, while others are going to be more impactful when completed in organised study groups. Willingham provides an example of consolidating notes as an effective ‘team sport’. Students can work together to fill gaps in their knowledge, share perspectives, ask questions of each other, and fine-tune the organisation of information.

Naturally, some students find this task easier than others.

The next phase of the Student Hub will require academic staff to support students to form study groups and to establish effective ground rules for these groups. This will allow more students to reap the benefits of learning collaboratively.

Greg Longney Director of Teaching & Learning

Science

Barker Space Academy The September holidays were a busy time for the keen STEAM students who took the opportunity to venture to the nation’s capital to explore deep space and rocketry.

Mr Matt Dodds, a Physics teacher and renowned astronomy buff, facilitated a wonderful and diverse experience for our students.

They participated in computer aided design and building of rockets, made solar observations and imaging, virtual reality, workshops with Gilmour Space Technologies and the ANU rocketry team. They also had lectures from universities, a NASA planetary scientist, Dr Abigail Fraeman and site visits to Mount Stromlo Deep Space observatory. Stargazing and astrophotography were also in the plans … but disappointingly nature had other ideas.

45 students were joined by four fabulous staff in an action packed four days of all things astronomy. We are very grateful of the time that staff gave of their own holidays to join the students and help facilitate such an amazing experience. Erin Hannan, Cameron Dearn, Stacey Whiteman from the Science & Ag faculties, and Graham Hanlon, Head of Mathematics.

Virginia Ellis Head of Science & STEAM

Summer 2023 • Issue 141 • The Barker • 33

STEAM

Innovation: Powering Future Industries The Barker community was able to celebrate our first post-covid STEAM Festival in August and it was a fantastic evening!

We celebrated the National Science Week theme and had a wide array of interactive workshops, tinkering and guest speakers.

Students, their friends and family gathered in the new Science Quad area where they engaged in a huge range of tinkering activities. The Science Faculty, along with Agriculture, Design & Technology, Computing Science, Mathematics, the robotics team and the library all contributed to the success of the evening with their enthusiasm, love of learning and facilitation of fantastic workshops.

The workshops and tinkering included innovations in understanding DNA, the wool and coffee industries, robotics and computer generated AI, virtual reality, flight, rocketry and the origami of space telescopes.

Guest presenters included alumni Richard Cartwright, who presented some of his work on generative AI with Dolby and the developments this is bringing to the audio industry. Neuranext, a company working in the machine learning space intrigued and entertained everyone with a robotic dog and intuitive racing cars.

Other presenters included the engineering faculty from University of NSW, Jeanette Tran from the biotechnology company, STEM Reactor, and MAF Australia who brought their small aircraft fuselage

34 • The Barker • Issue 141 • Summer 2023

where students could sit and do a VR experience of flying through the highlands of Papua New Guinea.

The keynote speaker for the evening was Professor Veena Sahajwalla from UNSW, a leading expert in the field of recycling and sustainable material research.

She shared her passion for her pioneering research into waste – turning it into new green materials and products. The questions that followed showed how thoughtful our students are and how hopeful we can be for the innovators they will become in the future.

Science and STEAM @Barker continues to engage our students in making connections in their learning.

Science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics link in ways that help them see realworld applications and open their eyes to the enormous possibilities in their future. Our hope is that we build our students’ capacity through experiential learning to become persistent problem solvers, to embrace collaboration and creativity, to be thoughtful risk-takers in learning and to become leaders and learners in the 21st century.

Virginia Ellis Head of Science & STEAM

STEAM

Summer 2023 • Issue 141 • The Barker • 35

Middle School

Middle School Deans' Day More than anything else, the Middle School Deans aim to develop the character of the students in our care, enabling them to live out our Values and grow in confident independence.

In order to do this well, we need to understand our students and their experience of life at Barker, an understanding gained most effectively by walking in their shoes.

To this end the Deans shadowed a student in Year 7, 8 and 9 during one school day in September. We were eager to do what the students do in all aspects of school life, from packing our lunchboxes to completing class work, to playing handball at lunchtime. It was a rare opportunity to get to know students by sitting and learning alongside them. Mr Thompson mastered a running stitch; Mr Eastman performed his dance choreography and Mrs Driver finally learnt how to calculate the area of a triangle.

The Deans made a number of discoveries over the course of the day. We certainly appreciated the dedication, passion and care of the Barker staff. Our students are in kind and skilled hands. However, the day was tiring!

36 • The Barker • Issue 141 • Summer 2023

We found that it takes a lot of energy to transition from one class to the next, maintain focus, learn new things, and interact with peers and teachers in different ways over many hours. We saw teaching practices that were most effective in maximising student engagement, including with those students who prefer quiet compliance; we saw how devices can be best employed in the classroom; the need for student movement and interaction throughout the day, and the particular skills required to hold students’ attention after lunch!

The Middle School Deans are grateful to Summer, Billie and Oscar for their warm hospitality and are already looking forward to Deans’ Day 2024.

Kathryn Driver Tim Eastman Simon Thompson Middle School Deans

Geography Geography

Barker Geography is Tops For three decades, Barker geographers have participated in The Australian Geography Competition, a contest for secondary school students, assessing geographical knowledge and skills. It aims to encourage interest in Geography and to reward student excellence.

Australia’s team to the annual Geography Olympiad is selected from this group.

While over 73,000 students from 720 schools have entered the competition, Barker has shone in this competition. When presenting students with higher awards at assembly, we have needed to limit the presentations to High Distinctions and above. Even then, I have had to rely on the grace of the Heads of Schools as the cast of thousands have made their way to the stage to receive their certificates!

2023 is no exception. Five students achieved within the Top 1%; a prestigious standing given the size of the competition. In Year 8, 37% achieved a credit or higher, with three students in the top 1%. In Year 9 it was 50%.

Year 10’s results saw 48% gain credit or better with one student in the top 1%. Year 11s rounded out these results with 43% of students gaining higher awards and one notable inclusion in the top 1%.

The top students in Year 11 in each state are invited to participate in the annual Geography’s Big Week Out, a five-day event focusing on fieldwork, spatial technologies and analytical skills.

Oliver Walsh achieved first place in NSW. Recently, he joined the winners from the other states in Darwin.

Oliver commented, “It was a really fun week. It was great to connect with like-minded students from all around Australia. It was terrific to be able to experience the beauty of Litchfield National Park as a key fieldwork activity within the week.” Oliver’s participation in the NT and the quality of his written submission has resulted in his selection in Australia’s team for the International Geography Olympiad, to be held in Ireland in 2024. As one of only four selected from Australia, this is a magnificent achievement.

We look forward to further success in AGC 2024.

Year

Candidates

Credits

Distinctions

HDs

Top 1%

8

328

49

35

34

3

9

171

44

20

20

-

10

168

40

18

21

1

11

60

6

11

8

1

Matthew Lloyd Head of Geography

Cadets

BCCU Kariong Recruit Camp The start of a new Cadet year is always an exciting time, particularly in 2023 with the induction of over 200 new Year 8 recruits.

There is a lot of information for the new recruits to absorb in just ten weeks before they embark on their first major challenge at the end of Term 3, the Kariong Recruit Bivouac.

Across four days of adventure and activities at the fantastic Kariong Scout Camp located on the Central Coast, the Year 8 recruits are instructed by the newly appointed Year 11 senior leaders.

Cadets is essentially about character education, and as such addresses many of the central themes of the Round Square initiative, of which Barker College is a member school.

The Round Square Framework focuses on six themes called Ideals. The Barker College Cadet Unit is uniquely able to address many of these ideals, in particular the 'Spirit of Leadership', 'Spirit of Adventure', 'Spirit of Democracy' and 'Spirit of Service'.

There is perhaps no program better aligned to the development of leadership, with students from Year 10 onwards taking up junior, then senior leadership positions within the Unit and instructing the Year 8 and 9 cadets throughout the course of a Cadet year.

38 • The Barker • Issue 141 • Summer 2023

Cadets are afforded opportunities to explore leadership concepts, act as role-models and develop and rehearse a range of leadership skills in a supportive environment, displaying compassion and teamwork.

Participation in cadets also thrives through a spirit of adventure, where cadets challenge themselves physically, mentally and emotionally, showing tenacity and inventiveness in all the activities they undertake.

During the Kariong Recruit Bivouac, cadets tackle challenges from abseiling to obstacle courses, bush hikes to first aid lessons and indoor rock climbing and are continually engaged and motivated to develop their cadet skills.

The Barker College Cadet Unit has a great focus on service, both as a new recruit or a junior and senior leader. Service to your platoon, your company and the Unit as a whole is vital to the effective operation of a Cadet Unit. Service also extends to the community with the BCCU playing an active role in the Anzac Day march in the CBD, the Remembrance Day service for the Hornsby RSL and fundraising on Legacy Day. This service is conducted with courage and self-

Cadets Cadets

awareness, of both the challenges and significance of the occasions in which the BCCU takes part.

A Spirit of Adventure is core to the BCCU, where a culture and environment is nurtured in which students are encouraged to take risks and step outside their comfort zone. During the recruit bivouac, the pride on a cadet's face when they complete a challenging hike, face their fears in the abseil or rock climbing, or even successfully navigate talking to and leading a large group of young cadets is priceless.

The cadet unit encompasses a Spirit of Democracy, with all cadets developing strong communication skills and a sense of responsibility to stand up for fairness, justice and what is right. Students are keenly aware of what the uniform they wear represents and the values inherent in being part of a nationwide cadets program.

This initial recruit bivouac is just the first step in a potential four year journey as a BCCU cadet, with character development as the guiding light as students progress from raw recruits to confident, compassionate and courageous leaders.

Justin Langley Commanding Officer of BCCU & Science Teacher

Summer 2023 • Issue 141 • The Barker • 39

The Barker Dancers truly showcased the power of a unified group at the second Whole School Dance Showcase where over 200 students, spanning across K-12, demonstrated their enthusiasm and energy for dance, and it was infectious.

The opening act, danced to five of the popular songs from the Barbie soundtrack, was a tribute to the growing number of dancers in curriculum and co-curricular Dance who shared the stage together dressed in pink.

We witnessed the artistry of our choreographers who, using their creative vision, transported us Around the World in Hip Hop, across decades to the 1970’s in Jazz Navy’s Rock Lobster and to the 90’s by Open Contemporary, who had costumes reflective of the old windows logo, with a brilliant Ghostbusters routine from the Year 1 and 2 Troupe. These award-winning Troupe routines had the audience in awe with their stylistic sequences that showcased the power and freedom our Barker dancers have when performing.

Dance is absolutely booming at Barker, evident in the many students on stage that showcased two new styles in our recreational stream, ballet and tap. These ballerinas presented outstanding technical skills, with elegant lines running from their fingers to their toes.

And our tappers executed, rhythmic, syncopated

40 • The Barker • Issue 141 • Summer 2023

beats, filling the theatre with a unified sound. These styles have been cleverly taught by our Barker Dance teachers, who always challenge the students to reach their potential, stretching the boundaries of the stage with new technical skills for students to develop and refine. This showcase offered the perfect opportunity to highlight the technique and performance quality of our Barker dancers.

The evening ended with a heartwarming farewell from our 2023 Dance Captain Ocea Couzner, who spoke about the way ‘Dance has defined her Barker experience’ and given her a ‘family’. This Barker Dance family, sitting behind her, responded with thunderous applause, marking a moment of thanks, for the way she has paved the way with perseverance, reminding our dancers of their presence, passion and purpose in our School. To the 2023 dancers, well done, your passion for dance is invigorating.

Claire Yeomans Drama Teacher & Co-curricular Dance Coordinator

Sport

Summer 2023 • Issue 141 • The Barker • 41

Sport

Exponential Results Athletics 2023 has seen some changes with the introduction of new coaches and a new Head Coach. We have had an exponential increase in the numbers attending training which, in turn, has seen some fantastic performances from our students throughout the recent Athletics season.

ISA 2023 Barker dominated the ISA carnival winning Junior, Intermediate and Senior categories and being Overall Champion school for 2023.

Our Junior girls finished on 345 points with 2nd place nearly 60 points behind; Intermediate girls on 224 points winning by 16 points and Senior girls on 219 points winning by 21 points with a total overall 788 points. Redlands finished 2nd 144 points behind Barker College.

We also had 23 individual athletes and two relay teams selected to compete at the CIS Athletics Championships representing ISA. Some individual standouts breaking ISA records were both Anais Biasi (Year 7) in the 12yrs 800m, beating both the males and females, and then returning to win the 400m in ISA record time. Viktorija Calusic (Year 12) also broke the record in the 17yrs High Jump with a jump of 1.66m.

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Our top performer was Emily Afonso (Year 7) with four gold and one silver. Emily won the 200m, 400m, Long Jump and Triple Jump and finished 2nd in the 100m.

Other top performers on the track were our two Lily's with Lily Sullivan (Year 11) three golds in the 200m, 400m and 800m, and Lily Axford (Year 11) three golds in the 800m, 1500m and 3000m. Our Top performer in the field was Sophie Farrell (Year 8) with three Golds in the 13yrs Discus, Shotput and Javelin.

CAS 2023 Barker came off the bottom of the table to finish 4th at the CAS and closing the gap to the winner from 210 points to 140 points. In 2024 our goal is to close the gap further and finish in the top three.

Two athletes broke CAS records: Tim Forster (Year 12) in the Open 110m Hurdles and Xavier Perry (Year 10) in the 15yr 100m (who was also the Meet’s top point scorer with 50 total points).

Sport

Some of our top performers who had multiple wins at the CAS include Brian Ansuh-Yeboah (Year 11) won the 16yrs & 17yrs High Jump, Tim Forster (Year 12) Open 110m Hurdles and Open Long Jump, Xavier Perry (Year 10) won 15yrs 100m and 400m, Alex Lukell (Year 8) won the 14yrs and 15yrs High Jump.

Rayhaan Banerjee (Year 9) won the 14yrs Javelin.

Harrison Phillips (Year 12) won the Open 1500m.

Barker placed 2nd in the 14yrs, 15yrs, 16yrs & Open Relays.

As a collective team we had some amazing overall results with our High Jump finishing 1st overall on points, our 100m Sprinters finishing 2nd overall on points, our Javelin team finishing 2nd overall on points and both our Long Jump and Relay teams finishing overall 3rd on points.

We have set up a great program for continued growth in 2024 where we are looking to move up the leaderboard.

NSW All Schools At the recent NSW All Schools Athletics Championships, many athletes competed, finishing with numerous NSW All Schools medals.

Five overall state champions: Tyson Neal (Year 9) 15yrs Javelin, Tim Forster (Year 12) 19yrs 110m Hurdles, Xavier Perry (Year 10) 15yrs 400m, Naomi Gibson

(Year 11) 17yrs Pole Vault and Harrison Phillips (Year 12) 17yrs 3000m.

We won four silver medals with Viktorija Calusic (Year 12) a silver in the 17yrs High Jump, Tim Forster (Year 12) silver in the 19yrs 200m, Cooper Robb-Jackson (Year 9) silver 15yrs Para 200m and Jacoby Neal (Year 7) silver 12yrs Discus.

We scored two bronze medals for Jacoby Neal (Year 7) in the 12yrs Shot Put and 12yrs 80m Hurdles for a total of five gold, four silver and two bronze medals. We had some top four and top eight results with Jess Bradford (Year 9) 8th 1500m and 3000m, Tayla Moore (Year 9) 4th Discus and 5th Shot Put, Jacoby Neal (Year 7) 4th Javelin and Sophie Farrell (Year 8) 4th Shot Put. Six athletes have been selected to represent Barker and the NSW Team for the National All Schools in Perth in December – Tyson Neal (Year 9), Naomi Gibson (Year 11), Harrison Phillips (Year 12), Xavier Perry (Year 10), Viktorija Calusic (Year 12) and Cooper Robb-Jackson (Year 9).

Adam Watson Director of Sport - Operations Kylie Mildren Secondary School Sport Coordinator

Summer 2023 • Issue 141 • The Barker • 43

Sports

BMW’s Sustainable Drive

BMW’s Sustainable Drive: Leading the Charge Towards a Greener Future Hornsby BMW: The EV Dealer of Choice As the world strives for a more sustainable future, BMW has emerged as an innovator in the automotive industry, leading the charge toward a greener and more eco-friendly tomorrow.

With a firm commitment to e-mobility, BMW is transforming its production facilities and offering an impressive range of electrified models. Among the latest additions to its line-up are the BMW i5, BMW iX2, and BMW iX1, each representing a step forward in sustainable mobility.

Let’s not forget the other electrified models already in BMW’s sustainable fleet. The BMW iX, iX3, i4, and i7 have all contributed to the brand’s journey towards e-mobility, offering customers a diverse range of electric vehicles designed to meet different needs and preferences.

The BMW iFACTORY: A Vision Realized

Hornsby BMW: Your BMW EV Dealer of Choice

The BMW i5, iX2, and iX1, along with other electrified models, are shining examples of the brand’s dedication to crafting a greener, cleaner, and more sustainable future for all.

Hornsby BMW also shares BMW’s unwavering commitment to sustainability. As the North Shore’s premier dealer of electric vehicles, we set the bar high for the automotive industry, offering all the latest and most advanced electrified models from BMW.

But BMW’s commitment to sustainability goes beyond individual models. The BMW iFACTORY is the embodiment of innovation and the brand’s vision for a future-oriented production network.

With comprehensive investments in digitalisation and automation, BMW plants like Dingolfing and Regensburg are becoming industry pioneers, setting new standards in lean and digital manufacturing processes.

As sustainability takes centre stage in the automotive industry, we are boosting our commitment not only to provide our Guests with the ultimate BMW experience but also the finest in e-mobility.

You’re invited to browse our showroom. Our team will be on hand to assist you with any enquiries, test-drive opportunities, purchase requests, or servicing requirements.

Proudly supporting Barker's Sports program 44 • The Barker • Issue 141 • Summer 2023

Duke of Edinburgh

200 Gold Awards Our congratulations to all the Awardees in Year 12 2023. This resilient group suffered through an interrupted expedition pathway and overcame the difficulty of fewer face-to-face community service opportunities.

This year saw the Barker Dukes team tick over an accumulated 200 Gold Awards confirmed since the introduction of electronic records back in 2013.

Every year our dedicated Award Leaders conquer their own mountains of paperwork. Our thanks to Sally Filtness, Lisa Jellis, Mark Fitzgerald, Kylie McKnight and Sophie Wall – their commitment and support is key to this achievement.

The Expedition component is often the most memorable part of achieving an Award. Our community is blessed to have The Grange team deliver these experiences. This year’s adventures included pioneering a new hike line for our Silver Program and an incredible Gold level Adventurous Project. The Gold trip included multi-pitch rock climbing and multi-pitch canyoning as well as a challenging three-day hike involving some tricky off-track navigation.

Graeme Dawes Grange Teacher & Duke of Edinburgh Award Coordinator

Summer 2023 • Issue 141 • The Barker • 45

Professional Learning

A Culture of Sharing At Barker, professional learning is embedded as a normal part of every teacher’s daily routine. Teachers have a responsibility to continually review their own practice and identify areas that they can personally enhance and thus improve student learning. encapsulated the spirit of continuous improvement, nurturing professional development and the strength of peer-driven learning within the education community. It underscored educators' unwavering dedication to delivering the best possible learning experiences for their students.

College of Teachers CoachMeet

As we can all acknowledge, schools are relentless, dynamic and often hectic places to work in. A culture of teacher sharing and collaboration is a way of making new ideas and resources become easily available to all teachers.

During Term 3, two separate events were organised that allowed teachers to share teaching practices, resources and organisational program ideas.

Junior School TeachMeet In the ever-evolving landscape of education, teachers are committed to enhancing their skills and sharing their achievements with their peers. TeachMeet has emerged as a powerful platform for professional development and global knowledge exchange.

This initiative was reintroduced into the Junior School this year as a result of the Individual Learning Centre (ILC) staff working alongside teachers who demonstrate exemplary practices and encouraging these staff to present. The TeachMeet provided staff with a relaxed and informal platform to convene and exchange ideas.

TeachMeet presentations encompassed a wide array of topics, ranging from "Low Floor, High Ceiling” Math tasks to strategies for enhancing comprehension, navigating the challenges of implementing new syllabi, promoting Kindergarten vocabulary development, and integrating Maths into Unit of Inquiry (UOI).

Teachers who attended the TeachMeet gained invaluable insights into innovative teaching methods, and those who presented received affirmation and recognition for their hard work. TeachMeet

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The 2023 Teacher Coaches Appreciation Society meeting took place at the end of Term 3.

The event aimed to foster collaboration and bring teachers, involved in coaching and professional development programs from a range of schools, together to share stories about their respective school’s experiences.

At the meeting, over thirty attendees heard and participated in a variety of presentations covering topics that included: • How an Acrrediation Program Supports Teacher Development • Embedding Explicit Systems that Foster Collective Efficacy • Making Professional Learning Effective • Professional Learning Teams • Teacher Coaching in Schools The afternoon was centred on a culture of sharing experiences that allowed teachers to compare their own school’s related programs; to establish networking connections and most importantly to learn from other's journeys.

In the busy world of schools that we work in, it is important to remember that we do not always have to reinvent a wheel but rather consider redesigning and adapting a wheel that already exists to suit one’s own needs and purposes.

Teach and Coach Meets offer opportunities to share existing wheels!

Claire Hoare Individual Learning Centre Coordinator Junior School Jacqui McLachlan Lead Teacher Coach College of Teachers

Mathematics

Human Number Plane This year’s Maths Week was another roaring success, seeing the long-anticipated return of the Human Number Plane.

Early in Maths Week, each high school student was given a pair of coordinates, precisely locating them on a 37 × 56 grid which was set up on the three adjoining Rosewood Centre courts. Then, at 9:30am on 24 August, every high school student made his or her way to the Rosewood Centre and the grid began to take form. Once the students had occupied their coordinates, they held up coloured cards when their pair of numbers matched a given equation. Soon, students from Years 7 to 12 of every ability were working as one to create a succession of lines, circles, parabolas, hyperbolas, ellipses and even a Lissajous curve.

Students soon discovered that they had been arranged within the number plane by birthday and that the most popular Barker birthday is 19 December.

Morgan Stoodley (Year 12) wore the coveted mathematical wizard’s robe and occupied the origin, with coordinates (0, 0). Morgan was honoured for being an avid contributor to the mathematical life of the School.

The Human Number Plane is the brainchild of Barker’s Head of Mathematics, Mr Graham Hanlon, who loves to see students working together and being involved in maths that is both interesting and beautiful. It was a regular fixture in the School’s calendar but, primarily due to COVID, had not run since 2016.

Throughout Maths Week, students were also entertained, enthralled and challenged by mathematical trivia, the Maths Game Show, the problem of the day, the family maths competition, the Maths Week numbers game, board and card games, origami, the mathematicians scavenger hunt and the Dewey Decimal race.

Maths Week will return in Term 3, 2024 with Maths Idol and many other mathematical delights.

Andrew Mallam Mathematics Teacher

Summer 2023 • Issue 141 • The Barker • 47

Cadets Square Round

International Conference Nairobi, Kenya A delegation of Barker students joined 1,200 student delegates from 160 schools from across the world at our first Round Square International Conference hosted by Brookhouse School, Nairobi Kenya, during the last week of the Term 3 holidays and the first week of Term 4.

Travelling with students from Newcastle Grammar School, our long and arduous plane flight was made in two chunks. This saw us spend three days in Dubai to recover from the 14 hour flight and experience some of the culture and sights of Dubai. During our time there we visited some historic sites and the vibrant cosmopolitan areas of Dubai, including the man-made Palm Jumeriah Island. We breathed in the fragrances of orient at the Spice Souk and visited the Deira Gold Souk. A highlight of our time in Dubai was the Desert Safari. This saw us travel the sand dunes of the Arabian Desert in a Toyota land cruiser, experience a camel ride, try sand boarding and enjoy a traditional Arabian campsite, where we appreciated the evening’s sunset and live Arabian cultural entertainment and dinner.

We arrived fresh in Nairobi excited about attending our first international conference. At the Opening Ceremony, the Conference was opened by the former First Lady of Kenya, Mrs Margaret Kenyatta amidst vibrant musical and dance performances. The

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auditorium was filled with songs from the Brookhouse School choir, including solos from former Brookhouse students. Brookhouse students shared the story of Wangari Maathai (the first Kenyan and African woman to win the Nobel peace prize). It included her story of ‘The Hummingbird’ that was brought to life by children from Prep School. A welcome address was given by the Round Square Chairman and the Brookhouse Head of School and the Round Square Chief Executive. We also congratulated, and heard from this year’s recipient of the Kurt Hahn Prize, a student from the Shri Ram School, Aravali, India. At a lunch event, Barker was welcomed as a Global Member and we received our Round Square flag, formal Membership Certificate and pins.

Over the week, delegates experienced a series of focus days that brought to life the Conference Theme, the ‘New Africa’. On the Democracy Day, delegates heard from guest panellists, keynote speakers, and participated in Baraza discussions before heading to their homestay for a taste of Kenyan hospitality.

Round Square

During the Adventure Day, delegates ventured into Nairobi’s National Park for a mini safari and overnight camp. The Service Day saw delegates work at Brookhouse’s community partner schools in the Nairobi area, refurbishing classrooms, gardening, and playing sports with the children. The day ended with cultural performances from many of the delegate schools.

The Conference ended with a keynote address by Paralympian Athlete Henry Wanyoike, followed by the Closing Ceremony. This included student performances, a tribute to Round Square’s late president, King Constantine, an address from Round Square’s Chairman and Chief Executive, and a spectacular live performance from Kenyan chart-toppers Sauti Sol. The Conference was an enriching experience, one that celebrated African innovation and aspiration.

However, it was the Kenyan people’s pride in their culture and community, as well as the hope they have for their future, that spoke loudly about their individual and collective identity and belonging. A reoccurring African word featured prominently throughout the Conference that aptly encapsulated this, Ubuntu - I am, because we are.

Peter Gibson Dean of Character Education

Robotics

Silver in Singapore While the end of Term 3 marked the start of the holidays for most students, the break was only the beginning for eight students preparing to represent Team Australia at the FIRST Global Challenge.

A tireless few weeks culminated in the team travelling to Singapore against 191 other countries in an event dubbed the “Olympics of Robotics”. With teams ranging from Aruba to Zimbabwe, the team brought home multiple medals and awards in one of the most successful hauls seen in the competition's history.

Team Australia were privileged to be awarded with: • Silver Medal in Albert Einstein Award (Awarded to teams whose robots performed the best during the FIRST Global Challenge and exemplified all tenets of the FIRST Global community) • 2nd Place in Skills Challenge • Finalist in the New Technology Experience • 6th place in robotics competition • Outstanding Mentor Award for Daiane Rodrigues Becker FIRST Global was an incredible experience. It’s not everywhere where you can walk down one aisle and meet people from over 40 countries, or walk into a hall and play a robotics match with people from over 190 countries. It was absolutely insane to exchange cultures, hobbies but most importantly our STEM experiences – the robot design and engineering processes. Building a robot for this challenge was not easy, but designing a robot with the exact same parts for the exact same challenge, yet ending up with over 190 unique designs, is incredible.

In the leadup to this event, the students not only worked on designing the robot, they also participated in a challenge to innovate a solution to an environmental problem. We decided to tackle energy efficiency in Australia, understanding the major inefficiencies across Australia, particularly with regards to air-conditioning. Finding cooling to account for almost 20% of Australia's energy expenditure, we

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introduced a new form of piping that used ground cooling to reduce the need to use an artificial cooling system. Known as “the snake”, fans directed air two to three metres underground in aluminium tubes before entering households.

One of my favourite parts of the competition was meeting everyone and experiencing a little bit of their culture, from playing charades with friends from Bangladesh during the opening ceremony, to talking about different schooling systems with students from Singapore and Nigeria and watching matches with students from the Cayman Islands. Before the competition started, we had already started meeting other students through online Google Meets meetings, including Qatar, Guatemala and countless other countries, learning about culture and their robotics.

While our team faced issues that limited our success, we completed qualification matches as the 19th ranked team albeit with an unlucky schedule, disqualification and mechanical issues. We were still able to qualify for playoffs of the competition with teams Indonesia, Peru and Estonia and placed 6th in the semi-finals following four rounds. However it was amazing competing in front of an audience from all around the world, displaying our passion across robotics.

It was particularly amazing to play metres in front of Dean Kamen, the founder of FIRST and the segway in our match!

We had an amazing time at FIRST Global and we thank all mentors, parents and teachers for this unforgettable experience.

Justin Qin and Corinne Zhou Team Australia Captains (Year 11 )

Archives

Caring for our Collections Barker College Archives is the custodian of over 20,000 records, photographs, recordings, museum items and digital assets, with material dating back hundreds of years.

It is the job of the Archivist to manage and protect this material into the future, whilst also providing the community and researchers appropriate access.

dehumidifiers and air purifiers, which can extract over 22L of water from the air each day and filter out dust and mould spores.

In 2021, the Archives implemented processes to better manage and protect both our physical and digital collection, using a combination of preservation and conservation methods.

We are systematically assessing and rehousing the entire collection. Each box is assessed for acidity, dust, mould, oxidisation, UV damage (fading), insect activity, and general deterioration. Affected items within the box are treated in a custom-built treatment station which was constructed in consultation with occupational hygienists and conservators, to help safely treat dust and mould-affected items.

Preservation refers to preventive measures taken to protect collection material. These include things like disaster planning, climate control, archival housing materials, and managing metadata within collection management systems (CMS), whilst conservation refers to reactive treatments to damage, or to slow natural deterioration.

We have made significant changes to our climate control methods in an effort to achieve the ideal conditions (between 18-22ºC and 50-55% relative humidity) for a paper-based collection. We actively monitor the climate with datalogging hygrometers and are able to adjust our HVAC settings in response to patterns in the readings. We work with experts to maximise ventilation, and have installed two

Each item is crosschecked against our database to ensure that it is effectively arranged and described within our CMS, so users can access archival material with greater ease. Additionally, the Archive is also running digital preservation checks across our digitised and born-digital assets.

You can rest assured your heritage is safe with us!

Rachel Byrne Senior Archivist

Summer 2023 • Issue 141 • The Barker • 51

Alumni Profile

Alumni Profile Dr Jason Lam’s (Class of 1998) career has taken many paths including a professional dancer, visual artist, plastic surgeon, and currently a specialist in dance and sports medicine. Jason visited students at the Junior School in July for their PYP Exhibition and shared highlights from his school days, encouraging them to explore their passions and embrace failure as part of the learning process. A member of the Barker Alumni Mentoring Program, Jason looks forward to mentoring other Barker alumni.

What has been your journey since leaving Barker?

After Year 12 I danced full time before completing a degree in digital media at the College of Fine Arts. I continued to dance professionally for Sydney Dance Company, Opera Australia and Tasdance. I later put my degree to use working as a visual artist mostly in projections for theatre and events like Australian Fashion Week.

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Whilst overseas at a film festival (struttin' the red carpet at the biggest festival for the smallest film niche - poetry film), one of my lungs spontaneously collapsed. It was hard to get more work as a dancer after that.

I happened to watch a lot of 'Scrubs' whilst in hospital with ‘Cedric’ (my chest tube), and so becoming a doctor seemed like a good idea. So I signed up to Open University, cracked open some old textbooks, and learnt enough

chemistry, biology and physics to pass the GAMSAT and get into medical school.

I went to Flinders University in Adelaide and the NT. It was hard work being an ex-ballet dancer in med school as I was so behind everyone else. Somehow, I made it work. Being in the NT was an extraordinary learning experience and I certainly appreciated just how challenging Indigenous health is.

Alumni Profile I pursued Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for a while, but although I loved the work, I had no work-life balance. My record was a 220ish hour fortnight, including 96 hours straight. I had the fitness of a blancmange; hadn't been creative for a long time, and was turning into an angry person that I didn’t much like.

So I pivoted to General Practice and Sports Medicine. I was lucky enough to be appointed the Crichton Dance Medicine Fellow at the Australian Ballet for a few years and have created a niche with a great day-to-day case mix: I do skin cancer surgery leveraging my experience in plastics and dermatology; sports medicine with a particular focus on dancers and performing artists; and medical mystery type cases where I can pretend I’m a less psychotic Dr House.

I'm currently writing this in Trinidad as I am privileged to be one of the team doctors supporting the Australian Youth Commonwealth Games team who are such a great bunch of young people. Got married along the way and have a gorgeous, but testing four-year-old who is not making a strong case for a sibling!

What inspired your career paths?

I'm restless, get bored easily and am curious about a lot of things, so I more or less do whatever appeals at the time. I quite like Tim Minchin’s idea about being micro-ambitious. Doing whatever it is in front of you with pride and excellence, being aware that opportunities will likely appear in the periphery, and that you should grab it if it tickles your fancy.

I’m also inspired by Angela Duckworth's idea about top level goals - which are really values. The older and further along I am in my career, what drives choices about things I dedicate time and energy

to, is a) how amusing/interesting/ fascinating is it; and b) how does it align with my core values/progress them?

What was your biggest challenge in pivoting to a new career?

I guess some of the changes weren't fully in my control, at least in terms of timing, so it was coming to grips with that. I had wanted to dance a bit longer so there was a grieving process for that. I had also tied up my identity very much as a dancer, so it was hard to lose that and try and find something else. It was particularly challenging changing to something as different as medicine from dance – I felt like an imposter. My mentors, colleagues and teachers were all great though. Very patient, they never made me feel lesser because I didn't have the background or pedigree.

It was a really big physical change.

As a dancer, we spend our days honing our physicality, luxuriating in it. It’s hard work sure, but still pretty glorious. Shifting to something quite cerebral and academic left the body feeling out of sorts. I can still do the splits though.

What is your proudest achievement?

I think I’ve managed to stay curious and enthusiastic throughout. Stuff has gone wrong, there's been dead ends, failures, imposter syndrome, but I haven't given up yet.

change. Sport has generally done a much better job in terms of child safeguarding injury and training.

How do you like to spend your free time?

My primary hobby seems to be collecting hobbies. I have a wildly unprofitable Etsy store featuring custom dinosaur themed jewellery customDinoDesigns - Etsy Australia, enjoy making short films and art, got into barbequeing 'cause I’m old now (don't care about lawns), got back into bouldering and climbing, and riding a mountain bike with more enthusiasm than skill.

I went down a coffee rabbit hole and fancy myself as an amateur barista (thank you Covid lockdowns and James Hoffman).

Do you have any advice for today’s students?

Oh dear, writing this has already given me an overinflated sense of self-importance and trying to come up with some sage advice is only going to make that worse! You are outrageously lucky and privileged to have an education at Barker.

Consider how you might be able to use some of that to uplift others who have faced greater barriers.

Simple things like offering to mentor someone as I do via the Barker Alumni Mentoring Program.

Effort invested into building and maintaining connections with others that bring energy, creativity and knowledge into your life is effort well spent.

What aspect of your current role do you enjoy the most?

I mean above and beyond the fact that I think medicine is intrinsically fascinating and fulfilling – it’s a huge privilege to be in a position where you might be able to help someone out.

I enjoy still be involved in dance, hopefully trying to make things better for the next generation, as I think the culture really needs to

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Barker College Parents' Association

BCPA: Meet the Executive We would like to introduce you to members of the BCPA Executive who have been appointed following the AGM on Wednesday 11 October. The team looks forward to an exciting year ahead!

Scott Barnett President

Anurag Vasisth Vice President

Scott is returning to the BCPA executive and excited to be filling the role of President this year.

Anurag (AV for short) and his wife Dimple are parents to Neil (Year 7) who has attended Barker since Kindergarten. Their family values align closely to Barker’s – Commitment, Compassion, Courage, Integrity and Respect.

Anurag is excited to serve the Barker community as the newly elected Vice President of BCPA.

With community and connection at the heart of our mission, Scott and the executive look forward to continuing the great work of the BCPA into its 100th year to further develop relationships and integration across the parent and broader School community.

Together we can do great things in support of our students, the School and the community we serve.

Scott is married to Melissa with three children. Skye, entering Year 12 at Abbotsleigh, Cameron in Year 9 at Barker and Amy to enter Year 7 at Barker next year.

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Anurag is a senior executive with 25 years of business leadership experience across Fortune 500 companies in Loyalty Tech, FinTech, Pay Tech, and Travel Tech industries.

He currently runs an Australian scale-up loyalty and rewards technology company as its Co-Chair and Group CEO, in addition to serving on the industry advisory boards. Outside of work, Anurag is an ardent cricket fan and volunteers his time as the Vice President of St. Ives Juniors Cricket Club, practises spiritual meditation, loves cooking and pursues his passion for digital photography when possible.

Barker College Parents' Association

Melissa McGrath Secretary

Rachel Ive Treasurer

Ina Pletea Parent Coordinator

Melissa is new to the BCPA executive. As a parent to Kindergarten student, Stirling Hudson, Melissa's focus in her role on the Executive is on parent engagement in the Junior School and supporting families as their children progress through the School. Melissa is an intellectual property barrister. She is married to Jade who works for a large development firm. They are also parents to cavoodle Tilly Devine.

The family is very aware of typical day to day working family needs and the benefit of connection, community and communication.

She welcomes parent input and feedback to assist the BCPA to continue its excellent work toward its 100th year in supporting the Barker community.

Rachel is an accountant, a member of the Tax Institute, is married to Martin and they have three children (in Years 10, 9 and 6). Martin’s 5-year secondment to San Diego was a great experience for the family, giving Rachel the opportunity to be the family travel agent, creating itineraries and road trips across all 49 mainland US states.

Ina is married to George and is mum to Ella (Year 6) and Ziggy, a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Ina works in IT and does flower arrangements as a hobby. Her family loves Barker and is happy to contribute to building a Barker Community by volunteering as the BCPA Parent Coordinator. This role supports the BCPA in promoting an inclusive and connected community, and supports parents in organising catch-ups, fosters friendships and disseminates information.

With their return to Australia and the slow reopening after the pandemic, it didn’t take long for Rachel to meet like-minded parents at Barker College, where they established the Year 9 and 10 social committees allowing for successful connections between Barker’s parents and carers during this school year. The Barker community has seen the great work executed by the BCPA team through social activity, fairs, volunteering, and donations to the school, including the recent athletic track installation.

It was from these activities that Rachel is excited to be part of this impactful group.

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Foundation

Donor Impact Report

With the continued support of the Barker community – our current and past parents, Alumni and our staff – it is gratifying to be able to reflect on all that has been achieved in 2023.

Each of these groups have contributed in their own unique way to the work of the Barker Foundation – whether through donations to our Annual Appeal, attending events such as the Indigenous Education Fundraising dinner and Dragon Boat Festival lunch, or your ongoing generosity, for which we are enormously grateful.

We also welcomed a new Director to the Foundation Board, Emma Dale. Emma brings over 25 years experiencing working across the not-for-profit and social impact sectors, holding senior marketing, communication and fundraising roles, including at Opportunity International, Mission Australia and HammondCare.

This year, several Barker staff enjoyed opportunities to further their professional development through the Foundation’s Travelling Fellowship. The diversity of learning experiences is exceptional – providing opportunities to attend and present at international conferences in the US; to review sport development practices and protocols across Australia and New Zealand and to visit the UK to research best practice in refugee education and intercultural learning in operation.

Thank you to the many donors who have continued to support the work of the Barker Foundation through the financial and ongoing commitment to the Indigenous Education Fund, Scholarship, Building and Future Funds.

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Aaron Black Foundation Chair

Barker Foundation Results for 2023 We would like to acknowledge the generous financial support of the members of the Barker College community – our Alumni, current and past parents, friends of Barker and our own staff, whose generosity demonstrates your desire to help inspire tomorrow’s Barker for us all.

In addition to this, we are excited and thrilled to announce the very generous donation of $2 million from The Neilson Foundation, towards completing the building of the new school for our Dhupuma Barker students in NE Arnhem Land.

This means our total funds raised in 2023 is sitting at just over $3 million.

Programs that funds donated through the Barker Foundation have supported in 2023:

355 Donors

• Indigenous Education

$1,060,853.88 donations in FY 22-23

Over $3 million Total funds raised 2023

Why I Choose to Give: Mr Tony Martire Tony Martire is something of a regular around the campus at Barker. Now in his late 80s, he is often seen helping out at the School Archives – a job he says he was invited to do because he is “meticulous”.

Tony enjoyed his school days at Barker enormously and talks of the “benefits of a good education” that never left him. He recalls inviting his then-girlfriend Margaret (who attended PLC) to the 1950 Barker school dance – eventually marrying and having two children. Tony is part of the 1951 graduating class and after studying went on to join the family business as a manufacturing jeweller, a job that made excellent use of his meticulous nature and ability to work with his hands, whilst also running a successful business. A passionate member of the OBA Seniors Committee, Tony has always chosen to give back to Barker and has attended numerous events, celebrations and reunions over the years.

In 2008 Margaret and Tony were firmly committed to doing something for the School. When Margaret became ill in 2020, they finalised their decision to leave a gift to Barker College. This moment came from a desire to support Barker that was built on many years of connection and shared values with the School.

• Robotics • Scholarships & Academic Prizes • Barker Future Fund • Building Fund A huge thank you to everyone who has got involved with the Barker Foundation this year – your support is enabling the School to do so many good things, and we are incredibly grateful to each and every person who has contributed.

“We both appreciated the benefits of education, and these benefits can be extremely widespread – Barker does this extremely well, and we wanted to support that.”

Tony loves being a part of the School and is an active member of the OBA Seniors, as well as helping out in the Archives.

“It helps me feel I can still be of some use. I will be on the OBA Seniors Committee as long as I am able. I have appreciated the activities of the School so much over the past few years, since Margaret passed away, and I am delighted to continue the warm connection we have enjoyed in previous years.”

As the ‘Senior Senior’ – our oldest member of the OBA Seniors Committee – Tony is a reassuring presence.

Speaking with a warm smile and a glint in his eye, he wants to encourage others to consider leaving a Gift to Barker in their Will. When asked for the reason why they should do this, he replies, “Do they appreciate education?

Do they appreciate the benefits of an education? That is what we have believed in for all our lives. And I hope that others will share our enthusiasm!”

Thank you Tony and Margaret, for your loving presence and support for Barker.

For a confidential discussion about leaving a gift in your Will to Barker College: please contact our Director of Advancement Tori Grimes on VGrimes@barker.nsw.edu.au

Foundation

Indigenous Education Fundraising Dinner

58 • The Barker • Issue 141 • Summer 2023

Foundation

2023 Indigenous Fundraising Dinner Against the magnificent backdrop of Sydney Harbour, the 2023 Indigenous Fundraising Dinner hosted by Deloitte, was held on Thursday 26 October.

150 guests enjoyed delicious food and drinks, as they heard about the progress on the construction of the school buildings at Dhupuma Barker in Gunyangara, Arnhem Land. It was also announced that the School has been granted permission to expand into a Middle School, providing education all the way from K-10. The goal of this year’s dinner was to raise further funds to support the additional buildings required for this expansion.

A delegation of children and staff from Dhupuma were an important part of the night and the children delighted the room with a robotics demonstration and a beautiful performance of their School song written and accompanied by one of the Dhupuma coteachers, Cedric Marika.

In a panel discussion led by our MC and Channel 7 Weekend Sunrise presenter, Monique Wright, community members Mayatili Marika, Marina Wangurra and Cedric Marika, shared the impact that a school like Dhupuma Barker is having in the community. Mayatili highlighted the importance of learning on Country, and how as a Traditional Owner, she respects how Dhupuma is working with local families to pass on their knowledge of traditional ways of being and learning, to the next generation.

At the time of going to print, the event has raised approximately $435,850 which is a phenomenal result considering more than 50% of attendees had no

previous connection to Barker. As donations continue to come in, Barker Foundation Chair, Aaron Black, summed it up perfectly.

“A night like this is our chance to highlight the incredible work of teaching staff and the achievements being made by our students, and to demonstrate that at Barker we believe in the power of education to change lives. This Dinner demonstrates our shared commitment to ensuring that Indigenous children can access the Australian education curriculum within the safety of their own communities, grounded in their cultural identity. Our profound thanks to everyone for your incredible support.”

Following on from the success of last year’s event, Head of Barker, Phillip Heath, spoke movingly of the impact the support of the Barker community has had.

“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your kindness in making these things possible” he said.

“Dhupuma means ‘Look up. Look beyond.’ Don’t just see what is in front of you but look bigger than that.

Dream of what is possible. We have responsibility, because we have been connected to and adopted into this community – they’re our people. And we are theirs. We are family – and that matters.

We recognise that great change in this country comes from touching one life at a time.”

Tori Grimes Director of Advancement

Inside this issue 61 OBA President

68 Community Events

62 Life Beyond Barker

71 Alumni Notes

64 OBA Groups

75 Obituaries

70

Old Barker Association Contacts

School Contacts

email: oba@barker.nsw.edu.au

Director of Alumni and Community Relations Karina Drummond (02) 8438 7283 KDrummond@barker.nsw.edu.au

(Please note that the number in brackets after a name is the graduating year) President Angus Abadee (07) 0433 108 525 Vice President Emily Elstermann (Tutt 09) 0426 751 165 Vice President Declan Flaherty (16) Honorary Secretary Dush Sharma (05) Assistant Secretary Phil Watson (08) Honorary Treasurer Benjamin Ho (09) Assistant Treasurer Simon Smith (91) General Committee Vanessa Bennett (91) Georgia Breckenridge (18) Gemma Dywer (Davies 09) Josh Grace (1990) Andrew Hassall (1986) Ant Hearne (1990) Chris Russell (1970) | OBA Ambassador Shadi Worrall (Iravani 10) OBA Nominees to Council Anna Sutton (05) Meline Nazloomian (05) David Trayner (84) OBA Annual Patron Sandy Hollway (64) OBA Seniors Contact Ian Pont (63) oba@barker.nsw.edu.au

Archives Rachel Byrne (02) 8438 7290 archives@barker.nsw.edu.au Events Manager Julie Fitzpatrick (02) 8438 7240 events@barker.nsw.edu.au Interstate and International Barker Contacts Adelaide Lane Hinchcliffe (00) 0412 130 935 (m) lane@lkggroup.com.au Brisbane Andrew Wilkie (01) 0412 779 383 (m) andrew.wilkie@morgans.com.au Canberra Andrew McColl (74) 0422 985 281(m) as.mccoll@icloud.com Jeremy Talbot (16) 0429 408 284 Jeztalbot111@gmail.com Central West NSW Reuben Spargo (17) 0450 036 601 reuben.spargo@email.com Melbourne Murray Anderson (65) 0457 000 407 (m) murray@capricorngroup.net.au

OBA Support for Life https://landing.mymirror.com.au/old-barker-association

Talk to an online psychologist today Old Barker Association is supporting you with 3 sessions with My Mirror online psychologist.

Contributions Welcome Please send contributions to Karina Drummond, Director of Alumni and Community Relations, 91 Pacific Highway, Hornsby NSW 2077 or KDrummond@barker.nsw.edu.au.

For further information please contact Karina Drummond on 8438 7283.

Alumni notes are published in good faith, as a service to the Barker Community.

60 • The Old Barker • Issue 255 • Summer 2023

Newcastle Nicholas Bedggood (88) 0410 565 101 (m) nickbedggood@yahoo.com.au Northern Rivers Graham Lawson (62) 0451 442 933 emeri1@y7mail.com Perth Gus Elliot (92) 0416 298 774 (m) gus.elliot14@gmail.com Sunshine Coast Phil Benjamin (61) pandj.benjamin@bigpond.com Upper Hunter Charles Cooke (65) (02) 6545 8141 (w) charles_cooke@esat.net.auJapan Carl Bastian (93) carl@rwo.okinawa Middle East David Baker (85) +965 9950 1657 drwbaker2002@yahoo.co.uk Oceania (Fiji) Neil Underhill (75) (679) 336 3968 (w) neilunderhill@connect.com.fj Papua New Guinea Johnson Kalo (83) (675) 305 6703 (w) jhnsnka03@gmail.com Singapore Carly Switzer (94) carlyswitzer@yahoo.com.au UK, London Annette French (Slattery 88) (44) 1732 382 281 (h) annette.e.french@sky.com USA, East Coast New York Alex Skellet (94) (917) 251 3361 (h) alexandraskellet@gmail.com USA, West Coast Phoenix, Arizona Digby Cook (56) (623) 523 4321 (h) digbyhcook@gmail.com

From the OBA President

OBA President’s Message As we near the end of another year, I am reflecting on the significance of the connections we share within our Barker community. The Old Barker Association thrives on these connections, which are the foundation of our shared history, values, and aspirations. they walk through the Mint Gates for the final time.

Our recognition of these students is a celebration of our traditions, and the OBA’s stewardship of those traditions, and the pursuit of honour above reward.

While this is a constant, as we come together for our end of year events, it is important to think about what brings us together and the basis for doing the things we do.

2023 saw the return of our networking and mentoring program, driven by the estimable Anna Sutton, Vanessa Bennett and Ant Hearne. We were hoping to get a few people interested in our first year and have been blown away by the response. We are getting close to 200 people interacting on our mentoring platform and each face-to-face networking event has been bigger than the last. We have witnessed the resurgence of vibrant friendships and forged new ones through our events.

The OBA is so thankful for the generosity of its members who have put their hand up to host the networking events. In 2024 we are looking forward to holding events throughout the year so please make sure to come to meet and connect with your fellow alumni.

The end of the year brings the normal celebrations, and this year is no different. I have been lucky enough to be invited back to the School to present OBA Spirit Awards to those students who live and breathe Barker.

These awards recognise the continuity between a student’s time at the School and their journey when

In October we held our first affiliates evening event where we invited all OBA affiliates to join us for a celebration of their work. Each year we get to sit down with our affiliates and hear about what they are doing and the opportunities they are providing our members.

The OBA is very proud of their work and we continue to invest in our affiliates so that our members can do the activities they love. This partnership between the OBA and its affiliates is essential to the strength of our alumni community and we are looking forward to working hand in glove with each other to tackle 2024!

October was also a busy month for the OBA Committee as we have started to look at what has worked over the past few years, what has not worked and where we can do better. We have kicked off our work to develop the OBA’s next three-year strategy – a commitment to finding new ways to realise our intent to be the premier alumni association in Australia.

Our door is always open, so please make sure to send through your ideas.

In closing, I want to express my gratitude to all of you for your unwavering support and enthusiasm. Our association thrives because of your commitment to maintaining the connections that bind us together. As we enter this festive season, I invite you all to celebrate your achievements and the achievements of our Barker community, to spend time with loved ones and to take some well-earned time off so we can come back bigger and better in 2024!

Angus Abadee (07) OBA President

Summer 2023 • Issue 255 • The Old Barker • 61

The Old Barker

Life Beyond Barker Vanessa Bennett (Class of 1991) has maintained her connections to Barker attending many events over the years. She has been on the OBA Committee since 2016, and served as OBA President from 2017 to 2020. Vanessa shares her journey since leaving Barker, favourite memories of her time at school and some great life tips.

What has been your journey since leaving Barker?

When I left school I went straight to part time university to do a Bachelor of Business, with a double major in accounting and finance, while working full time on a cadetship program at KPMG for two years and then completing my last two years of university full time. I then decided that I didn't really want to do accounting and managed to get a graduate position at Macquarie Bank where I stayed for eight years working my way to Associate Director in senior financial services sales roles.

I then moved to Dimensional Fund Advisors for eight years where I headed up the Australia and New Zealand sales team. While leading the team, I became more and more interested in newer and more scientific ways to lead a team to high performance regardless of market conditions (yes I was Head of Financial Services Sales during a global financial crisis - which wouldn't have been a career goal for most people!) I also saw

62 • The Old Barker • Issue 255 • Summer 2023

many people in financial services getting burned out or sick unnecessarily and figured it was my job as a leader to ensure that didn't happen to anyone in my team.

I then realised that this part of the job became the part I was really interested in; so in 2012 decided to move into this space as a high performance consultant/ coach instead and co-founded Next Evolution Performance. I have also completed my Masters in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health (with Distinction) from King's College London.

So our business is heavily focussed on using neuroscience to help drive leaders and teams to optimise their productivity, profitabilty, energy and staff engagement and retention - without sickness, burnout and mental health issues. We do a mix between keynote speaking, workshop facilitation, 1:1 coaching and team coaching. We love helping our clients get amazing results. It's super rewarding and I love every part of working with our awesome clients.

The Old Barker

Do you have a particular highlight from your career to share?

Plenty of highlights and plenty of lowlights to keep things interesting too! After a highlight of leading a team to achieve all of their targets during the global financial crisis (without anyone burning out), I think my biggest highlight was to foresee the need for the meaningful work I currently do, before it was really a thing. Then taking a leap of faith and growing our business so that I get to do important work and work that I love. I'm a big believer that if you do good things, with good people, for good people, you can't go too far wrong.

What led to your decision to get involved with the OBA? I went along to an alumni function and it came up in conversation how it seemed odd that, at the time, we were still calling the now Barker College Parents Association (BCPA) the Barker College Mothers Association (BCMA) like it was still 1955! Barker has always been all about encouraging their female students to be anything they wanted to be, and in many cases, the "Barker mother" is the breadwinner of the family, or equal breadwinner. So calling it the BCMA suggested that mothers face the pressure to do this as well (like they don't have enough on their plates!); while fathers who are primary caregivers, may feel excluded.

This conversation led me to meet others on the committee and I was invited to get involved in the OBA. I was excited by many of the initiatives that were being considered so jumped at the chance to be involved. I was so grateful to Barker for my education (and of course my parents for sending me there) and all the opportunities that came with that, so I saw it as a chance to give back.

What is your proudest achievement from your time as OBA President?

It was great to see the initial implementation and take-up of the "Support for Life" program spearheaded by two amazing committee members - David Trayner (84) and Emily Tutt (09). We received so much positive feedback from the Barker community, as well as the future Barker community, who saw it as a great initiative which showed that joining Barker is not just about an education.

I also like to think that I increased the inclusivity of the committee. I was very focussed on making sure that we had a spread of leaving years represented, as well as genders, interests and opinions, and really tried to help everyone to have a chance to voice those opinions in a respectful way.

The next OBA President, Angus Abadee, has done a great job of continuing this inclusivity, and providing excellent leadership for the committee and for the Barker alumni.

How to you manage work/life balance?

I like to call this work/life integration. I've actually always enjoyed working at all stages in my career, so work is something that gives me energy, rather than something that takes it away from me. Life is too short to spend it doing something you don't want to do.

I also try to be fully present with whatever I'm doing.

Plenty of neuroscience research will support that multi-tasking isn't a thing. So I do one thing at a time. If I'm doing a work task or with clients, then I'm fully focussed on that. If I'm spending time with friends and family, then phone away and be present. For me quality time is more important than the quantity of time with people, or at work.

I always work in a way which matches my cognitive energy and helps me to get more done in less time with less effort, so that frees up my time and keeps me healthier too. I always prioritise exercise as my brain functions way better when I do that. I started teaching fitness classes part time when I was at full-time university and I still teach classes with Fitness First today. That, coupled with my studies in neuroscience, means that I am well aware of the benefits of exercise for the brain.

Scotty and I also really love to travel, which certainly helps to relax and recharge.

What are some of your favourite memories from your time at Barker?

Definitely the lifelong friendships and connections that formed there. I'm still really close with a number of my school friends and it's great that we still support each other so many years after leaving Barker. And while I didn't know it at the time, very grateful that I met my now husband Scott Brown at school, and very grateful that we both attended our 25 year school reunion after not seeing each other for....well....25 years :) I also loved the academic support and the opportunities to try so many different extracurricular activities.

Do you have any advice for today’s Barker students?

The world doesn't owe you anything. Take responsibility to create your own opportunities. Helpful thinking in any situation, will be one your biggest superpowers. Be helpful to yourself so that you can be helpful to others. Life might not always go your way, but develop your helpful thinking and you'll be well placed to make the best of all situations and opportunities.

Summer 2023 • Issue 255 • The Old Barker • 63

OBA Groups OBA Seniors It is an invigorating thought that those who are becoming Barker alumni during this 2020s decade, will be planning similar years’ reunions, to the kind our number are celebrating, but it will be as the School approaches its Bicentenary!

Yes, 2090 is only as far into the future as the years of our becoming “Old Boys” is in the past.

In the interests of exploring ways in which we OBA Seniors might share our collective experience with the broader and ongoing Barker community, your Committee has recently initiated an informal but regular link with the Barker Foundation. On both sides, it is felt that this is an excellent way to foster the long-term spirit of the

“Leslie’s Men” initiative, which has evolved into our OBA Seniors. Those who had the pleasure of attending our AGM Lunch in late July were introduced to the Foundation Chair, Aaron Black (92).

“Inspiring Tomorrow” is a motto to which we may all aspire.

Much more in the present, please know that you are very welcome to attend the events of both the School and the OBA throughout the year. A number of us will have enjoyed “A Very Barker Christmas” on Saturday 25 November, a festive market of food and gifts followed by music and carols, with dedicated seating for our Seniors.

Please put a couple of dates into your diary for earlier in 2024: our

Seniors Lunch on 19 March and the biennial “Back to Barker” day on 7 May – this latter to include a tour of the magnificent new Senior School Hub building and an international standard Barker robotics demonstration.

We very much look forward to catching up with our fellow OBA Seniors during 2024.

If you would like further information, please contact the Alumni and Community Relations Office on (02) 8438 7283 or oba@barker.nsw.edu.au Peter Middleton (64) OBA Seniors Committee

OBA Agriculture Society The OBA Agriculture Society has been created to provide Alumni with the opportunity to stay connected with like-mined people with an interest in agriculture. This is an invaluable network for career, mentoring and keeping up with current and future trends in the Food and Agribusiness sector. The Society is being led by Matt Nevison (16) and Barker's Head of Agriculture, Scott Graham.

The second gathering of the OBA Agriculture Society occurred in October 2023, where we welcomed Anna Sutton (05), General Counsel - Syngenta Australia as our guest speaker. It was an excellent opportunity to hear Anna’s reflections on how recent graduates can leverage their network and build their brand to

64 • The Old Barker • Issue 255 • Summer 2023

create opportunities in the sector.

Each event showcases the diversity of career paths on offer in the Food and Agribusiness Sector – including roles across ‘AgTech’, Research & Development, Consulting and Banking.

The next networking event will be hosted in February – March 2024

at a venue close to the CBD. We welcome any alumni who are interested in learning more about agriculture – regardless of your experience in the sector!

Enquiries please join: www.facebook.com/groups/ OBAAgriculture Matthew Nevison (16)

OBA Groups

OBA Big Band The OBA Big Band has been rehearsing weekly since Barker Swings, focusing on a handful of new music. Recently, we noticed a theme emerging with our repertoire... screen sounds! Just by chance, the majority of new pieces were from well-known movies, TV shows and video games. Over the course of one rehearsal we would argue with Larry David, eat shorts with Bart Simpson and dismantle underlying systemic issues at Monsters Inc. Fortunately we were able to show off our repertoire at the OBA

Old Barker Robotics This past April, Old Barker Robotics members joined the Barker Robotics trip to the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) World Championships in Houston, Texas.

Unique among Barker’s robotics offerings, the FRC program has our Senior School students work closely with Alumni and industry mentors to design, build and program a 50kg robot, in addition to other areas such as competition strategy, video production and award submissions.

Affiliates Cocktail event. The band welcomed the cosy atmosphere of the Sue Field Room. We were able to relax, loosen up and let our improvisations lead the way.

The highlight of the night was a solo from Tom Campbell (13) over a Donkey Kong jungle-drum beat.

The room was swinging as if Louis Armstrong's Hot Five was right there with him! It was an honour to play for our fellow alumni and we can't wait to play again next year.

If you're looking for a jazz band to play at an upcoming event, get in touch at: OBABigBand@gmail.com Luke Davis (09)

The competition this year put robots in 3-on-3 matches in which they were required to repeatedly traverse a 20m field to collect scoring elements, transport them back across the field, and place them precisely in scoring locations. Realising the importance of speed and acceleration early in the season, a group of students and Alumni spent several months developing a new high-speed drive for the robot. Creation of the drivetrain was completed (in Sydney) just after the team’s final competition before the Championships (in Tulsa, Oklahoma). Fortunately, Alumni joining the trip midway for the Championships were able to partially disassemble and transport the new system as checked luggage, intercepting the team in Dallas and delivering the drivetrain.

With the replacement drivetrain and the team now in the same location, we split the team into three groups. Working out of the build spaces of several Texasbased teams with whom our team has had long-time connections,

one group practised with those teams using our existing robot, a second group reassembled and tested the new drivetrain, and a third looked ahead to the Championships to plan competition strategy and match tactics. Once the new drivetrain demonstrated its improved capabilities, the first two groups combined to swap the existing superstructure over to the new and improved drivetrain.

These improvements paid off at the World Championships, with our robot reaching a peak of 15 collection-and-scoring cycles in a single 150-second match.

Our speedy robot was the most sought-after partner by other teams in the elimination rounds of our Championship Division, and we finished the competition as Division Finalists.

Alumni involvement in the program is continuing through the offseason as we train and prepare the team for next year’s competition.

Anthony Brian (87)

Summer 2023 • Issue 255 • The Old Barker • 65

OBA Groups

Old Barker Rugby The Old Barker Rugby Union Football Club (OBRUFC), established in 1968 by former students Guy Shepperd (62), Lindsay Allen (65), and Bill Cayzer (65), extends an open invitation to all of you to join our men's and women's teams for the 2024 season.

OBRUFC has a rich history, winning 15 first-grade premierships and producing over 30 NSW Suburban Rugby representative players.

Recently, we have expanded our offerings to include a Women's 7s program, aiming to provide young female athletes with an opportunity to engage with rugby and the Barker Rugby community.

OBA Volleyball This season has been incredibly successful for the OBA Volleyball Club. Our 2nd grade team that competes at Willoughby have taken 1st place on the ladder and have only lost a single game so far this season.

Our 1st grade team are equally as dominant this season in the North Ryde competition and at the time of writing are on a five-game winning streak against some of the top teams in the Sydney North Volleyball competition.

66 • The Old Barker • Issue 255 • Summer 2023

We enthusiastically welcome returning players who made a significant impact last season and are equally eager to welcome new Old Barker students, regardless of their rugby experience. Our aim is to foster a sense of camaraderie and sportsmanship among all members.

During the off-season, the Club will organise social activities to bring the teams together, and pre-season training will commence in early January at Turramurra Memorial Park. More information on this will be available on the Old Barker Rugby website, as well as the Facebook and Instagram pages.

Whether you have prior experience in social rugby, played 7s for a season, or are entirely new to rugby, we invite you to join us for pre-season, meet the Club, and become part of the OBRUFC community. Feel free to bring along friends and embrace the opportunity to connect with the Barker community.

Looking forward to seeing you on the field soon. If you would like any further information on how to join, please email bobrufcpresident@gmail.com Sam Northcott (09) President

The 1sts are currently training for ‘Good Neighbour,’ the largest national social volleyball competition.

The competition is held in November in Canberra and will mark the first time the OBA Volleyball team have attended a high-level multi-state tournament.

Contact CButler@barker.nsw.edu.au Callan Butler (17)

OBA Groups

Old Barker Football Club “The youth of today must eat bitterness” (attributed to either Xi Jinping or Peter Gregory (03).

And so they did, with Old Barker FC Division 2 squad folding at the beginning of 2023. Prosperity for all it was not. Division 4 men had a tough season, notching up just three wins and a wooden spoon. It was Honor non Honores with the slim squad battling through many games a player or two down.

The Division 4 men rallied around the Chinese proverb “Enduring deepening pain is how man ascends”. It’s rumoured that ascension might mean more time at inner west breweries in 2024, with several of the Division 4 squad announcing retirement.

They were once the Evergrande of Old Barker FC, attaining the most silverware in recent Club history.

The squad is now canvassing a restructuring plan to avoid crisis in 2024. If there are any groups of mates or netizens looking for a football club, please reach out to help recapitalise.

This year the men’s over 35 squad had a lot in common with the CCP Politburo. Both groups are

OBA Christian Fellowship Members of the OBACF enjoyed a great evening of networking and getting to know other OBA affiliate members at the OBA Affiliates Cocktail event in October. Thanks to everyone who joined us! Keep an eye out for details around our

filled with crusty old blokes. Both groups must pledge undying loyalty to their leader, in OBFC’s case Peter Gregory (03). Both groups have seen senior figures go missing in recent months, with Dominic Quo (03), Ben Holland (96), David Garrick (95) and Andrew Boak (95) apparently out with “season ending injuries”… or so Peter tells us.

Most strikingly, both groups have only barely avoided disaster in 2023. The 035s narrowly dodging relegation, remaining in Division 1 for 2024.

With regards to on-field performances, ”an old warhorse in the stable still longs to gallop a thousand miles”.

Ned Robinson (05) may be firmly stabled off the field but put him in some open space on the wing, a more graceful canter has not been seen at the Club.

recently finished his semiprofessional career in NSW’s State League. Michael will soon learn it doesn’t matter how good you are at football, loyalty to club management is what matters.

Alumni thinking about their football playing activities in 2024, should visit www.oldbarkerfc.com and come along to a pre-season event.

A wonderful environment for football and free speech.

Matt Vickers (05)

Rumours indicate Michael Rolston (05) may be joining 035’s, having

Christmas pub catch up - hope to see you all there!

The OBACF aims to offer an opportunity for the multigenerational network of Barker Alumni to meet, connect and encourage one another in their faith journeys. We would love to grow our network even more. If you are interested in joining, please

private message me via our Facebook Group.

Georgia Breckenridge (18)

Summer 2023 • Issue 255 • The Old Barker • 67

Community Events

OBA Affiliates Cocktail Party Thursday 12 October The inaugural OBA Affiliates Cocktail Party was held on the evening of 12 October in the Sue Field Room at the wonderful Rosewood Centre at Barker College. Members from various OBA Affiliates, including Old Barker Rugby, Old Barker Football, OBA Volleyball, OBA Seniors, the OBA Big Band, OBA Christian Fellowship, OBA Agriculture Society and the newly-formed OBA Robotics, were all in attendance. With the OBA Committee focused on fostering stronger ties and connections between Affiliate groups and the broader Barker alumni community, it was particularly delightful to see members from different affiliates interact and learn from each other's successes. Joining an OBA Affiliate is a wonderful way for Barker alumni to continue doing the things they enjoyed at the School, whether it is playing sport, creating music, making robotics, or bringing people together in prayer. This event will become a staple in the OBA calendar and here's to many more cocktail parties to come.

Declan Flaherty (16)

OBA Annual Golf Day Such a stunning day for this year’s OBA Golf Day at Pennant Hills Golf Course on Tuesday 5 September! We welcomed Alumni from the Class of 1960 through to the Class of 2022 along with current and past Barker parents and guests. A great day was had by all.

68 • The Old Barker • Issue 255 • Summer 2023

Community Events

Class of 1988 – 35 Year Reunion It’s been 35 years since the Class of ‘88 graduated but it felt like yesterday reconnecting with familiar Barker boys and girls again at our old stomping ground The Oaks on a balmy Saturday night on October 14.

Our reunion was held in a quaint room upstairs overlooking the iconic oak tree lights. 80s music filled the air as plenty of fun stories were shared by classmates who had travelled from far and wide to meet up once more.

candour of brothers and sisters that everyone enjoyed each other’s company. So much so that it kicked on into the wee hours as the Oaks finally began to close.

By now, much water has passed under the Barker bridge, so plenty of changes have taken place and life experience gained and it was with the warmth and

Thanks for organising a magical evening to remember Kirsty, Ainsley, Fran, Jenny and Bedge with social comms from Ken. Until next time!

Class of 1983 – 40 Year Reunion The 40 Year Reunion of the Class of 1983 was held at the Greengate Hotel on Saturday 16 September with almost 80 attending. Special thanks to Pip Ryan for all her work in organising this successful event.

Class of 1953 – 70 Year Reunion We welcomed the Class of 1953 to celebrate their 70-Year Reunion with lunch at Barker on Friday 15 September.

Attendees included: Gordon Griffiths, Ron Hattersley, Peter and Barbara Hennings, Hugh Walker (who travelled from Perth), and Jim and Barbara Whitehead.

Guests were fascinated to hear an update on the School from Phillip Heath AM and thoroughly enjoyed the tour of the new Senior School Hub with the current School and Vice Captains.

Summer 2023 • Issue 255 • The Old Barker • 69

Barker Community Gold Coast Event Alumni from the Class of 1947 through to the Class of 2020 attended the Gold Coast Lunch on Sunday 24 September with some guests travelling from the Sunshine Coast and Northern Rivers.

Poulos (61), Graham Lawson (62), Robert Raymond (62) and Kim Reid, Jeremy Boyd (72), Chris Wever (75), Pip Clayton (Clarke 76), Ian Howard (77), Tim Young (77), Greg Minter (78), Louise Barnes (Hoar 79), Nicola Thong (Rockwell 87), Brendon Cook (88), Elizabeth Jean (90), and Tyrone Albertyn (20).

Attendees included: Jim Aiken (47/48), Robert (55/56) and Patricia Hudson, John Hughston (59), James

To stay connected, you are invited to join the Barker College Alumni – SEQ & Nth Rivers Facebook group.

Barker Community Canberra Event Alumni from the Class of 1950 through to the Class of 2020 attended the Barker Community Canberra event on Thursday 19 October at the Duxton Hotel.

It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces and to welcome some of our younger alumni who were attending for the first time. Attendees included: James (50) and Helena Morrice, Gerald (51) and Jean Farleigh, John (58) and Andra Donovan, Richard Fillingham (64), David Skeoch (73), Andrew McColl (74), Jennifer Joyce (Wright 87), Alicia Flack-Kone (89), Nicholas Duckmanton (02), Emily Sears (11), Nic Burkett (14), Kate Torney (15), Adam Griffin (15), Jeremy Talbot (16), Jack Smal (16), Rory Langford (16), Oliver Nicholls (17), Luke Reimer (18), Nicholas Fakira (19) and Pippa Buchanan (20). A special thank you to Jeremy Talbot (16) for organising the venue and to Andrew McColl (74) for his ongoing support of Canberra events.

Alumni Notes (Number in brackets is the alumni year)

Bruce ‘Kiwi’ Power (47) I am in good health and turned 93 in November. I have been a lawn bowler since 1964 and fortunate to win 42 titles and helped win four first divisions. When playing Tuesday Triples recently in Hervey Bay, each player drew three bowls around the jack and the opposing skip failed to dislodge any of their bowls which is an amazing thing. No one at the club had seen anything like it.

Bob Charley (55) hosted a lunch at his Inneslake Vineyards, Port Macquarie, in celebration of his former Barker school friend Ralph Lindeman’s 90th birthday.

What a delightful Old Boys' gathering!

Jackie Dent (89) is an author, journalist and communications specialist who recently released her book The Great Dead Body Teachers about whole body donation, anatomy and dissection. Jackie has worked for multiple media outlets including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Bulletin, The New York Times, Reuters and SBS amongst others. Her career has taken her around the world including stints working with the United Nations. Jackie is currently completing a PhD in International Relations at the University of Sydney on ‘The Pleasures of War’.

Left to Right; David Lindeman (72), Bob Charley (55), Ralph Lindeman (51), David Maynard (53), Jason Charley (85) and Peter Lindeman (46).

Dick Ash (62) Following a career in advertising, Dick moved to the north coast of NSW in 1986 and enjoys ‘the good life’ growing fruit and vegies and restoring an old farm house in the hinterland. Dick recently created a clothing label, Dick Ash Designs Resort Wear, selling quality Australian-made clothing. This follows his earlier success with his Okanui surf wear brand. Dick is a regular attendee at the Northern Rivers Barker events and is pictured here with one of his artworks at the Lennox Head hotel.

David Burt (04) was named in The List’s Top 100 Innovators in Australia in The Australian newspaper for his entrepreneurial work in Education. His mission is for UNSW to be Australia’s most entrepreneurial university. David has led the UNSW Founders program which has supported 60 graduate startups to raise substantial funds and create over 175 jobs.

Summer 2023 • Issue 255 • The Old Barker • 71

Alumni Notes

Melissa Mitchell-Gumley (05) returned to Barker in August to share her experiences in sport and as an Olympian with students. Current students Dijana, Milla and Ivy share her passion for swimming.

Sean Miley Moore (08) performed the role of The Engineer in Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed new production of Boublil and Schönberg’s award-winning musical Miss Saigon at the Sydney Opera House until 13 October 2023.

Christopher Mui (10) joined the Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s cello section in October. Christopher has engaged in numerous musical experiences internationally, having performed mostly as a chamber musician in Switzerland, Norway, Japan, Italy, Brazil, China and Malaysia. His former teachers include Uzi Wiesel, Li Wei Qin, Ernst Simon Glaser, Job ter Haar and Ole Bohn. He has also participated in numerous masterclasses for distinguished artists such as Steven Isserlis, Gary Hoffman, Truls Mørk, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, and taken part in projects performing for both Helmut Lachenmann and Georg Friedrich. A graduate of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music in Singapore, he is currently

72 • The Old Barker • Issue 255 • Summer 2023

undertaking a Specialized Masters Diploma course in contemporary music at the Hochschule der Künste Bern under David Eggert. His notable achievements include being awarded the Most Promising Player in the Gisborne International Music Competition in New Zealand, 3rd Prize in the Boris Pergamenschikow Preis for Contemporary Chamber Music and being selected as a representative to perform at the Pacific Alliance of Music Schools in Beijing, and a participant of the prestigious Piatigorsky Cello Festival in Los Angeles.

Jacob McCorry (15). In August this year, Jacob was selected for the Australian Athletics Team competing at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. He competed in the Men’s 110m Hurdles Heats placing 5th. As a Year 9 Barker College student, Jacob was considering his sporting future. “I was 14, and just thinking about what was possible, what I enjoyed, what I might be passionate about.

I thought all the greats in sport started in my position as a little kid, so why couldn’t I achieve something great if I completely committed to it, and stayed dedicated for a long enough time.” Jacob really enjoyed hurdling and particularly the technical nature of the event, pursuing his commitment to the sport at Barker.

Ned Slack-Smith (21) signed with the NSW Waratahs squad in October for the upcoming 2024 Super Rugby Pacific Season.

Alumni Notes

Aden Ekanayake (22). In September this year, Aden was selected to join the U18 Australian Rugby Team.

Aden was later appointed Captain for the opening clash of the two-game series.

As Coach Shannon Fraser said, “In selecting this squad, we considered not only the ability the players have already shown across provincial, club and school games, but also their long-term potential as future Wallabies.” Congratulations, Aden!

Wedding in the Barker Chapel

Wil Kennedy, Oniti Finau, Jakob Biet, Eli Sagala and Sam Sahyoun (all 22) featured in the Super Rugby U19s tournament in October. Will and Oniti played for the NSW Waratahs and Sam, Jakob and Eli played for the ACT Brumbies.

Baptisms in the Barker Chapel

23 September - Frank Elliott (12) married Clara Xu

6 August - Lily May Park Rosenfeld, daughter of Natarsha Hussey (12) and Joshua Rosenfeld.

17 September - Elle Florence Donaldson, daughter of Thomas Donaldson (07) and Emma Donaldson.

1 October - Xavier Rohan Brown, son of Rohan Brown (96) and Christina Brown.

Lion Cub Club We would love to welcome bubs of our alumni to the Lion Cub Club.

Please contact the team at alumni@barker.nsw.edu.au who will send Yvonne Low’s Welcome to Barker book and a cute soft toy for your little one.

LionCLuCb ub Barker

Summer 2023 • Issue 255 • The Old Barker • 73

Alumni Notes

Former Staff

Brisbane, Mr Tim Kotzur; former Barker Deputy Head and now Head of Newcastle Grammar School, Mr Matt Macoustra; former ICT specialist and Head of Andrew House, and now Head of St Luke’s Anglican Grammar School at Dee Why, Mr Geoff Lancaster; and former Head of Barker’s Middle School and now Head of The Geelong College, Dr Peter Miller.

The AHISA National Conference was held during the recent holidays, bringing together the Australian Heads of Independent Schools. Whilst we recently celebrated as a School community the recognition that had been bestowed on the School’s current Head, Mr Phillip Heath AM, as Australian Principal of the Year, this conference also brought together several of the Barker staff who have gone on to lead their own schools across Australia.

Barker’s eighth Headmaster, Dr Rod Kefford, shared with us that there are in fact no fewer than eight former Barker staff members who are current Heads of colleges or schools in NSW and elsewhere in our region.

Whilst at the AHISA conference, Mr Heath caught up with Barker’s former Head of PDHPE and now Head of St Peter’s Lutheran College at Indooroopilly in

Other former staff who are serving as Heads include former Head of English and Director of Curriculum, and now Head of the International Grammar School in Ultimo, Ms Shauna Colnan; former History teacher and now Head of Kincoppal at Rose Bay, Ms Erica Thomas; and former Maths teacher, Ms Elizabeth Stone, who left as Principal of Queenwood at the end of last term to take up her new position as the first female Head of Winchester College in England. Our other international Head is former Barker Head of Science and Director of Studies, Mr Trevor Barman, who is Headmaster of Hereworth School in Havelock North, NZ. In addition, the School is equally proud of the number of its former staff who are now serving as Deputy Heads across Australia – these include Mr Eliot Sanger, Deputy Head at Calrossy; Ms Sophie Mynott, Deputy Head at Brisbane Girls Grammar; Mr Dean Smith, Head of Primary School at William Clarke College and more recently Dr Kester Lee at St Luke’s Anglican Grammar School.

The contribution made by former and current Barker staff members to school leadership in Australia and overseas is certainly worth celebrating!

Do you have news to share?

We are keen to hear about recent engagements, weddings, career updates and achievements, travels, community service, hobbies, sports and other community news.

It’s a great way for alumni to stay connected!

Please send contributions to alumni@barker.nsw.edu.au

74 • The Old Barker • Issue 255 • Summer 2023

Obituaries (Number in brackets is the alumni year)

Warwick David Ash (64) 1947 - 2023

also owned, in association with his wife, Hornsby Honda, which was across the Highway from Barker College.

In later years, due to ill health, Warwick moved into a nursing home at Dural and passed away with family and friends beside him on 3 August 2023.

Warwick grew up on the family dairy farm in the Parklea area in western Sydney before the family moved to Killara and he attended Barker from 4th Class in 1957 to 5th Form in 1964. Warwick played Rugby and Cricket up until 3rd Year but had to stop due to fractured toes. Warwick was a member of the School Cadet Unit and was awarded the Leaving Certificate in 1964.

A wonderful celebration of his life was held at the Berowra Waters Marina, attended by his family, friends and many of the people he had been associated with since leaving Barker.

Warwick is survived by his son Jason, daughter Josette, many grandchildren, brothers Dick (62), Rob (70) - both attended Barker, and sister Kim. Dick Fillingham (64)

David Hedley Clark (57) 1939 - 2023

Following Barker, David returned home to the Collarenebri area where he managed properties.

He met and married Barbara Hann and together they had three children. In later years they moved from Collarenebri to Pallamallawa where he and Barbara had the school bus runs and also ran his semi/road train, carting cotton and grain and other assorted loads.

David and Barbara loved travelling and saw most of Australia over the years. David was a life member of the Collarenebri Pony Club and of the NSW Rural Fire Service. In 2014 David and Barbara moved to Chain Valley Bay where they spent their retirement before moving into Jesmond Grove Nursing facility in December 2022.

He spoke of fond memories of his days at Barker and told many about the things they got up to at school. He was a bit of a larrikin!

David loved the country life, a good yarn and being with family and friends.

During his time at Barker he made many good friends, in particular Pete Johnson, Peter Sledge, Blair McCall (dec), Rod Kitner and Dick Fillingham.

On leaving Barker, Warwick joined Unilever working with Lever & Kitchen P/L in their NSW Sales Division. His love of boats saw him join the Mercury Outboard sales team that covered most of NSW. From there he set up his own boat dealership at Thornleigh, as well as working in the boating industry at Brooklyn and Berowra Waters on the Hawkesbury River. Warwick

prize at Speech Day at the end of 6th Class. David played Rugby and Cricket during his time at Barker and was a member of the 2nd XI Cricket team in his final year.

David attended Barker from 5th Class in 1951 to 3rd Form in 1955 as did his brothers Peter (62) and Richard (60, deceased). David received the Helen Leslie Memorial

David passed away on 17 February 2023 and is survived by his wife Barbara, his three children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Summer 2023 • Issue 255 • The Old Barker • 75

Obituaries William Bowman Devlin (74) 1956 - 2019

Bill Devlin, known as Bow, passed away on 13 November 2019 at the too-young age of 63.

Bow left Barker at the start of 5th form and went to work for NEC-Rank Arena then IBM, which started a career in the electrical industry with computers becoming his passion. He sold us many electrical gadgets and built many computers for us all over the years.

He left school early because he was a rev head, wanting fast cars, and needed money to support his expensive hobby. Holden Torana GTR XU-I, Holden Torana SL/R 5000 and Ford Falcon GT HO, to name a few, he had them all.

Three of us Class of 74 Barker boys, Richard Frewin, Bill Devlin and myself, Rob McCormack purchased holiday homes at Empire Bay on the Central Coast in 1979. We would all work hard all week in Sydney then on the weekends head to Empire Bay and party hard all weekend. We purchased these weekenders just before the start of the building boom and just after Gosford Council was approving 10,000 new homes each year. My quiet waterfront block on a quiet street started to have huge McMansions going up left right and centre. That was the same for Richard and Bow. In 1983 I sold up and purchased a 100-acre waterfront at North Arm Cove (Port Stephens) and Bow sold up and purchased a 4-bedroom house in North Arm Cove.

76 • The Old Barker • Issue 255 • Summer 2023

Bill married Erin in 1987 and they took a couple of years off to travel around Australia towing their caravan, that came to an end when they rolled the caravan and came back home to North Arm Cove. Bill and Erin sold the North Arm Cove place and moved to a new home in Medowie. Sadly, Erin passed away in 2014 and Bow sold the Medowie place and moved down the road to Raymond Terrace.

Bow and I were best mates.

Every Wednesday was fishing day and rain hail or shine we would go fishing. It didn’t matter if we caught much, just being on the water was far better than being stuck in the office. Sadly, in 2018 Bow was diagnosed with aggressive thyroid cancer. He put up a good fight and for a year my wife Cheryl and I drove him to the hospital in Newcastle for doctor's appointments, radiation and chemo twice a week. Unfortunately, he lost the fight and passed away peacefully on 13 November 2019 in the Mater Hospital Newcastle.

Gone but not forgotten.

played Basketball too. Eric was a cast member in the musical production “Zigger Zagger” and displayed further musical talent in the Boarder’s band. In his final year Eric was a Boarding Prefect of Carter House.

Following Barker, Eric went on to practise law, first in New South Wales as a solicitor and barrister, and then in Queensland where he opened and operated his own law firm. Eric maintained his love of music and took any opportunity to sing and dance, he loved travelling and had a penchant for model airplanes, movies, and trivia.

Above all else, Eric placed most importance on spending time with his wife and children.

Eric passed away in December 2022 and is survived by his wife Jennifer, his children Charlotte, Harriet and Samuel, and his grandchildren, Theodore and Emelia.

Heather Anne McLellan (86) 1969 - 2023

His friend Rob McCormack (74)

Eric Graham Elrington (83) 1965 - 2022

Eric attended Barker as a boarder in 1982 and 1983. His grandfather Eric (19) and father Gavin (53), both deceased, also attended Barker as did many of his cousins.

Eric participated fully in his two years at Barker. He played in the Cricket 2nd XI, was Vice-Captain of the Rugby 3rd XV team and

Heather attended Barker in 1985 and 1986. Her sister Megan (85) also attended Barker. Heather was a member of the 1st Softball Team and was a Lance Corporal in the BCCU Senior Cadets.

We have been informed that Heather, late of Beaconsfield in Queensland, passed away on 28 September 2023.

Talk to an online psychologist today Old Barker Association is supporting you with 3 sessions with My Mirror online psychologist.

We have partnered with My Mirror online psychology to provide access to three videoconferencing sessions with an experienced psychologist at no cost to you.

My Mirror is a leader in “online” mental health care and provides access to skilled professionals of many demographics with focussed specialisation in critical areas such as anxiety, depression, domestic violence, substance abuse, career difficulties and so much more.

My Mirror psychology sessions can be accessed from the comfort of home or from any device up to 21 hours

a day, 7 days a week. These sessions are available to anyone feeling like they would benefit from talking to someone to get on track with how they are feeling and navigating life’s challenges.

My Mirror psychologists use evidence-based strategies to help you build skills and strategies for resilience and agency in your life.

For more information and details on how to access these sessions please see link: https://landing.mymirror.com.au/old-barker-association

Barker Community Events 2023 Class Reunions

OBA Dates

OBA Seniors Events

2024

Committee Meetings Wed 21 Feb Wed 1 May Wed 19 June Wed 24 July (AGM) Wed 21 Aug Wed 13 Nov

Lunch at Hornsby RSL Tue 19 Mar

OBA Networking Events Sydney CBD Thu 15 Feb Thu 11 Apr Thu 6 Jun Thu 15 Aug Thu 7 Nov

Musical Preview Show Sun 27 Oct

1974 - 50 Year Reunion Sat 6 Apr 2024 Bruce Davis davis.bruce@gmail

OBA Golf Day Tue 3 Sept

Back to Barker Day Tue 7 May AGM/Lunch/Rugby Sat 10 Aug

OBA Events Contact Karina Drummond (02) 8438 7283 oba@barker.nsw.edu.au

Regional Events Regional events provide a great opportunity to connect with members of the Barker community in your area.

Please contact community@barker. nsw.edu.au for information about regional events or to update your contact details if you are living in a different location to your Barker mailing address so we can invite you too!

91 Pacific Highway Hornsby NSW 2077 Australia

t w

+61 2 8438 7999 barker.college

Privacy

Photos

Due to changes in Privacy Legislation we are required to inform you that your contact details may be shared with OBA reunion organisers with the strict guidelines that they are only to be used for the purposes of organising your OBA reunion. Please contact the Alumni Office if you wish to keep your details private.

Photos from your event may be posted on the OBA Website (www.oba.net.au), the Alumni Facebook page (www.facebook. com/barkercollegealumni), the Alumni Instagram page (www. instagram.com/barkercollegealumni) and in The Barker magazine. For further queries please contact the Alumni Office.