The hammer comes down

Sarah Spicer, Sacha Acland, Grace Riley, Anisha de Silva, Mark Sumich, Pippa Morris, Sophia Souloglou, Kiara Selvaratnam and Julie Rust.

Congratulations to Pippa Morris, the 2019 New Zealand National Real Estate Auctioneering School Champion for 2019. The event is the pinnacle of auctioneering in New Zealand and it is a new venture for our girls. The team from Diocesan went to the prestigious event to compete alongside the best in New Zealand. Head of Drama Sarah Spicer introduced the programme in conjunction with mentor Mark Sumich as a way to develop communication and presentation skills with senior students in preparation for the scholarship drama examination. It has been a really intense learning experience for everyone, and we now understand the artistry of auctioneering and how these skills are transferable.

The live-call event is a tough competition that showcases the theatrical and numerical skills of each contestant – it never ceases to amaze all those watching. Our students have been mentored by the best in the business: Mark Sumich, chief judge and three-time Australasian Champion; Aaron Davies, 2019 Senior Competition champion; and Julia Rust.

We are delighted with all the girls’ performances and can't wait to be involved again next year. “Auctioneering has been around for centuries, but six Diocesan girls (who don't make a century between them) showed that it is indeed a timeless, yet ageless craft. Their spine-tingling displays at the New Zealand Schools’ championship brought adults to tears, gasping at the girls’ vocabularies and mathematical prowess. Their wit and spontaneity proved to be admirable attributes, as they knocked down their offerings in exuberant fashion. Five weeks of persistent training saw all six prove their worthiness to compete, and they dominated the event. In a section of the industry where females have historically struggled to gain traction,

Pippa Morris

this was a small but significant stride for equality. Go Pippa, go Dio!” Mark Sumich, mentor and three-time Australasian Champion