Summer
Magazine 2018
NGARRA dunmorelangcollege.nsw.edu.au
INSIDE
4 Mrs Margot Doust AM
6 DLC Musical
15 Alumni Industry Night
Welcome THIS EDITION OF NGARRA CELEBRATES MANY FIRSTS INCLUDING THE STUDENTS AND SIBLING WEEKEND AS WELL AS THE INAUGURAL MOTHER’S DAY EVENT WITH GUEST SPEAKER, AUTHOR AND COMMENTATOR, JANE CARO.
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Ngarra means ‘listen’ in the Darug language
ACK NOWLEDGEMEN T OF COUN TRY Dunmore Lang College acknowledges the traditional owners of the land upon which the College is situated. The College also acknowledges the generous contributions of the Walanga Muru staff and especially Uncle Chris George as the College’s Indigenous Cultural Adviser. In 2014, we were honoured to name the College magazine, Ngarra, which means ‘listen‘ in the Darug language and we are grateful for the invaluable assistance provided by Mr Chris Tobin, Uncle Lexodious Dadd and Aunty Elaine Chapman in assisting us with this. This shared journey is deeply rooted in the College’s history and it is our privilege to continue the legacy of Miss Dorothy Knox, who established the College, and Rev John Dunmore Lang, our namesake, who were both strong advocates for the rights of Indigenous Australians.
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here are also contributions from students attending a leadership forum in Canberra, an Alumni reflecting on his years at College and an inspiring lesson on the rewards of spontaneity. We also catch up with an Alumna, now a published playwright, on her recent visit to Australia for the opening of her play. A very special highlight this year was the opportunity to celebrate fifty years of service to the College by Mrs Margot Doust AM and her recognition in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List with the award of an Order of Australia. More details about her extraordinary contribution are available on page 4. As this year draws to a close, we are very aware of the ongoing impact of the droughts and the many ways in which this affects not only our farming families but the wide range of services and other businesses which support this sector. The increasing pressure this places on our students from rural communities has never been more evident and we are working hard to increase our funding sources in order to expand our scholarship and support programmes. It is more important than ever to equip young people with the analytical and critical thinking skills alongside an appreciation of global changes and Australia’s place in the world. It is vital we maintain as many opportunities as possible for the future entrepreneurs, teachers, farmers and rural professionals to access the degrees and experiences they need to contribute back in their home towns, around Australia or internationally. This year we have increased our partnership work with Widening Participation at Macquarie University. The Dean of Students, Ms Liza Allen, joined the road trip to Broken Hill and we have hosted a number of high school students’ visits to Macquarie University, providing opportunities for them to meet current Dunmore Lang College residents from their area and find out more about studying at Macquarie and living in College. There is a wide body of research showing the positive benefits that come from living in a College community, not only in our students’ academic results, but more importantly, the pastoral care programmes, academic tutorials as well as the many activities and events that generate greater connectedness and
increased friendship networks. These not only bring residents together but also help support positive mental and physical wellbeing. While this requires a significant amount of planning and investment in training for staff and students as well as a commitment to walking our values it is an important investment in students’ futures. And, we continue to invest strongly in student leadership training to both ensure highquality support for the student community as well as enabling as many students as possible to benefit from high-level leadership training. Now in its second year, a number of students completed the Dunmore Lang College Leadership Certificate this year, having undertaken the required eighteen hours of workshops and training seminars. While it is compulsory for students who wish to apply to be a Resident Adviser in the year following, it is also open to all students wishing to supplement their university studies and to develop important work-ready skills for future careers. In addition, the Residential Adviser team completed a further forty hours of training in leadership, pastoral and firstresponder skills. We remain committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our students by creating and supporting a community that is based on the core value of respect and by providing an integrated programme of online training and O’Week information sessions supported by staff including the College Aboriginal Cultural Adviser, in-house Psychologist and Counsellor as well as the staff and student pastoral care teams. In addition, we will continue to have the important and challenging conversations about what respect means and looks like in practice; not only defining what is not acceptable, but providing a positive model of an open, affirmative community that embraces difference, encourages individuality and places respect for others at the centre of everything we do. Times may be challenging but the ways in which our students continue to meet these challenges by questioning what is assumed and developing new responses means there is hope and much to look forward to in the future. I invite you to read more in this edition.
DR ALASDAIR MURRIE-WEST PRINCIPAL Cover photo: Mrs Margot Doust AM with current students
DragonA L I SBoat Paddler TA I R A DA M S O N core and Saturday is legs. However if I have an upcoming competition I train for three hours on the water and I add one hour sessions at the gym on the same days as water training.
Tell us more about dragon boating? Dragon boating is a great sport that focuses greatly on teamwork. The sport itself is the largest growing water sport in Australia and attracts thousands of athletes and spectators from around the country for the National Championships as well as tens of thousands to the Continental and World Championships Cup.
What fitness level do you need to be on the international team? Pretty high. The benchmarks they set for testing are almost impossible to reach. For the 2017 campaign, I had to follow the same training routine I follow today and they would track our progress. We had to run three kilometres in under twenty minutes (my record is 12.35 minutes). We also had to follow a diet of high protein, low carbohydrate and no sugar which was pretty hard to follow for over a year. Training really went into top gear when the competition was within a couple of months. We had a training camp a couple of weeks before we
The main racing categories are 200 metres, 500 metres and 2 kilometres. While these are the most common, there are sometimes one kilometre races and 100 metre relay races.
What has been your biggest win? My best win was silver at the 2017 World Championships in Divonne. Whilst it was silver and I have won gold before on a national level, the silver medal in Divonne was the highest medal that has been won for Australia, so it’s pretty special. What are the biggest challenges in training? The early morning starts, having to deal with constant muscle pains and also mentally trying to motivate yourself to keep going. What does a training routine look like? I follow a weekly training routine: On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday I have two-hour water sessions with my Sydney club, The Sydney Zodiacs and on Monday, Wednesday and Friday I do focused fitness training at the gym. Monday is shoulders and chest, Wednesday is
Tell us about some of your past competitions? I have competed in numerous local and regional competitions but every year I go to the State Championships at the Penrith Regatta Centre where I have won silver three times in the three years of competition. Nationals are always a highlight as it is the largest dragon boat racing competition in Australia so there is always a big crowd. The best was definitely 2016 at West Lakes in Adelaide where on day one I won six gold medals in all categories for the NSW team making it the first clean sweep I have ever won. I also won two silver and a bronze over the next two days.
When did you start the sport? I started dragon boat racing in April 2014 after a mate who had been doing it for a few years invited me to a session. What’s your favourite place the sport has taken you? The sport has taken me to many places around the world. My favourite probably has to be competing on Lake Divonne in Divonne-LesBains in France with the French Alps and Mont Blanc as the backdrop.
The sweep who steers the boat with a big oar gives out orders and communicates with officials. The drummer at the very front of the boat communicates the beat of the Strokes to help keep the whole boat in time. I’m normally set in-between the middle and the front of the boat.
flew to Switzerland and that consisted of seven hours of mixed water and land fitness training for a week. Definitely challenging but also fun. What does a dragon boating team look like? For most teams there is a male or female captain as there are gender categories Men, Women and Mixed. Mixed can’t have more than half the boat made up of male paddlers. There can be more women than men in a mixed boat but it can’t be the other way round. There are two types of boats: A 20s boat and a 10s boat depending on the number of paddlers in a boat. Up the front in the first row are the Strokes, they set the timing for the rest of the boat. They tend to have the better technique and are the smaller people. The middle are what we call ‘the engine’, this is where the big, muscular people go as they can pull the most amount of water in the section of the boat where it is lowest in the water. The back has paddlers who are small but still big enough to spin the water that the engine pulls to help thrust the boat forward.
At the 2017 Nationals I managed to score seven gold medals over the three days of the competition. Of course the most exciting was representing Australia at the World Championships in Divonne-Les-Bains in France last year. I may have only won two bronze and a silver but standing on the podium in the Australian green and gold receiving a medal was pretty awesome. Is there a Macquarie University Team? No. The University doesn’t have a team but I wish they did!
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M R S M A R G OT D O U S T A M
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IN AUGUST, WE HAD THE IMMENSE PLEASURE OF CELEBRATING A DOUBLE ACHIEVEMENT FOR MRS MARGOT DOUST, A MEMBER OF THE FOUNDING COMMITTEE OF THE COLLEGE AND STILL AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE SCHOLARSHIPS COMMITTEE.
018 has been a busy year for Mrs Doust, not only marking fifty years of voluntary service to the College, but also recognition of her service in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list as a Member of Australia (AM). Fifty years ago, Mrs Margot Doust began her long association with Dunmore Lang College after a telephone call from Miss Dorothy Knox, founding Chair and the first Principal, asking if she was interested in helping to “establish a Residential College for young women from the country who wished to attend university”. As a graduate of the University of Sydney (BA 1946 – 1949), Margot understood the value of a tertiary education and from the beginning, she was committed to helping young people, especially those from rural areas looking for safe and supportive accommodation that would enable them to enrol at Macquarie University and follow their dreams. By the time Dunmore Lang College opened in 1972, the decision had been made to locate it at the newly opened Macquarie University and to open its doors to both young women and men and, for the new College to be its own entity, informed by the values but independent of the Presbyterian Church. Margot has held a significant role in the College every year of her fifty-year involvement:
Margot understood the value of a tertiary education and from the beginning, she was committed to helping young people
1967 – Invited to assist with the establishment of a new University Residential College 1968 – 1972 Member Building Fund Appeal Committee 1974 – 1987 Member Dunmore Lang College Board 1976 – 1978 Secretary Dunmore Lang College Board 1978 – 1987 Chair Dunmore Lang College Board 1988 – 1990’s Member Dunmore Lang College Finance Committee 1991 – 1993 Chair Committee to record the History of the Establishment of the College 1979 – Present Founding and continuing member Dunmore Lang College Scholarships Committee
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Having been a member of the Building Fund Appeal Committee which played such an instrumental role of the establishment of the College, in 1974 Margot was invited to join the Board becoming the second Chair of the Dunmore Lang College Board in 1978 until her retirement from the Board nine years later in 1987. This was no ordinary appointment, following as it did the retirement of the founding Chair, Miss Dorothy Knox. Miss Knox had been instrumental in establishing the College, from being appointed as Convener of the first Committee set up to explore the possibility of a new Residential College in May 1948 to her retirement aged 86 years in 1978. Not only had Miss Knox set an exactingly high standard but the College had been her project and vision for thirty years. Picking up these reins required inordinate care and respect for the past as well as a clearly articulated plan for the College’s future role and development. At the November 13th Board meeting, the then Chair Mr Charles Miller (1987 – 1995) recorded a Special Minute in recognition of Margot’s contribution as Chair: “On the 9th of August 1978 Mrs Doust was elected Chairman of the Board, assuming the daunting task of maintaining the very high standard of excellence set by the retiring Chairman, the late Miss Dorothy Knox.” Margot’s time as Chair of the College Board, starting just eight years after the College opened (and only ten years after Macquarie University admitted its first students) was during a very important and busy time in the College’s history. The establishment of a strong and supportive student community required all levels of the College leadership to work together with common purpose and vision. Reflecting further on her time as the Chair, Charles Miller went on to say: “Mrs Doust, with quiet confidence, shared her ideas and ideals with Board members after focusing on new and different methods to further develop Dunmore Lang. Her ability to think through a variety of perspectives was particularly evident when the College acquired new assets, such as the purchase of property at 159 Herring Road, North Ryde. Making the best use of College resources, she frequently reviewed the importance of relationships between the Board, staff and
students, often reflecting on the important aspects of College life illustrated during Miss Knox’s Chairmanship.” And, “During Board meetings Mrs Doust listened attentively, showing courtesy and tolerance when members presented their ideas and suggestions – such an attitude encompassed far more than just her ability to Chair the meeting.” “There are many more examples of Mrs Doust’s contribution to the quality of life in the College. These included the primary responsibility for the students in residence coupled with an essential need to ensure income from conference trade and other functions whilst maintaining all accounting and statutory regulations.” In all of her roles and work with the College, Margot has always placed the well-being of students at the core of her focus and actions: “She will be remembered for her key competence in her recognition of the important role of company members but more particularly by her sensitive awareness of the students’ welfare, safety, security and pastoral needs.” Following the launch of the Dorothy Knox Bursaries in 1979, Margot became a founding member of the Scholarships Committee and thirty-nine years later, she remains an active member of this committee. During her time on the Scholarships Committee, Margot has read hundreds of applications, meticulously annotating each one to ensure every student was given the best chance of success as well as attending the annual Scholarship Breakfast and maintaining a close interest in the progress of the students.
It is a great privilege to work with Margot in my role as Principal. Her passion for education and commitment to ensuring we remain focused on our founding mission of facilitating access for students from rural, regional and remote areas. In addition, her memories of working alongside Miss Dorothy Knox and the other original committee members keeps us grounded in our history and missions whilst at the same time ensuring we look for new opportunities to develop and find new ways to articulate our core mission and values. Margot’s compassion and empathy for others is woven through everything she does – her selfless service and care is inspirational. She has been a strong and powerful voice for fifty years for students, especially those from rural areas or those facing disadvantage and we look forward to her continuing time with us for many years to come. Fifty years of service is an extraordinary gift and we sincerely thank Margot for her immense contribution and support of the College. DR ALASDAIR MURRIE-WEST PRINCIPAL
Her passion for the student community is evidenced by her attendance at every College event where she actively interacts with students celebrating their achievements and progress. In 1993 she published a historical monograph capturing the trials and tribulations of the College’s beginnings from the formation of the first planning committee in 1948 through the long and patient work of that first group as well as the subsequent committees, until they finally realised their vision of a Residential College for rural and regional students on the 29th of April 1972.
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DUNMORE LANG COLLEGE’S GREASE –
Washing Powder and Goon
THE DUNMORE LANG COLLEGE MUSICAL FOR 2018 WAS NOTHING SHORT OF A SHOWBIZ SPECTACLE, AS GREASE WAS THE WORD HEARD THROUGHOUT OUR HALLS AND CORRIDORS.
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he story was adapted from the well-loved movie and brought to life by an energetic and driven cast, lead by Toby Condon, Elinor Bowman, Tess McCamley and Calum Hunter, alongside our very own TBirdz, Goon Girls and fantastic chorus. We were also blessed with a band that absolutely brought the house down and managed to bring rock and roll back to life. First year star Max Jones lead the way on both the microphone and guitar, while Ben Linnegar wailed the drama and woes of College romance on the saxophone and funked it up on the bass. Tom Everson drove our wily beast of a show along all night on the drums. It was a show filled with countless laughs and energy, and proved to be a fantastic showcase of the talent that we are so lucky to have in abundance here at Dunmore Lang College. The parents and friends’ performance on Friday the 19th of October went off as close to hitch-free as any amateur theatre troupe could hope for and was met with a wonderful reception. Our student-friendly performance on Saturday the 20th resulted in roaring laughter and was a great way to reflect on all that was 2018 at Dunmore Lang College.
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Special thanks must go to Jordan Floyd and the 45 Productions Team for their innovative lighting and sound solutions, and College staff and ADS Executive for their support throughout the process. Thanks must also go to the wonderful entertainment team that helped pull the show together: Emily Behan, Marnie Dowden and Brandy Carmichael. Without their drive, creativity and organisational prowess, Dunmore Lang’s take on Grease would not have come to fruition. For those who witnessed our creation, thank you, and for those who did not, we are sorry you missed an unrivalled evening of entertainment. Many thanks to the very talented Vanie Cardinio for the wonderful photos taken from the highlight reel. BILLY NEVILLE LAUNCESTON
W E D N E S DAY N I G H T
Out on the Town THIS YEAR, THE COLLEGE HAS GIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A WEEKLY ACTIVITY ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS.
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hese activities are provided for any student who would prefer to spend an alcohol free evening out and about exploring Sydney, including a range of activities and local performances. I’ve had a wonderful time organising and attending these each week, with help from the College as well as one of our senior students, Bek Fritz. I am sure all the attending students would agree these are a great night out. Our outings have included going to the theatre, mini-golf, museum and art gallery visits, observatory tours and movie nights. We have some awesome activities planned for later in this semester, including indoor rock climbing, ice skating, going to the Sydney night noodle markets and attending a university student produced musical. WILLIAM FRAZER CASINO
D E F I B R I L L ATO R D O N AT I O N The Rotary Club of Macquarie Park recently donated a defibrillator to the College, through the Michael Hughes Foundation. Julie Hughes, along with Macquarie Park Rotarians, presented the defibrillator to the Dean of Students prior to Julie holding an informative training session for staff and students. Julie set up the Michael Hughes Foundation after her husband Michael died of sudden cardiac arrest at the age of 38. The aims of the Foundation are to raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest, the placement of defibrillators in the community and turning bystanders into first responders. Their work endeavours to improve people’s knowledge, encourage everyone to have current first aid qualifications and most importantly have confidence to respond because, with cardiac arrest, every minute matters. Julie Hughes (5th from left), Liza Allen (Dean of Students, 3rd from left) and Rotarians on the morning of the presentation
We are very grateful to Rotary and the Michael Hughes Foundation (www.mhf.life) for their generosity. It is a welcome reassurance for our conference guests, students, and neighbours that a defibrillator is onsite and we all hope it never needs to be used! DUNMORE LANG COLLEGE 7
M OT H E R ’ S DAY
EARLIER THIS YEAR THE COLLEGE HELD AN AFTERNOON EVENT TO CELEBRATE MOTHER’S DAY.
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his was an opportunity for students to spend time at College with their mother, grandmothers, aunts, sisters or other significant women in their lives and for their guests to experience a little of what College offers. Over forty women came to the College for the event from all over New South Wales and one from as far away as the Northern Territory. Students and their guests gathered in the College foyer for wine and canapés before moving to the seminar room to hear our guest speaker, Jane Caro. Jane spoke about the culture of inequality towards women that has pervaded throughout history, the importance of valuing mothers and women and ways to change this culture going forward. Although the topic was very serious, Jane managed to pepper her speech with amusing anecdotes and ensured that by the end of her speech everyone in the room was feeling positive about their ability to forge change for women.
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N E W S TA F F
Cultural Adviser UNCLE CHRIS GEORGE HI, MY NAME IS UNCLE CHRIS GEORGE AND I AM THE NEWLY APPOINTED CULTURAL ADVISER AT DUNMORE LANG COLLEGE. I AM A PROUD WIRADJURI AND NGYAMPAA MAN WITH ABORIGINAL, IRISH AND ENGLISH FAMILY LINKS THROUGHOUT MY HISTORY AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND.
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currently live on the Central Coast of NSW and am a very proud husband to Karen and father to Malcolm, Thomas and Trevor and a very lucky grandfather to two beautiful grandchildren.
My role at Dunmore Lang College is primarily to provide cultural, pastoral and academic support and advice to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. I am also available to ALL students enrolled at College as a source of information and knowledge regarding Aboriginal history and cultural perspectives if they desire it. My philosophy is to share my knowledge, as it has been shared with me, and to educate all interested people about Aboriginal history, place and presence in this country. I have spent the last 28 years working in many roles in the education and community services sectors. These roles have been as a Secondary School and TAFE teacher, University lecturer, guest speaker, tutor, Board Member, Liaison Officer and Community Engagement Portfolio Leader. These roles have given me the opportunity to meet and learn from many, many different people of all races and cultural backgrounds. I have also been fortunate enough to have had involvement in many different levels of community and student engagement and hope to be able to share these skills and experiences with anyone who may see them as valuable. So now you know who that bloke hanging out in the Dino and talking to students is, please feel free to say hello and have a yarn if you want or to ask questions, seek information or advice that might be able to support you in your studies.
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K E R E N C A LV E RT PSYCHOLOGIST
Keren Calvert started at Dunmore Lang College as the new in-house Psychologist this year. Keren has been working as a psychologist in Sydney for over ten years, seeing clients of all ages. Keren lives on the northern beaches of Sydney with her husband and three children (one in tertiary study, one doing the HSC and one at the start of high school). Keren loves the beach and tries to visit every day if she can. Keren is originally from the South Island of New Zealand. Her interests are going to the movies and reading and she is slowly attempting to become an ocean swimmer.
SIÂN LACEY REGISTRAR
Originally from the United Kingdom, Siân has lived in Australia for the past three and a half years. After studying Criminology at University and upon arriving in Australia, she decided to make a career change into the education sector. Siân has worked in administration and student services at schools and higher education prior to joining Dunmore Lang College as Registrar. Siân lives in the inner west with her partner and enjoys travelling, socialising and reading in her spare time. As her partner is Italian, she is also attempting to learn Italian.
2018 SIBLING EVENT AT THE END OF THE MID-SEMESTER BREAK IN SEMESTER TWO THE COLLEGE HELD THE FIRST SIBLING EVENT. CURRENT STUDENTS INVITED THEIR YOUNGER SIBLINGS TO SPEND A WEEKEND AT COLLEGE TO EXPERIENCE COLLEGE LIFE AND UNIVERSITY STUDY.
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fter settling in, events started on Saturday afternoon with a Scavenger Hunt through the University where the students and their siblings solved clues around the campus eventually reaching the Dean of Students, her husband Tony and ‘College dog’ Tallis, at the lake for cake and afternoon tea. On their way to the lake, the groups visited the library, the Macquarie University Hospital, the Sports Centre, the new multi-use student area at MUSE as well as Frank, the Kodiak bear on display in the science building. Becoming trapped in a lift midway through the hunt provided an unscheduled adventure for the group but an impromptu presentation on Plato and Socrates from philosophy student, Jordan McDeed helped to keep everyone entertained. Spirits remained high and before long they were out and heading back to College for dinner with one student summarising the experience as ‘an experience you can’t pay for’. After dinner, everyone headed out on a famous Red Frogs Café Crawl around Parramatta before returning for the Dunmore Lang College tradition of Saturday late-night pancakes. Sunday started with ice-skating at the Macquarie Centre followed by an afternoon of sessions with Macquarie University. Macquarie University’s Future Students department provided siblings with information about different entry pathways to Macquarie University, scholarships and current degree programmes. The students also enjoyed an interactive Speech Pathology session from Elyse. The day was rounded off with Laser Tag at the Macquarie Centre. The event was very successful with everyone enjoying the experience. Plans are already underway for next year’s event.
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Lights, Action, Harbour! THE DUNMORE LANG COLLEGE BALL IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE HIGHLIGHT OF EVERY YEAR. NOT ONLY IS IT A CHANCE FOR STUDENTS TO GLAM OUT IN THEIR BEST DRESSES, SUITS, HAIR AND MAKEUP BUT IT’S ALSO A TIME WHEN EVERYONE COMES TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY TO CELEBRATE ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS ABOUT COLLEGE. Every year the location of the Ball is kept a tightly guarded secret and this year our surprise location was the Kirribilli Club. After a mystery bus trip from the College to Kirribilli, Dunmore Lang College staff and students were greeted by beautiful views of Lavender Bay and the Harbour Bridge along with sparkling champagne and delicious canapés on arrival. A flower wall backdrop for photographs and a lolly bar awaited students in the grand ballroom along with a delicious meal and a dance floor. Awards are a highlight of the ball and these included Ball King Jakey Ashley and Ball Queen Pip Wordsworth, Most Wholesome Dunmorian awarded to Toby Condon and Most Valuable Player which went to Mickey O’Sullivan. To round off the night, students were treated to a surprise Harbour Cruise for the after-party, where Sydney showed off her beautiful night time scenery. Overall, the 2018 annual ball was a huge success and we can’t wait to do it all again at another mystery location next year! MARNIE DOWDEN, SALAMANDER BAY
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THE ALMIGHTY SOMETIMES
An interview with Kendall Feaver ‘KENDALL FEAVER WAS THE 2011 RECIPIENT OF WTHE JOHN AND YVONNE ALMGREN SCHOLARSHIP, VALUED AT $15,000 WHICH WAS AWARDED TO HER FOR HER POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE ARTS. IN AUGUST KENDALL FEAVER RETURNED TO SYDNEY FROM LONDON FOR THE OPENING OF HER PLAY THE ALMIGHTY SOMETIMES.
I wrote the first draft of this play back in 2012, at a time when media headlines were preoccupied with a so-called medication ‘epidemic.’ My generation, Gen Y, had the dubious honour of being the most medicated in history, and young people who had been diagnosed with a mood and/or behavioural disorder in childhood or adolescence had now come of age. There was little to no research, however, on the long-term effects of psychotropic medications, or any suggestion of how many of these young people were continuing their treatment into adulthood, and I wanted to write a play from the middle of this developing fault line. Plays – especially when they’re your first ‘proper’ one – can take a long time to reach the stage, and I was concerned that The Almighty Sometimes would lose its relevance while it waited for production. I needn’t have worried: Anna is now comfortably Generation Z, but rates of diagnosis have continued to rise across the world. The experience is far more common in her age group than it ever was in mine. I spoke with many young people, parents, psychiatrists, psychologists, support workers, mental health advocates and critics as part of this project. A lot of frustration was voiced, a lot of anger and resentment, a lot of conflicting advice, and identity issues abounded – “what is me and what is my medication?” – but there were also many young people who’d had their lives undoubtedly saved by medical intervention. Every experience of mental illness is different, and it would be impossible to represent all within the scope of this play, but I do hope it goes some way towards exploring the experience of growing up with a label, and the huge and often fraught responsibility of being a parent, partner or mental health professional. Beyond the research and the headlines, however, this is a play – first and foremost – about mothers and daughters: the bickering and the too-intense-familiarity, the lack of privacy or personal space, the belly-laughs, the life-lessons imparted (whether asked for or not!), the late-night vigils by the door, the swallowed injustices, the pain we sometimes inflict and the unconditional (and somewhat unfathomable) love we receive in return. KENDALL FEAVER
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he Principal, Dean of Students and a number of students had the opportunity to attend a performance at the Griffin Theatre in King’s Cross. Griffin Theatre set the scene for a wonderful evening with its small and intimate setting. Kendall Feaver is the winner of a Judges’ Award in the prestigious Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, a United Kingdom award. Her fascinating play is a profound and compelling study of a young woman’s attempt to discover where her mental illness and her identity transect. The play was directed by award winning director, Lee Lewis and is a quick-witted and brutally honest comment on the difficult choices parents make for their children and the result once decisions are out of their hands. It is an extraordinary play about mental health and the medication of children. Kendall has created a wonderful work. Could you please tell me about your time at Dunmore Lang College? I lived at Dunmore Lang College from 2009 to 2011, a wide-eyed fresher my first year and then super-mature super-bossy RA for my last two years. I studied a Bachelor of Creative Arts, a three-year half business half arts degree, which was unique to the country, and unfortunately, no longer exists! I was passionately involved in all aspects of College life, but probably best known for reviving the long-dead tradition of having an annual College musical. How did your time at College influence your future career? I now write plays and musicals for a living – so obvious crossover there! – though my more recent works have considerably fewer drinking songs and forbidden Dunmore Lang College/ RMC love ballads. I also made many life-long friends at College, who still provide me with an infinite amount of support as I try to navigate this difficult arts industry. What did you do once you graduated from Macquarie University? I worked in arts administration for several years, coordinating everything from grassroots festivals through to commercial musicals. I also completed a Masters in Writing for Performance at Goldsmiths, University of London. In 2015, my play, The Almighty Sometimes, won a Judges Award at the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, the largest playwriting competition in Europe. The play was first produced at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester – one of the most beautiful buildings in the world – and has just won ‘Best New Play’ at the UK Theatre Awards 2018. Most recently, I was on attachment at the National Theatre Studio in London and I am currently under commission to Manhattan Theatre Club in New York.
Your play The Almighty Sometimes is currently being performed by the Griffin Theatre Company in Sydney. What was your inspiration/ motivation for writing this play? I saw a real generational fault line emerging: young people coming of age on mood and behavioural medication at unprecedented rates. On one level, the play is about the difficulty diagnosing mental illness in a young person, the struggle for that young person to work out where an illness ends and an identity begins, but the play is also a very normal and often quite funny coming-of-age story. I wanted to write strong powerful parts for female actors, and, in doing do, explore the complexities of mother/daughter relationships. How do you feel, being able to see your play brought to life on stage? It’s a real up-and-down ride: nerve-wracking and awe-inducing all at the same time! What is the most difficult and the most rewarding aspect of being a playwright? The most difficult part, for me, is how much time I spend alone with my laptop. Writing can be a very isolating job. The most rewarding part is hearing an audience laugh at your jokes for the first time! Huge relief! Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? There’s no ‘right way’ to be a writer and no clear career path to follow. Forge your own journey. Write what you would like to read/ see. Read a lot but make sure you’re still finding ways to engage with the ‘real world’ – fill your brain with life experience. Be kind to yourself. Everyone experiences self-doubt, even the most prolific of authors. What is one piece of advice that you would give to your college self? Make sure you leave campus occasionally. Dunmore Lang College is amazing, but it’s not the world. See theatre. Visit an art gallery. Volunteer somewhere. Find a new beach. Go for a bushwalk. Sydney is on your doorstep!
A L U M N I I N D U S T RY N I G H T
IN AUGUST THE COLLEGE HELD THE FIRST ALUMNI INDUSTRY NIGHT WHERE MEMBERS OF THE ALUMNI AND CURRENT STUDENTS WERE INVITED TO ATTEND A NETWORKING COCKTAIL PARTY.
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he aim of the event was twofold: to invite alumni to return to the College as we always enjoy catching up with the wider College community and also to encourage current students to meet alumni and take the opportunity to learn something of their experience in the work place. The event was very well attended with over 100 people chatting and mingling in the College foyer. Students could easily locate a member of the alumni who had studied their academic discipline as name tags were colour coded to indicate their area of study or expertise. Anyone who was not chatting to an alumni was assisted by the Dean to locate an appropriate mentor on the night. Our Dean of Students, Liza Allen, is hopeful that this will be the beginning of a strong mentoring programme between alumni and current students in the future.
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NATIO N A L S TU D E N T L E AD E R S H I P F O RUM Al Muderis realised he would have to escape to survive.
THE NATIONAL STUDENT LEADERSHIP FORUM ON FAITH AND VALUES 2018 HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUND EXPERIENCES IN MY LIFE. THE FORUM WAS NOT AT ALL WHAT I WAS EXPECTING AND I HAVE NOW MADE SOME LIFE-LONG FRIENDS ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD.
That evening we enjoyed dinner in the Ballroom of the Hyatt hotel with a keynote address by The Hon. Peter Costello AC who spoke at length on his time as Treasurer and the times when leaders need to make difficult or unpopular decisions. The example he gave from his own experience was the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax in Australia.
he Leadership Forum is a non-partisan initiative of Members and Senators of the Australian Federal Parliament, which is held annually to engage, inspire and equip the next generation of leaders. Student delegates come from all over Australia and the AsiaPacific region to meet, learn and grow in their leadership potential. The forum is held at the Hyatt hotel and Parliament House in Canberra. I was lucky enough to be sponsored by the College to attend the forum along with Brandon Gooley and Lily Elson.
Friday morning began at the Australian War Memorial where we discussed the importance of servant leadership before attending a commemorative service. After the Last Post and poppy laying ceremony, we walked down ANZAC Parade back to Parliament House. The rest of the day was spent participating in an epic volleyball competition followed by dinner with a keynote address by a wonderful and inspiring couple: Carolyn and David Stedman.
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On arrival in Canberra we headed straight to Parliament House for the first seminar which explored what the forum meant in terms of faith and values: It was made clear the forum was for people of all faiths and aimed to connect different people with shared values. To start this conversation, we were invited to reflect on how and why we aspire to be leaders and to share this with each other. This was followed by an informative lecture by Dr Stuart Bade, paediatrician who had attended the Forum when he was a student at university. He spoke on the importance of reliability as a leader and impressed upon us that we can be leaders in whatever capacity we may find ourselves in the future. It was an interesting time to be in Canberra especially as we had a high level of access to Parliament House during the time of the leadership spill; we were all in Parliament when Malcolm Turnbull left his office to give a press conference. If the spill seemed quick from outside Canberra, by the time we walked past the Prime Minister’s office and toured the House and returned to the same office, Australia had a new Prime Minister with hordes of people systematically emptying the office and redecorating it in preparation for its newest inhabitant. 16 DUNMORE LANG COLLEGE
The Stedmans are a retired couple who, after raising six children of their own, wanted to help others in their community. They spent 40 years fostering and caring for more than seventy babies. The Stedmans spoke about the need to love others without judgement and shared a number of stories where they had seen the impact and changes it made possible. Saturday morning began with one of the most inspiring talks of the forum by Macquarie University Hospital Associate Professor Munjed Al Muderis who is a leading orthopaedic surgeon. I recognised him immediately as he had been the guest speaker at a Dunmore Lang College Scholarship Breakfast in 2016. Associate Professor Al Muderis teaches orthopaedic surgery, is an author and human rights activist. His pioneering work on prosthetics and the titanium devices he has designed places Australia at the forefront of his field of osseointegration technology. Associate Professor Al Muderis was born in Iraq and became a surgeon during Saddam Hussein’s regime. Whilst a junior surgeon in Basra at the start of the Gulf War he fled from Iraq following an incident when the military demanded the surgeons in the hospital mutilate the ears of army deserters. The senior surgeon who stood up to the army officers was murdered before them and Associate Professor
Following his escape from Iraq and after travelling through Indonesia and Malaysia he eventually arrived in Australia as a refugee and was taken to the Curtin Detention Centre. He described the harrowing and degrading experience of being imprisoned in an Australian detention centre. After 10 months he was eventually released and restarted his career in medicine, eventually specialising in osseointegration surgery in which he is the world’s leading pioneer in his field. After this we set out in our small groups into the local community to participate in community service. Our group was led by Mike Baird and his wife Kerryn. We travelled to a low SES area in Canberra to assist the residents with gardening and other jobs around their properties. I was assigned to the home of an elderly gentleman and we helped him relocate furniture as well as tidying up his garden. It was truly a humbling experience to hear this lovely gentleman express his gratitude for our help. Late in the afternoon we returned to the hotel to prepare for the annual Bush Dance at Yarralumla Woolshed. Despite such a packed schedule we also found time to meet up in our small groups to share our life stories and express what is important to us and identify what we truly value. The Leadership Forum was an incredibly valuable experience and I would like to thank the College for the opportunity to attend such a life-changing event. HANNAH VOGEL PORT MACQUARIE
Sport
R E P O RT
THE 2018 SPORTING SEASON HAS BEEN EXCITING TO SAY THE LEAST AND THE COMPETITION HAS BEEN TIGHTER THAN EVER. OUR SURPRISE RIVALS RMC HAVE BEEN PUTTING UP QUITE A FIGHT!
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e started the season with a close loss to both RMC and Village in volleyball; partly due to the Village having a surprisingly good team. However, this did not hinder our spirits, and after Volleyball, Dunmore Lang cemented their dominance in the inter-college competition winning ultimate frisbee, netball, football, and dodgeball! A great effort all round. The football was a season highlight, thanks to the huge number of people who participated and the large crowd of student supporters. The day of soccer ended up being a very enjoyable afternoon; the sun was shining, the College was out in force, and due to some crafty attack, we were able to keep ahead of our rivals. The day did not end there either, as we celebrated back at College around an afternoon BBQ in the courtyard, which is the perfect way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon.
Our most recent event saw us victorious again; as we were able to dodge, duck, dip, and dive our way to victory in the intercollege dodgeball. However, despite our many victories, our rivals, RMC, have remained a close second. The current standings have put us only one point ahead! This makes for a great competition to come with touch-football and basketball still to be played; I’m confident we can pull it off. In addition to our competitive Sunday intercollege competition, Dunmore Lang students have continued to exercise their athletic abilities in the weekly social competitions hosted by the university. Rather successfully, the College has entered a number of teams in the university competition forming mixed soccer, basketball, touch-football, and netball teams. After a great season of sport we finished the competition ahead by a narrow margin of one point and took out the Sports Shield yet again. MICKEY O’SULLIVAN ARMIDALE BLAKE JEFFRIESS NORTH HAVEN 2018 SPORT COMMITTEE
A special mention and thanks to those students who participated in the North Ryde Charity Fun Run. It was great to see students not just winning points for the College but also getting amongst the local community and raising money for youth mental health.
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Inside Out
L I F E AT D U N M O R E L A N G C O L L E G E
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ALUMNI REFLECTION It was in the recent aftermath of a great Australian tragedy — The Dismissal of the Whitlam Labor Government by the Governor-General Sir John Kerr on 11 November 1975 and the subsequent electoral ousting of Labor in December — that saw me move from weeping at the news of the electoral results in my 7th level office at W6A, to a solitary journey by motorcycle to Katoomba.
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t the time I was a Tutor in Modern History and had been employed as such at Macquarie University for a number of years prior to this date. While tutoring, I was also engaged in work on my MA. The Dismissal was particularly poignant for an educator like myself, for it meant the end of free education -- including university education. I was not personally affected financially, but from then on, freshers would be. Gough Whitlam had fully understood that education was the country’s priority investment – not a liability; that a nation and a society prospered by the unfettered ‘getting of wisdom’ in all areas. An end of an era faced us; and particularly affected would be those engaged in seeking a tertiary education. After contemplative weeks in the mountains, I rode my motorcycle back to Sydney and learned that my application to Dunmore Lang College had been accepted: I had been allocated a room at the College. I previously had lived in a great many types of accommodation from houses, to apartments, to bed sits – all kinds of share accommodation. However, whereas the maximum number of friends I had previously shared with was around six, I was now about to be sharing home turf with around 190 people. As it turned out there were few problems with settling in. By nature, I am gregarious, and everyone, including previous returning inhabitants, proved to be amenable and welcoming. I was at this time firstly involved in University enrolment week, and in the next few weeks welcoming new students into College. What struck me was how the worldly-wise ‘city slickers’, both male and female, quickly found their feet, and how country and overseas students were more than a little anxious when confronted by the prospect of the live-in College, and simply gob-smacked at venturing into the city of Sydney. What was good to see was that they quickly learned that they could ask those who had ‘the knowledge’ to share with them instructions concerning University and College life, and how to ’survive’ what seemed to be the chaotic 20 DUNMORE LANG COLLEGE
streets and byways of an overwhelmingly big city. That is why the welcoming and friendly attitudes of more experienced collegians are so essential. Put yourselves in the shoes of an international student, or a country student, and ask how would you like to be treated; how would you like to be helped? It is so sad to hear of other Colleges associated with older Universities where freshers are intimidated, ‘hazed’ and victimised; practices which are nothing less than repugnant. How much effort does it take to smile, introduce oneself, and offer a helping hand? I often think fondly of my early days as a Dunmore Lang College resident. My induction took place during a warm, languid summer, while the surrounds of the College were green and pleasant. There was a feeling of renewal and contentment in the air and as the ‘newbies’ settled in; to most it began to feel more like a family – large, certainly. While individual groups began to form, they didn’t do so at the expense of the larger whole. I should mention that the 1970s were a tumultuous time – but not in a bad sense. The campus and its surrounds seemed alive and charged with barely-contained energy. There were so many University societies and organisations run by students – from political clubs, to drama and literary societies, camera clubs, and many sports’ societies. All kinds of approaches to life and liberty were promulgated – along with wild and way-out costumes; in a way it seemed at times that clothes were merely an optional extra. (That was most clearly demonstrated one day by a male student riding a 500cc Honda several times around the quadrangle wearing nothing but a full-face helmet.) Students were not just committed to University studies but to causes, whether that involved political protests, women’s liberation, or the environment, or peace studies – the list was endless. Because we lived on campus in College, we could just stroll over to the University for lectures, and tutorials, and take in the innumerable activities going on in the societies and extracurricular organisations. Of course, the various
activities were not confined to campus, the discussions and activities were also a part of College life. It was a time without smartphones, where our prime means of connecting and communicating with people was by actual voice and person. That must seem strange in this era of instant communication; but there were many advantages. The prime advantage was that you were relating to an actual person rather than, as it be can seen now, to a virtual person. You had to spend real time to connect with, and understand who you were befriending, and who was befriending you. I suppose you could compare that with the multiple ‘friends’ that people end up with on Facebook. One other advantage was that you had time to make thoughtful, considered comments, instead of sending off a hasty, illconsidered comment, which can now lead to instant, but irretrievable regrets. I lived in a single room for a year, and although I was tutor at the University, I was not a tutor at College. Nevertheless, in the beginning of the new year I was allocated a tutor’s ‘flat’. Filled with the expectation of increased roominess, I went down to the ground floor to inspect it. It turned out to be a small space, more resembling a single room divided into two. The kitchen was in fact a small wardrobe which contained a cracked kettle and a dented saucepan. The bathroom, too, was tiny. So tiny, you could, if the mood took you, sit on the loo and have a shower at the same time. The sliding door just allowed a slim person to slip into the bathroom, but if you ate a ham sandwich whilst in there it was doubtful as to whether you would be able to squeeze back out. I had known of the former occupant, peripherally. Larry* was a tutor in the Economics Faculty. He was probably aged around 40, although his cadaverous, wrinkled appearance made him look rather older. Smallish, with a sandy moustache and hair, horn-rimmed glasses and a permanently tense expression, Larry was a character. One of his practices (long before water rationing set in) was to shower wearing his drip-dry clothes.
Left: 1977 Der Fuhrerbunker could sometimes produce a tranquil (and becalming) effect on visitors. Rod Miller left, Susan Winchester right. Right: 1978 – A preprandial get together for the Annual Dinner and Ball. Standing: Robyn Seal (third from left), Susan Winchester, Rod Miller. Seated: Jan Cislowski, Lloyd Grounds
Soaping well his clothes and himself, he had found a way of killing two birds with the one stone. Larry, in College, kept rather to himself and often skipped meals. It seems he was an only child, for his mother rang him from the Eastern Suburbs each night at 7 pm to give him instructions about how he should conduct himself each day, and what he must do to look after himself. Unfortunately, Larry had a problem. He had a smoking addiction. In the seventies, it was still possible to smoke in all sorts of situations. Cigarettes had not received the completely bad press that was shortly to fall upon them and cigarette companies were still pushing the evil fabrication that there was no conclusive scientific evidence there was a causal effect between smoking and ill health. Larry, with his persistent, rasping cough must have believed the denials. He chain-smoked in his little closed flat, lighting one cigarette from another – and this, over a considerable time in residence. The effect for me was that at soon as I entered my new accommodation, I was taken aback by an overwhelming smell of stale tobacco and the all-surrounding brown hue of every object in the flat. The walls, the ceilings, the glass windows and door were all coated with a thick layer of nicotine and tar. Despairing at cleaning every square millimetre of the flat at once, I decided to deodorise the flat first. As it happened, a friend had asked me if I’d like to go on a hiking trip in the mountains, staying in the isolated Albina walkers’ hut (since demolished), close to Mount Kosciuszko for two weeks. Perfect. I raced out to a hardware store and got several of the strongest room deodorisers I could find. They were branded Air Wick and consisted of half round, squat 500mm bottles of strong smelling fluid. One took off the top and pulled a long broad wick up; up – but not completely out the bottle, As the air circulated, the strong deodorant drifted into all areas and overpowered offensive smells. I set up eight of these large standing wicks and left them in a fully tumescent state for the duration of the two week sojourn in the mountains. Dismay. When I returned and confidently flung open the door of my abode-to-be, I was greeted with the same overpowering smell I had first detected. It was only when I ventured inside that I noticed that all eight bottles which had been left with their wicks proudly erect now had their wicks drooping to the floor in a state of detumescence! They had been overpowered by Larry’s legacy of tobacco permeation. There was nothing for it but to sail in with buckets of water and heavy-duty cleaner and do every bit of it by hand. It took about a week, with help from friends, to finally get everything back to a state of pre-Larry normality. Although Larry had long gone, a little of his legacy remained. Sometimes on hot
summer nights one would be aware of an occasional pfftt! then a trace of tobacco fumes would drift towards you. It took me a while to work out that the very bricks, due to their rough, porous texture over the years had absorbed large doses of tobacco smoke, and under heat expansion, would release tiny puffs of residual nicotine. If ever there was a need for an anti-smoking message, Larry’s legacy provided it. Dunmore Lang College’s contemporary prohibition against smoking deserves 5/5 stars.
Some might think I have lapsed into ‘Pollyanna-ism’ seeing College life as a bowl of cherries; a life of sunshine and roses. I am not suggesting that at all. With 250 individuals at College there cannot be Utopian contentment involving everyone. With so many people of so many nationalities, and so many different backgrounds and personalities, there are bound to be the odd clashes. Human beings are by definition, bound to have differences of opinion. However, learning how to handle these disagreements can be useful for immediate and future phases or our lives.
It all ended happily. Though buried deep down in an isolated part of the College, the Lilliputian flat proved most comfortable and provided an ideal place for study, and marking essays and exams. At that time, residents tended to put all sorts of signs on their doors; and so, just having read J.P. O’Donnell’s book The Bunker, I lightheartedly affixed a sign to the door, which read Der Fuhrerbunker – and so it became known as such. The flat and I shared many happy gatherings with friends who often dropped in for coffee and conversation.
While most people are prepared to go along with a compromise solution, you will occasionally run into one who won’t; a sense of entitlement will override all. Let me give you an example. After a year settling into my new surroundings, one of the new arrivals moved into the room above me. Fred Bassett* was a tall, lanky 20 year old swarthy undergraduate from Melbourne. Fred turned out to be one of those people who lived loudly. Some of us live our lives quietly but Fred was very much the opposite, His large feet could be heard clumping around on the floor above, while his booming voice, ensured those within earshot were privy to the most innermost details of his life, and any ensuing conversations quickly identified any guest who happened to wander into his room. Sound normally travels upward, but for some reason Fred’s basso profundo voice travelled downward. After a brief respite when he visited his folks down in Melbourne, he returned with a massive sound system, which he assembled all over his room above, and proceeded to play his music at earthshattering sound levels. The base woofer permeated everything with the loud doof! doof! doof! sound so beloved of percussionists of that time.
A feature of College leisure time was community gatherings when, after dinner, more than a few of us would gather in the Common Room upstairs for tea and coffee and refreshments, and listen to those of a musical bent who would entertain us, while we sat round in ad hoc discussion groups, discussing and debating anything and everything. It was a valuable time, for it led to many new friendships forming, and to those normally shy to be drawn out of their shells. The significant features of collegial life are the advantages that can arise from communal living. For those who have come from a small nuclear family the thought of living with 250 strangers can seem daunting but if you can dispel your fears and seek the advantages, you will find there are many. I saw many random acts of kindness during my stay of some years at College, which included fellow students looking after sick students, providing a shoulder to those suffering emotional stress, to helping with transport, and aiding students who needed to overcome fears of essay writing. Living the communal life, far from producing stress, life can in fact be incredibly rewarding.
Preparing tutorials, and marking essays became difficult endeavours. The idyllic existence I mentioned earlier, encouraging study, began to fall away. A great believer in the philosophy of non-intervention, I at first tried to ride out the sound waves. In the end, I could no longer absorb the aural battering; so I came up with a brilliant idea. I knocked on Fred’s door (I had made this trip to the floor above on several occasions, before) and presented Fred with what I thought was a great offer. I would buy him a pair of topDUNMORE LANG COLLEGE 21
ALUMNI R E F L E C T I O N C O N T.
G R A D UAT I O N S IT IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO ATTEND THE GRADUATION CEREMONIES OF OUR STUDENTS.
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s staff of the College we see the gradual transition of students from the tentative first year as they check-in to College to the confident and capable third year students when they finally hand in their room keys. Whilst it is sad to see them leave College and our community, it is wonderful to see them reach the end of their current academic journey and commence the next stage of their lives.
of the-range Bose headphones so he could play his music as loud as he liked, with perfect reproduction, without disturbing anyone – Fred wasn’t having any of it. He was not the slightest bit interested, as he wanted to be able to clump around his room, playing his music at full volume, unrestrained by any attached lead. He gave me a short lecture on civil liberties and accused me of trying to interfere seriously with his, with no thought that the argument might apply both ways. Chastened, I wearily descended the stairs, went out, and bought a set of Super X earplugs. However, the Gods smiled, and within a fortnight Fred moved to other side of the building to be with friends who, he said, were “appreciative music lovers”. From what I heard, it turned out that not all the residents on that side of the building fitted into that category, but after some disturbances and room reassignments, Fred could say he’d found a home. The question will surely be asked why did I not seek help from the College’s administrative staff? I should have but I was probably driven by that old-fashioned Australian notion of not ‘dobbing’ anyone in. My advice would be that if you are encountering disruption, you must speak up and ask for help. You probably will never encounter another Fred, but in College life and life after College it’s possible, so the notion of selfish entitlement might arise. To ask for help in order to achieve a ‘fair go’ is one’s right. Having met members of the present College administration I’m sure you’d be greeted with compassion.
GJ Tioseco, Bachelor of Applied Finance, 2016-2017
Rachel Lee, Bachelor of Commerce, 2016
I have only dealt lightly with some of the events involving my time at Dunmore Lang College and I can only repeat that my time there was a very special, fulfilling time. I formed some very strong and special friendships there, friends some of whom I’m still in contact with. I witnessed many others forming life-long friendships there as well, as well as some unions resulting in marriages. To live on campus at Dunmore Lang College is a great privilege, and of great help in pursuing one’s University studies. The ease of access to all facilities, the mixing of so many different people coming from different cultures, and the sharing of ideas and attitudes gives collegial students broader insights into the human condition. In a way, the College is like a microcosm of the world; and in other ways it resembles a village where close contacts and supports develop. For myself, College life was a very enjoyable time.
Sangryul An, Bachelor of Commerce, Professional Accounting, 2015-2018
I hope, gentle reader, it proves to be the same for you. ROD MILLER (1975-1980) * Actual names have been changed. Georgie Quade, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce, 2015-2018
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Iris Wang, Master of Accounting CPA Extension, 2016
WELLNESS WEEK 2018 WELLNESS WEEK WAS HELD THIS YEAR JUST BEFORE THE EXAM PERIOD AT THE END OF SEMESTER ONE. WELLNESS WEEK ENCOURAGES HEALTHY LIVING AND MINDFULNESS IN OUR COLLEGE RESIDENTS WITH A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES TO HELP STUDENTS DE-STRESS AND RELAX.
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new addition this year was a pin board in the dining hall encouraging students to contribute the objects and/or people that made them happy and reminding everyone of the countless reasons we have to smile each day. We were also fortunate to receive sexual health protection items and brochures from NSW Health to help us highlight the importance of good sexual health.
Thursday
A recap on the week that we enjoyed.
First up on Friday was a yoga session where I think we all learned how inflexible we have become while studying. For the final event of the week, our friends from Red Frogs held a Friday movie night in the Common Room where we enjoyed watching The Greatest Showman.
Monday The week began with the Nepean Therapy Dogs gracing our courtyard with their furry enthusiasm. The dogs were a great hit with many students coming down to the courtyard for a pat.
Tuesday We enjoyed an early morning walk along the Ryde bike path with the much-loved College dog, Tallis. Later a number of students volunteered to plant new bushes and trees to beautify the front gardens of the College under Jamie, our Maintenance Coordinator’s, guidance.
On Thursday night, we enjoyed our annual Wellness Dinner where residents frocked up to celebrate all things wellness! We were joined by guest speaker Shannan Dodson who enlightened everyone about her Aboriginal upbringing and customs.
Friday
All in all Wellness Week was a great success and we hope everyone enjoyed themselves at all of the events! MADELYNE STEWARDSON KIAMA DOWNS GEORGINA ADAMS PERTHVILLE COMMUNITY COMMITTEE HEADS
Wednesday Wednesday started with a relaxing meditation session. At lunch time another new addition was a pair of blender bikes from Bike n’ Blend. They were set up in the Dining Hall for students to pedal a bike and mix the ingredients to make their own smoothies. The College supplied all the healthy ingredients to make some refreshing smoothies as well as milkshakes for dessert. In the evening, we enjoyed Trivia with questions relating to movies, celebrities and, of course, the State of Origin.
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VA L E D I C TO RY
Dinner THIS YEAR’S VALEDICTORY DINNER WAS A CELEBRATION OF OUR STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENTS AND THE YEAR JUST PAST. This year we congratulated a total of eighteen Valedictorians and five graduating students. We welcomed Uncle Chris and Aunty Karen to the dinner for the first time with Aunty Karen giving a very personal and meaningful Welcome to Country. Adding to the event were the many special guests we welcomed to the College including Board members, staff of Macquarie University, College staff and friends of the College. On the night the new 2019 ADS were announced and congratulated along with next year’s new Resident Adviser team. Entertainment was provided by Max Jones singing Billy Joel’s fabulous Vienna and Sean Van Vuuren joining Max for their gift of Your Song by Sir Elton John. Congratulations to our Valedictorians and Graduands for 2018:
VALEDICTORIANS YUEYAO (CHLOE) CHEN
Bachelor of Professional Accounting
BEK FRITZ
Bachelor of Speech, Hearing and Language Sciences
ZHI (FEN) LI
Master of International Communication
ELOISE MATTHEWS
Bachelor of Arts with the degree of Bachelor of Laws
MADELINE MORRISON
Master of Chiropractic Science
ZAC WARHAM
Bachelor of Marine Science
SARAH CROAKE
Bachelor of Social Science
SHANNON COLLIS
Bachelor of Ancient History
GEORGINA DICKERSON
Bachelor of Media
LILY ELSON
Bachelor of Arts Psychology
PHOEBE GILBERT
Bachelor of Media - Public Relations & Social Media
STUART GUIHOT
Bachelor of Human Sciences
HOPE LAWRY
Bachelor of Science - Psychology
AMY RAMIRES
Bachelor of Archaeology
LILIAN STEWART
Bachelor of Chiropractic Science
HANNAH VOGEL
Bachelor of Ancient History
EMAMA WASIM
Bachelor of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences
KALI WINN
Bachelor of Arts Linguistics
COLLEGE GRADUANDS JEWEL FERNANDES
Master of Accounting (Professional)
KERRI CHENG YING SHUEN
Bachelor of Business Analytics
KATE FINLAYSON
Bachelor of Chiropractic Science
MYOUNGJUN KIM
Master of Translation and Interpreting Studies
ASHLEIGH LUCAS
Bachelor of Chiropractic Science
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR AWARD WINNERS DR HUGH McCREDIE 2018 SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR Hannah Hurst
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DR HUGH McCREDIE 2018 SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR
Tommy Tremain
2018 DUNMORE LANG COLLEGE MEDAL
Georgie Dickerson
2018 DUNMORE LANG COLLEGE ADS AWARD
Katie Hickling
2018 DR MARGARET SAVILLE PRIZE
Emily Behan
2018 JOHN DUNMORE LANG SENIOR SCHOLAR
Eloise Matthews
2019 DOROTHY KNOX BURSARIES
Toby Condon Grace Frith Corey Henshaw Annika Mestrom Sarah Wood
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Women for the World Lunch EARLY IN SEPTEMBER JULIA PALMER, INVITED THE COLLEGE’S DEAN OF STUDENTS TO ONE OF HER LONG LUNCHES. AS LIZA WAS UNABLE TO BE THERE SHE NOMINATED FIVE STUDENTS TO ATTEND THE LUNCH.
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he proceeds from the lunch went to ‘Women for the World’. The Women for the World event is held in September and is a month of hosted events which recognise and celebrate the extraordinary courage and enterprise of women across the world.
Four other young women from the College and I had the fantastic opportunity to attend a luncheon to raise money to empower young women and their communities in impoverished areas around the world. The lunch provided us an incredible opportunity to make a difference and connect with some amazing and inspiring women who were pushing the boundaries in their own variety of fields as well as in other areas of their lives. HANNAH VOGEL PORT MACQUARIE, RESIDENT ADVISER
I was fortunate to attend the Women for the World lunch, gaining a wealth of knowledge from women leading in their fields. From women in real estate and travel to those involved in charities, such as World Vision, it was an inspiring and beneficial event held at the beautiful McMahon’s Point. Their stories were diverse, with many of the women known to each other beforehand, showing the value in networking and connections. Most interestingly, they spoke about the value of feminine traits in business. Our innate ability to be compassionate allows us to implement humanised business practices that provide a product that is personal and meaningful. We left with a few more LinkedIn connections, and thankful to the college for this great opportunity.
As a daughter and a mother, Julia was keen to support the cause to help women who experience poverty and injustice. Funds raised help empower women around the world to bring about positive change for marginalised communities all around the globe. Julie invited 18 women and men of all ages, titles and industries and facilitated the lunch where everyone could share stories and discuss the issue at a global and local level. Below are short reflections from the five students who attended the function.
What I took away from the Women for the World Lunch was how beneficial a simple conversation with friends can be. Julia facilitated an insightful discussion on what each person at the table saw as the necessary steps and tools for executing their vision for women. The people in attendance had achieved amazing things but were, in essence, just friends of Julia’s. Their insights on their vision for women where empowering but the way Julia wove them together, drawing on the strengths and area of expertise of others to intertwine information together was very powerful. This highlighted the wealth of knowledge that can be gained from simply having a chat with friends, listening to their perspective and actively trying to understand it. ELINOR BOWMAN STANHOPE
ELOISE MATTHEWS GOULBURN, RESIDENT ADVISER
The Women for the World lunch was a great experience – I was able to meet a range of women and men with amazing life stories. Personally, I gained so much from this lunch as we were given first hand examples of the standards and expectations that we as women should uphold, both in a professional and personal manner. The fact that we were also raising money for poverty-stricken women from marginalised communities, was an added bonus. Overall, this lunch was very beneficial for me and I was privileged to represent Dunmore Lang College. HOPE LAWRY BATHURST, RESIDENT ADVISER
L to R Hannah Vogel, Lily Elson, Julia Palmer, Eloise Matthews, Hope Lawry, Elinor Bowman
The Women for the World lunch was an invaluable experience. It was a great chance to meet a variety of women and men from different backgrounds who all had incredible stories and so many interesting things to share. Some key points that I took away from the lunch were how important it is for women to support each other in business and in life, and the idea that if you want something badly enough, you have to back yourself and make it happen. LILY ELSON EAST KILLARA RESIDENT ADVISER
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C U LT U R A L
Update
SINCE COMMENCING MY ROLE AS CULTURAL ADVISER AND UTILISING MY PHILOSOPHY TO SHARE MY KNOWLEDGE AS IT HAS BEEN SHARED WITH ME I HAVE ORGANISED FOR THE ABORIGINAL STUDENTS TO BE INVOLVED IN VARIOUS CULTURAL EVENTS THIS SEMESTER.
Smoking Ceremony We held a Smoking Ceremony in the old courtyard area for Indigenous students and some Dunmore Lang Staff to create an awareness of Indigenous culture and to welcome Uncle Chris George to the college. Uncle Chris and the students spent considerable time gathering the resources for the ceremony from the areas immediately around Dunmore Lang College. The leaves were sourced from a Yellow Gum tree for their medicinal, healing and cultural qualities. As they were gathered, participants were shown the protocol for harvesting the leaves and thanking the tree and mother earth for their use. The stringy fibrous bark used to start the fire was sourced from some trees in the area adjacent to the college. Participants were shown how to prepare the bark for use in the ceremony and its other cultural uses. Sticks and branches for the fire were gathered from the same areas as well. Uncle Chris explained the cleansing philosophy and methodology behind smoking ceremonies and their traditional and contemporary uses. He also explained the cultural cycle of the resources (bark, leaves,branches) as they have grown from the earth, they will be burned for ceremony/healing and turn to ashes, then ultimately return to the earth to contribute to the growth of more plants and trees. Participants were able to enoy the smoking ceremony and a cleansing song afterwards.
Cultural Excursion Students and staff from College participated in a Cultural excursion to Elvina Track Aboriginal engraving site, surrounding bush areas and a scenic lookout in the Kuringai Chase National Park. On the walk into the site participants viewed tracks left by goannas and other animals in the sand path. The engraving sites were situated on a large rock platform in the park showing multiple engravings of whales, fish, wallabies, humans, sheilds and emus. Uncle Chris explained and demonstrated how the engravings were done in this type of sandstone using traditional stone tools. He also explained the connection and similarity of this site and it’s engravings to ones he has seen personally on the Central Coast. This helped the participants to understand the concepts about the song and story lines that existed and traversed across multiple nations/boundaries. We were able to see how vegetation has encroached and damaged the sites and the rock platform itself. This was an important excursion and an opportunity for the Indigenous students from other areas to be able to learn about and connect to their new area and the traditional people who lived here. We then went to the West Head lookout and were able to get an awesome view of the Derrubbin (Hawkesbury) River all the way up to the lower end of the Central Coast, Palm Beach, Barrenjoey Lighthouse and out to sea. It is envisaged that this will become a regular feature in the lives of the students of Dunmore Lang College to gain a clearer understanding of their own cultural background and that of the country they are now living and studying on.
Warrawal Room We have commenced an art and connection project in the Warrawal Room of the College. The concept and design were discussed and decided upon by the Indigenous students and Uncle Chris. The hand stencils are a contemporary reproduction of traditional hand stencils as they appear on cave walls, overhangs and other cultural sites throughout Australia. Traditionally these hand stencils were placed there by people of that Nation/ Mob to signify their presence and connection to that country and place. We have taken this philosophy into account and actioned it with contemporary methods. These handprints represent the students living and studying at DLC and were produced using acrylic paints. Students then wrote their names, cultural mobs/tribes and the time they commenced and will finish studying at College and Macquarie University thereby connecting them to time and place. The colours chosen represent all the clours of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags. The snake was chosen to represent the maintained carriage of story and knowledge across many different nations and boundaries and the continuance of culture, knowledge and story through these places. The yellow sections of the snake will have Indigenous language words selected by the students to represent their country/mob. This will demonstrate both the collective nature and individuality of the Indigenous students who carry their country and culture with them when they relocate to study and live at College. Its is envisaged that as each new group of Indigenous students commence at College they to will be guided by the current students about the story, how to ‘sign in’ to the room and begin to develop their own cultural presence at Dunmore Lang College. UNCLE CHRIS GEORGE
DUNMORE LANG COLLEGE 27
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