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Old Fintonians Alumni
24 ALUMNI
Fintona File | Autumn / Winter 2021 FINTONIANS
OLD
Congratulations to Susannah Schoeffel (’05) and Adam on the birth of their son, Otis on 20/2/21.
VALE
The Fintona community is saddened to learn of the passing of the following Old Fintonians.
Dorothy Margaret Gowans (Cove ’46)
2/1/21
Betty Rewell (Willis ’42)
7/1/21
Jean Ramsay Wilcox (Anderson ’37)
10/1/21
Virginia Fraser (’65)
26/1/21
Pamela Sharwood (Green ‘50)
6/2/21
Catherine King MBE (Crosby ’46)
7/3/21
UPCOMING OFA EVENTS
Reunions postponed from 2020 have been rescheduled and all dates are subject to COVID restrictions permitting gatherings to go ahead.
REUNIONS 2021
Class of 2015 Class of 2016
5 Year Reunion Friday 6 August 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Class of 2010 Class of 2011 10 Year Reunion Friday 8 October 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Class of 1980 Class of 1981
40 Year Reunion Saturday 16 October 12 noon
INTERSTATE/COUNTRY REUNIONS
NSW/ACT
Thursday 9 September
North East Victoria (Benalla) Wednesday 13 October, 12 noon
QLD
Saturday 23 October
SA
November – date to be confirmed
SPECIAL EVENTS
OFA Golf Day – Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club
Monday 23 August
Blue and Gold Luncheon – Pre 1970 leavers
Thursday 21 October, 12 noon
SHARE YOUR NEWS We love to share special and significant achievements of Old Fintonians. Please send your news to Kate McPhee, Community and Communications Officer at kmcphee@fintona.vic.edu.au.
JOIN THE OFA FACEBOOK GROUP Please join the Old Fintonians’ Alumni Facebook Group at www.facebook.com/groups/ofafintona to keep up to date with Alumni news including reunion dates and photos.
Jean attended Fintona from 1926 to 1937. She was in Ower House, was a Prefect, and was in the hockey, baseball and swimming teams. The School was located in Burke Road, Hawthorn East at the time and moved to its present site in 1936. Each day, Jean walked to School from Sackville Street in Kew with several Fintona girls including her cousins Beryl Beaurepaire AC DBE (Bedggood ’40) and Gwenda York-Syme (Bedggood ‘43).
Jean loved her schooldays and made many lifelong friends including June Mullins (Arnold ‘37), Sylvia Eady (Bowman ‘37), Merle Gilbert (Goldsworthy ‘37), Freda Lander (Harper ‘37), Shirley Dexter (Harper ‘37) and Joan Gabb (Hallam ‘37).
As Jean told those interviewing her for the School history recently, she fondly remembered doing exercises before class each morning in the ‘old pavilion’ (the forerunner no doubt of drill that her daughter Sue did each morning before class). She also noted that one of the highlights of her year was the annual School picnic before the end of year exams where they went to the beach in an open bus singing the School song.
After completing Year 12, Jean studied Physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne and worked at the Royal Melbourne Hospital before marrying Vernon Wilcox in 1942. Jean had 4 children (Richard, Murray, Sue and Gerry), 13 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren, quite a brood! Her daughter, Sue Jones (Wilcox ’68) also attended Fintona.
Jean was very fortunate to have had a long happy life actively supporting her family and her husband, who was the Victorian Attorney General, Minister for Transport and Member for Camberwell in the State Parliament for 20 years. Over that time, Jean was Vernon’s ‘unofficial’ PA/Chief of Staff, and she very quickly learnt to turn her hand to a myriad of tasks, duties and events that she had probably never dreamed she would before.
Jean enjoyed running a stud cattle farm near Alexandra for 30 years with her husband, a site of many happy family times over the years. They also enjoyed their involvement at the Royal Melbourne Agricultural Show and the Alexandra Show over this time.
On their return to Melbourne, Jean kept herself fit walking 2 to 3 kms through the streets of Canterbury every second day for almost 30 years until the age of 95, befriending all on her way including the Maling Road shopkeepers and the school crossing workers.
‘Happy Days … We shall ne’er forget the mates who sing with us today Age Quod Agis forever’
Photo top: Jean as a Fintona student (middle front) Photo left: Jean on her 100th birthday in 2020
Past staff and students were saddened to hear of the passing of Elaine Warne who was a highly respected and acclaimed teacher at Fintona. As her colleague, Elaine Boucher, wrote, ‘when Elaine joined the Fintona staff in 1991, I soon found we had gained a treasure’.
During her time at Fintona, Elaine made a valuable contribution to the life of the School in so many areas. She was a truly gifted teacher and her intrinsic, detailed knowledge of History and English enabled her to transfer her knowledge and passion for her subjects to her students. Elaine’s rigorous academic standards encouraged students to extend their learning to a higher level. Her caring compassionate, kind nature gave comfort to both students and staff and her willingness to share her pedagogy for the benefit of all was much appreciated by everyone at Fintona. Elaine’s enthusiasm as Ower House teacher inspired students to always do their best in every aspect of School life. Her dedication to the Elizabeth Butt Public Speaking Competition was testament to her outstanding commitment in all that she did. This was also seen in her exemplary contribution to Shakespeare Day and debating as well as the beautiful Christmas carol service which Elaine developed, participated in, and displayed her spiritual commitment which was a fine example to all.
Elaine’s painstaking and thorough preparation, combined with her willingness to share her ideas, gave staff and students the opportunity to achieve their best outcomes in the educational and personal sphere. Elaine’s values were present in all that she did and consequently she was a wonderful role model for staff and students. Her love for husband, Garry and her family was always apparent and her sincere interest in all that others were doing was obvious. Elaine’s faith and her commitment to the church and wider community reflected her spirituality and dedication. Her friendship was highly valued by her colleagues; her wisdom was shown in her ability to establish and maintain fulfilling and rewarding relationships with so many people from such diverse origins. Helen Bosher and Kate McDonald, former members of staff, wrote of the beautiful, caring friendships that Elaine had formed with them which have endured over the years, and of their deep sadness at Elaine’s passing.
Elaine’s commitment to education contributed so much to the learning of many students and to the development of fellow staff; her contribution and influence on the lives of so many will always be remembered. Thank you, Elaine, for all that you did for Fintona. We extend our sincere sympathy to Garry and Elaine’s family.
Vale Elaine
CLASS OF 2020 Thursday 18 February, 2021
Photo: Alumni from the Class of 2020 with Rachael Falloon, Principal and Suzanne Hannebery, Careers Coordinator and Science Teacher.
Photo top: Classes of 2000 and 2001 with Rachael Falloon, Principal and Julie Goldsworthy, past staff.
Photo left (L – R): Nerida Thompson (’00), Tammy Goldwasser (’00).
Photo right (L – R): Victoria Spicer-Stuart (’01), Fiona Bennett (Palmer ‘01), Lara Stevens (’01), Emily Stothers (’01).
Photo left: Classes of 1990 and 1991 with Rachael Falloon, Principal and past staff, Bron Long and Liz Lee.
Photo top (L – R): Shirani Thevarajan (’90), Robyn Licenblat (Rose ’90), Didi Muccio (Garofallou ’90).
Photo top: The Classes of 1970 and 1971 with Rachael Falloon, Principal.
Photo left (L – R): Class of Claire Hewitt (Touzel ’70), Amanda Ling (’70) , Sally Slattery (Price ’70 ), Terry Dimond (’70), Beth Gaze (’70).
NEWS OF OLD FINTONIANS
ORDER OF AUSTRALIA Congratulations to Old Fintonian, Professor Amanda Leach AM (‘72) who was awarded a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia in this year’s Australia Day Honours. Amanda was recognised for her significant service to ear disease research and to Indigenous child health.
Photo (L – R): Prof Amanda Leach AM (‘72), the Hon Vicki O’Halloran AO, the Northern Territory Administrator.
RELEASE OF NEW ALBUM Congratulations to Jo Syme (’04) who along with her band partner, Tom Lansek from the acclaimed band, Big Scary, have released a new album titled ‘Daisy’.
Recorded during Melbourne’s lockdown last year, in the Band’s own recording studio in Collingwood, ‘Daisy’ is the band’s fourth album. With hip friendly grooves of funk and disco, the new album sees Jo take on equal lead vocal duties for the first time, having usually been heard on backing vocals and drums. Jo also took on co-engineering and production duties. ‘Daisy is our most playful album to date. For the first time there are no guitars to be heard. It’s full of drama, at times a little bit spooky and silly. In general we’re exploring naivety and fantasy versus facing the complexities of reality,’ said Jo.
Big Scary was formed back in 2006 and past albums include Vacation, Not Art and Animal. The Band’s single, The Opposite of Us reached number 17 in Triple J’s Hottest 100 of 2017.
Photo credit: Jeff Andersen Jnr.
WOMEN’S INTERSCHOOL GOLF CHALLENGE CUP Congratulations to Amanda Rethus (‘77), Julia Champion De Crespigne (Hanson ‘73), Sally Syme (‘74), Sally Eastoe (Randall ‘75) who represented Fintona at the 92nd Women’s Interschool Golf Challenge Cup in April. Twenty-nine teams competed in the competition with Clarendon taking out this year’s Challenge Cup.
Please save the date for the OFA Golf Day to be held on Monday 23 August at Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club.
Photo (L – R): Amanda Rethus (‘77), Julia Champion De Crespigne (Hanson ‘73), Sally Syme (‘74), Sally Eastoe (Randall ‘75).
NEW BUSINESS VENTURE Penelope Large (’02) became a HypnoBirthing Educator and started Joyful Births in 2019 to help parents approach birth calmly and confidently to ensure a positive birthing experience. According to Penelope, ‘this was so needed and more relevant than ever last year! 2020 was a year that threw a lot of curve balls and challenges at everyone and birthing people much more so than many others.’
Whilst many things slowed down or came to a stop as the pandemic took over, babies continued to be born. With different restrictions being enforced in hospitals like limited access to water (e.g. birth pools), only one support person allowed during labour and birth, mask wearing, lack of face-to-face meetings with midwives/ doctors and no face-to-face childbirth education being just some of the challenges that birthing people faced. ‘Being able to help parents prepare for a confident birth and how to best navigate these restrictions and stay in control of their birth journey was a real honour. Whilst it was a challenge to not have many face-to-face classes, it was wonderful to be able to continue online and flex up my tech skills to be able to continue to support and empower couples,’ said Penelope.
Currently, with hospital classes remaining online and many appointments as telehealth, Joyful Births offers face-to-face private courses in people’s homes as well as group courses at a Wellness Clinic in Richmond.
Photo: Penelope with her son, Darcy.
