Firbank Grammar 110 Women of Achievement

WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT

CELEBRATING 110 YEARS 1909

Firbank was established as a day and boarding school for girls by the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne, Henry Lowther Clarke (right)

Miss M. F. Aylwin Principal 1909 - 1910

Miss Maud Cameron, Firbank’s longest serving principal

1924

Cameron, Crowther, Tyson & Clarke Houses formed

1927

Hindley House opens

Miss F. Green Principal 1910 - 1911

1990 - 2003 Dr J. C. Munro, Principal 2

1911 - 1954

1996

Sandringham established as Co-educational Junior School

2004 - 2013 Dr A. Sarros, Principal

1932

Sandringham becomes part of Firbank

1955 - 1960 Mrs J. Blow, Principal

1966

Aylwyn, Hancock, Sheppard & Tonkin Houses formed

1971 - 1989 Miss P. M. Turner, Principal

1988

Aylwyn & Cameron, Crowther & Hancock, Tyson & Sheppard & School House, Clarke & Tonkin Houses combined

1961 - 1970 Miss D. E. Whitehead, Principal

2014 - 2016 Mrs H. Norton, Principal

2017 - Present Ms J. Williams, Principal

April 2019

110 year anniversary whole School photograph 3

WHOLE SCHOOL CIRCA 1911

WHOLE SCHOOL APRIL 2019

2019

FOREWORD For 110 years Firbank Grammar has been helping students to form a life-long love of learning, to instil the School values into their everyday lives and to be the very best version of themselves that they can be.

We celebrate their successes, not just academic success but the ways in which students achieve throughout each step in their life beyond Firbank’s crested gates. This may be on the home-front, in business, academia, in greater society, for charity, sport or in the Arts.

This year, I am delighted to be inducting ten exceptional women into the ranks of ‘Firbank’s Women of Achievement’. These women exemplify the qualities that Firbank students should aspire to and showcase what it means to be an Alumna of our prestigious School.

They will join the 100 women who were announced in 2009 for Firbank’s Centenary Celebrations to make 110 notable women. Some of the women who are recognised have passed and some are still making change in the world.

I feel that it is important to take time to see the many different paths that they have chosen, and for the young women of today, it is valuable to recognise that there are so many opportunities available now, that may not have been so accessible in the past. Women can truly strive for great things and Firbank gives students the foundations from which they can build their skills and personal attributes.

As Principal, I am humbled to see first hand the way in which Firbank students learn and grow.

Each day, I see the potential for greatness and the zest for life that will make it happen. I hope to ensure that students aim for dynamic and fulfilling futures with the knowledge that they can conquer the challenges that they may face and are supported by Firbank Grammar and the school community. Students are encouraged to follow their passions so that they, like our 110 Women, can drive themselves to accomplish their goals.

I would like to congratulate the esteemed assemblage of women represented in our 110 Women of Achievement and urge you to take the time to read their biographies to learn more about their inspiring journeys.

Jenny Williams Principal

5

1911

MAUD CAMERON

1923

EILEEN ROBERTSON

6

Maud Cameron attended PLC and then the University of Melbourne where, as Wyselaskie scholar, she obtained her MA degree with Honours and also her Diploma of Education. She taught at PLC and Lauriston before being appointed Head mistress of Firbank at the age of 24.

The founder of Firbank, Archbishop Henry Lowther Clarke, wrote ‘My greatest service to Firbank was the discovery of Miss Cameron whom I urged to come and make the School her life’s work. She did just that, and seldom have School and Headmistress been so identified with the other.’ Miss Cameron was Headmistress for an amazing 43 years and in that time saw the School grow to be one of the largest girls’ schools in Australia. Miss Cameron was President of the Victorian Association of Head mistresses, 1936-1937 and acting President of the Headmistresses Association of Australia.

and understanding.’ At the service marking her retirement, Bishop Donald Redding said, ‘No wall ever separated Miss Cameron from anybody, never has she allowed her exalted and important position to separate her from those committed to her charge.’

In the 1955 Honours list, she was awarded the MBE by the Queen at Buckingham Palace, the citation reading, ‘Headmistress of Firbank CEGGS for 43 years during which time she exhibited fine leadership

Maud Cameron died in 1976 and the Firbank Old Grammarians Association placed a memorial stained glass window in her honour in the Pioneer Chapel at St Andrew’s Church in Brighton.

Eileen entered Firbank in 1919 and in 1933 was awarded the National Gallery Travelling Scholarship for her painting, ‘Pottery’ (which now hangs in Firbank’s art collection). This scholarship enabled Eileen to go to London where she studied at the Royal Academy for two years.

Eileen was not invited to the official launch but as the GMH website proclaims ‘Eileen Robertson may have missed that party in 1948 but her work is still fresh and futuristic 60 years on.’

Upon her return to Australia, Eileen became a very successful portrait painter and also completed commissioned work for companies such as General Motors Holden. Eileen’s mural work, depicting past and future modes of transport, can still be seen in the art deco splendour of the GMH Social Centre at Fishermans Bend in Port Melbourne. They were completed in time for the official launch of the FX Holden by Prime Minister, Ben Chifley, in 1948.

Miss Cameron founded the Firbank Old Grammarians Association in 1918 and was its first President serving from 1918 to 1936. She was made an honorary Old Grammarian for her unequalled contribution to Firbank’s development and, therefore, is worthy of inclusion in this publication.

Miss Cameron was known for her active service in the Church and in 1911 she was part of the formation of the women’s auxiliary of The Australian Board of Missions.

Eileen lived all her life in the family home in Thomas Street, Hampton and died in 1998.

Upon graduating from Firbank, Lallah started her own commercial art studio with a staff of competent artists, many of whom became famous names in the Australian advertising world. In 1936 Mantons, a major department store in Melbourne, asked Lallah to become their Advertising Manager, thus becoming the first woman advertising executive in Melbourne. Her amazing organisational abilities saw her quickly rise to be Publicity Manager for Mantons. She was also the first woman to be appointed to the Board of the Victorian Institute of Advertising.

During World War II, Lallah contributed her organisational skills to war fund activities, particularly the Red Cross, where she served as a Board member. In 1949, Lallah joined the Myer Emporium and in 1954 was appointed Advertising Manager and Associate Director of the Mutual Store where she worked until her retirement in 1960. During her career, Lallah won numerous awards and her commercial success was all the more remarkable, as she also combined this with her role as a wife and mother.

Inez, a boarder who graduated in 1926 was a Prefect, House Captain of Crowther and Dux of the School.

Inez lived in Singapore for 25 years and was interned in Java during World War II. After returning to Australia in the 1960s, Inez bought land near Kempsey and travelled around Australia in her old Kombi. During her travels, Inez ‘fell head over heels in love with the outback, its flora and fauna and its romantic historical waterways’. This led to Inez becoming a passionate environmentalist and she participated in many forest blockades and and would lie down in front of bulldozers in an attempt to save rainforests and native habitats.

Despite her business life, Lallah maintained an active interest in Firbank and was President of the Firbank Old Grammarians Association in 1950. Her artistic abilities were utilised in school productions, most notably The Bluebird in 1947 for which she designed all of the costumes and many of her drawings now form part of the Lallah Ellerton Collection housed in the School Archives.

Lallah’s career is perhaps best explained by the motto that hung above her desk – it read. ‘The only difference between the difficult and the impossible is that the impossible takes a little longer.’

Lallah’s daughter, Judith (1957) attended Firbank.

Lallah passed away in 2011.

In later years, her interest had grown to such an extent, that she became a member and a Founding Branch President of the Society for Growing Australian Plants. In 1978, she published her highly acclaimed work ‘Acacias’ of New South Wales.

Inez died in 1998, but remembering her Firbank days, she bequeathed a sum of money, as her Will stated, ‘to be applied for the purpose of providing an annual scholarship to be awarded to a senior student, proceeding to studies at a tertiary level in one of the biological sciences, with particular reference to the environment’. As Inez stated in her bequest, ‘I just adored Firbank, everything about it and every minute of it’.

1925

LALLAH ELLERTON (DREDGE)

1926

INEZ ARMITAGE (SIMONSEN)

7

1927

Moya entered Firbank in 1917 and was Captain of Cameron House in 1925, 1926 and 1927.

Upon leaving School, she attended the National Gallery of Victoria School between 1930 and 1932. She was one of the first artists in Melbourne to respond to Cubist influences, notably in her exhibition at the Riddell Gallery, Melbourne, 1934.

MOYA DYRING

1928

From 1935, she made her home in Paris and gradually adopted a more pictorial style of painting, returning briefly to Australia for major exhibitions in Melbourne and Sydney in 1953, 1956 and 1963.

Elisabeth began at Firbank in 1916, and throughout her time was a Prefect, Captain of Crowther House and Head Prefect of the School.

Following her interest in Botany, Elisabeth enrolled in Agricultural Science at the University of Melbourne but later changed to Arts. She graduated as a Master of Arts in 1933, after completing her History thesis on the world renowned botanist, Ferdinand von Mueller, who designed Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens.

ELISABETH TAIT B.E.M (PEARSON)

Moya passed away in London in 1967.

She bequeathed her studio apartment in Paris (the Moya Dyring Memorial Studio) administered by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, for the benefit of Australian artists enabling them to study in Europe.

Elisabeth lived most of her life in Warrnambool, where she became very active in The Save the Children Fund and a number of other charities.

In Warrnambool, with young children of her own, Elisabeth found that there were no kindergartens in the area so she established the first kindergarten in the town and became its president. During her presidency, several more kindergartens were opened. In 1974, she was made a Life Member of the Warrnambool Central Kindergarten, ‘In acknowledgement of her long and faithful service’.

Elisabeth also had a forty year association with the Girl Guides Movement, rising to Regional Commissioner.

The City of Warrnambool honoured her contribution to the community with its Citizenship Award in 1964. In 1982 she was awarded the British Empire Medal for Outstanding Service to the Community.

Elisabeth’s daughters, Mary Young, Ann Rasmussen and Margie McCay, attended Firbank.

Elisabeth passed away in 2002.

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Margaret entered Firbank in 1918, was Captain of Crowther House, a Prefect and Dux of the School.

Margaret completed an Arts degree at the University of Melbourne with Honours in English and History. She gained a Blue for swimming and served on the Student Representative Council.

Margaret was made a life member of both the University of Melbourne Ski Club and the Australian Women’s Ski Club, a fitting recognition of her contribution to women’s competitive skiing.

In 1946, Margaret was a founding member of the Brighton Branch of the Save the Children Fund.

Whilst at University, Margaret became the first female member of the University of Melbourne Ski Club and she was club female champion in 1934, 1948 and 1950.

She raced in the State Ski Team in 1951.

She was twice President of the Australian Women’s Ski Club in 1953-1954 and 1971.

Margaret retained an active interest in the School throughout her life and was a valued contributor to the Firbank Old Grammarians Association.

Marjorie completed her schooling at Firbank, from 1920-1932. She was Captain of Tyson House in her final year. She went on to complete a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Melbourne in 1937 and a Master of Science degree in 1941.

Commission and at University College, London. Upon her return to Australia, Marjorie oversaw the management and implementation of new laboratory procedures at the Alfred Hospital.

She began her career as a biochemist at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and in 1939 was seconded to the Australian Red Cross Society (Victorian Division) Blood Transfusion Services. In 1944-1945 Marjorie worked at Harvard University in the USA, in the Plasma Fractionation Laboratory and then returned as a biochemist to the Australian Red Cross Society.

In 1949, Marjorie joined the Alfred Hospital as Senior Biochemist and continued her learning journey as the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship in 1955. This enabled her to study new techniques in the USA at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and in the United Kingdom, at the Isotope School of the Atomic Energy

1930

Margaret passed away in 1998.

She then followed her interest in environmental science when awarded a Research Scholarship to the National Institute of Environmental Health in North Carolina, USA between 1967 and 1969 and then as a biochemist at the Medical Research Council, Division of Clinical Chemistry, in the United Kingdom between 1969 and 1971.

In 1972, Marjorie returned to Australia and worked in Pre-Clinical Drug Evaluation at the Department of Health in Canberra. She retired in 1980.

MARGARET BEGG (PEARSON)

1932

MARJORIE BICK

Marjorie passed away in 2010.

9

1935

Margaret joined Firbank in February 1933 and her school career was a distinguished one. In 1935, she was appointed Head Prefect and was Dux of the School.

Margaret stood out as a leader and within her was a deep spirituality. Upon Matriculating from Firbank, she gained a scholarship to the University of Melbourne and completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma of Education.

MARGARET DE BIBRA

1936

PATRICIA PENROSE OAM (RATTRAY)

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She subsequently joined the Education Department and was later appointed Headmistress of St Peter’s School, Murrumbeena. However, Margaret’s spiritual calling led her to decide to become a missionary and she went to the Australian Board of Missions Hostel in Sydney for her training. From there she was sent as a missionary to Papua New Guinea and became the first headmistress of the Martyrs’ School at Sangara.

Patricia graduated from Firbank in 1936 and undertook a Diploma in Fashion and Art Design and completed her TTTC at Toorak Teachers’ College.

At the outbreak of World War II, Patricia joined the Australian Army Service in the Australian Corps of Signals being stationed at Royal Park in Melbourne.

Patricia published two books concerning her war years which are in the Australian War Memorial records. In 1977, Patricia became the Convenor of the Australian Women’s Army Signals Group. In 1984, she generously donated to the School the Honour Roll that commemorates the service of Firbank Old Grammarians in World War II. The Honour Roll was unveiled by Dame Beryl Beaurepaire.

Her devotion and her winning personality won her the respect of both the teachers and the students. After a short furlough back in Australia in 1950, she returned to her work at Sangara. On January 21, 1951 nearby Mt Lamington volcano erupted. In the week preceding the eruption, the government had ordered all expatriates to leave the area and organised their evacuation. However, Margaret refused their offer and chose to stay with her students and the people of the local community. Tragically, Margaret subsequently died in the eruption at the School she so loved.

There is a memorial dedicated to Margaret at the Martyrs’ School and Firbank students helped to raise money to rebuild the School which, in a way, is her lasting memorial. It was said of Margaret that she showed the vision of truth, beauty and goodness in her daily living.

For many years, Patricia taught fashion design and embroidery. During the 1960s Patricia was an honorary lecturer with the National Trust of Australia. She was also Secretary of the Firbank Old Grammarians Association in 1984 and maintained a lifelong interest in the School.

She was a strong advocate for women being allowed to become full members of the Melbourne Cricket Club and had the distinction of being the first lady ‘up the stairs’ to claim her ladies membership badge in 1984.

Patricia was on the executive of the National Council of Women 1991 to 1993 and she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1993 for service to war veterans and the community.

Patricia passed away in 2006.

Joy commenced at Firbank as a boarder in 1928 and was a Prefect and Captain of Cameron House in her final year. She attended the University of Melbourne studying Physical Education and later taught briefly at Firbank.

Her love of theatre and her sense of humour were honed in her years at Firbank where she appeared in many of Miss Tonkin’s School productions. Joy credits Miss Tonkin for encouraging her to pursue a professional career in the theatre. She also acknowledges the profound influence of Maud Cameron whom she recalls saying, ‘Oh Joy,’ in a despairing tone for the eleven years she was at Firbank – except once a year when Maud Cameron would say – ‘Oh Joy, splendid’, when she topped the Divinity examination results!

Joy commenced on radio at 3AW, and she continued to act on radio and in theatre whilst still at University. Joy worked with the ABC and acted in early episodes of the long running radio series Blue Hills. In the late 1940s, Joy worked with her husband, Des Connor, who managed the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne and

Agatha was Captain of Cameron House in 1939-1940 and was also Head Prefect in 1940. Upon Matriculation, she chose to study Physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne.

After a year of post graduate experience she joined the Army in 1944 and rose to the rank of Lieutenant. The end of World War 2 in 1945 marked the beginning of extensive rehabilitation for many defence personnel and physiotherapists played an important role in this process. Agatha went to work at the Repatriation Hospital in Heidelberg in 1946 and in 1958 she was appointed Chief Physiotherapist at Heidelberg, a position she held with formidable dedication and authority for the next 23 years. Her 35-year career at the hospital was marked not just by her leadership, but her strong work ethic, her passion for the healing powers of physiotherapy and her commitment to teaching.

Agatha was made an Honorary Life Member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association in recognition of her

following his untimely death in 1951, Joy ran the Union Theatre for some time on her own.

Joy was described as ‘a superb and popular director’ of many University plays and reviews in the 1940s. She also appeared in numerous theatre productions with J C Williamsons commencing at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne and toured around Australia. Joy became one of J C Williamson’s leading ladies. In the 1950s, Joy spent six years overseas, during which time she worked and studied in theatres all over the world including Russia. In 1959, Joy began a two-year contract with the newly created television channel, HSV7, where she devised, produced and directed the one hour variety show Band Wagon.

Joy has maintained a life-long interest in and love of Firbank and is a generous benefactor to the School’s Drama Department where she donates all the prizes in the Annual House Festival.

1938

JOY YOULDENCONNOR (YOULDEN)

Joy passed away in 2011.

outstanding service.

1940

Her outstanding service was honoured when she was awarded the MBE for her services to physiotherapy. Following her retirement in 1991 she travelled extensively in Australia, Papua New Guinea and Europe.

Agatha’s days at Firbank and what she witnessed during the war shaped a strong commitment to social justice.

Her philanthropy extended to the wider community as she supported organisations such as the Salvation Army, Vision Australia, Greening Australia and her old school.

Agatha’s great grandfather, Commander William Norman, was the first commander of the Victorian Navy. More than 140 years later, Agatha was invited to launch in 1999, the minehunter, HMAS Norman, named in his honour.

AGATHA GREY-WILSON MBE

Agatha passed away in 2007.

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1940

JUDY JOY DAVIES

1941

DR DOROTHEA WARR

12

Judy taught herself to swim in the sea opposite her Brighton home. Her parents decided to have Judy taught to swim properly and enrolled her with former European swim champion, Gus Froelich, who took swim classes for Firbank students at the Middle Brighton Baths.

Two years later, Judy joined The Argus newspaper as a journalist specialising in sport where she covered the next nine Olympic Games – first with The Argus at the 1956 Olympic Games and the next eight Olympics with the Sun News Pictorial.

Judy had her first taste of success when she won the 25-yard Freestyle Under 9, for her House, Crowther, and several months later won the Victorian 9 and Under 25yard freestyle, and broke the State record by 9 seconds! At the age of 12, Judy was Victorian Open Freestyle Champion and at 13 won her first Australian 110-yard Junior Freestyle title.

In 1996 Judy agreed to become the Patron of the newly established Firbank Aquastars.

In 2011 Judy was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

Judy passed away on 27 March 2016.

Following World War II, Judy was one of four female swimmers selected for the Australian Olympic team to compete in the 1948 London Olympics. She won her heat of the 100-metres backstroke and broke the Olympic record and won the Bronze Medal in the final. At the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, Judy won three Gold Medals. She competed in 1952 at the Helsinki Olympics.

Dorothea entered Firbank in Kindergarten in 1929 and by her own admission, was never a great student! She left Firbank in 1941 after completing her Leaving Certificate and commenced training to be a nurse at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

Upon completing her qualification, Dorothea travelled to England. She worked at the Infant Hospital, Vincent Square, London and later became a Matron at various private schools in the United Kingdom. Dorothea returned to Melbourne in 1950 and was appointed Matron at Cuthbertson House at Geelong Grammar School and she was later appointed Matron of Timbertop until the end of 1959. In 1960 Dorothea set off on her travels again and worked in Florence, Zurich and Frankfurt and then on returning to the United Kingdom, she became Matron of Gordonstoun in Scotland.

Returning to Melbourne in 1963, Dorothea completed her Matriculation at night while working in the Government Medical Service. As there was no University Nursing School in Australia, Dorothea, who wanted

to further her nursing qualifications, left Melbourne once again, this time to attend Magill University in Montreal, where she completed a Bachelor of Nursing.

Dorothea returned to Australia where she worked in the West Australian Community Health Service, but wanting to educate herself still further, her next step, with the help of Sir Charles Court and a Scholarship, was the University of Washington in Seattle. Here she completed a double Masters Degree in Nursing Administration, Community Medicine and Public Health gaining first class honours. After another eight years in Western Australia, she went on to complete her PhD in Social Welfare at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

Dorothea passed away in 2014.

Pauline entered Firbank in 1929 and left in 1939. During her time at School, she appeared in numerous productions and her singing voice led her to join J C Williamsons. Pauline had singing in her blood; her father, Fran Errolle, was a leading tenor with the Metropolitan Opera in New York and her mother, the famous Strella Wilson, sang in Covent Garden in London and was a contemporary of Gladys Moncrieff.

In the early 1940s, Pauline made a name for herself on the Youth Show on 3AW and later in ABC productions. However, she contracted encephalitis and was paralysed and doctors told her she would remain that way for life. Refusing to give in to this diagnosis, she became the second person in Australia to try a new experimental drug, sulphur nialamide, and made a full recovery.

Beth commenced at Firbank in 1937 and in her final year was Head Prefect, Captain of Clarke House and Dux of the School.

As a result of World War II, Beth worked in the Department of Munitions.

In her time at Firbank, Beth was influenced very much by Miss Cameron’s emphasis on service to others, by participation in community and charitable work. As Beth reflects in ‘She Who Conquers. A centenary history of Firbank Grammar’, ‘I believe that what particularly characterised Firbank is our response to civic commitments.’

Subsequently, Beth’s life has reflected this ethos by her devotion to others in need.

During World War II, she sang for the troops in Papua New Guinea. In 1944 Pauline was spotted by the legendary Australian film director, Charles Chauvel, and was cast in the leading role in his famous film, The Rats of Tobruk, released in 1945. Pauline starred alongside Peter Finch and Chips Rafferty.

Following her marriage, she did not work for some years but then returned to her career in 1959 performing in operettas around Australia, including working with the Sadlers Wells Company. Subsequently, Pauline joined the Australian Opera in 1969 where she sang for the next two decades working with stars such as Dame Joan Sutherland and June Bronhill. Pauline retired from the Australian Opera in 2000

1941

PAULINE WILSON (GARRICK)

Pauline passed away in 2001.

She was President of the Cheshire Auxiliary for Paraplegics 1968-1974, President of the Kew Charities Christmas Card shop 1970-1981 and was a Welfare Officer with Paraquad from 1974 to 1995.

1942

Beth also volunteered for annual doorknock appeals and was on the Victorian Council of Social Service Card Shop Committee for many years. Beth also volunteered her time for Camcare, the Mercy Hospital and the Royal Botanic Gardens.

In 2006, Beth was awarded the Order of Australia for her outstanding contribution to the community.

Beth passed away in 2013.

BETH BRODRIBB OAM (COOMER)

13

1945

RUTH DOIG

Ruth entered Firbank on a scholarship in 1938 and Matriculated in 1945. In her final year, she was Vice Captain of Tyson House and a Prefect. Ruth particularly remembers with gratitude her teachers Miss Tyers, Dr Lang and Miss Tonkin, all of whom had a great influence on her.

In 1963 she was chosen as one of only four Australians to attend an International Congress on Medical Librarianship in Washington. Ruth remembers a particular highlight was that delegates were welcomed on the lawn of the White House

by President Kennedy.

Ruth pursued a career as a Librarian and successfully passed her examinations conducted by the Australian Institute of Librarians. Ruth was medical librarian at the Royal Children’s Hospital from 1951 to 1964. Whilst serving at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Ruth had the opportunity to become a librarian at Bedford College for Women at the University of London, in 1957.

From 1964 to 1983, Ruth was the librarian at the Australian Administrative Staff College and from 1986 to 1987 she was a lecturer in the Library Officers Course at Chisholm Institute of Technology.

Ruth was an Associate of the Library Association United Kingdom and an Associate of the Library Association Australia. She also had an Associate Diploma of Technology (Computing).

Ruth passed away in 2012.

1945

Patsy’s entire school days were spent at Firbank commencing in 1934 and Matriculating in 1945, the year in which she was Captain of Crowther House, Head Prefect and Dux of the School.

She attended the University of Melbourne, graduating with a Bachelor of Science and a Diploma of Education. As a tennis player, she represented the University, and was awarded a Half Blue.

PATRICIA (PATSY) TURNER

Following university, Patsy worked in science laboratories and her father’s legal firm before joining the Firbank staff in 1962. She was appointed Vice Principal in 1968 and subsequently served as Principal of Firbank from 1971 to 1989. Her strong commitment to the welfare and success of the School was evident during these years. She showed a keen interest in all members of the school community and combined this with a firm belief in Christian principles.

Patsy served on the board of various educational organisations, and in 1991,

14

the Incorporated Association of Registered Teachers of Victoria Council made her a Life Member for her service to education.

She has remained an active member of the Firbank Old Grammarians’ Association, serving as President 1958-1959 and 19811984. She has been an active committee member for a number of years and was made Patron in 1990 in recognition of her outstanding service.

In 1978, Patsy became the first woman to be appointed a Lay Canon of St Paul’s Cathedral and served in this capacity until 1998. For many years, she was a member of the Anglican Kindergarten Council. From 1993 to 1997 she was the first Lay Diocesan Director for Cursillo in the Melbourne Diocese and she has been a church warden at St Agnes Anglican Church, Black Rock, since 1991.

Patsy was awarded the Commonwealth of Australia Centenary Medal for long and outstanding service to the education and welfare of children.

Beverley was a boarder form 1946 to 1947 and in her final year was Captain of Cameron House and joint Head Boarder with Brenda Paine.

A passionate interest in conservation, coupled with a belief in community-based activism, led her to spend most of her working life with non-profit organisations, primarily the English-Speaking Union, The Australian Conservation Foundation, Lifeline and the National Trust.

Voluntary community work was a vital part of Beverley’s life. Her work included positions with environment and Aboriginal reconciliation groups. She has also assisted newly arrived migrants to Australia with their English since the first Czech refugees arrived in 1968, then those from Vietnam and Laos, and lastly with a Sudanese family.

Beverley passed away in 2013.

From 1973, she was active in politics, first with the Australia Party and subsequently with the Australian Democrats. She travelled extensively and worked in London, Toronto and New York.

Jeannette commenced at Firbank in 1939 and, in her final year, was Captain of Cameron House and a Prefect. She graduated with a Bachelor of Law from the University of Melbourne in 1967 and was admitted to the Supreme Court as a barrister and solicitor.

Jeannette served as a Councillor for the City of Brighton from 1973 to 1976 and was a member of the Consumer Affairs Council. In 1976, Jeannette was elected as the Liberal Member in the State Parliament for the Seat of Brighton and served in this capacity until 1985. During her parliamentary career, Jeannette was appointed Secretary to the Parliamentary Liberal Party in 1979.

1946

BEVERLEY BROADBENT

Jeannette showed a strong interest in education, and was a member of the School Councils at Firbank, Brighton Technical School, Brighton High School and Hampton High School.

1947

She was also involved in many community endeavours in the local area, being on the Committee of Management of the Brighton Community Hospital and the honorary solicitor to the Citizens Advice Bureau, the Senior Citizens Club and the Brighton Ladies Benevolent Society.

Jeannette’s daughter, Jane (1968) attended Firbank as did her granddaughters, Susan (2002) and Lucy (2009).

Jeannette passed away in 2011.

JEANNETTE PATRICK (BREEN)

15

1948

Rosemary entered Firbank in 1937 in Kindergarten and was a Prefect in 1947 and joint Captain of Clarke House, Head Prefect and Dux of the School in 1948.

Upon leaving School, she completed a Diploma of Orthoptics and upon graduating in 1950, worked in ophthalmology clinics at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Geelong Hospital and the Alfred Hospital.

ROSEMARY FARROW OAM (CHAPMAN)

1949

DR PATRICIA (PAT) PHAIR OAM (JOHANSEN)

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Rosemary was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 1992 for her service to the Community.

Rosemary’s daughters, attended Firbank.

Sue Priestley (1976) and Diana Farrow (1979). As well as her granddaughters, Sarah Priestley and Samantha Dick (both 2011).

Following the birth of her three children, Rosemary became very involved in voluntary work within her local bayside community and beyond. She helped to establish the first Careers Library at Firbank and spent many years as President and Secretary of the Victorian and Australian Council for Children’s Film and Television.

She also served on the Board of the Hampton Rehabilitation Hospital and, since 1976, the Sandringham Community Information Centre which is now the Bayside Community Information and Support Service.

Pat entered Firbank in 1943 and Matriculated in both 1948 and 1949. She was Dux of the School in 1948 and CoCaptain of Clarke House and Head Prefect in 1949.

Pat was awarded a full residential scholarship at Janet Clarke Hall at the University of Melbourne and also won a Senior Government Scholarship. Pat graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree with Honours in 1953. During her time at University, she won numerous scholarships, including the Wyselaskie Scholarship in Natural Sciences.

In 1954, Pat received the Dunlop Research Scholarship and the Kernot Scholarship which enabled her to complete her Master of Science at the University of Melbourne in 1955. From 1956 to 1958 Pat studied at the University of London, where she completed her Doctorate in the Department of Chemical Pathology at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington in 1959.

From 1951 to 1968, Pat undertook Clinical research at the Royal Children’s Hospital and also completed a Post Doctoral

study in the Department of Physiology at Cambridge University. She was principally involved in the study of Cystic Fibrosis.

In 1969, she was appointed assistant Professor in Biochemistry in the Division of Human Genetics, Department of Medicine, at Cornell Medical School in New York.

Following her marriage and the birth of her three children, Pat returned to the Royal Children’s Hospital in 1985 to continue her research and retired in 1995.

Pat maintained a life-long interest in the School as was President of the Firbank Old Grammarian’s Association from 1960 to 1961.

Since retiring from her professional life, Pat has been actively involved in the National Council of Women Victoria as the Firbank Old Grammarians Association delegate. In 2000 she was elected to the Committee and in 2003 she was appointed National Advisor on environmental issues.

Pat’s daughter, Julia (1991), attended Firbank.

Barbara commenced at Firbank in 1942 and she was a Prefect in her final year. She completed a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Melbourne in 1951 and then spent four years overseas living and working in Paris and London for most of that time.

In 1957, she became a replacement teacher of Science at Firbank and 16 years later retired from Firbank. Her past pupils acknowledged her passion and commitment as a teacher and she influenced some to pursue careers in the natural world.

Barbara’s interest in identifying mammals also led to another related interest which was the analysing of hair found in the scats of predators, making it possible to identify the animals they had eaten. This knowledge is useful in analysing the diet and monitoring the population of animals.

Barbara still spends many hours a week at the microscope in her workroom which is surrounded by the forest she so loves.

She has traveled extensively to see many other amazing animals ranging from polar bears in the high Arctic to capybaras in Brazil.

Following her retirement, she went to live in East Gippsland on a property surrounded by coastal forest which enabled her to pursue her interest in native animals. Barbara became fascinated by the signs that animals leave behind them in the bush – their tracks and scats, in particular – and she wrote a field guide to these which was first published in 1984. An expanded version has been reprinted ten times and Barbara is now acknowledged as one of the world’s leading experts in this field.

Barabara has been drawn to Africa, with its wealth of superb animals and has visited the destination seven times since 2000.

Marcella entered Firbank in 1940 and graduated in 1950. During her time at School, she appeared in many productions and upon finishing, went on to study Dramatic Art at the Melbourne Conservatorium.

Upon returning to Australia, she toured with the Elizabethan Trust in Sydney and Brisbane and also worked extensively in radio in Australia. She appeared in an enormous variety of television productions in Australia from the 1950s to the 1970s, including such shows as Homicide, The Sullivans and Prisoner.

Whilst at the Conservatorium, Marcella was approached to audition with Frank Thring at the Arrow Theatre. This subsequently led to roles in a touring company with performances in Melbourne and Sydney theatres.

In 1957, Marcella travelled to the United Kingdom where she appeared on BBC television and did extensive repertory work. In 1961, she spent six months in Pakistan and India during which time she broadcast a commentary on the Royal Tour

by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip for Radio Pakistan.

Barbara’s daughter, Ann Thornton (1969) attended Firbank.

1948

BARBARA TRIGGS (BURTON)

1950

In her later years, she realised her dream of sharing her knowledge of and passion for acting by opening a Dramatic Art School on the Sunshine Coast.

Marcella passed away in 1991.

MARCELLA BURGOYNE (FILMERMASON)

17

1950

BEVERLEY DUNN

1950

Beverley entered Junior School in 1938 and completed her Leaving Certificate in 1949. Beverley was gripped by performing when in Preparatory Two, she was cast as Ali of The Desert and had one speech of forty words. As Beverley says, ‘When I finished, the audience laughed and clapped. I was eight and I was hooked.

I knew what I wanted to do with my life.

Sixty-eight years later I am privileged to still be doing what I love’. Like many girls of her generation, she trod the boards on the stage of the Assembly Hall at Firbank in Miss Tonkin’s legendary productions.

On leaving School, she studied Voice, Speech and Drama, competed in eisteddfods, obtained the AMEB Licentiate for the Art of Speech and began her professional career acting in radio plays and serials, together with theatre seasons with the Melbourne Little Theatre and later with UTRC which became the Melbourne Theatre Company. In 1958, Beverley appeared in a live to air television production of ‘The Lark’ for the ABC and

Pauline entered Firbank on a Boarding Scholarship in Form 3 and graduated in 1949 with a Leaving Certificate in six subjects.

Pauline started a pharmacy apprenticeship in Maffra and in 1951 joined the Victorian College of Pharmacy winning a Silver Medal in her third year. In 1958 she and her fellow Pharmacist husband moved to Rye where they ran the Rye Pharmacy for the next 36 years.

PAULINE POWELL OAM (PRAETZ)

18

From the example set by her parents and also the idea of service to the community learnt in her days at Firbank, Pauline entered fully into working in the community of the then small seaside town.

She started with the Infant Welfare Centre and Kindergarten, progressing through all the youth activities and organisations where her children were involved. She was instrumental in starting the Rye Tennis Club and was District Commissioner for Rye Girl Guides. She joined Portsea Golf Club in 1962, was Captain of Ladies’ Section in 1983-5 and President in 1995-

performed in the same production on BBC radio in 1961.

In addition to the hundreds of radio plays and serials that she has performed in, Beverley has narrated dozens of audio books, played guest roles in many television series, with continuing roles in ‘Bellbird’ and ‘The Flying Doctors’. Film roles have included the award winning film ‘Shine’ and in the more recent, ‘Saved’.

Beverley has been an artist in residence in many schools including Firbank and has played in numerous productions for the Melbourne Theatre Company. She has toured in two one-woman shows, ‘As We Are’, and the highly acclaimed ‘To Botany Bay on a Bondi Tram’ which toured Australia, New Zealand, USA and the UK.

6. Charter President of the Rye Lioness Club 1977, Chair of the Rye-Tootgarook Area Committee in Victoria’s 150th celebrations 1984-5, Foundation President Rye Historical Society from 2000-2008. She was a member of the Steering Committee of the Rye Foreshore Reserve Landscape Master Plan and the Shire’s Local History Network Advisory Committee.

Pauline is a Life Member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Rye Tennis Club, Rye Historical Society and Portsea Golf Club. In 2010 she was awarded Citizen of the Year by the Rotary Club of Rye and in 2018 a Mayoral Commendation from the Mornington Peninsula Shire for her passion, hard work and commitment that she gives to the Rye Community.

Pauline was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2005.

Fenella entered Firbank in 1943 and was involved in many School productions under the legendary Miss Tonkin. She went on to pursue a varied career both in Australia and overseas.

She made early appearances on stage under Irene Mitchell’s direction at the Little Theatre and with Frank Thring at the Arrow Theatre. She went on to join the Union Theatre Repertory Company as a resident player for the 1955/1956 season.

It was in this season that Barry Humphries introduced Edna Everage and the first production of ‘Summer of the Seventeenth Doll’ was staged, in which Fenella gave excellent performances as Bubba. As Ray Lawler, author of ‘Summer of the Seventeenth Doll’, stated, ‘I was indebted to Fenella for the appealing vivacity and wide eyed sense of longing she brought to the part’.

In 1957, Fenella was invited by J C Williamsons to tour Australia and New Zealand and then appeared in ‘Summer

Judith entered Firbank in 1946 and upon Matriculating in 1952, she attended the Occupational Therapy School of Victoria gaining a Diploma of Occupational Therapy in 1955.

Judith then practised in the field of Rehabilitation and was Chairman of the Victorian Occupational Therapists 19611965 and President of the Australian Association of Occupational Therapists 1970 -1972. She was also Secretary of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists 1974-1980 and was its Vice President from 1980 -1984.

Judith completed a work study Certificate in Industrial Engineering at RMIT in 1970 and gained a Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy) at the Lincoln Institute in Melbourne.

of the Seventeenth Doll’ in both the London and New York productions. This was the first time an Australian play, with an Australian cast, travelled to these cities.

She later sought theatre work in Europe before marrying and settling in Cannes, in the South of France. In 1965, she moved to Paris and set about resuming her career and with her excellent French began dubbing English films into French.

Her contacts in the film world led her into taking an interest in the production side of the industry and she discovered a talent for film accountancy.

In the 1980s and 1990s Fenella found work on English speaking films being shot in France appearing in ‘Cousin Bette’, ‘The Accidental Tourist’ and ‘James Bond - The World is Not Enough’ with Pierce Brosnan.

She was working on a remake of ‘Charade’ when she died suddenly in Paris in 2001.

Fenella never lost touch with Australia and divided her time between this country and France.

She lived in South Africa for some years, where she held various positions and was the Casson Memorial Lecturer to the British Association of Occupational Therapists in 1982. In 1988, she gained her Master of Science (Occupational Therapy) at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

1952

FENELLA MAGUIRE

1952

Upon returning to Australia in 1998, she became a Research Associate in the Rheumatology Unit at Monash Medical Centre. She was awarded her PhD from the Faculty of Medicine at Monash University.

During her long career, Judith contributed many articles to medical journals.

Judith passed away in 2013.

DR JUDITH FARRELL

19

1953

Jan commenced at Firbank in 1944 and developed her interest in golf whilst she was a student at Firbank. She won the Victorian Schoolgirls’ Championship in 1952.

Upon leaving school, Jan enrolled in a Graphic Arts course at RMIT, but golf had become her passion. In 1956 Jan won the Victorian Junior Championship and the Victorian Foursome Championship.

She went on to win four more Victorian Foursome Championships.

JAN LAW (NUGENT)

1953

BEVERLEY SUTHERLANDSMITH (SHORT)

20

In 1957, Jan travelled overseas and competed in the British Women’s Golf Championships at Gleneagles in Scotland and the German International Golf Championships in Cologne.

Beverley opened a cooking school in 1967 which is still operating, making it one of the longest running cooking schools in Australia. She has had 27 books published and for many years wrote for various publications such as ‘Gourmet Magazine’, ‘The Age’, ‘Herald Sun’ and ‘Epicurean Magazine’.

Beverley has always had a strong desire to share her passion for food with a wide audience. She has been a member of various professional associations including Chanie Des Rotisseurs and the International Society of Wine and Food.

Beverley was also spokesperson for Australia, for the campaign for Nuclear Free Food from 1989 to 1990.

Between 1957 and 1975, Jan played in six Victorian interstate teams and in 1966 she was the Victorian Championship runner up.

Whilst a member at Kingswood Golf Club, she won the Club Championship eleven times and at Royal Melbourne Golf Club she has been Club Champion three times. Jan was also Captain and a Council member of Royal Melbourne Golf Club between 1988 and 1990.

Jan’s daughter, Joanne (1978), attended Firbank.

Beverley then ran a catering business and a venue where people could visit her garden to eat a meal created from the produce. The garden, known as the ‘Edible Garden’ had an emphasis on growing herbs, vegetables and flowers in a mix of colour, perfume and visual effects. It was part of the Australian Garden Scheme and approximately 2000 people per year visited to see the variety of vegetables and fruit that could be grown.

Beverley has received many awards for her contribution to the food industry and has been created a Legend by the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.

Beverley now runs a cafe in Prahran with her daughter Suzanne and is there everyday baking cakes. Lots of Firbank alumni visit!

Upon graduating from Firbank, Jan won a Commonwealth Scholarship to study at the University of Melbourne where she gained a Bachelor of Law.

Jan spent 12 years as Parliamentary Counsel, five years as Commissioner for Corporate Affairs and three years as President of the Equal Opportunity Board.

After completing her Articles, she went to England and spent two years teaching in some very challenging schools. Upon returning to Australia as a young married woman and suspected of becoming pregnant, she was rejected by a number of law firms and resorted to working in the Toy Department at Myer Melbourne. She tried teaching again for a short time, and this led on to her becoming a tutor in the Law School at the University of Melbourne for two years.

In 1988, she stood for Parliament for the Liberal Party and had five years in Opposition, where she held various Shadow Portfolios. For seven years she was Attorney General for the State of Victoria and Minister for Women’s Affairs and Minister for Fair Trading in the Kennett Government.

Following the birth of her third child, she accepted a junior position in the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel which was the start of a career in public policy and government administration that challenged and fascinated her for the rest of her working life.

Elizabeth commenced at Firbank in Kindergarten in 1944. In her school days, Elizabeth developed her passion for sport and was a Prefect, Captain of Clarke House in 1955 and 1956 and Head Prefect in 1956.

Elizabeth’s family has a long connection with the School as her aunt, Noel Court was the first Head Prefect in 1911 and another aunt, Dorothea Court, was a teacher at the School for many years. Her great-grandfather was Frederick Moule, who was one of the founding benefactors of the School in 1909.

Elizabeth won a Commonwealth Scholarship to the University of Melbourne and gained a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1961 she was appointed to the Firbank teaching staff where she taught for three years.

After retiring from politics in 1999 she was a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Victoria University at the time the University was establishing its Law School.

She also wrote articles for the Financial Review on legal matters.

Elizabeth represented Victoria in both Junior and Senior State Tennis teams. She played in the winning doubles team of the Victorian School Girls’ Championship in 1956 and the Victorian Women’s Hardcourt Championship in 1957. She competed at the Wimbledon Championships in 1959.

Elizabeth represented Royal South Yarra Tennis Club from 1956 to 1983 and in 1984 joined the Victoria Golf Club and was Club Captain (Ladies) 1993-1995. In 1993, she joined the Victorian State Council and helped form the new constitution to change the name to Women’s Golf Victoria. Currently she is a member of the Committee of The Golf Society of Australia.

In addition to her sporting activities, Elizabeth was involved in charity work for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Mothers and Babies, Save the Children Fund and The Brighton Community Hospital.

Elizabeth’s daughters, Caroline Pike (1982) and Penelope O’Farrell (1984) attended Firbank.

1954

JAN WADE (NOONE)

1955

ELIZABETH HODGKINS (COURT)

21

1958

BARBARA DILLON (COULSON)

1958

KAREN VON MUELLER

Barbara entered Atherstone in 1946 and graduated from Firbank in 1958. She was the State Junior Golf Champion in 1959 and was the Junior Australian Champion in 1961 and State Champion in 1968 and 1975. Thus began a remarkably successful career in golf.

Barbara was a member of the Australian team in 1964, 1966, 1967 and 1969 travelling to New Zealand, Canada and South Africa. She was also a member of the Victorian State Team eighteen times, 1961 to 1966, 1968, 1973, 1975 to 1977 (playing Captain), 1978 to 1982 (non playing Captain), 1986 and 1987.

Karen entered Firbank in 1953 and upon graduating completed a secretarial business course at Stotts Business College.

However, she decided typing was not her forte and flew to Europe and began modelling for Christian Dior Chapeau.

Upon returning to Melbourne, she entered the hospitality industry marketing the facilities of firstly, the Park Royal, then Melbourne Town House and finally, Leonda. In 1973 she became General Manager of Leonda becoming the first woman in Australia to hold such a position in the hospitality industry. In this position, she had the privilege of meeting some notable people including the Queen and Prince Phillip, Baroness Thatcher, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong.

(RAMSLAND) After Leonda was sold in the mid-1980s,

she became the Public Relations Manager for the Regent Hotels Group and from there started her own public relations company and had clients such as Gucci, Jaeger of London and Honda. Karen then established her own restaurants including Scusa Mi at the Southgate complex, which

22

During the course of her career, she has won numerous titles including seven State Champion of Champions titles, three State Foursome Championships and an Australian State Foursome Championship in 1986. In addition, Barbara has won numerous Club Championships at Victoria Golf Club (16) Flinders Golf Club (10) and Woodlands Golf Club (1).

Barbara was a Victorian Ladies Golf Council Delegate from 1976 to 1983. She turned professional in 1989 and is currently a member of Australian Ladies Professional Golf.

In 2006, the Victoria Golf Club awarded her an Honorary Membership for her outstanding contribution to golf.

was considered to be one of the finest Italian restaurants in Melbourne.

During her long business life, Karen was an active member of many industry organisations - representing, judging and lecturing both in Australia and overseas, including organisations such as Victorian branches of the Executive Council of the Restaurant and Catering Association, Company Directors Association of Australia, the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce and the Wine Press Club and, internationally, the Wine and Food Society of Hong Kong. She is still actively involved in La Chaine des Rotisseurs and L’Ordre Mondaile de la Gastronomie which are the two oldest wine and food societies in the world.

Karen, despite her busy business life, has been involved in a number fundraising efforts for many charities over the years.

Diane entered Firbank in Kindergarten in 1947 and upon finishing her Matriculation, she undertook a Bachelor of Arts with Honours at the University of Melbourne graduating in 1963 and a Diploma in Education from the University of Melbourne in 1964.

She then moved to Papua New Guinea where she taught at a Port Moresby High School and after its foundation, at the University of Papua New Guinea. She completed her Masters Degree in 1972 on a 19th Century Scottish missionary which was published by Melbourne University Press in 1974.

Diane returned to Australia in 1976 and settled in Canberra where she completed her PhD on a group biography of all the missionaries who served in Papua before World War I, which was later published in 1988 by University of Hawaii Press.

books were published: ‘Prime Ministers’ Wives 1992’ and ‘Glittering Surfaces: A life of Maie Casey 1977’. She has been published in a number of scholarly journals and has contributed 44 articles for the Australian Dictionary of Biography (ADB).

1958

In 2004, she was appointed General Editor of the Australian Dictionary of Biography and oversaw the creation of ADB Online which was launched in 2006.

In 2002, Diane was awarded an Australian National University medal for General Staff Excellence. Upon her retirement in 2008, she was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia and in 2009 she received an ADB Medal for Distinguished Service.

DR DIANE LANGMORE AM (ADCOCK)

In 1982, Diane joined the staff of the Australian Dictionary of Biography and was soon made research editor for the Victorian desk, a post she held until 1977 when she was appointed Deputy General Editor.

During that period, her third and fourth

Christine completed a Bachelor of Arts at the Australian National University, a Graduate Diploma in Applied Psychology at Flinders University and a Graduate Diploma in Health Education at Sturt Advanced Education.

Prior to being elected as the Liberal Member for the seat of Hawker in the House of Representatives in 1990, she worked as a researcher for the South Australian Health Commission. She has also worked as an advertising executive, a journalist and as a director of a small business.

In her fifteen years in the Federal Parliament, Christine held a number of positions of responsibility. She chaired and served on numerous Parliamentary committees, was Shadow Minister for the Environment, Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Parliamentary Secretary for Aboriginal Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs.

Following her retirement from the Federal Parliament in 2005, Christine, who has a strong commitment to the environment, became Chairman of New Energy Directions, a company that assists other companies in making a contribution to the early achievement of global environmental sustainability.

1960

CHRISTINE GALLUS (SCHIER)

23

1960

PRUE ACTON OBE

1961

DR PATRICIA FOX

24

Prue entered Firbank at Atherstone in 1953 and her flair for art and design was apparent from an early age. She graduated from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Textile and Design in 1963.

She established a business as a fashion designer in Flinders Lane, Melbourne and thus began a career that saw her become a central figure in the Australian fashion industry for 30 years. Prue travelled the world to promote her fashion and cosmetic ranges. Her designs were made under licence in the USA, Japan and Germany.

She was described in 1970 as ‘Australia’s young darling of dress design’ and as someone who ‘effortlessly created fashion in the Australian vernacular’.

Patricia entered Firbank in 1957 and graduated in 1961. She was appointed a Prefect in her final year. She went on to the University of Melbourne where she completed a Bachelor of Medicine in 1967. From 1968 to1975 she did her Residency and Cardiology training at St Vincent’s Public Hospital in Melbourne.

In1974, Patricia was awarded a National Heart Foundation Grant to study Echocardiography at St Vincent’s Hospital.

In 1976 she was awarded the National Heart Foundation Overseas Clinical Fellowship at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, to study intra-arterial outpatient blood pressure monitoring.

Upon her return in 1977, she was a Cardiologist in St Vincent’s Hospital Open Heart Surgical Unit and from 1978 she has been a Cardiologist at St Vincent’s Hospital and in private practice (consulting in Fitzroy, Werribee Mercy Hospital, Knox Private Hospital, Rowville, Brighton and Romsey). She was Secretary of the Senior Medical Staff at St Vincent’s Public Hospital.

Prue has won numerous awards including the Australian Wool Board Wool Fashion Awards in 1965, 1966, 1969, 1970 and 1971; The David Jones Award for Fashion Excellence, 1971, 1972 and 1978; Fashion Industry of Australia Lyrebird Awards 1971, 1973 (when she was inducted into the Hall of Fame), 1978 and 1980. Prue was also awarded the OBE in 1982 for her service to the fashion industry.

Another significant honour was when Prue was chosen to design the Australian Olympic uniforms for the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid in 1978, the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, the Seoul Olympics in 1988.

Since the early 1990s, Prue has turned her attention to full-time painting and working for conservation causes. In 2007, she was awarded a Doctor of Arts Honoris Causa by RMIT University.

In 1984, Patricia set up the coronary angioplasty unit at St Vincent’s Public Hospital and in the 1990s was Chairman of Medical Staff. In this capacity she was instrumental in submissions that enabled the setting up of angioplasty at the Hospital. In 1990, following her study of Italian, she was registered as an Italian speaking doctor.

Patricia has undertaken several visits to China as the visiting Professor in Cardiology at the Henan Peoples Provincial Hospital in Zheng Zhou, assisting in the setting up of angioplasty and in the training of cardiac surgeons for open heart aorto-coronary grafting. As a result of her endeavours, in 2005, she was awarded the Yellow River Friendship Award from the Peoples Government of Henan Province, for her outstanding contribution to the economic development and social progress of the Henan Province.

Patricia enjoys playing bridge, solo,wine club, hydrotherapy and spending time with family and friends.

Sandra was a Prefect and graduated in 1963. She went on to study Pharmacy at the Victorian College of Pharmacy and on completion of her professional year in 1967, she was a trainee at the Royal Children’s Hospital and a demonstrator at the College.

research on skeletal muscle physiology and pharmacology and in this time, produced 31 publications for prestigious journals. Over the next two decades, Sandra focused her attention on product development in the bio-pharmaceutical industry, based primarily in Sydney.

Sandra was offered a post-graduate fellowship to study for a PhD in Pharmacology at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow under the supervision of the internationally renowned Pharmacologist, Professor Bill Bowman.

She was awarded her Doctor of Philosophy in 1972. For the next five years, Sandra worked as a post-doctoral research fellow in the Department of Physiology in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Bristol and from 1976 to 1982, she was a lecturer in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics within the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Liverpool.

Sandra worked for a number of international companies including Astra Pharmaceuticals and Quintiles Transnational, and lived in Canada where she was the Chief Operating Officer for an emerging global contract research organisation before returning to Melbourne to head up the bio-technology company, AMRAD Corporation.

Upon her return to Australia in 1982, she received funding from successful grant applications to undertake medical

Sandra has held consulting and holds advisory roles within the biopharmaceutical industry for the Australian Government and Monash University, where she has helped establish the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Business Development for the Centre for Regulatory Studies.

Diana entered Firbank in 1953 and Matriculated in 1964. She attended the University of Melbourne where she graduated with a Bachelor of Law in 1969 and was admitted to practice in 1970.

Diana has been a member of the Executive of The Family Law section of the Law Council, Vice-Chair of the Family Law Bar Association and a Board member of Victoria Legal Aid.

In 1977, Diana moved to Perth where she became a partner with Lavan and Walsh and subsequently a partner with Phillips Fox. Diana was a Commissioner of the Legal Aid Commission of Western Australia and President of the Family Law Practitioners of Western Australia. She was also a Board member of the Royal Perth Hospital 1984-1989 and a Director of Australian Airlines 1984-1989.

In 1999 Diana graduated with a Master of Law from Monash University and in 2000 she was appointed Chief Federal Magistrate of the newly created Federal Magistrates Court and in 2004, Diana became the first female Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia. In 2012 Diana was made an Officer in the Order of Australia for services to the law and the advancement of women in the law.

In 1990, Diana returned to Melbourne.

She entered practice at the Victorian Bar and served on the Victorian Bar Council from 1995-1997. Diana was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1997.

She retired as Chief Justice of the Family Court in October 2017 and serves on the board of many not for profit organisations including chairing the National Centre Against Bullying.

1963

DR SANDRA WEBB

1964

HON DIANA BRYANT

Diana’s mother, Betty Bryant (Barrie 1939) attended Firbank.

25

1966

PROF ANN MONOTTI

Ann entered Firbank in 1961 and was Head Prefect and Matriculated in 1966.

She graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) in 1971 and a Master of Laws in 1991. Her PhD, ‘Universities and Intellectual Property: Ownership and Exploitation’ was conferred

by Monash University in 2004.

Ann was a partner in the legal firm F R Monotti & Co from 1973 to 1992 and joined the Faculty of Law at Monash University in 1991 where she has been a Professor since 2007. Ann has held many administrative positions, including inaugural Director of the Centre for Commercial Law and Regulatory Studies 2014-17 and the current Academic Director of the Juris Doctor.

Ann’s principal area of expertise is intellectual property law and its intersection with employment law and innovation. Her numerous publications include the co-authored books: Universities and Intellectual Property: Ownership and Exploitation (OUP, 2003), Australian Intellectual Property Law (CUP, 2008, 2012, 2016), Innovation and Venture Capital Law

1967

SUZY CATO (GASHLER)

26

Suzy entered Firbank in Prep at Atherstone.

She Matriculated from Firbank Brighton in 1967. She completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne majoring in Economics, Maths and Fine Arts. She maintains skills in French and Italian, her love of languages beginning with French at Firbank.

Suzy spent from 1968 to 1982 modelling in Australia and Europe, working with designers including Versace, Philippe Venet and Zandra Rhodes. She has appeared in Vogue, and on the covers of The Australian Women’s Weekly and Australian Woman’s Day. From 1978, Suzy began acting in film, television, theatre and radio. She has appeared in Australian television dramas including the Dr Blake Mysteries, House Husbands, Blue Heelers and Halifax Fp. In television, however, she is perhaps best known for her role as Anna Byrne-Wright which she played in over 60 episodes for the series ‘The Power, The Passion’ for Network 7. A highlight in theatre was working with Rex Harrison and Claudette

and Policy (The Federation Press, 2016), Commercialisation of Intellectual Property (LexisNexis Butterworths, 2019). Her work has been cited widely, including by the Federal Court and the High Court of Australia.

In addition to her academic pursuits, Ann was a member of the Firbank Grammar School Council 1981-1987, the founding President of Diabetes Youth Foundation (Melb) 1985-1989 and National VicePresident of Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (JDF). She was appointed the first female member of the Brighton Grammar School Council in 1998 and served on that council until 2003. Ann was the legal member of the Institutional Ethics Committee of the Cancer Council of Victoria between 1988 and 2004.

Ann’s daughter Louise (1995), who is a veterinarian, attended Firbank from Kindergarten to Year 12.

Colbert in the Australian tour of the London/New York production of ‘Aren’t We All’. Suzy has also appeared in numerous television commercials, including regular live guest appearances on ‘The Don Lane Show’.

Voice over work includes Telstra and The National Bank.

USA film credits include ‘The Ripper’ with Michael York.

A recent film highlight was a leading role in ‘The Death and Life of Otto Bloom’ which opened the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2016, produced by Oscar winner Melanie Coombs.

Suzy’s mother June Gashler (Alexander) attended Firbank.

Liz was School Captain in 1967 and undertook a science degree at Monash University, having been inspired at school by the influential science and mathematics teachers Dr Lang and Mrs Chisholm.

Following the completion of her degree, she embarked on a PhD in Mathematics at Monash University. Her early career years were spent in Mathematics at Monash University and at the R.A.A.F. Academy at Point Cook, Victoria, and then following some studies in computer science, in the early 1980s Liz joined the University of Melbourne as a Research Fellow in Computing.

Over 35 years later, she is still an academic at the University of Melbourne, and has had diverse positions and experiences over that time, while remaining active in teaching, supervision and research. Since being appointed to a professorship in 2000, Liz’s roles have included being a Head of Department, with oversight of a staff of over 30, and Dean of the Faculty of Science with significant staffing and budget responsibilities. For the past

Bronwen commenced at Firbank in 1957 when her mother, Joyce Fuller, began teaching at the School. Bronwen graduated in 1968 and was Dux of the School. She credits her Science teacher, Mrs Barbara Triggs, for her life-long love of outdoor activity. She also credits her teachers of Mathematics and Physics, Mrs Chisholm and Dr Lang, for inspiring her to undertake these studies at Monash University.

She gained a Bachelor of Science with Honours from Monash University in 1972 and completed a PhD in Theoretical Physics in 1977. She then worked as a full-time tutor in the Mathematics departments at Monash and the University of Melbourne. She then went on to work as a Programmer Analyst at the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission.

decade she has held the role of Pro Vice Chancellor, with varying Universitywide portfolio responsibilities – currently including development of policies to guide a University-wide approach to research infrastructure investment and operation, and oversight of the University’s digital and data agenda and governance.

In addition to teaching in areas such as computer programming, artificial intelligence, ethics and human factors, Liz has supervised to completion 20 PhD students and a similar number of masters students, together drawn from 15 countries. Her research activities have involved working with engineers, psychologists and scientists, both in Australia and internationally.

Liz’s daughters Emma (2000) and Nikki (2003) attended Firbank.

Bronwen’s four daughters all attended Firbank, so she was a Firbank parent for 21 years! During this time, Bronwen gave much time to the School in various endeavours, particularly to the Friends of Music.

1967

PROF ELIZABETH SONENBERG (WACHS)

1968

For many years she has worked as a volunteer tutor through Holmesglen TAFE teaching Mathematics and numeracy skills, mainly to adults, many of whom are refugees, or have overcome difficult circumstances.

Bronwen’s daughters, Penelope (2001), Heather (2003), Sally (2008) and Clare (2008) attended Firbank.

DR BRONWEN ROBINSON (FULLER)

27

1968

LYNDALL HOBBS

Lyndall graduated from Firbank in 1968.

Following her studies, she started writing for Go Set before being given her own page Lindy’s Page in a new Melbourne newspaper, Newsday. When the paper folded she began writing for various papers and had a spot on local Melbourne radio station 3AK. Upstairs from 3AK was the newsroom for Channel 9 and Lyndall started doing regular reports for the 6 o’clock nightly news following a piece on women joining the all-male Brighton Icebergers. Her next break came after a chance encounter with Australian reporter, Mike Willesee. Lyndall, knowing he was about to launch Australia’s first ever national current affairs show and that he had publicly stated that there would no female reporters on the show because he didn’t’ think ‘viewers identified with women’, suggested that she should be a reporter on the show - A Current Affair. A few days later she learned that she got the job when she read a newspaper story describing her as a ‘girl in a million’.

At the age of 20, Lyndall decided to go to London where she interviewed, amongst

1970

DR SUSAN JOHNSTON

Susan entered Firbank in 1965 and upon Matriculating, she commenced a Bachelor of Arts degree at LaTrobe University and then completed an Honours degree in History with a thesis on Australians in the Great War – a subject she had become interested in thanks to some inspirational teachers at Firbank.

During her early teaching career, Susan completed post graduate qualifications gaining a Bachelor of Education at the University of Melbourne and then a Master of Education (Administration) at the University of Melbourne. During this time, she published numerous journal articles and was the author of three books.

others, Andy Warhol, Mohammed Ali and the Sex Pistols.

Lyndall then turned her creative talents to directing and directed a short film Dead on Time. This film proved to be a great success and Lyndall moved to the USA. Over a number of years she produced and directed numerous films and television shows. She had a long-term relationship with film star, Al Pacino, and split her time between New York and Los Angeles Lyndall often returns to Australia and, in 2007, featured in the ABC’s ‘Australian Story’, entitled ‘In Her Father’s Eyes’, which featured aspects of her career and the story of her much-loved father’s final illness and subsequent death. Lyndall then wrote a memoir called ‘A girl from OZ’ which was published in 2016 and which she is currently writing to turn into a TV series.

She also wrote, directed and produced a TV pilot called ‘Hollywood Mom’ and continues to write for TV. Lyndall currently resides in Hollywood.

Her mother, Pauline Hobbs also attended Firbank.

Following a decade working in the education sector, Susan was appointed to the staff of a Federal Parliamentarian where she managed media relations, publicity, constituent issues and a wide range of parliamentary matters. Following this, she worked in both government and private industry in areas such as business development, fundraising and strategic planning.

In 2008, Susan was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy from LaTrobe University, thus achieving the fulfillment of a long-held dream. Her research into how Hollywood studios were permitted to depict sex and crime between 1928 and 1941 is a unique empirical study.

Susan was the Director of Development at Lauriston Girls’ School and is currently the Director of Corporate Communications and Research at Westbourne Grammar.

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From 1980 to 1995 Kaye was employed at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne and between 1985 and 1995 she was the AIDS and Haemophilia Counsellor and Clinical Nurse Consultant.

During her time at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Kaye commenced an Arts degree at The University of Melbourne in 1987 and completed majors in Psychology and Criminology. From 1993 until 1995 Kaye was a member of the Board of Management of the MordiallocCheltenham Community Hospital. Kaye was also a member of various committees some of which included the National AIDS Counsellor Association, Paediatric AIDS Task Force, the AIDS Education Strategy Committee, the RCH Infection Control Committee, and the AIDS Health Department task force education programme.

In 1995 Kaye began her law degree at The University of Melbourne prior to leaving the Royal Children’s Hospital at the end of 1995. Prior to coming to the Bar in 2001, Kaye worked as a lawyer at McBain &

Libby entered Firbank ‘Atherstone’ (Sandringham) in 1961. She moved to Brighton in 1967 and was Head Prefect in 1970. She completed a Bachelor of Arts (University of Melbourne) and Graduate Diploma of Education (Melbourne State College). She taught at MacRobertson Girls High school (1976 to 1983).

While her two children were young, she commenced her career as a teacher educator at the University of Melbourne, before moving to Monash University in 1991. She completed doctoral studies at Monash University and has served as Director of Professional Experience and in a range of senior roles.

Associates, Family Lawyers. Since coming to the Bar Kaye has volunteered with the Family Law Assistance Programme at the Dandenong Family Court, the Southport Community Legal Centre, and the Intervention Order Support Scheme at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court. Kaye has also lectured on a sessional basis at RMIT, VUT and has instructed at Leo Cussen in Family Law. Kaye is currently a member of the Law Institute of Victoria’s Children and Youth Issues Committee. Kaye is also an accredited Advocacy Coach, a member of the Victorian Bar Health and Wellbeing Committee, and she practises mainly in the areas Family Law, Child Protection, and cases involving Family Violence. Since July 2014 Kaye has been a Board Director of Alfred Health where she is a member of the Audit Committee, and Chair of the Occupational Health Safety & Welfare Committee.

She currently works at Monash in teaching, research, doctoral research supervision, and international projects. She has over 75 publications including teacher resources, books and journal articles. Libby received an Australian Government Award for her work in civics and citizenship education in 2000 and in 2015 received the national Teacher Educator of the Year Award. Libby works with the Victorian Department of Education in school review, improvement and strategic planning and as a consultant to the Australian Government.

Libby has completed international projects in teacher education in England, Japan, Italy, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, India, Indonesia and South Africa. She has presented keynotes at Birmingham, Kobe, Tokyo, and Atlanta universities and participates in conferences across the world. Libby has been pleased to present keynotes in China for Firbank in their 2018 and 2019 conferences in their partnerships with Chinese schools delivering the Victorian Certificate of Education. She has a close connection to friends from her days at Firbank.

1970

KAYE MCNAUGHT (PILLEY)

1970

DR ELIZABETH (LIBBY) TUDBALL (MCMULLEN)

29

1971

From an early age, Jan was fascinated by the natural world and studied Science at Firbank. One of her fondest memories of school life was a bush camp run by Biology teacher, Mrs Barbara Triggs.

Jan graduated from Firbank in 1971 and went on to gain a first class Honours Degree in Botany and Zoology at Monash University. She then completed her Doctorate at Macquarie University basing her thesis research at Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

DR JAN ALDENHOVEN

1971

DR PAULA DAWSON

30

In 1985, Jan and partner, Glen Carruthers, formed Green Cape Wildlife Films. Their first project was filming for the ABC’s Nature of Australia series and was followed by work with the BBC on such series as David Attenborough’s, Trials of Life, The Life of Birds and The Life of Mammals.

Their work appears in films by Oxford Scientific Films, National Geographic and Discovery. Other projects have taken them to China, Indonesia, the Soviet Union, the Himalayas and the Pacific.

Following her graduation from Firbank in 1971, Paula completed a Diploma of Teaching (Art and Craft) from the State College of Victoria and then completed a Graduate Diploma in Fine Art (Painting) at RMIT. In 1981 she completed a Bachelor of Arts at the Victorian College of the Arts and then a Master of Fine Art at the University of New South Wales in 1992.

Subsequently, she has gained her PhD at the University of New South Wales with her thesis covering the technical and aesthetic issues with laser transmission holograms.

Paula is internationally recognised for making the world’s largest transmission holograms of human environments. She won the Grand Prix at the first International High-tec Art Biennale in Nagoya, Japan in 1989. She was also the recipient of an Australian Artist Creative Fellowship.

Jan’s roles include producer, writer, researcher, sound recordist and stills photographer.

The partnership has also produced its own films. Kingdom of the Crabs received critical acclaim worldwide and has won numerous awards. Kangaroos – Faces in the Mob received over 20 awards including an Emmy, an Australian Film Institute Award and a Logie. It has been shown in over 70 countries. The partnership is also working on a long- running project about bottlenose dolphins.

Jan continues her interest in education, the environment and conservation. She is a regular guest lecturer in ecology, water studies and animal behaviour. Living on North Stradbroke Island has brought opportunities to work with the local traditional owners and help document the island’s natural values.

During her career Paula has undertaken numerous international residencies including extended periods of research at the Centre for Advanced Visual Studies, MIT, USA and the Laboratoire de Physique et Optique, Besancon, France.

Paula’s major holographic works are held in national and international collections.

Her first major holographic work, entitled ‘There Is No Place Like Home 1980’ is in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia. Paula has exhibited her work in both group and solo exhibitions and was an entrant in the Archibald Prize in 1998.

Paula was the Associate Professor with the College of Fine Arts at the University of New South Wales. She retired in 2015 and now lives with her husband on the Sunshine Coast.

Rowena left Firbank in 1971 and gained a Bachelor of Arts with Honours, majoring in History, from the University of Melbourne (1975).

She completed a Victorian Government graduate cadetship before moving to Canberra for a Canberra Times graduate cadetship. Assigned to the business round, she never retreated from this arena, apart from a stint as a police reporter and an industrial relations reporter on The Herald before joining that newspaper’s business desk (1980-84).

She married in 1983. She was a full-time business writer with The Australian (198488), The Bulletin (1989-92) and Australian Financial Review (1994-1998). Her only time out of journalism (apart from one month for the birth of each of her two children) was one year as the personal assistant to the late Richard Pratt.

Christine entered Firbank at Kindergarten in 1959 and graduated in 1972. Upon successfully completing her HSC she entered Medicine at the University of Melbourne.

Following her medical degree Christine went on to study in Paediatrics and in 1982 travelled to Oxford where she commenced training in Paediatric Endocrinology.

Upon returning to Melbourne in 1986, she embarked on a PhD at the University of Melbourne in Calcium Metabolism and in 1989, she undertook Post Doctoral work at Massachusetts General Hospital.

In 1991, Christine worked as a Paediatric Endocrinologist at Monash Medical Centre and subsequently became Head of Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes.

In 2008, she was appointed as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Paediatrics and School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine at Monash University.

In 1998 Rowena left newspapers to establish a corporate communications, editing and speech-writing business, her clients including small-cap listed companies, NAB, Australia Post and the Davos Economic Forum (Australian connection). She wrote a weekly Melbourne Weekly column and founded and edited loyalty magazines for Hardie Grant Publishing including Mercedes magazine (Australia and NZ) and CPA Australia.

She eventually specialised in theming and writing annual reports, which she did for Australia Post, The National Gallery of Victoria, Equity Trustees and the Clemenger advertising group.

After retiring in 2009 Rowena has focussed on casual mentoring, family, reading , fiction writing, gardening and bridge, and is toying with the idea of setting up a speech writing business, but in the private sphere.

In 2012 she took up an academic post at Sunshine Hospital with the University of Melbourne. Her role implemented the Child and Adolescent Health component of the new University of Melbourne post graduate medical course (MD) at the Sunshine Hospital site. Since that time Christine established a paediatric endocrinology service with another Firbank Old Grammarian, Dr Danielle Longmore and founded the Young Adult Diabetes Service at Sunshine Hospital. She is a visiting paediatric endocrinologist to Ballarat Base Hospital.

Following her husband’s Parkinson’s diagnosis, Christine is now working part time. Together, she and her husband have returned to their much-loved past-time of singing, and in 2018-19 they had the thrill of singing with the Melbourne Opera Chorus in Wagner’s ‘Lohengrin’ and ‘The Flying Dutchman’.

1971

ROWENA MCDONALD (STRETTON)

1972

ASSOC PROF CHRISTINE RODDA

31

1972

Upon graduating from Firbank in 1972, Phillippa was awarded the Victorian Supreme Court Exhibition on completion of her Bachelor of Jurisprudence and a Bachelor of Law from Monash University.

Phillippa moved to Sydney where she became a Legal Officer at the Australian Legal Aid Office and the Legal Aid Commission of New South Wales.

Following this position, she became a Lecturer in Commercial Law at the University of New South Wales from 19871994.

PHILLIPPA WEARNE

1974

In 1994, Phillippa took a position as Lecturer at the Centre for Plain Legal Language, Faculty of Law at the University of Sydney and also completed her Masters Degree in Law at the University of Sydney.

Marjorie graduated in 1974 and completed Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education at the University of Melbourne and the course work for a Masters of Education with First Class Honours.

Commencing a career as a fulltime writer, she wrote some fourteen books, both fiction and non-fiction, with publishers including Heinemann and Macmillan. Her ground-breaking title Jobs for the Girls (1989) looking at women working in male dominated industries was a best seller. She also wrote for The Sunday Age.

MARJORIE JOHNSTON

32

In 1998, she became a writer for a Consumer Law Website and an electronic editor for a commercial publisher. From 2001 to 2006, she was the Deputy Registrar in the Equity Division of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and was Registrar of the Protective List. She was also a Court-appointed Mediator and was actively involved in the mediation program.

Phillippa worked at the Migration Review Tribunal and the Refugee Review Tribunal (now part of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal) until July 2014. She then worked as a Refugee Status Determination Expert for UNHCR in Ankara, Turkey from April to August 2015.

Since 2015 Phillippa has run her legal firm practice as a sole practitioner in Sydney.

She also works as an editor and writer.

A qualified wool-classer, Marjorie was copywriter/PR at the Australian Wool Corporation in 1989 before launching her successful communications consultancy, Wordmakers. Her blue chip list of clients includes Big Four accounting and legal firms and ASX listed corporates. In 2001, Marjorie was appointed to the position of Global Communications Leader at BHP Billiton.

Marjorie is a dedicated conservationist and President of the Silverleaves Conservation Association, a Patron of the Melbourne International Film Festival, and a keen collector of Australian art.

Ruth did her entire schooling at Firbank entering in 1963. This was only made possible through a School Bursary following her father’s sudden death. Her parents were missionaries who were connected with St Andrew’s Brighton.

Over the next decade, Ruth and her husband lived in various remote sites in Nepal where Ruth was involved in medical care and health training. She was also actively involved with the Nepalese National Church.

In her final year at Firbank, Ruth was leader for SCM (Student Christian movement) and Dux of the School. Upon graduating from Firbank, she undertook a Bachelor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne and during the course of her degree she did a medical elective in Africa, where her parents had spent time as missionaries.

Upon returning to Australia in 1995, Ruth completed training as a Palliative Care Specialist in Sydney, and she worked in this area of medicine in both Sydney and Brisbane. In 2013 she and her husband returned to serve in a mission hospital in Pokhara, western Nepal. Over the past six years Ruth has been involved with palliative care training and the gradual development of services based on an innovative integrated ‘chronic diseasepalliative care’ model appropriate for the emerging pandemic of non-communicable diseases.

Subsequently, after a few years residency training, she offered her services to the Church Missionary Society. After completing further training in 1985, she and her husband went to live in Nepal.

Fiona entered Firbank in Preparatory in 1963 and in her final year was a Prefect and Sports Captain. She completed a Bachelor of Social Science (Physical Education) in 1978, and a Diploma of Education at Hawthorn in 1979 and a Master of Education Studies at Monash University in 1986.

Fiona was a member of the State Under 18 Hockey team from 1974 to 1976 and the State Under 18 Softball team in 1976.

She was a member of the State Under 23 Hockey team from 1976 to 1978 and then became a member of the State Senior Women’s Hockey team from 1978 to 1989 and was Vice Captain of this team in 1988.

Fiona competed in the World Masters Games in Hockey in 2002 and was a Gold Medalist.

Fiona began her teaching career as a Physical Education teacher at Presbyterian Ladies College and was subsequently Head of this faculty from 1982 until 1992.

Fiona was also Head of Physical Education and Sport at Strathcona from 1996 to 2008.

Fiona’s interest in technology has taken her on a new career path. She received a Graduate Diploma Computing from Monash University in 1995, a Graduate Diploma Technology Education from the University of Melbourne 1996 and a Masters degree in Online Education from the University of Queensland in 2004. She took on the role of Information Technology Co-ordinator at Haileybury College, Castlefield Campus, in Brighton from 2008 - 2016.

1974

DR RUTH RUSSELL (POWYS)

1975

FIONA SHEPHERD

She is currently involved in a e-Learning and blogging.

33

1975

ALISON SPINK

1975

THÉRÈSE REIN

34

Alison attended Firbank from 1963 until completing her HSC in 1975. She then gained a Bachelor of Education (Art & Crafts) at Melbourne State College in 1979 before embarking on a burgeoning career as a secondary school teacher where Alison embraced a number of key leadership roles. In 1988 she established the first Visual Communication & Design* course for Year 11 students at Firbank, now an established subject at senior level.

In 1989 Alison left teaching to cofound a graphic design company with her husband, Peter Struck. Struck & Spink has operated as a multi- discipline creative studio for more than 30 years. Some career highlights have included naming and branding of major local government infrastructure projects such as WaterMarc (Banyule), Realm (Maroondah), Move (Moonee Valley), Aquapulse, Encore, Eagle Stadium (Wyndham) plus extensive design work for Federation Square, Geelong Football Club, RACV and Barwon Water to name a few.

Following her time at Firbank, Thérèse attended the Australian National University, where she completed an honours degree in Psychology. After five years overseas, she returned to Australia and became a rehabilitation counsellor.

Thérèse founded a small vocational rehabilitation provider in Brisbane in 1989, which grew to be the largest For-profit provider of welfare to work services in Australia. She then led Ingeus’ greenfield expansion into a total of ten countries, until the company had 6,000 colleagues serving half a million highly disadvantaged people at any one time. Ingeus was the largest provider of these services in the UK, created the market in France, delivered in South Korea, and was the first private provider in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with Saudi women helping Saudi women into work. She divested her interest in this company in 2014.

Rewarding pro bono work has included the ongoing support of East Timor Hearts Fund in its quest to support young East Timorese people through life saving heart surgery in Australia, whilst Alison and her team also developed a tailored online auction system in support of the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal, helping to raise more than $1 million in the process.

Throughout her career Alison has found particular joy in mentoring young designers, celebrating their successes and enjoying their enduring friendship. She has fondest memories of her time at Firbank, which provided a great foundation for her adult life. *Originally Graphic Communication

In 2010, Thérèse was awarded the Australian Human Rights Medal. She has been conferred three honorary doctorates and has been Ernst and Young’s Champion Entrepreneur of the Year. Thérèse has been the patron of many social enterprises and non-government organisations in social housing, disability, food rescue, and the arts. She was honoured to be ‘First Lady’ when her husband Kevin Rudd became Prime Minister of Australia and was the first Australian woman in that position to retain her birth surname and work at the same time.

Thérèse is Co-chair of the National Apology Foundation for Indigenous Australians and mentors CEOs. She currently sits on several boards and is involved in positive ageing organisations.

Deborah entered Firbank in 1970 and graduated in 1975. She discovered her passion for writing and editing whilst being on ‘The Log’ committee. In the 1980s she began writing and editing for television at Crawford Productions in Melbourne.

Her early freelance career included a stint as a Project Officer for the Australian Film Commission and as Head of Drama for Artist Services, where she developed a range of feature film and television projects, including the ABC miniseries ‘Simone de Beauvoir’s Babies’ (creator/ writer/co-producer) which was based on her friendships made at Firbank and was partly filmed at the School, and the feature film ‘Dead Letter Office’ (writer/coproducer).

Lisa attended Firbank from 1971 to 1976.

Her passion for acting started at an early age and she was involved in amateur theatre throughout her school years. She chose journalism as her fall back career and secured a cadetship on the Melbourne Herald after completing HSC. Whilst working at the Herald, she started moonlighting as a professional actress securing roles in feature films including Mad Max, and the opening episodes of Prisoner and Cop Shop. Her role in Prisoner for the Grundy Organisation, though extremely short (her character hanged herself before the third commercial break) led to her being offered a six-week role in The Young Doctors for the Nine Network. Her dream had come true. She joined The Young Doctors cast in Sydney where the six weeks turned into two and a half years playing Nurse Julie Holland.

As part of CoxKnight Productions with Andrew Knight and Andrea Denholm, she Co-created and Co-wrote three series of the highly acclaimed ABC drama, SeaChange, Network 10 series, CrashBurn, and Story Produced the children’s series Worst Best Friends.

In 2009 she formed a Every Cloud Productions with Fiona Eagger to coexecutive produce and become Head Writer on three series of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, the indigenous drama The Gods of Wheat Street and teen online drama Deadlock – all for the ABC, and Ms Fisher’s MODERN Murder Mysteries for the Seven Network.

She is currently Executive Producing and Head Writer on the reimagining of SeaChange twenty years on, for the Nine Network.

After The Young Doctors, she appeared in many TV series and mini-series including Carson’s Law, Holiday Island, I Can Jump Puddles and feature films Leonski and Brilliant Lies.

Lisa also went on to work in television production and then returned to the Herald and Weekly Times as Marketing and Brand Manager for the Herald Sun and as National Olympic Brand Manager.

Lisa now works as a freelance marketing and promotions consultant. She has also returned to acting with roles in Neighbors and The True History of the Kelly Gang among her recent performances.

1975

DEBORAH COX

1976

LISA ALDENHOVEN

35

1976

DR CATHERINE APPLEGATE (DUGDALE)

1976

JEANNIE MARSH

36

Cathy commenced at Firbank in 1965 and was a Prefect in her final year.

She undertook a Bachelor of Medicine at Monash University, graduating in 1982. She went on to gain post graduate qualifications in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and in Family Medicine.

In 1983, Cathy moved to Darwin to pursue a strong interest in Indigenous health. She worked at the Royal Darwin Hospital for many years before becoming a District Medical Officer, a role which included visiting Aboriginal Communities and providing emergency evacuations with the Air Medical Service. After having her three children, Cathy moved into part-time General Practice where she has continued to develop skills in Women’s Health and Psychological Medicine. She now runs her own practice in suburban Darwin.

Music and literature have always been central passions of her life. She studied piano and theory to an advanced level whilst at Firbank and remains grateful for

Jeannie attended Firbank from 1971 to 1976 and was Music Captain in her final year. She completed a Bachelor of Music Education with Honours in singing in 1981 from the University of Melbourne and a Diploma and Post Graduate Diploma in Opera and Theatre from the Victorian College of the Arts.

Jeannie won a number of competitions and awards including a major travelling scholarship from the University of Melbourne and traveling grants from the Music Board of the Australia Council, enabling her to continue her singing studies in Italy and England in 1987, 1990 and 1991.

Jeannie has performed extensively throughout Australia and internationally for over 30 years with organisations including Victoria State Opera, Melbourne Theatre Company and Musica Viva. In 1999, she produced her acclaimed first CD, Madrugada.

the solid foundation, and especially for the inspirational teaching of Geraldine Pollard. Cathy has recently undertaken to formalise her music qualifications with a Bachelor of Music through the University of New England via distance education.

She took up cello as an adult and is now the Principal Cellist for the Darwin Symphony Orchestra. Cathy is an award winning composer and has associate representation with the Australian Music Centre. She is regularly commissioned for new works and has composed major works for full symphony orchestra and smaller ensembles, including chorale works. Her piano concerto, Concertantrum, was premièred by the famous Australian pianist, Michael Kieran Harvey in 2014.

Cathy’s ballet The Brolga and the Star, was premièred in 2016.

Cathy has had several books for children published in Australia and America. Her picture book, Rain Dance was shortlisted in the Children’s Book Council Awards in 2001.

Jeannie has also worked extensively in the development of new operas and music theatre. She has been an Artist in Residence at music faculties at various universities and was involved in the Opera Project for ten years assisting the birth of many new student operas.

In 2004, Jeannie was the recipient of a Sounds Australia / APRA Award for longterm contribution for the advancement of Australian music.

From 2002 until 2011, Jeannie taught VCE Music Style and Composition at Distance Education Centre Victoria. Since 2012 she has been the Musical Director of community choirs, Artistic Director of large community arts events, and a member of vocal group Icon Trio. She was a Composer in Residence at Visby in Sweden, and Bundanon in NSW, and is currently creating online educational activities about Australian music for the Melbourne Recital Centre.

Upon graduating from Firbank in 1977, Jennifer undertook a two-year management course at Myer Melbourne and later went into the National Buying Office.

Upon moving to the remote mountains of Papua New Guinea with her husband, she began her Bachelor of Arts as an off-campus student and also discovered the novels of Georgette Heyer. After five years in Papua New Guinea, she moved to Geelong with her family and then left Australia to live in the Middle East.

In Bahrain, Jennifer returned to her studies in history and literature and eventually completed her Bachelor of Arts. On returning to Australia, she completed her Honours degree at Deakin University and was awarded an Australian Post-Graduate Scholarship to undertake a PhD at the University of Melbourne. She completed her Doctorate on novelist Georgette Heyer and History in Fiction in 2004.

In 2005, her first book, Georgette Heyer’s Regency World¸ was published and in

Jennifer entered Firbank in 1972 and graduated in 1977. She completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours at the University of Melbourne.

Following university, Jennifer spent three years with the Department of Management and Budget in Australia as a project analyst for large infrastructure projects, including the National Tennis Centre and the Government sponsored Alcoa Aluminum Smelter.

Jennifer joined JP Morgan’s Melbourne office in 1986. She later relocated to New York, where she spent six years specialising in mergers and acquisitions and project finance for multi-national natural resource companies.

2006, Jennifer was awarded an Australia Council Grant to further her research for a new biography of best-selling novelist, Georgette Heyer. Jennifer was also awarded an English-Speaking Union scholarship and has been the recipient of several other awards and scholarships.

In 2011 Georgette Heyer: Biography of a Bestseller was published by Random House UK and Sourcebooks USA. Today, Jennifer is recognised internationally as the foremost expert on Georgette Heyer and continues to write about Heyer and the Regency, giving presentations and workshops in the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand. In 2014 Jennifer, along with Stephen Fry, spoke at the unveiling of the English Heritage Blue Plaque awarded to Georgette Heyer at her birthplace in Wimbledon.

1977

DR JENNIFER KLOESTER (JOHNSTON)

Jennifer also writes fiction. In 2019 the Author’s Cut of her two YA novels, The Cinderella Moment and The Rapunzel Dilemma will be published. Her third novel, Jane Austen’s Ghost, will appear in November 2019.

In 1994, Jennifer joined the coverage team responsible for JP Morgan’s largest clients across various industry sectors. She was the senior member of the client teams for, among others, Ford Motor Company and Wal-Mart Inc. Following this, Jennifer joined JP Morgan’s Technology Media and Telecom Group within Investment Banking as head of the Telecommunications Practice with a focus on debt and equity financing.

Currently she is the global head of JP Morgan’s TMT Investment Banking practice and is responsible for clients across all three industry subsectors. In addition to her major telecommunications relationships, she is responsible for other US clients including News Corp and Xerox.

1977

JENNIFER NASON

Jennifer is recognised as one of the leading businesswomen on Wall Street and has managed to combine her career whilst having four children.

37

1978

After leaving Firbank, Eden-Elizabeth (Libby) completed Business Studies at RMIT and spent almost twenty years working in secretarial, administration, and event and conference management.

In the 1980’s she commenced a part-time Bachelor of Theology Degree through the Melbourne College of Divinity, and after being accepted for Ordination in the Anglican Church of Australia, she completed the degree with first class honours, as well as a Diploma of Ministry at Trinity College Theological School.

in February 2001, Eden-Elizabeth REV’D CANON Ordained spent three years at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Kew, and as a chaplain at Caritas EDENChristi Hospice, Kew. In August 2004, she commenced as the Vicar of St. Augustine’s ELIZABETH Anglican Church, Mentone. While at Mentone she was a board member at NICHOLLS Mentone Grammar School, Area Dean of Bayside & Kingston North Deanery, and then the Archdeacon for Dandenong Archdeaconry.

1979

BETTINA LIANO

Upon leaving Firbank, Bettina had no idea what she wanted to do. She made her foray into fashion by chance, when a Melbourne retailer spotted her sister, fellow Old Grammarian and now fashion designer Theresa, in a dress that Bettina had made for her and from this chance encounter a fashion empire grew.

Bettina purchased a Janome sewing machine from Myer on hire purchase and in 1983 she and her mother opened a store in Toorak Village. This quickly grew to three shops, but Bettina was keen to run her own business, so in 1989 she launched the Bettina Liano fashion label.

Leaving Melbourne at the end of 2011, Eden-Elizabeth purchased a small farm near Yea, and became part of the Anglican Diocese of Wangaratta. In February 2012 she became the Parish Priest of The Anglican Parish of Mansfield with Bonnie Doon, Jamieson and Mt. Buller.

In April 2018, she commenced as Parish Priest of The Anglican Parish of Yea and Molesworth, enabling her to live on her own property and reduce to a parttime parish appointment. While in the Wangaratta Diocese, she has been an Archdeacon, and an Area Dean, and is part of numerous committees. For eight years she has also been the Police Chaplain for the ten stations that form the Benalla Police Service Area, and she continues in this role.

Eden is committed to areas of social justice and welfare, sustainable living and the environment, she grows most of her own vegetables, and runs a horse and pony rescue.

After uncertain beginnings, the business steadily grew due to her strong work ethic and her great ability as a fashion designer.

In 1991, she started making designer jeans and these soon became one of the labels biggest sellers and developed a cult following across the world with customers such as Kylie Minogue, Cindy Crawford and Elle McPherson.

The Bettina Liano fashion empire now boasts a number of stores across Australia, more than 80 stockists nationally and stockists in Britain, Greece, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan and Thailand. Robert Buckingham, a retail and fashion expert, has said, ‘She is one of the designers that have made Melbourne what it is, in terms of fashion’.

In 2007, Bettina Liano moved to a new headquarters in Prahran. Bettina still loves the world of design and has plans to expand her business even further in Australia and increase her presence in Asia.

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Mary entered Firbank in Kindergarten in 1967. She developed her passion for ballet from the age of five and, whilst still at Firbank, was chosen to dance in several professional productions with The Australian Ballet including Don Quixote with Rudolph Nureyev and a featured role in the Scottish Ballet’s La Sylphide with Dame Margot Fonteyn.

Upon returning to Australia in 1986, Mary established her own ballet school in country Victoria. Mary went on to teach classical ballet at the National Theatre Ballet School in 1991 and in 1993 was appointed their Registrar and Office Manager.

Having passed all her Royal Academy of Dance examinations with Honours, she joined the Australian Ballet School (ABS) in 1978. She graduated from the ABS into The Australian Ballet, having participated in the inaugural year of The Dancers Company in 1980.

In October 1997, she and her husband opened their own adult dance studio, City Dance Centre, in Armadale, Melbourne, which they ran for 13 years. She also commenced freelance teaching. Mary has sat on assessment panels including the Australian Ballet School and has adjudicated many eisteddfods and scholarships.

In 1982 she travelled to Europe and danced with the Vienna Staatsoper Ballet, Klagenfurt Stadtstheater (Austria), and two ballet companies in Germany, Kiel Stadtstheater and the Bavarian Staatsoper, Munich.

In 2018 Mary was honoured to be invited to become the inaugural Dance Patron of F.O.D.D.A. Mary’s daughter Eloise (2008) attended Firbank, and has also been honoured as one of Firbank’s 110 Women of Achievement.

Erica entered Firbank in Preparatory in 1967 and was Captain of the School in 1980.

A co-director of the micro-publishing house Twelve Panels Press, Erica currently combines a part-time role as Executive Publisher at Allen & Unwin with her own art practice. In 2017, Erica was awarded the Dromkeen Medal for outstanding achievement in the creation of Australian children’s and young adult literature.

On leaving school, she travelled and worked on farms, and had her son and daughter in 1984 and 1985.

Erica has worked with books for most of her life, as a bookseller, editor and publisher. Her career began as a trainee editor at Penguin Australia in 1988, nurturing and developing many of Australia’s finest authors and illustrators, eventually becoming Associate Publisher in 1996. In 1998 she left Penguin to start up Silverfish, a new children’s imprint for Duffy & Snellgrove and in 1999 she was awarded the Beatrice Davis Editorial Fellowship, the first children’ book editor to receive this honour. The Silverfish list was acquired

by Allen & Unwin in 2000, where Erica continues to publish many bestselling, award-winning books, in a list that is internationally acclaimed. Graphic novels and illustrated books are a particular passion.

In 2019, Erica worked with Johanna Bell on the inaugural six-month Octopus Story Camp in Darwin, working with 24 Top End writers and artists on illustrated texts and memoir projects. She lives with her partner, illustrator Craig Smith, and between them have four grown-up children and five grandchildren.

1980

MARY FRYER (RENOUF)

1980

ERICA WAGNER

39

1982

Jennifer entered the School in 1974 as a third generation Firbank student. In her final year, she was Captain of Cameron House and a Prefect. Jennifer went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne majoring in English Literature and Criminology.

Journalism was always Jennifer’s passion and this interest was sparked by her involvement as editor of The Log in her final year at Firbank. While at university, Jennifer wrote for the Southern Cross Newspaper and the Sunday Observer.

JENNIFER FLETCHER (HANSEN)

1983

WENDY TUOHY

40

In 1985 Jennifer joined Channel Ten News and in 1994, she moved to current affairs on Channel Ten’s Alan Jones Live.

In January 1996, she was appointed to the role of co-presenter of Ten News presenting the weekly 5.00 p.m. news, a position she held until 2006.

Wendy commenced at Preparatory level in 1971 and completed HSC at Firbank in 1983. In her final year, she was Captain of Hancock House.

Wendy was offered a journalism cadetship at The Age, from 1984-87, after which she was a news reporter, features writer and section editor of The Age EG (and two editions of The Age Cheap Eats). She won the EU-funded Journalists in Europe scholarship to study European affairs in Paris with young journalists from around the world in 1990, and stayed on to freelance from France for 18 months.

She returned to The Age as a features writer, editor (The Age Green Guide), travelled to Sudan and Ethiopia with Oxfam to prepare The Age Food For Life appeal series of articles. She became Deputy Chief of Staff, before having her first child in 1998 and going part-time as a features writer for Sunday Life and The Age Insight. After her third child, Wendy

Since leaving Channel Ten, Jennifer performs as MC at major charity and corporate events and has pursued a career in acting in both stage and film. She also formed her own business called ‘Uber Savvy, ideas for living’.

In 2008, she returned to the media industry for the Olympics, reading the news for the ABC Australia network. Jennifer also completed a Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT University.

During the course she worked on her first novel, ‘Making Headlines’ which she published as an e-book with Harper Collins in 2016.

Jennifer now works in radio at Smooth 91.5 alongside Mike Perso on the More Music Breakfast show, where she reads the news and chats about all things Melbourne.

took time out, during which time she freelanced and guest-presented on ABC radio Melbourne.

Wendy joined The Herald Sun as arts editor in 2007, before becoming a columnist and feature writer, specialising in issues impacting women and girls.

She has appeared as a regular on ABC Radio Melbourne, and as a commentator on ABC News Breakfast and Nine’s Today Extra and is a Women in Media Victoria mentor.

Wendy rejoined The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald as an editor, and columnist specialising in gender equality issues, in August 2018.

Katrina entered Firbank in 1977, where she became the first swimming Captain of the school in 1984. Upon leaving school, she undertook a Graphic Design Degree at Swinburne University and then moved into the world of advertising where she spent 10 years working as an Art Director at Y&R, George Patterson Bates and M&C Saatchi.

During her career in advertising she collected more than fifty industry awards and 5 International awards for Art Direction.

While working in advertising, Katrina also published two highly successful books the first, China Plate = Mate, a book of rhyming slang and Twinkle Twinkle, a photographic book on animals in nursery rhymes.

Heidi attended Firbank from 1972 and graduated in 1984. She then undertook a Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art Photography) course at Phillip Institute of Technology graduating in 1988.

For some years, she was a self-employed photographer where she specialised in portraits and event photography and then held various sales and administrative roles including, National Development Manager and Clinical Support Specialist (Cardiology).

Heidi has been involved in community work for 39 years, starting with, what was then the Spastic Society (now known as Scope) and then went on to to spend time with the Make-a-Wish Foundation where she was the Melbourne President and a National Board Director. She also served on the Australian Board of the National Council of Women as Company Secretary.

In October 1998 she quit advertising to start the first solely owned female tampon company in the world called De jour Sanitary Products. She built the brand to a market share of about 8% nationally and was the first brand to offer tampons in discrete zip lock bags.

Since then Katrina has developed several other successful businesses including Budons™, a range of children’s stationery that was the number one brand in the UK for two years. Currently Katrina creativity has taken her into the world of Amazon in the USA where she has created and built several highly successful brands in the beauty and personal care industry that have the cult following of the Kardashians.

Heidi’s work in the community led to an interest in politics and she joined the Liberal Party where she gained preselection for the seat of Bayswater which she won in the 2006 State election, which she successfully held for 12 years. During her parliamentary career, Heidi served as the Victorian Minister for The Arts, for Women’s Affairs and for Consumer Affairs.

1984

KATRINA ALLEN

1984

Since leaving politics, Heidi has returned to photography (and has won many awards) and entered corporate life, which she finds both stimulating and rewarding.

HON. HEIDI VICTORIA

(MITTERLEHNER)

41

1985

JANE STEEL (STRINGER)

Jane was a third generation Firbank student and in her final year was Captain of Clarke House. She enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts course at Melbourne State College but, after one year, transferred to a Diploma of Applied Science (Nursing) at LaTrobe University graduating in 1989.

In 1990, she joined the Royal Children’s Hospital and in 1993 she graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing from LaTrobe University. Whilst at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Jane moved into the area of diabetes and completed a Graduate Certificate in Diabetes Education from Deakin University in 1994. In 1999, Jane left the Royal Children’s Hospital and from 2001 to 2002 she, and her family, lived in Cleveland, Ohio where her husband was undertaking his surgical fellowship.

Upon returning to Australia, Jane became the immunisation nurse for the City of Kingston and combined this with an active role at her children’s school where she was President of the Parents’ Association.

1986

DR KIM SHEPHERD (SHERRARD)

Kim entered Firbank in 1978 and graduated in 1986. In her final year, she was Captain of Cameron House and a Prefect.

She embarked on a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Melbourne but, at the end of her second year, she was asked to leave as her marks were too low.

As Kim states, ‘I was rather shocked by this action and further dismayed when I learnt that no other university in Melbourne was interested in having me enrol with them either.’ Finally, RMIT allowed Kim to enrol in a Bachelor of Applied Science (Applied Chemistry) graduating in 1991. During her time at RMIT, Kim gave her best effort to her studies and was named top student in both her second and third year and won numerous University prizes.

Following the devastating bushfires of Black Saturday in February 2009, Jane and her husband have taken on the added responsibility of raising their friend’s three children in addition to their own three children. Jane and her husband had promised their friends that in the event of something happening to them, they would take over responsibility for their children.

Sadly, her friends perished in the fires of Black Saturday and Jane and her husband have honoured this commitment.

All 6 children, have now finished school and are pursuing varied careers from Fine Arts, to Journalism, Criminology, IT and Midwifery.

Four years ago Jane returned to work as a practice manager for an Anaesthetic practice but now enjoy working with the aged and disabled as an in-home carer.

As a result of her academic success, Kim was offered a Scholarship from the Australian Wool Board to undertake a PhD at RMIT with co-supervision from the CSIRO Division of Wool Technology.

During the course of her PhD, she published several journal articles in highly respected, peer reviewed journals, presented her work at several conferences and won Best Poster at an Environmental Analytical Conference in Perth.

Following her PhD, she worked for an environmental consulting firm, and then lectured at RMIT. Kim is currently working for a chemistry professor at RMIT and is part of a large research group, which includes many overseas researchers.

Kim’s daughters attended Firbank.

42

Kathryn commenced in Turner House in 1978 and graduated from Firbank in 1987.

In her final year, she was a Prefect and Captain of Tonkin House.

She completed a Commerce and Arts (majoring in French) degree at the University of Melbourne, but she decided to pursue her passion through a career in singing. Kathryn became a member of the Opera Studio at the Victorian College of the Arts and studied acting at the Australian National Academy of Music. She joined the Victorian State Opera in 1995.

Kathryn is also an accomplished pianist and a lover of languages.

Kathryn has worked extensively with all the major opera companies in Melbourne, including Opera Australia and Victorian Opera, singing principal roles, covers and chorus. Career highlights include the title role in Carmen for Melbourne Opera and creating the character Athena in the world premier of The Children’s Bach, developed from the novel by Helen Garner, for Chamber Made Opera.

Kirstie commenced at Firbank in 1980.

Upon leaving School, she secured a tutored position within the Japanese National Ski Team for 18 months and subsequently became Australia’s first World Champion, male or female, in a winter discipline.

Kirstie has been Australian Skier of the Year six times and won over 45 World Cup Medals, 17 of those being Gold. She competed in the World Championships in 1995 obtaining a bronze medal and two years later she became the 1997 World Freestyle Skiing Champion and equal alltime victories holder. Kirstie represented Australia at three Winter Olympics: in 1992 at Albertville, France; in 1994 at Lillehammer, Norway and in 1998 at Nagano, Japan. Kirstie had the distinct honour of carrying the Australian flag as the flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony in Lillehammer in 1994.

Kirstie was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for her contribution to skiing and sports administration in the Queen’s

Kathryn has performed as both the title role and Mercedes in Carmen (Melbourne Opera, and Melbourne Lyric Opera), Arsamene in Xerses (VSO), Jano in Jenufa and Madrigal Singer in Manon Lescaut (OA), Suzuki in Madame Butterfly (Melbourne Opera), 2nd Lady in Magic Flute (Melbourne Opera), Orphee in Orpheee et Eurydice (Victorian Opera), Dorabella in Cosi fan Tutte (Renaissance Opera).

Kathryn later moved into the soprano repertoire, with appearances including Sharon Graham in Masterclass (Williamstown Little Theatre), the Maria Callas Story (Melbourne Lyric Opera), and as the soprano soloist in Verdi’s Requiem and Gorecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs for Soprano and orchestra (Noteworthy Classics).

1987

KATHRYN GREY

Most recently, Kathryn has been involved in the creation of a new opera Company, Millennium Opera, and has performed in and directed a number of operas.

Kathryn is also the founding director of the Melbourne based opera entertainment group, Opera Power, specialising in opera performance where you least expect it.

Birthday Honours List in 2003 and was inducted in the Australian Sport Hall of Fame in 2010.

Following her retirement from professional skiing and a brief foray as a corporate motivational speaker, Kirstie was elected to the Victorian State Parliament as the Member for Forest Hill in 2002 and was re-elected for a second four-year term in 2006. Kristie made headlines shortly after the 2002 election when she was ejected from parliament for bringing her baby into Chamber to breastfeed. Following debate about breastfeeding in Parliament and other workplaces, the 147-year rule was revised and modernised. The Speaker has since relaxed the rules so that if a member needs to be in the Chamber, they can bring an infant in to breastfeed.

1987

HON. KIRSTIE MARSHALL OAM OLY

Kirstie has served on numerous committees and boards associated with sport and is active in charitable pursuits including World Vision. Kirstie is a patron for the Alfred Foundation.

43

1987

MELISSA MADDENGRAY

1989

OLIVIA SPALDING (CARR)

44

Melissa trained in classical ballet whilst at Firbank and was a soloist with the Young Dancers Theatre Victoria for six years. This encouraged her early love of performance.

She graduated from Firbank in 1987 and went on to complete an Honours degree in Law and Arts from the University of Melbourne and received the Bruce Munro Scholarship whilst living at Trinity College at the University. Melissa also attended the Freie University, Berlin, where she gained First-Class Honours in German and Fine Arts and is also a graduate of WAPA where she gained a Bachelor of Arts (Music Theatre).

Malthouse Theatre and Sydney Theatre Company and major arts and music festivals.

Melissa has gone on to carve out an impressive stage career both here and overseas. From mainstage theatre and film to contemporary opera, ‘kamikaze cabaret’ and solo multimedia performance, Melissa has performed in places as diverse as Berlin, Paris, New York, Moscow and Tokyo. She has premiered various music and dance-theatre pieces worldwide, and worked with the legendary Pina Bausch and various other artists across the globe.

In Australia she’s worked with, among others, the Melbourne Theatre Company,

Her creation of the character, ‘Meow Meow’ has seen her wreak havoc from Vegas to Berlin. Described as the ‘Postpost-modern cabaret diva’, she has been named top ten ‘Best of Cabaret’ by ‘Time Out’, New York. She has won numerous Australian Green Room Awards and the New York Franklin Furnace Performance Art Award. Meow was curated by David Bowie for his New York High Line Festival.

Meow has also recorded for WDR, RBB (Germany), ABC (Australia), Radio France and Sonic Arts (UK).

Olivia was a boarder at Firbank and, after graduating in 1989, undertook an apprenticeship in cookery at William Angliss College, where she graduated as Dux of her year.

She gained a Certificate IV in Workplace training at Box Hill Institute and worked as a freelance consultant across Melbourne to Big Group catering business, she trained Hospitality Operations at Methodist Ladies College and wrote and sold cookery short courses for children.

Olivia then joined Stephanie Alexander in her flagship restaurant and honed her skills working with one of Australia’s foremost restauranteurs. Olivia left Stephanie’s, moved to Tasmania to accept her first Head Chef role and then travelled overseas. There she had the great fortune to work for people such as Prince Charles, Margaret Thatcher, Sir George Harrison and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Olivia went on to secure Executive chef status at Absolute Taste, a subsidiary business of Mercedes McLaren Formula One racing team.

After three years overseas, Olivia returned to Melbourne where she re-skilled and worked in Executive recruitment with the Slade Group and went on to join her husband’s family business, Jimmy Possum Furniture.

Melissa has won numerous awards including two DAAD Fellowships for theatre in Berlin, The Australia Council Paris Residency, and an Asialink residency to create a work with Chinese dancer, Jin Xing, in Shanghai. She most recently performed in ‘Venus and Adonis’ for Bell Shakespeare/Malthouse Theatre, ‘Vamp’ for Malthouse Theatre and Pina Bausch/ Brecht’s ‘Die Sieben Todsünden/Fürchtet euch nicht’ in Germany and Moscow.

Oliva then assisted her sister in law with the launch and delivery of a touring business.

Olivia currently freelances with Acacia Private Luxury Tours marrying her hospitality knowledge with her passion for travel and the food and wine. When not touring Olivia spends her down time with her husband Sam and her three sons Ollie, Jack and Remy.

Jacqui represented Australia in the sport of aerial skiing for more than 20 years.

In a long and decorated career, Jacqui competed in 139 World Cup Events, nine World Championships and was selected in five Winter Olympic teams, the first Australian Woman in history (Summer or Winter Games) to have enjoyed this honour. Jacqui achieved a record five World Titles, 39 World Cup medals, 25 World Cup wins and three major World Championship medals.

In 2010, Jacqui competed in Vancouver after a year of intense hip and knee rehabilitation, shocking doctors and spectators with her brave attempt to be competitive, despite the odds. She spent most of the months leading into the competition in a wheelchair, learning to walk again. She stunned the world when she placed fifth, the best Olympic result of her career.

Amanda entered Firbank in 1982, and was a prefect and the Debating Captain in her final year of school. She then undertook a Arts degree at the University of Melbourne, majoring in English and German. At the end of her degree, she won a scholarship to study in Germany for three months, and the following year returned to Melbourne to complete her Honours year. She later completed a Master of Arts in English at the University of Melbourne, a year of which she spent on exchange at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

With her heart becoming set on becoming a journalist, Amanda began a traineeship with The Age in 2000. She was later an Education Reporter, Health Reporter, News Editor, Features and Opinion Editor, and Senior Writer and Columnist over 16 years working for the paper.

In addition to sport, Jacqui’s passion is educating young people on the importance of a healthy lifestyle, nutrition, being role models, pursuing their dreams, being active, and goal setting.

Since retiring from sport Jacqui has pursued a business career. In 2011, Jacqui founded her own company Champion Events and is the author of two books with a focus on IVF called ‘Frozen Hope’ and ‘It Took 3 To Make Me’. Following her daughter’s diagnosis with Coeliac disease in 2015 Jacqui created her own range of gluten free frozen dough products called ‘Food For Me’.

Jacqui has three children and joined Firbank Grammar’s Snowsports Program as a Mentor in 2019.

In 2016, she joined The Conversation as the politics and society editor, and in 2017 she wrote her first book, ‘The New Puberty’, which was published by Melbourne University Publishing. She also continues to write occasional opinion and feature articles for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.

1990

JACQUI COOPER

1990

AMANDA DUNN

45

1991

Sofie commenced at Firbank in Preparatory in 1978 and graduated in 1991.

She went on to study Medicine at Monash University and graduated with Honours in 1998.

DR SOFIE ROBERTS (RUDOLPH)

During the course of her degree, Sofie had the opportunity to work overseas, and in 1997, she went to Kenya to work at the Tumutumu Hospital. This was a mission hospital in a fairly remote part of the country near Mount Kenya. Sofie worked mostly with the local Kikuyu tribe and found the experience both challenging and rewarding.

In 1999, she returned to Australia to complete her intern year at Geelong Hospital and then commenced her basic surgical training at the Alfred Hospital.

Medical Centre in 2004. In 2005, Sofie moved to Mansfield working in a rural general practice, Mansfield District Hospital and Mt Buller Medical Centre.

In 2007 Sofie moved to Geelong where she worked both in General Practice and with the medical staff at Geelong Grammar School. She was also actively involved in a health access and literacy program through Headspace.

In 2016 Sofie moved with her family to Sydney where she is currently working as a General Practitioner and involved in GP training through GP Synergy.

Sofie’s mother, Gay Rudolph (Cottman 1965), attended Firbank.

In 2001 Sofie went to the United Kingdom where she worked as a surgical HMO. Upon her return, she completed her general practice training at the Monash

1991

MELINDA WELTONHOWARD (WELTON)

46

Melinda entered Firbank in 1979 in Prep at Sandringham House. After completing her VCE studies in 1991, she studied Drama and Theatre Studies and German, graduating from Monash University with a Bachelor of Arts, before moving to Europe in 1995.

Initially working and living in Austria, then Scotland, Melinda settled in London in 1997 and launched a career in international marketing communications with British Sky Broadcasting. Her time there was spent working on the worldwide launch of television channel National Geographic, with direct responsibilities in Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Israel, Turkey and South Africa, including the creation of localised television channels in each market.

In 2001, Melinda was invited by National Geographic/Fox to help set up a dedicated French office and was transferred to Paris where she spent several years in the post of Director of Marketing and Communications for France and Frenchspeaking territories globally.

During her time in Paris, Melinda developed a keen interest in linguistics and, in particular, second language acquisition and bilingualism, having experienced first hand the rewarding challenge of being immersed fully in another culture and language. This led to her completing a Master of Applied Linguistics at Monash University in 2006.

Since moving back to Australia, Melinda has gone on to also complete a Graduate Diploma of Arts (French Studies), with first class honours, at the University of Melbourne. She is also the Vice President of the School Council of a French binational school in Melbourne and remains passionate about language learning, a love that began with Year 7 French at Firbank.

Finally, Melinda’s marketing career has broadened into different sectors in Australia, ranging from small/niche business, to large corporations. Highlights include The Australian Ballet, Monash University, and more recently, Social Ventures Australia, a not-for-profit organisation working towards an Australia where all people and communities thrive.

Jane entered Firbank in 1982 and in 1991 was appointed a Prefect. Upon graduating from Firbank, Jane commenced an Arts and Music double degree at the University of Melbourne majoring in English Literature and Singing Performance.

In 2002, Jane became the Project Manager for the re-opening of the National Gallery of Victoria and also the NGV’s gallery at Federation Square, the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia and in 2003 the re-opening of NGV International on St Kilda Road.

She attended the University of California for her final year and then travelled to Europe. In London she worked at Capital Radio in the programming department. It was this position that made her decide to pursue a career in promotions and also in singing.

Jane was appointed Marketing Manager responsible for the strategy and execution for all exhibitions across NGV Australia and NGV International.

On her return to Melbourne, she gained work experience with the firm, International Public Relations, and joined the Melbourne Chorale Ensemble. After several years, Jane moved into advertising with J Walter Thompson before she was lured back

by International Public Relations, which had now become Weber Shandwick Worldwide, to head up the Consumer Division becoming the youngest director of the company.

Karen attended Firbank from Year 7 - 12 and was School Captain in 1991. After leaving Firbank she went on to complete a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) and Arts (Psychology) at Monash University.

Karen started her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in 1994, initially as a Chartered Accountant before moving into the People and Culture team where she held the role of National Innovation Manager.

Karen then moved into a consulting role in a manufacturing business for the next five years while having three children (her daughter attends Firbank). This opportunity enabled her to connect her commercial, people and strategic knowledge to give her invaluable experience on a global level.

When her twins reached the age of two, Karen started a Leadership consultancy and Executive Coaching company. CCC Consulting was formed in 2007 offering services in leadership transformation, building effective teams and driving

Jane has two children and worked at the NGV part time during their pre-school years.

In 2013, Jane was appointed NGV’s Head of Marketing and in 2018 became Associate Director.

1991

JANE ZANTUCK

In 2019 she is working on the campaign for the NGV’s third site – NGV Contemporary.

Jane’s mother, Judith Zantuck (Cutts 1963) attended Firbank.

high performance cultures, resulting in highly engaged people and commercially successful organisations. With a team of four, CCC Consulting have had a significant impact in the Finance, Legal, Manufacturing, Retail and Government sectors.

Karen has always had a passion for Inclusion and Gender Diversity engaging with leaders and organisations to build a greater pipeline of senior women and cultures to support both men and women.

She has facilitated workshops on a global stage, developing inclusive leadership cultures, building diverse teams and having greater Personal Impact and visibility.

1991

KAREN BARR

Karen’s approach to life is defined so beautifully by Hillary Clinton: ‘Always aim high, work hard and care deeply about what you believe in. When you stumble, stay focused, when you are knocked down get right back up and never listen to anyone who says you can’t’.

47

1993

MELISSA BRIGHT

1993

Mel Bright is the owner and founding director of MAKE architecture, a Melbourne based practice that has already gathered a collection of diverse and highly acclaimed built work. MAKE is best known for its houses but the practice is currently working on a number of city making projects across a variety of scales and types including civic, educational and multiresidential projects.

Graduating from RMIT with top honours and the Anne Butler Award for best design thesis, Mel has worked in numerous design practices locally and internationally. Across London, Europe, South East Asia and China, this broadlybased lineage of work experience has allowed Mel a long gestation of the ethos that underpins MAKE today. MAKE value innovative design thinking, thoughtful material explorations, respect for heritage, deference to civic context and rigorous acknowledgement of environmental influences. A deep-seated passion for design excellence has fuelled these MAKE values to widely awarded built outcomes.

Amanda entered Turner House in 1982 and was a Prefect in her final year.

She completed a Bachelor of Arts (Fashion Design), at RMIT and subsequently went on to work for David Jones and Georges.

This experience led her to establish and manage her own couture jewellery, accessory and design business, Amanda Swanson Design.

AMANDA SWANSON

48

As a result of running this business, Amanda travelled to London determined to find a market for her designs and success soon followed with editorials being written about her work in various newspapers, including The Times.

Upon returning to Australia, Amanda’s designs featured in various fashion events such as the Melbourne Fashion Festival and Mercedes Australian Fashion Week.

Mel has amassed a portfolio of significant and award winning projects, being recognised at State and National levels.

Her work has been widely published and she is regularly invited to speak at talks and events. Mel also won the AIA Emerging architect award in 2014 and the Dulux Study Tour Award in 2013.

Mel has taught in the RMIT Architecture Program as a sessional staff member since 2003, running over 20 course subjects in the time including many Design Studios and also the Professional Practice component of the course.

Mel is a member of the AIA and not only attends many events, but actively contributes her time as speaker, juror and in other leadership roles. Mel was on the AIA National Jury in 2017, and has been on AIA Victorian Architecture Awards juries over multiple years. She was also the invited international juror for The New Zealand Home magazine jury in 2018.

Mel continues her contribution to the profession on multiple AIA committees and is also a founding member of the Boyd Circle for the Robin Boyd Foundation.

After five years of running her business, Amanda’s career took a new turn where she assisted and managed various commercial Art Galleries in London and Sydney where she was Manager of Arthouse Gallery.

Amanda went on to be the Director of Mossgreen Commercial Art Gallery in Melbourne. The Gallery exhibits and represents Australian artists with an increasing emphasis on mid to late career artists. The Gallery also had an auction wing, Mossgreen Auctions.

In addition, Mossgreen held annual exhibitions of early Aboriginal art, including bark paintings and artefacts.

Natalie was Vice Captain of Hancock Crowther House, a Prefect and Dux of the School in 1995. She completed a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Melbourne.

She became a strong advocate of women in engineering and, as an Engineering Scholar in Residence, she undertook speaking engagements in schools to encourage young women to consider engineering as a career choice.

Natalie was awarded the Dean’s Prize for Science in 1996, the Dean’s Scholarship for Engineering in 1996 and Dean’s Honours in Engineering from 1996 to 2000. In 1998, she was awarded the Telstra Undergraduate Fellowship and was also the winner of the InvergowrieMcPherson Family Scholarship for Women in Engineering in 1999. Further awards followed and she gained the University of Melbourne Computer Science Prize in 2000 and the Rotary Club of Melbourne Young Achiever Award in Science and Technology in 2001.

Stephanie graduated from Firbank in 1995 and commenced a double degree in Commerce and Science at the University of Melbourne. Whilst at University, Stephanie pursued her dream to row for Australia at the Olympics. She had numerous successes in her rowing career, but unfortunately a serious injury brought that career to an end.

Stephanie completed a fast-tracked double degree and joined management consulting firm, Accenture. After a brief stint as a consultant, Stephanie realised she lacked industry experience and in 2001 she moved to Port Pirie in South Australia to work in Pasminco’s 100 year old lead smelter.

With 6 months experience at the coalface, Stephanie returned to Melbourne and was involved in Pasminco’s refloat as the newly named Zinifex. She later relocated to Perth as business strategy analyst on major gas pipeline project with Alinta.

Upon completing her university studies, Natalie accepted a job as an eBusiness Analyst with the Boston Consulting Group.

After two years she became an Aerospace Engineer with British Aerospace (now BAE Systems) and for seven years, was the design engineer on the NULKA hovering rocket decoy, a system that currently protects the Australian, US and Canadian navies for anti-ship missiles. In this role, she has developed and tested new flight control algorithms.

In 2009 Natalie was selected for a twoyear secondment to Lockheed Martin near Boston where she progressed from design engineer, to engineering management to project management via two rounds of maternity leave. Natalie was selected for the international BAE Systems Emerging Global Leaders program in 2016, and promoted to deputy General Manager in 2018.

1995

NATALIE WALDIE (CUTLER)

Beyond her work, Natalie is a volunteer leader with Guides Victoria and takes every opportunity to promote Engineering to young women.

In 2007 Stephanie worked on a number of high value, strategic projects in Western Australia, Brazil, USA, UK, Russia and Singapore for organisations including Rio Tinto, ANZ Bank and MMG.

1995

In 2011, she joined a boutique strategy consulting company to open their Melbourne office. Instead, she once again found herself delivering a project in Perth and decided to stay.

In a career that has come full circle, Stephanie is now a Director at EY, delivering management consulting services to her clients across Australia. She has a daughter and son.

STEPHANIE WARD (FAST)

49

1996

JORDANA HUNTER

1997

Jordana entered Sandringham House and, in her final year, was appointed a Prefect and was Dux of the School. She went on to study Law and Commerce at the University of Melbourne, graduating in 2003 with Honours in both. She also obtained a Diploma of Modern Languages (Indonesian). During the course of her university studies, Jordana completed an Indonesian language unit at the Satya Wacana Universitas in Salatiga, in Indonesia. She also had an article published on trade and agriculture in the ‘Melbourne Journal of International Law’.

During her university days, she was involved in a number of student advocacy groups and held elected positions with the Melbourne University Student Union and the National Union of Students.

Georgie entered Firbank in Kindergarten and graduated in 1997. During the course of her school career, Georgie was awarded a Firbank scholarship and was appointed a Prefect in her final year.

In 2003, Georgie graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in German, and an Honours degree in Law from the University of Melbourne.

GEORGINA FAST

50

After travelling to London, Georgie returned to Melbourne in 2005 and commenced her Articles at Allens Arthur Robinson. She was admitted to practice in 2006, specialising in corporate law.

In 2008, Georgie returned to London, this time on a 12 month secondment to Slaughter and May, where in the context of the global financial crisis she worked on numerous transformational deals for FTSE 100 clients, as well as assisting the British government in relation to the 2008 Icelandic banking collapse. Georgie joined Slaughter and May as a lawyer in their London office in 2010, where she

Upon graduating, Jordana took up a position in the International Division of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, in Canberra in 2004. During this time she worked on the international aspects of Australia’s Pandemic Influenza Response Plan and attended meetings in South Korea to support the Prime Minister’s attendance at APEC in 2005.

In 2006, Jordana moved back to Melbourne and joined the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

She went on to be the Director of the Regulatory Strategy Section in the Communications Group at the ACCC. This group looks at the most effective way to promote competition in the telecommunications and media sectors.

Jordana’s mother, Margaret Hunter (Austin 1963) attended Firbank.

worked on high-profile transactions for clients around the world, including on the acquisition of luxury fashion e-tailor Net-aPorter.

In 2012, Georgie joined Fortress Investment Group, a global investment management company head-quartered in New York. She is now a Director in the legal team and responsible for investments across Europe. Although still officially based in London, Georgie travels between Fortress’ European offices handling real estate, shipping, financing and corporate transactions.

When not travelling for work, Georgie enjoys exploring the world.

Jessie graduated from Firbank in 1997 and went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours at the University of Melbourne.

Following her graduation, Jessie consulted at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Right Management as an Organisational Psychologist.

In 2006, Jessie gained her Doctorate of Organisational Psychology from the University of Melbourne. Jessie held the role of Country Change Management Lead at the Shell Company of Australia.

In this role Jessie designed change management strategies to drive large scale organisational restructures in countries as culturally diverse as China, India, Malaysia and Holland.

Nerida entered Sandringham House and, in her final year was Co-Captain of Tonkin Clarke House. Upon leaving Firbank, she undertook a Commerce and Arts degree at the University of Melbourne, graduating in 2003.

During her time at university, she undertook a student exchange program at the University of Glasgow. She began her professional career in 2004, in the Graduate Program of the Commonwealth Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. She was attracted to the public service because of the breadth of work and the changing nature of public policy.

In 2006, Nerida moved to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and, following the 2007 election, she moved into a role based in Parliament House.

Jessie then took on the role as People and Culture Lead at Viva Energy Australia, designing organisational effectiveness and leadership development solutions for this rapidly transforming business.

1997

Jessie is a board member of the not-forprofit organisation, the 100% Project, which challenges organisational leaders to change the practices and mindsets within their organisations to fully realise the leadership potential of woman.

DR JESSIE LYONS

Being keen to further develop her skills in public administration, she completed a Masters of Government and Commercial Law from the Australian National University in 2007.

1998

Nerida also does volunteer work in the local community, including work for a refuge which supports women and children escaping domestic violence.

Nerida’s mother, Margaret Hunter (Austin 1963) attended Firbank.

NERIDA HUNTER

51

1998

Alana started at Turner House in Preparatory and graduated in 1998 as joint Dux of the School.

After finishing school, she studied Medicine at the University of Melbourne, as well as a Bachelor of Medical Science and Diploma in Surgical Anatomy. She graduated with honours in 2004 and was the dux of her clinical school, The Royal Melbourne Hospital.

DR ALANA TUXEN

2000

JACQUELINE PORTER

52

Alana completed her internship and residency at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and she and her husband then took a year off and worked in remote communities in the Northern Territory and Western Samoa.

After graduating as a dermatologist, Alana started working regularly in adult and paediatric clinics at Monash Health, as well as in the Hair Clinic at the Skin and Cancer Foundation. In terms of private practice, Alana initially worked at a general dermatology practice in Brighton, and a paediatric dermatology practice in Kew. In 2014, she moved to Ballarat to work as a solo practitioner. Alana still travels back to Melbourne for Monash and Skin and Cancer Foundation clinics. In 2018 Alana took up a regular teaching appointment at the University of Melbourne.

In 2007, Alana began her career in dermatology. During her training, she worked at various hospitals including the Royal Children’s Hospital, the Royal Melbourne Hospital, St Vincent’s, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Skin and Cancer Foundation. In 2011, Alana completed her dermatology training and was awarded the medal as the top graduate in Australia in her final dermatology fellowship exams.

Jacqueline, a past Music Captain of the school, entered Firbank in Year 7 in 1995 and graduated in 2000. She completed a Bachelor of Arts (Italian) and a Bachelor of Music (Performance) with First Class Honours at the University of Melbourne, where she received a full residential choral scholarship to Trinity College.

Jacqueline made her debut with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 2005, when she was selected as a promising young singer by Chief Conductor, Oleg Caetani. Upon finishing her degree, Jacqueline was selected by the late Richard Gill to become a Developing Artist with Victorian Opera and went on to become a Principal Artist for the company. In 2010, she was awarded the prestigious Dame Nellie Melba Opera Trust Scholarship.

Equally at home on the operatic stage and concert platform, Jacqueline now appears regularly with Australia’s major symphony orchestras and opera companies. She has worked with celebrated conductors including Sir Neville Marriner, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Sir Andrew Davis and

her recitals and concerts are frequently broadcast on ABC Classic FM. Her performance of Prokofiev’s The Ugly Duckling with Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra was recorded for international CD release.

Alongside her performing career, Jacqueline also has a private singing studio and returned to Firbank as a singing teacher before the birth of her second son.

Jacqueline regularly utilises her in depth understanding of linguistics, in particular phonetics and the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), to perform in a variety of languages (Italian, German, French, Spanish, Russian, Czech, Norwegian and Portuguese) and is passionate about passing these skills on to her students to improve their craft. Jacqueline has recently been appointed to a position on staff at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, where she will be teaching Italian Lyric Diction for Singers.

Upon graduating from Firbank in 2001, Miranda completed a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences honours degree at Monash University.

Following her Honours year, Miranda realised that she wanted to pursue a career in research at the clinical, not laboratory, level and was awarded an Australian Post Graduate Scholarship to undertake a PhD through the School of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine which was awarded in 2010.

In late 2012 she joined The Ritchie Centre, Australia’s leading perinatal research institute to develop a perinatal and clinical epidemiology research theme.

Miranda’s research seeks to understand the mechanisms underlying poor pregnancy outcomes with a particular focus on stillbirth, to improve the safety and provision of homebirth and enhancing the provision of pregnancy and labour care through clinical trials. Miranda also works with the Victorian Department of Health and now Safer Care Victoria to provide research and policy responses to key maternal and perinatal health priority areas.

Miranda is a member of a national stillbirth centre for research excellence currently rolling out an evidence-based package to reduce stillbirth in Australia funded by the Federal Government.

Claire entered Firbank in 1999 and graduated in 2004. She was appointed Captain of the School in her final year.

After giving her final speech at Speech Night in 2004, Claire left immediately on an exchange to Germany. German, a language that she learnt at Firbank, continues to be a passion.

Upon her return to Australia, she commenced an Arts (International Relations)/Law degree at Deakin University.

During the course of her degree in 2007, Claire was fortunate enough to work in a small primary school in Kibera, a rural village in Kenya. She taught 78 Year 3 students in the classroom, with six children per desk sharing one text book.

As Claire observed, ‘Very different to the learning environment that I had grown accustomed to from my days at Firbank’.

Working in this small African school inspired Claire to lead a fundraising effort to build a new school in Kibera. Claire’s inspiring speech in a Firbank Senior School Assembly, led to the students raising in excess of $8000 for this project.

In 2009, as part of her final year, Claire spent a semester abroad studying in Graz, Austria. Her major area of study was International Outer Space Law, a broad area of law that she had previously not known existed.

Claire, inspired by her African teaching experience, then taught in a primary school in Bolivia.

2001

MIRANDA DAVIES-TUCK (DAVIES)

2004

CLAIRE SUNDIN (HUNTING)

Currently living in Sweden with her husband Alex, Claire works as Head of Legal for expansion for H&M, the Swedish clothing retailer, which she loves.

53

2004

LISA

SZATSZNAJDER

2005

Lisa began at Firbank in 1999, and was a Prefect in 2004. In Year 8, Lisa followed her older sister into the Firbank Rowing Program and continued rowing throughout her school days.

Upon graduating, she was the first alumna to represent Australia in rowing, winning a silver and a bronze medal at the 2007 and 2008 Under 23 World Rowing Championships. Lisa stated, ‘Never did I imagine that I would swap my green and gold Firbank rowing suit for a green and gold Australian one’. Lisa competed in Scotland, Germany, Holland & Italy. In 2009, Lisa became a rowing scholarship holder at the Australian Institute of Sport, and moved to Canberra to pursue her rowing dreams. But in 2010 - a series of injuries forced Lisa into early retirement; a devastating blow for the aspiring Olympian. She then shifted her attention to further her studies and career.

Emily entered Turner House in 1993 and, upon her graduation in 2005, was accepted to study at Oxford University. In 2009, she completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

Whilst at Oxford, Emily performed in a Master production ‘Agamemnon’, which was performed entirely in Ancient Greek.

She also continued to perform leading roles in several ballet productions

EMILY COATS

54

Emily undertook a Masters dissertation about the tar sands oil fields in Canada and in 2010 to 2014 worked as a codirector of the UK Tar Sands Network, an environmental NGO working in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples in Canada to stop unwanted oil developments on their lands.

During this time, she was also involved in voluntary climate change activism, including through the mass protest group Climate Camp. Still a committed ballet dancer, Emily created and performed an

In 2012, Lisa had already completed her BA Arts (Media & Communications) at the University of Melbourne - and was half way through her Masters of Marketing from Monash University - when she landed an exciting opportunity in the United Arab Emirates; as a Marketing Executive for Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts - the hospitality group famous for the Burj Al Arab (sail hotel) in Dubai.

Today, she is the Regional Head of Spotify in the Middle East & North Africa; managing the platform in 13 markets, including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt & North Africa. She was instrumental in launching Spotify in the region in midNovember 2018, and now looks to expand on that market growth. Lisa has been living in Dubai for over seven years.

interventionist stunt called BP White Swan, which was a pop up performance of Swan Lake protesting against BP in a public event at Trafalgar Square.

In 2014 she worked as a policy analyst at the London think tank Green Alliance, contributing to reforming the UK’s renewably energy program. Emily then moved to North Wales to live in a mountain village and pursue her interest in rock climbing and the outdoors, while continuing to work remotely for Green Alliance.

She returned to Melbourne in 2018 and took a job at a leading global software company ThoughtWorks. In 2019 she switched to the green electricity company Powershop, where she has been helping the team to learn and adopt software best practices.

Samantha entered Sandringham House in 1999 and left Firbank in 2003 after successfully auditioning for the The Australian Conservatoire of Ballet and joined their full-time Diploma of Dance course.

During her time at the The Australian Conservatoire of Ballet, she received the highest mark of distinction for every level and was the recipient of the Outstanding Student Award in 2005 and 2006.

In 2006, after qualifying as a quarter finalist, she travelled to Switzerland to compete in the prestigious Prix de Lausanne where she was chosen as a semi finalist. As a result of her success, she was offered places at several international ballet schools and chose a traineeship with the San Francisco Ballet in 2006.

In 2007, she was chosen to appear in the Youth America Grand Prix Semi Finals in California and won the Senior Classical section. Later that year, Samantha was invited by Australian choreographer, Stanton Welch, to join the Corps de Ballet at the Houston Ballet in Texas.

Eloise entered the Early Learning Centre at Sandringham House in 1994. She started dancing at the age of three at the encouragement of parents, both of whom are former dancers with the Australian Ballet.

She trained at the Jane Moore Academy of Ballet until the age of 16, while also taking classes at her parents’ ballet studio, City Dance Centre.

In 2008, Eloise joined the Australian Ballet and danced with the company for nine years. Her career highlights were Giselle, Cygnets in both Graeme Murphy and Stephen Bayne’s Swan Lake, Manon, Cupid in Don Quixote and Step Sisters in Alexei Ratmansky’s Cinderella. Eloise has toured with the company to many international locations including Japan, China, USA, UK and France.

Samantha undertook three seasons with the Houston Ballet. Following this Samantha joined the Norwegian National Ballet in 2013.

2007

She has danced a number of contemporary and classic works. She has created three pieces with her creative partner Douwe Dekkers. Their piece ‘for:jake’ was shown at the Royal Opera house in April 2019 as part of International Draftworks.

In 2018 she founded Nasjonalballetten RAW! a completely volunteer, dancer curated project that she leads entirely herself. It is a platform for dancers within the dance company, to create their own dance works, in order to put on a show that benefits others. Last year all proceeds went to the Young Future Foundation, in Cebu Philippines and in 2019 it is raising money for people living with cerebral palsy.

In Paris (2008), Eloise was fortunate enough to dance on opening night and in the audience, were current Firbank students and teachers who were undertaking a sports tour of the UK. In 2016, Eloise decided to retire from the stage. Her last performance was at the Coliseum Theatre in London where she performed her favourite role of the Dumpy Stepsister in Ratmansky’s Cinderella.

Following this, Eloise took up the role of Artistic Coordinator with the Australian Ballet where she worked closely with the dancers and artistic staff behind the scenes to bring the magic onto the stage.

Eloise’s mother, Mary Fryer (Renouf 1980) is also Firbank alumni and was also a member of the Australian Ballet.

SAMANTHA LYNCH

2008

ELOISE FRYER

55

WELCOME TO THE 10 NEW WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT 1934 Ida Lea (Osborne) 1959 Joan Treweeke (Rowlands) OAM 1961 Dr Jan Smith (Harry) 1962 Prof Joan Ozanne-Smith AO 1972 Maroochy Barambah 1972 Kerry Kornhauser OAM 1984 Felicity Frederico OAM 1998 Amie Kaufman 2007 Catherine Skinner OAM 2009 Francesca Gelai

Ida Elizabeth Lea (Osborne) graduated from Firbank Grammar in Year 10. During her time at the School, she cultivated acting and drama connections through extracurricular studies in elocution.

In the 1934 Melbourne Elocutionary Championships, she was spotted by the ABC and invited to act in radio plays and over the next two years, played most of Shakespeare’s younger women characters.

Ida continued her contract with the ABC and worked on the radio’s Argonauts Club program from 1939 capturing the minds and hearts of children and adults throughout Australia.

Ida was a founding member of the enduring Children’s Book Council of Australia, formed in 1945 to encourage children to read books of literary merit.

In 1946 she was awarded an Imperial Relations Scholarship, which gave her almost a year in the UK extending her experience in broadcasting and production. Upon her return to Australia, she pursued acting and starred in a number of Shakespearean and other plays.

Joan matriculated in 1960 as Captain of Tyson House and a School Prefect.

She commenced a Law Degree at the University of Melbourne in 1961. After completing her Articles, she moved to south west Queensland following her marriage to Rory Treweeke a fellow law student.

Joan moved south to NSW in 1969 following the purchase of Angledool Station, where she still resides. With the arrival of children and the necessity for School of the Air lessons at home, she became a home tutor for the next twenty one years.

This lead to involvement with the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association (ICPA) becoming NSW Vice-President and being heavily involved in curriculum development for Distance Education students, and the implementation of the Country Areas Programme (CAP) in the north west of NSW.

Ida went on to be a part of the ABC’s ‘Women’s Session’ radio program in the 1950’s covering issues constraining the lives of women. In 1954 Ida was selected as the only female national broadcaster to cover the Queen’s first tour of Australia.

1934

Throughout her life she was devoted to children through voluntary work for the Save the Children Fund and was responsible for its establishment. During her presidency, 13 preschools were formed in NSW, many in remote rural areas.

In 1977 Ida was awarded a Member of the British Empire, presented by the Queen for her contribution to radio and the arts.

Following the death of her second husband, Ida spent many of her next 25 years travelling. She also wrote a small book published by the ABC, called Good Rowing!, documenting the development of the National Children’s radio program.

IDA LEA (OSBORNE)

Ida passed away in 2014.

In 1996 she was elected to the Board of the Royal Flying Doctor Service South East Section where she still serves, having been President and has been a member on the Australia Council of the RFDS. Joan is a ministerial appointment to the Western NSW Local Health District Board – the rural health district with the most health facilities in Australia covering 250,000 sq km, equal in size to Great Britain. This was followed in 2014 by her appointment as a director of the Royal Far West Board and she was elected Chair in 2017. The RFW provides essential developmental health and other services to children living in rural and remote areas across Australia.

Upon commencing life in remote Australia, Joan realised that one had to fight for any semblance of the services her family had taken for granted in Brighton. She has spent her life advocating and fighting for greater equity in education and health services in rural and remote Australia.

1959

JOAN TREWEEKE OAM (ROWLANDS)

She served three terms on the Walgett Shire Council from 1992 to 2004.

57

1961

Jan completed all of her schooling at Firbank, as did her mother and two sisters. Jan was a Probationer Prefect and matriculated with a scholarship to the University of Melbourne in 1961.

She completed a five-year honours psychology double major and Diploma of Social Work and graduated with a Full Blue in Women’s Foil in 1966. Moving to London for five years, she had two of her three children, worked as a psychiatric social worker and trained as a child psychotherapist at the Tavistock Institute.

DR. JAN SMITH (HARRY)

1962

PROF JOAN OZANNESMITH AO

58

Returning to Australia, Jan worked as a clinical psychologist at the Royal Children’s Hospital for 10 years, completing a research Masters in Psychology at the University of Melbourne. In 1978 she became Head of Child Psychology at Monash Medical Centre which she held for eighteen years, completed a PhD at La Trobe University entitled ‘Stress Resilience in Children’, and published two international journal articles on group work.

Emeritus Professor Joan Ozanne-Smith AO attended Firbank for her final three years of schooling.

After leaving school, Joan studied medicine at Monash University. When confronted by many severe injury cases in hospital emergency departments, she recognised the need for prevention and resolved to prevent rather than treat future injuries. This required further study and Joan gained qualifications in public health and sociology, a research doctorate and an Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine Fellowship. She was appointed Professor at Monash University in 1998.

Joan has contributed to the development of injury mortality and morbidity data systems in Australia and internationally including as Director of the Victorian Injury Surveillance System and the National Coronial Information System.

Currently, Joan heads the Injury Prevention Research Unit at the Monash Department of Forensic Medicine. Her recent research and PhD supervision includes injury

Jan began mountaineering at age 58.

Mount Everest caught her eye and ten years later she summited on her 68th birthday. This was her third attempt, becoming the oldest Australian and western women to do so. In total Jan has summitted six of the Seven Summits.

This year Jan upgraded a bush sanctuary at Rosebud to a Trust For Nature covenant protecting it for future generations.

Jan reflects that Firbank gave her an expectation of success, pride in her early schooling and a lifelong group of friends.

prevention in low and middle-income countries, safe design, and drowning prevention. She has seen dramatic reductions in deaths and serious injuries throughout her career.

Joan has worked extensively internationally consulting with the World Health Organisation, particularly in China, Vietnam and Geneva and during a Churchill Fellowship (1997) and sabbatical studies in 1983/4 and 2002. She has authored more than 250 scientific publications and presented over 100 papers at national and international scientific conferences.

In 2016, Joan was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia, citing her service to public health, injury prevention and higher education. She also has awards from the Public Health Association of Australia, Kidsafe, and the International Lifesaving Federation’s President’s Medal.

Joan was appointed to the Governing Board of the Victorian Environment Protection Authority in 2018.

Maroochy Barambah, of the Turrbul/ Dippil ancestry was born Yvette Isaacs, on Cherbourg Aboriginal Reserve in Queensland. At the age of 12, she moved to Melbourne and lived with a Firbank family. Following her time at Firbank, she attended the Melba Conservatorium of Music in Melbourne and Victorian College of the Arts where she graduated in Dramatic Arts in 1979. During the 1980s, Maroochy acted in television series but her major break came in 1989 when she spearheaded the Australian opera film ‘Black River’ in winning the prestigious 1993 IMZ Opera Screen Award in Paris. In 1989 Maroochy became the first Aborigine to perform on the Australian operatic stage. She was also the first Australian to perform at the United Nations in New York in honour of the International Year for the World’s Indigenous Peoples in 1993.

Maroochy volunteered on the Victorian 150th Anniversary Committee and the Beltout Festival in Queensland (1994 – 2002). She has delivered several lectures on Aboriginal culture and was a keynote speaker at the inaugural Australian Reconciliation Convention in 1997.

Following her time at Firbank Kerry commenced her career in the advertising industry, holding senior positions with major agencies Clemenger Harvie and George Patterson. She also spent time in the private health care and hospitality sectors, helping establish Australian Health Resources and working as Marketing Director in a number of successful corporate accommodation hotels.

Having long been an active volunteer, Kerry joined her local Rotary Club in 2008 where she developed her passion for gender balance, gender equity and women’s rights.

In 2010, she founded Women in Rotary, now a world-wide initiative aimed at promoting and encouraging the participation and contribution of women in Rotary. For the past nine years, Kerry has organised Women in Rotary’s annual International Women’s Day Breakfast, a major community event, which has grown to host over one thousand guests annually and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for its charity partners.

Maroochy is the Songwoman and Lawwoman of the Turrbal Traditional Owners of Brisbane. In this capacity, she undertook the Welcome to Country Ceremony for the Opening Ceremony of the Soccer Tournament at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

She also welcomed world leaders at the G20 Summit in 2014. Maroochy translated the Australian National Anthem into the Turrbal Aboriginal language which has been performed at major events and schools in the Brisbane area.

Maroochy was an Honorary Ambassador of the Maroochy Shire Council and the Australia Day Council. In April 2000, Maroochy was awarded an Honorary Senior Fellowship of the University of the Sunshine Coast in Qld for her outstanding and sustained contributions to the community. She was also a co-contributor to the book Going Digital 2000: Legal Issues for E-Commerce, Software and the Internet on the issue of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property and is a past Board member of The Bennelong Society.

Another of Kerry’s focuses with Rotary has been EndTrachoma 2020, a Rotaryled initiative working towards the World Health Organisation’s goal of eliminating trachoma by 2020. Trachoma is an eye disease which causes blindness. Australia is the only developed country with trachoma; it remains prevalent in remote Indigenous communities.

In addition to her work with Rotary and EndTrachoma, Kerry sits on the boards of Violence Free Families and Nourish our Communities, and is a project manager with the Bridge of Hope’s Bridging the Gap program.

In 2017, Kerry received a Medal of the Order of Australia for her services to the community.

1972

MAROOCHY BARAMBAH

1972

KERRY

KORNHAUSER

OAM

59

1984

FELICITY FREDERICO OAM

1998

AMIE KAUFMAN

One of Felicity’s first leadership positions was House Captain of Hancock. After leaving school, Felicity studied Tourism at William Angliss and Marketing at Monash University. She has worked in marketing roles for global and national brands including Heinz, Clark Shoes, Berri and Myer. More recently, she has specialised in developing stakeholder engagement frameworks and advocacy strategies.

Felicity is passionate about building capacity in our communities through positive disruption. This was recognised with an Order of Australia Medal in 2019. In 2008, Felicity was a disgruntled ratepayer. She quickly realised that her concerns were being ignored as she felt that her voice - as a female with young children, was not represented on the Bayside Council. In 2008, she successfully ran for Council and stayed on for eight years in the capacity of Councillor and Mayor. She used this period to successfully advocate for many previously neglected issues. She is well-known for establishing ‘The Grass Ceiling Campaign’ in 2015, which highlighted, for the first time, the systemic generational neglect of under-

Amie enrolled in three-year-old kinder at Sandringham House in 1984, and was a Firbank student until her completion of year twelve in 1998. During her time at the school she co-founded the sailing team, participated in debating and Duke of Ed, and received scholarships for both academic and general excellence.

Amie went on to gain degrees in Arts and Law as well as a Masters in Conflict Resolution, traveling as often as she could during her time at university. She is currently undertaking a PhD in Creative Writing. After university she became a mediator, building and leading the mediation program at a national not-forprofit, as well as teaching mediation.

Amie’s always written and told stories, and so in the evenings after work and on weekends, she chipped away at her first novel, which was published in 2013.

60

investment in female sporting infrastructure – with a focus on the lack of female friendly change rooms. The campaign influenced a change in government policies and attitudes at all three levels of government.

She is an active and strong advocate for the need for more females in leadership and decision making positions.

She is currently a board member of the Victorian Amateur Football Association and Vice President of an Aged Care facility.

Previous roles on boards and statutory authorities include Director of the South Metro Junior Football League, Trust Member of the Southern Metropolitan Cemetery Trust, Vice President of the Australian Local Government Women’s Association, school councils and many more.

Felicity was also a committee member of the Firbank Senior School Parents Association while her daughter Emmie was at Firbank. Emmie finished in 2018, and is now studying at San Diego State University on a rowing scholarship.

Amie now works full-time as an author, writing science fiction and fantasy for children and teens. Her books have featured many times on the New York Times, USA Today, Sunday Times and Australian bestseller lists, as well as winning multiple awards, including the Australian Book Industry Award, and shortlisting for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award.

Amie’s work has been published in more than 35 countries, and is in development for both film and TV. Amie tours internationally each year for her work, but her base remains in Melbourne, where she lives with her husband and daughter.

Catherine first entered Firbank as a boarder in 2004, and graduated in 2007.

During her time at Firbank she was encouraged by the school’s sporting program to strive for excellence in a sport not usually recognised; Clay Target Shooting. While still studying at Firbank, Catherine made her first World Championship team in 2006 to represent Australia in the event of Junior Women’s Trap.

In addition to her sporting career, Catherine graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) (Honours) from RMIT University.

Catherine is currently pursuing a career in engineering, while still competing in the occasional shooting event.

Upon graduating from Firbank, she has represented Australia around the world at 8 World Championships, 15 World Cups, 4 World Cup Finals, 2 Commonwealth games and most notably winning gold medal at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016.

Resulting from her achievement Catherine was awarded the Order of Australia Medal.

Francesca entered Firbank in 2004 and graduated in 2009. Upon leaving Firbank Francesca found herself working in an optometry practice where she became a dispensing optician.

It was during her time at the optometry practice where she discovered ocularistry.

Ocularistry describes someone who handmakes prosthetic eyes for people who have lost theirs due to disease or trauma.

Francesca was drawn to this multifaceted craft as it combines art, science, psychology and rehabilitation.

Francesca travelled to the United Kingdom to train under world renowned ocularist, John Pacey-Lowrie, where she obtained Certificates in Ocular Prosthetics through Nottingham Trent University in 2016.

Following this Francesca trained in Greece with three generations of ocularists at Sankey International.

2007

CATHERINE SKINNER OAM

In 2018 Francesca worked as a pro-bono ocularist in Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria, originally to gain more clinical experience in the field but she found that there are a lot of under-served people in these places.

The great need for this profession led Francesca and fellow ocularist, Nelly James, to establish Eyes for All. Eyes for All aims to make prosthetic eyes more accessible and affordable in developing countries. In many places, especially those with inadequate healthcare, social stigma and superstition cause people with disabilities to live with extreme ostracisation and shame. Eyes for All travels to developing countries and trains local staff at public hospitals to make and dispense artificial eyes so that the practice can be sustainable and can carry on into the future.

2009

FRANCESCA GELAI

Francesca is currently in Lagos, Nigeria facilitating the set up of the country’s first public hospital based prosthetics eye clinic.

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OPENING OF HINDLEY HOUSE CIRCA 1927

110 YEARS APRIL 2019

SCHOOL HYMN Wrought by brave hands long dead, the past has laid So great a heritage before our feet, We can with grateful hearts and unafraid, Work on to make the present strong and sweet.

Refrain Lord God through all the changes time may bring, Guard Thou the School ‘neath Thine o’ershadowing.

Laughter and work! Swift help in other’s need, Under the friendly walls the terms go by.

The School has lit the torch. Let us take heed That in our hands that beacon cannot die.

Refrain In fragrant morn as evening grows to night, The School is calling. Let us go our ways.

With faces ever turned toward the light Fill with high toil the gracious common days.

Refrain Give of our best. So when the gates swing wide, And through the larger world our way we choose, Of life’s high enterprise, which we descried, Never can we the vision wholly lose.

Refrain

VINCIT QUI SE VINCIT - one conquers, who conquers oneself

51 Outer Crescent, Brighton Vic 3186 45 Royal Avenue, Sandringham Vic 3191 firbank.vic.edu.au • CRICOS Provider No 00140K