Light Blue - January 2014

ISSUE 91 JAN 2014

NURTURING RELATIONSHIPS As the School celebrates 100 years at Corio, we reflect upon the relationships that bind our community together

↓ SECTION 01 — INTRODUCTION

“We believe in nurturing strong relationships” This is one of the beliefs that undergird the purpose of our School. It is implicit and explicit in the classroom, the House, the sports team, the music, dance and drama group. We hope this belief extends to our many parents, past parents, alumni and friends.

In this special year, we invite everyone to come ‘Back to Corio’ to keep relationships alive and to forge new ones. 100 years ago our School moved from Geelong to Corio and it is right that we focus on our relationships as well as reflecting on our past whilst planning and building for our future. Whatever our past or future, it is of little value if we don’t remember and celebrate who we are as people. Our School believes in enhancing wellbeing, recruiting exceptional staff, the provision of rigorous academic programmes, fostering spirituality and in serving others.

I think all these beliefs depend in part on the way we nurture strong relationships.

I hope you will try to get involved with our School during 2014. You may decide to come ‘Back to Corio’ on March 30, support Annual Giving or the Exceptional Futures fundraising campaign, or join one of our many Support Groups linked to sports, the arts and past parents. These are not mutually exclusive. There are also OGG Reunions, Principal’s Receptions and other opportunities to get involved and keep the relationships alive.

Editor Brendan McAloon Design Claire Robson Photography Ann Badger Bob Bickerton Tony Bretherton Mark Elshout Linda Hartskeerl Tony Inkster Peter Lemon (FB’64) Ann Tyers (Fairley, He’68) Katie Rafferty (Spry, Ga’84) Drew Ryan Steve Solomonson Sarah Treyvaud

I hope you will find much in this edition of Light Blue to interest, stimulate and inform you about our unique School. I also hope you will continue to build and enjoy the strong relationships that make us who we are – relationships that will provide the sure foundations for our students now and into the future.

Tony Bretherton Director, Community Relations

Website www.ggs.vic.edu.au Email lightblue@ggs.vic.edu.au CRICOS 00143G

2

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓ SECTION 01 — INTRODUCTION

14 - 15

POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS

Positive Education focuses on creating, nurturing and sustaining supportive relationships

4

CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL

16

SENIOR SCHOOL

27

NEW HEAD OF CORIO

6

FROM OUR PRINCIPAL

18

TIMBERTOP

28

EXCEPTIONAL FUTURES

8

YEAR 12 RESULTS

19

BOSTOCK HOUSE

30

FOUNDATION

20

TOORAK CAMPUS

31

PHILANTHROPY

22

MIDDLE SCHOOL

24 - 25

32

OGG PRESIDENT

Introducing Billie Hook (Yr12 Ga) and Sam Parsons (Yr12 P)

33

OGG NEWS

34

OGG ASIA

36

TOWER LUNCHEON

38

OGG REUNIONS

42

OGG SPORT

44

COGA

45

HOGA

46

FROM THE CURATOR

10

FROM LITTLE THINGS

OUR 2014 SCHOOL CAPTAINS

12 - 13

PIONEERING POS ED

Vice Principal Charlie Scudamore was presented with the inaugural Positive Psychology Pioneer Award by Professor Martin Seligman

26

IN A HURRY

The School’s Athletics team enjoyed an outstanding season in 2013

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

3

4

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓ SECTION 01 — INTRODUCTION

CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL

As I reflect upon the Christmas holidays, relationships with family, friends and colleagues are paramount in my thoughts. We are, after all, the sum of our relationships and our individual mark on this world is mainly measured through the impact we have on others through our relationships.

Geelong Grammar School forges deep, wide and enduring relationships among those in its community. Students and staff share incredible experiences and intense times together, which really can only occur in a boarding environment, and from these experiences strong friendships are formed. This is to be expected and I believe is understood by so many in our community. What continually amazes me, however, is the breadth and strength of relationships formed between parents, guardians and numerous others who come into contact with the School. No other School that I am aware of has a Past Parents’ Network or occasions such as Family Day. I wonder if the strength of these connections is due to the shared experience of our children being away from home for long periods of time or because we have chosen this School because it reflects our values and educational objectives and these are unifying forces? Or indeed it may be something far less prosaic such as we all just enjoy a good party!

In the last week of November I joined 75 Year 8 students, 12 staff and 15 other parent/volunteers to tackle 610 kilometers of bitumen from Mt Gambier to Geelong by bicycle.

The Great Victorian Bike Ride (GVBR) is no dawdle through the countryside. It is a gruelling experience of many hours in the saddle and the ‘joy’ of camping cheekby-jowl with 5,000 others. GGS has been participating in the GVBR since 1994 and is one of the largest school groups doing it. We ride in small groups of around six students and two adults for the nine days with a strong emphasis on safety and courtesy. The shared experiences form wonderful relationships amongst all those on the ride and there is no doubt in my mind that the students gain a fantastic preparation for their following year at Timbertop. The dedication of our staff in keeping students and bikes on the road is astounding.

At the end of Term 3, a group of Year 11 students completed an exhausting 160-kilometre relay run from Corio to Lorne and back again. The annual run, dubbed the Lorne 160, was initially undertaken in 1991 and has raised money for a wide range of local charities during the past two decades. This year, 21 students, three staff and a parent/ volunteer battled windy conditions to complete the journey in just over 14 hours. They raised more than $50,000 for Time For Youth, a Geelong-based charity that provides service for vulnerable young people aged 10-25 at risk of homelessness, mental health problems, substance abuse and family breakdown.

The money raised helped fund the City Limits Youth Refuge project, which is helping these at risk kids stay in school and off the street. Through the Lorne 160 our students developed meaningful relationships, not just with each other but beyond, to the wider Geelong community.

There is much that accompanies this edition of Light Blue about our celebration of the move from Geelong to Corio 100 years ago and we do have much to celebrate. The vision of those in the early 1900s to make the move was brilliant as today we have space and relative privacy whilst still being close to major cities and infrastructure. Many people when they first come to the Corio campus are amazed at the ‘university campus’ feel it has. The campus will be even more amazing when the Centre for Creative Education is completed. That we have been able to commence construction in 2013 after raising more than $7.3M of the $10M fundraising target is a testament to the efforts of Ian Darling (P’79), Chairman of the Fundraising Committee, and the incredible relationships the School has with those who have given so generously to get us so far so quickly.

I do hope many of you can join us by coming ‘Back to Corio’ to celebrate our 100 years there on Sunday 30 March.

The day will feature a Chapel service, centenary lunch, exhibitions of OGG artworks and a special reunion SAVE concert. Fittingly, the art exhibitions and SAVE concert will showcase and celebrate the achievements of OGGs in the creative arts.

I wish you and your family a happy and fulfilling 2014.

Jeremy Kirkwood (FB’79) Chairman of Council

OPPOSITE: James Cameron (Yr12 FB) and Sam Parsons (Yr12 P) lead the way on the return leg of the Lorne 160 LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

5

↓ SECTION 01 — INTRODUCTION

FROM OUR PRINCIPAL

6

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓

I have stopped trying to speculate as to why it is the case. Originally, I would suggest that it was to do with being predominantly a boarding school on a separate campus, or from the strong bonds of friendship which are created at Timbertop, but influential as those two factors might be, they could not explain why there was a similar strong set of relationships at Bostock House, Toorak Campus or Middle School. Perhaps it was just Australian culture – but I am sure that there would be few schools in Australia which would have as strong a set of relationships as exists here. There are other ideas I used to put forward, but since I do not have the answer, there seems little point on continuing along these lines. What I do know is that the importance of these relationships underpins everything that we do at the School.

I see it at Bostock House in the way that the students feel so secure with each other and the staff, that they are confident to share their ideas. I see it at Toorak Campus, where the students have the opportunity to shape their learning through the Primary Years Programme (PYP) of the International Baccalaureate and the confidence to do it.

I see it in the Middle School, with students joining anew from far and wide and, for many, settling comfortably into boarding for the first time. I see it at Timbertop, where the students and staff do all the runs and all the hikes together, supporting each other along the way and enjoying each other’s company. I see it in the Senior School, where students have the confidence to speak or perform through playing a musical instrument, singing or dancing on stage in the Senior School assembly, because they know that it is such a supportive audience who are willing them to succeed. (One of the reasons why the Centre for Creative Education (CCE) is so important to the life of the School is that it will enable all students to be able to attend the Senior School assembly, rather than for one House having to watch via video link and for another House to be on stage behind the performers. You can read about the wonderful progress with the CCE on pages 8-9.) I see it in many other ways as well, which space precludes me from mentioning – and none of this just happens. It requires special relationships to ensure that students and staff feel comfortable, confident and secure to be able to be themselves.

Those relationships have grown even stronger in the last few years with the introduction of Positive Education.

Positive Relationships is one of the six core domains of Positive Education and you can read about its significance in the article written by Justin Robinson on pages 14-15. In 2014, Justin is moving from being the Head of Positive Education to being the new Director of the Institute of Positive Education. The Institute is a very exciting next development in the evolution of Positive Education as it will enable us to do more research, write more articles and books, develop more material for use within the School, train teachers from other schools (for which there is a great deal of demand, such is the awareness of the need for Positive Education to be in the curriculum of schools across the world) and run courses for the parents of our students.

The three-day Discovering Positive Psychology courses for parents are another way of developing the strong relationship which exists between the School and the parents, which is so essential for the education and development of the students at the School. We are fortunate to have such supportive parents, who share the values and vision of the School.

There is such a remarkable sense of community when the parents gather at the School – whether it be when all the parents from the four campuses come to Corio for the School Athletics Carnival in Term 3 or events such as Family Day at Corio in Term 1. The sense of community – the support for the students, for the other parents, for the staff and for the School – is almost tangible, it is so strong.

It is interesting just how many parents have said to me over the years how much they will miss belonging to that close community once their children have left the School. It was in answer to the wish to remain a member of that close community that the Past Parents’ Association (PPA) was formed three years ago.

The Association is going from strength to strength as more parents become members. Please contact the School if you would like to join the PPA. No reflection on relationships within the School community would be complete without mention of the friendships which are sustained over a lifetime by those students who went to the School. I hear about those friendships when talking to any group of OGGs and see it when I attend various reunions such as the Tower Luncheon, about which you can read on pages 36-37. The strength of the attendance at the reunions is testimony to the strength of the friendships which have been developed by students at the School. The Old Geelong Grammarians (OGG) Association does a marvellous job in organising the reunions and in facilitating the connection of OGGs with each other and I am very grateful for the great work done by our Alumni Manager, Katie Rafferty (Spry, Ga’84). This will be another very busy year for her as we celebrate 100 years at Corio with the special ‘Back to Corio’ reunion in March. I am very much looking forward to seeing so many OGGs return to the School with their families.

It is right that this edition of Light Blue celebrates the nurturing of strong relationships in the year that we are looking forward to the special reunion.

It is the strong relationships which have been built at the School which underpin the gathering together of the School community on a daily basis and for special reunions, for friendship, for support and for reminiscing. It is the relationships which make us all who we are.

Stephen Meek Principal OPPOSITE: The many faces of the Bostock House Christmas Pageant

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

7

SECTION 01 — INTRODUCTION

When I became Principal of Geelong Grammar School, now almost 10 years ago, one of the first impressions that struck me most forcibly was the strength of the relationships which exist within the School. In many of my early speeches, I remarked that I had never worked in a school where the strength of relationships between students and staff, students and students, and staff and staff was as strong as those which I could see around me at Geelong Grammar School. I should point out that I had always believed that the previous three schools in which I had worked also had good relationships. Thus it was not a question of coming from poor relationships to good relationships – but more a case of coming from schools with good relationships to one with exceptional relationships. 10 years on I have stopped saying it in my speeches – not because it is no longer true, but because so many people have heard me say it before and because there are other points I want to make. However, with the theme in this edition of Light Blue being about relationships (as one of our beliefs about the School is that “we believe in nurturing strong relationships”), it gives me the chance to say it again. I continue to be incredibly impressed with the relationships which exist within this School.

↓ SECTION 02 — SCHOOL

Our 2013 Year 12 students achieved record-breaking academic success, with 80 students (38.8%) achieving an ATAR score of 90 or above (top 10%). median ATAR of 85.20 80 students achieved an ATAR score of 90 or above 70 maximum IB study scores of 7

State average

76.7%

50%

25%

10%

5%

1%

2.9%

21.4%

38.8%

95.6%

4 perfect VCE study scores of 50

GGS students

The graph above highlights the percentage of Geelong Grammar School students who achieved ATAR scores that placed them in the top 1%, 5%, 25% and 50% of students in Victoria

8

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓ SECTION 02 — SCHOOL

YEAR 12 RESULTS Our 2013 Year 12 results were outstanding. 158 students (76.7%) achieved an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) score of between 75 and 99.95, which is outstanding for a non-selective school dedicated to providing an all-round education. The Dux of the School was Danielle Davidovits (He’13), who achieved an IB score of 44 out of a possible 45 points, which converts to an ATAR score of 99.80. Danielle (pictured opposite) was one of 80 students to achieve an ATAR score of 90 or above (top 10%).

“There were some outstanding individual results, reflecting the hard work which these students put into their studies over the past two years and we were delighted for them that they achieved what they deserved,” Principal, Stephen Meek, said.

“As a non-selective school, we are proud of all our students’ results and acknowledge the dedication of our exceptional teaching staff and the partnerships between our parents, staff and students to provide the best learning outcomes. We do provide an all-round education and thank our students for their marvellous contributions to all aspects of school life.”

In 2013, there were 134 VCE candidates and 72 IB candidates.

When combined, the School’s median ATAR was 85.20, which means that the top 50% of our students were in the top 15% of the State. 44 students (21.4%) achieved an ATAR of 95 or above. There were four perfect VCE study scores of 50 recorded in English, Further Mathematics (2) and Geography. 35 of our 72 IB students achieved at least one maximum study score of 7, achieving a total of 70 scores of 7 between them.

The Dux of the School, Danielle Davidovits (He’13), achieved a maximum study score of 7 in English, History, Mathematics, Spanish and Theatre. Danielle was House Captain of The Hermitage, won the Juan José Garcia Prize for Drama, sang in the Senior School Choir and represented the School in Debating.

She said that the School’s diverse range of co-curricular activities helped her maintain a healthy balance during Year 12. “It made me really organised and helped with the stress involved in Year 12,” she said.

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

“I really enjoyed being involved in Music and Drama, performing as part of the Choir or in Senior School assembly – all of those fun things really helped me maintain a healthy balance and be really organised to have time for everything.”

The Proxime Accessit of the School was Sebastian Lawrence (Fr’13), who achieved an IB score of 43 out of a possible 45 points, which converts to an ATAR score of 99.60. Sebastian (pictured opposite) achieved a maximum study score of 7 in Biology, Economics, Geography and Spanish. He was captain of the boys’ 1st Tennis team, played trumpet in the Senior School band and represented the School in Debating. “Tennis was a great escape from academic work and helped develop concepts of teamwork, whilst debating involved me in global current affairs and helped develop essay writing and oral presentation skills,” Sebastian explained.

The School’s top VCE student was Anthony Newman (Fr’13), who achieved an ATAR score of 99.20. Anthony achieved excellent results in Chemistry, French, Further Mathematics, Mathematical Methods and Literature. He was a House Prefect in Fraser House, won the Hasker Prize for Modern Languages, won the Bowling Award for the 3rd XI Cricket team and was a member of the Senior School Band (piano, saxophone).

9

↓ SECTION 02 — SCHOOL

FROM LITTLE THINGS

Construction of the School’s new Centre for Creative Education (CCE) began with a little help from Bostock House preppies Grace Nadorp and Luke Taylor. Grace and Luke turned the first sod on the building site on the corner of Biddlecombe Avenue and School Road on December 5. The Geelong Grammar Foundation raised a remarkable $7.3 million towards the new $20.4 million facility in 2013 to enable work to commence. The School will be contributing half of the cost of the CCE, leaving a further $2.9 million to be raised by the Foundation.

The building of the new Centre for Creative Education will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the School’s move to Corio in 2014. “It will be very exciting to be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the School’s move to Corio in the same year we are building a new facility to take us into the next 100 years,” Principal, Stephen Meek, said.

A highly flexible complex, the CCE will provide state-of-the-art facilities for drama, music and dance, as well as performance and visual arts presentations. It will also accommodate all of our students in school assemblies and provide a venue for major events, such as Speech Day. The Centre symbolises the School’s commitment to creativity in education and is another step in the endeavour to embed enhanced creativity in teaching and learning across the whole School.

Construction of the Centre is expected to be completed during Term 1, 2015. An official opening will be planned for Term 2, 2015

10

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓ SECTION 02 — SCHOOL

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

11

↓ SECTION 02 — SCHOOL

PIONEERING POS ED Vice Principal Charlie Scudamore was presented with the inaugural Positive Psychology Pioneer Award by Professor Martin Seligman at the 2013 Masters of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) Summit at the University of Pennsylvania in October. Professor Seligman described Charlie as the “first spearhead” of Positive Education, which he believes is an “antidote to the runaway incidence of depression, a way to increase life satisfaction, and an aid to better learning and more creative thinking”. “Charlie, along with John Hendry and Stephen Meek, spearheaded the introduction of Positive Education into Geelong Grammar School,” Professor Seligman said. “He is a true pioneer.”

Charlie said that the award was wonderful recognition of the School’s successful introduction and ongoing development of Positive Education, which he described as a collaborative process. “To be recognised by the University of Pennsylvania, to be recognised by Marty Seligman, is a huge honour for the School,” Charlie said.

“It also highlights the reputation of our Positive Education programme as one of the most comprehensive and established wellbeing programmes taught by an educational institution anywhere in the world.”

12

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓ SECTION 02 — SCHOOL

As if to illustrate the point, Charlie went from giving the keynote address at the MAPP Summit in Philadelphia to delivering presentations to Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture.

Finland is consistently among the topscoring nations on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), an exam given to 15-year-olds around the world, and its education model was considered “the only excellent system in the world” by the McKinsey Society’s 2010 report into education worldwide.

Charlie was invited to Finland by the University of Vaasa and was surprised at how interested the Finns were in Positive Education. “They have excellent results in literacy and numeracy, but they have real concerns about adolescent wellbeing,” he explained. “They are looking to develop a wellbeing index to go alongside literacy and numeracy, and they were really, really interested in Positive Education – like a lot of places, they were amazed at what we had done.”

While Charlie was criss-crossing the globe, cramming eight flights into nine days, Stephen Meek had only recently returned to Corio. The Principal was a delegate at the three-day UK Positive Education Summit at 10 Downing Street and Wellington College from October 2-4.

He flew back to Australia via Hong Kong to give a presentation about Positive Education to the Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools (HKAHSS). “I am constantly surprised by how many people have heard about GGS and Positive Education,” Charlie said. “Personally, I am very passionate about it – I genuinely do believe that wellbeing needs to be central to any education system. More and more people are interested in teaching the skills for wellbeing and they are looking to us as the leaders in this field.”

RESEARCHING POS ED A major four-year research project examining how Positive Education programmes can enhance adolescent mental health has commenced in Corio.

The research project will be co-ordinated

by The University of Melbourne and will involve comprehensive studies at both Geelong Grammar School and nearby Northern Bay College. 1 in 4 Australian youth experience mental illness and there is an escalating demand for mental health promotion within schools. The research will examine how the teaching of Positive Education programmes can improve mental health and stimulate learning. “We believe that student wellbeing needs to be at the centre of education and this research has the potential to demonstrate that the skills for wellbeing can be taught at all schools, whether they are Geelong Grammar School or Northern Bay College,” Principal, Stephen Meek, said.

“I think that is incredibly exciting for the future of education worldwide.”

The research will study different control groups of Year 10 students, some of whom will be taught the Positive Education curriculum and others who will not. It will be undertaken by leading Australian psychology and education academics from The University of Melbourne, Monash University and Edith Cowan University (WA), and will use innovative methods to measure the impact of learning Positive Education, with students registering their feelings of wellbeing via iPod touch devices and having cortisol levels measured via saliva samples as well as online surveys and focus groups.

“This gives us the opportunity to see in day-to-day functioning whether they actually are using some of the strategies being delivered in the Positive Education programme,” Melbourne University’s Dr Dianne Vella-Brodrick explained. “It’s not just about seeing whether they are using them or not using them, but what are some of the enablers and some of the barriers to being able to use some of the strategies that they are being taught.

Because we are doing the experiential sampling, running focus groups and online surveys, we’re more likely to pinpoint what the active ingredients are.”

The project has received $383,740 in funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Projects scheme, with additional funding provided by Geelong Grammar School, The University of Melbourne and the Geelong Grammar Foundation. Dr Vella-Brodrick said that the results of the study will contribute valuable information about the feasibility of delivering Positive Education more widely across schools. Northern Bay College Principal, Fred Clarke, said that three teachers had already received Positive Education training at Geelong Grammar School and that the programme was a good fit for the local P-12 government school. “What we’re trying to do is build up that sense of hope,” he said.

“Let’s be really positive about life – that’s what this programme is really embracing – and we’re really excited to be part of it to see what we’re going to learn from it.”

Illustration of Charlie Scudamore by Lachie Forgan (Yr9)

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

13

↓ SECTION 02 — SCHOOL

NURTURING POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS Geelong Grammar School has always recognised the importance of establishing healthy relationships amongst all members of the School community. Many OGGs reminisce about the relationships they shared and often continue to share with their fellow peers and teachers.

Such relationships are grounded in mutual respect with individual differences being recognised, accepted and celebrated.

Building on existing policies and practices, the implementation of Positive Education has seen an increased focus on creating, nurturing and sustaining supportive relationships.

Positive Education establishes a common language for the School community to explore and nurture wellbeing; it teaches the skills of wellbeing to all members of the community and establishes a culture which promotes and enables flourishing.

The Geelong Grammar School Model for Positive Education, with its central goal of enabling individuals and collectively the School community to flourish, has six interwoven domains. One of these domains is Positive Relationships, which is described as “increasing social and emotional skills in order to create and promote strong and nourishing relationships with self and others”. Concepts such as empathy, dignity, kindness, forgiveness, emotional intelligence, teamwork and active constructive responding are all covered at different stages within the explicit Positive Education curriculum at GGS. Key topics include positive processes in relationships, friendships and family, assessing relationships and understanding others.

When asked to summarise Positive Psychology, Professor Christopher Peterson responded with the phrase: “Other people matter”. This sentiment reflects that people have a deep need to feel secure in their connections to others and to deem oneself worthy of care, compassion, love and respect.

Feeling connected to and supported by others is essential to wellbeing and mental

14

health. Social relationships are important predictors of subjective wellbeing and meaning in life.

Social support has been found to provide a buffer in times of stressful and adverse life events and contribute to coping and resilience. In contrast, social isolation is a risk factor for depression, substance abuse, suicide and other symptoms of mental ill-health. In addition to benefits for physical and mental wellbeing, relationships have a powerful impact on student accomplishment. Students who feel connected at school have been found to demonstrate strong academic performance and increased school engagement. Support from peers, parents and teachers is consistently associated with high academic motivation and performance.

“Other people matter. But few of them are mind readers. Let them know that they matter. They might benefit. And you certainly will.”

– Christopher Peterson, Pursuing the Good Life – 100 reflections on Positive Psychology

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓ SECTION 02 — SCHOOL

RELATIONSHIPS AT GGS Each year since 2010, staff (teaching and non-teaching) and students (Years 7-12) complete the Individual Flourishing Questionnaire designed by Professor Felicia Huppert from Cambridge University. This questionnaire asks participants to respond to questions based on ten components of flourishing: life satisfaction, relationships, optimism, meaning, resilience, self-esteem, engagement, emotional stability, competence and vitality. Each year, over 80% of staff and students have met the criteria for flourishing in the relationship component of the survey. In 2013, 89% of students and 95% of staff met the positive relationships criteria.

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

In 2011, all students in Years 7, 9 and 11, completed the extensive ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research) Social-Emotional Wellbeing Survey. The following responses indicated high levels of positive relationships existing within the School at levels either above or well above national norms: 91% of GGS students are happy and get along with most of their classmates 90% of GGS students report that their teachers are kind, caring, encouraging and supportive 85% of GGS students feel like they belong at GGS In contrast, 20% of GGS students responded in agreement to the statement “I feel lonely” and this figure motivates us to continue to do all we can to establish strong relationships within our School community. In addition to the explicit Positive Education curriculum, we undertake a wide range of activities to promote and sustain positive relationships between students and staff, students and parents, students and students, parents and staff, as well as amongst the broader GGS community.

In Term 4 alone activities included House valedictory dinners, Year 4 GLOW graduation ceremony at Bostock House, family picnic at Toorak Campus, Timbertop marathon, Christmas carols/ pageants, social gatherings and staff farewells.

I do encourage each of us to consider what small activity we can do today to strengthen an existing relationship or to nurture a new friendship. You may like to get in touch with a past school friend, write a gratitude letter to someone you have never fully thanked, enquire as to how a friend is going and take the time to fully listen and empathise, actively and constructively respond to a friend’s good news, savour a pleasant memory which involved others… The list is endless and the ripples that flow from such acts of kindness are also endless. Every moment counts and, whilst we don’t always get every moment right at GGS, we certainly endeavour to and we will continue striving to build positive relationships within our community.

Justin Robinson Director, Institute of Positive Education

15

↓ SECTION 02 — SCHOOL

IT ALL BEGINS WITH LOVE I thought I’d start with a quote. This was something I found on a website that had all of these quotes about love by young children all aged 4-10. This is what one six-year-old had to say: “Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.”

In the words of Haddaway, “what is love?”

Now I’m not talking about love in the super heavy sense of the word; the commitment and the kind of road to marriage stuff. I’m really just talking about love in the form of compassion, kindness, respect and a genuine enjoyment of another person’s company. In this understanding, I see love as something we have within the majority of our friendships. Even more, love as something present within the dynamic of most Houses. Some of you may think that using love in this way is taking something pretty heavy and applying it to a situation that requires perhaps a more casual or light-hearted description, but I really do think it’s the right word for a lot of things I see happening or I experience at school.

So, I did some research on this massive topic and found some interesting things ranging from soppy poems to some pretty hilarious stand-up comedy acts.

Something nice that came up when I was researching were the ancient Greek words for love and the various meanings. The first one I read about was agape; the love that is defined by self-sacrifice that expects nothing in return, the kind of love that the six-year-old was talking about in terms of his French fries. The other ancient Greek word for love I read about was philia, defined as ‘mental love’, to give affection in terms of friendship, supported by a give and take nature.

16

From this definition of love and the understanding that love is such an important component in our friendships, I’d like to share a quick story with you.

It’s a story about my grandmother, who unfortunately I was unable to meet due to her passing before I was born.

Now, I’ve heard a lot of stories about my grandmother; that I resemble her a lot physically and that she used to have a huge love of singing, something that I share as well. But the story I find the most amazing about her and that ties in with the topic of love is a story from her experience in World War II. My grandmother, as a young Jewish woman, was sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp towards the end of the war. She was only there for about nine months and thankfully, managed to survive until the camp was liberated. During her time there, she had an accident where she fell and seriously injured her ankle to the point where she couldn’t really walk normally.

And this was a really serious issue because every morning they would have a morning roll call where they would check everyone before they would be sent to work. Essentially, if you couldn’t work you were of limited use and you would expect the worst to happen to you.

My grandmother had two really close friends in the camp and these friends did something for her that was so selfless and such an incredible act of love. Every morning, for the roll call, they would stand on either side of her and push against her so strongly that it would appear that she was walking semi-normally or at least normally enough for the officers not to notice. In doing this, these friends risked their life for my grandmother, to literally support her in what I can only imagine

was one of the most stressful and fearful situations anyone could ever experience.

I wanted to share that story with you to emphasize this idea of love within our community here at school and within the relationships that we have with each other. As many of us approach exams and stress and fear naturally kick in, let us not forget to keep up the compassion and respect in our friendships. Make sure to express this love in the form of kindness and caring and a general awareness of the wellbeing of friends who might not be coping so well. Try and remember that showing love to someone, however small an act it may be, can have an immense effect.

So another quote, by an eight-year-old this time: “You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.”

Now, I say this not desiring people to run around bombarding other people with outbursts that they’ve had an obsession with them for however many months now and they should just come out and say the words, all of you involved in the Kurt Stoeckl Facebook fan page, I’m talking to you because I know there is one. All I mean is that expression of love towards those closest to us is so important, especially in challenging times.

Danielle Davidovits (He’13) *This is an edited extract of a speech Danielle delivered at Senior School Assembly in Term 4, 2013.

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

17

↓ SECTION 02 — SCHOOL

MY TIMBERTOP FAMILY

Timbertop is a place where 220 students are lucky enough to come and live for a year. You run, you hike, you live in a Unit with 13 or 14 other people and you are out of contact from the real world and your family. It wasn’t until someone in my family had an accident that changed his life that I realised that the running and the hiking wasn’t really what Timbertop was about. Timbertop is all about relationships – they are so important and without them I honestly don’t think that you could survive.

At the start of the Term 1 holiday my nine-year-old brother got hit in the eye with a stick and lost all vision in his right eye. My family was obviously devastated about what had happened and so was my brother. His life had been permanently altered. But the reality was that when I came back to Timbertop for Term 2, I didn’t know how he was going, how he was feeling or how my family was coping.

But that’s where I was lucky. I go to Timbertop and live with 14 girls who I know will always support me. What has happened to my brother has brought to my attention how important family is and being away from my real family has given me the opportunity to become a part of another family, in O Unit.

From day one at Timbertop I’ve always had a sense of belonging and I feel as accepted in O Unit as I do in my own family. I’ve been lucky enough to hear the stories of other girls in my Unit of the bumps that they have experienced along the path of life and I’m grateful that we feel like we can trust each other to be honest and share these stories. There is a certain foundation that you have to have to build a successful family – respect, honesty, love, trust, shared experience and communication.

18

Whilst at Timbertop, my communication with home has sort of been severed. Sure you get the occasional letter with some vague updates on how their life is running, but I can never tell what is really happening behind the pen and paper. I can’t read the emotion. But when you are living, eating, running, working, hiking, breathing and sharing similar experiences to 14 other girls your age, a real connection is made. Having the support of my Unit, Head of Unit, friends and staff is something not many teenagers get to experience. I have two wonderful families who have helped me through the challenges of this year and for that I am incredibly grateful.

How am I going to take what I have learnt this year and use it in my life? I think my Mum brought up her kids to understand that as long as you gave everything a go, she would be happy. The girls in my Unit have continued to inspire me to give everything my best and to fully appreciate exactly how lucky we are to be here. At the end of the day, I don’t think that it really matters who your family is. Whether you are related or not, family is family and in a family no-one gets left behind.

Timbertop is a truly amazing place with an outstanding programme to encourage students to give everything a shot. But without the strong community that exists beneath the realms of this place, Timbertop would not function properly and would be no different to any other school. That is why relationships are so important at Timbertop.

Coco Hynes (Yr10 Fr)

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓ SECTION 02 — SCHOOL

ENJOYING THE JOURNEY

The latest gaggle of Year 4 students have graduated from Bostock House, and with that comes the annual GLOW (Graduation, Leadership, Opportunity, Wellbeing) night. The night offers a fantastic opportunity for the Year 4 leavers to reflect on their time at Bostock House; the relationships they have built and the memories that will remain with them for many years to come. Year 4 graduate Ed Creati observed that for many people it is often all about the future, with little to no time to enjoy the present. He said that it can be tempting to continually plan and look ahead whilst neglecting the present. “At Bostock, we kids have enjoyed our journey and we have noticed a lot and enjoyed a lot along the way,” Ed said.

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

One of the highlights of the evening was a GLOW-inspired song performed by the Year 4 leavers to the tune of John Newman’s 2013 hit ‘Love Me Again’, composed by the students with the assistance of Year 4 teacher Andrew Groves. “It was a lot of fun to perform and a nice way to finish our time at Bostock House in front of our families and the (School) community,” Ed continued. The focus of this year’s event was Positive Education and relationships; relationships between students and other students, and students and teachers. “Each year we spend so much time with our specialist teachers, the bonds that we have built will be remembered fondly.”

Looking ahead to 2014 and the move to Corio, Ed highlighted the Year 5 Discovery Days as an integral part of the preparation. “The days spent at Middle School were fun-filled and left a great impression of what Year 5 and beyond will be like,” he said. The environment at Bostock House is engrossing; to spend a moment listening to the schoolyard conversations of the Year 4 leavers is to know that they are ready for the progression to Middle School. What’s more, if Ed’s attitude is anything to go by, they are ready and raring for the experience. “I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

19

↓ SECTION 02 — SCHOOL

MY FRIEND

20

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓ SECTION 02 — SCHOOL

Toorak Campus students reflect upon the friendships developed amongst classmates and across the community.

Ned & Eleanor

Luc & Charlotte

“I have a Year 6 House Buddy who is Eleanor. She is really kind. She always lets me play with her at the end of the day. I always see her when I’m working in the Children’s Garden.”

“My House Buddy is Charlotte.

Whenever she passes by she always gives me a very big hug. She is my friend because she is nice to me.”

Tom & Keisha

Ned Naylor (Prep)

“Keisha is my friend because she plays with me when it is inside play and I like it. We draw pictures. She is good at drawing houses and trees.

I am good at clouds, grass and the sky.”

“Ned is always happy to see me. I see him in the playground with his friends and I sometimes get to read with him. We are both in Alexander House. A friend is someone who always stays with you no matter what happens.”

Tom Freeman (Prep) “Tom is my friend because when I play with him it makes me feel happy.

He plays games that I like and he is nice to me. Having a friend means I am really happy and I get to play the games that they like.”

Keisha Heine (Prep)

“Ryan is my friend at After School Care. We have fun together. We climb and we go down the pole together. To be good friends you have to like playing together.”

“Luc is my friend because he helps me in the McComas House games and he always says hello when I see him. Being a good friend means you are kind and caring and considerate of your friend’s feelings.”

Charlotte Kelly (Year 5)

Eleanor Gillies (Year 6)

Lachie & Julian Luc & Lewie “My Year 6 House Buddy is Lewie Levy. I see him all the time. I like him because he is nice to me and he is my Reading Buddy as well.”

Luc Fangen-Hall (Prep)

Ava & Ryan

Luc Basile (Prep)

“Julian is my friend because he always brings in cool sharing things on Monday and he knows I like them.

He always asks me to play tag and he sits with me at lunch-time.”

Lachie Warwick (Prep)

“Luc is my friend for the same reasons. He is really nice and caring.

A good friend is someone who is friendly and open-minded.”

“Lachie is always nice to me and he says kind things to me. When he gets hurt I help him and when I get hurt he helps me. You have to care for your friends and be nice to them.”

Lewie Levy (Year 6)

Julian Ojumu (Prep)

Ava Conlan (Prep) “I always go to After School Care and Ava always hugs me when see her there. She always plays with me in the new playground.”

Ryan Xu (Prep)

Hugo & Jackson “I am friends with Jackson. He always says hello to me when I see him. Sometimes I play with him in the new playground.”

Hugo Coombe-Tennant (Prep) “I’m friends with Hugo because he is in Bruce House, like me! He is nice to me.

Friends do nice things for each other.”

Jackson Clanton-Jones (Prep)

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

21

↓ SECTION 02 — SCHOOL

IN THE SWIM

During the Middle School House Swimming Carnival, I observed relationships at their strongest. It was a great example of Geelong Grammar School’s potential in swimming and a welcoming image for me coming into the School.

Watching the Houses enter the Handbury Centre was quite a sight. Connewarre had paraded its way in wearing feathered red dresses while performing the haka. Once inside the Handbury Centre, all the day students made their way to the balcony where they could look over the pool.

Middle School girls and boy had begun barracking for their Houses and multiple chants were being exchanged between the boarders and day students.

22

Above me was a sea of light and dark blue as the day students sat down in their seats and got ready for their event. This was a wonderful display of the strong connection between the students and their House.

What the students of the various Houses experienced in the first competitive House event of the year was a sense of belonging and confidence. I saw the Heads of House encouraging the boys and girls before their events and tutors high fiving them after their events. This was the perfect occasion for me to see what the boys in my House were like and how they behaved around other students.

I made new friends that day and also met some of the Year 8s that I hadn’t met before.

The Swimming Carnival was a great time for me to build on my relationships and I am sure that others did the same. It was nice to see how staff interacted so well with students. We all gained something from participating and I know that the next carnival will be just as good.

David Religa (Yr8 Bw)

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓ SECTION 02 — SCHOOL

THE YEAR 8 JOURNEY

Year 8 at Geelong Grammar School has been a year of leadership, challenges and new experiences. This year we have been required to face many confronting situations, whether it was socially, mentally or physically. At the end of Year 8, each student went on a journey. We chose whether we went on the Paddle/Hike up the Glenelg River or the Great Victorian Bike Ride from Mt Gambier to Geelong. I joined 100 other students from GGS on the bike ride – eight days of intense riding in all weather conditions. The bike ride wasn’t only physically hard, but a social test as well. Whether it was conflict about keeping the tent organised, riding as a group or avoiding tantrums at 5am in the morning, we realised that being around friends all the time wasn’t as easy as we planned it to be.

What we learnt on the bike ride is that it wasn’t about how well you rode, or how quickly you could get up a hill, it was how you responded together as a team.

Unfortunately, there was only one person in my group that rode all seven days. I left on the sixth day with hypothermia and, although I was extremely disappointed not to finish, the five days of riding was one of the most worthwhile experiences I’ve ever had. Aside from the long days, the sunburn and the early mornings, one of the most difficult aspects of the bike ride was sharing a tent and being around people all day. The bike ride led people to become closer and helped us to open up to each other when we were feeling negative and challenged.

Overall, I look back on the bike ride as a time when we all built strong relationships with each other and learnt new things about each other and ourselves. We made new friends and got an idea about some of the challenges we will soon face at Timbertop. It was a good way to finish our time in Middle School.

Ellie Mackey (Yr9) LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

23

↓ SECTION 02 — SCHOOL

OUR SCHOOL CAPTAINS

24

↓ SECTION 02 — SCHOOL

We are delighted that Billie Hook (Yr12 Ga) and Sam Parsons (Yr12 P) will represent our School as School Captains in 2014.

Light Blue spoke to Billie and Sam about the year ahead.

Can you tell us a little about your journey at the School and if there has been a particularly memorable or significant stage of that journey?

Billie: I began at GGS in Year 9 at Timbertop. I was previously at a small, all girls’ school so it was a big change to come to Timbertop, which was co-ed and had a year group of over 200. I really loved Timbertop – it was a challenging year for me but ultimately so rewarding. I was so lucky to have a really amazing Unit, which meant that I had a really fun year. For me, Timbertop was a year where I was able to challenge myself in so many different ways, from the obvious physical challenges of running and hiking to things as seemingly insignificant as performing in Chapel. The resilience and confidence that I built over that year has been invaluable as I made the transition to Corio. My mum also came to GGS (Jo Hook (Rattray, Ga’85)), and so I followed in her footsteps at Corio by being in Garnett House.

Is there any one aspect of school life that you feel particularly strongly about?

Sam: GGS provides a diverse and copious range of opportunities to pursue one’s interests. Whether it is a musical passion, an academic extension into philosophy or a second language, an undiscovered athletic talent or any other pursuit which a student may have, GGS provides an avenue which can foster this interest. However, it is not the opportunities which I find most inspiring but rather the enthusiasm with which everyone approaches them. I believe one of the greatest lessons GGS provides is to take each chance and, as simple and clichéd as it is, to make the most of such opportunities.

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

What do you think makes the School unique?

Billie: The School community is such a tight knit community and even though Corio is a massive campus, relationships exist with everyone from peers to teachers to Diane in the kitchen. It’s caring and accepting and there’s a real sense of respect. I think that this pervading sense of community at the School allows people to just have a go. It’s brilliant because through this attitude towards involvement, the fear of failure is lessened. The School provides so many opportunities, especially day-to-day, that offer us with the chance to try something new.

We conducted a research project that surveyed current, past and future parents in 2011 that identified ‘community’ as the most pervasive top of mind word/image associated with the School. Why do you think the sense of community is so strong at the GGS? Sam: Initially I am tempted to attribute this to the relative isolation of several of the School’s campuses and the way in which we are able to conduct our lives with seemingly little outside influence.

Corio and Timbertop certainly allow for the development of close and connected communities. However, rather than the physical and geographical aspects, I think it is the culture and mentality which create the strong community which many OGGs, present and future students refer to. The unique structure by which students, staff and their families all live closely together at GGS means that many aspects of our lives, from studies to sports, hobbies to friends, are all in the same place and are all a part of the GGS lifestyle. I believe that this creates a culture of focus and passion towards our community, because we make the entire community, and that our success is driven by our enthusiasm for each other and the daily activities which we are all a part of together.

Have you received any advice from anyone about the role of School Captain?

Billie: Both Sam and I were able to have dinner with the outgoing School Captains, John Badgery (Cu’13) and Kate McGeoch (Ga’13). They were able to give us some insider advice about next year; about the importance of balance and how to do it all, as well as the more day-to-day specifics of the job. They’ve been such great leaders this year and Sam and I hope we can emulate the way in which they’ve gone about the role.

Do you have any goals or a vision for 2014?

Sam: Billie and I both wish to uphold the ideals and virtues demonstrated to us during our time at GGS, particularly the welcoming and accepting culture and the fostering of individual potential and ambition. We aim to ensure that everyone involved with GGS feels comfortable and confident within the community to pursue their passions and be themselves.

25

↓ SECTION 02 — SCHOOL

IN A HURRY

The School’s Athletics team enjoyed an outstanding season in 2013, led by 400m sprint sensation Sam Reiser (Yr12 FB), who clocked an IAAF World Junior Championship qualifying time in December. Sam ran a time of 47.10 seconds in the 400m at a High Velocity meet at Lakeside Stadium, shaving almost a second off his previous personal best time. He became the first Australian to record a 400m qualifier for the World Junior Championships, which will be held in July at the world-renowned Hayward Field in Oregon, USA. Coached at GGS by Bruce Scriven (who also mentored four-time Olympian Craig Mottram (A’98)), Sam only seriously took up Athletics just over a year ago, having previously been consumed by Soccer (like Craig, Sam was also a member of the School’s 1st Soccer team).

26

More than 20 school records were broken during the season, with Emily Fyffe (Yr12 A) equalling the 100m record and breaking both the 200m and 400m records at the APS Combined Athletics Sports in October (the 200m and 400m records had stood for 30 and 28 years respectively). Xenia Brookes (Yr11 Cl) claimed another APS high jump title, this time with a recordequalling jump of 1.89m in the Under 17 division. Grace Beasley (U14 high jump) and Tayla Honey (U17 triple jump) also claimed individual APS titles, while the girls’ Open 4x400m relay team of Annabel Rafferty (Yr12 A), Rachel Waters (Yr11 Ga), Jessie Sleigh (Yr12 Cl) and Emily Fyffe (Yr12 A) finish 2nd. In addition to Sam winning the 400m, Josh Hutley (Fr’13) was 2nd in the Open triple jump and Jock Grimshaw (FB’13) finished 3rd in the Open high jump.

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓ SECTION 02 — SCHOOL

NEW HEAD OF CORIO Dean Dell’Oro has been appointed Head of Corio for 2014, enabling Charlie Scudamore to focus on the growing role of Vice Principal. A former Head of Francis Brown (2005-08), Head of Mathematics (2009-13), Common Room Association (CRA) President (2009-12) and TeacherIn-Charge of Athletics (2010-13), Dean has been involved in an incredibly diverse range of activities since his initial appointment as a Maths teacher in 1998.

“That experience will help and I am excited to work with people in all the different aspects of the campus,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to developing relationships and exchanging ideas on education – how we can do things better – that is what is most exciting about the role.”

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

A keen runner, Dean has been particularly involved in “maths and aths” at GGS. A former mechanical engineer with Exxon before embarking upon a teaching career, 2014 will be the first time in 15 years he has not taught Mathematics.

Instead, Dean will balance Head of Corio responsibilities with teaching Year 10 Positive Education and Values & Ethics.

“I will still be teaching and working with students and developing relationships.” He will also be more involved in pastoral care and student wellbeing – Dean said that his four years as Head of Francis Brown had provided some of the highlights of his teaching career. “It is intense but it is also a real privilege to know that you’re having a positive impact on kids’ lives,” he said. “I look at Marg Bennetts, who has been Head of Garnett for 15 years – it is a pretty impressive achievement.”

Dean’s appointment enables Charlie to focus on the expanded role of Vice Principal, which will include overseeing and supporting the Institute of Positive Education, exploring ways to implement Creativity into the curriculum, taking a more active role in cross-campus matters and supervising the School’s Indigenous programme, including embedding Indigenous perspectives as outlined in the National Curriculum. “For the past 10 years I have thoroughly enjoyed my direct involvement in the day-to-day running of this vibrant community,” Charlie said. “My interactions with students have always been a highlight for me. Whether it is in a classroom, assembly hall, on a sporting field, in a meeting, at a concert or with an individual – I always gain from such involvement.” He also praised the support of parents and colleagues. “It is good to build honest and strong relationships because, ultimately, our combined efforts are aimed at securing solid foundations for each child that will support their future aspirations.”

27

↓ SECTION 03 — FOUNDATION

Our Exceptional Futures comprehensive fundraising campaign has now completed the first two of its five years and we have raised $18.3M in support of the School. This is a wonderful start.

My warm thanks go to all those who have supported the campaign so far.

We do want every member of our community to be offered an opportunity to support the campaign and if you have not yet been approached you may be wondering why. There are several reasons. Firstly, we are asking people just once in the five-year period to support just one project. We are approaching people in a personal way; trying to ensure that we communicate carefully about the transformational outcomes which can flow from the campaign projects before we ask for their support. It takes time to inform and ask people faceto-face and we have really just begun in our endeavour to involve our whole community in this campaign.

Secondly, we have begun with four of our projects – the Centre for Creative Education, Scholarships, the Toorak Wellbeing Centre and the Institute of Positive Education – and it may be that we have you in mind for other projects, which include a new rowing facility, a new sailing building and our Visiting Fellows programme. We have not yet started to ‘ask’ for these projects. Rest assured, as some projects are completed others will move forward, and we will be working right to the end of 2016.

Meanwhile, we would of course be delighted if you want to make an early gift and help by providing leadership in giving. Please be in touch with the Executive Director of the Geelong Grammar Foundation, Tony Bretherton e tbretherton@ggs.vic.edu.au.

CENTRE FOR CREATIVE EDUCATION Over $7.3M has been raised towards the new Centre for Creative Education (CCE) and construction has commenced on the corner of Biddlecombe Avenue and School Road. The building will cost around $20M, with 50% of the cost being met by the School. This means that we have a further $2.9M to raise by the end of 2014. Leadership gifts have been committed by Ian (P’79) and Min Darling, John, Janet (Murdoch, Cl’56), Mark (FB’82), Louise and James (Cu’85) Calvert-Jones, Geoff Handbury, Tim Fairfax (M’63), Khoon Chen Kuok (P’71), the MS Newman Family Foundation, Mark Carnegie (P’79), and Cameron and Ilse O’Reilly. An additional ten gifts of $100,000 have also made a significant impact. Many people have given other amounts and the total required decreases as the contributions all come together and move us forward. With full tax deduction and the School Council matching gifts dollar for dollar, to give $10,000 costs many of our supporters around $6,000 after tax and has the effect of enabling $20,000 worth of the building to be constructed. I know that the people named above would say to you that this is a great project which is going to transform the School. Building is now underway, so please join us and be part of making this happen.

Bill Ranken (M’72) Chairman, Geelong Grammar Foundation

28

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓ SECTION 03 — FOUNDATION

SCHOLARSHIPS

TOORAK WELLBEING CENTRE

Chairman of the Scholarship Fundraising Committee, John Simson (Cu ’73), wants to create more opportunities for young people to experience the power of a Geelong Grammar School education.

More than 20% of current students receive some level of financial support and John hopes to build upon this solid foundation.

$4M of the $7.1M required has been secured for the Toorak Wellbeing Centre, including several significant anonymous gifts and the School’s contribution to the project. Four cocktail parties were held in 2013 to provide Toorak Campus parents with the opportunity to learn more about the facility and the School’s vision of wellbeing at Toorak. “I hope next year we are ever closer to securing all the necessary funds to ensure this dream becomes a reality,” Principal, Stephen Meek, said. He said that the Centre will reflect the School’s commitment to Positive Education, with a particular focus on nutrition. “This centre will help equip our students with the skills to be proactive in looking after their own health. It will enhance our teaching of essential healthy habits at key formative stages of development and instil an understanding that regular exercise and taking responsibility of our own health underpins all notions of wellbeing.”

“We want to create greater opportunities for young girls and boys from the widest possible catchment of socio-economic and cultural backgrounds to come to GGS,” “Our Scholarship Programme benefits not only individual students and their families, but further enhances the intellectual and social diversity of our student community, resulting in a more stimulating educational experience for everyone. We are extremely grateful to the many people who support the School and in so doing, offer life-changing opportunities to our students.” Over $5M has been raised towards scholarships since the campaign commenced and the Scholarship Fundraising Committee is planning several events for 2014.

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

INSTITUTE OF POSITIVE EDUCATION The School has established the Institute of Positive Education in 2014. The Institute will enable the School to further develop and strengthen Positive Education, both within the School and beyond. Fundraising priorities are being finalized but we will be seeking philanthropic support to grow several aspects of the Institute, including research and the development of curriculum resources. Several gifts have already been made towards Positive Education, including a gift of $67,000 towards the four-year research project examining how Positive Education programmes can enhance adolescent mental health (the project received $383,740 in funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Projects scheme, with additional funding provided by the School and The University of Melbourne). The School has made significant progress with Positive Education in the past six years.

The Institute is an exciting initiative with a big vision of the future of Positive Education.

29

↓ SECTION 03 — FOUNDATION

FOUNDATION

ANNUAL GIVING

THE BIDDLECOMBE SOCIETY

Our 2013 Annual Giving campaign has raised $213,035 from 372 people making a total of 410 gifts. The School is fortunate to have a history of generous benefactors who have contributed significantly to the School’s development. The success of Annual Giving is a reflection of this generosity, with gifts shaping the lives of our students and the School. Over 70% of 2013 gifts have been directed to scholarships, including the Annual Giving Scholarship, James R Darling Memorial Fund and The Hermitage and Clyde scholarships (the School awarded more than 80 scholarships in 2013). Annual Giving also supported campus libraries and the Timbertop Unit Refurbishment Programme. We extend our gratitude and thanks to each and every person who made a gift to Annual Giving in 2013.

The Biddlecombe Society enjoyed a very busy schedule in 2013. Led by President, Michael Collins Persse, and Chairman, Neil Robertson (FB’72), the Biddlecombe Society hosted lunches in Canberra, Brisbane and Melbourne. The Society welcomed six new members in 2013. We thank them and all of our members for deciding to leave a bequest to Geelong Grammar School in their will.

The Biddlecombe Society is named in honour of Commander John and Janet Biddlecombe, who donated six masters’ residences at Corio between 1920 and 1925, and membership is offered to all who remember the School in their wills.

Alumni, parents and friends of the School have achieved a huge amount through their bequests. The School’s largest recent gift was the bequest of Richard Hines, who is now remembered through a perpetual scholarship in his name. Even more recently, Biddlecombe Society members were recognised at the annual Tower Luncheon in November, where they were presented with membership lapel pins. In 2014, Biddlecombe Society lunches will be held in Barwon Heads, Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne.

Please contact Rebecca Howard if you would like to receive an invitation: rhoward@ggs.vic.edu.au.

Gifts made during Term 1 in 2014 will add to the 2013 campaign, whilst the 2014 Annual Giving campaign will be launched after Easter this year. Please visit the Foundation page of the School’s website for more information or to make a gift.

1

1 Neil Robertson (FB’72), Michael Collins Persse, Joan Mackenzie (Bloomfield, Cl’52) and Kenneth Mackenzie (Cu’47) 2 Denis Robertson (M’53), Geoff Mann (FB’62), Jo Breadmore (FB’55), Stephen Meek, Principal, Neil Robertson (FB’72), Michael Collins Persse, Joan Mackenzie (Bloomfield, Cl’52), Kenneth Mackenzie (Cu’47), Sue Oelze (Coulter, He’63) and Bill Ranken (M’72) 2

30

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓ SECTION 03 — FOUNDATION

PHILANTHROPY IN ACTION

Our community has given $18.3M over the past two years to enhance the student experience at Geelong Grammar School. That is a lot of money.

Some might think that our Exceptional Futures fundraising campaign is unusual, unnecessary, unwise – even un-Australian – but such support for our students is not new. There is a strong vein of philanthropy running unbroken throughout the history of the School. It is our way and our tradition, but it does cause some people to ponder and ask why others are quietly pleased – and even proud – to further invest philanthropically in our School.

At the heart of Hartley’s logic is a vision for the exceptional. “I believe in the massive possibilities contained in every young individual and I am sure... that these possibilities (will) be effectively developed at school in years to come.

This will happen more surely and more quickly if the great schools of the world show how it can be done and, with the appropriate resources, Geelong Grammar School can continue to be one of those schools.” People give because they believe education has the power to transform young lives and thus create the people society will need in the future.

Many parents know that their daughters and sons have benefited not just from the school fees paid in the past, but also from the gifts of chapels, pavilions, boarding houses, arts centres, numerous fountains and countless trees. They have, in turn, made the School better than it was in their time for those who follow on. Those enjoying the Handbury Centre for Wellbeing contribute to the Centre for Creative Education knowing that, in time, others using that Centre will help with something else in the future. We give thanks for the past and keep looking forward.

I believe the importance of life-giving relationships is embedded in such thinking and in almost all philanthropy. Each story of philanthropy usually has more than one character — the gift in memory of someone who has died, the regard for a previous Principal, the impact of a scholarship on the person giving the new scholarship. Hartley writes that “to regularly feel that you were adding to the self-respect and skills of young people so they could contribute to their own development and to the wellbeing of those around them was a remarkably rewarding way to live”.

Some years ago Middle School parents provided robes for the Chapel, according to the plaque in the vestry, which also records a final invocation: “Pray for the Donors”. Others give less from gratitude or spiritual commitment and more from a vision of what should be at the heart of a great school. In Light Blue, December 2011, Hartley Mitchell argued that the School should raise hundreds of millions for scholarships: “because I believe it is the kind of resource necessary for GGS to contribute, as it should, to its students and to the nation. The more resources available to GGS, the more every student has the resources and the teaching required for him or her to flourish.”

A great school is packed full of wonderful people, interacting and learning to explore the world together. It is a place of innovation, academic rigour, wide experience and growing opportunities.

Educational philanthropy comes to life when an inspirational vision finds expression in an institution that nurtures strong relationships.

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Others will judge whether Geelong Grammar School is a great school.

However, we do have a vision, we are blessed with strong relationships and we are working together to build a better future. Exceptional Futures is a campaign that does not demand contributions; rather, it respectfully points to what people have done in the past, to what we can do in our day to make our School stronger, and it invites a response. In that space relationships are respected and enhanced, whilst gifts are made not from fear, pressure or desperate need, but with a grateful eye on the past and a wise and visionary eye on the future. Whatever is done elsewhere, we give to reflect grateful thanks, to ensure all our pupils receive an exceptional education and to try to lift the exceptional bar even higher.

My conclusion is that we have a healthy vein of philanthropy running through our community – it is embedded in our DNA and long may it help support our students and the life-long relationships we hold dear.

Tony Bretherton Director of Community Relations, Executive Director, Geelong Grammar Foundation

31

↓ SECTION 04 — ALUMNI

OGG PRESIDENT

A formal meeting of OGG Branch Presidents and committee members followed the OGGAsia Singapore Dinner in October last year including (Back row) U-En Ng (Cu’93), Malaysia, Roland Wu (P’93), Hong Kong, Bill Seppelt (M’64), South Australia, Tony Bretherton, Director of Community Relations (Middle row) Fong Thong (Ga’85), Malaysia, Talita Heryanto (Cl’00), Indonesia, Katie Rafferty (Ga’84), Alumni Manager and Dejvit Santikarn (Cu’73), Thailand (Front row) Randall Lee (P’93), Singapore and Peter Chomley (Ge’63), OGG President

The very purpose of the OGG Association is to nurture strong relationships. This is done in a number of important ways. The most visible are the reunion events celebrating significant anniversary years, with the Timbertop anniversaries among the most popular. For the more mature OGGs, the Tower Lunch celebrates 50+ years since leaving Corio, based on peer year but bringing together a variety of year levels, enabling OGGs to catch up with friends from year levels both ahead and behind their own.

Thoughout Australia and around the world, events such as Branch dinners, OGG Asia and other informal events continue to renew and strengthen relationships and also allows OGG partners to be included and welcomed. While these reunion events are “business as usual”, other ways of nurturing relationships are being tested and supported.

In Melbourne, the Business Lunch functions are bringing together OGGs (and occasionally non-OGGs), with the intent to nurture business relationships. Often, we find there are a number of OGGs working in a specific industry or profession and this type of event creates new bonds beyond school.

Also in Melbourne, the Old Geelong Sporting Club has gone from strength to strength in recent years. The OGG Football Club was established in 1954 and changed its name to Old Geelong at the end of 1973 to recognise the participation of Old Geelong Collegians. It provided opportunities for our female OGGs to play netball (very successfully) in 2006, with five teams now playing

32

in the Albert Park competition. It entered a Cricket team in the MCC Club XI competition, with a second XI added in 2012/13.

The club has been a tenant at Como Park in South Yarra for more than 50 years (coincidentally, created by the philanthropy of past GGS parent Sidney Myer), and a major upgrade of the Como Park Pavilion in 2011 has made it a regular gathering place for OGGs, particularly for the annual Pivot Lunch.

There are often tensions and contradictions in working to nurture strong relationships – relationships that persist and that can be sustained over time. These are typically experienced when considering the relationships between authority and autonomy, between local knowledge and expert knowledge, and between group needs and organisation limits. The principles that our work in this area are based on are mutuality, reciprocity and negotiability.

The OGG Association works well with its members and has a strong relationship with other parts of the GGS community, including the School, the Geelong Grammar Foundation and the various Support Groups. Together, our extended community grows and supports, tightly weaving this nurturing spirit of strong relationships through everything we do.

Peter Chomley (Ge’63) President, Old Geelong Grammarians

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓ SECTION 04 — ALUMNI

OGG NEWS

BACK TO CORIO

NEW WEBSITE

In 2014, Geelong Grammar School will celebrate 100 years at the Corio Campus. We are inviting all Old Geelong Grammarians, current and past staff and parents to celebrate with us and come ‘Back to Corio’ on Sunday 30 March.

There will be a Centennial Easter Service, Centenary Lunch, OGG exhibitions and tours of the School. There will also be a special reunion SAVE (Students Against the Violation of the Environment) Concert in the afternoon featuring some of our OGG musicians. Wonderfully spontaneous SAVE concerts were first held in the old Jennings Hall in 1991, inspiring so many students to perform.

Light Blue Generations; The History of the Old Geelong Grammarians will also be launched on the day. Pre-ordered copies will be available for collection on the day, whilst additional copies will also be available for sale. Your invitation to come ‘Back to Corio’ is the booklet with this edition of Light Blue. More information can be found on the School’s website, www.ggs.vic.edu.au

Stage 1 of the redevelopment of the Geelong Grammar School website has been completed with a section of the new site devoted to Alumni. This is a significant step in the renewal of our site within a new Content Management System (CMS). However, we are conscious that there is much more to be done in the coming months and we are excited about our future developments, including the integration of the Community Portal.

OGGs may notice they are no longer able to access the Community Portal but will now log in to the new site to do such things as Update Your Details, Search for OGG and to view the Photo Galleries. The site will continue to be developed over time and we thank you for your patience as this takes place.

DIARY DATES QLD BRANCH FUNCTION

Brisbane Friday 28 February 2014 GGS VS OGC GOLF DAY

Barwon Heads Friday 7 March 2014 OGG HISTORY BOOK LAUNCH

Sunday 30 March 2014 BACK TO CORIO

Sunday 30 March 2014 NSW BRANCH FUNCTION

Sydney Wednesday 7 May 2014 HOGA BOOK LAUNCH

Corio Saturday 17 May 2014 OGG AGM

Corio Tuesday 27 May 2014 UK BRANCH DINNER

London Thursday 26 June 2014 ACT BRANCH FUNCTION

Canberra Friday 10 October 2014 SA BRANCH DINNER

Adelaide Friday 31 October 2014 TOWER LUNCHEON

Saturday 8 November 2014 OGG MOTORING EVENT

Saturday 8 November 2014 TASMANIA BRANCH FUNCTION

Saturday 22 November 2014

33

↓ SECTION 04 — ALUMNI

OGG ASIA

Around 80 members of the Geelong Grammar School community attended the fourth biennial OGGAsia Dinner at the Singapore Cricket Club on Saturday 12 October. The guest speaker was Professor Chan Heng Chee, Ambassador-atLarge with the Singapore Foreign Ministry and concurrently Singapore’s Representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR). Many guests were based in Singapore, whilst others had flown in from Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong, China, the USA and Australia. It was a wonderful evening and guests mingled and chatted well into the night.

1

2

The dinner was attended by the Principal, Stephen Meek, his wife Christine, President of the Old Geelong Grammarians, Peter Chomley (Ge’63), and many OGG Branch Presidents, including those from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong and South Australia. The event was a huge success with many thanks to the organising committee, led by Graham Lee (FB’74) and Kevin Kang (M’90).

1 Mark Wylie (FB’99) and Pirata Yuttiyong 2 Past parent Mrs A Kang, Kevin Kang (M’90), Lee Li-Ming and Stephen Meek, Principal 3 Randall Lee (P’93), Tracy Teo, Stephen Meek, Christine Meek, Barry Wong (M’84), Roland (Singh) Wu (P’93) and Desmond Ting (FB’87) 4 Clifford Eu (Cu’73), Rubina Tawfik Ismail, John Seow (P’69) and Tawfik Ismail (FB’71)

3

34

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓ SECTION 04 — ALUMNI

4

5

6

7

8

9

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

10

5 Michael Preece (FB’74), Bill Seppelt (M’64), Jacqui Seppelt and Dejvit Santikarn (Cu’73) 6 Graham Lee (FB’74), Sally Lee and Asgari Stephens (Cu’78) 7 Katie Rafferty (Spry, Ga’84), John van Hoboken (Fr’84), Bridget Phelps (Smith, A’84), Alison Lindsay (Je’84) and Barry Wong (M’84) 8 Asgari Stephens (Cu’78), Katrina Harris (He’06), Amos Susau and Alex Campbell (Cu’03) 9 Chris Zegelin (P’69), Tom Sawyer (P’69) and Tony Bretherton, Director of Community Relations 10 Fong Thong (Ga’85) and Bridget Phelps (Smith, A’84)

35

↓ SECTION 04 — ALUMNI 1

TOWER LUNCHEON Almost 150 past students who left the School 50 or more years ago attended the 14th annual Tower Lunch at Corio on Saturday 9 November. Old Geelong Grammarians, Clyde School Old Girls and The Hermitage Old Girls gathered for morning tea in the Hawker Library, followed by a Service in the Chapel of All Saints and lunch in the Dining Hall. The incoming year group of OGGs enjoyed a reunion breakfast together before joining the rest of the Tower Luncheon guests at the Chapel Service.

Jamie was also a member of the Geelong Grammar School Council (1990-98), a past staff member (Glamorgan) and past parent.

Jamie Fisher (Ge’61) was this year’s guest speaker. Jamie, who described himself as “an ordinary student at GGS and a poor footballer for the OGGs” has been a practising lawyer for almost 40 years, previously as a partner at Harwood Andrews Lawyers in Geelong before establishing his own firm in 1998.

Earlier in the year the 1953 leavers held a 60 Year Reunion. Several members of this year group also came to the Tower Luncheon and we hope that in 2014 the 1954 leavers might also gather as a group at the Tower Luncheon on Saturday 8 November 2014.

Members of the Biddlecombe Society received membership lapel pins from Society President, Michael Collins Persse, and Chairman, Neil Robertson (FB’72). Photographed with Principal, Stephen Meek, each member has left a bequest to the Geelong Grammar Foundation to support the School.

2

36

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓ SECTION 04 — ALUMNI

3

4

5

6 1 Lee Jabara and Andrew Mackinnon (M’70) win the Peoples Choice Award at the OGG Motoring event in the 1927 Standard, 2 Rafe Slaney (P’49) and Rex Armytage (P’48) 3 Bill Charles (Ge’37) receives a bottle of wine from Will Caldwell (P’83)

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

7 4 Pear Leelayouthyotin (Yr11 EM) 5 Sheran Fisher, Jamie Fisher (Ge’61) and Tim Squire-Wilson (M’63)

8 7 Hugh Ross (FB’53) and Robert Beggs (FB’53) at their 60 year reunion 8 Pricilla Laird (He’60) and Chris Renwick (M’60)

6 Zoe De Vries (Cain, He’57), Mary MacLeod (He’51), Jenny Jordan (Gray, He’52), Ruth de Fegely (Beggs, He’49), Claire Greaves (Carter, He’48), Lesley Robinson (Donaldson, He’52) and Edmee Cudmore (Rushbrooke, He’49)

37

↓ SECTION 04 — ALUMNI

50 YEAR TIMBERTOP REUNION

1

2

More than 50 past students (plus nearly 20 partners and friends) renewed friendships and caught up with half a century of each other’s lives at the 1963 Timbertop Reunion in early October. OGGs descended on Merrijig from far and wide, with Angus McIntyre (F Unit) making the trip from Vancouver. Starting with a get-together at the Hunt Club Hotel on the Friday night, the reunion was given a stirring welcome the following morning by the Head of Timbertop, Roger Herbert, followed by a barbecue lunch and dinner in the Dining Hall – a remarkably fine meal accompanied

by Tasmanian wines generously provided

by Julian Alcorso (FB’65). Two notable teachers of the era, Ian Collier and David Odling-Smee, sent messages of greeting for the occasion. Clear, sunny weather encouraged some to defy age, stiff backs and arthritic knees by climbing Mt Stirling, Mt Timbertop and The Bluff, and a companionable weekend finished happily with the warmth of shared experience and promises to remain in touch.

3

Rob Southey (FB’66) 1 Beside Bluff Spur Hut - Mick Forwood (FB’65), Steve George (M’65), Rob Southey (FB’66) 2 Robin “Moose” Read (P’66) and Bruce Harvey (Ge’66) 3 Walking to the Darling Huts – Tom Love (M’65), Julian Alcorso (FB’65) and John Kane (Cu’64)

4

38

4 C Unit members Hugh Murray (M’66), Ted Smirnoff (Cu’65), Bill Parsons (M’66), Bruce Renick (Ge’65), Sandy Gilbert (FB’65) and Tom Williams (FB’65) LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓ SECTION 04 — ALUMNI

TIMBERTOP TURNS 60

1

2

3 4

1 Deryk Stephens (M’56), 2 Harry Rundle (FB’56) 3 Julia and Reece Burgess (FB’56) 4 Deryk Stephens (M’56), Harry Rundle (FB’56), Jim Watt (FB’54) and Reece Burgess (FB’56) in 1953

2013 marked the 60th anniversary of Timbertop and an Open Day was held at Timbertop in October for Old Geelong Grammarians. Along with other OGGs, 37 members of the original two groups of Timbertop boys from 1953 came back to reunite and reminisce. The 1953 men held a dinner in Mansfield and visited Timbertop the next day. Many stories of the original 1953 year were told, both tall and true!

These included tales of bathing in Timbertop Creek, classes in tents, only two units in the first half of the year (housing 18 students each) and five units in the second half,

5 Gary Clift (P’59), John Somerset (M’61), Rick Wraight (P’61), Jonathan King (M’60), Jon Pratten (FB’60), Richard Abey (FB’60) and Balcombe Griffiths (M’61) from the 1958 Timbertop group came for the Open Day weekend.

long drops, washing their own clothes, no electricity or running water in the first half of the year and a marathon run by a select few with no specific training. The original, portable organ used in the first Timbertop outdoor Chapel Services was played at a Chapel Service by its original owner and donor, Dennis Belcher (FB’56). More importantly, the strong bonds of friendship forged all those years ago were plainly evident that day. It was a joy to see.

6 Jim (M’55) and his wife Jocelyn Cox 7 Mort Marsh (FB’59) and Angus Forbes (Cu’60) from the 1958 group

6

5

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

7

39

↓ SECTION 04 — ALUMNI

1 Dylan Jones (A’93), Randall Lee (P’93), Sam Heazlewood (FB’93) and Ritchie Chan (A’93) 2 Caitlin Macleod (Ga’93), Alexander Duke (M’93) and Ally Armytage (Je’93) 3 James Boothby (M’93), Emma Bowen (Ga’93), Chris Darling (A’93) and Donna Robbins (Je’93)

5 Justin Dery (P’93), Helen Richards (A’93) and Andrew Handbury (M’93) 6 Andrew Burns (FB’93) and Jeff Derix (P’93) 7 Katie Peterson (Bennett, Je’93) Nick Bradley (M’93) and Alicia Brown (Cox, Ga’93) 8 Fiona McGauchie (Ga’93) and Claire Garrett (Spraggett, Cl’93)

4 Nic Lansdell (Fr’93), Nigel Schofield (Fr’93), Cate Robertson (Vautier, Ga’93) and Marita Voller (Barraclough, Cl’93)

1

2

4

3

5

6

7

8

20 YEAR REUNION

The Class of 1993 had a 20 year reunion in Melbourne on October 19. Over 100 people came from Singapore, Sydney, rural Victoria and NSW, Tasmania, Fitzroy and other exotic locations. Most conversations started with a 20 years in 20 seconds spiel, and then serious catch ups began. It was great to see all the old faces, and find out whose real life faces look a bit different these days compared to their online personas. Andy Burns (FB’93) hosted a hilarious 1990s themed quiz and we found out that no one has changed… those that didn’t follow instructions at school still don’t, those that were competitive still are, and the organisers are still organising.

40

The winning team proudly took home vials of Corio Bay foreshore sand to commemorate the night. Huge thanks to Chris Darling (A’93) for supplying delicious wine from his vineyard, Darling Wines.

Certainly no one hung back from enjoying it and everyone seemed to have great fun until the early hours.

Alicia Brown (Cox, Ga’93)

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓ SECTION 04 — ALUMNI

1 Nick Falkenberg (Cu’83) and Laura Peden (Fr’83); 2 John Steel (Cu’83), Tim Breadmore (P’83) and Serena Zlatnik (Cl’83) 3 Sam Sholl (Cu’83), David Satchell (FB’83), Bill Lamb (A’83) and Jamie Whalley (P’83)

1

2

3

4 4 Anthony Rush (FB’83), and Norm Good (FB’03) 5 Jo-Anne Elliott (Je’83), David Cleary (P’83) and Oenone Ritman (Robson, Je’83)

5

6

6 Wendy Brockhouse (Jamieson, Cl’83), Nick Horman (FB’83) and Lisa Kebbell (Wilson, Cl’83) 7 Deborah Steele (Cl’83), Dimitie Gubbins (Cl’83), Phoebe Wynn-Pope (Fraser, Cl’83) and Rod Ramsay (TA’83) 8 Nicole Green (Brown, Fr’83), Kate Cox (Kelly, Fr’83) and Nicole Schaefer (Fr’83) 9 Fergus MacAdie (M’83) and Marina Morgan (Cl’83)

8

7

10 Garry Smith (A’83) and Jake Niall (P’83)

9

30 YEAR REUNION

Around 90 of the 1983 year group reunited in Melbourne for their 30 Year Reunion on November 8. People travelled from the UK, Singapore, New Zealand and all over Australia to attend and there was a vast amount of activity on the Facebook page created for the event. Old photos from school and previous reunions provided much entertainment and reminiscing. Some short speeches were conducted to honour absent friends and those who had sadly passed away. Overall the evening was a huge success, with everyone already looking forward to the next one.

10

Wendy Brockhouse (Jamieson, Cl’83)

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

41

↓ SECTION 04 — ALUMNI

OGG SPORT

OGG GOLF DAY

NETBALL

OGG MOTORING EVENT

The annual OGG Golf Day was held at the Barwon Heads Golf Club on November 1. Old Geelong Grammarians, Clyde and Hermitage Old Girls, current and past parents played 18 holes in perfect weather conditions. Jo Breadmore (FB’55) won the Boz Parsons Cup, whilst 95-year-old Boz featured on the front page of the Geelong Advertiser on December 11 for a hole-in-one from the 98m fourth tee at Barwon Heads. Libby Nicholson (He’68) edged out Ginny Palmer (He’69) to win the Tommy Garnett Cup, with Libby and Ginny teaming to win the Women’s Pairs. Knox Paton (M’85) and Michael Ramsay (M’75) won the Men’s Pairs, Hamish Anderson and Ted Matson won the Parents’ Pairs, Andy Wall was the individual winner in the Parents’ Division, whilst Harry Smile (FB’02) recorded the longest drive on the 18th. Many thanks to event organiser Simon O’Brien (A’94), MC Lachie Stevens (M’96), and scorers Jon Malpas (Fr’97) and Mark Avery (FB’97).

Five teams represented Old Geelong in the Albert Park Netball Indoor Sports Centre’s competition, with two OGS teams finishing the season on top of their divisions. OGS Navy won their grand final in October, matching the efforts of OGS White, who won their grand final in August. OGS Green captained

by Luci Kininmonth (He’11) and OGS Purple captained by Olivia O’Hare (Fr’11) showed commitment and teamwork throughout the year and we look forward to the teams returning to play in 2014.

Thank you to all the girls who played netball throughout the year and all of the supporters who came along to watch. If you’re interested in getting involved with OGS netball in 2014 please contact Bella Anderson at bella@murrnong.com.au or 0400 193 285.

The 2013 OGG Motoring event was held on Saturday 9 November, coinciding with the annual Tower Luncheon at the School’s Corio campus. Lauraine and John Luckcock (M’62) came in first place in their beautiful 1961 Austin Healey, followed by Anthony James (Ge’63) and Carolyn Kennett in their 2001 Jaguar XK8 and Graeme (M’68) and Celia Burnham (He’73) in their 1928 A model Ford utility.

(Note the first three place getters were all driving convertible cars.) The People’s Choice Award this year delivered a unanimous victory to Lee Jabara and Andrew Mackinnon (M’70) in the 1927 Standard, an actual Le Mans race car (Standard become the Swallow Sidecar Company which in 1934 become SS and after World War 2 became Jaguar).

Following racing at Le Mans this car was imported to Australia to tackle the Sydney to Melbourne speed record; it averaged over 100kph and the crew had to open 60 gates along the way. Principal Stephen Meek was taken for a lap of the oval in this magnificent machine, flying helmet goggles and all. Thanks go to David Henry (FB’69) for another enjoyable event.

FOOTBALL

The 2013 season provided mixed results for Old Geelong Football Club, with the Reserves team winning back-to-back premierships whilst the Senior team narrowly missed the finals. The Reserves finished the home-and-away season third on the ladder, but rolled through the finals series undefeated to deservedly win the grand final against Ormond by 42 points.

At the recent AGM, Jimmy Legoe (M’97) and Tom Betts stepped down as joint President of the Club. Replacing them will be two of the Old Geelong’s favourite sons, Steve Lansdell (Fr’98) and Mark Avery (FB’97).

ROWING

The Frank Covill Club has continued its monthly social rowing sessions on the Barwon River, welcoming new and “old” rowers of all standards, whilst club members Ann Walker (Cu’75) and Michael Cahill also competed in the Head of the Yarra on November 30. Please contact Ann Walker (Cu’75) on 0410 592 312 or Rob Heath (A’76) on 0418 335 170, email fccrower@gmail.com, or find us on Facebook (Frank Covill Club).

REQUEST FOR VINTAGE CARS

The School will be performing a reenactment of the move from Geelong to Corio as part of Family Day on Sunday 23 February. Period cars are needed to be part of this re-enactment. If you have a vintage car from around the era of 1914 and would be willing to take part in the events of that day, could you please contact Cathie Vickers-Willis, 2014 Anniversary Event Co-Ordinator, on: CVickers-Willis@ggs.vic.edu.au 1

42

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓ SECTION 04 — ALUMNI

2

3

4

5 1 GGS students inspecting the 1928 A model Ford utility 2 The Old Geelong Football Club Reserves won the 2013 Season Premiership 3 Viewing the 1927 Standard at the OGG Motoring Event

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

6 4 Past parents Peter, Patsy and son Harry Smiles (FB’02) and current parent Kerry McKendrick at the OGG Golf Day

6. Boz Parsons (M’36) presented Libby Nicholson (He’68) with the Tommy Garnett Trophy at the OGG Golf Day

5 OGG Golfers L to R Janet Forgan (Yencken, Cl’83), Knox Paton (M’85), Serena Mitchell (Mackinnon, Cl’83), Zara Brookes (Morrison, Cl’82), Sally McKillop (Capper, Cl’82) and Richard Brookes (M’79)

43

↓ SECTION 04 — ALUMNI

CLYDE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION

OLD GIRLS’ DAY

The COGA AGM and Old Girls’ Day lunch was held on Sunday 13 October at the South Melbourne Community Centre.

Guest speaker Belinda Philp (Morieson/ Laidlaw, Cl’59) shared stories from her career in nursing and union politics with the Australian Nursing Federation. In 2004, Belinda was named on the Victorian Honour Roll of Women, which celebrates the achievements of inspirational women in the community, a distinction she shared that year with former Clyde School Principal Joan Montgomery AM OBE.

1

GARDEN TOUR

50 gardening enthusiasts were royally entertained during the annual three-day COGA Garden Tour on the Mornington Peninsula from October 23-25. Organised

by Fern Henderson (Welsh, Cl’59) and Dizzy Carlyon (Clapham, Cl’58), the tour took in a range of gardens, from those thriving on worm farm compost to native Australian landscapes at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne. Other highlights included the Clyde School song nearly lifting the roof off the Dining Room on the second night at Lindenderry in Red Hill. The tour raised around $5,000 for the Clyde Scholarship Fund, with an additional $1,000 donated to local charities.

FUN CUP GOLF

2

DIARY DATES ANNUAL CLYDE JUMBLE SALE

Thursday 26 June

THE CLUTHAN

Please send all articles, photos and contributions for The Cluthan to new editor Julia Ponder (Cl’69) via email: coganews@ gmail.com

COGA AGM AND OLD GIRLS’ DAY LUNCH

Sunday 19 October All enquiries to: Margie Gillett (Cordner, Cl’71) COGA President email gillett22@bigpond.com

Two wonderfully successful Clyde Reunions were held in 2013: 1 The 1973 40th Reunion on Saturday 26 October

A team of Clyde Old Girls won the annual Fun Cup challenge at Barwon Heads Golf Club on November 18, defeating St Catherine’s and Toorak College. The team included Sybil Baillieu (Barr-Smith, Cl’68), Lesley Griffin (Vincent, Cl’60), Fi Chirnside (Macfarlan, Cl’54), Janet Coombes (Dalrymple, Cl’67) and Kate Macdougall (Howard, Cl’63), who also won the “nearest the pin” prize. The team was supported by a cheer squad led by COGA’s golf coordinator Anna Tucker (Kimpton, Cl’71) and will defend its Fun Cup title at Peninsula Golf Club on Monday 13 October.

2 The 1963 50th Reunion on Saturday 12 October

44

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓ SECTION 04 — ALUMNI

HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION

1 At the 1963 Reunion were Judy McCowan (Bechervaise), Karen Porter (Gordon), Jennifer Jackson (Bingley), Patricia Roberts (Knappstein) and Mary Thomas (Fairley) 2 Kristeen Hunter (Horne, He’66) and Alison Mackinnon (Madin, He’58) 3 Judy Oakley (Lamb, He’56) and Judy Laird (Schofield, He’55) 4 Felicity Hocking (Waterman, He’68), Glenda Lyons (Matthews, He’68) and Jill Nicholls (Holmes, He’68) 5 Alison MacKinnon (Madin, He’58) and Jan Sprague (Alexander, He’58) 6 Judy Polwarth (Noble, He’66) and Heather Gee (Noble, He’64) 7 Sally Simmons (Roberts, He’67) and Fiona Buchanan (Gray, He’66) 8 Beth Ray (Stewart, He’57) and Sue Reilly (West, He’67)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

OLD GIRLS’ DAY

HOGA GOLF DAY

50 YEAR REUNION

A very successful AGM and Old Girls’ Day lunch was held at Geelong Grammar School on Saturday 7 September. Guest speaker Alison Mackinnon AM (Madin, He'58) 4 provided a most interesting discussion on ‘Women, Love and Learning’, tracing her own path towards a Master’s degree in Education and an academic career, and discussing how young women today balance love/family with freedom/career.

Robin Spry (Bell, He’62) won individual honours at another fantastic HOGA Golf Day at Barwon Heads Golf Club on October 21, which also featured good weather, wine, food and bridge. Jenny Jackson (Doak, He’67) was runner-up for the second consecutive year, Jan Vincent (Murchison, He’61) and Lizzie Morgan (Schofield, He’61) won the team event, whilst Winkie Mactier (Reilly, He’63) and Sally Simmons (Roberts.

He’67) finished “nearest the pin”. The next HOGA Golf Day will be held on October 20.

Enquiries to Lib Nicholson (Calvert, He’68): 0419 398 067

37 Old Girls from the Class of 1963 celebrated a 50 Year Reunion at the Alexandra Club in Melbourne in early September. It was a terrific occasion for stories and memories of school days. The reunion committee tracked down 58 of the 72 girls from the 1963 year group, with some travelling across the country to attend the reunion.

HISTORY BOOK

The History of The Hermitage will be launched by Jill Dupleix (He’72) on Saturday 17 May at Geelong Grammar School at 2pm.

For more information and book orders please contact Kristeen Hunter (Horne, He’66) on 03 5221 1001 or email: hermitagegirls@ gmail.com. Partners are welcome.

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

DIARY DATES No Autumn Luncheon in 2014 due to The History of The Hermitage book launch OLD GIRLS’ DAY Saturday 6 September Geelong Grammar School

45

↓ SECTION 05 — CURATOR

FROM THE CURATOR

by MICHAEL COLLINS PERSSE

To the list of OGG Commonwealth Parliamentarians included in our last issue, the following (with apologies for temporarily overlooking them) should be added: Archibald Clyde Wanliss Fisken CMG, OBE, MC (1911-15), MHR 1934-37; Andrew Peter Thomson (1969-78), MHR 1995-2001*. Guy Barnett’s tenure of a seat in the Senate ended in June 2011.

The recent researches of Dr Justin Corfield (Staff 1993-) towards Volume 2 of Geelong Grammarians (spanning 191445 entries to the School) have yielded four names for addition to our Roll of Honour for World War Two. The deaths on active service were missed at the time because all four went on to other schools, mostly in England. Archie Graham Male (M’27), who returned to school in Perth after a term at GGS, served in the 2/28 Australian Infantry Battalion and died in an accident at sea off the coast of North Africa on 17 August 1942. David Lowther Clarke (Ju’25), after two years at Corio, went on to Imperial Service College in England; he served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and was lost on a mission on 13 January 1941. Ian George Elwin Davidson (Ju’30) had seven terms at GGS, after two years at Miss McComas’s Glamorgan, before going on to Harrow School in England; serving with the London Scottish Regiment, he was killed in the Western Desert in November 1942, shortly after the battle of El Alamein. Eric Borlase Childs (Ju’27), who also went on to school in England, was shot down over Albania and died on 15 November 1940 while serving with the Royal Air Force.

The recent news that an Old Geelong Grammarian, Helen Elizabeth Baxendale (Cl’06), has been awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford prompts

46

reflection on the origins and nature of these scholarships, and a list of the twelve Old Geelong Grammarians known to have won them. (It is worth adding that many OGGs who have gone on to Oxford have been ineligible as candidates because of doing so straight from school rather than after at least two years at university.)

The Right Honourable Cecil John Rhodes (1853-1902), imperialist, prime minister of Cape Colony, and mining entrepreneur, was an Englishman who amassed a vast fortune through the diamond industry in southern Africa. His life, and his Will, expressed the patriotic aspirations of an imperial age and a belief in the benefits that he trusted would continue to flow from Anglo-Saxon supremacy: he hoped that the United States of America would eventually be restored to the British Empire, and he had a sense of Teutonic unity that allied Germany with Britain and her colonies. By his Will he established scholarships whose distribution, for political, philosophical, and demographic reasons, has varied over more than a century (the first Rhodes Scholars matriculated at Oxford in 1904): the German scholarships, for instance, were temporarily suspended as a result of both World Wars; and women, who were excluded from consideration by Rhodes’s Will, have been eligible since 1977. The criteria for the awards that Rhodes specified – intellectual achievement, athletic prowess, and leadership qualities – have by and large, with varying emphasis, endured. For the December 1980 elections (to take an example), seven Rhodes Scholarships were offered for Australia, two for New Zealand, three for Zimbabwe and Zambia, nine for southern Africa, eleven for Canada, two for India, two for West Germany, thirtytwo for the United States, and one each for Jamaica, Bermuda, Nigeria, and the British Caribbean. There have now been some 7,000 Rhodes Scholars (among them two Prime Ministers of Australia,

Robert James Lee Hawke and Anthony John Abbott) who have benefited from Rhodes’s munificence – and gone on to serve the world in a great variety of ways.

Leonard Charles Edward Lindon (OS’11) was the 1919 Rhodes Scholar for South Australia at Balliol College after war service (partly at Gallipoli) with the Australian Army Medical Corps. A brilliant medical career, both civilian and military (in World War Two he served in the Middle East as a lieutenant-colonel and was Mentioned in Dispatches), led to presidency of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (1959-61) and a knighthood in 1964.

Charles Eric Glasson Beveridge (M’16) was the 1920 Rhodes Scholar for Victoria at New College.

A long career followed with the Sudan Government Medical Service, of which he became Assistant Director. Awarded the Order of the Nile, he retired in 1946 and returned to Australia, where he joined the medical staff of the Repatriation Department, painted, and wrote Allah Laughed.

James Gilbert Mann (Cu’31) was the 1934 Rhodes Scholar for Victoria at Balliol College after a string of first-class honours in Greek, Latin, and Jurisprudence at Melbourne University. At Oxford he was awarded the Vinerian Scholarship and first-class honours in Jurisprudence. In 1938 he was placed first in the final Bar examinations for all England. After war service in the Middle East as a lieutenant LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓

Michael Raynor Thwaites (Cu’33) was the 1936 Rhodes Scholar for Victoria at New College. He was awarded the Newdigate Prize for Poetry at Oxford in 1938 and the King’s Medal for Poetry in 1939. His war service in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve is partly recorded in his book Atlantic Odyssey, and his service with ASIO as director of counterespionage in his book Truth Will Out: ASIO and the Petrovs. He was one of Australia’s most distinguished poets, and in 2002 was made an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO).

Alan William Hamer (M’35) was the 1937 Rhodes Scholar for Victoria at Magdalen College, where he obtained first-class honours in Chemistry. A long and illustrious career with Imperial Chemical Industries, mainly in Australia, included service (196871) as chairman and managing director of the group’s companies in India and as managing director and deputy chairman (1971-79) of ICIANZ. Bruce Eric Kent (P’49) was the 1955 Rhodes Scholar for Victoria at Magdalen College, where he read Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. A long career followed in the History department of the Australian National University. A PhD, he is an authority on the Weimar Republic.

Dr Rufus Black was a Richard and Janet Southby Visiting Fellow at GGS in 2011.

More recently (with careers still developing), Benjamin John Rimmer (P’89) was the 1997 Rhodes Scholar for Victoria; Catherine Gail Button (Ga’91) was a 1999 Rhodes Scholar for Australia at Large; Lucas Ansell Bluff (P’98) was the 2003 Rhodes Scholar for Victoria; and Helen Elizabeth Baxendale (Cl’06) is a 2013 Rhodes Scholar for Australia at Large.

In addition, at least three members of the GGS staff have been Rhodes Scholars: Henry Lionel Harvey (Staff 1912-14; Rhodes Scholar for Queensland at Oriel College 1906-09); Leonard Charles Robson CBE, MC (Staff 1921-22; Rhodes Scholar for New South Wales at New College 191920); and William John Howard MC (Staff 1931-55; Rhodes Scholar for Tasmania at Trinity College 1912-14 and 1919).

The late Sir Russell Drysdale (P’30), who died in 1981, was one of Australia’s greatest painters. A retrospective exhibition of his work, subtitled “Defining the Modern Australian Landscape”, is at the TarraWarra Museum of Art near Healesville until 9 February. He is seen here in a photograph by the late David Moore (Cu’45).

Elizabeth Jane Hollingworth (Je’78) was the 1983 Rhodes Scholar for Western Australia at St Edmund Hall, where she graduated BCL and represented Oxford against Cambridge in rowing and water polo. After service at the Victorian Bar, she was made a Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 2004.

Rufus Edward Ries Black (Gl’80) was the 1990 Rhodes Scholar for Victoria at Keble College – and went on to Magdalen for doctoral studies in Christian Ethics (becoming DPhil in 1996). A Minister of the Uniting Church of Australia, he is now the Master of Ormond College in the University of Melbourne. Also an Associate Professor there, the Reverend LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Boz Parsons DFC (M’36; Staff 1962-80; OGG Secretary 1980-88) was the biggest news in the Geelong Advertiser on 11 December, having just – aged 95 – hit a hole-in-one on the Barwon Heads Golf Course. A distinguished airman in both war and peace, he retired as a recreational

pilot only in 2012. Boz, by Neville Clark MC (Staff 1973-78), tells the story of his first nine decades.

Barry Hall (Ge’39), who died in November, was the last survivor of the inaugural class in 1943 of Australian diplomatic-staff cadets – twelve entrants (including nine men of whom three were OGGs) from a field of some 1,500 eligible applicants to join the Department of External (later Foreign) Affairs. He was the eldest son – followed by Richard (Ge’42) and Michael (P’46), whose obituary appeared in our last issue – of Basil Hall (OS’13) and Nell, née Nicolls.

His grandfather Bernard Hall was Director of the National Gallery of Victoria from 1892 to 1935. Barry (christened Francis Barrington) finished nine years at GGS as a prefect in Geelong House, a sergeant in the Cadet Corps, an H J Whittingham Scholar, and a matriculant who had achieved first place in Victoria in European History and honours also in Latin (firstclass), German, and British History. After a term at Melbourne University, in Trinity College, he enlisted for war service in July 1940 in the AIF. Over the next three years, during which he rose from private to bombardier, he served mainly in the 2/2 Anti-Tank Regiment in the Middle East (1940-41), Australia (1942), and New Guinea (1942-43) – service of which he wrote in detail, much of it gently amusing, in Old Geelong Grammarians at War. Having seen, in New Guinea, an advertisement calling for applications to join the newly expanding Department of External Affairs, he applied, was told he could do a simple examination on the spot, and wrote “an essay and a précis of one of Dr Evatt’s speeches … with sweat dripping on to the paper in a mess hut”.

Success followed, “to everyone’s surprise and bemusement”, and then 37 years as a pioneer Australian diplomat. His first posting (1944-48) was as third secretary in the Australian Legation at Chungking (now Chongqing) and Nanking in China, getting to which involved a highly adventurous flight across the Himalayas through mountainous valleys (in some of which lay the wreckage of many planes), “skirting,” as Michael Fogarty wrote in an obituary for The Sydney Morning Herald, “jagged peaks and combating treacherous weather, including downdrafts and severe icing”. Civil war (resulting in the Communist regime) interrupted his studies in Mandarin at Peking University.

A short posting to Singapore in 1949 was followed by a three-year one to New Delhi. His first wife, Mary Jackson, died in 1949, and in 1953 he married Diana

47

SECTION 05 — CURATOR

with the 3rd Australian Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, he was drowned at sea (after giving up his place in a lifeboat) during the evacuation from Heraklion in Crete. Mann House at Glamorgan commemorated him.

↓ SECTION 05 — CURATOR

Medley, daughter of Sir John Medley (then Vice-Chancellor of Melbourne University) and sister of David Medley (Cu’37). Four children followed – Basil (FB/L’72), Peter (Cu/L’74), Stephen (Cu’76), and Elizabeth – by all of whom he is survived, as by Diana and their ten grandchildren. Barry’s career alternated between service in Canberra and further overseas postings, to Wellington (195558), Kuala Lumpur (1958-60), and Karachi (1963-65), after which he was the first Australian ambassador to Iran (196872), ambassador to Greece (1972-74), consul-general in Chicago (1974-76), chief of protocol in Canberra (1977-80), and ambassador to Turkey (1980-84). Retiring to Canberra, he was an active parishioner at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Manuka, and active also in the Curtin community.

Michael Fogarty describes him as a “loyal, dutiful, honest, humble, hard-working” man who “had integrity and was selfeffacing”. He listed as his recreations tennis, walking, and gardening. He and Diana have both written memoirs.

Dick Levy (M’41), who died on 2 August 2013, was a proud and highly respected citizen of Bendigo. Born there on 18 June 1924, he was the only son – with an older sister – of Frank and Wilma Levy, and after attending Camp Hill State School he was at GGS for six years, starting in Barrabool House. In the Royal Australian Air Force from October 1942 until January 1946, he was posted to the United Kingdom after obtaining his Wings and took part in 49 operations in bomber crews, becoming a Flying Officer. In 1993 he wrote a valuable account of his “life in the RAAF”.

After the war he resumed work with his mother’s family business, Cohn Bros Ltd, where he became a director in 1955 and stayed until his retirement in 1988. In 1951 he married Barbara Sides, who survives him with their daughter, Belinda, and sons, Chris (M’71), David (M’77), and Andrew (M’81), and grandchildren who include David’s sons, George (M’08) and Edward (M’09). His life of service found long and generous expression in Bendigo Legacy, of which he was president in 1970. He loved classical music, his garden, cooking, picnics, the bush, animals, a joke, and a wide range of books. At a service of thankgiving for his life, he was described by David as “loyal, steadfast, honest, caring, loving, generous, sincere”, and by Andrew as “the kindest person I’ve ever met”.

48

Keith Dunstan OAM (FB’42), who died in September 2013, was a gently amusing, much-loved, and widely-read Melbourne columnist and author of many books including the autobiographical No Brains at All – a phrase wryly, and typically, reflecting a remark by one of his teachers. A son of William Dunstan VC, he founded the Anti-Football League and both practised and promoted cycling. But fuller accounts of his life and work will appear in 100 Exceptional Stories (from the School’s first century at Corio), to be published by Hardie Grant this year, and in Geelong Grammarians, 1914-1945, to be published in 2015.

The Reverend Michael Vine (P’49), who died in July 2013, was a son of Dr Edwin Vine of Mansfield, who served the School for many years as the first Medical Officer to Timbertop, and himself a devoted Anglican priest with successive ministries in Papua New Guinea and Australia. His story, too, will be more fully told in Geelong Grammarians, 1914-1945.

Michael – followed soon by his brother, Vincent (P’52) – entered the School in May 1945, and his and his wife, Lois’s, son Tim (P’77) attended it from 1974.

Jonathan King (M’60) has written his “professional autobiography”, Tall Ships and Tall Tales: A Life of Dancing with History (Scribe, Melbourne, 2013). The heart of it is a harrowing but ultimately triumphant (yet not triumphalist) tenyear battle to achieve the re-enactment of the voyage of the First Fleet from Portsmouth in May 1787 to Sydney in January 1788, exactly 200 years on, as part of Australia’s Bicentennial celebrations, and to remind the nation of its complex heritage, particularly the British and the Aboriginal. Ten other historic events in whose recollection, and sometimes re-enactment, Jonathan has been concerned are also covered, including iconic Australian ones, Columbus’s first voyage to the New World, and the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem. In helping to launch his book on the sailingship Polly Woodside, moored in the River Yarra, I described it as being, at its heart, and on several levels, a great love story. It is his 31st book.

Lister Hannah (FB’61; Principal 1995-99) has continued nearly 40 years’ involvement with the International Baccalaureate as chairman of the management board of the new IGB International School at Sierramas in Selangor, Malaysia. Before and after pioneering the introduction of the IB to GGS, he has headed IB-related schools in Africa, the United States, Germany, and Thailand, and helped to found others, particularly – in recent years – in Asia. He was a founding member of the IB Heads’ Committee, has served on the board of the European Council of International schools, and chaired many internationalschool accreditations for the Council of International Schools. He and Davidene have a home in Melbourne.

The Honourable Ted Baillieu MLA (Gl’64), who was Premier of Victoria and Minister for the Arts from 201013, is chairman of a committee co-ordinating Victoria’s preparations for the centenary of Anzac Day in 2015.

Geoff Green (Ge’67), who died in October, finished his nine years at GGS, through Bostock House, Timbertop, and Corio, as a much-liked School Prefect and Captain of Geelong House with Colours for both Cricket and Football. He went on to Queen’s College at Melbourne University, studying Forestry, and several years’ work in the Northern Territory branch of the Commonwealth Department of Forestry, particularly in the redevelopment of urban forestry in Darwin after Cyclone Tracy in 1974 and then in Alice Springs in charge of the Arid Lands Afforestation programme.

From 1981, with his late brother Fred at Myrtleford in Victoria, he played a leading role in the introduction in Australia of mechanical harvesting for Australian Newspaper Mills at Albury. He handled this and other complex work with great sensitivity, and was trusted and admired by a loyal staff. He continued working through the onset of leukemia that caused his death. His wife of more than 35 years, Gerry, and their daughter and son, Anna and Ben, and Anna’s son, Xavier, survive him. Geoff was involved in the life and clubs of his successive communities, and a keen golfer, water-skier, player of tennis and squash, and investor in several racehorses.

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓

Rebecca Hossack (L’73) in 2013 celebrated 25 years of the Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery in London which has done so much to make Australian, particularly Aboriginal, and Papuan New Guinea art known abroad. She was Australia’s Cultural Attaché in the United Kingdom from 1994 until the post was abolished in 1998 (Germaine Greer has recently called for its – and Rebecca’s – reinstatement). Her husband, Matthew Sturgis, is a distinguished biographer.

Peter Hall (Cu/L’74) is the author of “Tumbledown Turnaround”, the musical play performed with great energy and success by a huge cast from our Middle School under the direction of Annabel Meek (Staff 1989-) in November. With his wife, Margaret, he has three sons, James (born in 1990), Jonathan (born in 1992), and Timothy (born in 1997), all of whom have gone to school at Shore in Sydney.

The Honourable Georgie Crozier MLC (Je’81) chaired the Victorian Parliamentary committee investigating clerical abuse of minors, of which the Honourable Andrea Coote MLC (GGFoundation Director 199698) was a member.

Georgie Somerset née Robinson (Cl’82) is President of the Queensland Rural, Regional, and Remote Women’s Network Inc. whose first 20 years are recorded in Celebration of a Network: The QRWN Story (2013), edited by Judith Bandidt.

Prominent in rural affairs nationally, Georgie and her husband, Rob, run cattle in the Burnett district of Queensland and have three children, Ben, Macartney (both of whom have graduated from Churchie), and Gemma, now at Fairholme in Toowoomba where Georgie herself was for two years after GGS. LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Matthew Joyce (P’83), to the immense relief of virtually the whole GGS community and very many others, and after appealing against a heavy sentence, has been completely exonerated in Dubai – as well as, considerably earlier, in Australia – of the alleged bribery for which he had been held in Dubai for some five years, though for much of that time without charge. He arrived home in Victoria before Christmas with his wife, Angela, who is a grandchild of the late Graeme Bostock Austin (Cu’26), and with whom he has three children, Jack, Clancy, and William.

neurological clients in a physiotherapy clinic, and with children including Hien Nguyen (TYr9), who entered GGS at Corio in 2012. Living now near Geelong, she combines work as a physiotherapist at Waterfront Health Studio with casual teaching.

Angus Carnegie (Cu’84), living in Sydney, is a Senior Research Scientist with the Department of Forestry.

Sophia McQuillan (A’09) in December 2013 received the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award at Government House in Melbourne and, six days later, graduated Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) from the University of Melbourne.

Mezwyn D’Junus (Ga’86) launched her first book, Even the Most Positive Person in the World Gets Cancer (H&H Publishing, 2013), at the Melbourne Writers’ Festival in August.

Mark Abraham (Fr’95) moved from Canberra to Sweden late in 2012 and is working at the Life Sciences Park attached to the Karolinska Institute. He was awarded a Doctorate of Philosophy by the Australian National University in 2013.

Sam Strong (P’96) is directing Noël Coward’s Private Lives for the Melboune Theatre Company early in 2014.

Rory Hyde (P’99) in November, with his partner, Amy Silver, moved to London to be the first Curator of Contemporary Architecture and Urbanism at the Victoria and Albert Museum. He did so the day after the opening at the National Gallery of Victoria of the Melbourne Now exhibition and last-minute work, adding greenery to the huge installation, a geodesic “Big Dome” set in the NGV’s St Kilda Road foyer, which he had conceived and with a team of family and other friends had built – a hand-built structure made of 945 Ikea bins and curved timber beams. He studied Architecture at the RMIT, did doctoral research, and worked in the Netherlands for five years during which his book, Future Practice: Conversations from the Edge of Architecture, was published, featuring interviews with leading designers, planners, architects, and historians.

Fleur Kilpatrick (He’01), with degrees in Physiotherapy and Teaching, taught in a voluntary role in Kenya at The Walk Centre in Nakuru. She then worked in an international school in Hanoi, with

Ruth Patterson (He’01), having studied Science and Engineering and become fascinated by hydrography while a Research Assistant and then a Fellow at Charles Darwin University, is now an Oceanographer, based in Darwin, with the Australian Institute of Marine Science.

Jessica Grills (AYr12) also received the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award at Government House in December for her work as a volunteer, both on the spot and documenting it, at an orphanage in the small community of Kikwajuni in Tanzania.

She spent the 2012-13 summer holidays there while her parents, Dr Richard Grills (A’84), and his wife, Leanne, volunteered at the local hospital. Jess taught and played games with the children, became very close to them, and was very sad to leave.

Mariah Kennedy (AYr12) has been awarded the Young People’s Human Rights Medal for her book, Reaching Out: Messages of Hope, which was reported in our last issue.

Max Guzelian (Staff 1970-88), who died in September 2013, taught and inspired many in Brass and Woodwind as well as conducting bands. He and Elizabeth – married for 51 years – had three children, Agon (Co’76), a talented musician who died in 2011, Mary, and Kevin. He studied Music at Melbourne University, served in the RAAF, and became a chicken farmer at Lovely Banks – and a keen gardener. In 1992 Max was elected an Honorary Life Member of the OGGs. His funeral was held in the Armenian Apostolic Church of St Mary in Surrey Hills.

Justin Rushbrooke QC (Assistant, Corio, 1981-82) is a barrister of Gray’s Inn, London, working mainly on libel cases, and recently took silk. His father, the late Dr John Rushbrooke (FB’53), was a Fellow of Downing College, Cambridge, and a distinguished high-energy physicist.

49

SECTION 05 — CURATOR

Michael Thawley AO (FB’67) advises the Capital Group based in Los Angeles, though he spends much of his time travelling abroad. He is senior vice-president of Capital Research and Management Company and senior vice-president and international adviser at Capital Strategy Research. Formerly international adviser to the Prime Minister of Australia, he went on to be Australian Ambassador to the United States of America from 2000 to 2005.

↓ SECTION 05 — CURATOR

BIRTHS Meredith and Ross Abraham (Fr’97), a son, Dexter Ashton Cox, on 12 July 2013 Cass née Madin (Cl’95) and Jared Andison, a son, Sam Jeremy, on 16 July 2013 Michelle and Marshall Baillieu (P/L’84), a son, Finn, on 3 November 2010 Marni and Stuart Baker (P’88), a son, William Michael, on 12 November 2012 Jessie and Duncan Barber (FB’88), a daughter, Polly Jean, on 18 August 2013 Kate and Nick Bayne (FB’97), a daughter, Clementine Sally on 28 October 2013 Claire Kilpatrick (He’03) and Peter Bicknell, a daughter, Iris Justine, on 28 September 2013 Carly Mills-Blunden née Mills (A’01) and Luke Blunden, a son, Nicholas Adam, on 7 November 2013 Sophia née Staughton (Cl’00) and Andrew Callaghan, a son, Albert John, on 26 April 2013 Kylie and Andrew Carnegie (Cu’82), a son, Fergus Alastair, on 12 May 2008 Katherine (Kate) née Russell (He’01) and Trent Carter (FB’99), a son, Charles Alexander Douglas, on 21 August 2013

Georgiana née Consett (Cl’98) and Roy Garland, a son, Finn Jack, on 14 July 2009 and a daughter, Matilda Winsome, on 7 March 2012 Kate née Farrell (Ga’01) and Carney Ganley, a daughter, Goldie Rose Elizabeth, on 27 April 2013 Victoria née Calder (Cl’00) and Jonathon Gatacre, a daughter, Charlotte Victoria, on 27 July 2013 Heidi and Christopher Gaussen (M’93), a daughter, Cordelia Augustine Amherst, on 12 May 2009, a son, Abel Edgar Amherst, on 4 July 2012, and a daughter, Sophia Rose Amherst, on 28 October 2013 Sarah née Cahill (A’01) and Jolyon George, a daughter, Lucy Isabelle, on 4 January 2013 Andrea Burke (Ga’01) and Monty Hanger, a son, Charles Simon Burke, on 11 November 2013 Jamie and Andrew Ingle (P’97), a daughter, Isabelle Alice, on 1 November 2013 Laura and Phillip Ingle (P’96), a daughter, Charlotte Coate, on 7 August 2013 Phoebe née Gleeson (He’99) and Nicholas Jefferson, a son, Stirling Matthews, on 26 July 2013

Bianca and Toby Smith (Fr’93), three sons, Freddie Maxwell Henry on 26 November 2009, George Edward Harrison on 6 September 2011, and Henry Benjamin Lindsay on 20 April 2013 Rachael and Ben Smith (Fr’94), a daughter, Sophie Ivy Louise, on 9 June 2013 Anna and Dougal Speirs (Cu’99), a son, Angus Walter, on 16 January 2013 Alicia and Thomas Staughton (P’97), a son, William John Samuel, on 8 May 2013 Meg née Clancy (Ga’96) and Michael Taylor, twin sons, Orlando Steele and Finn Moxon, on 21 December 2012 Mandy and Peter J T Yencken (P’80), a son, Spencer David Lewis, on 2 February 2013

MARRIAGES Kirsty Begg (Cl’91) married Myles Treseder (P/L’81) on 23 November 2013 Katie Bennett (Je/He’93) married Cameron Peterson on 1 November 2013 Suzanne Brown (Ga’89) married Guy Dutson on 14 October 2012 Trent Carter (FB’00) married Katherine (Kate) Russell (He’01) on 24 March 2012

Kirsty née Mitchell (Cl’88) and Pierre Castex, a son, Leo, in February 2012

Alexandra née Griffiths (A’00) and Charles Mann (P’02), a son, Alexander Edward Bamberg, on 16 July 2013

Katherine Young (Ga’98) and Jonathan Chamberlain, a son, Edward Keith, on 8 June 2013

Julie née Champion de Crespigny (Ga’99) and Tim McClelland, a daughter, Frances Doris, on 1 December 2012

Fiona née Mackintosh (Cl’99) and Wil Cope, a son, William Grant Mackintosh (Bille), on 20 September 2013

Fiona née Calder (Cl’94) and Jamie McConachy, a son, Billy Jack Calder, on 12 March 2013

Camilla née Tipler (He’96) and Timothy D’Antoine, two daughters, Agnes Daisy on 14 September 2009 and Beatrix Winsome on 13 July 2011

Fiona née Mackenzie (Cl’87) and Tim Morris, a son, Max William, on 12 December 2012

Sarah Phippen (Cl’97) married Adam Forsdyke on 22 October 2011

Linley and Simon O’Brien (A’94), a son, Jack William Smythe, on 21 October 2013

Damian Purcell (Fr’78) married Jenny Corom on 28 January 2012

Maddison and Jonathan Pease (Cu’92), a son, Kingston Carter, on 10 October 2013

Robert Speirs (Cu’01) married Annabel Baird on 23 February 2013

Emily and Cameron Rahles-Rahbula (FB’02), a son, Archie Philip, on 9 January 2012

Katherine Spottiswood (He’05) married Jason Laws-King (M’06) on 27 July 2013

Alyce née Moore (Fr’04) and Luke Davis, a daughter, Olivia Rose, on 27 December 2013 Suzanne née Brown (Ga’91) and Guy Dutson, a daughter, Lila Elizabeth, on 2 January 2013 Sarah née Phippen (Cl’97) and Adam Forsdyke, a daughter, Matilda Juliet, on 29 June 2013

50

Sarah née Latreille (He’98) and James Scanlan, a daughter, Matilda Jean, on 22 August 2013

Joanna Clarke (Cl’01) married Thomas Youl on 16 November 2013 Georgiana Consett (Cl’98) married Roy Garland on 26 January 2008 Thomas Mitchell (P’97) married Marta Isseria Vidal on 14 July 2013 James Patterson (P’99) married Rebecca Burns in March 2013

Sophia Staughton (Cl’00) married Andrew Callaghan on 10 March 2012

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

↓ SECTION 05 — CURATOR

DEATHS Patricia Margaret (Sally) Alston (Clyde 1952-58) on 30 October 2013 Peter Reid Cant (1941-42) in October 2013 John Keith Dunstan OAM (1939-42) on 11 September 2013 Adrian Giles Evett (1979-80) on 20 September 2013

HRH

THE PRINCE O F WA L E S

Betty McKay Grainger née Kidd (Clyde 1926–33) on 12 December 2013 Geoffrey Norman Green (1959-67) on 7 October 2013 Magar (Max) Guzelian (Staff 197088) on 25 September 2013

HRH The Prince of Wales (T/Cu’66) expresses his concern for the future of the Earth in Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World (Blue Door, Harper Collins, 2010) with Tony Juniper and Ian Skelly assisting. He presents

Francis Barrington (Barry) Hall (193139) on 14 November 2013 Alexander Peter Horsman (1941-47) in August 2012 Henry Francis Horsman (1941-45) in May 2013 Benjamin James Kerr (1986-91) on 12 April 2012 Betty McKenzie (Music Staff 1960s-2000s passim) on 11 July 2013 David John Medley (1933-37) on 2 May 2010 Margaret Jill Minifie née Manifold (Clyde 1943-46) on 13 October 2013 William Henry Morshead (1939-43) on 6 October 2013 Alec Pattie (former Maintenance Staff) Warrock Bruce Patterson (1935-43) on 25 November 2013 Julian John Grant Pringle (1951-57) in September 2013 George Keith Ross Reid (1940-43) on 1 October 2013 Douglas Macnicol Sutherland (192228; Staff 1934) on 26 November 2010) Neville Michael Blithe Vise (1953-55) on 1 January 2014 Franklin David Frederick Whitney (1950-56) on 7 December 2013

LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

“the story of how our disconnection from Nature has contributed to the greatest crisis in the history of mankind, and how seeking balance in our actions will return us to a more considered, secure, comfortable, and clean world”.

He was invited to edit the Country Life issue of 13 November (the day before his 65th birthday). In his three-page editorial and in much of the other contents of a particularly beautiful and impressive issue of that weekly, the same philosophy, the same wisdom, is reflected. As well, there are unexpected delights such as an article by the Prince himself on the great English composer Sir Hubert Parry, whose best-known works are the anthem I Was Glad (written for the Coronation of King Edward VII in 1902) and the hymn Jerusalem (“And did those feet…”) in which Parry set to stirring music words of the great English poet William Blake.

I hope that Harmony will be widely read (and listened to) for its appeal to both mind and conscience.

Michael Collins Persse

Now Harper Collins has published a set of nine CDs in which Prince Charles reads the book in its entirety. A strong theme is the wrong turning that the industrialised world has taken in neglecting, even despising, ancient wisdom, whether from the great philosophers ('lovers of wisdom') of all the major religious traditions or from peoples, often dismissed as 'primitive', who live close to Earth and understand the rhythms of Nature. "We are at an historic moment," says the Prince, "because we face a future where there is a real prospect that, if we fail the Earth, we fail Humanity".

In depth and detail, ranging wide in Space and Time, he expounds the vital differences between Disharmony and Harmony.

51

www.ggs.vic.edu.au