The Ivy & The Tower Edition 1 2024

THE IVY & THE TOWER

A PUBLICATION OF THE HAMILTON AND ALEXANDRA COLLEGE / NO 82 / JUNE 2024

COLLEGE SENDS DELEGATES TO THE UN

YALE MODEL UN CONFERENCE / PAGE 06

EXTENSION OPPORTUNITIES

CHALLENGING OUR LEARNERS IN THE JUNIOR SCHOOL / PAGE 08

WORLD CHALLENGE

ADVENTURE AND SERVICE IN VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA / PAGE 11

NEIL MACLEAN APPOINTED TO COLLEGE BOARD

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Neil MacLean to the College Board of Governors. Continuing his long and varied involvement with the College, Neil has been unanimously accepted as a new Director of the College. Neil retired as Associate Principal (Operations) at the end of 2020, having been a staff member for an extraordinary 43 years. He was Acting Principal on four occasions and is therefore well prepared to step into a governance position.

Neil brings an unparalleled understanding of the College and its past together with a keen eye towards its future. He has been involved in all major educational innovations at the College across many decades, including being heavily involved in the former Year 9 China Experience and partnership with Gaoyou Middle School. Neil’s willingness to look forward while simultaneously understanding the importance of our past will be an asset to the College Board and we look forward to his contribution.

Rosemary Merrin, Chair of the College Board

The Hamilton and Alexandra College acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land where our College proudly stands, the Gunditjmara People. We honour Elders past, present and future in recognition of their strength and resilience, we commit to building a brighter future together.

Front cover photo: Fay Harjanto (front) and Arbella Little engaged in the community service component of the World Challenge to build a vegetable garden at a village school in rural Cambodia

Photography: Alana Brown, Tim Cameron, Ashley Quinsey, We Met In June and Katie Winter Cooke

06. College’s UN delegates depart for Europe: Front: Harry Dorahy, Shavon Wong and Daisy Henry Middle: Grace Dohle, Amelia Jackson, Holly Quinn and Harry Mahar Back: Phoebe Baker, Malachi Duggan and Amelie Hiscock

08. Pizzicato Strings members Matilda Mercer (Year 5), Eloise Bufton (Year 3), William Brown (Year 3) and Hugo Cameron (Year 5) 10. Anabelle Walker (Year 12) with student in Cambodia as part of the World Challenge service project 14. Year 6 students complete at Mirranatwa Cross-Country, Grace O’Sullivan, Ada O’Brien and Evie Templeton

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Our new Strategic Plan 2024-2028 carries the by-line: This reflects the central place that academic endeavour and achievement hold at College, and also frames ‘opportunity’ as an explicit goal of our school. We have explicitly recognised the importance of our students having access to opportunities

within and beyond the gates of Chaucer Street or Myrniong. In providing a breadth of opportunities we encourage students to step outside of their classroom, and to place themselves in situations that are novel and sometimes difficult. We do this because we believe in the great benefits that students derive from challenge. We also do it because we believe that our students are the match of any, anywhere, and that they should be given the same range and quality of opportunities as their metro, interstate or international counterparts.

This is not a new approach. The College has a long history of providing opportunities beyond the classroom to its students, whether they be international study tours, extra-curricular competitions, city excursions, drama productions, or an excursion to a local farm. What we sought to do by including this approach as a central part of our next Strategic Plan was to signal publicly that we think there is great benefit in activity beyond the classroom, and that we think that, often, busy students are successful students. We also sought to signal that, after a suitable post-COVID period of tentative reengagement, we wanted students back out there. Our new Strategic Plan reasserts our College’s guiding purpose as

We seek to nurture locally, so that students can excel globally.

To excel in the world, students need to be in the world and I am pleased that so many College staff have so readily picked up this idea and led opportunities for our young people already this year.

It is sometimes argued that students will need different skills to succeed in the future than those that have been needed in the past. It is true that technology is advancing all-the-more quickly and that the speed with which all of us must adapt is increasing. However, those traits that will differentiate our students and set them up for success remain strikingly familiar – the ability to converse, to persuade, to be adaptable and forward thinking, and to discern and use good judgement. These skills have always

been needed and are increasingly needed now. Moreover, they are developed not only in the classroom but through activities and programs that take students beyond the classroom, whether virtually or physically. It is in this context and to these ends, that we offer opportunities to our students.

When our Year 10 students travel to a local community near King’s Canyon in the upcoming holiday break they will develop perseverance, stoicism and an increased cultural understanding, and hopefully lift their perspective to a broader view.

When our Junior School Community Connections students visit the local support centre for people with disability, Mulleraterong, they are serving others in their community. At the same time they are developing their knowledge of difference, sameness and inclusion, engaging tangibly with what it means for each person to have rights and the desire for autonomy, and again hopefully lifting their perspective of the world beyond themselves, and their own homes and school.

When our students took the stage in Mount Gambier at Generations in Jazz earlier this term, they had good and worthwhile lessons about the importance of hard work and practice for musical prowess, and I hope saw the

transferability of that lesson to other areas of their livesunderstanding that if they want to match it with the best, in whatever area, they have to work hard.

When each of our student delegates got up to speak at the Yale Model United Nations Europe conference in Brussels about a current topic from the perspective of their assigned country, they employed and thereby improved their skills in knowledge acquisition and retention, in argument and persuasion, and in compromise and concession. These are all useful skills for young people to have going into the modern world. (I think it’s worth noting here that our delegates in Brussels could have asked a generative AI bot to write their speeches, but that would have been worthless in the moment when they came to deliver their speeches and then debate the ideas).

When Music students from across the school sat down to take instruction, and sometimes sharp direction, from visiting musicians from Orchestra Victoria or the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra this semester, they were developing humility and their understanding of the nuances required to move from good to great performance. They were given the opportunity to sit and discuss what it takes for real people to forge a career as a professional musician.

So, let’s bring these listed skills and pieces of knowledge together: perseverance, stoicism, cultural understanding, perspective, difference, sameness and inclusion, the importance of hard work and practice, knowledge acquisition and retention, argument and persuasion, compromise and concession, humility and how to attain great performance. These are drawn from a small snapshot of the range of opportunities that College students have had access to this year. Of course we seek to develop these skills in the classroom as well, and I could draw examples of the same from many academic classes. But I think there is something significantly different about the benefits and skills developed in extra or external opportunities.

This is multiplied further when the opportunity is in a different country and culture. Mid next semester we will be sending our first group on the three-week Vietnam program, as part of the Year 9 Experience. The Vietnam trip is the culmination of the experiences that Year 9 students have had in the Grampians in Term One and then in Melbourne in Term Two. The program gradually increases the challenge that students are presented with, while simultaneously reducing the perceived support available to help them meet the challenge. There will be many things that our students might find confronting in Vietnam –the language, the heat and for some the food. We will ask them to help organise and navigate, to work with school children in

Nà Bai, and to sweat it out as they complete regenerative conservation work in Hue. Vietnam provides an ideal destination to extend students’ cultural understanding and to challenge them physically. It also offers opportunities for them to genuinely contribute to communities in need of assistance. Students will use the skills they have developed in a local service program when they return in Term Four.

The breadth of the opportunities available as part of a College education is purposeful and intentional. Our students are fortunate. I believe strongly that having access to diverse and challenging opportunities helps our young people to develop the skills that they will need when they are out in the world, continuing to make a positive difference, as they have for many generations. As we nurture academic opportunity, our eyes are firmly on the horizon and on the future.

Image: Nicholas Hoskyns (Year 12), Amelie Hiscock (Year 11), Hugo Cameron (Year 5) and Arshita Woosantia (Year 7) working with Tutti Violinist John Noble from Orchestra Victoria

COLLEGE SENDS DELEGATES TO

THE UNITED NATIONS

A group of College students from Years 10, 11 and 12 joined high school students from around the world as delegates at the Yale Model UN Europe XIII Conference held in Brussels over three days. Simulating a real UN conference, students came together to debate challenging issues of global importance and test their skills diplomacy and problem-solving. The College group also visited Ghent in Belgium and London as part of their trip.

The students were accompanied on the trip by Principal Michael Horne and Head of Learning Enhancement Valetta Bolton and Senior Physics and Mathematics teacher Tim Cameron who participated at the conference as an Adviser.

When speaking with prospective families recently, I’ve been talking a lot about what characterises our school and our students. For me, one of these things is our students’ willingness to participate in and try their hands at new or challenging things. The group of students I travelled with to Brussels showed their readiness to attempt something very different and very challenging at the Yale Model UN Conference. Michael Horne, Principal

1. College students in Brussels, Front: Grace Dohle (Year 11), Amelia Jackson (Year 11), Holly Quinn (Year 10), Amelie Hiscock (Year 11); Middle: Daisy Henry (Year 12), Sophie Merrin (Year 11), Shavon Wong (Year 12); Back: Phoebe Baker (Year 10), Harry Mahar (Year 12), Malachi Duggan (Year 12) and Harry Dorahy (Year 11) 2. Harry Mahar, Malachi Duggan, Grace Dohle and Amelia Jackson in session 3. Five College students in a London phonebooth with: Amelia Jackson, Sophie Merrin, Harry Dorahy, Charlie Mahar, Holly Quinn and Phoebe Baker outside

Q&A WITH YEAR 11 STUDENTS

GRACE DOHLE, HARRY DORAHY & AMELIE HISCOCK

GRACE

Represented: Denmark Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Issues Committee

Issues debated: ‘The right to food’ and ‘The protection of children and women in conflict zones’

Why did you take part in the conference?

I’m interested in activism and protest. And to get out of my comfort zone, especially with public speaking. Grace

I enjoy talking about global issues, politics and geography. Harry

I have a big interest in human rights, law and international relations. Amelie

What did you gain from the experience?

More confidence in my ability to speak publicly as well as my social and conversational skills. It changed my sense of the world and how different my life on a farm is compared to some of the people I met. Grace

A better understanding of what geopolitics and diplomacy looks like, along with a higher level of debating, report writing and researching skills. Harry

An understanding of how the international legal system and the UN works, and how involved the people of Europe are in world issues. I now know a lot about Yemen and about the lack of legal power the UN actually has on solving some of these issues. I learned about so much that interests me and now have a bit of an idea of what I want my work life to look like. Amelie

HARRY

Represented: Myanmar Disarmament and International Security Committee

Issues debated: ‘The weaponisation of cyberspace’ and ‘The prevention of illicit arms trafficking’

AMELIE

Represented: Yemen Legal Committee

Issues debated: ‘Ensuring the criminal accountability of UN workers’ and ‘The management of transboundary aquifers’

What were the highlights?

The group meals. One lunchtime, along with four other College students, we went to find lunch with people from Greece who were in our delegation and spent the whole time talking about our lives in Australia and getting to know about their lives in Athens. I loved learning about how different their daily lives are. Grace

Meeting different people from around the globe. I have made connections and friends in places I never could have imagined. Seeing the amazing cities of Brussels, London and Ghent with their beautiful buildings and culture. Harry

Meeting people from all over the world and getting a feel for how real all these issues are to people closer to them. I was the only one from Australia in my committee and we were the only Australian school there. Amelie

Q&A WITH HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

STEPHEN NELSON

Why is it important for students to have extension opportunities?

We want to be providing a rich offering. An important part of that offering is opportunities for our high achieving students who are looking for extension and enrichment. Our programs are designed to stimulate and challenge and have a strong focus on developing students’ creativity, collaboration and confidence.

How do these opportunities support learning in the Junior School?

As a non-selective school, our classes are made up of a wide range of learners. For each student, our focus is on building a solid foundation in core skill areas such as literacy and numeracy while providing opportunities for our high performing students to extend beyond that – to step outside their personal comfort zone while also pursuing a passion, ambition or interest.

What are you particularly excited about at the moment?

We’re working on building our Performing Arts program and we are very excited to be putting on the first ever Junior School Musical, Disney’s ‘Frozen JR.’ later this year. We look forward to celebrating this exciting new learning opportunity in the next issue.

FAST FACT: The Junior School has had students ranked in the top 5% in Australasia in 2022 and 2023.

EXTENSION OPPORTUNITIES IN THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

We offer a range of programs run by highly reputable providers such as the APSMO*, ICAS* and the CSIRO*. These programs have a strong evidence base and allow our students to compare themselves to the best of the best students from across educational sectors. Australasian Problem Solving Mathematical Olympiads; International Competitions and Assessments for Schools; Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

For the Junior Division of the Maths Olympiad our Year 6 students work at a Year 7-8 level.

I like doing Maths Olympiad because it is fun and challenging and it gives me the opportunity to learn a high level of Maths. I look forward to the weekly sessions. Hugo, Year 6

The opportunity to compete in ICAS competitions – an international competition involving 16,000 schools across 41 countries – is offered to the top 10% of our students in English, Mathematics, Spelling and Reading.

We actively look for extension writing opportunities to challenge our high performing English Students, such as the Whitlam Institute ‘What Matters’ writing competition and the Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards.

I entered the ‘What Matters’ writing competition because it gave me the opportunity to share my writing and allow other people to share my experiences. My topic was ‘Facing Fears’. Mi-Ha, Year 6

PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAM

I love seeing the students’ enthusiasm and energy for the Performing Arts and their willingness to go ‘above and beyond’ to achieve a high standard.

Anne Kristin Christie, teaches Classroom Music, Performance Arts and Chamber Choir in the Junior School

Every student from the Early Learning Centre to Year 6 participates in our rich and comprehensive Classroom Music program which uses the Kodaly learning approach, and a Performance Arts Program characterised by rigorous learning challenges, expressive creativity, and the joy of making music together in a variety of ways. The Year 2 String program, featuring group tuition on Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass at no additional cost to parents, is an inspiring program that offers every student the opportunity for further growth within the Classroom Music program.

Students can extend and enrich their musicianship skills by enrolling in the Instrumental Tuition program which currently offers tuition in 13 instruments! Our weekly assembly presents a lovely opportunity for solo performers across all year levels. Students also have the opportunity to join Junior School ensembles and cross-campus ensembles. This not only provides a regular schedule of performances within and outside the school community, it also fosters important social interaction across year levels.

I like being in Chamber Singers because I want to see how far I can develop my voice. Aida, Year 6

I like being in Pizzicato Strings because everyone is cheerful and when we play together it sounds really nice. Thomas, Year 4

Drama has been a valuable addition to the Performing Arts program since 2023. In lessons with teacher Angela Kenna, students explore and express ideas through roles and situations.

We are very excited that every student from ELC to Year 6 will have the opportunity to experience the magic of live theatre in the enchanting production of Disney’s ‘Frozen JR.’ in October this year.

Imogen and Hazel immerse themselves in the performancebased learning opportunities in the classroom programs and they are especially excited to be taking the stage in Frozen JR later this year. In courageously committing to a ‘whole of Junior School’ production, the Myrniong Drama program is taking its creative, engaging and science-based learning philosophy to dizzyingly new and exciting heights. I believe that such a commitment sends a very special message to every student, ‘We believe in you, and together we can do challenging and wonderful things’. Imogen and Hazel now seek out opportunities to enhance their knowledge and performance proficiency and both have recently participated in NIDA programs. Hazel has recently successfully auditioned for a minor role in an independent Australian feature film. I credit the Junior School programs and their teachers for setting them up for the successes they have experienced.

Mardi Johns, parent of Imogen (Year 6) and Hazel (Year 4)

DEVELOPING EXEMPLARY TEACHERS

Congratulations to two of our exemplary teachers, Anna Robertson (who taught Year 6 up until 2023 and is now Director of Learning and Teaching at College) and Penny Callinan (Year 1 teacher), who have achieved national accreditation as Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers. They were recognised alongside 14 other teachers from independent schools in Victoria. Anna and Penny are innovative educators who are passionate about supporting students to becoming lifelong learners.

We are enormously proud of Anna and Penny for their achievement and their leadership of great teaching practice at College.

Michael Horne, Principal

1. Head of Junior School Stephen Nelson leads small group extension Maths work with Shriaan Golwala and other Year 3 students 2. Tilly Lovett (Year 1), Annie Barber (Year 2) and Jack Nagorcka (Year 2) perform at Assembly

Hannah Croft (Year 12), Benjamin Hiscock (teacher), Lachlan Pringle (Year 12), Fay Harjanto (Year 12), Arbella Little (Year 12), Katie Winter Cooke (teacher), Zoe Kennedy (Year 12), Sophie Merrin (Year 11), Amelie Hiscock (Year 11) and Meg Ogle (Year 12) at Wat Ounalom in Cambodia

Q&A WITH YEAR 12 STUDENTS

FAY HARJANTO & ARBELLA LITTLE

From the colourful chaos of Ho Chi Minh City, to hiking in the peace and nature of Vietnam highlands, to camping under starry skies, to snorkelling in crystal clear waters, to taking an overnight train, to drifting down the Mekong Delta, to navigating the bustling Phnom Penh in blistering heat, to engaging meaningfully with local communities, and so much more…

This trip led us away from the comfort of our homes and ordinary lives, into the excitement of new experiences and an endless number of unforgettable memories. Taking in a world so different to our own, we found this trip truly was what its name entailed – a challenge. It was from the challenge that we grew the most – choosing to embrace the discomfort and fully immerse ourselves in the experiences as we soaked up the beautiful landscapes, scenes, people and stories.

Why did you do the World Challenge?

To experience the most amazing environments and be fully immersed in another a culture. The student-led approach to this trip separated it from a school camp experience. It was made clear from the start that it would be what we made it, from saving up and fundraising before we left, to planning each day on the trip as a team. Fay

I thought that being immersed in a completely new environment would be a great opportunity to challenge myself. I wanted to learn about a different culture and history and the events that shaped the countries we visited. Arbella

What did you gain from the experience?

This experience was life-changing. So many moments have helped me to learn and gain confidence in myself as well as how I see the world around me, through the people we met, the stories they told and being a part of something bigger. Fay

Despite the extensive preparation in the lead-up to the trip, every single day I was amazed by what I learned. I came home with a new perspective on different cultures and history that reminded me of how privileged I am and gave me an awareness of the hardships faced by others in the past and present. Sharing this experience with the group was so much fun and an important part of the learning. Arbella

1. World Challenge 2023 group at Angkor Wat in Cambodia: Jody Ogle, Alice Lanyon (Year 12) with Owlie, Meg Ogle (Year 12), Katie Winter Cooke, Tom Heazlewood (Year 12), Benjamin Hiscock (teacher), Fay Harjanto (Year 12), Annabelle Walker (Year 12), Hannah Croft (Year 12), Izzy Adamson (Year 11), Amelie Hiscock (Year 11), Arbella Little (Year 12), David Merrin (parent), Sophie Merrin (Year 11), Hugo Dabernig (Year 11), Lachlan Pringle (Year 12), Harry Dorahy (Year 11), Lily Cush (Year 12) and Jake Tonissen (Year 12) 2. Teachers Benjamin Hiscock and Katie Winter Cooke drift down the Mekong Delta 3. Harry Dorahy and Jake Tonissen take time out to have a kick of the football during the hike in Vietnam

HIGHLIGHTS

What were the highlights?

4-day trek in the Vietnam Highlands

After trekking all day, we would sit around the fire at night, learning to enjoy the simple moments and appreciate the lives we were living and gaining perspective on the abundance of our lives waiting for us at home. Fay

Community service projects in rural Cambodia I loved spending time with the children at the schools. Despite the language differences we made long-lasting connections and shared parts of our life through teaching each other childhood games. Seeing how the children were so happy warmed my heart and made me so grateful for the comforts I have at home. Arbella

ANNUAL SCHOLARS ASSEMBLY

GUEST SPEAKER: DR BRUCE WEBBER (1993), PHD, BSC

Dr Bruce Webber returned to school to share this knowledge and wisdom in the field of global change ecology at this year’s Scholars Assembly.

Bruce joined College in Prep and graduated in Year 12 as School Captain and Sports Champion as a very proud Laidlavian. At the Junior School, Bruce developed a passion for science which was fostered and encouraged by the Head of the Junior School, Ann Scott.

After school, Bruce completed a Bachelor of Science with first class honours in Botany and Environmental Science and a PhD at The University of Melbourne, focusing on the adversity of interactions between plants and animals in far north Queensland and Borneo.

Now living in Perth, Bruce is a Principal Research Scientist with the Ecosystem Change Ecology team at the CSIRO in Perth and an Adjunct Associate Professor at The University of Western Australia.

Bruce’s work focuses on the impacts of global environmental change on community ecology and the role of plant-ecosystem interactions in shaping community composition. He has travelled the world in his career, undertaking hands-on field trips. Bruce attributes his time at Hamilton College as the impetus for his lifelong passion for science and the environment.

My time at Hamilton College from Prep to Year 12 is where many formative experiences planted the seeds that have sustained and shaped my life journey since. In Year 4, the initial flames of a career-long passion were ignited for the first time. Mrs Ann Scott, my Year 4 and Year 5 teacher, supported me to methodically document the lifecycle of frogs.

The opportunities presented by Mathematics and Science teachers at the Senior School provided many opportunities that kept my learning fires burning. I will be forever grateful to these teachers for going above and beyond to provide me with inspiration in my early years.

It was in the jungle of Central Africa that I resolved to focus on the conservation of our most threatened biological diversity. This goal led to a return to Australia to work on global environmental change with CSIRO, Australia’s National Science Agency, and delivering conservation impact to multiple organisations across Australia and overseas.

It is very clear that we are going to be facing unprecedented challenges over the coming decades. Choose careers that will contribute towards making our planet a more sustainable, resilient and tolerant place. If there is one thing that my career in global change ecology has clarified it is that resilience as well as adaptability are among the most important life skills that will help you navigate the world of the future.

Class of 2023 students Ruby Kent, Dux Catherine Richardson, Grace Macpherson and Lachlan Rees with Principal Michael Horne and Dr Bruce Webber (1993)

2023 VCE ACHIEVERS

We are very proud of the Class of 2023. Each student is the author of their own results and there are many hard-working success stories who strived toward their best among this cohort. It is wonderful to see the variety of tertiary studies being undertaken by these students, from Science and Marine Biology to Engineering, Games, Interactivity/Animation, Medical Imaging, Primary Teaching, Agriculture and many more.

2023 Dux

• Dux is Catherine Richardson from Casterton who achieved an ATAR of 95.2 – Catherine is now studying Science at The University of Melbourne

• Proxime Accessit is Alec Watson from Warrnambool who achieved an ATAR of 94.8 – Alec has joined the Australian Defence Force

The Class of 2023 at a glance

• 15% of students achieved an ATAR above 90

• 90% of students applied for tertiary study

• 100% of students who applied for university received offers

• 17% of students received early offers

SUCCESSFUL YEAR 11 CAREER PROGRAM TRIAL

At the beginning of 2023, the Year 11s were introduced to small group and individual career classes. Students met one-on-one with the Year 11 Careers Practitioner at least once a term, with regular emails and group meetings throughout the term as well as involvement from parents. These sessions provided the students with opportunities to recognise and evaluate their skills and abilities, to discuss, trial and change ideas, and to consider labour market trends and information in the context of their choices while researching transition options. They also explored and completed Early Entry applications.

With Year 12 being such an intense year, this program provides the opportunity for students to learn about their options, plan, make contacts and build resources in Year 11. The students are excited about what is ahead for them.

EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT FUTURES

Congratulations to 2024 School Captain Nick Hoskyns

Nick passed his Associate in Music, Australia (AMusA) Performance Diploma in April. This incredible achievement will be officially celebrated at a ceremony in Melbourne later in the year. Nick performed a program of four pieces totalling 42 minutes in front of a panel of two judges. Performing at this level on the violin takes a huge amount of commitment and practice – the majority of students who complete the AMUSA as this level are in second year university.

Nick attributed his calm nerves on the day to Director of Music Ben Hiscock and Strings Teacher Ben Singh, whom he said were amazing supporters on the day:

I really enjoyed playing, especially with Mr Hiscock accompanying me on piano. It felt like a performance rather than an exam. I have been playing the violin since picking one up for the first time in the Year 2 Strings program. I have several lessons each week with Mr Singh and have the pleasure of performing with Mr Hiscock at school assemblies and community events, so the music team has become my second family.

Dr Bruce Webber visits former Head of Junior School Ann Scott on his way back to Hamilton

1. Year 6 students get ready for action: Front: Freddie Nagorcka, Hugo Toma, Kirav Patel, Ada O’Brien, Isabelle Bricknall, Aida Adamson and Archie Aitkin, Back: Finn Hawthorne, Sidney Hawker, Max Cameron, Grace O’Sullivan, Poppy Edgar, Imogen Johns, Tayla Williams, Evie Templeton, Ellie Lewis, Ruby Price, Emma Milne and Mi-Ha Kim

2. Year 4 students Anika Nelson and Maggie Wallis enjoy the fun at Mirranatwa 3. They are off: Front: Matilda Mercer, Elsie Dyer and Adelaide Farquharson Back: Alinta Margetts, Arya Bouchier, Scarlett Hawker and Emma Milne

4. Piccino students Tom Simmons and Harvey Robertson 5. Parent helpers, Sardie Edgar, Katrina Robertson, Rosie Merrin (1994 and Board Chair), Sara Dyer (Richards 1999) and Richard Hawker (1999) move into position on the course 6. George Roberston (Year 3) pushes towards the finish line

OUR STUDENTS SAID…

I liked the twisty tracks all through the bush. When I ran along, I could see all the trees on the mountains. I loved the picnic lunch and the big walk to the top of the hill to see the view.

Jasper Hoffman, Year 1

It was fun. I loved being out on our school’s new property and having a new exciting running track among the trees. George Robertson, Year 3

It was great, we got to be surrounded by trees with everyone cheering us on which was helpful because the course was more challenging than the golf course. Maggie Wallis, Year 4

CROSS-COUNTRY FUN AND CHALLENGE AT MIRRANATWA

The inaugural official school event to be held at the College’s new Mirranatwa property, this year’s Junior School House Cross-Country was a resounding success for both students and the College community alike.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER AND MAIN ORGANISER LOUISE PATTERSON REFLECTS…

In an exciting change from the relatively flat and manicured courses in town, and with a nod to the traditional Cross-Country events that many of the parents remember as children, our students were challenged with a run that incorporated an open hill, mountainous scrub, running in between trees and jumping over logs.

Students from Early Learning to Year 6 responded to this challenging new course with vigour, energy and enthusiasm. After the run, students, teachers and families enjoyed exploring the Mirranatwa landscape.

The event was a great success thanks to the ideal weather conditions and our incredible College families who volunteered their time to plan the track and who donned high vis vests on the day to help guide and support our runners as they made their way around the course. Our Mirranatwa neighbour, Rex, kindly appeared with his tractor to help unload and load up the toilets! This was yet another example of our connected College community in action.

Every single one of our runners left the course and boarded the bus with the most fabulous smiles on their faces. We can’t wait to run the Cross-Country at Mirranatwa again next year.

7. Principal Michael Horne and Year 6 parent, Sardie Edgar during presentations 8. House Captains and winners of the Cross-Country Cup, Kirav Patel and Aida Adamson

COLLEGE FOUNDATION

Jen Hutton Joined 2023

Jen is a past parent and was Director of Community Relations and Development at the College from 2000 to 2018. During that time she managed a number of capital campaigns which included The Helen Handbury Science Centre, The Geoff Handbury Sports Centre, The Kantor Family Music and Performing Arts Centre and the Middle Years Centre. She has also had considerable experience in governance in her time as a Board Director at Western District Health Service from 2002 to 2016. Having lived in the district for over 40 years, Jen has a deep knowledge of the College and the wider Hamilton community.

James Callinan (1994)

Joined 2023

An Old Collegian, James has tertiary qualifications in Science and Commerce from The University of Melbourne. After holding senior finance and management roles within various small companies and multinational consumer goods and dairy organisations, in 2021 he founded an animal nutrition company. James has a strong interest in education and maintains a close association with the school with his wife, Penny, teaching Year 1 at Myrniong.

Natalie Bawden Joined 2023

Natalie is a Director of a law firm in Hamilton, having previously worked at top tier firms in Western Australia and Queensland. She has over 30 years’ experience in the conveyancing/commercial legal sector. Natalie is from a farming background, with her family relocating to the Hamilton area from South Australia in 1985. She has lived in the Hamilton area for the past 15 years. Her son Adam is in Year 11 at College and her daughter Finlay was School Captain in 2022.

Adam Dickson Joined 2024

A Certified Practicing Accountant, Adam is an Accounting and Taxation Principal for a local firm, Sinclair Wilson, based in their Warrnambool and Hamilton offices. Adam’s experience in both audit and business advisory has honed his financial reporting skills and knowledge, and he works with clients across the region to identify and analyse trends and performance opportunities, cost drivers and budget forecasts. Adam also provides extensive support in the community and not-for-profit sectors. Adam’s skillset is a great asset to the Foundation Board.

FOUNDATION BOARD NEWS

The Foundation and the entire College community warmly acknowledges recently retired Board members for an amazing 70 years of service! We warmly welcome four new members to the Foundation Board and thank them for their commitment to the College.

We also thank Hugh Macdonald who has stepped down as Vice President but is staying on the Foundation Board. Penny Adamson is continuing on as President and Graham Linke has taken on the role of Vice President.

Thank you to our recently retired Foundation Board members

Dr Dale Ford, 19 years (2005–2023) Basil Brock, 20 years (2005–2024) Sandy Johnson, 16 years (2008–2023) Bill Crawford, 15 years (2009–2023)

The Hamiton and Alexandra College Foundation Board and School community were saddened to hear of the passing of Dr Dale Ford on 23 May 2024. Dale and Rowena are past parents of the College. Dale made an incredible impact on the local region through his commitment to medicine and community service and to the College. Dale devoted 19 years of service to the Foundation Board and will be remembered for the impact he had in advocating the important role that the College played in attracting medical practitioners and other white-collar professionals to the Hamilton area.

TOWER SCHOLARSHIPS

Penny Adamson, President

The Foundation Board is thrilled to report that $645,308 was raised for Tower Scholarships in 2023.

This has been achieved thanks to our amazing community working together and we would like to thank every single person who contributed to this record result for scholarship fundraising at the College.

Tower Scholarships, our equity scholarships named after our iconic Tower building on our Chaucer Street campus where the first classes were held over 150 years ago, are designed to support families that prioritise the benefits of a quality education but require financial assistance to make this dream a reality.

The Foundation Board is overjoyed to hear of the progress being made by two local students who started at College this year. Both have thrown themselves into the opportunities on offer and are thriving in the classroom and on the stage.

YOU’RE INVITED TO JOIN THE...

CLUB

Launched in the College’s sesquicentenary year in 2022, the 150 Club is a philanthropic group dedicated to supporting students who could not otherwise afford an education at College.

Members of the club contribute $100 per month – or $1,200 annually – and commit to a three-year period.

If you would like to make a taxdeductible donation to the Scholarship Fund or the 150 Club, please go to hamiltoncollege.vic.edu.au/giving/ or use this QR code or call Alana Brown, Director of Community Relations on 03 5572 1355.

Our well-rounded, authentic and connected students leave school ready to succeed in their confident future. Let’s work together to provide this opportunity for more aspiring students from regional Australia.

Alex Robinson, James Callinan, Natalie Bawden, Graham Linke (Vice President), Jen Hutton, Adam Dickson, Penny Adamson (President) and Marcus Winter Cooke Absent: Hugh Macdonald

Image above: Dr Dale Ford with his daughter Edwina on the Year 9 China Experience in 2003

OUR CONNECTED COMMUNITY

WELCOME DRINKS

The sun was shining over the Tower lawns for this popular annual event held at the start of February. Old friends and new acquaintances enjoyed a wonderful College evening together to begin the school year.

1. Emily Wilson, Anna Giles (Hooper 1992) and Davina Stacy 2. Valetta Bolton and Valerie Little (Croft 1989) 3. Chloe Bricknall, Sylvia McMullen and Sarah Heazlewood 4. Cameron Small (1995) and Doug Cameron (1994) 5. Margo Bourchier, Liz Mecham (Bull 1997), Katie Adams and Anita Lynch 6. David Merrin, Nick Adamson (1979) and Andrew Hoskyns

GOLF DAY

The annual College Community Golf Day was once again blessed with a beautiful day of sunshine. With 21 teams on the course at the spectacular Grampians Golf Club, this sold-out event saw a mix of Old Collegians, current and past parents, and friends of College coming together a fabulous day and some great golf!

Thank you to the incredible team of helpers and organisers on the day and behind the scenes. Special mention to Louise Patterson (Crawford 2000) and Jen Crawford who organised the teams and ran the day. Thank you to Kate Pye (parent) and Penny Fraser (Fyfe 1991) for organising the catering and the many parents who helped with a spread worthy of the CWA.

A very special big thank you to the Grampians Golf Club for hosting us each year and to each of the generous local businesses that supported this event with golf and raffle prizes. This support is greatly appreciated by all involved.

1. Tim Wilken, James Young (1992 and parent), Helen Wilken (Crawford 2003) and Jodie Young (parent) 2. Jane Young (Templeton 1997 and parent), Mel McDonald (staff member and parent) and Stacey Balkin (parent and P&F Treasurer) 3. Hamish Bailey (1997), Jock Barrie (2023), Jack Austin (2023) and Michael McVeigh (parent) 4. Osmond brothers, Will (1998), Tom (2007) holding Henry, George (2001) and Adrian Hyland 5. Fiona Blood and Louise Patterson (Crawford 2000) 6. Pre-briefing to start the day

COMMUNITY NEWS

BIRTHS

McClure: Owen (2004) and Meg Bell welcomed Rupert Ellis Bell on 23 March 2024

King: Anna (Richards 2005) and Michael welcomed Florence Annabelle on 12

January 2024, a sister to Harriet and Lydia Botterill: Thomas (2006) and Claire welcomed William Graham Ewen on 19 February 2024, a brother to Louis

Cameron: James (2006) and Alice Saunders welcomed Molly Amelia Cameron on 21 March 2024

Whiting: Lach (2008) and Rosie (Sharp 2008) welcomed William Peter John on 26 March 2024, a brother to Charlotte and Lucy

Heath: Rachel (Munro 2008) and Scott welcomed Archie Thomas on 26 January 2024

Cheal: Sam (2009) and Amanda welcomed twins Atticus Tyler and Harlan James on 1 April 2024

Hepburn: Patricia (See 2009) and George welcomed Cooper George on 16 February 2024

McGinley: Rosie (Robertson 2016) and Tom welcomed Delilah Mae on 20 February 2024

Brabham: Simone (staff member) welcomed Lennon Charlee on 3 March 2024

Rogerson: Hayley Dawson (2013) and Lachlan welcomed Jock Charles on 6 May 2024

Tom Whiting (2007) and Claire Block

ENGAGEMENTS WEDDINGS

Alice Coulson (2000) and Robin El Batah on 22 July 2023 in Florence, Italy

Joanna Macleod (2009) and Tim Wilson (2003) on 20 October 2023

Chloe Hasell (2010) and James Parish on 13 April 2024

Zoe Gough (2014) and Nathan Slaughter on 12 April 2024

1. Zoe Gough and Nathan Slaughter 2. Haavard and Georgie Christie 3. Joanna and Tim Wilson wedding party: Kieran Neeson, Anna Upton (Brown 2009), Robert Funk (2003), Joanna and Tim Wilson, Lauren Cameron (2009), Michael King and Emma White (Thompson 2009) 4. Alice Coulson and Robin El Batah

5. Tom and Brittany Hetherington

Georgie Morrison (2014) and Haavard Christie on 26 April 2024

Tom Hetherington (2015) and Brittany Yarrow on 23 March 2024

Georgia McClure (2015) and Andrew Neilson on 13 April 2024

DEATHS

Frank Gummow (1946) on 3 May 2024

Pauline Hamilton (Hammat 1962) on 6 November 2023

William John Bunyan (1968) on 23 May 2022

Helen Leen (Jones 1970) on 6 March 2024

Sue Brooke (1978) on 21 March 2024

Dr Dale Ford (former Foundation Board member) on 23 May 2024

CELEBRATING OLD COLLEGIANS

DES JAMES (1956)

...dropped in to the College stand at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days in March this year. He had a wonderful chat with the Director of Boarding, Andrew Monk about his time as a boarder in the cold dorms at the top of the Tower Building. Des has wonderful memories of playing footy on the oval and could recount the morning march to class where you did not want to get a step out of place! Des’ greatest highlight was an excursion to the 1956 Olympics and he still has the ticket filed away safely at home.

MAX CARMICHAEL (1956)

...became Head of Boys’ Boarding in the mid 1980s. Max was an Army Reservist during his time in the Boarding House and went on to continue his career in the military after leaving College. He was awarded the Conspicuous Service Medal in 2003 having served overseas as a peacekeeper in Timor-Leste and Bougainville and retired with the rank of Major in 2004. In April this year, Max launched ‘The Uninvited Warrior Series’ at Collins Books Store in Ballarat. Max’ books are available on Amazon.

REUNIONS 2024

WHO FROM THE CLASS OF 1994 REMEMBERS THIS?

Compiled by Jo Gardner, Kate De Garis, Renae Kemp and Amy Wilson.

Do you still have your copy? If not, you can have a flick through at the 30-year reunion.

Return to your old stomping grounds –the Senior School, Myrniong, the Boarding House – and reminisce about your College days!

10 YEARS – CLASS OF 2014

Saturday 5 October TBC

We are keen to lock in this date and would love to hear from someone from the Class of 2014

20 YEAR – CLASS OF 2004

Saturday 12 October

Key contact: Abbey Brumby-Rendell (Grigg)

Please email

30 YEAR – CLASS OF 1994

Saturday 19 October

Key contact: Doug Cameron

40 YEAR – CLASS OF 1984

Saturday 26 October

Key contact: Kate Chalk (Peddie)

50 YEAR – CLASS OF 1974

Saturday 19 October at 12pm

Venue: Il Gambero, 166 Lygon Street Carlton

Key contacts: Trena Watts (Clayton) and Ian Crafter

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