Community News

In Memory

Deanne Neal (Hazen, Class of 1958) on 31 July 2021. Deanne was Vice Captain of Akehurst House. Anne Batchelor (Webb, Class of 1963) on 16 August 2021 after bravely battling Motor Neurone Disease. Anne was the godmother of Andrea Byrne (Morris, Class of 1990) and mother-in-law of Nicole Batchelor (Wells, Class of 1993). Anne was a Chartered Accountant and ran her own practice for many years. Away from work, she built and enjoyed her beautiful residence on the Mornington Peninsula, and spent time with her grandchildren.

Jacqueline Bloodworth (Barlow, Class of

1964) on 16 October 2021 after a long illness. Jacqueline’s sister Barbara Biggs (Barlow, Class of 1961) also attended the School.

Leueen Di Benedetto (Parker, Class of 1974)

on 4 January 2022. Leueen’s mother, Maidie Parker (Slade, Class of 1940) also attended the School as did her sister, Keriwyn Acklom (Parker, Class of 1964) and her nieces, Suzann Wallbridge (Acklom, Class of 1990) and Dimity McLachlan (Acklom, Class of 1993). Leueen had a lifetime friendship with Susan Hooper (Class of 1974). She is survived by her husband and four children. Jocelyn Lyall (Harvey, Class of 1957) on 7 January 2022. Jo had lived for many years in England.

Margaret Grimshaw (Corris, Class of 1950)

on 17 January 2022.

Judith Bamford (Jamieson, Class of 1944)

on 17 March in Perth. Judith was a much-loved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Derisley Barthold (Morris, Class of 1952)

on 24 March 2022. Her four sisters all attended Korowa – Joan (Class of 1940), Audrey (Class of 1942), Ruth (Class of 1943) and Jennifer (Class of 1947). Margot Parton (Nelson, Class of 1958) on 25 March 2022. Margot was House Captain of Jamieson. Margot’s sister, Jenny Willcox (Nelson, Class of 1963) also attended Korowa as did her daughter Jackie Stott (Parton, Class of 1984).

Marjorie Sinclair (Woodfall, Class of 1947)

on 10 April 2022. Marjorie spent her entire schooling at Korowa. She was joint Head Prefect with her lifetime friend Kay Kirkwood (Harkness, Class of 1947). They met in Year 3 in 1938 and therefore were friends for an incredible 84 years. Marjorie’s sister Rosemary Woodfall (Class of 1952) also attended the School. Marjorie’s son married Alina Fialides (Class of 2002) and Marjorie was delighted when their daughter, Eva began in the Junior School in 2018. Marjorie maintained a keen interest in the School and the School Hymn was sung at her funeral. Lorraine Scheele (Kent, Class of 1951) on 2 May 2022. Dorothy Fraser (Roach, Class of 1956) on 4 May 2022. Dorothy’s daughter Sue Fraser (Class of 1982) also attended the School. Kay Bennett (Wallis, Class of 1950) on 10 June 2022. Kay was a boarder and one of the stories she told her family about her time at Korowa was how she would skip class and hide in the air raid trenches (dug around the school during the war) so she could read her books! After Kay left School, she trained as a nurse. Kay’s daughters attended Korowa – Sally Clarke (Bennett, Class of 1988) and Jessica Bennett (Class of 1991). Roseanne Loutit (Orr, Class of 1968) on 22 May 2022. Her good friend Bronwyn Lamb (Donaldson, Class of 1968) who met her when they were both in Prep in 1956, collected affectionate memories of Roseanne from her fellow 68’ers who variously described her ‘as a sparky little thing, full of personality, forthright and so much energy’ as ‘solid and steadfast and cheerful’, and ‘a mischief maker’ who used her considerable charm in order to evade detentions! She will always be remembered as courageous as she had valiantly fought MS over a number of years being devotedly cared for by her husband.

Marriages

Anna Cook (Pilcher, Class of 2000) was married on 16 January 2022. Her wedding was attended by many fellow Korovians from the Class of 2000 – testament to the enduring friendships of Korovians. Anna is the Performing Arts Co-ordinator in the Junior School. L to R - Larissa Webster, Amy Collie, Amanda Derham, Rebecca Elliott, Anna Cook , Georgie Geyer (Hill), Sarah Raso (Don), Eliza Strapp (Duggan), Alice Macfarlane, Renee Switzer (Carl) and Kathy Meier (not a Korovian).

Community News

News Congratulations to Bella Heathcote

(Class of 2005) for her starring role opposite Toni Colette in the series, Pieces of Her that is based on the Karen Slaughter novel of the same name. The series is currently streaming on Netflix and rocketed to Number 1 in Australia, when it was released in March. Bella took speech and drama lessons whilst at school and in her final year appeared in Korowa’s memorable production of 42nd Street. She went on to study at the National Theatre Drama School and like so many other Australian acting luminaries, began her acting career in 2008 in the iconic series, Neighbours. In 2011, Bella won the prestigious Heath Ledger Scholarship that enabled her to move to Hollywood to further her craft and the rest is history. Over the course of her career, she has been fortunate to work with actors of the calibre of Michelle Pfeiffer and Helena Bonham Carter and directors such as Tim Burton. She has certainly come a long way from treading the boards in Beatrice K. Guyett Hall! Dr Grace Davies (Class of 2007) is halfway through specialising to be a paediatrician, and whilst working at the Royal Children’s Hospital Cardiology ward, wrote her first children’s book to transport the children and their families to a tropical, island wonderland. It is called Kassie The Koala: A Surf Island Adventure, and it is an uplifting, rhyming adventure that inspires young ones about courage, kindness, and how working together can help us to face our fears. One reviewer wrote recently, ‘thank you for producing a beautifully illustrated, rhythmical, rhyming children’s book. I adore the message of courage, positivity, collaboration and the value of kindness you give our young ones.’ The book is available on Grace’s website graceisobelbooks.com.au and at Jeffrey’s Bookshop on Glenferrie Road.

Congratulations to Tania De Jong

AM (Class of 1982) on the recent world premiere of Driftwood – The Musical at Chapel off Chapel. It is based on the memoir of Eva De Jong (Duldig, Class of 1954). Tania was both the concept creator and lyricist. It tells the story of Eva’s parents, noted artists Karl and Slawa Duldig and their escape from Jewish persecution in Nazi occupied Vienna in 1938. It tells a story of love and loss, of resilience and dislocation, of the importance of the creative process and the eventual triumph of the human spirit. Tanya played her grandmother Slawa, with a poignancy that highlighted the inevitable toll the Holocaust brought to those who survived. It is hoped that the play will be staged in New York.

Congratulations to Dr Helen Tope (Class of

1980) who was selected by the United Nations Environment Programme to be profiled as part of the of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, created in 2015 and celebrated annually on the 11 February. Helen has been given this honour due to her significant work for the Montreal Protocol, the international treaty for protection of Earth’s ozone layer, and as a woman scientist working to safeguard the environment.

Fiona Annett (Campbell, Class of 1987)

and her fellow classmates Sally-Ann Hughes, Carolyn Oliver, and Janoel Liddy enjoyed catching up with Sarah Stevenson (Allen) who was visiting from London. They also caught up during the dinner, via FaceTime, with Alicia

McCulloch (Gregory). Elizabeth Phillips (Redman, Class of 1984)

studied Diploma of Teaching at Burwood and taught Physical Education at Tintern Grammar Junior School for 9 years before going in to the family Business, Camp Australia where she has worked for the last 30 years. She is married with three children, has travelled to seven continents and still loves swimming and tennis. Kate Eastlake (Class of 1988) completed her nursing immunisation course in 2019 and is part of the COVID response team. She has been working alongside her fellow Korovians, Kristin Mellett (Gay, Class of 1988) and Tara Carrafa

(Shepherd, Class of 1988).

Jane Kitchen (Class of 1974) recently retired and moved from Penola to Robe. Jane completed a medical degree and then went on to specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology. She is married with two children. She and her husband are hoping to spend time in Europe over the next few years.

Frances Stovold (Kirby, Class of 1948)

spent most of her school years at Korowa. Her mother, Enid Kirby (Dunn, Class of 1915) also attended the School and she remembered the School moving from Wattletree Road to Ranfurlie Crescent in 1914. Frances worked for many years as a pre-school teacher.

Jen Geddes-Davies (Hawkins, Class of

1962) has recently moved from Kilsyth to a small property in Maindample in rural Victoria. She and her husband are loving the tree change and Jen has just completed the building of a small studio where she is looking forward to many happy hours of painting, writing and sorting through photographs. Jillian Durance (Class of 1964) has, since she retired from teaching, taken up writing focusing on community and military history. She has also written poetry and a memoir. She has had four books published.

Dianna Edwards (Mason, Class of 1958)

recently published a memoir entitled, 63 Years, a Memoir. In the first part of the book, she wrote about her happy schooldays spent at Korowa. Dr Julie McClean (Class of 1976) is a Research Oceanographer and Educator in the Climate, Atmospheric Science, and Physical Oceanography Division at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California in San Diego. Her research interests focus on the development and testing of next generation fully coupled Earth System Models for use in the prediction of environmental conditions on scales from several years to decades. More recently, she has expanded her studies into seaice modelling. She is now using her simulations to study ocean/sea-ice interactions in both the Arctic and the Southern Ocean. Julie’s work is invaluable in contributing to scientific research regarding the effects of climate change.

Congratulations to Leah Jing

McIntosh (Class of 2009) who was awarded an OAM in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for service to the arts as a writer and publisher. Leah is the founder and editor of Liminal Magazine and the Liminal Fiction Prize for Writers of Colour. She gives voice to the Asian Australian experience. As she states, Korowa taught me that we do not have to settle into unjust realities—that equality can exist if we chase it hard enough. The School is very proud of her pioneering work.

When: Monday 7 November 2022 Where: Frankston Golf Club

If you are interested, for further details please contact: Wendy Millar (Malfroy, Class of 1964) Email: wmillar@netspace.net.au Mobile: 0425 857 312

Jayne Dance (Appleton, Class of 1980) Email: gjdance@bigpond.net.au Mobile: 0411 101 008

We are Sailing!

The Korovian Club officially launched its Learn to Sail program in partnership with the Albert Park Yacht Club on the 23 April 2022. It was a beautiful autumn day with ideal weather conditions for those Korovians beginning their sailing journey. The Korovian Club President, Helen Tope, took to the waters to test her sailing skills. We were pleased to hear that all of our intrepid sailors safely returned to shore. They have subsequently gone on to complete the course in July. This program will be offered again next year.

Beyond the Gates Podcast

Our podcast series provides the opportunity for Korowa’s students to design and deliver a podcast interview with a focus on Korovians. The intention behind this student led initiative is not only to highlight and value the diversity of our alumni in their career journey beyond school, but to create a tangible connection between current students and our alumni whose story can be of benefit to the broader community. Four episodes are now available. Hear their incredible journeys: Anna Mackenzie and Caitlin Judd (Class of 2006) co-founders of Lady-Brains, a digital and IRL club for ambitious and entrepreneurial women in Australia. Dr Cassandra McKeown (Class of 1980) whose impressive international career as a journalist in some of the most war torn places on earth that has now led her to dedicate her time to the clearing of ordnance, a potentially deadly biproduct of armed conflict. Dr Natasha Anstee (Class of 2006), whose passion for Biology, has led her to pursue an interesting scientific career. She has worked in Melbourne and internationally within the field of bio-medicine where she is making a huge impact with her research on fighting leukemia. Dr Hannah Macdougall (Class of 2005), a former world record holder, medal winning Paralympian with 20 years of experience at the elite athlete level. You can listen to episodes of Beyond the Gates on Wooshka or Apple Podcasts.

TRY US FOR A DAY

Discover what Korowa has to offer by participating in our Try Us for a Day Program. Students can attend a full day at Korowa, joining their peers to see what Korowa is like, make new friends, explore the School and meet the teachers.

Please contact our Enrolments Office for more information Mandy Andrews Director of Enrolments P: 03 8808 8888 E: admissions@korowa.vic.edu.au

10–16 Ranfurlie Crescent, Glen Iris, Victoria, Australia 3146