From the Principal Introducing Frances Korowa School Council News
Our Staff
Celebrating the Class of 2022
Art, Design and Media Exhibition
Annual Music Concert
Importance of Outdoor Education
New Home for the Wellbeing Team
Beyond the Gates: Student Podcast
Farewell Class of 2022
People of Korowa
Community Engagement
Our
Editorial Committee
Jane Grlj, Director of Marketing and Communications
Sharyn Hanly, Director of Community Engagement
Ian Robertson, Alumni Manager
Casey Dean, Marketing and Social Media Specialist
Phoebe Maher, Graphic Design Communications Officer
Alumni and Korowa Foundation
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E irobertson@korowa.vic.edu.au
Enrolments
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E admissions@korowa.vic.edu.au
Korowa Anglican Girls’ School
10–16 Ranfurlie Crescent
Glen Iris VIC 3146
T+61 3 8808 8888
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The cover image is one of a collection of five artworks by Karles Ye.
Artist Statement:
In this work, Sides of Cities, I developed five watercolour and ink illustrations of the iconic architectures in both Guangzhou, China, and Melbourne, Australia. I intended to highlight the theme by exploring the culture of these two cities I grew up in from the aspect of their architecture. I portrayed both historical and modern architecture in both cities to present various aspects of culture that influenced my view of the two cities.
Karles was shortlisted for the 2023 Top Arts and also received the Robyn Price Acquisition Award for Art for a drawing sculpture exploring the theme of ‘perspective’.
I am delighted to be writing my first introduction for the Korovian as my first full year at the School gets underway.
My start at the School was extraordinary with all parts of the community making me feel so welcome and so much at home that I could not believe I had only been at the School for a few short weeks when Term 4 ended. People had told me what a special place Korowa is and I can only agree. It is a true community, filled with kindness, purpose, excellence in all endeavours and courage. It is a place where service to others and integrity is lived every day.
Last year was very busy and this edition of our magazine shows in detail just what an active place Korowa is. You will see in these pages how our students, staff, parents and Korovians work together to provide a series of amazing opportunities for the young people at the School. Of particular note is that we had our 1000th student complete Trek – the 30-day expedition that takes students from the high country to the sea in a challenging test of both their physical endurance and their emotional strength. It is indeed a program of excellence.
Excellence is something we witness daily at Korowa. From the relationships the students develop with each other and with the staff, to the challenges they complete in all areas of school life, excellence is part of the fabric of the School. It is visible in these pages in the tertiary destinations of our students; in the music and art they create; in the sportswomanship they embody; in the leadership they strive for. However, this excellence is not about achievement. It is an attitude. And this attitude is made up of character, of grit, of determination, of kindness, of hard work. We cannot all be excellent in what we achieve. Not everyone wins a prize. More important I think is the excellence we demonstrate in the way we live. Our approach to defeat, our way of dealing with challenge, our friendship and support to others. I know that the excellence I see every day around the School is something valuable and worth valuing.
I hope you enjoy this edition of the Korovian as much as I have and I look forward to sharing many more with you over the coming years.
Frances Booth Principal
"Excellence is not about achievement. It is an attitude. And this attitude is made up of character, of grit, of determination, of kindness, of hard work.
My degree is in English (with some French and History) and in my first teaching role, I taught French and History, before moving into teaching Film Studies (with some Media). However, when I came to Australia I finally started teaching my main subject: English. I have only worked in girls’ schools which I have loved, in the UK and then in New South Wales until I moved to Melbourne.
One must be girls’ education and how we help young women become prepared for the world beyond school. Another area of interest for me is how we develop those skills of perseverance, determination, selfawareness and self-regulation – all essential for life! In pure education terms, I am particularly interested in literacy and the place strong reading skills has in overall achievement, as well as the importance of writing skills throughout life. The ability to express ourselves, to say what we mean, is vital and will continue to be important even in this social media soundbite age.
What sparked your interest in the Principal role at Korowa?
First the School’s reputation for strong teaching and learning as well as for kindness. You often get one or the other, but not often both together. I found this intriguing. Secondly, all the people I met were so open, helpful, warm, funny and inspiring – I realised that I wanted to work in such an interesting place.
I do not think I have a typical day. I know that my perfect day always involves seeing students and getting to interact with them. A typical day though always involves a lot of meetings and far too much time on my laptop sorting out emails and so on. I try to get out of my office every day and love it when I am invited to visit classrooms or different events so that I can see more and more of the students and of the School.
Having been at the School for only a little over a term, it is rather too early to say. However, I know that I want Korowa to continue to be kind and to continue to value learning. I also want to think about Korowa students being strong and resilient so that they are not defeated by setback, but rather spurred on to try again. How we develop this strength will be part of my vision for Korowa.
In the short time you have been here, what do you love about Korowa?
It is truly the most welcoming, kind and helpful place I have ever worked. When people say to me the community at Korowa is special, I can only concur and say “Yes, it is!”
You have moved from Sydney to Melbourne – tell me what you love about Melbourne so far?
Well, I have to say, not the weather! Everyone tells me that the spring and early summer were very unusual! But apart from the weather, I love the fact that it is easy to walk everywhere, that the trams are so frequent and so useful, that the food and drink is so amazing. I am looking forward to discovering more of Melbourne’s cultural life as I settle into the city.
Do you have an AFL team yet? Which team? Why?
This is very difficult. No matter which team I support, I have a feeling I am going to upset someone. So, I have decided I can only support my old home town: the Sydney Swans!
I love cooking and have an entire bookcase filled with cookery books. I will have a go at cooking most things, but I do enjoy baking very much.
I went to 11 schools in four countries. I do not think I enjoyed school very much at all … in fact I think this is why I became a teacher. I wanted to make the schools I work in better, kinder, friendlier than the schools I went to.
I have my own stationery cupboard at home! I love stationery and will cheerfully spend far too much time in Milligram or Officeworks, or anywhere that I can buy a post-it note or an interesting pen.
At the end of 2022 Stuart Major stepped down as Chair of the Korowa School Council, a position he had held since 2019.
We are delighted to announce that the School Council Directors have elected Catherine Robson as Korowa’s 23rd Chair. This is such a significant and symbolic appointment as Catherine is the first woman to hold this position in our 132 year history. Catherine is a current parent who joined the School Council in 2019 and is the Chair of the Building Committee that oversaw the construction of the Roslyn Otzen Sports and Wellbeing Centre.
Catherine has a finance background and having successfully grown her own business, she is now a fulltime non-executive director on a number of listed and private company boards. Catherine is passionate about women’s economic empowerment, particularly through entrepreneurship.
Catherine loves the growth mindset that permeates the School. She believes that Korowa’s focus on learning from experience, building resilience and defining excellence beyond a single number, is the perfect preparation for the world beyond school.
“I am humbled to have the opportunity to lead the School Council and I am deeply committed to the School’s values of courage, respect, integrity and service. I am excited to work in partnership with our outstanding Principal, Mrs Frances Booth and her team to support the young women who have the potential to change the world”.
The Major family first joined Korowa in 2014 when their eldest daughter Alannah commenced in Year 7 and Jaimie followed two years later. Stuart attended a rowing meeting in 2016 where the new Principal at the time, Helen Carmody spoke with such passion about her vision that he felt he wanted to be part of an organisation that was striving to stand out and was emphasising the importance of girls’ education.
In 2016, Stuart became Treasurer of the Korowa Rowing Club and was invited to join the School Council in 2017. In 2019, Stuart was elected as the 22nd Chair of the School Council, a role that he has performed with distinction.
Stuart has been Chair of the School Council during some challenging times, none more so than the recent pandemic. During his time the largest building project in our history was completed - the Roslyn Otzen Sports and Wellbeing Centre and he also oversaw the important task of appointing our current Principal, Mrs Frances Booth as Korowa’s 10th Principal.
On behalf of all of the Korowa community, we thank Stuart for his stewardship of our great School, his wise counsel and his friendship and enthusiasm. We wish him well in his future endeavours.
the Exchange Program so much that she went twice. The benefit of studying a foreign language was revealed by Bella when she explained to the student podcasters that early in her career she auditioned for a role that required German and dazzled the Director with her fluency and consequently got the gig!
We pay tribute to Dianne for not only her collegiality, but her vision and commitment over these last 28 years to her students and the love of German language and culture that she has inspired in generations of Korovians.
Dianne Tamburro (Pearce) is a Korovian from the Class of 1974. She studied German whilst at School and had the opportunity to go on exchange.
After many years of teaching in the Education Department, she returned to teach at Korowa for one year in 1994 and then rejoined the staff in 1996 where she has remained ever since – 28 years of loyal and distinguished service.
In her years of teaching at Korowa, Dianne enthusiastically shared her love for languages with students, parents and colleagues. According to our records from 2000 until 2022, nearly 25% of our students have studied German in Year 12. Dianne has been Head of Languages for the past 15 years and has led the department with integrity, courage and generosity.
In 1999, with the support of Principal, Dr Ros Otzen she took the first group of students on German Exchange and what followed over the next 20 years was this annual opportunity for students that now number 325. As others prepared for summer holidays, Dianne was packing her thermals!
As part of the reunion program, Korovians are asked to record their favourite memories of Korowa and they make for interesting reading! For the Korovians from 1999 onwards, German Exchange and Frau T are mentioned so often – what a fitting tribute to Dianne and recognition of her abilities as a teacher and mentor.
Dianne has always been proud of the number of students who have gone on to study German at university. Recently, internationally acclaimed actor Bella Heathcote (Class of 2005) was a guest on our podcast series and spoke with great affection of Frau T and loved
Jo Lombardo joined the Visual Arts Department in July 2002 where she has principally taught design. The testament to her skill as a teacher was evident at the recent Art, Design and Media Exhibition where the student folios displayed a depth of talent and creative inspiration that can only come from an engaging and inspiring teacher.
Jo is proud of the number of students who have gone on to pursue design courses at the tertiary level. One such student, Charlotte Lane from the Class of 2007, was accepted into the prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney and graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Dramatic Art (Design), specialising in Set and Costume Design. She has gone on to forge an impressive career and over the past decade, she has designed over fifty productions.
Charlotte is just one of many students that Jo has influenced in her career and it is fitting that she was made an Honorary Korovian in 2020 in recognition of her long and loyal service to the School.
The Class of 2022 leaves the Korowa gates with many personal achievements, life skills and attributes – preparing them for their future, whatever that looks like.
As a School, we are so proud of our Year 12 students, not only for their results but for all their achievements. They have embodied the Korowa values of courage, respect, integrity and service and done so with grit, resilience and kindness.
In acknowledging the Class of 2022, we recognise the breadth of their accomplishments. At Korowa it is not just about the ATAR. Our outstanding programs, staff and learning facilities provide students with the opportunity to do their best in all aspects of life.
As our Principal, Mrs Frances Booth said, “The future is quite definitely, yours.”
Dux was Yihong (Kitty) Xu who achieved an ATAR of 99.9 including a Perfect Study Score of 50 in Specialist Mathematics. Emily Deszcz achieved a perfect study score in English, and Nicole Hao, Year 11, achieved a perfect study score in Music Performance.
In December and January the Class of 2022 received their tertiary offers, with every Korowa student receiving an offer in their area of interest. Principal, Frances Booth said, “I am incredibly impressed by the diverse fields into which they are advancing at a variety of tertiary institutions across Australia and overseas. We have encouraged them to be curious, generous and purposeful individuals who are prepared to take on new challenges and step outside their comfort zones”.
11.11%
OF STUDENTS ACHIEVED AN ATAR OF 99 OR ABOVE
41.98%
OF STUDENTS ACHIEVED AN ATAR OF 95 OR ABOVE
66.67%
OF STUDENTS ACHIEVED AN ATAR OF 90 OR ABOVE
50
3 PERFECT STUDY SCORES IN: SPECIALIST MATHEMATICS ENGLISH MUSIC PERFORMANCE
36 MEDIAN STUDY SCORE
93.80
MEDIAN ATAR
KOROWA WAS RANKED IN THE TOP 10 SCHOOLS ACROSS VICTORIA
When we first walked through the gates of Korowa, we were welcomed with open arms. In 2023, we hope to further this, striving to build a culture where we are not just accepting peoples’ differences, but truly celebrating each individual identity. We hope that under our leadership, we can create an environment where each student feels as though they bring something special to the School, and we can harness every individual and their strengths in order to spark change. We aspire to be meaningful leaders, that act as a voice representing the student body, as we believe that this sense of belonging arises in the power of student voice.
We are both highly enthusiastic and energetic, and we hope to create a fun and spirit-filled environment, particularly emphasising the connection between year levels and each other that has been missing in these past few challenging years of the pandemic. This School community is one we have been so grateful to be members of, and between the two of us, we have participated in almost everything that Korowa has to offer. This involvement has enabled us to form many friendships and express ourselves, and we hope to inspire students at Korowa to get involved as much as possible. Ultimately, we hope that when we and our fellow Class of 2023 walk beyond the gates, we leave behind a Korowa that is more vibrant than it has ever been!
The sound of 250 people entering the Sports and Wellbeing Centre for the opening of the Korowa Art, Design and Media Exhibition opened by Marcus Wills, noted portrait painter and Archibald Prize Winner, was one of joy and excitement.
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions, it was wonderful to have everyone gather again to celebrate the Visual Arts from ELC to Year 12. The exhibition meandered through the spaces of the Roslyn Otzen Sports and Wellbeing Centre demonstrating the flexibility of this amazing building. People gathered in the Amy Tennent Theatre to watch the VCE Media films and view the photography on the Mezzanine above. Year 9 and 10 paintings were displayed in the hallway outside the Dance Studio that housed the Junior School exhibition, and marvellous examples of industrial design and communication design surrounded the stairwell. This led out to Year 7 digital portraits that were juxtaposed with conical portraits and ceramic sculptures and ‘Flora’ teapots in glass cabinets. The high calibre of visual arts work continued upstairs showcasing VCE Art, Studio Arts and Visual Communication Design. This display clearly demonstrated the breadth of skill and creativity of our VCE students that has been developed and nurtured by a rich Visual Arts curriculum at Korowa over the years.
Korovian Club Acquisition Award for 2D Art Emily Bell, Year 9 for a double image black and white photograph.
Korovian Club Acquisition award for 3D Art Annabel Cox, Year 10 for a sculpture of a figure from a Joy Hester painting.
Visual Arts Media Award for Media Yen Ly for a live action horror film.
The Jan Miller Acquisition Award for Design Ella Fieldhouse for a Design folio for a riding school for the deaf.
The Robyn Price Acquisition Award for Art Karles Ye for a drawing sculpture exploring the theme of ‘perspective’.
By Ian Robertson, Alumni Manager
It is tradition at Korowa for the School Council to commission a portrait of the Principal upon them leaving the School. A portrait is a way of formally acknowledging their years spent as Principal and their contribution to the School and its continual evolution.
The School Council was pleased to engage the services of noted portrait painter and Archibald Prize winner, Marcus Wills who only had a very brief period to meet with Korowa’s ninth Principal, Helen Carmody and to capture her essence. Helen joined Korowa as Principal in 2016 and in her tenure, transformed so much of the School to the Korowa we see today. We were delighted that Helen was able to join us from NSW on this occasion. The portrait was unveiled by the artist at the opening of the annual Art, Design and Media Exhibition on the 10 November 2022.
Helen’s portrait will now join the eight others that hang in the Beatrice K. Guyett Assembly Hall, portraits that not only symbolise the continuity of leadership of the School by strong women, but also represent different eras in Korowa’s rich and varied 132-year history.
We were thrilled to be able to return to the Melbourne Recital Centre in 2022 after two years of very few concert experiences, particularly for singing and playing wind instruments.
In the Music Department we are always looking for opportunities for our students to perform in front of a live audience. At Korowa, we feel fortunate to work with so many skilled and dedicated students interested in being part of our many ensembles. These ensembles bring together students across year levels creating a wonderful music community at our School.
It was wonderful to be able to hold our Senior School Annual Concert once again, as it is always a highlight of the year. For many of our Year 7-9 students, it was their first experience participating in this annual event.
A theme always makes for a cohesive program, this year we chose ‘Honour the Earth’, a tribute to the work ‘Honour the Earth as Your Mother’ by Sarah Hopkins, commissioned 22 years before for Korowa’s 110th Anniversary. Unfortunately, with still some lingering COVID-19 uncertainty, we recorded some performances in the School Hall prior to the concert which were shared with the audience as part of the live concert. Our students deserve our heartiest congratulations not only for their performances at the Annual Concert, but for their hard work and dedication over the years. Thank you also to our audience, our friends and families who came along to support our students and showed their appreciation for their musicality. It is always a privilege to be able to perform in such a world class facility.
At Korowa, we see Outdoor Education programs as the experiential manifestation of our wellbeing program, where personal stretch, community action, environmental connection, and skill acquisition combine. Carefully designed programs ensure that the majority of consequences are natural, immediate and directly linked to clear responsibilities. Students have agency over influential decisions and they are not ranked against their peers. We focus on rewarding effort and attitude rather than results and encourage students to courageously step outside their comfort zone and try new things. These programs provide students some of the earliest opportunities to experience the breadth of an independent life.
Outdoor Education programs begin at Korowa in Year 2 with a day trip to an outdoor education centre, which is a fun introduction for students, while the highlight for many students is participating in our Year 9 program - Trek or Urban Challenge. Across the years students participate in a range of programs which are essential in ensuring the right level of stretching their comfort zone. Each program builds on the knowledge and skills obtained the previous year and incorporates opportunities to practise the wellbeing themes of their current year. For outdoor education programs to be successful it is essential that students understand their learnings and how to transfer these skills into their daily lives and future learning, with our offerings regularly reviewed to ensure they are meeting the needs of the cohort.
It is noted that today’s students will work in industries and jobs which are yet to be conceived. Living this reality shares plenty of common ground with outdoor and experiential education. Cutting edge careers embrace trial and error, collaborative thinking, skill acquisition, overcoming discomfort, rewarding effort and wide transference of knowledge.
A holistic education includes outdoor education experiences, as these learnings help students become independent, confident young people well prepared for life beyond school.
By Sharon Cox, Head of Outdoor Education
In 1994, Korowa’s seventh Principal, Dr Roslyn Otzen introduced Trek; an innovative and challenging program for Year 9 that 28 years later continues to flourish and has become an iconic part of the Korowa experience.
Traditionally Year 9 has been viewed as a ‘challenging’ year as students are at an interesting stage of both their physical and emotional development. It is a midway point in the Senior School journey, so it is necessary to provide meaningful ways in which to engage students in this stage of their student experience. This was all part of the rationale for the creation of Trek and it continues to fulfill this purpose today.
When Korovians are asked for their fondest memories of School, those who have graduated since 1997 invariably mentioned Trek. When you ask why this is so, words like challenge, teamwork, co-operation, independence, resilience, friendship and self-belief are listed as well as developing a greater appreciation of and respect for the natural world.
I am pleased to report that in 2022 the 1000th Korowa student completed Trek. The honour went to Lucy Renfrey (Year 10). Lucy’s sister, Zoe (Year 12) also completed Trek. Their mother is Korovian – Sally Renfrey (Anderson, Class of 1991).
From its inception, the vision for the Roslyn Otzen Sports and Wellbeing Centre (SWC) was to support Korowa’s holistic approach to education.The facility was designed to cater to all dimensions of health and wellbeing - physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual; which is why the Wellbeing, Health and Learning Support teams are located together in the new space.
“Moving into the new space in the SWC and working alongside each other has increased our combined ethos as a team” said Brenda Linsell, Korowa’s School Nurse. Even though these staff already worked closely together in supporting students, the actual proximity of being in a designated area has improved processes and communications across the group.
Danielle Forjan, Korowa’s Educational and Developmental Psychologist described that after being based in the space for close to six months now, she has been able to see the impact it is having on service delivery. She stated “our wellbeing suites in particular, are a calming and safe space for students to express their emotions and develop strategies to support their wellbeing. Key features of the suites that allow this to
occur include sound proofing, a discrete location within the building, and access to nature and fresh air via the balconies”.
As students have become more comfortable and familiar with the new centre the team has found students selfrefer or bring their friends over when they think they could benefit from the opportunity to talk to someone professional. “Being together in a welcoming and purpose-built space has increased students' comfort in being present in the wellbeing area. Danielle and I have been pleased to notice an increase in students dropping in for support, to say hi or bringing their friends to access the wellbeing services” commented our Student Counsellor, Elizabeth Spurling.
Shannon Whithouse, Korowa’s Head of Learning Support, shared that “students have valued the quiet and relaxed space for their intervention programs and small support classes. Having Ivy (Korowa’s support dog) roam freely through the rooms is an added bonus for many of our students, families and staff who absolutely love her relaxed and calming nature”.
By Danielle Forjan, School Psychologist, Brenda Linsell, School Nurse, Elizabeth Spurling, School Counsellor and Shannon Whithouse, Head of Learning SupportIn 2021, Korowa launched a student-led podcast, Beyond the Gates, where each episode provides a unique insight into our alumni.
Initiated by Deputy Principal Liana Gooch together with Alumni Manager Ian Robertson, the intention of this project was to not only highlight and value the diversity of our alumni in their career journey beyond school, but to create a tangible connection between current students and alumni, whose story can be of benefit to the broader community.
As two of our pioneering podcasters, Snigdha and Gabi, completed Year 12 and became Korovians themselves, applications opened up to students in Years 9-11 to apply to join the student team for Term 4 and into 2023!
Replicating a real-world application and interview process, applicants were asked to respond to the position description, attach a cover letter and resume and were invited to attend a panel interview. Dimi (Year 11), Audrey (Year 10), and Isabel (Year 12), were successful, and join Phoebe, Year 12 in the Beyond the Gates Podcast Team for 2023.
We asked our three successful applicants about the application process:
Audrey: I wrote and sent in a cover letter, outlining some of my experiences and my interest in podcasting.
Isabel: It replicated a job application process in real life which I think is very helpful, particularly for students in younger years, who might be searching for their first job.
Audrey: As you tend to develop your own unique personality and verbalise your skillset in your application, I discovered that being able to communicate this clearly was important in preparing for the role.
Isabel: I think it's always important to research everything you can about the position you're applying for and think about any possible questions you might be asked at the interview.
Dimi: My advice would be to just go for it! Don't be afraid to give it a try.
Audrey: Have an open mind and be willing to show a passion in learning and sharing with others!
Isabel: I'm excited to learn more about the interview and editing processes, especially getting more experience with marketing, communications and journalism.
Dimi: One thing that I am very excited about is getting to interview past Korovians, and to be able to share their knowledge with current students.
Audrey: I am excited about interviewing Korovians - their stories are so inspirational, and I hope that through listening and engaging with them, I can also learn new things and broaden my world view.
Isabel: My favourite episode was Power of Purpose with Cassandra McKeown (Class of 1980). I think it's amazing how she has travelled the world and learnt so much from her global experiences.
Dimi: I really enjoyed the Dr Hannah Macdougall (Class of 2005) episode, What are some of your happiest moments? Hearing Hannah's story and what she has achieved to date, while facing adversity.
Audrey: A curiosity for the unanswered questions, is my favourite episode so far, as Dr Anstee’s (Class of 2006) career path in helping others is incredibly inspiring.
By Casey Dean, Marketing and Social Media Specialist
As our Year 12 students finished their formal classes, we celebrated their time at Korowa through a series of special services and events.
The Korovian Leavers’ Service formally welcomed students into the Korovian Club. The Celebration Morning activities brought friends in the Beatrice K. Guyett Assembly Hall one last time and the Tulip Assembly was attended by families, staff and students in what is always a time of reflection and thanks for the years spent as a student at Korowa. This was followed by the Valedictory Dinner at the Hawthorn Arts Centre on a night for students, parents and staff to relax and enjoy one another's friendship prior to the start of the VCE exams.
It was our new Principal Mrs Frances Booth who officiated at these events, having only been at Korowa for just a few weeks. She found being part of these events was a wonderful introduction to Korowa’s community. At the Tulip Assembly we heard from our Year 12 Leaders including Maggie, our International Captain who said “I understand how challenging it is, to put yourself out there…I am inspired by all your courage and hard work”.
As Mrs Booth farewelled the Class of 2022 she said “I think I already know what my biggest regret will be as Principal of Korowa, and that is, I never got to know you better”. She went on to say, “in the wonderful words of Dr Seuss, no one is youer than you, so go out and be you, believe in you, you can conquer the world. The future is quite definitely, yours”.
As a Prep Teacher and Early Years Co-ordinator P-2, Kerry plays an important role in the lives of our youngest students. She is their first teacher at Korowa, supporting families as they transition into primary school. These early years are fundamental for children as they develop and learn socially, emotionally and academically.
“For as long as I can remember I always wanted to work with children. In Year 10, I did work experience in a Prep class. This confirmed for me I wanted to become a Primary School teacher” Kerry shared.
Kerry is passionate about the early years of education and is particularly interested in students’ individual learning needs and how best to support children with challenges. This interest was sparked while at University volunteering at a Special School. It was this experience that impressed on her that everyone is an individual and on their own learning path; that learning takes time and we need to be patient. As Kerry states, “All children are different, there is not one model that fits all. It is important to get to know children and learn how best to support them”.
Early in her career, Kerry worked with children with learning needs inconjunction with a Speech Therapist. This was an invaluable learning experience that extended her knowledge of language development and provided a much stronger understanding of how children develop their language and literacy skills. She uses many of these strategies in class when teaching the fundamental skills of phonics and language.
Growing up in the country, Kerry was surrounded by a strong community and that is what she loves about Korowa, its strong community. Staff, parents and students all developing connections not for just for one year, but for the entire learning journey. Having taught at Korowa for 26 years, Kerry has been fortunate enough to teach many children in Prep and see them graduate in Year 12. “I always feel a little sentimental when they graduate, all grown up.”
Having worked at Korowa for 15 Years, Niki Cook, Head of Year 12 and VCE Coordinator, is well known to many of our staff, students and families.
A teacher of English, English as an Additional Language and Literature, Niki has taught across the secondary years during her time at Korowa, but most commonly works with our VCE students. In her current role she plays an essential part in supporting our Senior School students as they complete their final years of schooling and helps them to navigate their way into whatever the next step of their journey is. As Niki explains, “school is such a big part of your life when you are a teenager, and the world can seem like a very daunting place. That has always been the case, but I think it is even more true now, with a rapidly changing landscape, especially in employment”.
Niki is passionate about ensuring students get the most out of their time at Korowa and take advantage of all the opportunities available to them. She is also a big believer in helping them understand that it is okay not to be perfect. When asked what inspires her, Niki’s response was, “anyone who steps outside their comfort zone and challenges themselves. It doesn’t have to be by doing something astronomical, but I think that being willing to embrace the potential risk of failure and try anyway is truly inspiring”.
As the child of two teachers, Niki grew up with a strong teacher influence from both them and their friends, discovering from a young age that she enjoyed helping people to learn and challenge themselves, so teaching was a great fit for her in that regard.
Niki really enjoys working at Korowa and one of the things she loves is its size. It provides an opportunity to get to know everyone across the community and – because of that – to build strong relationships. “The sense of community is something that was clear to me when I first arrived 15 years ago, and it has endured throughout – definitely something special about the place.”
After a lengthy absence, families were excited to return to Mt Buller for the annual Korowa Race Weekend in July, and the Victorian Interschools competition in August. A highlight of the season was our transport to the Parent Dinner, travelling across the slopes via a snow cat.
On a balmy night in November, the 2022/2023 Rowing Season was launched at the River Campus on the banks of the Yarra. The night was attended by our Director of Rowing, Jane Robinson along with many parents new to rowing who were keen to learn more about the sport.
This inaugural event enabled all Korowa netballers and their families to celebrate their successes and the Winter season together. The evening was presented by Director of Netball, Shelley O’Donnell, and special guest was Kate Moloney, Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist and Captain of the Melbourne Vixens, who was interviewed by our Netball Captains, Isabella and Olivia.
A number of events were held throughout the year, recognising the importance of dads and daughters at Korowa. These included a “Games and Gyros” night for Years 9 and 10 where parents and students were put through their paces by our Director of Netball, Shelley O’Donnell. This was followed by a traditional Greek dinner for all to enjoy.
Father’s Day included a Junior School Stall providing gifts for purchase, with dads and special friends joining students for activities in the classroom finishing with an afternoon of outdoor games and a special treat for them to take home.
Year 12 Fathers and Special Friends joined their daughters for breakfast and a competitive game of Kahoot.
Welcome events were held for parents entering ELC and Prep, Year 5 and Year 7 in 2023, providing an opportunity to meet new friends, obtain vital information for the year ahead and get to know more about other students in their daughters’ year level.
to be held on Friday 5 May at The Timberyard, Port Melbourne.
As President of the Snowsports Club, Suzie oversees the committee of parents organising events, including the Korowa Race Weekend and Korowa’s participation in Interschools Snowsports Championships. Suzie says “It’s a really fun role and very rewarding to help families navigate all the steps necessary to participate in Snowsports - especially when many families haven’t been to the slopes for a while after COVID”.
Suzie and her husband Andrew have two children at Korowa, Julia in Year 11 and Rachel in Year 9. They joined Snowsports in their first year at Korowa in 2017 and as new parents to the School, the Snowsports community made them feel very welcome.
Returning to full-time work Suzie found it harder to be involved at the School during the day so joining the Snowsports Committee was a great way to get involved and be more connected. Before becoming President at the end of 2021, Suzie was the Secretary for the Club in 2020 and 2021.
Suzie’s advice for new parents is, “Have a go! It's sometimes hard to get your head around what's involved, so just turn up to the season's launch or a meeting and chat with the other parents and students”.
Nick and his wife Simone have two daughters Natasjia (Class of 2021) and Sienna who is currently in Year 12. They first became involved in rowing at Korowa when 'Tash' was a junior rower. Nick started attending committee meetings as he had always taken a hands on approach with all the sports his daughters were involved in and wanted to be part of rowing too.
Upon Graduation, Tash continued rowing with MUBC for a season, and was awarded a rowing scholarship to University Central Florida, Orlando USA where she is currently in her freshman year, training harder than ever, and experiencing all the College has to offer.
This is Nick’ s 4th and final year as President of Korowa’s Rowing Club as youngest daughter Sienna finishes her final year at Korowa. Nick shared “It has been a very enjoyable experience well supported by the committee, coaches and the School. Through our involvement we have made close friends, and enjoyed travelling to regattas, and even interstate for National Championships”.
Nick would encourage other parents to get involved, “Being part of any committee gives you further insight into the sport and education of your children, and leads to a much deeper appreciation”. When asked if his daughters like him being involved he replied, “Sometimes, I know they like me being there to support them, but would prefer me to curb my enthusiasm at times”.
Representing over 130 years of Korowa’s history and housing the objects and records accumulated since its inception, the Archives Office is named the Betty Johnson Room in honour of the amazing work done by Betty in preserving the School's history.
Miss Betty Johnson, an early advocate of the archives, joined the staff at Korowa in 1935 as an assistant at Little Korowa, going on to maintain a position at the School until 2005. Serving as teacher, administrator, record keeper, Registrar and volunteer, she amassed over 60 years of service to the School. “Carrying the history of school in her head”, Miss Johnson’s meticulous recordkeeping, her preservation of documents and photographs, and her retentive memory laid the foundation for the establishment of the Archives Office in the 1990s.
Taking up the baton in the year 2000, archivist Sandra Turner (Burton, Class of 1970) assumed the caretaker role for the growing collection. Similarly, to Miss Johnson, Sandra maintained a connection to the School over a 60-year period, attending as student, teacher, and eventually as Archivist, a role which she retained for 22 years. Working to document the people, places and events within Korowa, she built an organised network of information that serves as a repository for the School’s collective and corporate memory. Until her retirement in 2021, Sandra diligently promoted the School’s heritage, imparting Korowa’s story to students, alumni and the wider community.
It is through these two lifetimes of accumulated knowledge, experience and concentrated effort that the historical identity of Korowa has been kept alive and ongoing through its archives. The central positions in the School community that Sandra Turner and Betty Johnson occupied, demonstrates that as much importance as the historical collection itself is, are the figures that tend to, arrange, interpret and translate it.
We are fortunate here at Korowa to have had these visionary women overseeing the Archives collection that we see today and that we continue to build upon for the future.
Thank you for your donations of Korowa memorabilia over the past 12 months:
Catherine McInnes (Class of 1992)
Christine de Lacy (Hawkins, Class of 1964)
Dr Margaret Brumby (Wiadrowski, Class of 1958)
Dr Robyn Heath (Class of 1977)
Eleanor Keam (Class of 2009)
Elizabeth Heading (Hallett, Class of 1966)
Elizabeth Trenerry (Class of 1962)
Elizabeth Williams (Howie, Class of 1967)
Elizabeth Woodfield (Elder, Class of 1952)
Gillian Gibbons (Long, Class of 1966)
Gilly Glanville (Paynter, Class of 1985)
Jan Miller (Kostos, Class of 1960)
Jayne Dance (Appleton, Class of 1980)
Jill Williams (Taylor, Class of 1958)
Jo Miller (Martin, Class of 1953)
Lesley Burgess (Gilbert, Class of 1971)
Sandra Ivory (Clark, Class of 1967)
Victoria Wynd (Class of 1992)
One point of commonality in our alumni is a strong sense of service to others and it goes back to the School’s foundation.
If there was one positive from the pandemic, it was allowing time for reflection, and out of this came the idea of acknowledging Korovians for their service on the School Council and ensuring their contributions were recorded for posterity.
Research began by going through the Council minutes from the School archives that dated back to the School Council’s formation in 1912. What this research revealed was most interesting, particularly in the context of a girls school. The School Council was comprised entirely of men until 1922 when Korovian Loris Rosenblum (Coleman, Class of 1912) was invited to join, becoming the first female to serve and how fitting that it was a Korovian and it was Loris.
Loris was Dux of the School in 1911 and 1912 and was Korowa’s first Head Prefect. Loris, defying community expectations of women at the time, became one of the earliest female undergraduates at Trinity College at Melbourne University.
She commenced in the Law Faculty in 1913, but soon switched to the Arts Faculty, and in her final year won an Exhibition and was runner up for the prestigious Shakespeare Scholarship.
Loris was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in early 1916 thus having the distinction of becoming Korowa’s first university graduate. As another indication of her academic ability, she continued studying at the University of Melbourne, gaining her Master of Arts degree in 1920, another first for Korowa.
Sadly, Loris never used her outstanding academic results in the pursuit of a career. She became engaged in 1920 and married Alexander Rosenblum in 1922. As was the custom of the time for a girl of her social class, Loris occupied herself with charitable pursuits such as the Red Cross and bringing up her children. However, her old School realised her talents and she was appointed to the School Council.
She served on the School Council from 1922 until 1927 and I fully expected to see her joined by other women
as I scanned through the minutes. What I discovered amazed me. Year after year, apart from the Principal who was not a member of the School Council, no women’s names appeared – indeed not until Valerie Watts (Errington, Class of 1933) joined the School Council in 1959 – a gap of some 32 years!
What does this say about the role of women in society and societal attitudes that at the time would not have found such an absence surprising? Val served for 23 years on the School Council until she retired in 1982 where she was described as having worked ‘tirelessly, loyally and productively’.
In all her time on the Council, Val was a lone female voice until Dawn Upton (Cope, Class of 1954) joined her 17 years later in 1977. Subsequently, both Dawn and Val were joined by fellow Korovian Margot Gibson (Perdriau, Class of 1947) in 1980 and the redoubtable Margot went on to serve until 2012 – a staggering 32 years of service to her old School! Margot was described as a person of strong opinions and keen intelligence who always provided wise counsel and mentored so many over the years. She loved her School.
We pay tribute to these four trailblazing women.
All of the 19 Korovians whose names appear on this Honour Board were honoured at the annual School Council and Foundation Christmas event where they were recognised and thanked for their collective years of service to their old School.
The list of honorees now includes two Deputy Chairs, one past (Sally Gluyas, Class of 1980) and one current (Joanne Chin, Class of 1993), and of the 10 current members of School Council, four are Korovians – a vast contrast of the days of Loris a century ago.
Indeed, the School Council for the first time in its history has elected a female Chair, Catherine Robson (see p.6) who joins Korovian, Joanne Chin as Deputy Chair.
Wouldn’t Loris be pleased!
Honour Board
L to R - Margaret Hill (Class of 1968), Sarah Tinsley (Class of 1997), Megan Pepper (Esson, Class of 1997 ), Karrie Long (Class of 1989), Dawn Upton (Cope, Class of 1954), Joanne Chin (Class of 1993), Kathryn Shedden (McNeill, Class of 1980) , Victoria Ponsford (Class of 1970) and Sally Gluyas, (Class of 1980).
"What does this say about the role of women in society and societal attitudes that at the time would not have found such an absence surprising?
By Ian Robertson, Alumni Manager
For nearly a century, historic Sycamore Lodge in Emerald in the Dandenong Ranges has through coincidence, played host to many Korowa students. The house was built in 1928 in the arts and crafts style and was then featured in the Australian Home Beautiful. It eventually became home to renowned architect, Phyllis Murphy (Slater, Class of 1940) who attended Korowa for most of her school life.
Phyllis was one of only two women who graduated in architecture from the University of Melbourne in 1949, having topped her fourth year in 1948. At university, she met fellow architecture student John Murphy whom she subsequently married in 1950. Following the completion of their studies in architecture, they set up a private practice and in collaboration with noted fellow architects Peter McIntyre and Kevin Borland, they designed the now heritage listed Olympic Pool for the 1956 Melbourne games. This success made Phyllis the first Australian female architect to gain an international reputation.
Of their early residential work, Phyllis wrote; ‘The houses we designed were influenced by a visit to Sweden where living spaces were small but the buildings had a simplicity that we found fresh and elegant.
Fellow Architect, Neil Clerehan described their houses as modest, ‘but their version of contemporary design was elegant and timeless.’ She and John then turned to residential commissions that grew to involve the design of commercial and school buildings.
In the 1960s, they became actively involved in the preservation of historic buildings, and foundation members and honorary architects for the National Trust of Australia. They undertook a range of conservation work that included the façade of the Block arcade.
Phyllis’ father-in-law was architect Gordon Murphy whose brother-in-law was architect Reg Appleford who designed Sycamore Lodge. Phyllis took great inspiration from these two men whose architecture firm Cowper, Murphy & Appleford designed many arts and crafts and art deco buildings, including the theatrical interior of Melbourne’s Regent Theatre. Reg shared his house, Sycamore Lodge, with Gordon’s family in the years around World War II.
By coincidence, Reg’s daughter, Margot Buckingham (Appleford, Class of 1940) was a boarder at Korowa and was in the same year as her future sister-in-law, Phyllis. However, the interconnections did not stop there as Gordon’s daughter, Helen Warner (Murphy, Class of 1941) also attended Korowa as a boarder. She was the first cousin of Margot and the sister of Phyllis’ husband John.
The School is justifiably proud of these Korovians who truly exemplify our value of service. These awards bring the total to 29 Korovians who have received Australian Honours.
Dr Helen Tope AO (Class of 1980)
President of the Korovian Club, who was awarded an AO in the general division. Her citation reads:
For distinguished service to environmental protection, particularly of the ozone layer, through leadership, research and policy development. Helen has had a long and distinguished career in environmental science. Since 1995, under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme, Helen has been co-chair of one of the expert technical committees of the Montreal Protocol, the international treaty for protection of Earth’s ozone layer. She has had the privilege of working with a dedicated international group of experts to reverse the global catastrophe of ozone layer depletion and to mitigate climate change.
Korowa boarders seen in picture are Helen Warner (Murphy, Class of 1941) sitting next to Margot Buckingham (Appleford, Class of 1940) holding the dog.
However, the connection with Sycamore Lodge and Korowa does not end there as the current owner, Michael Reed who purchased the house in 2006 has cousins who are Korovians, Chloe Papas (Class of 2017), Lucinda (Class of 2020) and Daphne who is currently in Year 12. Interestingly, Chloe recently completed a Bachelor of Communication Design at Monash University and is currently working as a designer at Melbourne's Tric Studio.
Thank you to Michael Reed for providing the inspiration for this article. A teacher of English, Music, Drama and Art, Michael is also a keen historian. His British Royal Family-oriented research articles have been published in periodicals and major newspapers, particularly those in the UK where he has often been a guest presenter on BBC Radio.
Dr Elizabeth Lording AM (McDonald, Class of 1966) received an AM with her citation reading:
For significant service to medicine, particularly to Multiple Sclerosis rehabilitation and research.
A rehabilitation physician, Elizabeth’s career was mainly in the field of multiple sclerosis and chronic neurological diseases. She was Medical Director of MS Australia, involved in research with MS Research Australia and also worked for a number of years in the Neuroimmunology Clinic at St Vincent’s Hospital, before retiring in 2019. Elizabeth is delighted that her granddaughter is currently a student in the Junior School.
Tammy Shepherd OAM (Paterson, Class of 1977) received a Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division. Her citation reads: For service to the community through charitable organisations.
Tammy has had extensive involvement in volunteering both in Australia and overseas as a physiotherapist. She will soon leave for a 2-month stint in Senegal as a volunteer physiotherapist with Mercy Ships.
Elizabeth has recently retired as CEO of Titles Queensland, previously being the Queensland Registrar of Titles for the past ten years. This followed many years of work as a senior executive in the Queensland and Commonwealth Governments.
Following in the footsteps of her mother Jenny Dann (Jack, Class of 1950) and her sister Jill Edwards (Dann, Class of 1973), Liz attended Korowa from Kindergarten to Year 12. Her time at Korowa instilled in her the belief that girls could do anything. She felt empowered to be who she wanted to be. In her senior years, she studied physics and mathematics, subjects that at a girls’ school like Korowa were considered ‘normal’ for girls to be able to excel in.
Indeed, this 'can do' attitude persevered into a career that eventually broke many barriers, including being the only female doing a surveying degree at the University of Queensland, and graduating as Queensland’s first female surveyor in 1978. Much later, she was also appointed as Queensland’s first female Registrar of Titles and more recently became the inaugural CEO of Titles Queensland when it was separated from the State Government as a private company.
Korowa’s approach to teaching also instilled in Liz a life-long love of learning, leading to additional degrees over the years. She gained a Bachelor of Arts in 1985, an Honours degree in Anthropology in 1987 from the University of Queensland and an Executive Masters in Public Administration in 2005. Whilst she undertook further study, she remained employed in a wide range of different roles, from surveying, to native title, water policy, and land policy and legislation, as well as most recently leading the digital transformation of the Queensland Titles Office.
Join the Korovian Choir?
The Korovian Choir rehearses on the last Thursday of each month during term time from 7.00pm to 9.00pm. It performs at House Chorals and at the Annual Music Concert at the Melbourne Recital Centre.
Please contact Ian Robertson, irobertson@korowa.vic.edu.au if you would like to join.
Ana entered Korowa in 1987 and, due to her love of the performing arts, became very involved in Korowa’s music and drama programs. She was made Music Captain in 1990. She was certain that her future career would involve music and she went on to study for a Bachelor of Performing Arts at the Rusden campus of Deakin University. She also gained an AmusA diploma in classical piano performance.
After graduating from Deakin, Ana spent time in the United Kingdom learning from industry professionals and honing her skills. Whilst in the United Kingdom, she was the resident Musical Director for the Diploma course at Brooklands College, Surrey and was voice teacher at Britain's largest part- time performing arts school. In London, she had a recurring role in the popular TV show Family Affairs.
Upon returning to Australia, Ana co-founded Stage Left Performing Arts School in 2006 where she is the Artistic Director. Stage Left’s focus is on Musical Theatre and it has built an enviable reputation as one of Melbourne's leading performing arts schools. It aims to foster young talent and students can learn singing, acting and dancing under the guidance of industry professionals such as Ana. In addition, she has been a member of the advisory team for the AMEB Musical Theatre syllabus and is an examiner for the AMEB.
Ana is an experienced performer having appeared in the national tours of shows such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Sound of Music and The Buddy Holly Story. Musical Director credits include the national tour of Menopause the Musical and Mrs Prime Minister for the Melbourne Cabaret Festival. On screen, Ana has appeared in Neighbours, Newton’s Law as well as various short and feature films.
Ana’s love of music saw her return to Korowa in 2010 and establish the Korovian Choir. The Choir is free to join and is open to all Korovians who like to sing as a part of a group. Ana is the much loved and respected conductor and her knowledge, skill and enthusiastic encouragement is so appreciated by the participants. As one member recently wrote, ‘you make choir so much fun, and I have learnt so much about singing through your leadership. You make the experience such a delight and it is a welcome distraction from a busy career and family life’.
On behalf of my fellow Directors, I want to thank the many members of our community who supported the Foundation in 2022. The results of this support is evident on the accompanying page and the generosity of our community and, in particular, our magnificent alumni, has resulted in a record amount being raised in Annual Giving.
In 2022, our focus for Annual Giving was on the establishment of the Jean Barnfather Memorial Scholarship, created to honour the extraordinary contribution of the universally admired Barney in her more than 40 years of service to the School. As a result of our generous donors, I am pleased to announce that this means-tested scholarship has been awarded to a student who otherwise would not have been able to attend the School. The successful candidate is a student with very diverse interests who has a natural enthusiasm for the type of opportunities that a Korowa education affords.
For those of us who had the privilege of knowing Miss Barnfather, we feel that she would be delighted to be honoured in this way as she understood the power of education to transform lives.
I, and my fellow Directors, feel privileged to be able to assist the School in providing opportunities for the students of Korowa to extend their educational horizons.
Named for Korowa’s first student, the Jessie Patrick Bequest Society acknowledges Korovians and friends who name the School as a beneficiary in their Will.
To find out more about becoming a member of the Society by leaving a bequest to Korowa, please contact Alumni Manager, Ian Robertson on 03 8808 8833 or irobertson@korowa.vic.edu.au
The Foundation wishes to acknowledge and thank all of our donors in 2022.
55% KOROVIANS 10% STAFF / FRIENDS
35% PARENTS/ GUARDIANS
16%
Overall increase in philanthropic giving 34%
Voluntary contributions to the Building Fund compared with 2021 increase in philanthropic giving 18%
Thanks to the generosity of our parents and guardians there was a dramatic increase in giving in the voluntary contributions: Annual Giving 2022 Analysis of Donors Annual Giving 2022 Analysis of Donor Giving
Voluntary Contributions to the Scholarship Fund compared with 2021 increase in philanthropic giving 15%
There are different categories of membership of the Korowa Foundation based on the level of cumulative giving by donors:
84% 1% BUILDING FUND SCHOLARSHIP FUND
LIBRARY FUND
Patron Companion Benefactor Trustee
Senior Fellow Fellow
Associate Fellow
$500,000+ $250,000+ $100,000+
$50,000+ $25,000+ $10,000+
$5,000+
2 members
2 members
2 members
6 members
9 members
50 members
123 members
2D and 3D Art Awards for Years 9 and 10 students, first awarded at the Visual Arts Exhibition opening night in November 2022.
The Korovian Club Committee completed a review of our alumni association’s rules to reflect our contemporary goals and practices and to be consistent with the laws for associations in Victoria. Proposed changes were carried unanimously by Korovians voting at a Special General Meeting in November 2022.
We were delighted that Korowa ran a complete program of reunions in 2022, welcoming 100s of Korovians, from the Classes of 2021, 2020, and 2019 for their one-year reunions through to the Classes of 1960, 1961, 1963 for their Diamond 60-year reunions.
In July 2022, the Korovian Club’s inaugural Korowa Connections welcomed Korovians, Korowa parents, students, and staff, to engage with a panel of speakers on the topic, What men can learn from women’s sport?
A distinguished panel of speakers from within Korowa staff and the Korovian community, generated exciting discussion. The next Korowa Connections will be held in Semester 1, 2023.
A group of Korovians enjoyed a learn to sail program run by the Albert Park Yacht Club, which we will offer again in 2023. The Korovian Club hosted Korovians to the NGV’s The Picasso Century, for an informative introductory talk by NGV staff, a self-guided tour, and refreshments afterwards by the floral clock.
In 2022, the Korovian Club launched the Korovian Fellowship Grant to support Korovians whose pursuits align with Korowa’s values and demonstrate community service. We considered an impressive range of applications, and were delighted to announce Jess Carson (Class of 2018) as the inaugural winner. Applications for the 2023 Korovian Fellowship Grant open in March.
The Korovian Club continues to expand support for student awards and prizes, creating two new annual
The Korovian Choir, which meets monthly during the School term, is looking forward to welcoming new members, with rehearsals starting on Thursday 23 February. Please contact the Alumni Manager, Ian Robertson at irobertson@korowa.vic.edu.au for details. This year, the Korovian Club Committee will update its Action Plan for 2024-2026 to review and expand on what the association can offer its alumni. If you are interested in being involved, please contact the Secretary at korovian.club@gmail.com.
At the November 2022 Annual General Meeting the following Korovians were elected:
Korovian Club Committee 2023
President - Helen Tope Ao (Class of 1980)
Vice President - Shelby Versa (Class of 2010)
Treasurer – Jan Miller (Kostos, Class of 1960)
Secretary – Virginia Mitchell (Jackson, Class of 1977) General Committee
Fiona Adams (Class of 1990)
Annaliese Allen (Akehurst, Class of 1996)
Freya French (Coker, Class of 2008)
Danielle Hartridge (Class of 1983)
Margaret Hill (Class of 1968)
Jennifer Jaeger (Class of 1978)
Yasmin Milton (Lapins, Class of 1993)
Deborah Morant (Pike, Class of 1976)
Diana Murray (Cox, Class of 1964)
Alina Sinclair (Fialides, Class of 2002)
What a difference a year makes! 2022 allowed the Korovian Club to reconnect again, with our alumni making the most of those opportunities.
The inaugural recipient, Jess Carson (Class of 2018) and her partner Alex Oswald have recently visited Fiji where they have been distributing their sustainable sanitary products with the original 95 Lovu HART women and an additional 100 women on the west coast of Fiji. They have also been providing training and education and are hoping to create a more formal partnership with Days For Girls (DFG), an organisation that advances menstrual equity, health, dignity and opportunity for women. This partnership will help create a circular economy where the Fijian women can earn an income from their involvement. Jess and Alex very much believe in the philosophy of ‘trade not aid’ by providing a sustainable economic model. They have also offered their services in helping to write for foreign aid government grants in the hope of expanding this DFG project in Fiji.
In 2022, it was great to be able to welcome back more than 650 Korovians in the reunion program ranging from those who graduated in 2021 to those from the Class of 1960. The new Sandra Ivory Café and Piazza has proved to be a fantastic venue in which to gather and I see it as a great privilege to be able to host these events. Our alumni are a vital part of the Korowa community as it is the people who make an institution and give it its culture, reputation and sense of purpose. One of my favourite aspects of reunions is hearing the stories of Korovians from their school days and their recollections of events, each other and their teachers. It often makes for interesting listening!
The School tour prior to the reunions was very popular with more than 500 Korovians selecting this option. All are amazed at the changes, but are heartened by the fact that there are still some points of familiarity such as the Beatrice K. Guyett Hall and the old trees that they remember sheltering them in their formative years.
The Korovian Club Fellowship Grant for 2023 will open in early March and the Club looks forward to receiving applications from Korovians who are committed to altruism. Details will be on our website.
I am very appreciative of the lovely emails I receive from Korovians following reunions. One particularly resonated when a Korovian from the Class of 1982 wrote:
I think about Saturday constantly still. How wonderful it all was. All the details you have gone to... Logo-ed serviettes, table runners, fresh flower arrangements, fancy tablecloths, etc. The speeches, the photo albums and even an introduction from the new Principal. I liked her. The biggie for me was Miss Kostos... there in the flesh! That brought the house down! I loved her. Can't wait for the next reunion, Ian. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I look forward to seeing Korovians at their respective reunions this year.
Saturday 25 March 5pm
Class of 2003
20 Year Reunion Drinks
Class of 2008
15 Year Reunion Drinks
Wednesday 24 May 9.30am
Pre 1968 Reunion –Senior School Matinee performance followed by luncheon
Saturday 3 June 5pm
Class of 1993
30 Year Reunion Drinks
Class of 1998
25 Year Reunion Drinks
Saturday 24 June 12pm
Class of 1983
40 Year Reunion Luncheon
Class of 1988
35 Year Reunion Luncheon
Saturday 12 August 5pm
Class of 2013
10 Year Reunion Drinks
Class of 2018
5 Year Reunion Drinks
Saturday 26 August 12pm
Class of 1973
50 Year Reunion Luncheon
Class of 1978
45 Year Reunion Luncheon
Tuesday 5 September 6pm
Class of 2022
1 Year Reunion Drinks
Friday 10 November 12pm
Class of 1953
70 Year Platinum Jubilee
Reunion Luncheon
Class of 1958
65 Year Reunion Luncheon
Class of 1963
60 Year Diamond Jubilee Reunion Luncheon
Saturday 11 November 12.30pm
Class of 1968
55 Year Reunion Luncheon
Events
Wednesday 1 March 6.30pm House Chorals, Melbourne Town Hall
Wednesday 8 March 7am International Womens’ Day Breakfast
Thursday 10 August Gala Concert 6.30pm Melbourne Recital Centre
Monday 13 November Korovian Club Golf Day, Frankston Golf Club
Monday 20 November 7pm
Korovian Club AGM and Christmas Drinks
Thursday 7 December Speech Night
The School extends its sympathy to the family and friends of the following:
Beverley Stuart (Perry, Class of 1946) on 27 October 2016. Beverley was Dux of the School in 1946 and went on to complete her Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne. Upon graduation, she worked as a microbiologist with the Macfarlane Burnet Institute for 10 years. She married Bill Stuart, raised two boys, and went on to enjoy a long career teaching Biology and Science at Melbourne Girls Grammar.
Elizabeth Babouris (Tenny, Class of 1963) on 22 June 2021 in Athens. Elizabeth’s sister Angela Crossman (Tenny, Class of 1960) also attended the School.
Mary (Pam) Gillespie (Walpole, Class of 1950) on 21 March 2022. Pam was a boarder at Korowa.
Pamela Evans (Stratmann, Class of 1952) on 19 April 2022. Pamela’s sisters attended Korowa, Jennifer Hill-Wood (Stratmann, Class of 1955) and Julie Shiells (Stratmann, Class of 1958).
Alison Spicer (Tidd, Class of 1946) on 16 May 2022.
Patricia Anthony (Wragge, Class of 1945) on 16 June 2022. Patricia was a boarder at Korowa.
Cee-Ming Leung (Class of 1997) on 8 July 2022. Cee-Ming was Deputy House Captain of Clarke.
Julie Perry (Best, Class of 1966) on 18 July 2022. Julie’s sister Cheryl Randle (Best, Class of 1958) also attended the School.
Janine Morrow (Darbyshire, Class of 1975) on 22 July 2022. Janine’s sister, Gaynor Fox (Darbyshire, Class of 1977) also attended Korowa.
Alison Manning (Class of 1974) on 3 August 2022. Alison’s sister, Kate Stanford (Manning, Class of 1972) also attended the School.
Penelope (Penny) Hebbard OAM (Thomas, Class of 1949) on the 6 August 2022. Penny entered Korowa in 1939 and her sisters, Rosemary Davidson (Thomas, Class of 1948) and Lynette (Class of 1953) also attended the School. Penny left Korowa in 1948 to pursue a career in nursing. She resided in Canberra for many years and was a founding member of the ANU Club for Women. Penny was a committed Christian and became only the second woman to be licensed as a Liturgical Deacon by the Anglican Church in the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn in the late 1960s. She was very active in her local church and served on the parish council. Penny’s many years of service to the community were recognised when she was awarded an Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in June 1998. Her citation read: For service to the community, particularly through the ANU Club for Women, the Abbeyfield Society, the Anglican Church and youth organisations.
Sue Nattrass AO (Class of 1957) on 23 October 2022. We were saddened to hear of the death of this distinguished Korovian. Sue’s interest in the arts had its beginnings at Korowa where she appeared in school productions and was introduced to the wonders of Shakespeare. Sue’s natural leadership abilities were recognised when she was appointed House Captain of Wilkinson in 1957 and Vice-Head Prefect of the School. At school, her strong desire was to study Medicine for which she was accepted, but as she was considered too young to enter university, Sue returned for a second year of Matriculation in 1958 and was appointed Head Prefect. She is the only student in Korowa’s history to have held both positions!
Sue forged a long and impressive career in arts administration and in 1988 was promoted as General Manager of the Victorian Arts Centre, a position she held with distinction until 1996. Under Sue’s leadership, the Arts Centre became the preeminent arts precinct in Australia and a much-loved Melbourne icon.
Sue’s mentoring of so many and her generosity of spirit have seen her name live on in various industry awards and a scholarship in her honour. Sue was appointed an officer of the Order of Australia in 2002 for her contribution to the arts.
From humble beginnings, treading the boards in the old Assembly Hall in Ranfurlie, Sue through a combination of courage, vision, hard work and passion for the arts, became one of the most honoured arts professionals in Australia. She personified the School motto ‘no reward without effort’.
Sue's sister Kay Nattrass (Class of 1960) also attended the School.
Phillippa Petty (Beauchamp, Class of 1953) on 27 August 2022. Phillippa’s sister Virginia Beauchamp (Class of 1952) also attended Korowa as did her daughter, Susie Lachal (Petty, Class of 1979).
The School was saddened to hear of the death of Betty Crozier (Lawrence, Class of 1938) on 23 November 2022.
Betty started at Korowa in 1927. Betty was our oldest Korovian having turned 101 in September last year. Her future husband, Rex Crozier lived in Dorrington Avenue and his three sisters all attended Korowa, as did two of his cousins.
Rex and Betty sent their four daughters to Korowa - Elizabeth, (Class of 1968), Pamela (Class of 1970), Jennifer (Class of 1972) and Robyn (Class of 1975).
Elizabeth subsequently sent her daughter, Katherine Kirkby, (Class of 1994) to Korowa. They all completed their entire schooling at Korowa.
The Croziers, like so many other families in our School’s long history, have had a multigenerational connection with the School.
The School was delighted that Betty was able to accept our invitation to open officially the Roslyn Otzen Sports and Wellbeing Centre in June 2022. After the opening ceremony, Betty had a great time catching up with so many people who knew her and her extended family. Betty’s long life was testament to her love of physical activity. The School was represented at her funeral.
Sonja Boyer-Smyth (Paten, Class of 1989) on 16 August 2022.
Chrystal Bam (Hann, Class of 1960) on 13 November 2022. Chrystal was a Prefect. Her daughter, Amanda Bam (Class of 1993) also attended Korowa.
Jenifer Alexander (Lyne, Class of 1958) on 29 November 2022. Jenifer was the mother of Judith Anderson (Alexander, Class of 1986), Kerry Alexander (Class of 1987) and Susan Alexander (Class of 1989). She was the sister of Beverley Balkau, (Lyne, Head Prefect, Class of 1963).
Kirsty Page (Smith, Class of 1980) has retired from Victoria Police and has moved to the Adelaide Hills with her husband. She is playing lots of golf and has plenty of postCOVID travel planned.
Joy Wahner (Joske, Class of 1946) loved attending Korowa and particularly admired her geography teacher Miss Jean Cerutty (years of service 1942 to 1981) and the Principal, Miss Margaret Dickson who was Principal from 1930 to 1949.
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.
Belinda Luther (Munn, Class of 1988) has worked as a physiotherapist with children and young people with complex needs in a variety of settings for over 25 years. She was the first physiotherapist employed in a paediatric hospice in Australia, having commenced at Very Special Kids in 2017. In 2020, she was awarded the Dr Dorothea Sandars and Irene Lee Churchill Fellowship to investigate and implement best practice physiotherapy in Australian paediatric palliative care. This was presented to her at Government House. In May and June of 2022, she travelled to the United Kingdom and Ireland, visiting 12 children’s hospices, spending time with physiotherapists and other health professionals who are recognised as world leaders in this area of expertise. This proved to be a wonderful experience and Belinda is now beginning to share her findings from this Fellowship across Australia so children and young people with life limiting conditions receive individualised physiotherapy in line with best practice, to ensure they have the best possible quality of life, no matter how short that life may be.
found her career path. Her latest project has been as Production Designer in the recent sixpart ABC TV series ‘Significant Others’. Over the years, she has been involved in numerous other productions including Netflix’s Pieces of Her that starred fellow Korovian, Bella Heathcote (Class of 2005).
Frances Stovold (Kirby, Class of 1948) is now a resident at AgeWell in Box Hill. She is very fortunate to have her family living nearby so visits and outings are frequent.
Lorraine Nelson (Gray, Class of 1958) has returned to live in Melbourne to be closer to her family after 25 years of living in Sorrento. Her daughters both attended Korowa, Deborah Hill (Nelson, Class of 1982) and Melinda Wildie (Nelson, Class of 1984). Melinda was for many years a member of the Korowa staff.
Megan Atkins (Tate, Class of 2009) married on the 5 February 2022. Her bridesmaids were fellow Korovians, Georgie Bagot, Aimee Whiteside, Bridget Sisson, all from the Class of 2009 and her sister, Ruby Tate (Class of 2014), the Master of Ceremonies was Bridget Aughton (Class of 2009) and guest Stephanie Swan (Class of 2009).
Nicola Boemo (Class of 2010) was married on 10 November. It was a very Korovian wedding. It was held at her parents’ property at Badgers Creek. Nicola’s mother is Alexandra Boemo (Ball, Class of 1978) and her sisters are Stephanie Boemo (Class of 2007) and Michaela Boemo (Class of 2013) who acted as bridesmaids along with Bailey Ryan (Class of 2010). Nicola described the wedding as ‘the happiest day of our lives. Lots of mud, trees, laughter, dancing and love’!
Helen Ellis (McLauchlan, Class of 1953) writes ‘I just want to thank you and everyone connected with the Old Girls of Korowa for keeping me on your list and sending me copies of the Korovian magazine. I love to keep up with present day activities - I was a Probationer way back when... (I'm 86!!). I still have two dear friends I met at Korowa and although I live on the Gold Coast now and they are still in Melbourne we keep in touch regularly.
I've had a great life - lots of travel with my dear husband Russell, who passed away 5 years ago - and I still go to Greece most years to my second home in the pretty town of Parga on the west coast down from Corfu. I hope I can keep this up - despite my age, I'm still coping well. I've done a lot of writing - have 15 books on Amazon and do a bit of editing now for other writers – have to keep the old brain ticking over’. Helen is 86 years young!
Jan Edwards (Class of 1980) studied Fine Art at the Victorian College of the Arts and then moved to Sydney. After many years working as a Lighting Designer in the Independent Live Music Scene in Melbourne and Sydney, she found herself in the Art Department on a Film, “Love Serenade” and realised that she had
Bailey Ryan, Jackie Daggian, Nicola Boemo, Anna Hays, Jessica Peisley, Laura White and Steph Willox (all Class of 2010).
Former School Captain, Natasha Anstee (Class of 2006) married Katie Long in December 2022. In attendance were other members of the Class of 2006. Vic Shaw and Annabel Yencken (Martin) were bridesmaids. As Natasha stated ‘It was a fabulous day celebrating with friends and family. My partner, Katie and I are very lucky! It was special to have Korovians by my side on the big day’.
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
When: Monday 7 November 2022
Where: Frankston Golf Club
The Korovian Club was delighted to induct four new Honorary Korovians at the Annual General Meeting held in November. They now join the 92 others who have received this honour since the Club’s foundation in 1917.
If you are interested, for further details
To update your details, including a change of address, go to korowa.vic.edu.au/update-your-details or scan the QR Code below. You can also return this form by post.
The Honorary Korovians for 2022 - in order of length of service are:
Amelda Scott commenced in 2003 joining the Mathematics Department. Since that time, Amelda has literally taught generations of Korovians the wonders of Mathematics and is a much - loved and respected teacher. During her time at Korowa, she has been a Head of Akehurst House and was Head of Year 10 in 2017. She is the mother of two Korovians, Giorgia Scott from the Class of 2012 and Montana Scott from the Class of 2015.
Mihaela Popa commenced in 2007 in the languages department where she has taught French. She has been involved in the French immersion program that has enabled students to experience all of the benefits of immersion in a foreign language and culture. She is a great encourager of students to extend themselves in language competitions such as the Berthe Mouchette Competition run by the Alliance Francais where our students, over the years, have enjoyed great success.
Niki Cook commenced in 2008 in the English faculty where she has taught English and literature. She became the International Student Co-ordinator an important role that assisted international students to not only understand and navigate the education system in Australia, but also to adapt to life in an entirely new culture. She has been the much-respected Head of Year 12 since 2017. In this role, she has been invaluable in assisting and encouraging students in their last year of school and is known for the truly inspiring speech she makes at the Year 12’s final assembly. She is currently the VCE Co-ordinator. Staff profile page 21.
Brema Samuel commenced in 2008 as our laboratory technician in the Science Department. This is an important role as it enables the teaching of Science pracs. to run smoothly and for students to be able to maximise the benefits of practical lessons. Brema was part of the Consultative Committee and Enterprise Bargaining Committee that looks at providing the best possible working conditions for staff.
Freya French (Coker, Class of 2008) and her husband Ryan welcomed Nahla Wendy French born on 2 August 2022.
Dale Stocker (Class of 2006) and her husband George Psimaris welcomed their daughter, Riley in September. Riley is the granddaughter of Sharon Stocker (HollandKing, Class of 1977) and niece of Karlie Stocker (Class of 2004) our Head of Senior School.
To uphold the environmental values of the School, including reduction of print volumes and minimisation of wastage, each household will receive one copy of the Korovian.
As an environmentally conscious school community we support sustainable practices. If you would prefer to receive your copy of the Korovian digitally, you can do so via the QR Code.
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Past Student News
Tell us about yourself! We love to hear and share any news from our alumni. Email irobertson@korowa.vic.edu.au or return to Alumni Office, Korowa Anglican Girls’ School, 10-16 Ranfurlie Crescent, Glen Iris 3146
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Open Day is an exciting opportunity to come and explore the School and discover for yourself all that Korowa has on offer.
Take a tour and see our state of the art learning spaces, art studios, science labs and our new Sports and Wellbeing Centre which includes an eight lane 25m swimming pool, multi-purpose court, rooftop court along with dance facilities, a multipurpose drama space and so much more.
Hear from our Principal, Mrs Frances Booth, meet our students and staff. Our youngest students in the ELC have been busy working on a special art display, there will be live drama and music performances, demonstrations in the STEAM Lab and Science Labs, and you can visit our archives to travel back in time.
We do hope you can join in the fun, scan the QR Code to register today!
