Beyond the Fig Tree Alumnae 2023 Australian Honours and Awards

Emeritus Professor

Jennifer Hocking

AM FASSA (OL 1971)

Lauriston congratulates Jennifer Hocking who has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), for her significant service to the preservation of Australian political history.

Jenny is an award-winning author, Emeritus Professor at Monash University, Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, and inaugural Distinguished Whitlam Fellow at the Whitlam Institute, Western Sydney University. She has authored numerous books including the acclaimed two-volume biography of Gough Whitlam, short-listed for several major literary awards including the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, The Age Book of the Year and the National Biography Award, and winner of the Fellowship of Australian Writers’ Barbara Ramsden Award.

During her research into the life of Gough Whitlam, Jenny uncovered significant new material on the role of High Court justice Sir Anthony Mason in the dismissal of the Whitlam government. This has been described as “a discovery of historical importance”.

Following a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Economics from Monash University, Jenny pursued a Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Sydney, examining the establishment of Australia’s counter terrorism framework, authoring Beyond Terrorism: The Development of the Australian Security State. Together with her partner Daryl Dellora, they formed the film production company Film Art Doco and have co-scripted several award-winning documentaries including Against the Innocent (1988) and Mr Neal is Entitled to be an Agitator (1991) – the latter, dealing with the former High Court justice and Attorney-General Lionel Murphy about whom Jenny also wrote a biography, Lionel Murphy: A Political Biography, published by Cambridge University Press. Since 2001, Jenny has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Lionel Murphy Foundation and a National Committee member of the Australian Republic Movement 2020-2022.

Her latest book The Palace Letters: The Queen, the governor-general, and the plot to dismiss Gough Whitlam tells the story of the remarkable archival research journey and legal battle to secure the release of the secret correspondence between the Governor-General, Sir John Kerr, and the Queen regarding the dismissal of the Whitlam government. Starting in 2016 and concluding with an emphatic 6:1 decision in the High Court in May 2020, the High Court found that the Palace letters are “Commonwealth records”, not personal property, and instructed the Director-General of the National Archives to reconsider Hocking’s request for access to the letters, as well as to pay all of Hocking’s considerable legal costs.

Published in November 2020 with a foreword by former Prime Minister the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull, it has been described as “a political thriller’”, an ”absorbing courtroom drama” and “vital Australian history”. The Palace Letters was awarded a Special Commendation in the 2021 Henry Mayer Book Prize for Australian Politics, and a Commendation in the 2020 Australian Society of Archivists Mander Jones Awards.

Jenny has been influenced throughout her life by her parents – Dr Frederick Hocking was a psychiatrist who treated survivors of long-term trauma including many holocaust survivors, and Barbara Hocking OAM, who was the first barrister briefed to advise on the Mabo case in 1981.

Jenny’s family has a rich connection with Lauriston dating back to the early years of the school – her sisters Barbara (OL 1968) and Jillian Hocking (OL 1975), her mother Barbara (Browning, OL 1945), Barbara’s Aunt Enid Browning (Gilbert, OL 1916) and four generations of cousins have all attended – Enid’s daughter Margaret Sloan (Browning, OL 1943), Margaret’s daughters Barbara Dick (Sloan, OL 1970) and Professor Judith Sloan (OL 1971), with Barbara Dick’s daughter and current staff member Kate Collin (Sloan, OL 1980) and Kate’s daughter Anna Collin (OL 2016).

CHLOE DALLIMORE AM (OL 1992)

Warmest congratulations to Chloe Dallimore on being made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to the performing arts, particularly as a performer.

An award-winning musical theatre performer, Chloe is also an activist, unionist, director, and choreographer. Chloe is a leading actor of Australia’s musical theatre stage. She is best known as Ulla in The Producers for which she won the Helpmann Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical and she has also performed in Chicago, Annie, The Wizard of Oz, and Oliver!

She has won awards that include the: Helpmann Award – Winner, Best Female Actor in a Musical – Role: Ulla. The Producers 2005; the Green Room Award - Winner, Female Artist in a Lead Role – Role: Ulla, The Producers 2005; Sydney Theatre Award – Winner, Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Role: Ulla. The Producers 2005; MO Awards – Winner, Female Musical Theatre Performer –Role: Ulla, The Producers 2004; and the Australian Dance Award – Winner, Outstanding Performance in a Stage Musical – Role: Ulla, The Producers 2004. In 2013, Chloe was nominated once again in the Helpmann Awards for Best Female Actor in a Musical: The Addams Family.

Chloe left Lauriston at the end of Year 8 and after winning a Cameron Mackintosh scholarship, moved to London at 17 where she undertook a Bachelor of Arts (Performing Arts) at the London Studio Centre.

On behalf of all Old Lauristonians worldwide, her cohort from 1992, and the School, we send our very best wishes and congratulations to Chloe for this most prestigious award.

ANNE HOOKER OAM (OL 1978)

Congratulations to Anne Hooker, who has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), for her service to the community, particularly to youth.

Anne has been dedicated to young people throughout her career as a Court Counsellor and Probation Officer, Community Corrections Officer and for the last 23 years as a Youth Development Officer within the prison system. She is responsible for the design and facilitation of a young offender’s unit within a prison facility, targeting the developmental needs of young offenders. A major component of the unit activities is the meaningful program which addresses offence-related issues and raise self-esteem in young offenders.

She has helped design and implement an educational small business program called Doin’ Time, where all profits are donated to charity. Anne also designed and produced an educational DVD called Stories from the Inside.

In 2007, Anne was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study programs for young male offenders in prisons where she travelled to the Netherlands, the UK, the USA and Canada. She visited 26 prisons including three youth prisons and four community organisations. Anne experienced first-hand the latest developments in rehabilitation for young offenders and was able to compare Australia’s programs to the rest of the world.

In 2010, Anne was listed in TheAge’s 100 Most Influential People, and in 2014 she received the Inspirational Women Award by Hobson Bay City Council. In 2014, Anne was the recipient of the ICPA Outstanding Correctional Service Employee at the Correctional Excellence Awards.

Anne exemplifies Old Lauristonians who are making a positive impact on society and supporting our most vulnerable individuals.