SHARING OUR COMMUNITY

SUPREME COURT JUDGE APPOINTMENT

Loreto Kirribilli Board Member and barrister Anna Mitchelmore SC ('93) has recently been appointed a Judge of Appeal to the Supreme Court of NSW. Called to the NSW Bar in 2004 and appointed Senior Counsel in 2018, this is the latest achievement in a distinguished legal career.

Announcing her appointment, Attorney General Mark Speakman commented, "The NSW justice system is fortunate to have a practitioner of such standing serving on the bench of our Supreme Court.”

Principal Anna Dickinson attended Judge Mitchelmore’s swearing in ceremony. “Anna has served as a member of our School Board offering her wise counsel in the governance of Loreto Kirribilli ... we wish her all the very best in her new appointment and thank her for her continual support and encouragement.”

AUSTRALIA DAY HONOURS FOR SERVICE TO BUSINESS

In the 2022 Australia Day Honours, Rachel Grimes (’85) was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her significant service to business in the field of accountancy, and to professional associations.

Rachel’s career spans over 30 years, working with Westpac, BT Financial Group and PWC, with her most recent role being Chief Financial Officer at ASX-listed investment management firm Challenger Ltd.

Rachel is known for her astute accounting knowledge, her dynamic and inclusive leadership style, and her ability to achieve outcomes for the organisation, as well as for the team.

Rachel is also an enthusiastic supporter of Loreto Kirribilli’s LK Connect Mentoring & Networking Program. She has been a strong advocate for Loreto schools across Australia, and her support and advocacy for our school has always been greatly appreciated.

UNIVERSITY MEDAL FOR POLITICAL THEORY

Juliette Marchant (’17) has recently been awarded the University of Sydney Medal for Outstanding Academic Achievement and the best thesis in Politics and International Relations. Juliette is studying a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws at the University of Sydney. She recently completed her Honours in Arts, majoring in Government and International Relations. Juliette’s political theory thesis focused on the works of the first female professor of government at Harvard University, Judith Shklar, a powerful, yet underappreciated woman in political thought.

Alongside her university studies, Juliette coaches Debating at Loreto Kirribilli. The 2021 Senior A Debating team described Juliette as “an incredible mentor, teacher, and friend to us all, pushing us always to improve…who taught us more than the fundamentals of debating, but about love of all things nerdy!”

Sharing our Community

TRAILBLAZER ENTERS TENNIS HALL OF FAME

On January 25 this year at the Australian Open, ex-student and tennis great Joan Hartigan Bathurst (’28) was inducted into the Tennis Australia Hall of Fame.

In the 1930s, Joan Hartigan was the dominant force in Australian tennis, winning the Australian Ladies’ Championship in 1933, 1934 and 1936. She was the first Australian woman to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals, which she did in both 1934 and 1935, ranking No.8 in the world at just 21 years of age, and touring with the Davis Cup team.

Joan was a stylish presence on the court with her visor and pleated dresses. She competed bare-legged, as it had recently become acceptable for female players to play without their stockings!

Born in Sydney, Joan attended Loreto Kirribilli from 1922-28. The family had a grass court at home, on which she would play with her father and friends. She won the Loreto Kirribilli Cup Lawn Tennis Singles Championship in 1927 and 1928.

Joan was a popular drawcard at a time when the presence of women in the sport was growing, with the 1930s seeing the introduction of girls’ singles and doubles and the first women line-judges.

Her on-court exuberance made her a popular player, idolised by school children who loved her hard-hitting forehand and light-hearted approach to the game. She loved returning to Loreto Kirribilli and spending time with the students and talking to them about the importance of doing the best in their sport.

Joan also enlisted in the Australian Army for a period during the Second World War. After the conflict, she married and lived most of her life in Sydney, before passing away at age 88 in 2000.

Joan’s contribution to tennis was recognised during the Australian Open women’s centenary celebrations, when she was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame alongside inaugural winner Margaret Molesworth.

According to her son, former Chief Justice of NSW Tom Bathurst AC, (LK ’54), “She always talked about winning the Australian Championships and she won it three times.

“People talked about her Wimbledon successes, but she loved the Australian Championships and it was her crowning achievement.

“The women’s tour is now headline at the Australian Open and that would have really pleased her, because she played only 10 years after women were allowed to play. She would mutter darkly about equal pay, but she was pleased with the advance of it.”

Joan's daughter Mary Cook (Bathurst, Loreto Normanhurst ’69) joined her brother and other family members at the Australian Open for the unveiling of Joan's statue. "We are immensely proud of her achievements."