Births, Deaths and Marriages

Births

Sara Tavasz (Hancock 2006) and James welcomed a son, Dominic, on 8 October 2021. Dominic is their first child.

Marriages

Katherine Scott (Moore 2010) married Sam Scott on 13 February 2022 in a joyous outdoor ceremony in the Yarra Valley. Their marriage was celebrated with many Old Collegians in attendance, including maid of honour, Saran Jones (2010), and bridesmaid, Natalie Kieleithner (2010).

The PLC community is saddened to learn of the passing of the following Old Collegians and community members.

Obituaries

Rosemary Post (Gladwell 1948) died peacefully, aged 90 years on 11 March, 2022, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where she had been a long-time resident and an active and much-loved member of the local community. She is survived by her elder sister Mrs Patricia Storey (Gladwell 1946), a former Head Prefect of PLC.

Ann Radford (Bromilow 1961) passed away on December 11, 2021.

The Hon Raymond Moyle Northrop QC passed away on 31 December, 2021, aged 96.

Ray had a long and distinguished career as a barrister and judge. He served on the PLC Council from 1968-1980.

Ray joined the PLC Council in 1968 and was elected Chairman in 1972. His time as Chair coincided with the difficult and challenging period for the school as the Presbyterian Church entered into union with the Congregational and Methodist Churches to establish the Uniting Church in Australia. Ray remained Chair of the Council until 1980 when a new Council was established following the awarding of the school to the Continuing Presbyterian Church.

Ray was committed to the success of the school and was a staunch supporter of its then Principal Joan Montgomery. In her recent book, The Vetting of Wisdom, Kim Rubenstein (1982) provides a compelling analysis of this tumultuous period. With his two daughters attending the school, Ray’s support of the school was consistent with his deeply held belief in the importance of a liberal, humane and scientific education for women.

Ray was born on 10 August 1925 in New Britain, then part of the Australian Mandated Territory of New Guinea. He returned to Australia with his family at age two. Ray completed his secondary education in Melbourne, matriculating from Melbourne High School in 1942 before joining the Royal Australian Navy in January 1943. He served as a seaman on the Tribal Class destroyer HMAS Arunta until 1945, seeing active service in the South West Pacific, New Guinea, the Philippines and Borneo.

Ray graduated Masters of Laws from the University of Melbourne in 1950, and was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in Victoria the following year. From 1952 Ray practised solely as a barrister, later specialising in industrial law. In 1976 Ray was appointed a judge of the Australian Industrial Court and the Supreme Court of the ACT, and was appointed a founding judge of the newly formed Federal Court of Australia in February the following year. Ray served on a number of legal bodies during his professional career, before voluntarily retiring from the Federal Court in 1998. He was the last remaining founding judge to retire, aged 73.

Ray married Joan Peacock in December 1954. Ray would later reflect that marrying Joan was without doubt the most important decision of his life. Joan was a source of great inspiration, support and loving care for over

50 years until her death in 2008. Together they had five children: Merinda (1974), Nerida (1975), Christopher, Rohan and James.

Education and the Church were very important to both Ray and Joan. Ray was a member of the University of Melbourne Standing Committee of Convocation for ten years from 1965, becoming Warden of Convocation and later President of the Graduates. In 1975 he was elected to the University of Melbourne Council, serving as Deputy Chancellor of the University from 1985 to 1993. It was in his capacity as Deputy Chancellor that Ray had the honour of conferring the degree of Doctor of Philosophy on his wife Joan in 1990.

Throughout his life Ray was a respected member of the Presbyterian Church and later the Uniting Church, serving as procurator of the Presbyterian Church from 1974-1976. Ray’s community service was recognised in 1995 when the University of Melbourne conferred him with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws “for long and distinguished service to the community, particularly in the fields of law and education.”

Following his retirement Ray became involved in the Navy Historical Society and the HMAS Arunta Association. Amongst other things, Ray was instrumental in the successful campaign to erect a memorial to the three World War II Tribal Class destroyers on the foreshore at Queenscliff. A highlight of his retirement years was leading the 2012 ANZAC Day march in Melbourne.

Throughout his life Ray was guided by a strong sense of duty and obligation, and was unfailingly supportive and encouraging of those around him. His good humour and the twinkle in his eye persisted even through the trials of the COVID lockdowns over the past two years. He is survived by his five children, ten grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren.

Fiona Alexandra Ogilvy-O’Donnell (1973) 9 January 1956 – 17 January 2022.

Fi undertook her entire secondary education at PLC, finishing Sixth Form in 1973. Fi attended La Trobe University, gaining a Diploma of Education in 1977 and her Bachelor’s Degree in Behavioural Science in 1978. During her years at La Trobe University, Fi, a resident of Menzies College, was also a member of the University Student Representative Council and editor of the College weekly newspaper.

Fi spent time in the hospitality industry, as a student and part-time/full-time waitress in various restaurants in Melbourne and at Sorrento, and then as manager at La Bouffe Restaurant.

During 1980, Fi worked at the Commonwealth School Commission and began developing her thinking on schooling and curriculum.

In 1982, Fi joined the Association of Independent Schools of Victoria (AISV) and from 1986 to 2002 Fi was the Association’s Executive Director. Under Fi’s leadership, AISV developed the School Funding Reforms model. The new funding model corrected injustices and guaranteed the right of every student to public support. Fi had a great passion for the education sector and she felt that her greatest professional fulfilment was the achievement of Schools Funding reforms.

In 2002, Fi resigned as Executive Director, AISV and commenced building her home and holiday cottages with her husband Bod at

their Warburton property. In 2010 Fi joined the Liberal Party. Within two years she was a member of its ruling Administrative Committee, Chair of several of its Standing Committees and in 2016 Chair of the State Council Agenda Committee. She was secretary of the Casey Federal Electorate Conference and of the Eildon State Electoral Conference, and President of the local Upper Yarra Branch of the Liberal Party.

Fi was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive type of T-Cell Lymphoma in October 2021. Fi chose not to have treatment due to the acute stage of the cancer and a life expectancy of a few weeks. Fi died peacefully, surrounded by her family on 17 January, 2022.

Lorna Newman was born on 8 October, 1931 to her long-unknown German father, Albert Neumann and her Irish descendant mother, Rita Tilson from Croki, NSW. Her father later changed his name to Newman.

These were tumultuous times with the Great Depression, the stock market crash, and soon, WW2. Her father served in the Australian armed forces. She would always tell us, “if you do something, do it properly or not at all” − as was her own philosophy. Lorna grew up on a large orchard at

Wantirna, and a dairy farm in Warragul.

She attended Bayswater Primary School and later PLC, where she excelled in science, music and ballet. After graduating in 1948, she went to Pharmacy College and became a registered pharmacist. She always spoke fondly of her days at PLC, as the best school. She joined the Box Hill Symphony Orchestra and Coy Ballet.

Lorna married Alan Harris in 1953 and had two sons – Andrew and Sean. Her greatest regret was not to have a daughter. Her other great passion was to breed and show British bulldogs at the Royal Melbourne Show.

Her father later died from TB, which caused her great pain, splitting her time between the orchard and pharmacy. Her marriage ended, unfortunately.

Lorna ensured both her sons had a Scotch College education. Sean was an Australian swimming champion, but due to a car accident had a partial amputation of his left leg. With his mother's help, he overcame this disability and went to the 2004 Atlanta Paralympic Games. He was the first amputee to swim the English Channel. He tragically passed away in 2008. Andrew graduated from Monash University.

Tragedy again struck when Lorna was subsequently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia. PLC no doubt helps women to be strong and independent. These medical conditions hit her hard. Lorna was assisted in her closing years with in-home assistance, another bulldog, “Coco”, and specific programs. Andrew moved to her home to coordinate her care.

Of recent times, Andrew arranged for Lorna to attend the oldest surviving PLC Old Collegians' reunions, for Years 1955 and before – an elite group of at least 26 women – including the 1943 School Captain. They were putting us men to shame!

In October 2021 Lorna was admitted to hospital after a fall at home. She passed away on 11 November, 2021. She will be truly missed by many, but as my four-year-old grand-daughter Ruby told me, “Your mummy is with the stars now Pops and she will be at peace” – I think that says it all.

Provided by Andrew Harris (Lorna’s son)

Joan Alice Anderson (White 1940) passed away on 22 January, 2022.

In 1937 Joan commenced her secondary schooling at Presbyterian Ladies' College (PLC). The school was then at the Abbott Street, East Melbourne campus. Joan wrote in her diary, “In my teens I felt as though my brain had suddenly come alive! At first, I felt an outsider at school but soon fell in with a group of girls that became lifelong friends”. Joan recalls, “There was a wave in the polio epidemic then, and schools were closed. Studies had to be done by correspondence. Many families were close to, or knew people afflicted by the disease”.

In 1938 a diphtheria epidemic struck Melbourne, and Joan’s sister was very sick with it, and almost died.

Then WW2 commenced in 1939, men were enlisting to fight, and the mood of the war weighed on everyone. (Joan’s father, a member of a New Zealand Army Ambulance Corp, had been wounded in France during

WW1). In Joan's words,

“1940 was my final year of secondary school, then known as MATRICULATION. It was a major milestone on the way to university or other pursuits. To add to this success, I had won a Tertiary Education scholarship. Many parties to celebrate!”

In 1944, with fresh BSc in hand, I was employed for a short time with Heinze quality control lab (back to canned peas and tomatoes). I then got a job with the Department of Health – National Food Survey. Two women would be paired, and we would be sent off to distant towns all over Australia, often by train, and then with bicycles and questionnaires in hand, data was collected to assess the food availability and nutrition within the population. There were no ballpoint pens in those days and electronic calculators were still decades away."

In 1946 Joan started a course in medicine where she met Ross Anderson, a returned soldier who was also studying medicine. They were married in 1947 and

Joan became a devoted mother and wife, while her husband completed his degree in medicine. As was common for the times, Joan’s career ambitions came to a stop, and it was not until many years later that she took up part-time employment, teaching of Grade 11 and 12 Biology at a variety of Melbourne schools.

Knowledge (or the access to information) was vastly different then, with no Google or computer files. Joan would carry a collection of thick binders filled with handwritten course notes, and useful information like a giant ready reckoner. Joan enjoyed observing the natural world and was fortunate to have had stimulating trips abroad, some involving long boat journeys to the UK.

Joan had a long and active life, and died aged 98 from a relatively short, age-related illness. Life is often a mixed bag of joys and sorrows and in reflection Joan would say “C’est la vie (That’s life) − make the best of things!” Joan leaves four surviving children, eight grandchildren and eight greatgrandchildren.

Provided by Robert (Joan’s son)

MaryStuart McCahon Denver (Sinclair 1951) passed away on 17

January 2022. She was a student at PLC during the 1940s and was the younger sister of Nancy Sinclair (1937). After leaving PLC, MaryStuart joined the ES&A Bank in Melbourne and later transferred to their London branch for two years. On her return to Australia, she married and then opened five retail shops called “Maternity Faire” in suburban shopping centres, Little Collins Street and in Adelaide. She later opened other retail businesses in Olinda and Melbourne before she moved into hospitality and was the proprietor with her husband of hotels in Victoria, Tasmania and later a motel in Queensland. MaryStuart had a very busy life and many

talents including playing the piano, being brilliant on the computer, patch-working, and she also excelled in cooking. She successfully balanced the demands of being a businesswoman with those of being a homemaker. She had three children, Elspeth (deceased), Janine and Stuart who now live overseas and she had five grandchildren. In 1971, she was elected by the Melbourne Royal Women’s Hospital as an Honorary Life Governor for her services to expectant mothers. MaryStuart attended her PLC 50th reunion at Burwood many years ago and always valued her association with PLC. She is sadly missed by her family and friends.

Provided by Desmond Denver (MaryStuart’s husband)