PLC nationally recognised for innovation in education technologies
Tertiary Entrance Results 2009 Foundation report
Global Connections
Think global, act local
PL C to host internat onal d rama fest ival
Ch inese students take in Austral ian culture
Yo ungsters int r oduced to other cu tures
I nterna ti ona st ude nt s
PY P evaluation in the Jun ior School
School News
Walk in g Schoo l b us accompanied by special gues t Jul ie B shop
WA Media TEE Review Awa rds
Remembrance Day 2009
Year 8 students br ng home Geologi award
iTunes U launched
Pipe band on disp lay at Legacy Na t iona l Conference
Broadening the ca reer options of In d igenous students
Cute an d captivat ng Pre-Primary Nativ ty
Fashion success fo r Sara
Rowing d reams continue f or Hannah
New sports programme teac h es valuab le skills
Staff display danci n g talent
Rachel \merson talks with PLC Spo rting Excel ence
Programme Students
PLC raises the Tit ration Stakes
Parents
From the Parents Committee
From the PLC Auxil ary
Old Col egians' Associa t ion
Reunions
News from Archives
Tartan News
Obituaries
Dates for Your Diary
Front Cover
Ko red e Ayonrinde, Abiga l Sim and Paige Symons wit h Jun or Sc h ool artwork.
Ear y in 2009 I attended a management course in Singapo re and f ound myself learning alongside leaders from Thailand, Malaysia, Ch na, Singapore, India, Indonesia, United S ates, Netherlands and one fellow Austral an.
English was the common language a though it took me several days to 'tune in to' the var ous accents and pronunciations of my mothe r tongue. Imagine my surprise when fami iarity and friendship a l lowed the group to share that it took them severa days to 'tune in to' my version of the English language! As always I was also humb led by the fact that I was the only mono-lingu st in the group However, I rea lised that what was an unusua situation for me was only a taste r of what the world of work and fr iendsh i p is, and will continue to be, for the current and future generations of PLC students - international, multi- ingual and multi-cultural. Additiona l ly, our curren t students are even more likely than h ose in the past to fi nd themselves in pro essional envi ronments whe re they are the m i no r ity language and ethnic group
George Wa ke r, former Director Genera of the Internat ional Bacca aureate argues "very few issues of significance today can be understood within one's own national context The situation n Afghanistan] and he phenomenon of global warming affect us all, eac h provoking different inte r pretations, differe nt poin s of
view, diffe rent so lutions. He de n ed a globa ci t izen as one who seeks out a ra n ge of views and perspectives w h en solving prob ems Global cit zens do not 'tolerate' o r 'acce pt' cu ltural d f ferences or viewpoints since these words often mpli citly place the spea ker at the centre of w hat is ac cepta b le and r ght Globa ci t izens proact ve y seek ou t hose who have bac kgro u nds that are different from he i r own, exam i ne ideas t h at cha lenge their ow n , and the n enJoy he comp exity "
To educa t e PLC st udents as g obal citizens means nurturing nte l lectua l r gour, human compass ion a nd cu ltural se n sit vity. This ed iti o n of 8/ackwatch explores the expandi n g opport un ities to prepare PLC studen t s for such respons bi ities. May 2010 br ng peace and un de rsta n ding to our fami lies and com mu nit es.
BETH BLACKWOOD Pr i ncipal
PLC nationally recognised for innovation in education technologies
In October 2009 PLC Principal Be t h Blackwood was p resented with a n Austra ian Award fo r Teaching Exce lence by Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, in Canberra. The Austra ian Awards for Teaching Excel ence are t h e peak national awards for t h e teaching profession and celebrate teaching and ts contribut on to the nation PLC was commended in the 'School and its Community' category for ou r use of new techno og ies in teach ng, enab ing learning environments to be tailored to individual st udent needs.
Educa ion technologies have a ong history at PLC, w th h e School being one of the first n Australia to ntro d uce a student lapto p programme i n 1992.
"Our development of d gita content and resources has meant students are able to learn in a myriad of ways, at different ra t es, with i n and beyond the school wal s" Ms Blackwood said "Part icular attention s paid to embeddi n g thinking skil s. Teachers can tai or teaching materials to particular students and parents can engage through ready access to curricu lum materials."
Principal Beth Blackwood with Minister for Education Julia G llard.
Each yea r, Yea r 12 s udents of PLC achieve co ns ste nt y creditable resu lts in th e Tert ary Ent ra nc e Exam i nations (T EE) and in th e INSTEP (VET) p rogramme.
PLC is a non - selective sc h ool, providing ope n en try for prospective s udents, an d t h ese exce lent results reflec t t he value t h at we add as a Sc h ool.
Graduation
In 200 9, 98% of Year 1 2 PLC students achieve d secondary gra d uat ion t h ro u gh the West ern A u stralian Ce r ficate of Educat ion w ith g irls excelling in bot h academic and vocationa courses. In the Tertia ry Entrance Examinat ons:
• 11% ach ieved a TER of 99.00 or above whi ch means they were in the top 1% of can d id ates in t h e state.
• 35% ha d a TER a bove 95.00- the t op 5% n the state.
• 51% had a TE R above 9 0 .00 -the top 10% o f t he st ate
• 60% we r e in top hird o f state cohort.
Awards and Achievements
G eneral Exhibitions we r e awarded to our Dux of School, L,9 uren Smith and to Geo rgina Carr and Liana Tay. We congratulate H1em on th is except iona achievement.
Genera l exh bit ons are g ven to the 40 elig i b le students with the highes t Cu r ri cul um Counc sc ores based on the average scaled marks of five tertia ry entrance subjects/courses, at least two be i ng from h u man it ies/social sciences and t wo rom mathematics/science.
Swbject Exh bit ons we re award ed to Port ia Smal l bone (Dance), A shleigh McCloskey (Drama) and Sophie Kesteven (English Li t era tu re).
A Su bject o r Course Exh bition is awarded to the eligible student ob t a ini n g the highest raw examination mark in a tert ary entrance ra nk sub ect.
Ce rtificates of Distinction
Ct! rt ficates of Distinction were awarded to Emily Swan (Biology); Po rtia Sma l lbone (Dance); Jennifer Alderson, Em ly Swan and Li a na Tay (D screte Mathematic s); El iza Kavanagh, Sophie Kesteven,
As hl ei gh McC os key and Anna Quirk (D ra ma); Soph ie Joske (E ng li sh); Sophie Kesteven and Lucy Men gl er ( English Literat ure); Ch a r lotte Lane (Geography); Caitli n Baird, Jade Bates and E iza Kavanagh ( Med a Prod u ction and Analys is).
Ce r tificates of Distin ct on are awarded to t he top 0.5 per cent of eligible candidates n a te rtiary entrance su bject or course. Th is s based on the comb in ed mark of an equ al y weighted schoo assessment and the examination mark a nd s a high y prized awa rd
Certificates of Excellence
13 PLC stude n ts achieved Cert ifica es o f Excellence. These certificates are awarded to each e lig ible st udent who, in her last three consec uti ve years of senior secondary education in Western Australia, obta ns at least ten gra d es of 'fl\ in year- long (o r eq ui val ent) Curr cu lu m Co u ncil subjects an d/or co u rses or VET un it s of com p et ence.
Certi ficates of Exce ll en ce were awa rded to Jen nifer Alderson, Amelia Brown , Geo r g na Carr Frances Fou lk es-Ta yl o r O ivia Gamb le, M a l indi Haggett, As hl eigh McCloskey, Port a Smallbone, Lauren Smith Emily Swan, Liana Tay, Cel a Thompson and Madeleine Watts.
Top Ten Performing Schools in the State
In 2 0 09 PLC was isted amongst the top ten pe rfo r ming schools in 12 TEE subjects/cou rses of study.
Applicab e Mathemat cs, B o ogy, Dance, Discrete Mathe mat cs, Drama, English, French , Geography, History, Media Production an d Ana lysis, Physical Education Studies and Physics
This list recognises the strength of achievement of schools in a particular subject (at east 12 students must be enro led). They are compiled from the percentage of students at each schoo who ac hi eved a scaled mark of 75 or more ( n TEE ) Sc h oo s are then ranked accordingly.
art
At PLC we ho ld a strong be l ief that a w ho le- of- person app roach to ntellectual, social, emotiona l an d sp ir tual development s essential to excellence in ed ucation and u pgrading our sporting facilities was seen as a priority in cultivating this philosophy. Now, a grant of $2 .5m ion n cap ital funding from Bu ild i ng the Education Revolution, a key element of the Australi a n Gove rn ment's Economic St im ulus Plan, wil l be direc ted to w a rds the building of a Swim & Recreation Cent re at PLC. Thi s is a unique opportun ity, as ind ependent schools have not received government fund ng for capital works in the past and are un l kely to in the future. W i h this in mind, it is heartenin g to know that in the spirit of continu ing a long t radition of generos ty, many fr ends, parents, past-pare nts and alumni of PLC have already contr ibuted the ir very genero us su pp ort towards this project.
Research shows a direct ink between leadin g an active lifestyle and good menta and physical health. The many benefits to tee naged gir s of regul ar physical activity in clude a leviation of stress, a decreased in cidence of depression, a posit ive body ima ge, a deterrent from the u se of drugs and alcoho , and the developme nt of im po rtant social skills like teamwork. This research indicates that we must foste r a culture that encoura ges ch ildren and teenage rs to be more physi cal y active. The PLC Swim & Recrea tion Cent re will help us emph asise our ded ication to providing an environmen t that w l encourage our students to estab lish a healthy lifestyle f or the long -term.
PLC's cu r re nt swimm ng poo f aci ties.
Th e new cen tre will feature the ex sting swimm ing poo , but newly heated and enclosed on three sides so that students can en joy swimm i ng act ivities regardless of th e weather. The loor above will be developed into a foyer and recreat iona l space for year- round use f o r sp orts and recreation suc h as basketball, netbal l badminton, dance and d rama. This space w i ll a so accommodate some recreation act vities that now take place in the Junior Sc ho o Hall, thus mak ng the hal more avai ab e or oth er act ivities of extended cl assroom teach ing and lea rn i ng
The Sw m & Recreation Centre w il l be linked to the Ju n ior Schoo by an undercover walkway, enab ng Junior Schoo students to make full use of the facility for assemb li es and wet weather act iv ties, and the walkway itself will serve as a ga lery for the artwork of Junior Sc hool students.
As part of th is project, the Jun or Schoo and Ear y Ch i ldhood recreat on areas wi ll be redeve loped providing more open space and ensuring safe, imaginative play a reas Const ruct on of the Swim & Recreation Centre s schedu ed to commence in Decemb er 2009 and the centre is expected to be ready for use at the start of the 2011 school year.
I you have any questions regard i ng the new Sw im & Recreati on Cent re p lease contact Development Coordinato r, El aine H slop, on 9424 6534 or ema il ehislop@p lc.wa edu au. A l communications and discuss ions are strictly confident al.
La uren Smith Liana Tay
PLC Swim & Recreation Centre
An
st 's mpression of h e Swim & Rec r ea t ion Cent r e exter o r.
Annual Giving 2009 Pro ram
PLC annually reaches out to the school community with the aim of funding projects that facilitate the creation of a unique and successful learning experience, supply resources that encourage independent learning, and assist students from diverse backgrounds to realise their potential. Each and every contribution is most welcome and highly valued.
In 2009 generous supporters of Annual Giving made gifts to the PLC Foundation Building Fund, the PLC Foundation Scholarship Fund and the PLC Library Fund.
We offer our heartfelt thanks to the Annual Giving 2009 donors listed below and to those who wished to remain anonymous:
Miss Wendy Addis (1954)
Mr Rory Argyle (1958)
Mrs Margaret Atkins OAM (Cusack 1947)
Mr Colin and Mrs Ruth Baird
Mrs Carmen Bairstow (Willmott 1991)
Mrs Judy Battaglia
Miss Leslie Benjamin (1964)
Mr John and Mrs Joyce Bennison (Brearley 1943)
Ms Sarah Beshar (Jones 1976)
Mr lan and Mrs Pamela Bowman
Lady Jean Brodie-Hall AM (Siatyer 1942)
Mr David and Mrs Christine Burt
Mrs Beris Carter (Mazzucchelli 1953)
Mrs Lynnette Cook (Owen 1947)
Hon June Craig AM (Lynn 1947)
Mr Colin Dunston
Dr Anne Du rack (1963)
Mrs Judy Evans and Miss Claire Vanderboom (1999)
Mrs Beverley Fitzgerald (Bird 1954)
Mrs Jean George (Ciairs 1947)
Rev Solomon and Mrs Robin Gokavi
Dr Adam and Mrs Elizabeth Gubbay
The Summers Society
Mr Jeffrey and Mrs Pamela Halford
Mrs Jenny Hassell (Mayrhofer 1955)
Mrs Patricia Hatch (Bailey 1953)
Mrs June Hawkins (Henning 1942)
Dr Margaret Henderson (1932)
Mr lan and Mrs Sue Hobson (Ledger 1981)
Mr Graham Jackson and Ms Glenda Telford
Dr Patricia Kailis AM OBE
Mrs Elizabeth Kelly (Weygers 1963)
Mrs Ethelmary Kenworthy (Cook 1949) Kozak Family (Judy Lange 1976)
Dr Katy Langdon (1982)
Mrs Tibby Lea (Baron-Hay 1949)
Mrs Patsy Littlejohn (Sioane 1949)
Mrs Gwen Manser (Morgan 1953)
Mrs Mavis Mawby (1946)
Mrs Brenda Mazzucchelli (Sioane 1957)
Mrs Prue McAIIister (Shenton 1943)
Mr Gerard McCann and Ms Sue Gawned
Mrs Robin McCiellan
Miss Cassie McCioskey (2008)
Mrs Alexa and Andrew Miller
Mrs Cecily Moffett (Kellow 1941)
Mrs Jan Muggleton (Fuller 1968)
Mrs Julie Murray (Sandilands 1986)
The Hon Robert Nicholson AO
Mrs M iffy Olden
Mrs Eunice Osborne (Seddon 1952)
Ms Rosalind Paterson
Mrs Bianca Petterson (Serich 2002)
Mrs Barbara Plummer (Piummer 1946)
Mrs Judy Pratt (Creek 1951)
Mrs Laura Raiter (Einchovici 1951)
Ms Jenny Ran kin
Dr Jenny Rogers (1972)
Ms Jane Sanders (1983)
Mrs Dawn Scaife
Mrs Margaret Stamper (Monger 1947)
Dr Rod Steens
Ms Val Sutherland (1957)
Mr Garry Triglavcanin
Mrs Alison Tweedie (McNeil1951)
Mrs Pat Voyer (Beatty 1946)
W Fairweather & Son Pty Ltd
Mrs Susan Wooller (Gordon 1969) PLC Class of 2009
The PLC community h as a h story o f generosity. Many bequests have been rece ved over the years and the benefits of these g ifts are ev dent to this day.
I nspired by and named for Dr Vera Summers (staff 1920 -1 961, Principal 1934-1961 ), with t he p urpose of recogn sing hose who contribute to the long-term futu re of PLC and encouraging graduates and supporte rs of PLC to cont nue the tradition of p hi lanthropy that began wit h a bequest from Dr Summers, The Summers Society was estab ished in Apr i 2009.
The inaugural member of The Summers Society is Hon June Craig AM and since she was p resented wit h the fi rst pin of The Summers Society, f ve o t her generous membe rs of the PLC community have been ad mitted to the society and those who live loca ly gathe red for a morning tea with Pri nc ipal Ms Beth Blackwood earlier th s year.
For ensu ring that future generations of PLC students wi cont nue to benefit from PLC as a leading educator of young women and a modern and p r og ress ve school that so many others have enjoyed and bene f ited from, we thank the members of The Summers Soc ety: Hon June Craig AM, Mrs Margaret Atkins OAM, Mrs Mimi Packer and Ms Robyn Ahern at the Summers Society Morning Tea
Ms Robyn A hern, Mrs Margaret Atkins OAM, Hon June Craig AM, Mrs Mimi Packer, Ms Ange a Vincen t and M ss Judith Vincent.
For info r mat on on how you can g ive to the future of PLC by making a bequest i n your wi l, p lease con t act Development Coordinator, 6 El aine Hislop, on 9424 6534 or emai l eh slop @ plc.wa edu.au. A communications and discuss ons in this regard are str ictly conf dential.
PLC w ill host t h e Intern ationa l Theatre Sc hools Assoc ation (ISTA) Middle Sch o o Drama Festiva from 19-2 1 March 20 10 when 14 0 students from across the world will come to PLC t o partic i pate n t h ree days of drama wo r kshops . Twenty-f ve PLC students will pa r icipate, as will students from Hale School, but the rema nder wil l be rom var ous count ries inc ud i ng China (Beiji ng ), India (M u m b ai), Phi ippines (Man i a), Thailand a nd Hong Kong.
Org ani ser and PLC Drama Teache r Liane Campbe ll sa id the drama festival was a fan t ast c opportu nity for PLC g rls to meet students from different cultura l backgrounds w it h a shared passion for drama. "ISTA worksh op s are all abou celebrating drama in the co n text of the host count ry's cu lt ura background" Mrs Campbe l said. "When we host the Mi d dle Schoo l fest val, we w l be ex plo ring Indigenous stories and ta king ad vantage of Cottes oe's Sculptures by the Sea exhibit on , which wi l be on at the t me "
PLC jo i ned ISTA n 2008 and since then our drama staff and students have partic pated in workshops in countries ncl udi ng Duba i, Ba l i, Singapore and Hong Ko n g.
Mrs Campbel l said meeting students from other countries is an amazing opportun ity for PLC g r s. "By meeting other students with world experiences it opens their minds to what is on offer in a g obal context" she said.
The ma ority of the students participating in the festival will be bi ll eted with PLC families. Anyone interested in h osting a student f or t he durat on o f the ISTA f estival should emai Mrs Campbe l at lcam pbel @ plc.wa.edu.au.
The entire PLC community w i l be nvited to attend th e final cumulat ive perfo rmance on 21 March, 2010 at the end of t he ISTA Drama Fest va l.
PLC drama students had a remarkabl e experience in Dubai that i nc uded a tr p to the desert.
Chinese students take in Australian culture
In Term 3 , spec al guests from Huij ia Internat onal Sc hool i n Beij i ng, Ch i na, enjoyed t h e PLC way of ife. For five weeks, fou rteen Chinese girls stayed with fami lies in Perth's western suburbs en joyin g the company of hei r Year 8 budd es and be ng accompan ed by PLC gir ls to everyday classes like maths, science, dan ce a nd text il es.
Head of Mid dle School Sha ron Anderson sa d it was a wonde rfu experience fo r the Ch i nese st u de nts and for the PLC gir s. "Our students are earn i ng how mpo rtant clear commun cat ion is and what we take for granted in terms o f language " Ms A nderson said. "We are a so learning about life i n China and ho w diffe re nt it is from Aust ralia "
Youngsters introduced to other cuI tu res
Chi ldren in PLC' s hol day care progra mme have been learn ng to app re c ate othe r cultures through a ra nge of activit ies, includ ng the perfo rmance of a specia l Nativity tit ed 'Christmas Around the World and Beyond , which saw the chi ld re n costumed in the dress of a variety of cu ltures and holding up the flags of the relevant nat ions. They also took part in an Indian danc n g workshop, with a vis t from a special guest to teach them the var ious techniques lt was great to see everyone getti ng involved and trying their hardest to perfect their ndian da nce techniq ues.
Ch nese st u dent Lindy Yu sa id she w as enjoy i ng her t me at PLC and had foun d t he curriculum very d ifferent from that at her school in Ch ina. Lin dy said high lig hts had been experiencing amingto ns and Austra ian cu ture.
Abo ve eft: Eleanor Lang, Li ndy Yu and M aisie Stein.
Abo ve right: Ch inese studen ts f rom Huij a In ternatio na Sc hoo i n Beij ng with their PLC budd ies.
Right: Ch dren f rom PLC's ho iday care prog ramme took part in a se ri es of activ ties encouraging th em to apprec iate other cultures.
International Students
Every year PLC accepts many students who have previously studied in countries around the world; currently this section of the student population numbers more than seventy students from more than twenty different nationalities. Whether they come to PLC as international boarding students or have arrived in WA to make a new life with their families, integrating these students into the state curriculum is a challenge for PLC staff.
Deputy Principa Keith Anderson begins by negotiating the Year level equiva ent with the country of origin, but he says that this task is not too difficult because PLC courses are flexible, especially for sen or students. For example, in 201 0 there will be 31 0 subJects in Years 11 and 12- a huge change from ten or twenty years ago.
However, Mr Anderson says that when the newly arrived student's country of origin is one where rote learning or teacher directed learning is predom nant, they often take some time to adapt to their new learning environment, because at PLC students enjoy a more interactive style of learning that includes state-of-the-art communication and technology.
Most commonly the new y arrived students come from the Eng lish speaking UK and USA, but many are from countries where Eng lish is a second, third or fourth language (ESL). Mr Anderson says that for the newly arrived students coming from ESL backgrounds, language is often the biggest challenge They undergo intensive English cla sses at an external college and for those who begin with no English, embracing ESL can be a daunting task. "We tend to use a lot of slang and speak quickly so the new students often find this difficult. A so, our girls tend to express themselves by giving each o t her hugs and girls from other cultures may not be used to this form of express ion. Depending on their country of origin, some girls are not used to the personal and physical freedom they experience here at PLC", Mr Anderson said.
Head of Middle School Sharon Anderson said that pastoral care for students newly arrived in WA is very similar to that for loca students. "The only exception is that meet with the parents and student when they start at PLC to gain an understanding of the style of educational institution they have come from" Mrs Anderson said.
For schoo Registrar and International Student Officer Rosemary Luk i n (1968) one of the biggest challenges is ensuring that these students simply feel at home at PLC. Rosemary said "In addition to ESL challenges, at the same time these girls are getting used to l iving in a country that is fo reign to them with very different customs and an added cha lenge for boarders is living away from their families". Rosemary added "In a way I become a temporary substitute for their mother and the girls know that they can always come to me with their concerns and questions".
With such a rang e of cultural backgrounds to draw upon, many of PLC's events and performances have had an international focus. For example: on Arts Day our students from other countries devise performances that draw upon their cultural backgrounds; i n the Boarding House, Chinese New Year and the birthday of the King of Thailand are celebrated; and in March each year Harmony Day respectfully recognises Australia's cultural diversity.
Am e lia Spac kman (Year 1 1 2009 ) is the 2010 Overseas Representative. When Amelia was aged 7 years her family left their Wimbledon home in London, England, and moved to Singapore, where her father was posted for work n the oil and gas ndustry. Amelia attended an international school that celebrated most cultural holidays. "lt made me much more aware of different cultures and global issues," Amelia said. "At first I found starting a new school intim idating but in hindsig ht it has made me more open minded. I really notice this when go back to England to vis it my old friends and compare their lives and experiences to what my life is like now." Amelia said she would ke to bring a greater global awareness to her role as Overseas Representative. "We are so priv leged at PLC but sometimes we lose sight of those less fortunate living in other countries," she said.
M i nt Chaiyaku l (Yea r 9 , 2009) is one of PLC's internationa students and has lived in the Boarding House since 2008. Mint is from Thailand and has a brother who attended Scotch College and will remain in Perth to continue h s s udies at UWA. Mint says that there w ere several reasons why PLC was the fami ly's choice in preference to the other Perth schools hey considered, amongst them that her father and brother both went to Scotch and bot h Mint and her father rea ly iked the atmosphere at PLC. She said t hat although she f ound it challenging at first, assistance from the PLC staff and her new fr ends real y helped. Mint said that a highlight of living n the Boarding House is the new frie nds she has made, saying "We now feel like we are sisters".
PYP
Evaluation in the Junior School
In Ju y 2003 Alison Viney and I travelled to Mt Anglem College, lnvercargi (at the southern tip of New Zea and ) to attend the Interna t ional Baccalaureate (I B) Conference. Th s marked the beginn ng of our journey of u n derstanding the substa nce and mult ifaceted potent al of the Pr i mary Years Prog ramme (PYP). Subsequently PLC made the commitment to deve op ng hro u gh the IB PYP programme, internationa -m in ded 'inqu i ring, know edgeable and ca ring yo un g people who help to create a better and more peaceful wor d throu gh intercu ltura l understand ng and respect'.
(IB M ssion Statement)
Si nce becoming an IB World School, PLC has honoured that comm itment and become a part of a global commun ity o f schools, al work in g to enrich the lives of the r students. We have worked w ith educators from countr ies suc h as the USA, Ge rm any, Hong Kong, Ch in a, United Kingdom, So uth Afr ica, New Zea land and Singapore. We have also taken more serious y ou r respons i bil ity to the world; to t he env ronment, ts animals and its peop es. As one student at PLC wrote, "When we learn we don't ust put i away and not use t. We take act ion and p ut what we have ea rn ed in to reality."
Six years late r, n 2009 , we prepared for our eva uat on vi s t over th ree days from 18 to 20 Novembe r This process was rig o rous and at times, very challenging and con fro nting. t involved a s x-month self-study where staff, students and parents assessed our p rogress aga inst the n ine standards and 125 practices set by the IB for al l their schoo s. Th e resulting 77- pa ge report was accompa n ied by many more p ages of evident al doc u mentation. Two month s prior to the eva lua tion visit, the repo rt w as sent to the IB to g ve the examiners time to assess it bef o re they visited.
Mario Ga uci, Associate Manager of the IB PYP in the As ia Pacif ic region and Di Fisk, an experienced IB PYP educational co nsu ltant arrived at PLC on 18 November to meet and talk wit h m embers of the School Council, the pa rent body and members of PLC senior management. They also met and spoke w ith al the Junior Schoo teachers and a number of our students and pored over the curriculum documents and ev id ence samp les we had prep ared. The oppo rtunity to clarify our thinking and the require ments of the IB was enor m ously benefic ial.
The need to ref ect deeply on one ' s practice, to have to dentify strengths and practices in need o reinforcement , and then to document proposals for improveme nt, a of w hi ch is evi dence based, was time consuming and ch allenging. There w ere times when we wo ndered what we had embarked upo n and yet we can now loo k forward wit h confidence, knowing that w e have thoroughly audited teach ng an d learn i ng in th e Junior School We have all th e informat on we nee d to p an fo r the next f ve years, wh ch will be exciting, cha leng ng and enrich ing fo r all who teach and lea rn here. We await our forma repo r from the IB in Geneva but are extre mely proud of the com pliments received fr om the examiners who said they saw PLC Pert h as a 'l ight house sc h ool that they would encourage others to visi to view good p ractice
JANET WILMOT Head of Jun ior Schoo l
Above: Junior School students Shay Boyl e and Mo ly A derson w th Manda las.
Conducted each Friday t hroughout the schoo l ye ar, the PLC Walking School Bus co mprises thirty enthusiastic Junior School students and par ent vo unteers. The r week y w alk a ims o reduce traffic congest ion , encourage a healthy i festyle and raise e nvironmental awareness among the young students.
In September 2009, they welcomed a special guest walker w hen Federal Member fo r Curtin Hon Julie Bishop joined the students for
their w alk along the Esplanade in Peppermint Grove. Walking School Bus Co-ordinator Rosalind Patterson sa id that Ms Bishop is a n idea role model for t he PLC students on he Walking School Bus.
Above: Students aboard the Wa lking School Bus pause for a photo w ith Fe deral Mem ber for Cu rtin, Hon Ju lie Bisho p.
On 11 November 2009 the PLC community commemorated Remembrance Day at the Vyner Brooke Memorial as usual, but this year we were fortunate to have as our special guest Brenda Taylor, who worked hard to have the memorial established. As our special guest Brenda laid the PLC wreath.
Year 10 Humanities students had volunteered to participate in the memorial and contributed to the service their understanding of Remembrance Day and its history. For the first time, our Year 7 students also attended and they turned out with white panamas, shoes pol shed and school uniforms pressed. As the men and women in uniform were honoured, the girls came to fully appreciate the importance of their uniforms being immaculate and correct. Our guests included army wives, widows and retired servicemen and women, all of whom appreciated the efforts of our girls, with many commenting on their fine presentation.
The service was accompanied by Nicole Mumford (Year 11, 2009) on the bagpipes, and Megan Kozak (Year 11, 2009) and Tessa Ran dies (Year 11, 2009) p aying the Last Post and Revei le. At the end of the service the girls wa l ked around the lake and placed sprigs of rosemary at each p aque to remember the women.
Special thanks go to Anna Gould, Dinu Kumarasinghe, Hannah Goldfinch, Claudia Henderson, Alice Dormer, Brigitte Brice, Terra Tormey, and Melany Chap man (a Year 10, 2009) for conducting the service. The staff who attended the Rememb rance Day service were very proud of your efforts.
WA Media TEE Review Awards
Two teams of PLC Year 12 students had their work showcased at the recent Media TEE Review Awards after their projects were judged to be in the top three entries from WA in their specific categories.
A photo essay by Asha Rokich (Year 12, 2009) titled 'A Country Hero' and focus i ng on the work of a country vet, demonstrated Asha's strong photographic skills and took first place in the Photomed a category. Congratulations to Asha for this most impressive result.
'Blue Ponies and White Skies' by Jade Bates, Ella Jackson, Eliza Kavanagh and Chloe Leaker (all Year 12, 2009), a film featuring surrea list elements and quirky humour, took first place in the Narrative Fiction category, which received the most entries and was 12
hotly contested. Congratulations to Jade, Eliza, Ella and Chloe for creating such an amazing short film, which was very well received by the audience on the evening of the awards.
Eliza and El la are planning to pursue their interest in film at tertiary level, so keep an eye out for their future success in the industry.
1. Jade Bates, Ella Jackson, Eliza Kavanagh and Chloe Leake r with their awards.
2. Asha Rokich with her award.
3. An mage from Asha Rokich's submiss ion
8 students bring home Geologi award
In October 2009, Year 8 students Felicity Eustance, Elisabeth Burton a nd Zoe Maxwell wo n fi rs t p lace i n the national Geologi Short Film co mpetition w ith t heir f ilm about the formation of oil. Fe l icity and Zoe, al ong w ith Science Teacher A lana W ilson, we re fortunate to trave to Canberra to ac cept the award. During the presentation the g irls' film was shown to the a udience. As part of their prize they received a trophy, a n atlas a nd seve ra DVDs, w hich they donated to the PLC science dep artment.
The Geologis are part of the annual Science Week celebrations and last year's theme w as Earth Science i n Everyday Life".
Above: PLC girls with special guests Mr and Mrs Taylor at the Vyner Brooke Memorial.
iTunes U launched
PLC and Scotch College are among the first schools in Australia to experience a new and exciting version of digital education. Since mid-Term 4 PLC and Scotch students have been able to access class instruction, cou rse materials and lectu res through the Apple iTunes U online platform, the use of wh ich is already established in many Australian universities.
PLC Principal Beth Blackwood said that PLC was committed to meeting the changing learning needs of its students. "Today there are many ways for students to engage in learning. We want to provide our students with a learning environment that is flexible and delivers a variety of learning resources and experiences that take advantage of technology.
"On line and mobile learning opportunities are now a very important and valuable part of the learning experience of our students. Educating for today's world means that our students need to be confident and wise users of informat on and communication technologies."
This year PLC and Scotch created a jo i nt committee to examine the exciting possibilities of dig it al curriculum and to harness the enthusiasm of students skilled in on line co ll aboration and 21st century learning ski l ls.
"Being able to access classroom essons at home means students can revise at their own speed, as we l as giving parents the opportunity to keep in touch with their children's learning" Ms Blackwood said. "While we will continue to teach in a conventional schoo l environment, this techno logy provides us with a new opportunity to engage students in learning."
Podcasts that incl ude audio and video of classes for revis ion purposes, as wel l as presentations from guest speakers, documents and study aids, are now available via secure access for students, w ith plans to cont nually add material.
Members of the public wi l also be ab le to share in the life of the PLC community with access to examples of learning material, concerts and public lectures, featuring staff, students and keynote speakers
Pipe band on display at Leaacv National Conference
When PLC vo l untee r Pip e Band Assistant Peter Jon es, who is also the General Manager of Legacy's Perth branch, was asked to recommend a sui tab e band to perform at t h e Legacy Nationa Conference in October ast yea r, he of course recommended th e PLC Pipe Band. Thus, the band performed at th e unveiling of a new sta tu e depicting a widow and her chi ldre n at the Fremant le Wa r M e morial , in the prese n ce of His Exce len cy Dr Kenneth Michae AC, Governor of West ern A u stralia and many distinguished Legacy patrons. Addit ion ally, several PLC girls voluntee red to assist as guides at the con f erence and help with co nfere n ce sess ions. Our congratu ations and thanks go to all the g irls for this fine effort.
(Year 11, 2009 ), Jos e Janz (2005) and Br ann a Tay lor - EI Iison (Year 8, 2009).
Broadening the career options of Indigenous students
In a first for In digeno us students i n WA, on Tuesday 15 Sep t ember 2009 PLC's Indigenous studen t s too k part n 'Qu ick Yarns', an evening based on a 'careers carousel' with students spend ng five to ten minutes with each of twen ty-f ve Ind igenous women representing a variety of careers in cl uding human resources, the theatre, phys otherapy, nursing, teach in g, tourism, admin ist rat on and elite sports One of the women was Josie Janz (2005 ) who attended t h e Australian Institute of Sport and now p ays netba with the West Coast Fever; Josie an swered questions about her career in netball and as a professional mentor w th the Dav id Wirrpanda Foun dat ion As most of PLC's Indigenous stu d ents are from the Kimberley region many of the presente rs were K mberley women and in ad dition to the benef it to our students, the even ing also prov ded an excellent opportun ity for professiona network ng amongst the p resenters.
PLC Indigenou s Liaison Coordinato r Jennie Wise said Qu ck Yarns aimed to broaden the understand ng of different caree r op tions at a younge r age. " t's important to introduce caree r opt ons as early as poss ble to our Ind igenous s udents so they ha ve a better understand in g of what is avai lab le to hem" Mrs Wise said. "And as far as we kn ow, th is is the first me th e careers carousel concept has been used for Indi genous students w ith all Ind genous prese nters. "
Mrs Wise said "Quick Yarns" was part of the PLC Careers Lighth ouse Project and ou r Indigenous studen s have taken part n other activities as pa rt of this project including visits to the Ch ld Health Research Institu t e, Channe 7, va r ous universities, a ha irdressing salon, law co u rts and patho ogy abo ratories.
Above: Lucy Stewart. Anneke Rose and Brittany Rose check out the new iTunes U site.
Left: The PLC P pe Band parades during the ceremo ny. In the foreg round His Excel ency Dr Kenneth Michael AC is also p ctured.
Above: Hay ee Rivers
Fashion success for Sara
Congratu lations to Sara Gibson (Yea r 12, 2009) who des igned a gorgeous g reen dress and model led it at the WA Teenage Fas hion Awards at the Hyatt Hotel in September 2009. Sa ra, w ho ma de the dress as part of he r textiles studies course , progressed throu gh to the f inals of the awa rds
Left: Sara Gibson mode lling her dress in he WA Teenage Fashion Awards.
New sports programme teaches valuable skills
In Term 4 2009, Community & Service Learning students were involved in the pilot of a new project, Sportslink; the joint venture of PLC, the Department of Sport & Recreation, the Recreation & Spo rt Network and th e Peppermint Grove, Mosman Park, Cottesloe and Nedlands councils The project involved children aged 7 to 12 years with various disabilities coming to PLC to be involved in sporting activities with the support of a student mentor.
Pri or to working with the children in Sportslink, the PLC students attended a two -we ek certified training course. They said that the ir favorite part of Sportslink was the opportunity to form close friendships with the children. "You really learn how to communicate using more than just words" one PLC girl said. "I enjoye d seeing the children strive for their personal ac hi evements, earn new skills and have fun with sport."
A local occupational therapist with several clients attending Sportslink commented. "The feedback from the parents and children has been absolute ly outstanding and the parents have al l, w ithout exception, made comments that their children not only benefited enormously from the physical contact but also how much they loved interacting with the 'big girls'."
The pilot project was so successful that Sportslink wi ll run again in 2010
Rowing dreams continue for Hannah
Hannah Vermeersc h (Year 12, 2009) is enjoying a hard earned break after winning a gold medal for Australia in the women's coxless fours event at the rowing Junior World Championships in Fr ance in August 2009 and completing her TEE exams. She has been relaxing in Perth and continuing her rowing training, but reports that she has competed in selection trials for a scholarship to the WA Institute of Sport and was raining for the National Rowing Championships in 2010. Hannah is hoping to continue her studies at UWA and has applied for a place in the exercise and sports science course.
Below: Hannah Vermeersch (second from right) celebrates her gold medal with her rowing team at the Junior World Championships in France ast year.
Arts Day had a special twist in 2009 when PLC staff surprised students with a special dance, performed in flamboyant costume to catchy tunes from Beyonce and Michael Jackson. The performance w as in three parts and included t he 'single ladies', the 'bad boys' and the 'crazy sc ientists'. it was a hi with the girls who voiced their appreciation with loud cheering, aughter and applause. it was certainly entertaining to see many of PLC's staff, ncluding Principal Beth Blackwood,Deputy Principals and Heads of Middle and Senior Schools involved n the performance.
Above: Jacquelyn Plugge with one of her charges during the Sportslink Programme.
Rachel lmerson talks with PLC Sporting Excellence
Pro r n
On Monday 31 August 2009, former Hockeyroo goalkeeper Rachel lmerson spoke to PLC Sporting Excellence Programme students about her pathway to being a triple Olympian.
After missing out on Victorian state se ection for the national tournament when she was aged 17, Rachel attended the tournament to support h er sister. As fate would have it, injury to a Tasmanian goa keeper led to Rachel playing three games for Tasmania and she was spotted by Australian senior coach Ric Charlesworth. Within twe ve months Rachel was representing Austra ia at senior level and went on to p lay at three O ymp c Games, including as a team member of the gold medal winning Sydney 2000 Hockeyroos.
Rachel ta ked about the ups and downs of a career as a semiprofessional sports woman, including winning, losing, being relegated, relationsh ps, injuries, moving interstate for training at the age of 18, the pressures of internationa representation, balancing work and university with representing your country, and life after sport, whic h has been just as busy for Rachel who, at aged 30, decided o follow her dream of be i ng a doctor and is now halfway through a postgraduate degree in medicine.
Amongst the items Rache brought along for the g rls to ho d and view were her Sydney O lympics gold medal, Me bourne Commonwea lth Games go d medal, Order of Australia Medal, O ymp c to rch from the torch relay and her opening ceremony jacket from the Bei ing Games.
The g i rls were thoroughly impressed by Rachel and asked many ques t ions about what it was ike to be an Olympian, the pressures of competition and whether she had any regrets. Rache l was definitely an inspiration and dared the gir s to fol ow their dreams both academically and in the sporting arena.
PLC raises the Titration Stakes
Two en t hus as t ic teams of talented PLC Chemistry studen t s attended Murdoch University to compete in the finals of the Royal Australian Chemistry Institute Titration Stakes competition, afte r winn ng a p ace i n the finals in a keenly fought qua l ifying competition earlier in the year. The finals involved more cha l lenging i nd i vidual tasks, w th t he award of indiv idual medals based on the accuracy of resu ts o b tained. The individual resu lts were t hen comb i ned to determine the mos t accurate team.
The team compr sing Year 1 2 students Clair Ho er Amy Woods and Sophia McGuckin came eighth overall, with Clair and Amy winning si lver me d als and Sophia gold. The team compris i ng Year 12 students K mber ey Bryant, Liana Tay and Madeleine Watts came thi rd overal and all were delighted to win gold meda s. Additionally, their high degree of acc u racy resulted in an Excel ence Award in the form of a plaque f or PLC.
Both teams went on to compete in the national fina s at Curtin University where Amy Woods, Clair Ho l lier and Sophia McGuckin achieved two silver medals and one gold respectively and the other team of Kimberley Bryant, Liana Tay and Madeleine Watts achieved a f antastic hree gold medals and overall h ird p ace, coming fourteenth in Australia.
FROM THE PARENTS COMMITTEE
The Parents Committee has continued to support events conducted for the PLC community during Terms 3 and 4, including the Va ledictory Dinner on 22 October 2009.
Our Scholarship Subcommittee assessed applications for the Parents Committee scholarships, wh ch award tuition fees for one term to one student entering Year 9 and one entering Year 11 in 2010. These scholarships aim to reward students who best demonstrate those values that underpin the PLC's comprehens ve individual approach to education, so academic ach ievement is not in itself a prerequisite for success. Primary emphasis is on endeavour across activities including academic, sporting, artistic, musical, community service and philanth ropy Parents on this subcommittee consider it to be one of the most rewarding of the committee roles and each year express amazement at the quality and content of the applications and the confident and eloquent presentations of the appl cants. The worthy winners of the 2009 Parents Committee Scholarships were Rebecca Cole (Year 8, 2009) and Emi y Simpson (Year 10, 2009).
Th e Fees Incentive Draws continue to contribute mater a l ly to the PLC commun ity. Funds raised in Te r ms 3 and 4 are being ap p l ed t o the air cond tioning component of the redeve opment of t he Middle and Senior Schoo L brary and Resource Centre
Our Annual General Meeting was held on 18 September 2009. Spec al thanks go to ou r retiring committee mem b ers Peter Chaffey and Susan Hende rson (both Vice-Presiden t s), Chris Quirk and Tracy Humphry for their service to the Parents Comm ttee a n d the wider PLC community. Part icu ar mention goes to Helenn Wevers, our outgoing Treasurer, for her unstinting dedication and for offering to be available for severa months to facilitate the han d over to Veronica Jarrett, our incoming Treasurer. Barry Horne, Pres dent fo r the past three years and a continuing committee member prior to the AGM, a lso retired from t h e committee after many long years of dedicated service for which we offer our unqualified thanks and appreciation on behalf of the PLC community.
PLC hosted the August 5 meeting of the '6 x 6 Combined Committee', an initiative formed about s x years ago in wh ch support groups from the six local independent schools (PLC, St Hilda's, MLC, Scotch, Christ Church and Iona) convene three times a year to discuss and advance issues of mutual concern and interest. The 6 x 6 helps to foster mutua ly beneficial relationships between the parent support groups and the marketing and community service departments of the participat i ng schools
As another school year draws to a close, I would like to thank Principal Beth Blackwood, Di recto r of Community Re ations Chavaune Francis, and the members of the Parents Committee, for their contributions of expert ise, t ime and effort. The support of Community Relations Co-ordinator Chloe Rothery, Director of Finance & Adm nistration Sam Kronja, Director of Operations Bob N ven, Accountan Wendy Cast les and Functions & Cafeteria Manager Elaine Masterson are also much appreciated.
The Parents Comm ttee could not provide the services that it does to the PLC community without volunteers and we are comprised of parents with a wide range of skil s who w sh t o contri b ute to the PLC community but are only ava lable outside norma working hours. The roles we undertake are rarely onerous but like any suc h volunteer group, we depend on 'new blood'. Any and al p arents are welcome to attend our month ly meet ngs, each o f w h ich is noted in the PLC calen d ar and in L nks magazine Shou d you wish to raise any issue for cons deration by t h e Parents Comm ttee, or to express an interest n jo i ning, p lease email us at parentscommittee@ p c.wa.edu.au.
We look fo rward to welcoming new and co nt nuing parents at our annual Sundowner to be held in t h e Schoo Quadrangle on Fr day 19 February 2010.
TONY LOFTHOUSE
President
Above: Year 12 students Kimberley Bryant, Liana Tay and Madeleine Watts with their gold medals
FROM THE PLC AUXILIARY
The PLC Auxiliary had a fantastic year n 2009, with meeting attendance higher than for some time and several inaugural events. Building on the success of our first ever Outdoor Cinema Evening in March, on Wednesday 17 June in the Hazel Day Drama Centre we hosted a presentation by Jude Blereau, 'Good food - how to use it; where to get it; and how to make it a wo rka ble part of your everyday life', comprising a fascinating talk and cooking demonstration, fol owed by morning tea in the foyer of the Drama Centre. This event was open to all and helped raise awareness of healthy foods t hat are easy to prepare. With tickets priced at $1 0 each we we re also able to raise funds to be put towards the very worthwhile service proJects in which PLC students are involved.
Our wonderful class representatives have continued to organise get-togethers for their var io us groups, rang ng from mother/ daughter lunches and parent coffee mornings to the ever-popular father/daughter breakfasts, alo ng with play dates in the park and wood-fired pizza evenings. These events all support the main aim of the PLC Auxi iary, which is to encourage members of the PLC community to get to know each other. I sincerely thank all the class representatives for the hard work they put in throughout the year to facilitate this important goa l.
On Friday 16 October we had our twelfth Open Garden Day and this was a huge success. Thanks to the inspiration of t he principal coord inators, Jo Cook and Patty van der Wa it, we saw several innovations, from a juice bar in one of the gardens to some fa scinating talks and demonstrations. As always, we were overwhelmed by the number of parents w h o kindly volunteered their time and skills, both on the day and in the lead up to it. We are a so very grateful for the marvellous support provided by the members of the PLC Maintenance and Community Relations teams. A day such as this br ngs together members of th e whole PLC commun ty and w thout the level of support we receive Open Garden Day wou ld not be possible.
This year's Valedictory Dinner was held on Thursday 22 October and we could scarcely believe the smooth transformation of the Hugh Baird Sports Centre, thanks to the f lawless organisational skills of the two Year 11 PLC Auxiliary representatives, Kerry Gallagher and Kate Lapsley and their team of parents. Sincere thanks go to all, for the many preparations, the d ecorat ions on the day and of course the inevitable clearing up afterwards. The eve ning was a wonderful end to the school days of our 2009 Leavers.
On 30 October the Junior School Disco was held with the theme 'Fr day Night Fever'. In a completely transformed Junior School Ha l l, 280 students boogied the evening away with boundless energy and wearing amazing outfits Thank you to Siobhan Rollinson and all the other Junior School parents who helped to ensure that this function was a triumph.
Friday 5 March 2010 is the date set for the Outdoor Cinema Evening, our first function for the new year and to be held once again on the lawn outside the Hugh Baird Sports Centre. Members of the PLC Auxiliary have o n ce more voted for this to be a free-of-charge event open to all members of the PLC community. Please come along and eith er bring a picnic, pre -order a hamper, or buy food at the event - al l details will appear in Links clo ser to the time.
Farewell and thank you to all of the parents leaving us this year who have supported the PLC Auxiliary in any way and in particu ar to the following who have served on the Executive: Sarah Ga mble, Karen Wi lson, Aliya Porter, Jenny Mengler and Helen Carr.
Our first meeting of 2010 w ll be on Tuesday 9 February i n the Boarde rs Sitting Room. As usual, tea and coffee will be avai able from 8.30 am and the meeting will begin at 9.00 am to be fo llowed by morning tea. A ll members of the PLC community are we lcome to attend our meetings. Parking will be ava lable at Star of the Sea.
We en courage you to emai l any enquiries, comments or suggest ions to aux liary@plc.wa .edu.au, our new email address.
The PLC Auxiliary w ishes all members of the PLC commun ity a safe, happy and fulfill i ng 2010.
ANNIE DUNCAN President
Old Collegians' Association
President's Report
The second half of the school year has been extremely busy and productive for t he Old Collegians Association (OCA). The comm ittee has worked tirelessly to achieve the goa ls set for this year and I would like to thank these insp i rational women, along with Acting Alumni Relations Co-ordinator Jul ie Rose and the team at Commun ty Relations for their wonderful support.
We welcome two new members to the OCA team; Georgiana Lilley (1999) and Kate Crompton (1999) it is wonderful to see the enthusiastic invo vement of the younger members of the OCA commun ty and we encourage anyone who is interested in joining us, ei h er as a committee member or as an occasiona volunteer to help out with our functions Th is is a very exciting time for the OCA and we would love you to join our vibrant and mot ivated team. If you are interested, please contact me or Ra Stewart through PLC Commun ity Re at ions- commun ityrelations @ plc.wa.edu.au.
The OCA is acti ve in hosting and supporting a number of PLC activities and functions, awarding OCA bursaries to students, presenting the Year 12 gifts at Valedictory Dinner, and helping to nurture and preserve the lifelong bonds of friendship and belonging that come from being a PLC Old Co legian. As a Life Member of the OCA the benefits incl u de invitations to OCA events such as talks by guest speakers, book launches, cockta i parties and quiz nights; access to t he PLC Arch ves Old Collegian Room where you can meet with other al umni; copies of the PLC magazine 8/ackwatch; and access to a local, nat onal and international network of PLC al umni.
New OCA Logo
You may have noticed that the OCA has deve oped a new branding and corporate identity to make us more identifiab e at PLC events. This is a part of OCA strategic objectives towards improving t h e relevance of the OCA within the PLC community and bringing the OCA into the 21st century!
Kailis Pearls
We are most excited to announce that the OCA and Ka l s Pearls have formed an association. The Ka i lis family and PLC have a longstanding relationship, with severa members of the fami y having attended PLC and Dr Patricia Kai l is ac ing as Chair of Counc i for many years. Dr Kailis's valuable contribution to PLC was recognised in 2007 whe n the OCA awarded her Honorary Life Membership of the OCA.
Kai is Pea rls has generously agreed to each year make a gift to the OCA of several items from the exquis te Kailis collection. Items from this Kai is gift wi l be individually presented on Speech Night to the Head Prefect and recipients of the OCA Inspiration awards, given as gifts to the incom i ng prefecture, and used by way of sponsor prizes for OCA events including our Quiz Night and the Gir ls Only Cocktail Party.
Old Boys Cocktail Party
The OCA recog n ises that not all our past students are female and we have estab ished a social function to recogn se this. Thus, our first ever Old Boys Cocktail Party was held in Scorgie House on Friday 4 September. We had a wonderful response with thirty-five former students of PLC Junior School attending. We were pleased to induct Rory Argyle (1958; left Kindergarten 1946) as our first male Honorary Life Member of the OCA, and to welcome Benjamin Dry (2008; left Kind e rgarten 1995) our first male ee-paying member of th e OCA.
The OCA AGM is an nformal luncheon that incorpora tes the AG M proceedings In 2009 it was held over the mid-term break an d, although smaller t han in previous years, t was a delightful occasion with Mosma ns Restaurant providing a beautiful venue and wonderful food. In 2010 the AGM w i l incorporate a fashion parade showcasi ng the designs of PLC OC Kristen Shad bol t ( 2004) under the Paper Skye label, and displays from the Kailis Pearls co llection. This promises to be the most exc iting AGM yet!
Prefects Morn in g Tea
A morning tea was held in the Senior School Library to congratu ate the incoming prefects for 2010. This prov ded a wonderful opportun ity for the committee to meet these inspirationa girls, and fo r the prefects to gain a better understanding of w hat the OCA does for the greater PLC community. Thanks to our newly formed assoc iation with Ka l s Pear ls, the incom ng pref ects were presented with a beautiful pea r pen as a congratulato ry gi ft to mark their appointmen t. The girls were thril led to receive such a beau tiful present.
Quiz Night
Our annual Quiz Night was held on Friday19 June. As in past years this was a very popula r function and with the generous dona tio n of pr i zes from the PLC and greater local communities we were ab le to raise $5000 This will go towards fundi ng t he bursaries we provide for students at PLC. Our next Quiz Night prom ises to be bigger and better and will be held on 18 Jun e 2010.
Above: Forme r students enjoy the OCA AGM at M os mans.
AGM
Old Boys Cocktail Party
Old Collegians' Association
Valedictory Dinner
On Thursday 23 October 2009 the Year 12 Leavers celebrated their graduation from PLC with a moving ceremony and dinner in the Hugh Baird Sports Centre. The OCA sees this rite of passage as a 'handover' from the student community to the OCA; the wisdom, experience and enthusiasm of these capable young women will no doubt be welcomed by PLC students in the future. The OCA presented each girl with the gift of an engraved silver bracelet to mark the occasion and we trust that they w i l wear it w ith pride.
Year 13 Brunch
This annual event was held on Sunday 9 August 2009 in the Senior School cafeteria. Approximately sixty-five girls attended and we re welcomed by Principal Beth Blackwood, with each Year 13 girl providing an overview of life since PLC. This was a wonderful opportunity for the girls to renew old friendships and share their post-PLC stories, as well as meet up with some of their teachers from last year.
Pleides Meeting
In August 2009 the OCA hosted the Ple ides alumni meeting of the IGSSA sister schools, providing an informa forum for the sharing of ideas and problem solving. t is always most interesting and nformative to learn w hat is happening amongst the other school alumni assoc at ions.
Founders Day 19 August 2009 2009 was a record year for attendance at he annual Founders Day service and lunch. Over 90 Old Collegians who left PLC fifty or more years ago helped celebrate PLC's 94th birthday with students and staff. This year, d ue to works be ng undertaken on St Andrew's Uniting Church, the service was be held at PLC in the Hugh Baird Sports Centre.
BURSARIES
The daughters of OCs are elig ble to apply for one of three OCA bursaries offered each year. These bursaries are financed by our fundraising efforts and the OCA regards this as one of its most important roles. As always, we were delighted by the calibre of the applicants and congratulate the following worthy rec pients:
Georgia Westbrook (Year 11, 2009) Heather Barr Memorial Bursary
During her time at PLC Georgia has combined her many service activities with a wide range of eo-curricular activities She is currently in Year 12 and has been appointed Service Captain for 2010. Georgia's attitude to life is best summed up w th this quote from her scholarship application: "I will always strive to help those around me and be an active member of my community, to work with honour and integrity, to be trustworthy, and to be an independent woman within society", values that also exemplify Miss Barr's approach to life.
PLC Old Collegians Association Cookbook
$29.95
Past and present students and other members of the PLC community have provided their favourites for this delightful book of over 100 recipes that make the most of our seasonal produce, wonderful weather and fabulous lifestyle! ·
A flyer with more information has been included in this edition of Blackwatch. Order Forms are available from Community Relations or you can down load a copy from the PLC ':"ebsite.
DATES FOR YOUR 201 0 OCA DIARY
Monday 1 February Welcome Lunch
Friday 26 March Girls Only Cocktail Party
Friday 18 June Quiz Night
Sunday 8 August Year 13 Brunch
Sunday 15 August AGM
Friday 10 September Old Boys Cocktail Party
Friday 15 October Open Garden Day
Thursday 21 October Va ledictory Dinner
Natasha Gay (Yea r 10, 2009) Dr Vera Summers Bursary
During her time at PLC Natasha has excelled in her chosen eocurricular pursuits. Her attitude to life is best summed up in this quote from her scholarship application: "As a student of PLC hope to bring honour, respect and distinction to the schoo l through my activities in and out of school in all areas". Natasha's work eth c and persona ethos reflect the beliefs of Dr Vera Summers.
Olivia Swan (Year 9 , 2009) Olive Cusack Bursary
Ol via is a boarder from Esperance and commenced at PLC i n Year 8. She found the transition a challenge, but has now embraced boarding life and says "being a boarder is really beneficial and lots of fun". She recommends that one way to combat homes ickness in the boarding house is "by keeping busy and doing lots of sports among other things". O ivia's positive approach to life and keen participat on in all activit ies exemp ify the spi rit of Olive Cusack.
Skills Register
As the involvement of the OCA in PLC continues to grow, we often find that we need a variety of skil s and extra hands to help us out on occasion. The OCA has a very diverse role and we require the skills and expertise of people from all walks of life so whether it's cook ng, the law, journalism, or that you're a good organiser, we would love to hear from you I Simply register through Community Relations (communityrelations@plc.wa.edu.au) your name, contact details and particular skill or area of expertise. Th is does not require you to be a member of the OCA.
I would again like to thank my committee for their wonderful hard work and support and wish you al l a very happy, safe and prosperous 2010.
JENNY FREEMANTLE
I1949 - 60 YEAR REUNION
On Monday 17 August 2009 here was great exc it ement when th i rty-two 'girls' gathered at PLC to celebrate our mi estone. Renewing fr ien d sh ips and shar i ng memories - the re was so much catch ng up to do! For those who had not visi t ed PLC i n recent years, a tour of the Schoo l with its wonderfu buildings and f aci ities was an eye open i ng expe rience.
A member of the School Council, Gil l ian Swan, conducted a very mov ng service n the Heathe r Barr Memorial Chapel. The School Chorale sang Blessing by Katie Burt then suppo rted us in the sing i ng of the hymns- we would have been rat her shaky on our own
Lunch in the Board i ng House dining room followed and fea t ured a s ide show from sc hoo ldays, wh ch became the catalyst for much hilarity.
Many of the girls had attended the Annual Founders Day Service and lunch that week, and the next day many happily gathered fo r an informal afternoon t ea.
We are particular ly gra t eful to those who travelled long distances to join us; nine from the Eastern States and Jane Jackson from Oxford, England. Our thanks also go to all at PLC whose cooperation and hospitality made this reun on so spec ial for the Class of 1949. Thanks are also extended to Ethelmary Kenworthy (Cook) Shirley Martin (Cary) and Judith Tweedie (Foreman) for their organisation of the series of eve nts marking our 60 years from PLC!
1979- 30 YEAR REUNION
On a very balmy night on Saturday 14 October 2009, over sixty 'girls' gathered at the Nedlands Golf Club for a cocktail function overlooking spectacular views, following an earlier tour of the PLC campus. A number of OCs had travelled from the country, interstate and overseas and many hours were spent catching up on events of the past thirty years and reminiscing about our schooldays. lt was a wonderful evening and our thanks go to all those involved in organising our special event thirty years on! Special thanks are extended to linda Arnold (Vuletic) and Catherine Devine (Watkins) for their work in planning this milestone.
In
PLC PERTH REUNIONS IN MELBOURNE AND BANGKOK
1959 - 50 YEAR REUNION
On Wednesday 14 October 2009 fifty-seven OCs excitedly gathered outside Carmichael Hall delightedly renewing old friendships. The conversation flowed unabated as we enthusiastically followed Acting Alumni Relations Co-ordinator Julie Rose around the campus, marvelling at the changes wrought in our five-decade absence and with memories of our schooldays reviving during our visit to Archives.
The Boarding House dining room was attractively decked out with tartan cloths and PLC memorabilia, including a PowerPoint presentation of photos taken during and after our schooldays
Head Prefect Nanette Danks (Harvey) sadly acknowledged some classmates who are no longer with us and entertained us with her reflections on our time at PLC. Celebrations continued into the evening and the next day at other venues.
We are all greatly indebted to Davina Whittall (Fauckner) for her tireless efforts in tracking down 'lost' OCs and her invaluable expertise in the computer world. Many hours were spent telephoning, emailing and researching addresses, resulting in a comprehensive record for future reference We are also very appreciative of PLC's role in organising the reunion We particularly thank Julie Rose for her organisational assistance and PLC Archivist Shannon Lovelady for her arch val input.
1984 - 25 YEAR REUNION
At Mosman Park Bowling Club on Saturday 12 September 2009 approximately thirty-five OCs caught up for a memo rable evening of aughter, stories and rem i niscing over a glass of wine and finger food. An enjoyable night was had by all and special thanks are extended to Jane Scanlon and Jane Willis (Cresswell) for organ sing this event.
1955- 55 YEAR REUNION
The Year of 1955 will celebrate it 55th year in 2010 and plans are underway for a reunion to coincide with Founders Day in August. There will also be one or two other functions, but these have yet to be decided upon. For further details please contact Margot Stretch on 08 98 337 520 or 0409 852 033.
Update on All Saints Church: Mystery unsolved, now solved
In the last ed tion of 8lackwatch we published a piece based on anecdotal evidence that View Street's All Saints Church burned down i n 1976. On reading that piece, former Melville Anglican Chu rch par ish oner and PLC past pa rent Ruth Baird (Fiona Baird 1976) ca led to say t hat rather than the City of Melville archives, we shou ld contact the keeper of the Melville Anglican Church parish archives; John Smith -Gander, whose wife, Betty Smith-Gander OAM, was for many years in charge of the parish Sunday School.
John found a paper, 'Forward In His Service: History of the Anglican Parish of Melville' by En id Adams, w h ich states that All Saints Church was moved from View Street to Melvi le and reconstructed on the parish site c1956. In this new location in the Melville Parish, the Al Saints Church building served as the Lesser Hal , providing Sunday School services for up to 250 children each Sunday unt c1998.
John says it was a strange little building ma d e from fibreboard, with a three-quarter-inch cane floor and a ve ry high Federation ceiling. t was renovated severa mes including the addition of a brick but was eventually demolished c2003.
Thanks to Ruth's interest, we were able to confi r m anecdotal information previously provided by our Registrar Rosemary Lukin (1968) and we now know that, rather than having burnt down, for another thirty-three years the building was filled with the sounds of children, as it had been in its life as All Saints Church in View Street.
Grave of Olive 'Dosh' Cusack (Deputy Principal 1941 - 1962)
Further to a love ly story in the last issue of 81ackwatch about Barbara Potter (AIIan 1955) nding the grave of Olive Cusack wh ile exploring land around Tambrey Stat on near Roebourne, Barbara brought to Arch ves some beautiful photos of the graves te [see Accessions Pies 3 and 4].
Mrs Cusack was widowed just pr ior to Chr istmas 1936, the mother of three young children. She subsequently returned from Tambrey St ation to Perth and served PLC as the legen d ary Deputy Principal to Dr Vera Summers (staff from 1920; Principal 1934-1961 )
Mrs Cusack's ashes are bu ried with her husband Thomas, in a viv dly beautiful and isolated location on Tambrey Station, below an inscription bearing the words Thomas Donald Cusack, 18931936. After he had served his own generation by the will of God fell on sleep. Well loved And his beloved wife Dash Cusack, 18951985. His Majesty seeks and loves courageous souls.
A little gem
From the Council Minutes of November 1978: "Sa l inity testing of bore water. A report was pre sented on the level of salt in PLC bores by Mr Brine."
Archive Volunteers
Heartfelt thanks go to our Archive volunteers:
Samantha Hopkins (2011; left Year 10 2009) who devoted many lunch hours in Terms 3 and 4 to help with the Photographic Coll ect ion and to consult old registers for details on 'missing' Old Collegians for reunions. Samantha has now relocated with her family to Scotland and we wish her every success at her new school, Robert Gordon's College in Aberdeen.
Bev Barry (Wilson 1958) who assisted Tracy White in the exhausting assembly of large textile boxes (and lids) and the careful wrapping and packing of several garments within, filling three boxes.
Current parent Tracy White (Caitlin White Year 9 2009) who has also photographed the cover and presentation plate (where available) of every book in the Collection and in doing so has made so me exc iti ng discoveries; among them the much - worn Bible of PLC Founder, Rev George Nisbet Dods and that of his father, John Dods, which was a gift to John from his mother in May 1860 and had long resided in an Archives bookcase decepti ve ly appearing at east 100 years younger. Inside, Mrs Dods has written "Book of Numbers, Chapter 6, verses 24-26" which we d iscovered reads: The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
Tracy has now begun photographing the various trophies in Archives and their inscriptions, as we ll as individual pages from the autog ra ph books in the Co l lection.
Current parent Sandy Tan (Sophie Tan 2007 and Felicity Tan Year 10, 2009), who is comp ling a comp ete set of editions of Kookaburra (1917 - 2009) for the Kookaburra digitisation project begun by Deborah Mackay (1972; current parent Emily Mackay Year 9 2009) in 2008. The method of dig it isation requires removal of the spine from the original, so this is a muc h harder job than it sounds! In the cases where we have only a few rare copies that must be preserved, Sandy has diligently scanned each page for reproduction The next phase of this project is to make these available for view ing o nline. lt should be noted a so that no donated editions of Kookaburra wi ll be used in this project without permission from the donor.
Dr Veronica Davenport (Uren 1959) who has volunteered one morning a fortnight beginning 2010.
Jill Moffatt (Hawkesford 1959) who has volunteered for various research projects and most recently identified almost every face in the 1957 and 1958 Festival Choir photos. She is now searching early Kookaburras for information about staff.
Volunteers are always welcome at Archives and there are many tasks in which to become involved. If you are interested in vo lun teering a couple of hours here and there or on a more regular basis, please cal l Shannon Lovelady on 9424 6476 or email slo ve ady@plc. wa.edu.au.
- Recent Accessions
Patricia 'Pat' Gladstones (Burns 1950)
The reference written for Pat in 1950 by Dr Vera Summers .
Elizabeth Kelly (Weygers 1963)
Issues of PLC News and 8/ackwatch from 1995-2008, which will be used for the upcoming PLC News/ 81ackwatch dig tisation project.
Ruth Baird , past parent (Fiona Baird 1976)
The opportunity to scan six black and white photos from the early 1940s featuring Ruth's sister Ann Erhardt (Miller 1944) and friends. Ruth a so provided further information that contributed to determining the fate o f View Street's All Saints Church (see main article).
Albany Golf Club
Albany Links.· History of The Albany Golf Club by Les Johnson, containing nformation about golfing state champion Jean Anderson (1923)
Sandra Monteath (Giauert 1957)
Th e opportunity to scan photos of Joan Jaggard (Giauert 1925) with her brother Valdemar Glauert who later married Peggy Glauert (Boas 1931) and their sisters Ursula and Barbara Glauert (non PLC) c1922 [see Pie 1]; and a photo taken opposite the Alb on Hotel in Cottesloe of a group of PLC g i rls c1951.
Above: The grave of Olive Cusack (Dash; Deputy Principal 1941 - 1962) at Tambrey Station near Roebourne WA.
Above: Cusack grave inscriptions.
L-R : Joan Jaggard (Giauert 1925), Joan's brother Valdemar Glauert who later marr ed Peggy Boas ( 19 3 1), and th eir s st ers Ursula and Barbara Glauert (non PLC )
News from Archives
Joan Fox (Menzies 1942)
Copies of a letter written to Joan by Dr Vera Summers in 1978, in cluding a discussion of coeducation that provides a wonderful glimpse into the timeless philosophy of Dr Summers I am not entirely opposed to it but I think that in the early stages of adolescence, separate education is better. Girls get the boy craze a good deal sooner than boys get the girl craze, and for two, or perhaps three years, teaching them together is rather like harnessing a horse and a donkey together.
Meg Parker (Pearson 1948)
Black and white photo of the 1941 2nd Cottesloe Brownie Pack. A toadstool, proudly made by Brownies a decade earlier, is ev id ent in the background.
Sylvia Brandenburg (Leeke 1951)
Photo of the Cla ss of 1951 Reunion attendees taken on the steps of Carmichael Hall 2006; copy of the speech g ven by the Hon June Craig, AM (Lynn 1947) at PLC Speech Night 197 4; photo of PLC Year 9 rowers at 2009 IGSSA Head of the River Regatta at Champion Lakes.
Tracy White Archives volunteer and current parent (Caitlin White Year 9, 2009) The opportunity to copy a DVD containing v deos and photo s of the 2006 Year 6 Class and a class photo of the p rogressive year leve ls from Year 1 in 2001 to Year 6 in 2006.
John Bremner (1960; left PLC Kindergarten 1948)
Prof Bremner's three PLC Kindergarten repo rts w ritt en in 1948 by Miss (now Dr) Audrey Little (1933; staff 1948-1953)
David Yates
Items from his Aunt Joan Yates (1936) ncludin g a 1935 prefect tiepin; a 1930 PLC hat badge; and a book entitled Book of Common Prayer dated December 19 30, used when Joan attended Sunday School at All Saints Sunday School, View Street , Cottesloe Pressed and dried within ts pages is a cross, de icately formed from a ong piece of grass.
Margaret Leggott (Shepherd 1959)
Two rep rinted photos of Margaret in summe r u niform while a studen t at Junior Branc h 1953; a group shot of 1959 Leavers taken on a 1956 picnic; the opportunity to copy Margaret's reports from 1949-1957 and a 1952 fee schedule.
Barbara Potter (AIIan 1955)
Five colour photograp hs of the grave on Tambrey Station near Roebourn e WA, of Olive 'Dash' Cusack (Deputy Principal 19411962) [see Pies 3 and 4).
Samantha Hopkins (2011; left Year 10 2009), Archives volunteer
Her Year 10 personal project The P1ping Herald about bagp pes (the missing link between no ise and music).
Robin Kirin (Oidham 1971)
Jonathan Glauert (1961; left PLC Kindergarten 1949)
Th e opportunity to scan Jonathan's PLC Kindergarten reports from 1947 to1949.
Daphne Archer (Angus 1949)
A d iary transcript and the opportunity to scan eight photos taken of a cont in gen t of PLC girls from yea rs 1947 to 1949 on a Young Australia League (YAL) Tour to the eastern states from 3 to 30 January 1949.
Stephanie Neille , Arc hi vist at St Mary 's Anglican School for Girls 1923 PLC prospectus.
The opportunity to borrow and digitise twelve oral history tapes of Robin's father Richard 'Dick' Oldham (1931 ; left PLC Kindergarten 1921) re corded by John Bannister in 2006 for the Claremont, Cottesloe, Mosman Park & Peppermint Grove O ral History Project (Dick talks candidly about his family and his years at PLC Kindergarten); the opportunity to scan an original photo of Dick w ith his older siblings; a copy of prose writt en by Dick after WWII; speech notes and the orde r of service for Dick's f uneral see Ob it uaries th is issue].
Kirstin Prendiville (Smith 1978)
The opportunity to scan three images from t he mid-1940s of Kirstin's mother Margaret Smith (Bourne 1947) [see Obituarie s this ssue] and to borrow and photograph Margaret's 1940s autograph book featuring the autographs of many PLC g i rls.
ss Frances Duma resq (Acting Principal 1921 )
Pat Mannolini (Gribble 1951)
A 2005 co o ur photo of Pat's uncle John Barrett (1930 ; left PLC Kindergarten 1921 ) On 4 November 2009, Pat kindly brought John al the way from his home i n Hovea to PLC for afternoon tea with Archiv s Shannon Love ady and Pri nc pal Beth Blackwood [see Pie 5]. He remembers very well Agnes Scorgie (Principal 19161921) and hi s days at the PLC Kinde rgarten.
Jenny W illiam s (Jeffrey 1959)
Six scanned ima ges of Jenny dat ng from her first day at PLC n 1949; three scanned images of soc a gatherings of Jenny and frien ds from 1959 fe atu rin g Helen Evans (Ambrose) Helen Malloc h (B oys) , Val Gorey (Weir) Jenny Fraser (Roberts), Marion La ffer (Jones) and Sue Thomas (Milner)
Nanette Danks (Harvey 1959)
The opportun ty to borrow a nd photograph relevant pages from the 1930s autog raph book of Nanette's mothe r June Harvey (East 1934) ; an original photo and enlarged reprint of Dr Vera Summers taken by June in 1932 a photo of June with three fr iends at PLC c1933; programmes fo r the performances of Sixteen f or the PLC OCA (1936) and Pleiades Club (1948); programme f or The Romantic Age by A A M il ne (1937) and a detailed newspape r art cle about the perf ormance Nanette's 1948 PLC hat badge and 1950s Ferguson House badge; 1959 prefect blazer pocket and head prefect tiepin; seven p hotos from Nanette's d ays at PLC in the 1950s; male and female 1959 prefect dance cards (the male card sti l w th pencil attached); a 1959 letter from Violet Major (staff 1940-1 969) to Nanette thanking her and the rest o the Leavers for a del ightful 31
pre- holiday picn c; a 1965 newspaper art icle on the appo i ntment of Anne Symington (PLC se ni or resident mistress 1953-1964) as new Headm stress of St Mary' s Anglican Schoo for Gi rls; the opportun ity t o copy relevant photos from Nanette's a bum wh ch she brought t o Perth for the 50 year Reunion of the C ass of 1959 in October 2009.
Davina Wh ittall (Fauckner 1959)
The Bush/an d Plants of Kings Park, Weste rn Austra lia ( 1988) by Dr Eleanor M Bennett ( Sc rym geou r 1959 ) i l ustrat ed by Patricia Dundas (Ford 1969 ).
Jennifer Cook (Ledger 1950)
Th e prefect badge of Jenn ifer's m other Jean Ledge r ( Duncan 1924) ; sca n ned and pr inted copy of Jean ' s 1924 Leaving Cert ifi cate; photos of Jea n's Dux of 1924 go ld m eda l; Jennifer's hat badge, hatband a nd b aze r po cket; seven sca nn ed , printed and named photos of Jenn fer and her friends at PLC n 1948; the PLC sk irt and hatband of Jennifer's daughter Vanessa Pug h (Cook 1979)
1924 prefect
Above: 1941 Brownies
L- R: Margaret Smith (Rowsell 1949), unknown, unknown, Shirley Wallman (Morrison 1948), Brown Owl Gu ide Capta i n Kathleen Baird (1932), Jean George (Ciairs 1947), unknown, unknown, Meg Parker (Pearson 1948).
Above: John Barrett (1930 left PLC Kinde rgarten 1921) duri ng h s v si to Archives in November 2009, w it h My First Book o Birds p resented to him in 1921 for proficiency by M
The
badge of Jean Ledger Duncan 1924).
NEWS OF OlD COllEGIANS
Sara A lampi Sottin (Meszaros 1984)
Afte r completing her university studies, Sara moved to Sydney and a career in publishing. She subsequently moved to Europe where she met her husband, Giacomo, in Flo rence and spent ten years w orking as art director of seve ral top women s fashion magazines based i n Prague and Milan, befo re returning to Perth in 2005. Sara has two young ch i ldren and is currently ful -time at home.
Jane Andrews (Rossi 1979)
Jane married in 1988 and worked as a primary school relief teac her u nt the birth of her fourth child five years ago. Her children range in age up to 20 years
Michelle Bade (Evans 1979)
M ichel e completed a visual arts dip oma and has spent a fabulous few years explor ng many forms of art, producing bodies of work in pai nting, pr ntmaking and phot og raphy She has also been a who lesa ler of pearls from the waters of ndonesia, Tahiti and th e South Sea.
Amanda 'Mandy' Bamford (Silberstein 1979)
With her hu sband Mi ke, Mandy runs a b o og ica l consulting business and her spec al interest lies n wet lan ds and env i ronmental educat on. She has two sons.
Janis 'Jan' Barclay (Drummond 1949)
S n ce reti rin g Jan has bee n fishing, fishing, f ishing, an d div ides her angl ng activities between home in Rock i ngham, up north and down south, depending on the season In b etween she does good deeds' looking after 'o d people', but says now th at she is 'old peop e' it s hard to tel who is look ng after whom! Jan's sister is Caroline 'Twinkle' Pummer (Drummond 1947) and her mother Enid Drummond (lrgens 1923, deceased) also attended PLC.
Danielle Barrass (Benda 1984)
Danielle's career as a journalist began in 1989 at The West Australian and for eight years she has been an ABC Local producer and occasional presenter, along with freelance features writing. In June 2009 she became editor of Scoop magazine. Her daughter s Ally Barrass (PLC Year 10 2009)
Juanita ' Nita Barrett (Norris 1959)
Nita completed mothercraft training at Ngala and in 1960 commenced general nursing at Fremantle Hospital, fo lowed by midwifery at King Edward Memor al Hospital. She has spent the last thirty yea rs in Albany after livin g and working in Onslo w and Kojonup She says that shar ng the ives of her two children and a number of grandchildren keep h er very busy.
Joanne 'Jo' Barrett-Lennard (2000)
Liv ng in Perth with her daughter Grace (3), Jo has ju st launched a personal style and image consulting busi ness 'E legance and Grace'.
Claire Barton (Whitaker 1979)
After working in chemical research in Europe, Cla i re returned to Pert h in 1997, then in 2001 moved to Bun bu ry to work in alumina processing research. In 2005 she married John and in 2006 bou g ht a business that suppl es uniforms to loca l b u s ness, sporting groups and clubs. She co n i nues her inte rest in f ne arts and mus c and in 2008 ass isted the forma tio n of Bun bu ry's rst, and now very busy, permanen orchestra, the South West Philharmonic.
Susan Bremner (C rawley 1959)
After she married, Susan l ived in Boston , USA, where her first son was born. She subsequently l ved i n Hoba rt, Edinbu rgh and Pennsylvan ia and worked as a cytotechnologist (ce screening). Susan retired in 2006 and currently ives in NSW, whe re she has taken up croquet, Probus, and attends the Un ve rsity of the Th i rd Age. She makes regular trips to her birthp ace, Dunedin in New Zea la nd, to Perth, and to Tasmani a to see her boys and seven grandchildren aged 3- 18 years
Christine 'Chris Brookes (1979)
Chris completed nurs ng at PMH and midwifery training i n h e UK, where she s currently a fertility specialist nurse in Che sea , London. Previous ly she worked at Hollywood Pr vate Hospita in Pe rth and ha s worked in Me bourne, Canada and several IVF clinics n th e UK Whenever poss ibl e, she returns to WA to visit family and recently attended her 30 -year reunion.
Jodie Busby ( Buzza 1983 )
Jodie has two beautiful boys, Benjamin 'Benji Busby (2007) aged seven and Lach lan ' Lachy' Busby (Pre-Prima ry 2009) aged f ive. She cont nues to end her voice to TV and radio commerc ial s a nd radio plays. Jodie w return to the stage next year n a play with the B ack Sw a n Sta te Theatre Company and Queenslan d Theatre Compan y
Vicki Cart er ( EIIison 1979)
Vicki is curren t y a sen io r physiotherapist at Sir Charles Ga rdner Hospital. She is married to Cliff and ha s two daughte rs Sarah Carter ( 2008 ) and Sophie Carter ( PLC Year 11, 2009) .
Jillian 'Jill' Cassidy (Craig 1969)
Jill has wo rked part-time as a teacher assistant at Churchlands Prima ry School for the past twenty years She a lso works with her husba nd in the ir sai l-mak ng business and t hey have trave lled to Europe severa l t i mes wi th sailing ships. Jil ha s three dau ghters and is looking forwa rd to becoming a grandpare nt. She en oys golf in her spare time
Dianne Ceray (Mills 1959)
Dianne has been reti red for f ve years and is immers i ng herself in textile art, inc uding spinn i ng, weavi n g, felt ng a nd mixed media.
Ai Kin Choo (1979)
Ai Kin d d a BAppSc in physiotherapy at Curtin Un ve rsity and worked in Port Hedla nd, Melbourne and the UK befo re basing herself in th e USA, where she s a home hea lth physiotherapist who sees cl ients in the r own homes unti well enough to visit an outpat ient clinic. A Kin ives with her husband n Vancouver, Washington, a city on the north bank of the Co umb a River directly across from Portland , Oregon.
Nancy Ciampini (Angel 1959; left 1955)
Nancy married in 1961 and subseq uen tly worked n an administrative ro le wit h the WA Police unt il her retiremen t in 1998. In the nine years to 2007 sh e worked as a volunteer in the day procedure unit at St John of God Hosp ital in Murdoch and has also vo un teered with the Stay on Your Feet prog ra mm e. She has a son a nd two daughters.
Prisc illa Cla rke (Gibson 1949)
Now retired an d living with her hu sb and in Mt He ena, Pri scil a is an active suppo rter of ca rdi ac patients, taking ca ll s for Health Heart Suppo rt and regu arly v sit ng postsurgery card iac patients in hosp ta l Sh e is also act ve w ith the Red Cross, ma k ng daily calls to peop le li vin g alone. Pr scilla says she p lays br dge tw ce a month and enjoys garden ing, cooking, pa ntin g , needlewo rk and car ng for her husban d and grandc h il dre n
Ann Coo k ( Maitland 1959 )
Ann has worked in var ous sc hoo s n NSW, includ n g twenty years at Knox Gra mma r Sc h oo Wahroonga , as head of counse lli ng and resources, fo ll owed by five years as school psycholog ist at McDonald
Perf o rm i ng A rts Co llege She is cur rently at Quee nwood School for Gir ls i n Mosma n.
An n has ived in Canada and Tha i and and regularly tra vels to Asia and Ame rica t o visit her ch ld ren
Sh a ryn Coo k (Bradshaw 1979 )
Sh aryn and her husband Pau have t hree children and live on a crop and sh eep farm in Ku in. Sharyn a so works part -time as a nurse at Lake Grace Hosp ita l.
Christine Cowcher (G ilbert 1984)
Chr istine bega n h er teaching ca ree r n Pingel ly, then married Warren and moved to a fa rm i n Quindanning. They have three daughters and Christ i ne cur rently teac h es in early ch il d h ood and music at W lli ams Primary School.
Ju lia Cusw o rth (Morr ison 1984)
Ju lia ives n the wheatbelt town of Narembeen and has one son, born i n 2004. She s current y teaching part-time and n 2009 t h s nclu ded relief teach ng i n h er son's class.
Helen D 'A ito n (Wa ker 1959: left 19 5 8) Until her ma rr age in 196 5, Helen wo rked i n a lega off ice and fixed trust company. Wh il e her two chi ldren were g row ng u p, she ass st ed both her f ath er a nd hu sband in an export ng business and architectural practice respectively, fol lowed b y t i me as an acco u nts sup erv sor. She ret red in 2005 and now spends her tim e w ith babys tt ing , bow s and br dge, Probus, and travell ng w th h er h usband whenever poss i ble She has two ch ld r en and two (soon to be three) grandchil d ren. Helen's daughter s Eli ssa Everi ng ha m ( D ' Aiton 1987 )
Nanet te Da nks (Harvey 1959)
Nanette stud ied zoolog y at UWA, subseq u ent ly t aught anatomy at Th e Un ve rs t y o f NSW, then managed nursi ng homes and a retirement vi lage f o r the fami y bus ness. Her interests have ncluded voluntee ring for Amnesty Internat ona l Rid n g f or the Disabled and at a cent re for asylum seekers Now retired , Nanette and arch itect husband Geoffrey en o y a cottage in the B ue M oun tains. They have two sons and Nanett e says that the added j oy of grandch d ren knows no bounds
Year 12 Perspectives at Art Gallery of WA
Each November a panel of judges select from the work of Year 12 TEE Art and Art & Design students from across WA, the entries for display in the annual 'Year 12 Perspectives' exhibition· at the Art Gallery of WA. This year the work of PLC's 2008 Year 12 TEE Art students Sharnie Sammut and Jill Shrapnel was featured and their entries can be viewed at the 2008 online exhibition at www.artgallery.wa.gov.au
Additionally, another PLC 2008 Year 12 TEE Art student, Holly O ' Meehan , had her visual diary requested for exhibition as an exemplary example.
Year 12 Perspectives is a celebration of the creativity and talent of the next generation of artists and is a unique opportunity to see the world through their eyes. lt has grown to become one of the gallery's most popular exhibitions and to be included is highly prestig iOLIS.
We congratulate Sharnie, Jill and Holly on their fine achievement.
Patricia Pat ' Dundas (Ford 1969)
A renowned botanical artist, Pat provided the illustrations for the book The Bush/and Plants of Kings Park, Western Australia (c1988) by Eleanor Bennett (Scrymgeour 1959) Subsequently, she spent seventeen years working on over 200 colour illustrations for the book Orchids of Western Australia (A Brown et al. 2008; UWA Publishing), the first modern text cataloguing all the known orchid species of WA.
For the past five years Pat has been one of the seven-member Botanical Artists Group of Western Australia (BAG), which has at least one major exhibition each year, more recently at Kingfisher Gallery, West Perth; a recent book Brush with Gondwana (J Goading. 2008; Fremantle Press) features illustrations by Pat and other artists in the group.
Pat says that following her 'tree-change' to Pemberton, she enjoys a slower pace of life including keeping a permaculture garden and marron farm, and bird watching in the adjacent forest. Examples of Pat's beautiful art work can be viewed by visiting the website she maintains www.botanicagallery.com.au
Veronica Davenport (Uren 1959)
Veronica taught in schools in Perth and country WA and in 1972 was a foundation staff member at Churchlands College of Advanced Education. She was awarded a PhD from UWA in 1985 and in 1994 won a National Excellence in Teaching Award (NEiTA) at state level, followed by a nationa award. In later years she taught at Edith Cowan, Murdoch and Curtin. Veronica retired in 2005 to care for her partner, now recent y deceased, and continues to live in the home they shared in a retirement village.
Elizabeth 'Liz' Ferguson (Black 1959)
Liz enjoys craft, staying in contact with friends, and attending her local church and associated home groups. She says she has three wonderful grandchildren.
Rose Fisher (2007)
Rose is currently studying for a degree in design from Whitehouse Institute of Design, Melbourne.
Emma-Jane Foulkes-Taylor (Walker 1984)
Emma-Jane and husband Rossco live and work on Yuin Station i n the Murchison running Dorper sheep and doing contract work in the district. They have three children, including Frances 'Fran' FoulkesTaylor (2009)
Athena Fraser (Burton 1979)
A f ter living in Sydney for eight years, in 2001 Athena returned to Perth where she is national property manage r fo r a company that is pa rt of Job Serv ces Australia, a nationa network of o rganisations dedicated to helping job seekers find and sustain employment. She is married and has a son (9) and a daughter (7)
Jenny Fraser (Roberts 1959)
Jenny spent almost thirty years living at Gifford Creek and Minnie Creek Mangaroon stations in the Gascoyne, and says this was a great place to raise a family. A short stint as a publican in Dandaragan followed and she now lives in Wagin. She has two children, including a daughter Ashley Mottershead (Fraser 1981) and ve grandchildren aged 3- 20 years, including granddaughter Rachel Mottershead (Year 11, 2009) Jenny describes herself as "a professional pleasure seeker" who very much enjoys travelling to Paris.
Helen Frazer (1984)
He en did medicine at UWA then moved to Sydney where she trained in radiology at The Prince of Wales and St George hospitals. In 1992 she married Greg, and twins Tom and Eloise Sutherland (left Year 2, 2008) were born in 2000. They moved to the USA in 2002, then Melbourne in 2005 and Perth in 2007 before returning to Me l bourne where Helen is now deputy director of BreastScreen at St Vincent's Hospital.
Lorraine Gargett (Bulloch 1959)
Lorra ne has recently retired after twenty-one years as electorate officer to a local member of state parliament. She is now enjoying her seven grandchildren, travelling, and doing volunteer conservation work.
Melissa Gillett (1984)
Melissa graduated from UWA with a psychology degree and graduate diploma in education, initially working as a school psychologist. She is currently deputy principal at Balga Senior High School and finds it most rewarding to work with a student populat on that includes many in Austral ia on humanita r ian grounds, with no p r ior schooling. In 2008 Melissa became the proud mother of a baby daughter.
Meredyth Greay (Goldby 1969)
Meredyth worked as a den t al nurse for twenty years then started her own wholesa le company supplying headwear to pharmacies across WA. before moving on to supplying businesses, schools and souvenir shops with logo merchandise. She sold the business four years ago and has returned to dentistry, temping as a receptionist. She has been married to Lindsay for thirty-six years and they have three children.
Vicki Gregory (Nix 1969)
V icki teaches at Currambine Primary School and says she is passionate about her job. She is mother to two children and grandmother to two, with a third on the way. She says she enjoys caravanning and overseas travel and is a big Eagles fan.
Robin Groom (Kent 1959 : staff 19671968)
Robin graduated from Claremont Teachers College then taught at a number of schools, including Year 1 at PLC. With her husband she established and operated a wholesale plant nursery for the fifteen years to 2006. They have two sons and since her ret i rement in 2007 has enjoyed spending time with the family, whilst rediscovering her love of art, music and crafts, including felting, sewing and scrapbooking; she also finds time for line dancing and travel.
Marga r et Hall (Forres t er 1969)
Margaret is about to retire after farming since 1978 and has been involved in a move into tree crops including pines, sandalwood, brushwood and mallee. She says that she may not be the best bowler but has discovered that she's a pretty good administrator!' She has two daughters, Jai me Southam (Hall 1997) and Susan Hall (1999)
Gwen eth (Patricia) 'Tricia Hamilton (Bond 1949 )
A foundation member of the West Coast Ladies Probus Club, Tricia held office as their president and bulletin editor and now attends the club at City Beach, where she lives with husband of 52 years, Dawson. The couple enjoy extensive caravanning trips throughout Australia and being 'pleasurably involved' with two grandchildren. In the 1990s Tricia 'took to the computer' and is enjoying tracing her family history. Tricia's mother Melva Bond (Eddy) and aunt Mavis McRae (Eddy) attended Ormiston College in the early 1900s.
Dawn Hay (Bardwell 1959)
Dawn is a life member of both the Claremont Tennis Club and the Tennis Umpires Association, with thirty years on record. She has attended twentye ght Australian Open competitions and is heading for her twenty-ninth in 2010. Last season, her team won the over- 55s pennant. Dawn has five sons, of whom one is deceased, and an expanding number of grandchildren.
Ka ren Hay (Diii-Macky 1979)
Karen is a chartered accountant with overseas experience and is currently a partner at Ernst & Young Perth, specialising in indirect taxes for the oil and gas, property, mining, and financial services industries. She is married with two very active sons.
Ja ne Higgins (Millard 1984)
Jane studied teaching and business before joining the WA Police in 1992, working since in frontline policing, forensics and strategic human resources. In 2009, at the rank of senior sergeant, she became responsible for the delivery of fingerprint services across WA, managing thirty-five officers and staff. Jane is also a member of a strategic committee addressing issues faced by women in policing, including retention, development and promotion to senior ranks. She is married t o Scott and is the mother of three boys aged 6 - 9 years.
Fern Hinchcliffe (Higgins 1959)
Since the death of husband Barry, Fern continues to manage the macadamia farm they established over twenty-five years while living in Canberra. She now lives on the mid - north coast of NSW, enveloped by tall eucalypts overlooking the Pacific and being regularly visited by the local native fauna. She enjoys playing bridge and visits her mother Hazel Higgins (Day 1935) almost da i ly; visits to her son in Sydney and daughter and fami y in Hawaii are made as often as possible.
Annette Hong ( 1996)
After moving to Melbourne for her undergraduate and post-graduate degrees, Annette qualified as a CPA and now works for a motorbike importer and wholesale d stributor. This has led to a motorbike licence and a discovered love o f rid ng.
Annette says she would ride in prefe rence to driving a car any day. Annette and husband John married at Melbourne Zoo in October 2007 and she retains her maiden name.
Kathryn Howell (Day 1959)
Kathryn f nished school at MLC in Melbourne and went on to RMIT. She was Registrar at Lauriston Girls School and Registrar/Director of Admissions at Melbourne Grammar School, retiring at the end of 2007. Currently she is the vice-president of the Me bourne Grammar Retired Staff Association and attends the University of The Thi rd Age, where she helps organise over ninety classes.
She enjoys gardening, classical music, cooking and supporting the Brisbane Lions.
She s married to John and has three sons and five g randch i ldren.
Fleur Hyland (EIIiot 1969)
Fleur has worked as an ambulance officer, a security emergency response officer in mining, and a driver of large dump trucks in Kalgoorlie, Fitzroy Crossing and Pinjarra, but spent the past six years self- employed as a masseuse. Now semi - retired, Fleur enjoys the simple life, beachcombing 'up north' and trying not to find work. Her hobbies include creating jewellery from nature, sewing and boating.
Leanne lkin (Hatton 1979)
Leanne started her teaching career in Darkan then Kojonup, travelled Europe in 1987, taught at St Mary's Anglican Girls School in Perth for eight years then worked as an education consultant at a computing company. Now, after ten years of relief and part-time teaching she has returned to fulltime teaching. Leanne is married to Steve and has one daughter Alannah I kin (left Pre-Primary 2003) who a l ready considers herself an Old Collegian!
Cynthia 'Cyndie' lnnes (Huelin 1959) After occupational therapy training, Cyndie spent a year in India, switched to medicine, married, had two sons, and worked in Derby with the RFDS. She later moved to Perth to run a family practice in Swanbourne and remarried. She now has four grandsons and works part -time as a GP. L fe high ights include travelling Pakistan's northwest frontier to follow the Silk Road to Chi na, learning Balkan dancing in Bulgaria and exp oring Istanbul. Cyndie continues to dance, p ay guitar and look for someone to publ sh her fantasy novel.
Valda loane (Siocombe 1959) In 1977 Valda went to Western Samoa to marry and became the rst foreign representative appointed by the Australian Development Assistance Bureau to the Austral ian Executive Serv ice Overseas Program (AESOP). She was instrumental in forming a disaster relief planning committee that culminated in an act of par l iament relating to disaster management. In 1989 she settled in Darw n, working for the Northern Territory University and the state government. Just as retirement was imminent, Valda started her own business as sole contractor to photograph winning horses at NT turf clubs. Four years later she is wo r king long hours and thorough y enjoying every minute.
Jane Jackson (1949: left 1945) For many years Jane was Director of Public Health in London's East End, living on the Isle of Dogs. She retired to old haunts in Oxford intending to catch up on research in social/medica anthropology, but presently finds herself enjoying travel, scu l pture, art, music, opera, walking, gardening, spending time with friends, and trying to p lay the double bass!
Heather Janssen (Butler 1969)
Heather marri ed in Germany and in 1971 the couple moved to Perth w h ere Heather j o ined Tran s A ust ral an A rlines (TAA) , init ally as the first fem ale load controller in Austra lia, for a ca reer in th e travel nd ustry that spanned thirty-five years. She has a daughter and son.
Megan Jefferies (Waiters 1979)
Megan d d nursing in Perth and fi ne arts in the USA, returning to Perth in 1987 to marry Phi I, then spent a number of years t ravelling the wor ld with h is w ork. They ha ve four sons and are now settled in Perth.
Carolyn Jones (Spackman 1979)
Ca ro lyn works in adm in istration for Rio Tinto Iron Ore and has now spent a most four yea rs in Karratha Sh e ha s a son and daughter and is the p roud grandmother of o n e.
Margaret Johnson (Dare 1959)
After a st nt w ith the Taxation Department in Pe rt h, Margaret ma rried and moved to A lbany Some years later the family ret urned to Pe rth, where sh e now lives She has a so n an d a daughter, and w th her hu sband has travelled extens ive ly ove rseas.
Esmae Johnston (Gartrell 1969)
After a ong career in nursing, Esmae is no w sem i-reti red. She is mar ri ed and has t wo b oys.
Samantha Sam' Kampf (Legge 1984)
Six yea rs ago, Sam relocated to Pert h from 'down so uth and has returned to sing ng full-t im e in a Perth-based rock band. She has two children aged 3 and 5 years respecti vely.
Jocelyn Kardash (Read 1949)
Jocelyn says her continu in g interest is 'the g reater understan d ing of ife and ving through a closer rela t ionship with God and peop e'. Her main pass on and purpose is fe lows h ip, Bib le study, co nferen ces and fortnightly gatherings in h er home, peppered wit h some painting, woodcarving , travel and 'the m atrix of a wa rm, extended fam ily'
Ethelmary Kenworthy (Cook 1949: staff 1977-1992)
After s xteen years teaching in the PLC Junior Sc h ool, ret ireme nt has brought with it the opportun ity for Eth elmary to follow h er many in terests includ ing morris da n ci n g, cross -stitch, her loca Ang li can church and travelling the length and breadth of Austral a in their campertrai ler with husband Nei l. Ethelmary has f ive ch i ldren, includ i ng daughters Jennifer Jay (Kenworthy 1979) and Alison Kenworthy (1980) an d seven grandchildren.
Jane Kingsnorth (Ferguson 1969: staff)
Af ter completing stud ies in ed ucation, Jane taught at PLC, but left to assist her husband w it h their mining i ndustry consulti ng business. The flexib lity of working from home allows Jane time for golf, tennis and bridge, as wel l as car ing fo r her mother Jane reports that she has one son w ith no grandchi ldren in sight!
Marisa Klerk (Forte 1979)
For the past twenty-one years, Marisa has been a fl i ght attendant i n international bu s ness and first class and rec entl y reloca ted to Perth after iving in Sydney for twenty-five years.
Marilyn Laffer (Jones 1959: left 1958)
Mari yn met h er husba nd Bruce when they both worked at UWA. In 1974, they moved to Tasmania where Marilyn worked in a co ll ege l ibrary for seventeen years before retirin g. Ea rl y in 2009 they embarked on an eigh t -week sea voya ge from Sydney to Sout h ampton and ra nk this as one of h e most fantast ic th ngs they have ever ex p eri en ced Whilst i n En g land , Mari yn fu fi ll ed a ife ong a m bitio n by visiting the Siss in ghu rst Castle Garden and returned with many ideas to p ut into pract ice! She has three ch ildre n a nd a grandson.
Verona 'Tibby' Lea (Baron-Hay 1949)
Liv in g in Melbourne, Tibby leads a very full ife as Pa storal Care Coordinator at her loca church and mento r to a child at the local primary school under the World Vision Kid' s Hope program, but sh e manag es to include low imp act aerobics, da i ly walks with a newly acqu ired d og, and enjoyable outings to the ba l let and opera. She says that grandmoth erly outings with her eight grandchi ldren are a de light.
Carol Leaver (Taggart 1969)
Carol manages shopping centres for superannuation synd cat ons and intends to retire in two yea rs She spends time rave llin g with Judy Rew (Wood 1969) and th eir respect ive husba nds, both cara vanni ng and overseas. Carol has two children and three grandc hildren aged 5-10 years.
Margaret Leggott (Shepherd 1959)
Having ret ired from tea ching , Margaret and her husband moved to a seaside house near Margaret Ri ver n 2002 w h ere she cont nued part-time work for th ree years. More recently, babys itting f or daug hter Mandy Sinclair (Linton 1986) membershi p of several clubs, trave llin g, and pursu ing her interest in quilting , sc rapbook ing, gardening and photog ra phy have kept her busy Margaret says that with six grandch ld ren and severa voluntee r jobs, ife is n ever du ll
Jenny Leyte (Seet 1979)
Since graduat ng in 1983, Jenny has worked as a dietician in clinica l and community dietetics and private practice. Curren y she s a commun ty diet ic an with the Pee , Rockingh am - Kw i nana Hea lt h Service. She has bee n married for twenty-eight years and ha s a son (9). Her le su re act vities i nclude gym, scrapbook ing and enjoying the beac h ifestyle i n Secret Harbour.
Patricia 'Patsy' Littlejohn (Sioane 1949)
After retir i ng from lectu ring at RMIT University in 1994, Patsy completed a ma ster s degree in ed ucation at The Un iversity of Mel bo ur ne. From 1999 to 2005 she was a membe r o f the Melbourne welfare agency Ca mcare, servi ng on thei r board of governa nce, and was co-a uthor of a book launched in 2006 recording the fir st thirty years of Camcare Her current interests includ e theat re, quilt making and h er grandchi ldren. Pa tsy 's sister is Brenda Mazzucchelli (Sioane 1957)
Freda Livingston (Bunce 1949)
Until recently Freda was a voluntee r with K ng s Park Gu ides givi ng t we ve years of se rvice and continues volun t eering w ith the u niversity bran ch of Save the Children 's Fu nd and th e UWA V sitors Centre She says that she ve ry much enjoys her six grandch i dren all under the age o f seven years. Freda's two daug ht ers, Janet Livingston (1981) and Margie McAuliffe (Livingston 1985), and her siste r Lesley van Stavere n (Bunce 1945) all attended PLC
Shirley Martin (Cary 1949)
Shirley says sh e f il ls he r time with bridge, bowling and babysitt i ng
Kath ryn Mathwin (Miles 1984)
Afte r te n years farm ng in Kojonup , n 2007 Kathry n and her family relocated to Perth w here she is currently n practice as a paediatr c occ upa tional therap ist, worki ng with children w ith learn ing d ifficulti es.
Kim Mahood (1969)
Kim s a writer and art ist and travels an nua ly from her home in NSW to the Kimberley/ Tanam reg on o f WA, where she works with Indigenous people making maps.
Helen Malloch (Boys 1959)
A ter lea vi ng Channel 7 n 2000 He en has been work i ng w ith he r husba nd in t he r rea l estate bus ness. She sa ys that she has also been spe nding much of her time going back and fo rth to the PLC Boa rd ng Ho use, appear ng to spend more me at PLC now than when she or her daughters atte n ded I
Carolyn Mart in (Hoare 1969)
In 1985 Ca ro yn became a stipe nd ary mag st rate and in 1996 a judge o t h e Fam ly Court of Western Austra lia; the first woman to be appo nted to these pos ti ons in WA. Caro lyn enjoys tra vel l ng when the opport uni ty ar ses.
Mary Martin ( Forbes 1959)
In the ea rly 198 0s M ary wa s awarded a d iploma o f mus ic teachi ng afte r four years study at WAAPA. For the past fifteen years she ha s lived i n Narrogin whe re she teaches piano, conducts a choir and is invo ved in a range of other music activ ties.
Delys MacNeill (Mullings 1959)
In 2006, De lys retired after th irty-four years of teac hi ng n p rimary schoo ls and coaching sports l ke hoc key, bas ketball, sw mm in g and gol She is vice -captain of her ocal golf club and her cu rrent passion s encouraging women to get out and pla y, with mandatory soc ial sessions in the clubho use afterwards! De ys has two ch il dre n and four grandchi ldr en.
Shirley McDonald (Webb 1949 )
S nce retiring , Shirley has enjoyed tra velling and spending t ime w ith her gran dchi d ren and also has bee n very invo ved with th e National Trust , particula rl y as a gu de at Tranby House, Maylands. Shir ley's siste r is Dorothy Thomson (Webb 1952)
Kimberley McDougall (2004 ) Since rec ei ving a trainees h ip i n 2005 , Kimberley has bee n work ng at Chan nel Seven in Perth.
Janice 'Jan McNess (EIIis 1958: left 1956)
After leaving WA Jan completely lost touch with PLC and for the past thirty years has lived in Victoria. About two years ago she noticed an article in her local Geelong paper accompanied by a photograph of Barbara Baird (1957) , who she immediately recognised. She set about tracking down Barbara and eventually they met, spending a lovely i me reminiscing about their PLC days. Subsequently, and to Jan's delight, regular deliveries of Blackwatch began arriving. Jan says that her time at PLC had a profound effect on her, particular ly one teacher, Mrs Cusack ('Mrs Cue : staff 1941 - 1962) , who encouraged Jan's love of language and writing, neither rea lising to what extent th s would later take ight.
After receiving an nvitation to the Old Collegians' Reun ion he d in Melbourne in August 2009, Jan wrote to Principal Beth Blackwood with the donation of three of her published books to the PLC library. The first is Smocking With Colour: Using Jigsaw Method of Smocking Design (Aird Books 1991) and the second, Smocking With A Difference: 16 Refreshingly Different, New And Stylish Jigsaw Smocking Designs (Aird Books 1994). Jan says that these books introduced a distinctly Australian slant on the very old craft of smocking -a direction
He en McFarlane (Pugh 1969)
Helen stud ied pr mary teaching , m arr ied Andrew in 198 1 and moved to a fa rm n KoJonup. This was rece ntly sold , hera di ng a move to Bord en near the St irlin g Ranges. Helen has four child ren now aged 19- 2 5 years; her two da ughters are Emily McFar ane (2000) a nd Meghan McFarlane ( 2004).
Chaise McHenry (Eaton) 1984
Cha ise spe nt two years t rave lin g nternationa y before becoming a f li g ht atte nd ant at Qa ntas She was f o rced t o retire for hea t h reaso ns at the ripe old age of 24 years , t h en pursu ed a career in PR an d ma rketing i n Sydney. She moved back o Perth in 2001 and joined the eam at Perth Weekly. Sh e ma rried Steve i n M arch 200 8 at McHe nry Ho hnen Vitners w ne ry and the couple d vides hei r time betwee n Ned ands and Ma rga ret River.
she chanced upon, blissfully unaware of either its originality or the impact it would have on the world smocking scene and her life!
The third is a very different book The Thirteenth Night: A Mother's Story Of The Life And Death Of Her Son (Fremantle Press 2003) te ls the story of Jan's first son, Jeremy, who was killed when his F-111 tactica l str ke aircraft crashed during night training exercises, and the circumstances surround ng his death. This book led to the production of an episode of Austral ian Story (ABC Television) in 2003. A transcript of that program can be accessed at http://www.abc. net.au/austory/content/2003/.
Jan subsequently attended the Old Collegians' Melbourne morning tea at the Grand Hyatt on Saturday 22 August where she met Principal Beth Blackwood, D rector of Commun ty Relations Chavaune Francis and ming led with the Old Collegians who attended.
We are particu arly proud to present this article in Blackwatch, as Jan's reconnection to PLC and the mutual advantage this has brought is so illustrative of the importance of community and alumni relations at PLC, and of members of the PLC commun ty being proactive in th is at every opportunity.
Kate McKenzie (Sounness 1993 ) After three yea rs i n Albany, in Septe mb er 2008 Ka e mov ed to Sydney w t h Ryan , and is work n g at the med ica l dev ce ma nufacturer ResMed n export log ist cs She sa ys th at she is en j oy ng exp o r ng NSW, getting bac k int o salsa and try ng her h and at sa il ing on th e magn ificent harbou r
Lee Mclaren ( Symons 1 959 ) Pr o r to the d eath of her hu sb and i n 2007 , Lee travel ed ext ensively with him aro un d Austra lia an d New Zea land. She sa ys th at she s most o rt unate to be n ow livi n g n Buss elt o n where she is m a king new ri ends.
Jeannette Muir (Eddy 1959)
Aft er a working h o iday to Melbourn e and Syd ney with Dianne Ceray (Mills 1959), then to New Zealand to work in th e snow, Jeannette was a f lig h attendant or TAA.
She met h er husband, Peter, in Melbourne and they have lived in Brisbane, Canberra , Toowoomba, the UK and Holland. Now back in Perth, Jeanette plays tennis and bowl s, attends the gym and supervises exa ms a UWA. Sh e has two sons.
Suzanne 'Sue' Monger (Mills 1949)
Sue says she is getting 'old and slow' but is otherwise OK! Her daughters, Jane Miels (Cox 1984) and Andrea Paganin (Cox 1986) , both attended PLC.
Fiona Morgan (Tweedie 1979)
A ft er near y twenty years sp ent in mining t owns around WA and Queensland, in 2005 Fiona and her family returned to Pe rth where she curre ntly works part-time as a consulting eng i neer in the mining indu stry.
Fiona says she is en j oying the Perth lifestyle, spending time at the beach and playing veteran hockey with the UWA Hockey C ub aff ili ated Uni Associates team. She h as th ree teenaged children, i nclud in g daugh t er Erica Morgan (PLC Year 11, 2009)
Martine Morgan (Silbert 1984)
Martine has been living in Sydney since 1994 and for the past eleven years has had her own business in personal styl i ng. She is married with a son (9) and daughter (8)
Jill Mowson (Harrison 1949: left 1946)
Now ret ired aft er a long career as a bassoonist w ith WAS O and the St ate Orch es ra of V ctoria (Orch estra V ictor a), J ll is living in Clare m ont and enjoying br dge, sa l ng, walking and swimming.
Elaine (Joy) Murphy (Pryor 1947)
Retired from farm ing and part -t im e teaching, Joy ives in sma country t own in New Zealand and enj oys the lo ca l Lyceum Club, dramatic soc iety, choir and ' t ram p in g'. Three of her ch i ld ren are overseas, two ve in NZ and she h as te n grandchi ldren.
Elizabeth 'Liz' Nathan (Manners 1979)
Liz is cur rent y wo rkin g as a b iostatist cian at the Women and In fants Research Foundation at KEMH in Subia co Claudia Nebel (2007)
At the start of 2009 , Claudia commenced at the WA Av atio n Co l lege and has ga ned her private p lot li cence. She hopes to have completed comme rcial training and beco me a commerc a p i lo t by the end of the year
Elizabeth 'Liz' Newton (Taylor 1969)
Liz is currentl y n ursin g at Gleng a rry Pr ivate Hosp it al. Sh e ha s bee n marr ed t o W es for thirty-two yea rs and has two beaut ifu children.
Robyn Nicholas (Stephens 1984)
Roby n is currently v i n g in Gera ld t on and working f or a not- for-profi natura l res o urce
m anag ement compan y Sh e s ma r ried with three ch il d ren a nd enj oys spend ing any spare t i me gardening.
Tracey O'Connor (Smith 1984)
Tracey is a n urse at th e Joond al u p Hea lth campus and the busy mother of t h ree chi ld ren aged 17- 9 yea rs
Judith Odgaard (1958)
Living in t h e sm a l w h eatbelt to w n of Cla ckl ine, Ju di h co ntinues workin g as a science tec hnician. Sh e judges equestri an jumping , b re eds anim a ls, and part - time s doing a Ph D in popul ation/s ustai nable future for Au stral a. Her two chi dren are current y living overseas.
Rhonda Olivier (Bowden 1979)
Rhonda and h usba nd And re ha ve spent the ast year sa ili ng th e w est coast w ith the r th ree chi d ren, but An d re's wo rk h as no w taken h m to Queensl and and th e fa mily will move to Coffs Harbou r in the near future.
Sarah Owen (1984)
Sarah did a BA pp Sc at Curtin U n versity an d postgradua t e stu dies at RM IT and the Peter McCal u m Canc er Centre (Pet er M ac ) in Melbourne She now works n private pathology o vers ee ng transfusion services
Sarah ha s th ree ch ldren aged from 10 to14 years.
Karla Paget ( Bishop 1969)
In Decembe r 20 08 , Karla retired from h irtyfive yea rs of t ea ch n g an d is now enjoyin g camping aro un d Austra lia, cook ng, sewing, friends and goo d times . She has bee n married to Merrick sin ce 1974
Natasha Palman (Bird 1984)
Fo r a numbe r o f years, Natasha worked as a secretary prio r to comp et in g a BN urs and PGrad D p M idwifery She is currently a manager at the W A Nursing Agency and has t wo t een aged son s.
Diana Palmer (Cresswell 1959)
Di ana is a ret ired g raz er, and a ret ired sh i re co uncillor and s at e cou n ci l lor of the Isolated Chi ld ren's Paren t s Associat ion Q d! Sin ce he death of her hus band e even years ago sh e has ived with her cattle dog n her 'dream house' o n the b anks of t h e Wa rrego River, so uth o f Cu nn amu ll a n outback Queens and, wh ere h e nat ve fa un a lo ve her garden She now resea rches f ami ly h stories hel ps produce the loca pape r a nd is invo lved with the loca l art ga lery. She oves spe nd in g t ime wi th her fa mil y, now spread ove r th ree states.
Judith Palmer (Copping 1959)
Ju d ith retired fr om ra di og rap hy after a b ru sh w ith cancer and s no w busy p aying go lf, d oing tap estry, read ing, knitting an d gardening. She has made three t r ps to Antarcti ca a nd rece ntly vi s ted Can ada, A aska and th e Ga ap ago s Islands. Jud t h has five ch ldren an d o n e gra n ddaugh er w th two more gra nd chi ld ren on the way.
Jennifer Park (Richardson 1969)
Jennife r s fa rm ng in Bad ging arra w ith hu sband Da e and w o rki n g pa rt-t ime as an edu cat io n as sista nt at the oca l prim ary school. She is still p laying hockey with no sign of retiremen t a nd is nvo ved n the ocal competit ion.
Pippen Parissis (1983)
P p pen reports tha t she has one h usband, t wo daughters Si ena and Sasha , one business , Siena's Cafe' in Oxford St reet, Leede rvi lle, and a new y d iscove red ove of te n nis!
Jillian Paul (M onteath 1959)
Ji l ian worked as a medica l recept on st before marry ng M chael Pau l (Scotch 1959) in 19 6 4. They subsequent y had a son and a daughter an d the fami ly l ved var iou sly in t he north of WA a nd Canada before a perm a nent return t o Perth. Ji ll co mp e ed a BA in h isto ry at UWA and ate r worked part - time as a lib rar an for a n umber of en gineeri ng co ns ul t ng rms. Now semiretired, sh e sa ys she is enjoying her e even g ra ndch ldren an d does her best to stay fit
With a BE d (PE ) Li z t aug ht with Co mm u nity Welfare , th e W A De partment o Edu ca t on and at PLC. Sh e an d hu sband lan farmed outs de Wag in unti 2005, when they ret ired and moved into town, where Liz teaches scripture, and exerc se classes f o r th e WA
De pa rtment o f Health. She a so p ays piano and co rnet n t he Great So uthe rn Co n ce rt
Ban d , s invo ved n her o cal chu rch, an d sp ends so m e me between home n W ag n and visiting her m o ther in A u gusta. Li z has two ch ildren an d three step-c hildren
Joan Peters (Watte 1959)
Jo an ret red at ag ed 55 and is busy be n g g ran d mot h er to e ght gran dc h i dren, stepg randmot h er to two a nd great-g randm o her o another two I Her 50th wedd ng anniversary w ill be in Apri 2010
Margot Pfeiff er (Gregg 1984)
After a coup le of years wo rk i ng and trave lli ng, Margot completed a BNu rs t hen m o ved to Esperan ce where she wo rked f or three years at th e d stri c hospital.
She married Davi d then moved bac k to Perth to furth er her studies, comp et i ng postgrad uate m id wifery at KEMH. She has t hree daughters, aged 10, 8 and 5 years and is current y work ng part - i m e in Baby and Healthw se C inics.
Rosemary Raad (AIIan 1959)
Ro semary spen m uc h of her work in g ife as a med cal secretary and n reti rement' took up vo luntary work with Si lver Cha n and the Cottage Hospice of the Ca nce r
Foundat on. Th is was followed by eight years fu ll- t ime liaising w th fundrais ng g roups and promot ing public awa reness - work th at Rosema ry sa ys is humbling, rewa rd ng and a great p ri vil eg e. She has three ch i dren, nclud ng daughter Nickila Dew (Raad 1985) and s gra ndmothe r to four beautifu g randc hildren.
Pame a Pam Raven (Gardner 1949: left 1947)
Follow ng her reti rement after fourteen years w t h the Royal Agric ultural Soc iety, Pam o i ned the Rottnest Voluntary Gu des Assoc iat on m akin g t he tr ip over abo ut three mes a m on th , and sh e works one morning a w eek w ith the ch il d ren at Pr n cess Margaret Hospital. When showt im e comes around she retu rn s to wor k the r e for abou two month s Otherwise, a holi day h ouse in Denma r k s visited as often as poss ib e and n in e g ran dchi dren keep them busy Pam's daug hters Flet a Pohlner ( Raven 1976) a nd Fiona W aters (Raven 1984 ) , bot h attended PLC.
Judith Jud y ' Rew (Wood 1969 ) Judy works at a pharmacy warehouse offi ce and whenever possib e spe nds i m e travelling with Carol Leaver (Taggart 1969 ) an d their respec t ive husbands , both ca ravann ng and ove rseas She has three ch il dren and four g randc h dren and pla ns to ret ir e i n a coup e of yea rs t o enj o y the grandc h il d ren and max m se travel opp o rtunit ies
Robyn Rose (Wildy 1959) Until her ret i rement in 2000, Robyn worked as a p hysiot herapist in Townsvi le and si nce then h as spent time t ravel l ing with her hu sband , both ca rava nning around Austra ia an d o n a to ur of Euro pe la s yea r. Bot h are kee n go lfers, so pl aying go f is nco r porat ed wherever and whenever poss b e !
Glodyen 'Gio Ross (Paddon 1949 ) Ret red from p rimary teach i ng and iv n g in Brisbane, G o says she nds vo luntee r wo r k very rew arding She is an adu t li eracy u o r i n TA FE, an info rmat ion office r at Queens and Art Ga l ery, a vo lunteer at Redland Art Gallery and a to ur gu ide at t h e historic Comm issar at Store a nd at O rm iston House, n Br isbane.
Deborah Debbie ' Scott (Ciarke 19 69) S nce ea v ing th e r farm in Margaret River, Debb ie and her husband have l ved n Eaton. They have a TV and secur ity bus n ess b ut Debb e s se m - retired with more me o pursue her nterest in garden i ng, wr tin g, photog rap hy (especially captur ng the beautifu Australian landscape) and catching up with her th ree ch ildren and three granddaug hte rs Kayla She r dan (Triggs 1984) Kayla did a BEcons at UWA then worked for the NAB and BHP. She is mar ri ed to John and they have t wo sons aged 10 and 13 years respect ve ly. John 's work has taken the family to li ve i n M lan , Londo n, Bangkok and Jakarta. Th ey m oved back to Perth n 2008.
Wendy Simkovic (McKay 1959)
Wendy ta ug ht at h igh sc h ools n Katanning and Armada e b efore supp ly teac hin g in the
UK at St Pa u l s Secon d a ry Modern at M le
En d, in Lo ndon ' s East En d Aft er re urning
t o A u stral ia she marr ed and ha d wo sons
a nd a da ug hter, then ret urn ed to teach i ng
a n d stu dy, comp leting a BEd. In 1989 she w as widowed and is now reti red. Sh e enjoys
te n nis b r id g e, cycling walking , o p er a, thea t re and il ms. She has one grandson
a nd one g ran dd augh er Merle Smith (Kell 1949)
Prior to 1998 Mer e wo r ked in p at h ology
in Tasm an a a nd cont inu es t o resi de on
t en acres ato p a n ext in c volca n o t hat uts out in to Bass Strait w h e re , p r ior o her hus band's death in 2 00 8, they est a b lish ed
a n extensive gar d en a n d d is il led essential
o i ls M erl e compl eted a m aste r's d egree in medica l sci e nc e by d ist a nce educat io n an d
co nt inues to enjoy ga rd en in g, read ng, and
a la rge ext ended fami y o seven ch ld ren , twelve gra nd ch il dren an d t en greatg ra nd ch il dren! Her mo s rece nt ch a ll eng e is lea rn ng o p ay a bea u iful new Hu o n pin e harp
Kathryn Stark (Bell 1984)
In 1989 Kath ryn com plete d her ve erinary st ud ies at M u rdoch U ni ver sity and currently has a practi ce in Palmyra. She s ma rr ied o Pa ul and has two chi ld re n incl ud ing daug hter Emma Stark (P LC Yea r 6 , 2 0 09)
In September Octob e r 2009, t h e fa m i ly rave ed o t he UK, Fran ce a nd Sp ain.
Anne (Elizabeth) Stomps (Attewell 1949)
A re red eg a secreta ry, E iza b eth ives in K ama NSW, where sh e s heavi y nvolved w i h he Un ivers ity of t h e Th ird Age and is a teacher and st udent of Ta Ch She was widowed nea rly w ent y years ago af t e r a wond erf u mar ri ag e a n d says she does as little housework and g a rden i ng as possi b le.
Son M chael is a Canbe r ra f irefig hter and Ric h a rd is in TV production in Sydn ey. Her g rand ch il dre n a r e g ro wn u p a nd o n e is a bout t o p rese nt Eli zab et h with he r i rst
g rea g ra nd chi ld
Janette 'Jan' Sutherland (1969)
Jan wor ks part -tim e at MosArt s, h e Mosm a n Park Art s Fou n da ti on, and in a family t radi n g company Sh e ha s tw n son s ag ed 19.
Jean Sutherland (McDonald 1959)
Following t he death of her fa th er, Jea n returned to the fa mil y arm at Beverley a nd worked in th e oca l Elders age n cy In 196 1 she marr ed Don a nd ha d two ch il d ren , n c uding daughter Fiona Hodgson (Sutherland 1985) . In 200 1 the f a rm w as so d a n d Jean and Don reti red to Perth w here Jea n vo u nteers w it h the Cancer Founda ion w h en n ot ndulging n ove rseas t ravel They ha ve fo u r gran d ch il dren
Frances 'Fran' Taylor (Lyon 1959 )
Fra n stud ied architect ure at Pert h Techn ica
Co l lege an d wo rked in arc h itectura d ra ti ng.
Sh e marri ed a su rvey o r w hose wor k too k them throu ghout W A a nd t h ey had t h ree ch i dren. Fol o wi ng h er seco nd marriag e, Fran ga in ed an Associate Di p oma o A rts in M u lt cu ltural an d Aborig i nal Studi es w t h a mi no r n Human Se rvice A d m nis rat ion
fr o m Ed ith Cowa n. Si nc e 199 3 she has lived in Bri d getown , m ost recen t ly work ng at th e Sh i re of Ma njimu p, a n d reti red n 2 005
Fran s n ow invol ved n histor ca l resea rc h an d web des gn/man agemen
Georgina 'Georgie' Taylor (Argyle 1979)
In 1983 Georgie grad uated rom th e WA
Sc ho o l o Nursi n g an d trave led overseas befo re re turn ing to co mpl ete m d w ifery at KEM H in 1988 She w or ked initial ly in mi d wifery in Po r Hed a n d and progressed o nursi n g managem ent. She wa s Clin ical M dwifery M a nager- Aft e r Hours a KEMH for twe ve yea rs an d re ce ntly moved t o partme work at th e sm al ler Ka eeya Hospi tal in East Fremantl e
She m a r r ed Richard n 1988 a nd has t w o sons at Scotch and UWA res p ect ve ly
Pamela 'Pam' Taylor (Gundill 1979)
Pam ha s bee n mar r ed to Pet e r si n ce 19 99 and th e ir son w as born in 2003. A fte r taking a t h ree-yea r b reak sh e has return ed to part-t i m e teac hin g, currently at La ke Monger Pr ma ry Sc h oo
Susanne 'Sue' Thomas (Milner 1959)
Marr ed t o Ri cha rd f or f o rty-f ve years, Su e ha s two ch i dren , including d au g hter
Asha M atth ews (T h o ma s 1 9 8 5) and four grand ch ld re n. She e njoys pl ay n g go f an d br d g e
Elizabeth 'Tot Thornton (Godsman 1959)
In 1966 To t married M ax a nd t h e family
fa r m ed in Cun d erd n u nti 199 9 when the farm wa s sold and t hey moved to Harvey, w h ere Tot a nd Ma x we re d ee pl y involved in the Da rdanup Herita g e Pa rk. In 200 4 they relocated to Kellerberr i n to b e nearer to f amily and in July 2 0 09 M ax pa ssed away
Wendy Till (Ciarke 1984)
Wendy is enj o ying fa mi y ife i n Ro leystone w it h her husba nd An dy a n d three c hi dre n. Curren t ly she is t a kin g a break afte r w or kin g f o r a veter i na ry co n su ltant.
Sonia Tipton (Payne 1979)
So ni a r u ns a co ntra ct i ng busin ess wi t h h er hu sband Do ug is a part- tim e z one coordinato r fo r t he W A Farm ers Fed eration , and has a sm a ll j ew ellery bu sin ess . She has a son (8) and daughter (5) and, as a pa re nt vo lun teer, loves ass sti n g in the class roo m a n d with afte r-sc ho o sp ort. Her latest pa ss ion is scra p bookin g a nd she a so p lays netbal , saying that th e body ca n t do what it on ce could!
Sandra Wackett (Barrett- Lennard 1959)
Sandra g raduated fr om W/\s fi rst sc hoo of occ up at onal t he rapy and w orked at Ho lywoo d Repatr at ion Hospita un t l ma rr ying Geoff W ackett (Scotch 1958) in 1966 Th ey fa r med at Qua rad ng where San d ra wo rked part -t ime n al li ed health and wa s very m uch involved i n h e com munity as a volunteer. n 2002 h ey so d u p and retired t o Pe rth , wh ere Sandra s il man ag es to d o som e volunt a ry w o rk, travel a nd ca tch up wi t h old sch ool frien ds, wh il st be n g nvolved with her h ree g ra n dc h ild ren n clu di ng Abbey Wackett (PLC Year 7, 2009) and Bronte Wackett (PLC Year 5, 2009). ch ild re n of Sandra' s so n Andrew Wackett (ex- Scot ch) an d h is w ife Kathryn Wackett (Abbott 1984)
Susanne Walden (Holmes 1959)
Susanne ret red from f u ll - i me each in g after thirty- fo ur years, but co nt nu es with relief teach ing and co mb nes th s w th covering mu ch of Austral a ca mp ing with her hu sba nd When she s at home Susanne vo l un tee rs in spo rts, Mea s on Wheels, Home & Commun ity Care, a nd w ith t h e o cal Senio r
Citi zens C ub Her thre e c hildren, including Anna Walden (1993) , li ve in va rious parts o fWA
Jane Waters (Anderson 1984)
After many yea rs w or k n g i n Sydney n i nancia marke associat ed ro les, n 20 00 Jane returned t o Pe rth with husband Stua rt and two children She s now a directo r of a fam ly bus in ess, Condor Fi nan c a Management serv ng h ig h - net -worth clients and based in W est Perth
Fiona Waters (Raven 1984)
Fi o na is a sergea nt with he Victor a Pol ce and manages a reg ional fam i y vio ence u n t. Fiftee n years ago sh e ma rr ied David an d t h ey ha ve three ch il dren ag ed 8 -1 2 years
A f ter numerou s v is ts to Ja pa n w ith David on busi n ess t r ps, the am y now host s Japanese stud en t s Th ey regularly ho li da y at Pambu a on t h e NS W coast and ret urn as freq u ently as p oss i ble to WA to v s t fr ends and fam y, ncluding Fiona s m o her Pamela Raven (Gardner 1949) and sister Fleta Pohlner (Raven 1976).
Fiona Wells (Johnston 1974)
After denta l nu rsi n g for six years , t ravel i ng for th ree years and subsequent ly worki n g in a va ri ety o o bs, Fiona has been an employment co n su ltant for the past seventeen yea rs a n d was married n Ju n e 2 009.
Davina Wh ittall (Fauckner 1959)
Dav ina did sc enc e at UWA majo rin g i n biochem istry, t hen worked at St V ncent's Hospita l in Syd n ey before a year of t ravel and return to Per h, where she spen many years based at Sir Cha rles Gairdne r Hospital coo rdin ating resea rch for the Busse ton Po pul a on Medica l Resea r ch Found at on. In 196 8 she ma rr ed M cha el from Ken ya and has two chil dre n Digby Whittall ( PLC Pre-Primary; ex Scotch) and Margot Whittall (1992). Over the past co u p le of years Davi na has devoted time to car ng for her mother who is sti iving n t he amily home.
Jocelyn 'Joc Wilson (Lee 1969) Joc d id a b u siness degree as a ma ture- aged s uden an d f or the past eig h tee n years has worked o r a consu t i ng fi r m in Ba catta. Her da u g hte rs are Kathy
Others who attended . . . '.
Ar lene Young (Arndt 1979) Ar
Ruth Cecelia Gaunt, formerly Sharp (Hardie 1934) 11 June 1917 - 29 September 2008
Rut h wa s a d ay girl at PLC fo r ive yea rs from 1928 un der Miss Janet Phemister (Principal 1928-1933), eav ing on comp et ion o f h er Ju nio r Ce rt fi cate. For seve ra l yea rs sh e served on OCA com mittees a nd in 193 6 hel p ed to prese nt the t h ree-act play Sixteen at he M yo a Club Hal for the OCA Dramat ic C ub eveni n g, w ith a cast inc u ding Denise Thompson (Dingwall 1932), Dulcie Bell (Armstrong 1928), June Harvey (East 1934) an d Pat Jones (Williamson 1927) *
In 19 38 Ru th married Arthu r A ll a n Sha r p and began married life at M t M ag net where A lan was w ith t he Commonwealth Bank
Th e co u ple th en moved to Lou se Street, Nedl a nd s, w h ere they ra ised t hree so ns and a daugh e r Helen Gallash (Sharp 1958) , av d ly suppor i n g t h ei r child re n 's sp o rting acti viti es a nd p rovided a n o p en house' to he ir r ien d s. Ruth played g ol at Ned ands Go lf Club w he re she w ould ater b eco m e pres d e nt and f o r a t m e drove fo r th e WA Bra nch of t h e Australi an Ass o c atio n of Hos pi al A lm oners.
Wid owed at 58, Ruth's golfing f riends we re a t owe r of stren gth a nd i was whilst hol daying w ith them a Rottnes that she m et Joh n Ga u nt. They ma r ried in 1986 and t ogethe r en o yed re gular v isits to Rott nest and ca ravanning arou nd A u stra li a. In 1998 they moved t o Pa r k an d Vill as, M andurah, o be cl o ser t o Ruth's daughte r Helen Ruth sub sequ ent ly b ecame w h ee lch a ir- bound but sh e a n d John enjo yed anot her t en very happ y yea rs together i n M a nd u rah. In mid200 8 Rut h we nt nto care near by a n d shortly afte rward s p assed away ag ed 91.
Ru h 's sisters Jean Hearman (Ha rdie 1927) a nd Nancy MacKenzie (Hardie 1936) a so attended PLC, as did h er n eces Anne Ritson (Hearman 1962) , Janet Bentley (Hearman 1969) an d Janice MacKenzie (1968) , and her gran dn eces Sylvia Ri t son (1992) a nd Eisa MacKenzie (2002)
* A prog ramme f rom th s p erfo r mance was rece ntly d onated to A rch ves by Nanette Danks (Harvey 1959) d a ughter of June Harvey (East 1934)
Jessie Campbell Nicholson BEM (19 4 2 ) 1 February 1925 - 14 April 2009
Jessie N icholson was bo rn n Glasgow, but sp e nt her childhood in Kas hm i r ndia, at the he ight o the Raj, aft er her at her ' s bus ness t o ok t h e amily there in 1929. Her education wa s sh a red between t h e Prese ntation Co nven t i n Srinagar a nd t he Boarding House at PLC. She was the eld es t o f six children a nd he r si b lings i nc u d ed Lorna Nicho lson (1949) , Shee na Stuart (Nicholson 1951) a nd John Camp bell Nicholson (196 1; left Kindergarten 1949)
Whil st a eenager, Jessie con racted po iom ye itis, leaving h e r w ith paralysis i n on e ar m and other c o mp cations, but sh e o vercame these set b acks to ead an extrao rd i nary l ife of se rv ce h at began as a y ou ng woman in Lo nd on, w h en she was i nfl u enced by a founder of t h e Christian
Soc a l ist Movement, Fa th er Joh n Groser, a nd b ecame enamoured wit h the Angl can Church
I n WW II sh e served in S a lkot, in what is no w Pakistan, with the Wo m en's Volun t ary
Se rvice and then i n Burma w ith the Women's A u x iary Service, attac h ed to t h e Welsh Regim ent 2nd Batta io n with th e rank of
sergeant, earn n g the Br i ish Empi re Meda and amazi ng her command ng off ce r with her dr ving sk ill s on roads carved f ro m th e jungle, desp te the use of on y one a r m. She was ater p romot ed to the comm iss ioned rank of seco nd ieutenant.
Jessie the n embarked on a long assoc ati o n with the YWCA in Lo ndon, Me bourne and Wellington , an d subsequent ly w ith th e G rls Venture Corps of Great Britain, a nd in 1965 settled n Me bourne where for decades she was a member o f t he congregat ion of St Pau 's Cathedra l representing the ca th ed ral on the d ocesan synod and the d iocese of Melbourne on th e genera l synod and was a membe r o f t he counci o the d ocese.
She also devo t ed much t i me to visiti n g the sick and was we known by people fr om al walks of ife i n Me bourne for the grace of th s min ist ry.
lt was n Me bourne that she would a lso become sec retary o f the Inco r po rated Associat ion of Reg istered Teachers of Victoria (IARTV) and registrar of the Assoc ated Teac h e rs Age n cy, earning legendary st a us in Victoria a m o n g teachers and p ri nc pals of independent schools unt i her ret rement in 1985.
In its cente nary year the IARTV commemo rat ive p ublication Loo kin g Back, Think ing Forward included a chapte r ti tled 'The N cho so n Years' in which Do rot hy Pizzey AM w rote "She has bee n h e f riend and guide o so many in the i ndependent schools that t is hard to know how we will get on w t ho u t her.
"She h as he lp ed us get jObs , she ha s offered comfo rt a n d wise advice whe n we ha ve lost ou r jobs; she h as found us eac h e rs when ou r staff have been lost, sto en o r st rayed; she has created in the IARTV office a ce ntre
to w h ic h we have al been welcome.
Above a ll , she has made us aug h : her sense of humou r s well known and her an n ual reports ha ve n ever been surpassed f o r wit."
Jessie d ed aged 84 in Box Hil l Hos p ta and is su rvi ved by a b rother and h ree s st er s. The Reverend Dav d Conolly del ive red t h e eulogy at her fune ra l n St Paul s Cat h ed ral a n d this was p u b li shed in The Age newspaper on 1 5 May 2009 titled 'Beacon o f st rength to young fe ll ow edu cators a nd the s ck - Jessie Ca m pbe l Nicho son BEM , W oman of Substance
Ri ch ard ' Dick Oldham ( 193 1; left PLC K nd ergarten 1 92 1) 3 Ma rch 19 14 - 10 August 2009
Dick was he ast surv vi ng ch il d o f Susan Hoy e Russe ll a nd prominen Pe rth architect Charles Lan ce o Oldham, whose firm, Oldham Boas Ednie-Brown , des g n ed many of Perth s sti ll s gnificant bui d in gs. Th e fam ly lived n Fo rrest Street, Peppe r m in Grove, a nd was pa rt of a close group of f ri en ds who have ma ny connections to PLC and included t he Lee Steere, Wa ld e Fo r bes, Sholl, Manfo rd Burt, Salmon, Church Drum mond, Al lnutt, P a isto we and Evans fa m li es. Dick spent an id ylli c childhood pla ying o n th e fo reshore sw mming n the Swa n Rive r and r ding ho m em ade carts down t h e o ca l hi l ls.
In 1917, the fir st of two fam il y t raged es occurred whe n Dick s older broth er, A lban, d ied when h e playfully jumped in fro nt of a car where t h e horseshoe b r dge sta nd s today n Claremo nt. Then, in March 192 0, w hen Dick was aged 6, h s father u nexp ected y d ied. In an o ral histo ry taken o r the Cottesloe , Mosman Park & Pep pe rmint Grove Ora History Proj ect in 2006 (ava il a bl e at PLC
Archi ves), D ck spoke of hi s ado red m o t her, who was eft to raise seven ch i ld re n ranging n age fr om 18 mont hs to 17 yea rs, and ho w he ad mired h er strength in e ndu r ng he r c rcumstances , which qu ckly shift ed fr om comfortab e o straitened Fa m i y fr en ds ra lli ed a roun d to help fu nd th e ch il dren's educat io n a nd in Septembe r 192 0 D ck sta rted at PLC Kinderga rt en Like h is b rot hers, Dick w as subseq u e ntl y educa ed at Gu ldford Gramma r Sc h ool. He the n o n ed the Bank o f NS W fir st y a Cott es oe , t hen Hay Str eet, Leonora, Qua irad in g a nd Narrog i n. Th en WW II bega n a nd Dick enlisted n Dece m be r 1939 He was br efly assigned t o the 25 th Li ght Ho rse u nti he was ab le to jo i n t he RAAF and f y cata li n as, reac h ing th e ran k o f Wing Comma nde r i n 461 Squadro n , and f ew in the Batt e o f Br itain, becom in g o ne o the few Never n the field of hu man conflict was so mu ch owed by so ma ny to so few. (W nsto n Churchill)
A te r t h e w a r Dick ma r r ied Kim b er ley Kim Mo r ris a nd re urned to b a nk ng. D ck and Kim had fi ve ch ild ren , Russe ll, Christ opher Kent (dec), Robin Kirin (Oid ham 1971 ) and Jo hn Th e fami y home n C a r en don St reet , Cott es oe, was se lf-b uil a nd D ck's proudest ach evement was t hat n o pu ddles eve r f o rm ed o n the po ured co ncre e outside. Dick had a l f e ong ove o f fi shi n g a nd later took up go f. He was a lso ta ented n t he art of sket ch n g humorous ca ricat ures His love of ad ve ntu re never left h im a nd a 78, he became t h e oldest pe rso n in WA to do an u n ass st ed stat ic line pa rac hut e um p. He ma rri ed for a seco nd t i me afte r Kim d ed n 1 98 7. Th e second ma r r age e nded n am cab le d vorce onl y two years ago a nd the two re m a n ed close f r ie nds.
lt was the hunt o f ou r Arc h ivis t for our ea rl ies 'ol d boys' t ha brought Dick back to PLC. Delig hted to have been found, and very proud of his 'old gir ' s atus, Dick sa id tha t he had always fond y remembered h is ime at PLC. Afte r seve ral inv tations to Old Colle g ian eve nts , he eventually fo u nd en ough time in his busy calenda r to attend Foun d ers' Day 20 0 8, which was a long and busy day, d u ring wh ch h is merry eyes twinkled, and h is br oad grin was ev id ent th roug hout.
Dick was diagnosed with ca n cer on y five weeks before his death at 95 He retained his fac ul ties to th e very end and d ed rela t ive y p ain-f ree, for which h s fam ly membe rs say they are most g ratefu l.
Dick's family members who have atte nded PLC in t h e past in cl ude h s sib ings Molly Bennett (Oidham 1922) , Robert 'Gilgie' Oldham (1927 ; left PLC Kindergarten 1919) and Pattie Jordanoff (Oidham 1935); his nieces Tish Korsgaard (Oidham 1957) , Jan Oldham (1960) , Jodi Chetto (Jordanoff 1960) and Katrina Acharya (Oidham 1964) ; his daughter-in- law Lyn Oldham (MacPherson 1966) ; his on y daughter Robin Kirin (Old ham 1971) and granddaughter Genevieve Oldham (1998) .
Patricia Clare Preston (Sadleir 1931) 31 May 1914 - 2 September 2009
Pa t ricia was the youngest child of Emily and Ralph (Rafe) Sa d leir of the shipp i ng and transport business RC Sadleir. The fam ly lived in Ned ands, w th Patricia attending the local state school until 1928 w h en he r secondary education began at PLC; her favourite pursuits were t ennis, sw mming and hockey.
Every Ch ristmas, Ralph took Patricia and her sister Evelyn on a 'no-frills' camping holiday and the girls would spend long, azy days n t h eir little boat lined with cushions, with fishing l ines tied around the i r t oes and playing the latest popular music on a wind-up gramophone. Each night, they ba t hed in the r ver and ate tinned beans, supplemented w ith the fish they had caught. Occasiona l ly, the girls we re sent to Ralph's sisters in Melbourne, where they enjoyed shocking their maiden aunts with t heir racy clothes and talk, much to the discreet amusement of their mother.
Pat ricia left PLC on completion o f her Junior year and worked in her father's office in Perth where she was al owed some lat tude, often leaving early to play tennis and using her father's car to facilitate socialising after work while he uncomplainingly caught the train home. However, in tougher times Patricia proved her mettle, working long hours as the bookkeeper and genera l administrator, which she continued into the ear y years of her marriage.
In 1939 after a long engagement, Patricia married Derek 'Dick' Preston, an Eng l ishman she had met at the Kings Park Tennis Club,
and they enJoyed the r early married life in a flat near the beach a Cottesloe, where it is sa d that Patricia buried many a burnt meal after a sun-drenched day by the water! They subsequently moved to Dalkeith and started their family; sons R ck and Ken who is the father of future student Clai re Preston (P LC Year 7, 2013) and daughters Helen (staff, 1965-1966), Penny Bennett (Preston 1964) and Joan Rossington (Preston 1969)
In 1953 the family moved to Swanbourne. Subsequently, Patricia's mother, Emily, moved i n with them and she and Dick lovingly cared fo r her for the last ten yea rs of her l ife. Their chi dren viewed th s as an idyl ic phase as they enjoyed a carefree lifestyle in close proximity to the beach and the bonus of a tennis court where they congregated with the ocal kids on most afternoons and weekends
There fo l lowed a phase w h en Dick was unable to work due to illness and Patricia purchased Boronia Florist in Nedlands, thus p r oviding the fami y's income and becoming a talented florist who was much in demand for the exquisite wedding bouquets she created. Although very busy, Patr cia always made life fun and when Dick returned to work she returned her focus to their two youngest children who were still at home.
In retirement, Patricia and Dick moved to Wembley Downs where they enjoyed fishing along the coast before moving back to Nedlands in 1986. They delighted in their involvement with an ever- increasing number of grandchildren that reached twenty-two in total. Widowed in 200 1 Patricia rema ned living independently until 2008 when she moved into Hol ywood Aged Care Village. lt was there that she died, aged 95.
Mollie was the youngest of five children born at 'Ava on', the fam i ly's Mumba lu p orc h ard and dairy farm. Whilst her four brothers were being educated at Christ Church Grammar Schoo , Mol ie's chil d hood was one of servitude; he r closest companions and only solace a white d uck cal led Poosey and a b ig black hen. She received no formal education unt i l, in the face of strong opposition from Mollie's mothe r, family friend Beryl Jukes (Battye 1921) i ntervened, arranging and fi nancing Mo l lie's admission to PLC as a boarder.
Mo l lie was 11 at the time and her lack of education necessitated classes with ch ldren half her age. Miss Elsie Finlayson (Principal 1922-1927) persona ly tutored Mollie every day before and after school, and on weekends, and Mo l ie thrived, showing a keen intelligence and g rowing confidence. In 1928 Dr Vera Summers (staff from 1920; Principal 1934-1961) took over Mol lie's tutelage. Mol ie was awarded Form Dux in 1929 and Profic iency in 1930. She completed six Junior subjects and left PLC aged 18, returning to her former life at 'Avalon'. However, in 1933 fam i ly members intervened and facilitated her entry into nursing training at the Children's Hospital (now PMH), where she qualified in November 1936 and was subsequently appointed sister-in-charge of Ward 2 (paediatric orthopaedics).
Mol l ie was always immaculately turned out and purposely fostered a stern demeanour, but she had the softest of hearts, emp oying clever techniques when dea l ing with frightened children and go ng wel out of her way to source fresh vegetab es and fruit
for her patients in t h e face of food rationing during the war years. She formed lifelong friendships with some of her long-term patients and they he d her n the h ig hest regard all her life. She also formed a strong and enduring friendsh p with orthopaedic surgeon Regina ld McKellar-Hall, for whom she frequent y acte d as theatre nu rse.
In 19 4 8 Mo l e was swept off her f eet by Studley Read and for the n i ne years fol owing thei r marriage they ive d n Si n gapore where Mol l ie enjoyed a l the comforts and excitement of the expatr ate life and its act ive social scene. On returning to Perth, Mol ie increasingly ived in their Henley Street, Coma, home and Studley in the other at Mandurah, with Mol ie re -es ablishing former fr endships and ut l s ng he r superb cooking sk lls to regularly hold lavish dinner parties
Mollie's greatest regre t was that she never had children, but she doted on her goddaughter whose nine-year-old grandson often partnered her in cards, finding Mollie's occasionally colourfu language amusing and fascinated by the fact that she was born in the same year as the sinking of the Titanic!
In more recent years Mo lie became increasingly forgetful and consequently her health deteriorated. She moved into Braemar House in East Fremantle, where she initial ly ral ied in benefit of their care.
Mol l ie died aged 92 at Braemar House, where her estranged mother had died many years before. She was buried in Lowden Cemetery with many of her former patients in attendance.
Margaret June Smith (Bourne 1947) 3 June 1930 - 14 January 2009
Margaret atten d ed PLC for fou r yea rs from 1943 and was placed i n t h e newly established house o McNeil, as all new girls were that year. She enjoyed h er school d ays, p ay ng t enn is and mak ng l felong friends, and she remembered a r ra d drills and knitting socks and scarves for the troops during WWII.
Afte r PLC, Margaret trained as a n u rse at the Ch i dren's Hospital (now Princess Margaret Hospita l), where she met a you n g doctor, Ewart Smit h They ma rr ed i n 1954 an d Ewart's wo rk, fi rst as a fly i ng d octo r took them to C oncur ry in ou t back Queensland, then on to four years in Europe whe re Ewar t was a me d ical off icer attached to the Australian Embassies in Rome, Athens and Copenhagen. Their eldest daug hte r was born in Copenhage n and their th ree younger daughters in Austra ia, after the r return.
Ewart established a genera l pract ce in Kelmscott, which in the 1960s and 1970s was a semi rural town in the foothil ls of the Darling Ranges, known for its orchards, market gardens and migrant population; and a three-bus trip away from PLC.
However, Margaret very much believed in her daughters having the same education that she held in high regard and, sometimes using their grandmother's home in Nedlands as a base and later a townhouse in Dalkeith Road, all four of Margaret's daughters, lngrid Winter (Smith 1974), Astrid Hughes (Smith 1975) , Kirstin Prendiville (Smith 1978) and Helga James (Smith 1984) commenced at the PLC Junior School in Year 5 Teachers like Mrs Tyler (Junior Headmistress 1965 - 1978, see obituaries 8/ackwatch Winter 2009), Mrs Greig (M rs
Mollie Evelyn Read (Wright 1930) 28 October 1912 - 18 May 2009
Williams; staff 1966-1990) and Mrs Davies (staff 1956- 1995, deceased) al benefited from the beau ifu flowers from Margaret's ga rden duly t ransported to school by the g rls Ap p arently Mrs Wil l iams was particu larly fond of the bird of parad ise, a arge b unch of which made for an nterest ng long bus trip!
Ma rgaret was also the g randmothe r of Katelyn Prendiville (2009) and t h e much loved siste r-in-law o Charmian Bourne (Urquhart 1956)
Afte r enduring Park nson's disease for twenty years, Margaret d ied aged 78, followed a month ater by her beloved Ewa rt. Th ey wi l be great ly missed, but leave treasured memories that their daughters trust many in th e PLC community share; t ri ps to the ittle fa rm at Kelmscott, picn cs, barbeques, horse riding and the holidays at Rottnest Perhaps some may even remembe r t h e very first Sundowner welcome party in 1967, when Ewart attended in a dash i ng, pa e b l ue safari suit, much to the astonishment of Miss Barrl
1913 - 12 November 2009
Zoe was the youngest child of Madeleine and James Weir who ran 'B u l ara', a sheep sta t ion north of Carnarvo n that was th en taken over by their only son, Lew s and his w ife Dorothy Weir (Hall 1928) Zoe's six sisters were a l schooled at M LC, as was Zoe, prior to her s arting at PLC in 1926, aged 12. On moving to Perth, the fam ly home was 'Colwy n ', the former Bunn ng family home on V ctor a Avenue, Claremont.
Zoe loved life and by her own admission was nto 'anyt h ing and everyt h i ng'. She en j oyed her time at PLC and was one of th e winners of the 1929 fancy dress competition looking very dapp er in a top hat and tails, complete with pa nted moustach e. In her final year, concern arose that she was not paying suff cient attention to her studies and Zoe was sent by her father to a fi n ishing school in the Mel bourne hills with her b est friend Joan Wittenoom (1931)
Back in Perth, in 1936 Zoe married Frank Venn, whose two sisters Helen Finlayson (Venn 1928) and Cathrine Nicholas , formerly Malloch (Venn 1933) had a so attended PLC After seve ral yea rs of living in var ous country locations, Frank and Zoe sett led on the Venn family farm at Dardanup and h ad four children; Dale, Robert, Ash and John (dec)
In retireme nt they moved back to Perth's western suburbs, w here Zoe was happ est, and ived a colourful life together until Frank's death in 1984. Zoe then reluctantly too k up garden ng, having loved the flowers Frank's effo rts had wroug ht and missed them aft er he died She retained her love of be ng surrounded by beautiful things, maintained he rself fastidious ly an d remained
a vibrant social butterfly, with friends across all ages. She also loved her dogs, the atest in a long line o which was an effervescent poodle- shihtzu cross named Bubbles.
Zoe entered respite care at Hollywood Hospital just a few weeks before she died, on the day afte r her 96th birthday.
Zoe was mother-in- aw to Barbara Potter (AIIan 1955); grandmother to Ya smin Lenigas (Venn 1979); great grandmother t o Bronte Len gas (2006) ; aunt to Hon June Craig AM (Lynn 1947) , Gaye Jbb tson (Lynn 1950) , Jillian Milner (1952) and Judy Roberts (Weir 1956) ; great aunt to Susan Norman (Miln er 1977) Anna Johnston (Milner 1983), Jennifer Yates (C ra ig 1969), Susan MacPherson (lbbitson 1974), Sandra McGhee (lbbitson 1977), Dimity Wehr (Malloch 1980) and Jessica Wallace (Malloch 1982); great great aunt to Amy Johnston (Year 6 , 201 0) Sarah Craig (1996) , Lou ise Cr aig (1998) Catherine McDona ld (Yates 1993) , Anita lbb itso n (Year 8, 2009), Kate MacPherson (2004), Sam MacPherson (left Kindergarten 1995) Lachlan MacPherson (left Kindergarten 1997), Lavinia Wehr (Year 8, 2009) Abby Wallace (2007) and Sophia Wehr (PLC Year 8, 2012) .
Do rothea (Thea) lsobel Walsh (Graham 1 948) 18 March 1931 - 29 August 2009
Thea was the daughter of M i nes Department ch ef draftsman James Graham, who died whe n Thea was a chi d, an d Do rot hea (nee Thrum). Thea attended PLC from 1944, comp eted her Lea v in g in 1948 and wen t on to nursing at Frem ant e Hosp ital. In 1952 she married Brian Walsh and they spent the next three years in Derby where Brian worked for the Royal F ying Doctor Service Over the ensuing years they had five children together and wo rked i n var ious locations througho ut Austral ia before returning to Perth. Re ring to Kalamunda, Thea set about enjoyi ng her three g randchi dren.
Like many mem bers of her family, Thea was h igh ly inte lig ent and a devout Chri st ian. Her brother Dr Jim Graham (ex Scotc h Collegian; UWA Hac kett Research Scholars hip recipient, deceased ) was a phys cist and an Elder of the Presbyterian Chu rch. Her maternal uncle, the Rt Rev J G Thrum, was Moderator of the Presbyter an Church in WA and her maternal grandfather was a Presbyterian min ister in the goldfields When Thea moved t o Kalamunda, fi nding the right church was more importa nt to her than most, and after attending services at six loca l churches, she fina l y found Da rlington Un ited Church and happily attended services there for m any years with Pastor David Preston.
Jn 1ggs Thea was diagnosed with leukaemia and her health began a steady decline. She deve loped hea rt disease and the leukaemia treatment compromised her immune system. She became susceptible to, and was plagued by, other cancers necess1tat1ng several surgeries.
Her endur n g fa ith gave her comfort throughout her ordeal and she is now at peace after 14 years of pa in and suffer ng.
Zoe Marjorie Venn (Weir 1930) 11 November
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FRIDAY 19 FEBRUARY
THURSDAY 25 FEBRUARY
FRIDAY 26 FEBRUARY
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MONDAY 1 MARCH
TUESDAY 2 MARCH
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TUESDAY 9 MARCH
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FRIDAY 26 MARCH
TUESDAY 30 MARCH
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MONDAY 26 APR IL
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FRIDAY 18 JUNE
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JULY
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OCA WELCOME LUNCH FOR NEW STUDENTS I PARENTS
TERM 1 COMMENCES
PARENTS' COMMITTEE MEETING
AUXILIARY MEETING
OCA MEETING
PARENTS' COMMITTEE SUNDOWNER
AUXILIARY CITY COUNTRY LUNCH
MID-TERM BREAK
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AUXILIARY OUTDOOR CINEMA
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OCA GIRLS ONLY COCKTAIL PARTY
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TERM 1 ENDS
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OCA MEETING
OPEN DAY (ANZAC DAY HOLIDAY)
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MID TERM BREAK
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PRESI)YTERIAN LADIES CO L IFGf
A COLLEGE OF T!l[ UNITING CHU C t-1 IN AUSTRALIA
PLC is hosting its Open Day on Monday 26 April (Anzac Day Holiday) from 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm.
On the day an address will be given by our Principal, Beth Blackwood and guided tours of the School will be conducted.
Please telephone our Registrar for further information on +61 8 9424 6444.
