Old Collegians' Association

President

Each year, the OCA Committee, as part of its OCA Inspiring Women’s Programme, endeavours to recognise, honour and profile an inspiring Old Collegian who has achieved success in their chosen field, career, or area of personal pursuit. It is our great pleasure to announce Dr Rebecca Gianotti as the 2021 OCA Inspiring Woman Recipient.

Rebecca is a remarkable and inspiring Old Collegian who has enjoyed an eminent career as an Environmental Engineer for the past 20 years, Rebecca is currently working for the Global Water Institute based in Ohio USA focused on a programme development for water, sanitation and income generating activities in rural Tanzania as part of a national rehabilitation initiative. In this role as in other roles, Rebecca has played her part in bettering the fabric of our society and that of developing nations. While we have enjoyed many occasions for Old Collegians to connect over the past few months with Reunions, Young Old Collegians Sundowners, OCA Family Pin Presentation Morning Teas, the AGM, Founders Day Luncheon and Open Garden Day in Perth, our thoughts have been with our Old Collegians across the world and in particularly those located in New South Wales and Victoria having endured very long and I am sure trying lockdowns.

We hope and pray that 2022 bring us all the freedoms we once enjoyed to safely travel, visit and connect with our loved ones.

For more than 60 years, the OCA has proudly provided scholarship and bursaries to hundreds of PLC girls and this year we are delighted to share with you the 2022 bursary recipients.

The Olive Cusack Bursary – Susannah Moore, Year 9 The Dr Vera Summers Bursary – Jessica Fry, Year 10 The Heather Barr Memorial Bursary – Saskia Boquest, Year 11.

Congratulations to these three worthy recipients; all amazing young women.

We would like to extend my congratulations to each and every one of the accomplished young women who applied; you are all absolute credits to yourselves, your families and to PLC. Well done!

Katrina’s incredible contribution to the PLC community over the past 17 years has included; nine years on the PLC Council including two years as Deputy Chair; 10 years on the Argyle Club Committee including three as its President; as well as wight years on the OCA Committee including three years as President and two as Secretary.

For the past 15 years, Sally’s contribution to the PLC community has included five years on the OCA Committee as well as 10 years in various parent representative roles and as a member of the PLC Auxiliary. Ann has served on the OCA Committee for the past year and been a valuable Committee Member.

The OCA has existed for 101 years and its ongoing success is due to countless Old Collegians like these women who have generously volunteered on this Committee.

Thankyou again to Katrina, Sally and Ann for your service to PLC and the OCA.

In October, I had the honour of representing the OCA at the Valedictory Service and Dinner to welcome the PLC Class of 2021 into a much larger PLC family, the OCA. I also presented each Valedictorian with a special gift of a solid sterling silver bracelet from the OCA. The evening was a beautiful celebration and a huge credit to the PLC team who worked tirelessly to stage the event.

While my role was to welcome the Class of 2021 as our newest Old Collegians and let them know what the OCA does and can offer them now and into the future, the most important message we always want to impart to our newest Old Collegians is that we want them to feel connected and welcomed to the wonderful extended PLC family now and for the rest of your lives.

It was a wonderful night, with much energy and excitement, as many old school friends caught up and we look forward to hosting the Class of 2017 in 2022.

For the second year we hosted our Young Old Collegian Sundowner in mid-October which was also a fun night enjoyed by the 40 plus girls from the classes of 2018, 2019 and 2020.

A huge welcome and thank to our newest Committee Members, Liz Humphry (1998), Ella Miels (2020) and Matilda McManus (2020).

Liz is a current parent at PLC with daughter Millie in Year 4 and also a Partner at Clayton Utz.

Young Old Collegians’ Ella is currently studying Politics, Philosophy and Economics under BPhil at UWA where she is a Fogarty Foundation Scholar and Matilda is studying a Bachelor of Nursing at Notre Dame University.

We celebrate and thank our PLC community for supporting the school in many ways and as part of our 100 Year Celebrations the OCA introduced the inaugural OCA family pin to acknowledge and thank those Old Collegian families who continue to send their daughters, granddaughters and greatgranddaughters.

Over the past few months, it was wonderful to welcome back hundreds of Old Collegian families to PLC to be a part of the OCA family pin ceremonies.

After five years in the role of Alumni Co-ordinator, Sascha Hill has decided to retire from PLC.

The level of professionalism, support and enthusiasm Sascha has provided the OCA Committee, the OCA and also all Old Collegians she has come into contact with, has been amazing.

Sascha has added value to the OCA community beyond measure and on behalf of the entire Old Collegians community I would like to extend a huge thank you to Sascha for all she has done and wish her well in her retirement.

More than 80 Old Collegians who left school more than 50 years ago joined students, staff and members of the wider community to recognise and celebrate PLC Perth’s 106th annual Founders’ Day Service in August.

Principal Cate Begbie the service was an opportunity to stop and reflect on our School, on who we are and where we have come from.

“It is an opportunity to feel grateful for those who have played their part in shaping both our school and our world,” Ms Begbie said.

Old Collegian Sylvia Brandenburg (1951), her daughter Jane Brandenburg (1979), and Sylvia’s great-granddaughters Ida and Alice West had the honour of cutting the birthday cake, which this year was made by Year 12 student, Audrey Chegwidden.