Where are they now?

Despite beginning her Ambassadorship amid a global pandemic, Pymble alumnus Gillian Bird PSM is enjoying her second posting to Paris.

Ms Bird, who graduated from Pymble in 1975, took a cadetship with the Department of Foreign Affairs after studying Arts/Law at Sydney University.

“I owe it all to having learned French at Pymble back in my high school days,” Gillian said. “I absolutely loved learning French and German and went on to study both at university. Loving languages and travel, I applied for and was lucky enough to get accepted by the Department of Foreign Affairs immediately after graduating from Sydney University.”

“I owe it all to having learned French at Pymble back in my high school days...”

Gillian Bird PSM

Posted to Paris, Gillian met Henry, the man who would become her husband. Today they are back where their story began, in the City of Light, joined for a time by their son, Daniel.

“Things are beginning to open up in Paris and life is returning to a more normal state, despite the continued menace of COVID. “My son has returned to Australia and is looking forward to actually studying in the US next year – rather than doing it remotely from our study in Paris. Henry and I are enjoying exploring Paris and visiting places we used to go to when we were here many years ago. We’ll know that life has really returned to normal when we start having visitors from Australia – fingers crossed that it won’t be too far off.”