Great Scot 172, December 2024

DR SCOTT MARSH – PRINCIPAL

THE TIES THAT BIND

EMBRACING AND CELEBRATING THE THINGS OUR BOYS HAVE IN COMMON

We are living in an increasingly individualised age. The things that once inextricably bound us together as a people and provided belonging, community and purpose have diminished to such an extent that our sense of unity and identity have been impaired. Released from the old ties, we search for meaning while being blown about by the various trends and ideas that arise and confuse.

I observed a small example of this in my Year 7 class. After a quick straw poll, it was clear that only three out of 26 boys had watched this year’s AFL Grand Final. This might be explained by the fact that there were very few Brisbane or Swans fans in attendance, but it may be due to the simple fact that life today contains many competing distractions. In the past the Grand Final, like the Melbourne Cup, would stop and unite the state, and perhaps even the nation together. These days few seem to be willing to stop, and fewer still seem willing to join collectively with others. This has an impact on social cohesion.

Perhaps it is inevitable. As a boy growing up, only a few soccer games were shown on television in the season. To see your team play involved physical effort to endure the atrocious Scottish wintry conditions and travel to the game to witness the latest ignominious disappointment that would inevitably be served up. Soaked and shivering on the terraces, I would ask –‘Why on earth am I here?’ However, I was not alone; all my mates were asking exactly the same thing. We were bound together around our love for our team and destined to suffer together through thick and thin. Today the ties to our teams, our grounds, and alas our mates, are weakened, as we watch our teams from the

comfort of our own air-conditioned lounges on our preferred streaming service.

The rise in increasing individualisation is seen in many other spheres. While in the past families tended to live in the same town or suburb, it is more often the case that family members live in different cities or even countries. Grandparents are now distant figures who are seen in person only occasionally. Our neighbours are at best only nodding acquaintances. Religious and faith communities are no longer the places that provide a sense of community and inspire others with a call to a greater and transcendent purpose. Meanwhile, footy clubs and charities struggle to find volunteers to help maintain their services to the wider community.

Even workplaces are no longer the havens of collegiality. It has been understood for years that work is fundamental to human society. It is the way most people provide financially for themselves and their loved ones. It is also the main way in which many of us interact with others outside our immediate household. Work brings community, meaning and identity. While society focuses almost exclusively on the financial and economic dimension of work, it fails to fully appreciate the broader significance of work to human life.

However, since the pandemic there has been a radical change to workplaces. There has been a rise in lone working where people work from home. This change can be very beneficial, as it allows workers to experience a greater sense of freedom, choice and flexibility. However, the risks this carries include an increased sense of isolation and the loss of collegiality. For many, working from home means they enjoy the freedom while yet grappling with the lack of real

REV DOUG CAMPBELL SCHOOL CHAPLAIN

connection and that gnawing feeling of ‘out of sight, out of mind’.

At Scotch we long to see our boys prepared for all of life in their fast and ever-changing world. This preparation is more than providing them with the skills to master artificial intelligence or to perfect the techniques to pass exams. It requires boys to think clearly about the world and the importance of the other. It requires them to consider deeply the importance and significance of the wider body in a world of individualism. They must begin by seeing and embracing the inherent dignity of all people. Moreover, they must understand that contrary to the ethos of the age, they are not mere solitary units living separate lives in an unconnected world. They are precious and not simply a mere unit whose value is measured by his or her financial productivity. Real purpose and true meaning are to be experienced in community.

The ties that bind are vitally important for the flourishing of our families, our school, our society and our country. However, these bonds do not grow by accident, but through essential and vibrant connection to others. Their importance cannot be taken for granted, but have to be thoughtfully articulated and strenuously defended. The bonds must be acknowledged, cherished and developed as we begin to value and appreciate the other and work alongside each other for the greater good.

Each week in Memorial Hall the boys attend an Assembly at which worship is conducted. At its very outset, the doxology is sung, praising God, Three in One. The Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, speaks about unity (the Trinity) and diversity. One God is eternally three persons: each exists, loves and works in relation to the other. It should come as no surprise that the Creator who is unity has created humans with that very same need for community and interdependence. To be truly human is to recognise that we are made for God and for others, and as a result we have true and lasting worth and eternal and significant purpose.

So we prepare each individual boy by sharing and developing the ties that bind him together with his peers and his school. Embracing the other and their goals and celebrating those things that they have in common involves at its heart the recognition and the valuing of the other. They are not mere individual units alone in this world but bound together in unity for a much greater and lasting good.

TWO GREAT SERVANTS OF SCOTCH CALL TIME ON THEIR SCHOOL COUNCIL SERVICE

At the School Council meeting on 1 November two great servants of Scotch called time on their Council service in Michael Sim and Alex Sloan.

Michael Sim (’78) has served on Council for 23 years in two stints, first from December 2001 to January 2003, and then from November 2003 to October 2024 – a remarkable contribution.

There is little Michael does not know about and has not done at Scotch. He has provided continuous and distinguished service to the school.

As a student he was a Prefect, Captain of Gilray, a member of the 1st Hockey team, 1977-79 (Premiership 1978, Captain of Hockey 1979), Captain of Boats (coxing the 1st VIII for three years and winning the Head of the River in 1978), Senior CUO and Editor of The Scotch Collegian.

Michael co-coached the 1st VIII in 1988 and represented Victoria and Australia in rowing. His family has played a significant role in Scotch’s rowing history, with three generations of Sims winning the Head of the River – Michael’s father, Bob (’41) in 1941, Michael in 1978 and his son Stuart (’11) in 2010 and 2011.

On leaving school in 1979, Michael became involved in the Cardinal Club, being President in 1990, and he subsequently served on the Old Scotch

Collegians’ Association Council, the School Council and the Scotch College Foundation Board (where he continues to serve as President). He is one of only 13 people to have served on all three school Councils, and was recognised as an Honorary Life Member of OSCA for his contribution to Scotch in 2013.

Michael served on the School Council Property Committee from 2001 and assumed the Chair position at the end of 2004. He also served on the Council Executive, Finance (as acting Committee Chairman), Investment (acting Committee Chair on two occasions), Tollway, Museum, Nominating, Fundraising and Masterplan Committees.

While Michael has served with great distinction in all these roles, it is probably on property where he has left his most indelible mark. He has worked on four school Development Plans and overseen the building of the Sir Zelman Cowen Centre for Science, the Spencer Centre for Design and Technology, the KeonCohen Dining Hall, the Tolson Centre, House Home Rooms, the English Department and the Boarding Precinct, which includes the Errington Retreat.

Michael has also left an indelible mark in the scholarships area. Scholarships have been one of Michael’s great passions, through his work as a Trustee of the Alexander Wright Wales Trust and through

ALEX SLOAN (’71), HAMISH TADGELL (’85) AND MICHAEL SIM (’78)

his various roles on the Scotch College Foundation, including his current role as President.

Michael’s unbridled passion and love for Scotch is hard to match. Having had Michael Robinson (’55) as a mentor, he is steeped in Scotch’s traditions and has a great perspective of its history and vision for its future.

We also thank Michael’s wife, Ursula, for her generous and patient support of Michael and Scotch.

Alex Sloan ('71) has served on Council for twelve and a half years, also in two stints, first from January 2007 to July 2014, and then from November 2019 to October 2024, as Chairman succeeding Hon Dr David Kemp (’58), and overseeing the appointment of the 10th Principal.

In many respects there is an uncanny symmetry in Alex’s and Michael’s early student achievements: Alex was also Captain of Boats, an elite rower, a School Prefect, and a Captain of Gilray. Alex's father, Bruce, attended Scotch from 1929 to 1933, as did Alex's son, Simon, from 1995 to 2004.

During his time on Council Alex has also served in a wide variety of roles including on the Council Executive, Property, Finance, Risk, Nominating, Fundraising, Remuneration and Museum Committees, and as Governance and Council representative to the Foundation.

There is no doubt the Principal appointment process proved a testing time for Scotch, but importantly it ended with the right result in the appointment of Dr Scott Marsh. On behalf of Council and the Scotch community, we thank Alex for his steadfast leadership and commitment during this time, and for serving the school so unselfishly and at all times with Scotch’s best interests at heart.

It was very fitting that earlier this year the new Scotch 1st VIII was christened in Alex’s honour, in recognition of his service as Chairman and given his family’s deep connection with Scotch rowing. Alex’s grandfather coached the Scotch 1st crew 20 times between 1898 and 1925, winning seven times, and Alex was a member of the 1970 1st VIII and Captain of Boats in 1971, a member of the premiership-winning 1st XVIII in 1970 and 1971, and he went on to represent Victoria and Australia in a distinguished rowing career.

Alex’s dedication to Scotch was further recognised in 2016 when he was awarded an OSCA Honorary Life Membership for service to the school and OSCA, including being President of OSCA in 2011.

We thank Alex for his dedication and generosity of spirit in all he has done for Scotch, and for the support of his wife, Karen, who has supported him unwaveringly over the journey. The Chairman’s wife’s role involves attending many events, and Karen has done it with great grace.

Also at the 1 November School Council meeting, two new Council members were welcomed.

RICHARD HUME (’86) attended Scotch from 1981 to 1987, following his grandfather, Ken (SC 1925-30) and his father, also Ken (SC 1949-57). He was a School Prefect in 1986 and Captain of the School in 1987. He was a member of the Athletics team from 1984 to 1987, the 1st XVIII from 1985 to 1987 (Vice Captain in 1986 and 1987), and the 1st VIII in 1986 and 1987.

Richard brings a background in project management in the building industry spanning 30 years. He is currently a Global Partner at Turner & Townsend, a multinational professional services company specialising in project management, program management, cost management and consultancy across the real estate, infrastructure and natural resources sectors. Prior to this, Richard co-owned Montlaur Project Services for 25 years, which was acquired by CBRE in 2019 and merged with Turner & Townsend in 2022. Richard has delivered large projects across most property sectors including commercial and education. Richard and Susie have two daughters and one son, Charlie, who finished Scotch in 2023.

CAROLYN RYAN is a communications and public relations specialist, advising clients on media engagement, issues management and other reputation matters.

Carolyn has previously worked as a corporate lawyer at a global law firm, as a journalist with The Age, The West Australian and The Telegraph (UK), and as a policy and strategic adviser with Jesuit Social Services. Carolyn is married with three children, including a son at Scotch, Charles (Year 11) and another son, Thomas ('23), who is a past Scotch student.

HAMISH TADGELL (’85) CHAIRMAN

PIPES AND DRUMS' ACHIEVEMENTS SET A NEW BENCHMARK FOR EXCELLENCE

SMILING AT STIRLING

COMPETITION AT THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS; CALM BEFORE THE STORM AT STIRLING CASTLE

BOTTOM PHOTOS, LEFT TO RIGHT: POSTPERFORMANCE PRIDE AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS; FUN IN THE SUN AT BUCHANAN STREET; SCOTCH B BAND AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

SCOTCH’S UNSTOPPABLE

In August 2024, 47 boys from the Scotch Pipes and Drums A and B Bands embarked on an extraordinary journey to Scotland, representing the school at the prestigious World Pipe Band Championships. Accompanied by more than 60 parents, grandparents, and seven staff members, the students showcased not only their musical excellence but also their resilience, teamwork, and dedication.

This trip was much more than a competition; it was a cultural and educational adventure that left an indelible mark on everyone involved. The boys performed at iconic venues such as Stirling Castle and were able to witness and play alongside world-class bands. The experience was both a celebration of Scotch’s rich Pipes and Drums tradition and an opportunity for the boys to create lifelong memories.

The Scotch boys set the stage for success at the European Championships, where the A Band drum corps won the European Drum Corps title in the Novice A division – an achievement never before accomplished by an Australian school band. The B Band also excelled, securing a strong second place finish.

The pinnacle of the trip came at the World Pipe Band Championships. The A Band was placed third in the Novice A division, narrowly missing second by a single point – a result that ties the best-ever performance by an Australian school band at this level. However, the true highlight was the B Band’s historic

victory in the Novice B division, a monumental achievement that crowned them world champions. This marked the first time an Australian school band had won a World Championship title.

Competition day at the World Championships was an emotional whirlwind, especially for the A Band. As they walked off the competition stage, many of the Year 12 students were overwhelmed with emotion – tears flowing alongside huge smiles. Relief, knowing they had delivered an excellent performance, giving their absolute best; sadness, as the realisation set in that their journey of hard work and dedication had come to an end. The most heartwarming moment came as the boys hugged their parents and teachers, expressing profound gratitude for the opportunities and support that had shaped their journey to allow them to perform on the world stage.

The B Band was first announced as placed sixth in their division – a result that was celebrated as a remarkable achievement on the global stage. However, on returning to Melbourne, the band received astonishing news: an administrative error in the scoring had miscalculated their performance. In a follow-up meeting, it was confirmed that the B Band had in fact won the Novice B division by a mile, making them the world champions. This unexpected twist was a defining moment for the boys.

Despite the delayed recognition, they demonstrated resilience, humility and grace throughout the process. The

TOP PHOTOS, LEFT TO RIGHT:

CASTLE;

PIPES AND DRUMS

revelation at home underscored the value of patience and perseverance, serving as a character-building experience that added depth to their historic success.

The boys performed at Stirling Castle, participated in the Piping Live! festival in Glasgow, and attended the awe-inspiring Royal Edinburgh Tattoo, where a composition by Scotch’s own Head of Pipes and Drums, Mark Saul, was featured. These experiences deepened the boys’ appreciation of the opportunities and connections Scotch provides, highlighting that they have world-class staff teaching them every day!

The Scotch College Pipes and Drums’ journey to Scotland was a resounding success, both musically and personally. Their achievements have set a new benchmark for excellence, and their experiences will undoubtedly inspire future generations

of musicians at Scotch. The C Band is already determined to continue the legacy!

Congratulations to our world champions on their historic triumph.

A STUDENT'S REFLECTION

Saturday

A long flight from Melbourne to Glasgow proved tiring for the team, so the first day was relatively relaxed. After some band practices, we visited the Riverside Museum and Kelvingrove Art Gallery. Seeing works like Salvador Dalí’s Christ of Saint John of the Cross and enjoying some classic Scottish curry and chips were highlights.

Sunday

The European Championships proved successful for our bands. The A Band drum corps won best drum corps, and the B Band was placed second overall. While waiting for results, we spontaneously played tunes together, with other bands joining in – an unforgettable moment that captured the spirit of the trip.

Monday

We attended the British Adult Solo Drumming Championships to watch our teacher, Steven Shedden, compete. He finished second against some of the world’s best, which inspired us immensely. That night we saw the Edinburgh Tattoo, an incredible display of music and culture.

Tuesday

Performing at Stirling Castle was magical, despite a sudden rainstorm soaking our instruments. We pushed through, and the crowd loved it.

Wednesday

We performed at the Piping Live! festival on Buchanan Street, enjoying the lively atmosphere. Later, we attended a concert by the Grade 1 Band Boghall and Bathgate, which showcased the highest level of piping and drumming.

Saturday

The World Championships were the culmination of all our efforts. The B Band swept the qualifying heats and went on to win the Novice B division, becoming world champions! The A Band achieved third place in Novice A, cementing Scotch’s status as a global piping powerhouse.

This trip was an incredible experience that none of us will forget.

NICK HEEREY (YEAR 12)

A special acknowledgment to Mark Saul, our piping guru, whose vision and leadership have been instrumental in shaping the Scotch Pipes and Drums program into the powerhouse it is today. Thank you also to Steven Shedden, Struan Thorpe, Georgia McCourt, Hamish Wallace, and Dr John Ferguson. Their passion has inspired and guided the boys, helping them achieve this extraordinary success. The Scotch community is deeply grateful.

AMBERLEY BREMNER – TEACHER-IN-CHARGE, PIPES AND DRUMS

Photo credits: Simon Hutchings, Anna Heerey and Dr John Ferguson.

SCOTCH FORMALISES PARTNERSHIP WITH TIWI COLLEGE VIA THE YADHA MURU FOUNDATION

After 12 months of negotiations the school is delighted to announce that its 16-year relationship with Tiwi College has been formalised into an official partnership via the Yadha Muru Foundation.

This partnership is part of the Yadha Muru Foundation’s CityCountry Partnerships Program, aiming to bridge the educational gap between remote schools with high Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enrolments and high-quality metropolitan schools, supporting the Foundation’s commitment to improving educational outcomes and fostering cultural connection.

At the core of this partnership lies a shared commitment to enriching educational experiences and fostering cultural understanding. Tiwi College brings a deep understanding of the Tiwi language and culture, while Scotch College contributes its established dedication to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures through various programs, supported by the Yadha Muru Foundation. The partnership will focus on initiatives aimed at strengthening literacy and numeracy education at Tiwi College, sharing essential resources and expertise. Notably, Scotch students will benefit from the cultural exchange and knowledge shared, gaining valuable learning opportunities.

‘This partnership extends beyond short-term gains, aiming for lasting benefits for students, families and communities,’ explains Yadha Muru Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Sean Gordon.

‘It serves as a model for collaborative efforts between schools, driving valuable educational and cultural outcomes.’ The Principal, Dr Scott Marsh, reflects on the partnership: ‘Scotch is blessed to have this rich partnership. The strength of our relationship is grounded in deep mutual respect and a shared desire to improve the lives of the young people in our care. Our relationship has stood the test of time and will further flourish with the support of the Yadha Muru Foundation.’

Scotch’s relationship with the Tiwi community dates back to 1996 when the Teacher-in-Charge of (AFL) Football, Dr Rob Smith, was looking for an interstate football experience for the boys in his care. Expecting comfortable hotel options, Rob and his touring party were dismayed at the third world living conditions and quality of life that existed on the islands at the time. James Ross (’98) remembers being confronted by the living conditions on the Tiwi Islands. ‘As a Year 10 boy from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, I was struck by the challenging circumstances that confronted the Tiwi people, but I was also struck by how happy the Tiwi children were, and how welcoming they were to us.’

Current staff member James Gerstman (’98) described the trip as ‘incredibly memorable’. He said: ‘Despite their limited resources, their passion for football shone through. This was evident across the entire island, as all they wanted to do was play and talk about the game.’

A PHOTO FROM SCOTCH’S FIRST VISIT TO THE TIWI ISLANDS IN 1996

Moved by the experience, Rob arranged annual tours to the Tiwi Islands where our boys would play against the Tiwi community on Bathurst Island. The relationship grew as trust was built. Scotch would return annually and many Scotch boys were fortunate enough to experience the rich culture and hospitality of the Tiwi Islands.

Not content with the prevailing educational offerings on Bathurst Island, the Tiwi Education Board, led by Jennifer Ullungura Clancy, felt the Tiwi children deserved better. ‘We’ve tried the non-Tiwi led way, often led by well intentioned nonTiwi people, but it hasn’t worked.’ Scotch’s relationship with the Tiwi community went to the next level when the Tiwi Education Board engaged Scotch to support the creation of Tiwi College at Pickataramoor on Melville Island. ‘The Tiwi Way is all about relationships, friendship and family. Tiwi have had a beautiful relationship with Scotch College since the ’90s which quickly grew into friendship, and now they are part of our extended Tiwi family.’

Opening in 2008, Tiwi College is a product of the Tiwi elders’ desire and foresight to have a school that educates students in the Tiwi Way, with Tiwi language and culture at its forefront. It is a boarding school owned and managed by the Tiwi people through the Tiwi Education Board, which comprises senior men and women from all Tiwi communities. The school is located at Pickataramoor, which is strategically located approximately 60km away from the closest community.

Tiwi College

Principal Greg Hollis notes: ‘The secret of success to our

longstanding relationship is both as simple and as complex as the foundations we’ve built together. Forged through friendship, understanding and mutual respect for our unique identities and the recognition of the strength in our diversity, we each care about and strive to provide the best for our students in everything we do.’

The Yadha Muru Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that seeks to grow and empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples while nurturing their identity, in partnership with schools, families and communities, by creating their own good path to learn, grow and thrive. Yadha Muru means ‘good path’ in the language of the local Dharug people.

Evidence from NAPLAN testing shows that by Year 3, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children display literacy and numeracy achievement levels well below their non-Indigenous peers. The NAPLAN data demonstrates that this educational gap persists as students progress through the school years.

The Yadha Muru Foundation works with communities and schools to establish relationships, developing trust, understanding and respect, culminating in partnerships between the local community and high-quality schools.

The key building blocks of the partnership model are respect, reciprocity, relationships and responsibility. Each partnership uniquely arises out of a local collaboration that ensures the school is designed to meet the particular needs of the students and the local community. Agility, flexibility, autonomy and responsiveness at the school level are critical.

It would be fair to say that Tiwi College has had its fair share of ups and downs since its inception. The school is presently rebounding from difficulties associated with the pandemic and with leadership instability. Brian Clancy, a Tiwi legend, stresses the importance of the partnership: ‘There is no plan B. If Tiwi College fails, the Tiwi youth will fail, and we have failed the Tiwi youth.’

The final word is perhaps best left to Dr Rob Smith, who has done so much for Scotch’s First Nations program: ‘At Scotch we are proud to partner with Tiwi College to achieve positive educational and life outcomes for generations of Tiwi.’

TIM SHEARER – HEAD OF ADVANCEMENT

BARLOW MCCARTHY (YEAR 10) AND FRIEND DURING THIS YEAR’S VISIT TO TIWI COLLEGE

TIWI ISLANDER CYRIL RIOLI (’07) VISITED SCOTCH IN JULY AND IS PICTURED (CENTRE) WITH SCOTCH’S CURRENT FIRST NATIONS STUDENTS AND 2023 SCHOOL CAPTAIN, DION WHITFIELD (KNEELING CENTRE).

SCOTCH PRINCIPAL DR SCOTT MARSH , TIWI COLLEGE PRINCIPAL GREG HOLLIS, TIWI LEGEND BRIAN CLANCY, CHAIR OF TIWI LAND COUNCIL AND TIWI COLLEGE, JENNIFER ULLUNGURA CLANCY, FORMER SCOTCH COUNCIL CHAIR, ALEX SLOAN (’71), SCOTCH’S HEAD OF ADVANCEMENT, TIM SHEARER (’85), SCOTCH’S HEAD OF INDIGENOUS EDUCATION, DR ROB SMITH, TAMMY AND SHANE TIPA FROM MAMANTA SERVICES.

UNITING IN SONG – A FEATURE OF

A feature of any Foundation Day

Concert is the school (or at least Years 10 to 12) uniting in song, and the 2024 concert, held in Hamer Hall on Tuesday 10 September, was no exception. The grand finale belonged to the boys, as they sang school songs, two special arrangements, and a set of operatic choruses.

The evening also included some other memorable performances. Captain of Music, Geoff Liu performed the final movement of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with dazzling panache. It was one of the finest violin performances that I can remember at Scotch. Other soloists were featured in Rimsky-Korsakov’s virtuosic Capriccio Espagnol. The Academy

Strings, under the excellent direction of Ben Castle, performed a truly moving performance of the Intermezzo from Mascagni’s Cavaleria Rusticana and gave a polished performance of Shostakovich’s String Symphony. David Musk conducted the Symphonic Wind for a performance of John Mackey’s Aurora Awakes. One audience member said to me that he’d never heard such a variety of tone and colour from that ensemble.

The Show Band, under the direction of Chris Farrands, opened the second half with an outstanding performance of Richardson’s Groove Merchant, featuring soloists Matthew Ashley (Year 11 – piano), and Thomas Johnston (Year 12) on soprano

saxophone, followed by Fantasy by Maurice White, with Nathan Ou (Year 12) as the featured soloist. The College Choir, under the direction of Andrew Hunter, continued the concert with a beautiful performance of Rutter’s I will Sing with Spirit followed by the Chamber Choir’s performance of Arnesen’s Even When He is Silent and Paul Rardin’s arrangement of Walk in Jerusalem with Keith Woo, Emmanuel Dela Cruz, William Zheng and Benji Scott (all Year 12) as soloists – a most delightful and memorable performance.

The Military Band performed particularly well, bringing colour and a little pomp to the night. The Drumline followed on with a staff member’s composition,

TOP LEFT: CAPTAIN OF MUSIC GEOFF LIU PERFORMS TCHAIKOVSKY’S VIOLIN CONCERTO

2024 CONCERT ALSO INCLUDED MEMORABLE SOLO PERFORMANCES

THE FOUNDATION DAY CONCERT

Conversation in Red, by Harry Potocnik. Our Head of Pipes and Drums, Mark Saul, composed Quiddity, which impressed all with its variety and creativity. Mark is quite a star in the international world of pipes and drums. One of his compositions was featured at the Edinburgh Tattoo, and at the World Championships in Glasgow, people were asking for his autograph –go Mark!

The grand finale belonged to the boys in Years 10-12. They had sung the school songs, as well as my arrangements of Siyahamba and Loch Lomond, and now it was time for a set of operatic choruses.

The Anvil Chorus (Verdi), the Pilgrim’s Chorus (Wagner), the Gendarmes’ Duet

(Offenbach), the Toreador Song (Bizet), with soloists Benji Scott and Neil Wang (Year 12), Funiculi Funicula (Denza) with Thomas Nguyen and William Zheng (Year 12) as soloists, The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves (Verdi) and finally, Brindisi from Verdi’s La Traviata, with Jason Zhao (Year 12) and Duc Luu taking the solos.

I was proud of the soloists, all of whom sang superbly. I was also proud of the orchestra – these operatic choruses are not easy to play. However, I was particularly delighted with the boys in the massed singing. It was a great act of faith on their part; they do not get the full effect until the last couple of rehearsals when they have the orchestra, but they

really started to get into the music, and walking around the school at lunchtime after rehearsal hearing boys singing bits of Wagner, Verdi and Bizet was quite something!

Perhaps the best summation of all was in part of Geoff Liu’s welcome in the Foundation Day program: ‘Through every rehearsal, every shared struggle and success, Scotchies develop a lasting camaraderie that transcends the notes on the page. These bonds, formed through shared challenges and triumphs, encapsulate the welcoming warmth of the Scotch Family, a sense of belonging that permeates every melody we sing and play.’

DR JOHN FERGUSON – DIRECTOR OF MUSIC

MR TOM SAVILL VICE PRINCIPAL –HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

MICRO-MOMENTS IN OUR BOYS’ DEVELOPMENT AS IMPACTFUL MEMBERS OF SOCIETY

Life is often rich thanks to the wide variety of seminal moments we experience as we grow and develop. Attending school is certainly one of the most influential periods of life, as it seeks to impact our academic, social, emotional and broader character formation.

All Scotchies enjoy a rich experience throughout their time at school. This time is filled with many micro-moments that accumulatively contribute to their development as individuals and as impactful members of society.

I have the privilege of being involved in a number of these micro-moments, and would suggest that many can be considered as ‘rites of passage’.

For every Scotchie, their connection with school begins before their first day in class, in uniform or settling into learning opportunities. Each boy has the opportunity to engage in orientation sessions in the year before he begins in the Junior School.

This year, our 2025 Prep cohort enjoyed a tweak to the orientation processes, thanks to the work of the Junior Primary team. Each boy joining Prep the following year had the opportunity to come into school for a developmental play session

early in Term 2. This session also provided the opportunity for the new Prep families to meet one another and socialise. The opportunity for familiarisation and social connection impacted positively for the next steps in this process.

In Term 3 the new Prep boys engaged in more targeted orientation processes, which help give the school and families greater clarity on how each of them can be successful in their transition. We are very fortunate to be able to engage a broad variety of specialists who help paint colourful pictures of the boys and give deep insight into how we can best assist them.

We have similar processes for Years 3 and 4 new boys. However, at their age and stage of development there is a stronger focus on the social aspect. Boys of this age look for peer connection as a strong source of support, and thus our orientation sessions have a large component of social interaction and bespoke activity to help scaffold this area of growth.

It is wonderful welcoming new boys and families into the school. I enjoy taking time to meet with each individually to share our Scotch values and ascertain how our new Scotchies will contribute once they step through the gates.

RITES OF PASSAGE REINFORCING MEMBERSHIP OF THE SCOTCH FAMILY

It is also important to recognise that it is not just the new boys who engage in orientation and transition. We have wonderful opportunities for current students to reflect on their maturation and connection to the school through internal rites of passage.

Our Year 2 boys look forward to the Tie Ceremony in Term 4. This ceremony has evolved over the years. The primary purpose is to celebrate the Year 2 boys’ transition from Junior Primary into Upper Primary. For the boys this means changes where they play at lunchtime and recess and to the uniform they wear, as well as changes to the challenges they have in their learning.

The Tie Ceremony seeks to celebrate all Year 2s for their journey to that point and award them their first Scotch tie. At this point I take a moment to reflect on the Scotch concept of the Cardinal Thread and help the boys recognise the symbolic significance of the ties and the cloth from which they are cut.

Another wonderful rite of passage celebrated in Term 4 is that of our Year 6 boys’ transition to Senior School. This is most tangibly recognised at their Valedictory Dinner and their recognition at the end of year Speech Night.

The dinner creates a moment for the boys to reflect with

their families on the many amazing things they have achieved during their time at school. Speech Night seeks to give the school an opportunity to thank the Year 6 cohort for their contribution and for the Senior School to welcome them. The Vice Principal –Head of Senior School attends Speech Night and speaks directly to the boys in a formal welcome to their next chapter.

As mentioned, there will be many micro-moments that will positively influence each boy. Whether they are flagship ceremonies or simply small interactions with others, each will collectively contribute to the whole.

Each boy will have his own experience and will have the opportunity to celebrate his efforts. Each rite of passage he experiences takes him one step closer to the next challenge, but also further reinforces his foundation as a Scotchie, a member of the Scotch Family and someone strongly connected to the Cardinal Thread.

It is through authentic connection to something greater than oneself that we recognise the value we bring and thus our true worth.

AN INTRODUCTION TO BASIC MOVEMENT PATTERNS SCOTCH’S

PREP PERCEPTUAL MOTOR PROGRAM IN ACTION

The sporting and Physical Education experiences offered to our Junior School boys commence the moment they enter the school. Young boys take to sport like ducks to water. In their first year of schooling, Prep boys are immersed in sport from their first day. During Physical Education lessons, a variety of skills are developed, including movement and climbing skills, balance activities, strength development, ball skills and coordination. Development of these skills is sequential and regular reinforcement occurs.

The Perceptual Motor Program (PMP) is offered to Prep students as part of the Term 3 Physical Education program. This program is run over six to seven weeks, with boys usually attending two sessions per week. This participation allows for the essential reinforcement of all coordination and motor skills and is based on frequent and regular reinforcement. This reinforcement occurs through the generous support of Prep parent helpers. This explanation of the program sets out why PMP is so important, as well as explaining some of the specific details of the program.

What is PMP?

For a child to learn, the mind and body must work together, which is why a perceptual motor program is important in the early years. This program focuses on developing the whole child rather than just motor skills. Perceptual deals with obtaining information and motor refers to the outcome of the movement. Perceptual motor activities require children to use their brain and body together to accomplish tasks. PMP connects students with a variety of exercises and physical activities that are targeted at improving their perception, as well as their fine and gross motor skills.

Language is a key factor in the program by providing knowledge about the motor experiences. Without the focus

of language, the program would just be a physical program. Perceptual motor training provides the child with a wide range of experiences in seeing, touching, hearing, making perceptual judgments and reacting. Through PMP, children develop perceptions and understandings of their world through the movement and motor experiences.

Why is PMP important?

Learning movement skills in primary schools leads to a greater possibility of learning more specialised skills for participation in physical activity in later life. PMP is important as it addresses the introduction to basic movement patterns.

The Scotch Perceptual Motor Program

By researching existing programs and theory, our PMP has a combination of original material and activities adapted from similar programs, particularly those used for prep children. Accordingly, a good Perceptual Motor Program should include:

• Skill sequence

• Safety

• Variety

• Challenge

The parents who assisted with the implementation of this year’s PMP received training prior to their engagement in our program, which helped all the students to achieve sustained improvement in their physical development over a relatively short timeframe. That we were able to have so many parent helpers, often six to eight parent helpers at each session, was significantly beneficial for the Prep students, and was instrumental in the success of the program.

DEAN GREGORY – JUNIOR SCHOOL TEACHER, PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND ENRICHMENT MATHEMATICS

INTERVIEW: MIMI HOHLWEG

GERMAN TEACHER, JUNIOR SCHOOL

Mimi began working with the Scotch Junior School team in 2023. Her enthusiasm and effervescent approach to learning languages is shared with her students, as she encourages them to deepen their understanding in class. Naturally, Mimi is fluent in German, French, Portuguese and English, and she speaks a little Spanish too! She values time spent helping children

learn German through content integration, folklore and conversation.

Having travelled internationally and residing in Berlin, Germany, in recent years, Mimi is passionate about preserving nature and is an environmental advocate.

It is a pleasure working alongside Mimi.

JACINTA MURRAY

What do you find most rewarding about teaching?

At the base of all I do as a teacher, more important to me than any pursuit, is to enable students to believe in themselves. It is an honour to accompany young people on a small part of their life’s journey. I hope to encourage students to become good people and active citizens within society. It is important to me to foster empathy, self-reflection and critical thinking.

I trust that students will use these skills to develop good values and find their moral compass in life.

What ignited your passion to teach?

As a naturally inquisitive person, I enjoy discovering the physical and cultural worlds around me. My goal is to cultivate humble curiosity within my students, particularly the younger ones.

I enjoy being a facilitator, allowing students to find out what they find personally rewarding as they explore language learning. In language learning, there are all forms of meaning-making within interconnected contexts. Some students relish the logic of grammar, while others embark on imaginative journeys, discovering the unique cultural connotations of specific expressions. Some are keen to explore quirky historical linguistic connections; others love to harness the essence of effective communication, speaking enthusiastically regardless of their language proficiency. I cherish sharing these learning experiences with my students.

Do you have an interesting fact that you are willing to share?

I had a bicultural identity growing up and felt both Australian and German. We did a lot of bike touring; I loved being able to see nature in this way. From snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef from our zodiac family boat, to camping, to riding a bike in the mountains, it was wonderful to experience this country through the passion of my father. I also loved to share aspects of my culture with friends – although they preferred their beautifully soft, white bread to my dense German seeded sourdough bread (getting close to pumpernickel) which my mother had baked herself, of course!

Do you have a guiding philosophy?

Family values are especially important to me. Good parenting is a cornerstone of our educational development and, as children grow up, continues to be supported by the teachers at school. Approaching everyone with an understanding that they may be different in family values and backgrounds is important to me. Having cultural humility is also one of my core values. I think that differences in family and cultural backgrounds offer a great opportunity for connection and enrichment.

What advice would you give our VCE students as they leave Scotch?

You are young but not too young. Look after your friends – look out for their safety, be the community and society that you want to create, engage with others, balance family with friends, reach out – it is the same for others, not only you: you are not alone

What is your favourite corner of Scotch?

I take great joy in the landscaped gardens of Scotch College as I make my way through the school grounds to the classrooms. The gardens are beautiful in their structure, while the small elements also give me special pleasure. There are diverse plants flowering all throughout the year; various colours and textures complement each other. I think that making a garden for others’ enjoyment is a caring act – like making a lovely meal for someone. I feel nurtured by the gardens; they give me a moment of pause and appreciation before I walk into the Junior School to hear the happy laughing voices and to begin a busy day.

face challenges such as the urban-rural divide, socioeconomic disparities, and the need for greater cultural inclusivity, the Oodi model presents a compelling blueprint for strengthening the ties that bind our communities.

Drawing inspiration from the Oodi’s success, we could bridge divides by creating centralised hubs in rural areas, equipped with advanced technology and staffed by expert facilitators, thus narrowing the resource gap between urban and rural communities. Open-access spaces that cater to diverse interests and needs can bring together people from different backgrounds, promoting understanding and breaking down barriers. Spaces designed for both individual and group activities can foster a culture of collaboration, encouraging people to work

together towards shared objectives. By reimagining schools as community centres open beyond traditional hours, we can create environments that encourage lifelong learning and intergenerational interaction.

The Oodi stands as a powerful example of how thoughtfully designed spaces can bring people together, fostering unity and shared purpose. As we look to the future of Australian education and community development, let us draw inspiration from this model. By creating inclusive, technologically-advanced and communitycentred spaces, we can nurture a society where the ties that bind us are not just maintained but strengthened. In doing so, we may compose our own ode to learning, creativity and connection, written not in words, but in the vibrant, shared spaces we create.

PHOTOGRAPHERS' CREDITS: 1. & 2. KUVIO, 3. TUOMAS-UUSHEIMO, 4. KUVIO

- HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

MRS KATRINA BRENNAN VICE PRINCIPAL – HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

STANDING TOGETHER, OUR BOYS FEEL THEY CAN OVERCOME CHALLENGES

UNITING THE JOURNEY

YEAR 11 DRAMA IMMERSION STUDENTS UNITE IN PERFORMING FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS

In a world where divisions are rife, the importance of unity cannot be overstated. In a school environment, a sense of community allows all to thrive.

Our aim in the Senior School is to be a place and space where the boys feel safe, supported, known and cared for. We foster a sense that each boy’s uniqueness contributes to a strengthened whole, where we cherish difference, and all students feel connected to each other and to their school.

It is our goal to unite our students in their journey. Standing together, our boys feel that they can overcome challenges and that their fellow ‘Scotchies’ will support them in all that they do. As they journey through Scotch, we hope to engender a sense of being part of something bigger than themselves; the historical fabric of the school is tangibly illustrated by the honour boards, photographs, dedications, monuments, songs and traditions, which reference past students and periods of the school’s rich history.

This sense of community reaches its pinnacle in Year 12. In their final days, the boys reflect on their time at Scotch and the experiences and people that have shaped them. If a community is united, diverse opinions, ideas and talents will have shaped each boy’s character. You are richer for having worked alongside those who differ from you, and vice versa.

When their examinations are over, our students’ focus becomes the transition to life outside of Scotch and to their new identity as part of the OSCA community.

As a new member of the Scotch Family, I can feel the sense of camaraderie that exists between our students. I am impressed by the culture of the school and the boys’ respect for their peers and teachers. At the same time, I am aware that there is always room to build on our strengths, and that we should continue to educate, inspire and guide our students to see the value in all, and to encourage them to be supportive, inclusive and loving in their

interactions with each other.

So it is that we invest in the structures and people to best support our boys. We provide programs to develop, educate and give them opportunities to build the sense of community.

In the coming weeks, as we choose the Prefects and student leaders for 2025, this idea of unity and connection will be key; who is wishing to lead in order to serve others? Who has shown that they care for their fellow students and community? Who has indeed acted to unite those around them, to lift someone up when they are down, give words of kindness and encouragement when required? Who has respected the spaces, and people of Scotch College and shown gratitude for the education that Scotch has provided.

For this lies at the heart of a thriving community; a desire by each member to put the wants and needs of others ahead of their own. A respect for the past and the leaders and students who went before. A wish to include and to cherish. A deep respect for

the staff who give so much and who role model the qualities that the boys aspire to develop. A humility about your own success and a desire to extol the virtues and glory of others.

For generations, Scotch College has produced young men of character who go on to contribute positively to the communities of which they are a part. Perhaps this is in no small way attributable to their formation in a community that threads and links itself to each other and that models service and contribution to its young men.

May we continue to foster a strong community of love and support in the Scotch Senior School. I look forward to our work together, as the Scotch Family, promoting the values and qualities that we cherish, to our current generation of students. May they feel connected and united to past generations, to each other, and to a future community that will support them for life and enable them to experience the joy that comes from contributing to it.

hoping to implement in the near future?

Since arriving at Scotch I have spent a lot of time getting to know the community – the Scotch Family – building relationships with staff and students. And I have been very thankful for the warm welcome I have received. As a New South Welshwoman, there are many things that are new (beyond the hook turn), including a new curriculum, and I have appreciated people’s generosity and patience, particularly my Years 7 and 8 Drama classes.

Among a few particular projects I have been excited to start has been the design of Illumine, a new, College-wide approach to professional growth for staff. This program intends to celebrate and shed light on areas of excellence in staff practice, and to identify areas for further growth, ensuring we continue to be a beacon of best practice. I have also been thinking about how we attract, orient and enculturate new staff to and in the College, as well as how we strengthen our research investment and engagement for staff and students alike.

In your opinion, what are some of the key advantages of a boys’ education?

There are many advantages I see in the education provided by a single-sex, boys’ school. To hark back to my earlier comment, one of the key advantages is the unique opportunity it provides us to think and speak intentionally about the kind of men we are forming, and to design an educational experience towards this end. Having spent the last 10 years working in this type of environment, I consider it a true privilege to partner with families in this precious work.

Would you mind sharing with us some of your key passions or hobbies?

I have many hobbies and interests. I am an avid reader (which hopefully befits my title). As a Drama teacher, I am passionate about the arts and particularly enjoy singing. I enjoy most sports, but netball especially, and time in the outdoors, hiking, is often how I am refreshed. I am a Christian person, and so also spend time serving in my local church and on the board of a not-for-profit ministry organisation.

SCOTCH PIPES AND DRUMS

TRIUMPH AT THE WORLD SOLO DRUMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

DRUMMING UP VICTORY AND

Scotch College’s recent journey to Scotland in October for the World Solo Drumming Championships was an extraordinary experience for students, building on the school’s recent success at the World Pipe Band Championships.

Following this success, six dedicated Scotch College students embarked on a second trip to Scotland to compete in the World Solo Drumming Championships in Glasgow. The group’s crossage composition, featuring students from Years 8 to 11, created a uniquely supportive environment, providing opportunities for mentoring, leadership and peer support. Parents emphasised the profound impact this trip had on their sons’ confidence and character. Each student competed in his respective age group, performing in a specific music category while accompanied by a professional piper. The tenor drummers performed with a piper and a snare drummer, creating a memorable opportunity for the

boys to support each other.

In addition to the competition, the boys attended exclusive masterclasses with world champion drummers Jim Kilpatrick, Steven McWhirter, Kerr McQuillan, Jordan Bailie and Gill Watson, arranged by our Head of Highland Drumming, Steven Shedden. These sessions provided the students with advanced techniques and valuable life lessons of self-discipline, resilience, and the importance of positive self-talk in high-pressure situations. This trip also offered the students a unique cultural immersion, with locals often engaging with the Scotch boys as they proudly represented their school. They stood out in their Scotch kilts, carrying drums and trophies!

The competition results were outstanding:

◍ Brian Kwong (Year 9): 1st place in the Tenor Drumming World Championship 14 and Over March section, achieving

KILTING IT IN SCOTLAND

the honour and title of world champion.

◍ Charlie Perry (Year 10): 3rd place in the World Solo Snare Championship Over 14 March.

◍ Alan Guan (Year 8): 3rd place in the Tenor Drumming Championship Under 14 March.

◍ Noah Fraser (Year 11): 4th place in the Tenor Drumming Championship 16 and Over MSR.

◍ Sam Thomas (Year 11): 6th place in the World Solo Snare Championship Over 14 March.

◍ Dylan King (Year 8): 10th place in the World Solo Snare Championship Under 14 March.

The students returned not only with trophies, medals and titles but also with strengthened friendships and a renewed sense of pride in their school and our Scottish traditions. Music teachers are privileged to work one-on-one with students, and opportunities

such as this trip allow teachers to support the ‘whole’ boy. These experiences remind the boys that they have a team of teachers at Scotch to support and encourage their individual journey. This exceptional adventure was only possible due to the enthusiasm of the parents and families and the dedication of the Pipes and Drums teaching team, and would not have been possible without the trust and support of Scotch’s leadership. The encouragement of the whole school community has supported our students to experience a level of achievement and growth that will inspire them for years to come, solidifying Scotch’s place on the world stage in the piping and drumming community.

AMBERLEY BREMNER – TEACHER-IN-CHARGE, PIPES AND DRUMS

KAMINSKY FAMILY HIGH-PERFORMANCE GYMNASIUM MAKES ITS DEBUT

In Term 3, the Kaminsky Family High Performance Gymnasium opened, becoming a significant addition to Scotch's athletic development program. The gym was officially unveiled with a memorable opening ceremony on Thursday 15 August, followed by a high intensity workout with all in attendance – young and old!

The new facility is the culmination of a collective fundraising effort from Old Boys, auxiliaries and the school to expand the functional training programs for all sports, improving our athletes’ muscle strength, power, flexibility and sport-specific performance.

Scotch’s Director of Sport, Stuart Powell, believes the school will look back at the opening of the gym as a meaningful moment in the development of Scotch’s sports program. More than 90 boys now use the gym each day, before and after school, and at lunchtimes. Under the guidance of strength and conditioning coaches, boys work out in sessions tailored to their individual sport requirements.

‘We wanted to provide an inspiring space where boys are excited about using the area and motivated to get on board with the opportunities provided,’ Stuart Powell said. ‘The boys’ training will assist in their sporting development and help them gain the many holistic benefits of regular physical activity. I am extremely proud of what the school has established, and we are already seeing the benefits in our sporting programs.’

Mr Powell described the response to the new facility from the Scotch Family as ‘awesome’, with even a little envy shown by

some Old Boys. ‘I have loved seeing the expressions change on people’s faces as they walk into the new space.’

Captain of Rugby Nick Heery said the new gym has enabled the rugby boys to start preseason training, and they are gaining size and physicality to add to their existing skill set. ‘They are enjoying training with one of our rugby coaches, Gregor, and becoming closer with their teammates while simultaneously getting stronger and faster,’ he said.

Captain of Football, Tom Farrer, reflected on how the new gym is a valuable addition to the football program, allowing boys to train several times a week, and improving their strength so that they can compete at a higher level. ‘The greatest aspect of the new gym is the opportunity to spend quality time with other boys in the sports program, and developing the football culture with each session,’ he said.

While the boys have been enjoying the new facilities, Scotch staff are also seeing the benefits of the new gym, with access to develop their physical fitness and support their mental wellbeing before and after work hours each day.

The Scotch Family is most grateful to the Kaminsky family and to Ken Jasper ('55), for their significant financial support of this new facility. We also thank the 1858 Club and the Scrum Club parent auxiliaries, as well as the many other generous donors who have brought this special project to life.

FIRST NATIONS BOYS RALLY THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY IN A FOOTY BOOTS DRIVE

SCOTCH PUTS ITS BEST FOOT FORWARD FOR INDIGENOUS KIDS

In the first week of September, Year 11 First Nations boys at Scotch rallied the school community through a Footy Boots Drive, supporting the Redtails Pinktails Right Tracks Program in Central Australia. The drive was an overwhelming success, with donations including sporting boots and runners – testament to the generosity and support of our school community.

The Redtails Pinktails Right Tracks Program is a communitydriven initiative designed to empower Indigenous youth through the combined forces of sport, education and cultural connection. The program operates primarily in Central Australia, offering young people a safe and supportive environment where they can engage in positive activities that build their confidence, resilience and life skills.

By fostering a sense of community and belonging, the Redtails Pinktails Right Tracks Program is helping to shape the next generation of leaders and role models within Indigenous communities.

At the conclusion of the Footy Boots Drive at a Memorial Hall Assembly in the Senior School, we were lucky to have ambassadors of the program – AFL legends Gilbert McAdam and Ken Hunter, as well as Alice Springs senior physician Peter Wirth (’79) – on hand to accept the donations.

Gilbert McAdam delivered a moving speech from the heart in the Memorial Hall, where he spoke of his lived experience as a young boy from the Alice, the current disadvantages faced by

many Indigenous people in Central Australia, and that something as small as a pair of footy boots would not just make a little boy’s day – it would make him burst into tears. It would give him a start in life and empower him.

First Nations kids in Central Australia deserve better – they can succeed given half a chance – and supporting initiatives like this can change mindsets and create pathways. Those were the takeaways from Gilbert’s address.

This endeavour by our First Nations boys is a powerful example of how we at Scotch have united for a greater purpose. It is also a great example of how our boys are committed to shaping a better future. Through the collective generosity of students, staff and families, we have come together to support Redtails Pinktails, a cause that aligns with this school’s valuing of service to others, and unity.

Just as the Cardinal Thread ties us all together, this initiative demonstrates how we can unite our strengths to have a meaningful impact beyond the Monash Gates – united in the journey to shaping a better future.

DION WHITFIELD (’22) – FIRST NATIONS SUPPORT PROGRAM, ACADEMIC TUTOR

‘WHO ARE WE?

RED ARMY’

THE SCOTCH CHEER SQUAD’S CHANT IS A DECLARATION OF UNITY, PRIDE AND IDENTITY

A Scotch student may wonder ‘Who am I?’ or ‘Who are we?’. For those of us who are part of the Red Army, our school’s spirited cheer squad as well as for our students here at Scotch, these phrases hold more meaning than just words.

‘Who are we? Red Army’ echoes over the Main Oval as our footy and cricket boys play, throughout the halls of the Quadrangle, but most importantly, all throughout our hearts. It is a declaration of unity, pride and identity. It binds us together, not only as supporters of our teams, but as members of something far greater: Scotch College itself.

When we question ‘Who am I?’ and ‘Who are we?’ it’s not just a cheer; it's an affirmation of our integrity and the legacy that we carry forward as Scotch students. The boys who wear the colours cardinal, gold and blue, whether they are on the field or in the stands, represent more than just themselves. They embody the values of respect, discipline and honour that our school has upheld for many generations. These qualities define who we are, not just in the heat of competition but in our everyday lives.

At its core, this iconic chant symbolises the culture of brotherhood we share here. It’s more than sportsmanship; it’s the deep connection we form with one another as we push ourselves and support each other in both victory and defeat. The Red Army isn't just about making noise for our teams; it’s about being there for each other, showing up when it matters most, and standing tall when times are tough. This chant brings us together, reminding us that we are never alone in our challenges or our triumphs.

The legacy of Scotch College is carried on the shoulders of those who uphold its traditions, and the ‘Who are we?’ chant is one of the cornerstones of our cultural fabric. It represents the pride we take in being part of this school and the respect we have for those who came before us. Every voice raised in that chant adds to the history and spirit of Scotch, reminding us that we are all part of something bigger than ourselves.

So, who are we? We are Scotch College. We are a family. We are a legacy of excellence, integrity, and loyalty. And that is something we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.

JONO LEAKE – YEAR 12

WEAVING THE CARDINAL THREAD FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE

CREATING NARRATIVES LED BY THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE

One of the most delightful parts of our role at Scotch is helping boys to weave their understanding of self, their dreams and ambitions with possible pathways and opportunities for the future.

Central to this is the contribution made by the extended Scotch Family, and particularly OSCA. The contribution of Old Boys in sharing their experience in certain industries and their career journeys through our Mentoring, Careers Convention and Beyond the Gates programs this year, helped boys to connect the thread of real world understanding and their dreams. It is wonderful to watch current Scotchies begin to create their own narratives when they are informed by those who have gone before.

One of the key messages Old Boys have been delivering to current students is the importance of being adaptable and open to new opportunities. This is particularly important given that we know how much change is ahead for the future of work. A recent report about the competing forces shaping the workplaces of 2030, ‘Workforce of the Future’, by PWC, identifies sustainable practices, technology and creativity as key in developing workplaces that are future ready.

Encouraging lifelong learning and ensuring boys can identify their skill sets - not just defining themselves through a particular job - is an important part of making sure boys are prepared to weave themselves into the future fabric of society.

Albert Ellis’s ABC Model is a significant part of the form of therapy that he developed, known as Rational-Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) in the 1950s. From: https://positivepsychology.com/positive-mindset/

Optimism is a key element of coping well with change. Career conversations with young people which promote an optimistic outlook and an overall positive mindset may also support boys in staying motivated throughout their schooling. The contribution of the Scotch Family in sharing their lived experience with current boys helps to develop optimism by showing the boys how many possible futures there are for them.

There are many traits and characteristics associated with a positive mindset, including:

l Optimism: a willingness to make an effort and take a chance instead of assuming your efforts won’t pay off.

l Acceptance: acknowledging that things don’t always turn out how you want them to, but learning from your mistakes.

l Resilience: bouncing back from adversity, disappointment and failure, instead of giving up.

l Gratitude: actively, continuously appreciating the good things in your life.

l Consciousness/mindfulness: dedicating the mind to conscious awareness and enhancing the ability to focus.

l Integrity: the trait of being honourable, righteous, and straightforward, instead of deceitful and/or self-serving.

According to positive psychologist Martin Seligman (2006), optimism can be cultivated by challenging the negative stories we create in our minds. This ‘learned optimism’ can be beneficial in helping us to feel happier and healthier, to release stress, and to increase performance and motivation. The ABC Model outlined at left, originally developed by Albert Ellis and later adapted by Martin Seligman, is an approach to help us think more optimistically.

OPHELIA HOPKINS – HEAD OF FUTURE PATHWAYS

FAMILY DAY

A SOGGY BUT MOST ENJOYABLE FAMILY DAY

Cool and damp conditions could not mar the enthusiasm of competitors, spectators or exhibitors on Family Day, Saturday 14 September. As usual there were impressive displays of art and design, and a diverse array of stalls run by many of our auxiliaries.

The backdrop, however, was of course the fiercely-fought House Athletics competition taking place on the Main. This began at lunchtime on the previous Thursday, with Captain of Athletics Rory Vial taking out the open 3000 m ahead of Conor Sullivan (Year 11) and Bart Leeton

(Year 10). In the Scotch Flyer, Patrick Kroschel (Year 11) edged out Alexander Iser (Year 12), and in the Quarter, Hugo Stubbs (Year 10), off 26.4 m, held off Jarrad Munro (Year 10), off 19.7 m, and Bart Leeton, off 11.7 m.

Unfortunately, the somewhat soggy conditions meant our jumps, hurdles and relays did not get off the ground, but sufficient events were held for Gilray to claim a clear victory with Littlejohn second and Selby Smith third.

KEITH OATLEY – HOUSE ACTIVITIES COORDINATOR

CLASS OF 2024 PRESENTATION NIGHT

On Thursday 17 October in the Memorial Hall, all those in attendance were privy to the life experiences and wisdom of our distinguished guest and Vice Chairman of the Scotch College Council, the Rev Dr John Wilson, whose career includes numerous eminent roles, notably as Moderator-General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia from 2016-2019 and board member of the World Reformed Fellowship. His frequent travels and support to Presbyterian Churches in Malawi, Zambia and India provided our students with some inspirational guidance as they prepared to depart our school.

Dr Scott Marsh delivered his Principal’s Report in which he congratulated the Class of 2024 for ‘end[ing] their schooling years with class and with dignity’; and the Perelberg Award went to Dr Oliver Cronin (’02), an early-career clinician-researcher and an advanced endoscopist/gastroenterologist, who is a great ambassador for Scotch and Australia.

Amid the hymns, College Anthem and College Song , the Bible reading and prayer, students leaped on to the stage to receive their prizes and books in recognition of all their efforts over their schooling time, acting as mementoes to their permanent membership of the Scotch Family.

DR OLIVER CRONIN (’02, CENTRE) WITH DR HARRY AND MRS RITA PERELBERG

CLASS OF 2024 TORCH CEREMONY

THIS LAST CATHARTIC ASSEMBLY TRADITION IS CERTAINLY THE PERFECT VEHICLE FOR EMOTIONS TO FIND THEIR FINAL WAY ONTO THE STAGE

On Friday 18 October, many hearts were beating fast as our students took to the Memorial Hall stage for the final time. As per tradition the two torches were lit by our current youngest Year 7 students, before passing them on to departing staff who then relayed the torches to our departing Year 12 cohort, while those in attendance sang the usual school songs.

Such a moving ceremony, unique to our school, will certainly resonate with our young men and constitute precious memories of their time with us; the torch also crystalising the light and hope they will carry within them for the rest of their lives through the Scotch Spirit.

CLASS OF 2024 VALEDICTORY DINNER

A COLOURFUL, ENTERTAINING NIGHT TO CELEBRATE IN GOOD HUMOUR A

OPPOSITE

OPPOSITE PAGE,

OPPOSITE PAGE, BOTTOM RIGHT:

TO A HAGGIS

On Tuesday 22 October, the Centrepiece building at Melbourne Park was vividly plastered with the cardinal, gold and blue colours that obviously symbolise our school and values. Despite the scale of the event (over 1000 people in attendance), the cosy setting provided the function with an intimacy, allowing for parents, students, staff and the wider Scotch Family to mingle together around a delicious three-course meal.

The Acknowledgement of Country was given by Philip Crocombe (’18) who mentioned how Indigenous students ‘feel safe at Scotch’. Angus Bodon (’20), President of YOBs encouraged the departing cohort to attend OSCA events and dinners since they ‘bring back a sense of belonging like we are sharing tonight’. Our School Captain, Matthew Callaghan, reminded us of the origin of Robert Frost’s Address to a Haggis poem, which was then delivered vigorously by James Talbot (’24).

In addition to the video montage of some of the cohorts’ highlights,

RIGHT: THE PRINCIPAL, DR SCOTT MARSH SPEAKS TO THE DINNER AUDIENCE.

OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP RIGHT: SCHOOL CAPTAIN MATTHEW CALLAGHAN SPEAKS.

PAGE, SECOND FROM TOP: MICHAEL WAUGH ENTERTAINS.

SECOND FROM BOTTOM: DR MARSH MINGLES WITH THE BOYS.

JAMES TALBOT (’24) PERFORMS ADDRESS

FABULOUS YEAR

our students were treated to a very special video message from Scotch’s oldest Old Boy, Rev Bill Morgan (’34), who conveyed not only his best wishes, but also his judicious advice on how to lead a fulfilled life. After Geoff Liu, School Vice Captain, raised a toast to our teachers, the Principal, Dr Scott Marsh, spoke about some of the current perils our students face, such as the decline of Western civilisation, before encouraging them to safely ‘seek fame and fortune’, knowing they will always have Scotch College as a place to call home.

Entertainment was provided by the very impressive Scotch Pipes and Drums Band, following their outstanding success in the World Pipe Band Championships, and six boys’ achievements in the World Solo Drumming Championships. The Cardinals, the Scotch Show Band and school staff member Michael Waugh also provided wonderful entertainment for the boys and their parents. The night ended with the traditional mothers dancing with their sons, before a final hearty rendition of the much-loved Loch Lomond.

LIFELONG MEMORIES OF THE HOME OF GOLF

In June/July, 16 boys and three staff flew to the home of Scotch College and the home of golf, Scotland. It was a trip that would be unlike any other, playing some of the most historic golf courses in the game. Seventeen days and 13 rounds of golf were set to provide a trip that none of us had been on before, spanning from Edinburgh to Loch Lomond, St Andrews and the East Lothian district.

After over 24 hours of travel, touching down in Edinburgh brought a new edge of excitement among the boys. We drove straight to Loch Lomond, jumping on a cruise along the loch, looking up to Ben Lomond and Connick Hill to the small village of Luss. Our first day of golf at Cameron House set the tone for the trip, with its spectacular views and excellent course. The holes wind up the high road and then down the low road, with the closing holes stretching along the loch. Our time in Loch Lomond of course finished with the singing of the song as a group, next to the 16th green in the warm Scottish sun, on the bonnie, bonnie banks.

Moving on to Edinburgh, we had the opportunity to play in matches against George Watson’s College at Mortonhall Golf Club. The course is a hidden gem in the heart of Edinburgh, with conditions to the highest standard, proving the perfect grounds for us to play with some Scots and form new relationships. After a hilly walk and a hot day, the boys continued the enjoyment of the Scottish summer, sitting on the deck of the clubhouse having a drink with some new mates.

After buying some Scottish flat caps, and our first night in the University of Edinburgh, we ventured off on a walking tour. Our local guide Rob, appropriately dressed in a kilt, opened our eyes to Edinburgh from St Giles’ Cathedral to Greyfriars Kirkyard and the Royal Mile.

WILLIAM CHEAH OF YEAR 10 WAS A MEMBER OF THE AUSTRALIAN DELEGATION AT THE INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICAL OLYMPIAD

Our next round of golf was at Swanston, a hilly course built near ski slopes. Some boys played the par three course, and others against Merchiston Castle School in some more matches. Merchiston, being ranked one of the best golf schools in the UK,

VERY SUCCESSFUL SCOTLAND GOLF AND HERITAGE TOUR

proved to be a tough challenge for us Scotchies, but not as tough as the weather, as we had finally seen the first drops of rain of the trip

The next day we ventured to Edinburgh Castle, for one last intake of Edinburgh history before St Andrews. It was a foggy day on top of the 900-year-old castle, as we explored its grounds, from ancient prison cells to seeing the crown jewels.

The afternoon saw us drive north to St Andrews, the home of golf. The first time seeing the Old Course was an unforgettable moment. With the grounds so steeped in history, it was difficult to fathom that a handful of Scotchies had actually made their way to the hallowed turf. Another walking tour, this time with Rod. He spoke about Cam Smith’s record breaking open, and about Tiger’s masterclass at St Andrews as we walked from the links clubhouse to the 17th green on the Old Course. After an obligatory photo on the Swilkan bridge joined by the Principal, we made our way to our accommodation at St Andrews University.

Crail was our first seaside link, a club established in 1786 with stone walls running through the property. Highlights include Mr Smithers’ near hole in one and Ms Morrison’s hole out. That night, we found ourselves at a local fish and chippery, owned by a St Catherine’s alum.

The following morning we suited up with candies and ties for our tour of the Royal and Ancient Club House, the club that formed the rules of golf, with the iconic clubhouse on the Old Course. We walked its hallways, beside paintings of Willie Park Jnr and Old Tom Morris, and saw where the claret jug is kept. Mr Noble insisted he potted the black in the billiards room and did so successfully.

In our candies, we played the famous Himalayas putting green, a fun warm-up to our afternoon of golf. Our outfit was popular among the locals, with many photos taken.

At this stage of the trip some boys had had the fortune of winning the ballot to play the Old Course. For those lucky ones, it was a cherished experience that never will be forgotten.

We played St Andrew’s Eden Course, and the afternoon

sun gave a beautiful representation of Scottish golf, with warm weather and benign conditions. Despite its shorter length, the course has undulating greens, a key defence of the course. However, the weather would only go from strength to strength the next morning as we played the Fairmont Kittocks, a course with every blade of grass in the perfect place, and almost Australian firm and fast greens.

We then moved toward the East Lothian district, offering arguably Scotland’s best selection of golf courses. The next three days of golf were almost the strongest set of the trip: Dunbar, Killspindie and Gullane. Dunbar Golf Club was a jewel in the roster. It featured a sandstone wall dating back to before the course was created, enclosing the course’s opening holes, and separating those among the beachfront. With its undulating par fives and difficult par threes with the wind, Dunbar was an excellent display of Scottish links golf. Again, after the round we sat and enjoyed yet another early evening club dinner in the dining room.

After raiding the pro shop and hanging our candies in the over 150-year-old locker rooms, we set foot onto Killspindie.

Rounding off the East Lothian leg was Gullane, host of the 2018 Scottish Open. After a briefing with the starter, Steve, we were thrown onto a tough tack. The course was in mint condition with greens firm and fast. Waterfront views and rolling hills were the perfect scene for one of our final rounds of golf.

Returning to Edinburgh, the afternoon culminated in watching England win a penalty shootout in the Euros in the cosy clubhouse.

A huge thanks to the school, most notably Mr Smithers, Ms Morrison, and Mr Noble for making this trip a reality. The efforts of getting this trip to work has meant we can have lifelong memories and experiences with current and new mates. It was an unbelievable opportunity for us to go on a trip of this calibre, and that is all thanks to the school and the staff making it happen.

HARRY RITCHIE – YEAR 12

UNITED IN A GERMAN EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER

Each year since 1967, Scholarships for Australian-German Student Exchange (SAGSE) has been awarding scholarships to Australian students in Years 11 and 12 to travel to Germany for 10 weeks during the summer. This program aims to give students an insight into a foreign culture and build friendships between young people in Australia and Germany.

Applicants from Scotch have a strong tradition of success in the rigorous selection process, spanning more than five decades. This success continued on 18 October during the presentation of Victoria’s scholarship winners for 2024, which was held at the rooftop of 370 St Kilda Road, the address of Melbourne’s Honorary German Consulate. Yup Meng Quek (Year 11) was chosen next to nine other applicants. Also present were no less than four previous scholarship holders from our school. One of them, Dr Richard Sicree, was awarded a scholarship in 1971, the same year he finished his education at Scotch.

Scholarship winners often refer to their time in Germany as the best time of their lives, and stress the huge influence their experience had on how they plan their future. They also say how they feel united with fellow recipients, not only in a love for Germany and its language and culture, but also as young people versed in and sensitive to intercultural encounters.

Congratulations to Yup Meng, and may our school’s tradition of SAGSE scholarship success continue.

Hans Henkell, owner of the business which will act as a sponsor for Yup Meng, also has a connection to Scotch: his sons Otto (’01) and Karl (’04) attended our school two decades ago. GERT REIFARTH – HEAD OF GERMAN

LEFT TO RIGHT: YUP MENG QUEK (YEAR 11) – SAGSE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT 2024; CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN (’18); ALEC USHER AND ED BLAMEY (BOTH ’23) – ALL SAGSE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS; DR GERT REIFARTH (HEAD OF GERMAN).

WILLIAM CHEAH OF YEAR 10 WAS A MEMBER OF

SCOTCH MATHEMATICIANS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL

SCOTCH IS THE TOP PERFORMING SCHOOL IN MATHS COMPETITIONS

Scotch mathematicians have enjoyed tremendous success in a range of competitions this year.

For the sixth year in a row, a Scotch student was chosen to be part of the Australian delegation at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), considered the most prestigious and intellectually demanding mathematics competition in the world. In July, Year 10 student William Cheah travelled with the Australian team to the University of Bath in the United Kingdom, alongside over 600 competitors from more than 110 countries.

William achieved a silver medal for his outstanding performance, a monumental accomplishment in the pinnacle mathematics event for high school students around the world. William’s achievement opens up further opportunities and can provide a pathway for admission to top-tier universities worldwide. Former Scotch students who were IMO medallists have gone on to study mathematics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University and the University of Cambridge.

To qualify for the IMO, students must demonstrate success in a sequence of preliminary national mathematics competitions. The first of these is the Australian Mathematical Olympiad Committee Senior Contest. Scotch achieved nine accolades (three gold, three silver and three bronze) in this competition this year, making it the top performing school in Australia.

In addition to the above achievements, for the fourth year in a row Scotch has claimed first prize in the University of Melbourne’s School Maths Olympics, a team-based competition where students compete in a frenetic problem-solving relay. Following their success at the event this year, the Scotch team was invited to compete in the University Maths Olympics. Remarkably, the Scotch team also won first prize in this event.

Our aim in mathematics education at Scotch is to ‘remove the ceiling’, enabling students to develop their mathematical abilities to their highest level. The school continues to attract and develop many of the nation’s most talented young mathematicians, helping them to grasp the wide range of opportunities available to them.

DR GARETH AINSWORTH – HEAD OF MATHEMATICS

SCIENCE ORATION 2024: ‘LOOKING AFTER LIFE ON EARTH – A POLAR PERSPECTIVE’

INSIGHTS ON CHALLENGES FACING THE ANTARCTIC ECOSYSTEMS

The 12th Annual Science Oration, held at Scotch on Thursday 15 August, was delivered by Professor Steven Chown. Fellow of the Australian Academy of Sciences, Professor Chown is currently a Professor of Biological Science at Monash University and Director of Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF).

His research mainly concerns biodiversity variation across both space and time, and the conservation implications of environmental change, including the means to mitigate it. Professor Chown co-developed the field of macrophysiology – the investigation of large-scale patterns underlying physiological variation and their ecological implications for all species.

The event commenced with an inspiring presentation from Year 10 students

Aaran Lee, Elliott Mark, Ethan Wong and Harris Song. These young men spoke about some of the exciting Science being conducted at Scotch, showing their prototype hydrogen-powered car. This intelligent vehicle uses a suite of LIDAR, RADAR, ultrasonic sensors, high-powered cameras and positional GPS to navigate and make real-time decisions in traffic. The data ascertained from these systems is fed through and analysed by an integrated artificial intelligence register. The prototype called on various design features to ensure a sleek, reliable high-

performance car as in the Porsche 911 Turbo S. An online model of their design can be found here: https://a360.co/4bA4lmu

Following their presentation, Professor Chown’s oration gave a fascinating review of life in the Antarctic. Titled ‘Looking after life on Earth – a polar perspective’ he described the harsh, yet delicate ecosystem that exists at the South Pole. Accompanied by visions of spectacular landscapes, he outlined everything from making the journey to the remote Antarctic stations to the magnificent creatures that call this frozen continent home. A powerful aspect of Professor Chown’s talk was his ability to describe complex science effortlessly, while still enabling us to have hope for the future of the Antarctic, and the impact we can have to ensure species survival continues for generations to come.

The oration was received with enthusiasm by attendees of all age groups. It aligned seamlessly with the 2024 Science Week theme which was ‘Species survival – more than just sustainability’. Through his compelling narrative, Professor Chown enlightened the Scotch community on the challenge we are facing with balancing the delicate ecosystems in Antarctica. The oration stimulated curiosity and sparked many dialogues surrounding species survival, and our responsibility for its future.

ALEX COLUSSA – SCIENCE AMBASSADOR

HARRIS SONG (YEAR 10) DETAILS THE EXCITING SCIENCE OCCURRING AT SCOTCH, SHOWCASING HIS CAD SKETCH OF THE STUDENTS’ ‘BAE SYSTEM' AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE

TOP RIGHT - PROFESSOR STEVEN CHOWN DESCRIBES HOW GLOBAL WEATHER PATTERNS ARE CONTROLLED BY ANTARCTIC SEA ICE.

A GREAT TEST OF TEAMWORK AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY

SEA KAYAKING IN THE WHITSUNDAYS

COUNTRY MUSIC ACCOLADE TO SCOTCH’S MICHAEL WAUGH

The fifth album produced by Scotch’s Head of Lawson House, Michael Waugh – Beauty and Truth – was awarded ‘Contemporary Album of the Year’, at the Australian Folk Music Awards, held in Melbourne on 23 October. The award recognises an outstanding album of contemporary folk music played in any folk music genre. Released in June, Beauty and Truth debuted at number one on the ARIA Australian Country Album charts.

Michael is a country music singer and songwriter who began writing songs at the tender age of 13. He has performed in musical theatre and studied at the Melba Conservatorium. His debut album, What we Might Be, was released in February 2016, and a second album followed in 2018. His third album, The Weir, released in September 2019, was nominated for two awards at the 2020

Towards the end of Term 3, the 10 students and three staff involved in the 2024 Year 10 Sea Kayaking Program arrived at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport to catch an early flight to Airlie Beach, prepared to begin an expedition around one of Queensland’s most pristine and iconic attractions, the Whitsunday Islands.

With camping at locations such as Whitehaven Beach, regarded as one of the best beaches in the world and notable for its powder-like sand, the trip was set to be a worthwhile experience and an opportunity to put some of the skills we have been honing to the test. Leading up to the expedition, Wednesday afternoons were regularly spent learning basic skills to complete this journey. This included learning how to handle and store food in the kayaks, managing rubbish and packing kayaks, while putting some kayaking skills into practice on the Yarra River.

We spent five days paddling around the glassy waters of the Whitsundays, but despite seeming like an easygoing trip, it was far from that. Boys and staff were required to be self-sufficient for the duration of the trip, bringing all the food and water necessary for the five days while ensuring that it remained edible after being soaked in a steaming hot kayak.

Some uncharacteristic conditions meant that choppy waves and strong winds were endured on the first day, and three 4am mornings meant we fell into bed each night very tired. This trip left both boys and staff with some great memories and highlighted the importance of teamwork as well as self-organisation.

Many thanks to Mr Evans, Mr Taylor and Rohan Klopfer for their support and organisation of this trip.

ETHAN HILHORST

– YEAR 10

Country Music Association of Australia’s Golden Guitar Awards. His fourth album was released in August 2021.

At Scotch, as well as his duties as Head of Lawson House, Michael is closely involved with Drama. This year he was the Director and Designer of the Years 11 and 12 musical, Urinetown, and he also taught VCE Drama.

Michael’s singing and storytelling were also a most entertaining feature of the Class of 2024’s Valedictory Dinner on 22 October.

MICHAEL WAUGH

LITERATURE FESTIVAL 2024: STORIES MATTER

STORIES ARE THE THREADS THAT CONNECT US

As Tim Winton recently wrote, ‘We all live within a story that shapes our aspirations, values and opportunities.’

During each Literature Festival we strive to broaden our students’ aspirations by exposing them to possibilities. We seek speakers who have branched from their expected life pathways to excel in their chosen profession, sport or passion, and are now ready to share their story.

In the 2024 Literature Festival, our keynote speaker for both Years 7 and 8 was Jessica Watson. While just 16 years of age, Jessica became the youngest person to sail non-stop and unassisted around the world. After her mother read her the story of Jessie Martin, the (then) youngest person to circumnavigate the world, Jessica began her quest – eventually defying the critics and naysayers to prove what skill, determination and imagination can lead to … all inspired by story. Our students were absolutely enthralled by Jessica’s presentation, and enthusiastically vied to ask insightful questions well beyond the allotted question time.

The Year 9s and 10s keynote speaker, David Knoff, is an Antarctic expedition leader, author and leadership expert specialising in hostile environment diplomacy, remote leadership and resilience.

At a time when the whole world was challenged by a deadly virus, David Knoff and his team in Antarctica were even more isolated than most. David described the sense of vulnerability and loneliness that inevitably afflicted his team, as their sixmonth stay in Antarctica was extended indefinitely due to global lockdowns. David’s experience in war zones helped prepare him for the challenge, but even his leadership skills were tested as fissures developed in the team fabric. This was a story of personal resilience, but also of environmental awareness and the impact of humanity on the planet’s most remote

wilderness. Once again our students’ questions were varied and numerous and illustrated their interest in David’s themes.

Lunchtime activities were also offered during the festival.

Kenny Chan ran an entertaining and instructive manga drawing workshop, delighting the boys with his renditions of some of their favourite manga characters at the same time as coaxing some fantastic drawings from their own pencils.

Mark Smith described his writer’s journey which led to the publication of his hugely popular Road to Winter series, a dystopia set on the surf coast of Victoria.

In addition, a keen team of Literature Club students attended the Battle of the Books at Ruyton Girls’ School, where they battled five other schools in a trivia-style competition.

Stories are the threads that connect us. Through them we develop empathy, expand our horizons, escape harsh realities and find solace in familiarity. We share stories to feed our imaginations, to find a sense of belonging and to bring positive change to the world. We hope the Scotch Literature Festival has enriched the 2024 story of each and every Scotch student.

MICHELLE SWEENEY – LIBRARIAN

THIS PHOTO: JESSICA WATSON PRESENTING HER STORY BOTTOM: BOYS CREATED SOME EXCELLENT MANGA CHARACTERS DURING KENNY CHAN’S WORKSHOP. BOTTOM LEFT: KENNY CHAN PRESENTNG HIS MANGA DRAWING WORKSHOP.

COLLECTIVE STRENGTH: THE BOND THAT DEFINES SCOTCH’S LEGACY

As someone who was born in Indonesia, grew up in Java and has spent the last 14 years in Australia, I am blessed with flfluency in three languages (or four, if Python counts as one): Indonesian, Javanese and English.

Being a Javanese Indonesian, I was raised with many of the Javanese virtues: one of them was the sapu lidi philosophy – a simple yet profound concept about the strength of unity. The phrase compares unity to a bundle of sticks (lidi), made of coconut fronds. Individually each stick is fragile, easily broken and virtually useless, but when bound together, they become strong, unbreakable, and can be used to clean an entire courtyard (sapu: broom)

This concept is tied to gotong royong , a principle of communal work deeply embedded in Indonesian culture. It underscores the power of collaboration, mutual support and collective strength. While this philosophy shaped my upbringing, it has found fresh resonance in my experiences at Scotch College.

interactions. Like the sticks in a sapu lidi, the community thrives when its members work collectively towards a common purpose. Whether it is staff ensuring smooth operations, students striving for excellence or parents providing crucial support, each plays a role in the strength of the school.

STRENGTH FROM CONNECTION AND UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

Since coming to Scotch this year, I have been intrigued by the various components that make up this prestigious institution. More than just a school, Scotch is a dynamic, interconnected community with distinct elements, each contributing to its legacy and success. This multifaceted composition reminds me of the sapu lidi –students, teaching and non-teaching staff, parents, alumni, and entities like the Old Scotch Collegians’ Association (OSCA) and the Scotch College Foundation working together to form an unbreakable bond that keeps the school thriving.

At Scotch, unity is not just an abstract ideal – it is demonstrated in daily

Crawford (2016)* did research on a group of students with diverse backgrounds to explore how music education impacts their learning. The findings highlight how music education fosters a sense of belonging and unity by encouraging collaboration and mutual support.

These findings resonate with Scotch’s structures. Much like the students in the study who thrived through communal participation, Scotch has sustained its 173year legacy through the collective effort of its many entities – OSCA, the Foundation, students, staff, and parents – each playing a pivotal role in maintaining a culture of inclusivity and shared purpose.

This ‘uniting of the journey’ ensures the school remains resilient and dynamic, grounded in the contributions of every community member. By encouraging collaboration across generations, Scotch’s

THE SAPU LIDI PHILOSOPHY – INDIVIDUALLY EACH STICK IS FRAGILE, BUT WHEN BOUND TOGETHER, THEY BECOME STRONG AND UNBREAKABLE

enduring success is a testament to the power of collective strength and mutual support, much like the sapu lidi metaphor.

As I continue learning from this community, I am inspired and humbled by how Scotch unites us all, bound by the common goal of nurturing excellence, both for the boys' character development and academic achievement, and fostering a sense of belonging that will last a lifetime.

DR RUBEN SETIAWAN – TEACHER OF INDONESIAN AND ACTING HEAD OF INDONESIAN

*Crawford, R. (2016). Creating unity through celebrating diversity: A case study that explores the impact of music education on refugee-background students. International Journal of Music Education, 34(3), 276–290. https://doi. org/10.1177/0255761416659511

REMEMBRANCE DAY

This year’s Remembrance Day Assembly was marked by the presence of our special guest, James Taylor (Jim) Murrell who read The Ode to the Fallen. Jim attended Scotch from 1961 to 1963 as a boarder in McMeckan and School Houses. In 1968 Jim served in the Vietnam War as a private in the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. He ducked when he should have weaved, and was badly wounded, resulting in him being sent back to Australia.

After an introduction from the Vice Principal – Head of Senior School, Mrs Katrina Brennan, the Vice Principal – Teaching and Learning, Mrs Kristy Irwin reminded our students about the significance of Remembrance Day and the special resonance of the event taking place in this Hall, which was built dedicated and named as a memorial for those 223 former

students and five staff members currently known to Scotch to have died in or immediately afterwards as a result of World War I. After the Hymn (O God, Our help in ages past) and the Chaplain’s address and prayer, OSCA Executive Director, Scott Montgomery (’85) read out the names of 40 Old Boys and staff who died as a result of their service between 26 April and 11 November 1918, and a further 16 who died after 11 November but as a result of the war – a total of 56 names.

Upon leaving the Assembly, all attendees had the opportunity to pay further respect to these fallen Old Boys thanks to the Year 7 students who had earlier laid crosses and Magen Davids on the lawn in the Quadrangle, bearing the names of the Old Scotch Collegians and staffwho died serving this country in war.

THE MUSIC OF TERMS 2 AND 3 IN RETROSPECT

FROM CHOIR CAMP TO TCHAIKOVSKY

Term 2 opened with Choir Camp. This camp started in 1995, and it has been running ever since (aside from the COVID years). This year, some 200 boys participated, and worked hard to get the repertoire for the rest of the year essentially ‘down’, under the guidance of a team of staff, led by the meticulously demanding Andrew Hunter.

The last of the choral strains from Choir Camp had barely died away before the opening of the biennial Piano Festival, designed and led by the Head of Keyboard Studies, Elaine Chin. As Elaine has written: the festival provided a wonderful opportunity for many students and staff to unite in their journeys of music exploration. During the four days there were informative masterclasses, exciting concerts, recitals and inspiring lectures presented by visiting guest artists and Scotch staff.

At the 2022 festival, attendees may recall the daring and

massive ‘Five Piano Project’, with 15 student pianists and five grand pianos on the Ian Roach Hall stage. This year the opening night concert, named Tchaikovsky Project Plus, involved 32 pianists, three harpists and nine narrators, bringing to life a unique interpretation of the Nutcracker Suite. Students from both Junior and Senior Schools rose to the challenge and successfully executed a fine example of collaboration and unity. It was a wonderful way of bringing them together to showcase eight hands playing two pianos, and four hands playing two harps on stage at the same time. Also included in the concert (the ‘Plus’ part) was a duet (four hands at one piano) and a chamber music trio (clarinet, cello, piano) demonstrating other ways of connecting as musicians. Students, parents and teachers (from other schools as well as Scotch) attended a variety of sessions by highly acclaimed guest artists: Timothy Young, Yasmin Rowe and Ian Munro (’80). Our

keyboard department staff presented sessions on harp, organ, harpsichord and maths-powered music (another thread that connects everything). It was heartening to see the support from students and parents attending the two Staff Recitals, affirming the important role teachers have on young lives.

One of the highlights was the stunning It Takes Two concert, featuring Yasmin Rowe and Ian Munro performing compositions for two pianos. All who attended were acutely aware they had collectively experienced something incredibly special.

Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto was performed by Timothy Young in the Concerto Concert which also featured three staff soloists, Yee Chern Chu (harp), Lachlan Redd (harpsichord) and Elaine Chin (piano). They performed Frank Martin’s Petite Symphonie Concertante, with the Pro Musica Orchestra, conducted by me. This unusually scored concerto brought three

instruments within the keyboard department in a rare moment to play together (accompanied by two string orchestras).

A record number of students auditioned for an opportunity to perform in the annual Steinway Recital, which was a fitting close to this year’s festival. Their dedication and enthusiasm were evident in the multi-hands and solo performances.

This year’s Piano Festival was a true celebration of connection, collaboration and unity through music.

The Autumn Festival (previously known as the May Concert) was a season of three concerts, which was historically started half a century ago by the Music Auxiliary, which still assists greatly with the organisation of the concerts. The festival involves 15 major ensembles and more than 600 boys, ranging from the predominantly Year 7 Henri Touzeau Strings and Ted Joyner Band through to the Symphonic Wind and the Symphony Orchestra,

4. JAYDEN WAYNE PERFORMING AT THE STEINWAY RECITAL (PART OF THE PIANO FESTIVAL). 5. LACHLAN REDD PERFORMING AT THE PIANO FESTIVAL 6. DUC LUU PERFORMING WALTON’S CELLO CONCERTO. 7. THE STEINWAY RECITAL – EIGHT HANDS

not to mention the three choirs and the four Show Bands. While a detailed description of the concerts might make soporific reading, I feel that the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto deserves a special mention. Scot Fan, Kane Shum (both of Year 10) and Kerry Chiu (Year 12) each performed a movement, and each delivered a most impressive performance of this great staple of the violin concerto repertoire, accompanied most ably by the Symphony Orchestra.

May also saw our Show Bands depart for the annual Generations in Jazz Festival in Mount Gambier, South Australia. It is a huge festival, and, aside from the performance opportunities, it gave our boys a great opportunity to hear other bands from around Australia, and also to hear some wonderful professional performances.

Term 2 traditionally concludes with the Winter Concert, just after the King’s Birthday weekend. This concert is performed solely by the Symphony Orchestra, and comprises an overture, a concerto (or movements from more than one concerto), and, after the interval, a complete symphony. This year we opened with Walton’s dazzling Orb and Sceptre, written for Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953. Most demanding for the brass, the orchestra performed it with aplomb. Keeping with Walton, Duc Luu (Year 12) beautifully performed a movement of Walton’s Cello Concerto,

which was followed by a seamless and stylistically superb performance of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No 1 (third movement), played by Adrian Lin (Year 12).

Following the interval, the orchestra performed Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 6 – the Pathetique – one of the truly great symphonies, and considered (by Tchaikovsky) to be his greatest work. I was seriously proud of the orchestra – the work needed, and the focus brought to that most impressive performance.

Term 3 commenced with the annual Chamber Music Dinner and Concert. Once again, the Music Auxiliary assisted greatly, setting the tables and décor for the evening for one of the most popular nights of the year. Anne Brisk leads the Chamber Music committee, and she hosted the night. It is a very special night, and it displays some of the most sophisticated music making that occurs at Scotch. The music included string quartets, piano trios, a wind quartet, a harp trio and a Baroque ensemble. One quartet, comprising Kane Shum, Kieran Lin (Year 9), Will Cheah (Year 10) and Jun Gardiner (Year 8) also performed for the AGM of the Directors of Music Association. They were greatly appreciated, their performance of Ravel’s F Major Quartet bringing tears to the eyes of a number of attendees! Chamber music is so important.

8.VICTORIA BILOGAN EXPLAINING THE MYSTERIES OF THE HARPSICHORD TO YOUNG MUSICIANS. 9. SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CELLO SECTION. 10. CELLIST, IN THE INTERMEDIATE ORCHESTRA. 11. TIMPANI PLAYER IN THE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. 12. MENDELSSOHN VIOLIN CONCERTO IN THE AUTUMN FESTIVAL – THE THREE SOLOISTS TAKE A BOW.

As Earl Carlyss of the Juilliard and Peabody Conservatories wrote: ‘Chamber music is a joy shared between equal partners who are working together to create a thing of perfection and beauty’.

Term 3 also includes three large concerts – the Bands Concert, the Strings Concert and the Choirs Concert. These concerts also include performances from the Junior School boys, giving them the opportunity to see where their work will progress.

One particular highlight of the Strings Concert was the Academy Strings’ performance of the bombastic Concerto Grosso by Ernest Bloch, featuring Jarek Zheng (Year 9) on piano. The performance was conducted from the Concertmaster’s position by Kerry Chiu (Year 12), who brilliantly took on the job at the last minute when Geoff Liu, our Music Captain and Orchestra Leader, fell ill. The Choral Concert included a notable performance of Sogno di Volare (The Dream of Flight) by Christopher Tin, with the Scotch College Choir and Chamber Orchestra, followed by a superb performance of Operator, featuring soloist Benji Scott (Year 12) in the Cardinals. The finale was a performance of Stars from Les Misérables , featuring multiple soloists and the Chamber Choir.

The Bands Concert showcased a significant enhancement to its ensemble structure. The newly-formed ensembles were

designed to provide each student with a more challenging and tailored musical experience, while also ensuring a more balanced distribution of instruments across all groups. The Mason Band, McLaren Concert Band, and Donaldson Wind Ensemble were unveiled, each named after esteemed Scotch College leaders –former Junior School Head Guy Mason, former Vice Principal Rob McLaren (’73) and former Principal Dr Gordon Donaldson AM – to acknowledge their enduring support of music at Scotch. The new bands delivered exceptional performances and contributed to the resounding success of the concert.

Naturally, Term 3 concluded with the Foundation Day Concert – or ‘The Big Gig’, as we colloquially call it! (See a separate article about the concert in this edition – ‘Uniting in song – a feature of the Foundation Day Concert’.)

Terms 2 and 3 are massive for the boys and for the staff. I would like to express my thanks to all the young musicians, to my music colleagues, and particularly to my PA, Kathy Alsop, and to Emma Downing, both of whom go above and beyond what would be considered normal duties to make every concert a seamless success.

DR JOHN FERGUSON, DIRECTOR OF MUSIC AND MS ELAINE

CHIN (PIANO FESTIVAL SECTION)

13. REHEARSAL AT CHOIR CAMP. 14. SHARON HUNTER CONDUCTING THE CAMBIATA CHOIR AT CHOIR CAMP. 15. ANDREW HUNTER CONDUCTING THE CHAMBER CHOIR AT CHOIR CAMP

YEARS 9 AND 10 PLAY MEMORABLE FOR ALL INVOLVED

RECREATING THE CONTENT AND

The Years 9 and 10 performance of Dracula was a fantastic production for everyone involved. With a wonderfully talented cast from Scotch and Strathcona Girls’ Grammar School, alongside an excellent backstage crew, we were able to successfully recreate the gothic horror content and atmosphere of the original tale and ultimately bring it to life on stage.

Throughout the four months of rehearsals, Dracula was

constructed and the bonds of friendship were established among this squad. Visiting each other’s houses during the holidays, playing together in a school volleyball league or just simply making fun of one another when making silly mistakes on stage had brought us as one dream team, precious and loving.

We did, unfortunately, face a few obstacles throughout the production process, with the unexpected change of directors,

DRACULA – ‘A

TRULY INCREDIBLE AND MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE, BOTH ON STAGE AND OFF’

ATMOSPHERE OF DRACULA

clashes with other school activities and training causing us to miss rehearsals. Nevertheless, our cast took this challenge head on. We practised tirelessly after school and face-timed each other to work on our lines and perfect this show.

Dracula would not have been possible without the support of the Scotch Drama Department, especially Ms Sandpearl and Ms Mewett, and the team of Drama staff members who worked with us. We are

grateful for their time, effort and guidance (and lollies, of course).

Dracula was a truly incredible and memorable experience, both on stage and off, from our initial rehearsal to the finale of our last performance. It was a delight to have this opportunity to get to know each other, share the experience and give our audience an enthralling retelling of this legendary story.

TIFF TSANG AND JAMES YOUNG – BOTH OF YEAR 10

URINETOWN – AN ENTERTAINING AND THOUGHTPROVOKING SHOW

YEARS 11 AND 12 MUSICAL SATIRISES POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC POWER

The 2024 Years 11 and 12 Senior Musical, Urinetow n, was a huge hit. It brought together a very talented group of Scotch and Lauriston students to put on an entertaining and thoughtprovoking show. Set in a dystopian world where people must pay to use restrooms, Urinetown serves as a satire of political and economic power structures, as well as the management of climate change.

The show opened to a full house, with the cast excited yet nervous to perform. However, after stepping onto the stage and seeing the smiling faces of the crowd, the nerves settled. During the first performance, everyone came out full of joy and excitement. The show went on to have two even more successful nights.

URINETOWN BROUGHT TOGETHER A VERY TALENTED GROUP OF SCOTCH AND LAURISTON STUDENTS TO PUT ON AN ENTERTAINING AND THOUGHTPROVOKING SHOW.

I would like to thank all the staff who tirelessly worked behind the scenes to ensure the show was a success. From dance instructors to vocal coaches, and prop, costume, and set designers, they made sure that everything was perfect when we walked out. The backstage crew also played an essential part in the show running smoothly, and I would like to thank them for their support in making the show something truly special.

The show would be nothing without the fabulous direction, encouragement, and support from our director, Mr Waugh. His support and patience really helped us create a beautiful piece of work for people to enjoy. Thanks to him and the rest of the staff, Urinetown allowed the Year 12 boys to end their Scotch journey on a high note.

FELIX CATFORD – YEAR 12: VICE CAPTAIN OF DRAMA

FAMILY DAY ART DISPLAY

SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENTS' CREATIVITY CURATED BY OUR ART TEACHERS

1. HEAD OF ART, YUDHA SCHOLES 2. ART TEACHER, GINETTA CHIODO

ART TEACHER, NICK MILLER

ART TEACHER, JACOB VUK

ART TEACHER, SUE MACDONALD

ART TECHNICIANS (LEFT TO RIGHT) MARY CUTINELLI, SASKIA PANDJI-SAKTI, JOHN KUZMA. 1.

A favourite annual activity for many Scotch Family people is checking out the creative work of our senior Art and Visual Communication Design students at the Family Day Art Display.

This year’s display showcased 850 artworks from our Years 7-12 students. With two new Art teachers in the team this year the students’ work exuded a feeling of freshness and vitality.

Pictured among the display are our Head of Art, Yudha Scholes, our Art Teachers, Susan Macdonald, Ginetta Chiodo, Jacob Vuk, Nick Miller, and our Art Technicians, Mary Cutinelli, Saskia Pandji-Sakti and John Kuzma.

OF ART

YUDHA SCHOLES – HEAD

FIRST HOCKEY PREMIERSHIP SINCE 2009

HOCKEY PREMIERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS SUCCESSFUL SPORT SEASONS

During the winter sport season Scotch delivered its second premiership for 2024. Our 1st XI Hockey team was outstanding all year and answered every challenge. An amazing rivalry with St Kevin’s College emerged, as both teams dominated the competition and had two drawn matches against each other. In both these games, Scotch came from behind to draw level. Captain Emerson Hodder’s chase-down spoil in the final play of the season in a penalty corner captured the commitment to the team embodied by this squad.

All boys and coaches should be commended for their efforts. They played an inspired brand of hockey that balanced a very strong attack with a cohesive and well-organised defence. The hockey premiership is the first since 2009, and while we have been close in recent years, this season will be remembered for years to come in the hockey program as reward for the boys’ consistency of effort and performance.

The cross-country squad emerged as contenders this season against the highly fancied Wesley College. A highlight of the season was winning the Athletics Victoria All Schools Relay Competition with Captain Rory Vial finishing second in the under 20s and Conor Sullivan (Year 11) coming third in the under 18s. The under 20 and under 17 relays teams finished second and the under 18 and 14 relays teams finished third.

Throughout the APS cross-country season we lost only one fixture, narrowly to Wesley. While Caulfield Grammar pushed our squad, we had greater depth and were able to get our first six runners over the line before the opposition. Amazingly, Rory Vial and Conor Sullivan combined for three first places throughout the season.

Our rugby union program took another step forward as we won our first final in over a decade in the Victorian Schools Rugby Union competition. The third placing was a great result for the squad, as they looked to build on last season’s finals appearance. The boys played a tough brand of rugby, and our forward pack competed all over the ground, providing opportunities for the backs to link up and create scoring chances.

After a respectable round one loss to St Kevin’s and a slightly disappointing result against Xavier College in round three, the 1st XV regrouped to put some early season wins together and build some momentum. A season-defining win against Haileybury, 27-25, was arguably the catalyst for this change. We qualified for the finals with five wins and four losses.

Our 1st XV played some inspired rugby to challenge St Kevin’s in the semi-final. However, we didn’t take our opportunities and St Kevin’s did. The loss was disappointing, as it was the closest we have come to defeating St Kevin’s in recent years, and showcased the development of our program. The 1st XV won the Bob Dalziel

ABOVE: SCOTCH’S PREMIERSHIP-WINNING 1ST XI HOCKEY TEAM.

Shield for third place, with a big win against Melbourne Grammar School on VSRU finals day.

The 1st XI Soccer team was right in the mix throughout the APS season, with seven wins and three losses. While we started slowly with two narrow losses to Carey Grammar and Haileybury, the belief of the squad was strong and the 1st XI won four consecutive games to put them back in premiership contention. Conceding two late goals to Xavier College resulted in a 1-2 goal loss and arguably ended our challenge for top spot. We won the final two fixtures to come third overall, with the squad taking out the Rose and Thistle Cup against Melbourne Grammar, and the John Roe Soccer Shield against Peninsula Grammar.

The 1st XVIII Football team took some steps forward in 2024 to finish in fourth place at season’s end. We won five and lost five games, but had several results falling narrowly against us within a goal. The season started with a strong performance against Carey Grammar and another early season win against strong rivals St Kevin’s. While we were defeated comfortably by Brighton Grammar School and Haileybury, we were able to match all other teams and showcased some genuine talent within the squad.

The Cordner-Eggleston Cup game was a missed opportunity, as our boys dominated general play in the first part of the game but couldn’t capitalise. A three-goal lead was cut away late in the

game, and to Melbourne Grammar’s credit, a strong mark and goal after the siren gave them a deserved win.

The Senior Snowsports team finished second to Melbourne Grammar in the Victorian Interschool Snowsport Championships and fifth at the nationals. The performance of Thomas Luscombe (Year 11) is worth acknowledging, as in addition to winning the state and national moguls title, he was also awarded the Bernd Gruber Cup. This prestigious award goes to the individual who competed the best overall across all disciplines.

In the Fencing Victoria Winter Schools League more than 100 boys represented Scotch. We were the best performed school at junior and senior level with some excellent individual and team performances. Sam Gu (Year 9) was placed third in the individual competition and Austen Wayne (Year 11) was fifth.

Our gymnasts were awarded the best performed overall school on aggregate at the Victorian Interschool Gymnastics Competition. It was a great reward for effort as the squad built their technical skills and routines throughout the season, and performed in internal competition in readiness to perform at the interschools.

The Scotch water polo team, guided by coach Mitch Hallam, showed impressive growth and resilience in this season’s APS boys' first division competition. Though they faced a challenging

ABOVE: LEFT – SCOTCH’S 1ST XV RUGBY UNION TEAM ACHIEVED THIRD PLACE. RIGHT: A MARKING DUEL IN THE CORDNER-EGGLESTON CUP MATCH AGAINST MELBOURNE GRAMMAR SCHOOL

start, the team steadily gained momentum, refining their strategies, and learning valuable lessons from each game. Under the leadership of captain Harry Ward, who has protected the goal with dedication for the past two years, and Vice Captain Will Genovese, Scotch recorded key victories over Brighton Grammar and Haileybury. Their standout performance against Carey Grammar in the final round highlighted their development as a

cohesive unit and secured them a strong finish in fifth place, tied with Wesley College on points.

This season also saw exceptional individual contributions. Year 11’s William Watkins, recognised as the team’s best player, displayed skill and competitive spirit, setting an example for his teammates, and signalling promise for the upcoming year. Rising talent from younger players further enriched the team’s

ABOVE: SCOTCH’S 1ST XI SOCCER TEAM WON THE ROSE AND THISTLE CUP AGAINST MELBOURNE GRAMMAR AND THE JOHN ROE SOCCER SHIELD AGAINST PENINSULA GRAMMAR.

RIGHT PAGE: TOP RIGHT; THE SENIOR SNOWSPORTS TEAM FINISHED SECOND TO MELBOURNE GRAMMAR IN THE VICTORIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS. MIDDLE AND BOTTOM RIGHT: IN FENCING, SCOTCH WAS THE BEST PERFORMED SCHOOL AT JUNIOR AND SENIOR LEVELS

dynamic; Oscar Jaski from Year 9, along with Year 8 players Mack Jaski, Jack Strahan, and Lachlan Joseph, all brought energy and skill to the pool, enhancing the team’s depth. Their performances underscored a bright future for Scotch water polo, with a foundation of strong leadership and emerging talent ready to build on this season’s achievements and aim even higher next year. William Watkins was subsequently selected to play for the APS representative team against the Associated Grammar Schools of Victoria, where he scored two goals in a winning APS team.

Success also extended beyond the first team this season, with standout achievements across the junior levels that hint at a bright future. The Year 7A team completed an undefeated season, showcasing impressive skill and cohesion that promises strong contributions to the senior teams in the coming years. Meanwhile the Year 8 team demonstrated exceptional depth and resilience, managing to lose only one match all season despite frequently missing their top three players who were regularly called up to support the firsts. These accomplishments underscore the depth of talent at Scotch and the dedication of players across all levels, building a solid foundation for continued success in seasons to come.

APS WINTER SPORTS POSITIONS

Basketball 9th

Cross-country 2nd

Hockey 1st

Football 4th

Rugby union (VSRU) 3rd

Soccer 3rd (Spring) Water polo 5th

Ten boys made the APS representative sides this winter season and one in the spring season, including Rory Vial and Conor Sullivan as Co-Captains of the cross-country and Harry Ward as Vice Captain of the basketball team. The APS representative teams performed well, winning the basketball, cross-country, football, hockey and water polo fixtures against the AGS. Our representatives were:

Basketball: Harry Ward (Vice Captain)

Badminton: Jason Xu (Year 10)

Cross-country: Rory Vial and Conor Sullivan (both Co-Captains)

Football: Hamish Hudson, Tom Wenzel (both Year 12)

Hockey: Timothy Watkins (Year 11)

Soccer: Josh Ferguson, Ben Poppenbeek (both Year 12), Sam Moore (Year 11) (Spring) Water polo: William Watkins (Year 12)

Thanks to all those who contributed to such a successful winter season. It’s a huge program with so many moving parts. The boys would not be able to enjoy their experience without the generous support of our teaching staff, coaches and parent support groups. We wish all Year 12 boys the very best for the future, and hope they continue their sports journey as senior sportsmen away from Scotch. I strongly endorse the Old Boys’ clubs to our boys as they leave school.

STUART POWELL – HEAD OF SPORT

BREAKING WIN A REAL POSSIBILITY

RECORDS BROKEN IN AN ATHLETICS

In the 2024 season Scotch emerged as a genuine contender for the APS Athletics Premiership. While the result was a very close second to Melbourne Grammar School, our squad sent a strong message to opposing schools. Defeating the highly talented and back-to-back premiers, Wesley College, highlighted the significant step taken by our team. The squad should be extremely proud of their achievement, and very positive around our prospects of breaking a 46-year drought since last winning the APS finals in 1978.

The success of this season has been built on some recent successes but also on an impressive preparation period, with our squad starting well before the season, along with consistent use of our new high-performance centre, the continual growth of our boys’ involvement with the Old Scotch Athletic Club, and a pre-season camp to the Gold Coast.

Three hundred and fifty boys represented the school throughout the season, registering times and distances at leadup meets. The mass of cardinal has been a feature of our program over the last decade, and it was extremely pleasing to see our boys focus on personal improvement and making the connection between training and performance.

While logistically a challenge to manage training with so many boys, the squad under the leadership of Rory Vial as Captain and Vice Captains Elden Zeng and Zachary Phillips created a fun and vibrant atmosphere featuring loud and energetic music and a focused training environment.

In the All Schools Track Relay Championships in September, Scotch showed its talent and depth by winning the best overall

performed male school. We had lots of top-end performances but the winning teams in the under 20 4 x 800 and under 16 4 x 100 metres events were the highlights.

Our athletes shone in the House competition, with the 3000 metres event a race to remember. In a three-way contest the boys pushed themselves to the limit with only a metre separating eventual winner Rory Vial from Conor Sullivan (Year 11), with Bart Leeton (Year 10) only a few metres away, third. Under challenging conditions on Family Day, we saw Patrick Kroschel (Year 11) win the Scotch Flyer off scratch and Hugo Stubbs (Year 10) win the handicapped Scotch Quarter.

During the first week of the Term 3 holidays, 60-plus boys attended the Gold Coast camp at Runaway Bay. While four tickets were misplaced from check-in to departing at Melbourne Airport, the four-day program went without further issue, with our boys thriving. The boys were exposed to a high-performance environment with a focus on training, technical coaching, recovery and education. It proved to be a critical period, with the boys coming back to Melbourne well prepared for the final two lead-up meets and APS finals.

On the APS heats day, Scotch qualified for 14 A finals from 21 events. While behind St Kevin’s College (17) and Melbourne Grammar (16), we were positioned one A final ahead of Wesley (13). A slow start on finals day put us in fifth position when scores were read out at mid-morning. But the squad was able to build quickly, with Year 5 boy James Hall stunningly delivering our first victory for the day in the under 14 800 metres. This was a special moment, as the crowd witnessed James methodically time his run

15 SHOT PUT AND DISCUS 3. CAPTAIN OF ATHLETICS, RORY VIAL – OPEN 1500M

SEASON TO CELEBRATE

against much bigger bodies to run over the top of his opposition.

Scotch had an amazing 13 event winners on finals day and had 34 events in top three placings from the 67 events. We had two APS records broken, with Bart Leeton and James Hall achieving this in winning the under 17 and under 14 1500 metres in back-to-back events. The squad grew in confidence, and with five events remaining we had drawn within 0.5 points of Melbourne Grammar. Our boys did their very best, but to the opposition’s credit they held their nerve and performed a little better overall to win by 6.5 points.

We had additional school records broken in winning performances by Sam Allen (Year 11) in the open high jump and Lachlan Gumley (Year 10) in the under 16 discus; and Tom Roach (Year 10) in all four of his multi-class events on APS day. Llywy Schoenborn (Year 8) also broke the school record at a lead-up meet in the under 15 shot put.

Other event winners on APS finals day included Mitchell Corr (Year 8) in the under 15 100 and 200 metres, Conor Sullivan in the open 3000 metres, Henry Curlewis (Year 8) in the under 15 1500 metres, Llywy Schoenborn in the under 15 discus and shot put, and both the under 16 4 x 100m (Ethan Herbert, Rupert Snell-Bliss (both Year 9), Quinton Foliaki and Jock McWilliams (both Year 10)), and the under 15 4 x 400m (Frederick Debowski, James Gregory (both Year 8) Sacha Demetriou and Ollie Anderson (both Year 9)) relay teams.

The 2024 season achievements should be celebrated by all squad members for their efforts and contribution. The strength of our program lies in the encouraging and supportive environment

that has been built by our boys, coaches and staff where athletes can give of their best. The squad is already looking to next year and planning how we can deliver a breakthrough win for the school.

Don Davenport Award (outstanding contribution to athletics) – Rory Vial Chris Commons Award (best performed field athlete) – Llywy Schoenborn Wickens Awards (best performed athlete in each age group)

Open Conor Sullivan

Under 17 Bart Leeton

Under 16 Lachlan Gumley

Under 15 Mitchell Corr

Under 14 Henry Hitchen

APS FINALS POINTS

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

7th

11th

ABOVE: MITCHELL CORR – WINNER, UNDER 15 100M AND 200M 2. LACHLAN GUMLEY – WINNER, UNDER 16 DISCUS AND TOM ROACH WHO WON FOUR MEDALS

INTERVIEW: VERA BIFANO

TEACHER OF ITALIAN

Let’s start with your background prior to working at Scotch. Firstly, I must say that I feel fortunate to have worked at Scotch for such a long time now, having begun teaching here in 2004.

My first teaching position was at Christian Brothers’ College East St Kilda, where I taught Italian, French History and Christian Education; and this year I actually teach Italian to the son of a parent to whom I also taught Italian when he was a student there in Year 7.

After leading the Languages department there, I then moved on to Genazzano FCJ College at Kew. I remained at Genazzano for 17 years in full-time and part-time roles as my three daughters began their educational journey.

Please tell us about your role and the activities in which you have been involved at Scotch?

In my first nine years at Scotch, I was the only Italian teacher. As Italian had only recently been introduced at Year 9 as a beginners’ course, predominately for new students coming to Scotch, there was only a handful of students across the various year levels. There were around 34 students spanning

Years 9 to 12, with four students doing Year 12 at the time.

Until this year, I had been the Senior Subject Teacher of Italian, and having taught all levels of Italian as the only Italian teacher at Scotch for many years, it is wonderful to have Italian being offered from Year 7, and that now there are five teachers of Italian in the department.

During the years, I have organised three Study Tours of Italy, two with the Art Department and one with Strathcona Girls’ Grammar School. The fond memories of those three-week language and culture tours from which the students gained so much and thoroughly enjoyed, will always hold a very special place in my heart.

I also organised Italian Exchanges for students who were hosted by families in Verona and Bologna during the Australian summer break for six weeks, and their host brothers were hosted here at Scotch in the Italian summer during July and August. All the students who participated in the Exchange Program found this experience most enriching and rewarding.

Throughout the years I have also been a Tutor for Fleming House with all that the role entailed, and I have been involved in the basketball and table tennis sports programs. I have also participated in our Services Program by accompanying students visiting the elderly in nursing homes in the area, and by participating in the Food Immersion Program and the Academic Tutoring Program.

What generally constitutes some of the highlights of your week and keeps on motivating you?

Highlights of my week and what keeps me loving teaching are the passion and interest I can generate with students. I love seeing the excitement of the students and their sense of achievement as they master the various milestones in language learning. I love igniting that spark of their interest in Italy and Italian, which I know will provide enrichment in their lives beyond the classroom.

What are some of your passions and hobbies?

I have quite a few simple passions and hobbies, so I will just speak about a few of them. After years of going to the gym for fitness, I then discovered the world of dancing for fitness. I participate in five sessions a week, ranging from Latin to Pop, to Hip Hop and Contemporary. Do not get the idea that I am a good dancer, I just watch the instructor and try to copy. I’m rather hopeless, in fact, but it is a lot of fun!

I also love going on long, long walks along the beach on the Peninsula most weekends, or on the many tracks along the Yarra where I live, around Templestowe and Warrandyte. Anywhere where there is water, I love walking along.

My other passions are my garden and cooking. I find these very therapeutic. My little grandchildren – I have seven of them – love helping me. The fun times for them are always harvesting the fruit from the trees, helping to pick the olives or tomatoes or pulling out the carrots in the garden, and helping make pizza and gnocchi in the kitchen.

Did I mention I love travelling? Who doesn’t, right? My favourite place to travel to is, of course Italy!

work). From 2003-15 I wrote every Great Scot obituary. Since 2016 I have either edited or written all Great Scot obituaries. As I have an extremely good memory for facts and figures, Scotch often called me with questions about its own history.

INTERVIEW: PAUL MISHURA

ARCHIVIST

Let’s start with your background prior to working at Scotch. I was born, raised and educated in Geelong and support the Cats. My life was saved and changed by attending Geelong College (1990-92), which I love and can never thank enough. At Geelong College I rowed and played footy. My greatest life lessons came from rowing. At Monash University I did Arts, majoring in History and Politics, with Honours in History, then studied Law. In 1996 I began working on a history of the Head of the River – I’ll hopefully finish it in retirement! From 2001 to 2008 I was a solicitor, starting with Articles at Finley, joining the Finley Football Club in Tom Hawkins’ last season there. My practice was mostly insurance litigation, and I made appearances before all courts but for the Court of Appeal and the High Court.

In 2003 I joined the Old Geelong Collegians’ Association’s committee, becoming Secretary (2005-11) and 2012 and 2013 President. In the 2005-06 pre-season I joined the Old Melburnians’ Football Club, played a few games, became Secretary (2011-17), and have written match reports since 2006.

Could you tell us about your role and the activities you have previously or currently been involved with at Scotch?

My association with Scotch began in Year 12 when I saw old Scotch photographs in a Geelong shop and contacted inaugural Archivist, Geoff Tolson (’41). The next Archivist, Dick Briggs (’57), invited me to visit Scotch on 16 December 1994. It was my first visit, and it blew me away. In 1995 I did research in the Archives and, noticing gaps in Scotch’s history, began to volunteer in Archives. Scotch felt to me like Geelong College, with the same ethos, atmosphere and people: both were concurrently moulded by three Morrison Principals (1861-1904). I joined the Old Scotch Rover Crew (1996-2000; assistant crew leader 1996-97) and in 1997 became the Scotch College Foundation’s youngest member. In 1996 I helped catalogue the Ramsay Collection, then did enormous amounts of work for Scotch’s 2001 sesquicentenary, especially Archivist Jim Mitchell’s (’64) history A Deepening Roar. I co-coached crews (1999-2000) and in 2002 I was employed as a casual Assistant Archivist (in the evenings after my day’s legal

On 14 June 2008 I became Scotch’s inaugural Assistant Archivist. In December 2012 I got my dream job when I became the Archivist. I oversee several staff and many volunteers. We are kept very busy with visitors, donations, questions (in person, by phone and email), special projects and filing. I give presentations on Scotch’s history to students, Old Boys and parents, and offsite to others interested in Scotch.

From February to April 2021, I had an intense period of research, writing and choosing Museum exhibits for the renovated and expanded Archives and Museum. It was a huge relief, satisfaction and triumph to see it opened on 6 May 2021, between COVID lockdowns.

What generally constitutes some of the highlights of your week and keeps on motivating you?

No two days are the same. An email, a call or a visitor can change the whole day – or week. Overseas visitors arrive unannounced. Old Boys visit Scotch for the first time in 80 years. Visiting schools’ staff seek inspiration from Scotch’s Archives and Museum. Proud parents call after a son is born to learn about Scotch ancestors for noting on admission applications. An Old Boy calls and 50 minutes later we both know more about his family. A research breakthrough can turn a single-line 19th century Register entry into a Scotch boy’s life story – some died at war or did something great. Learning what Old Boys achieve is fascinating. Helping relatives or researchers with photos or information satisfies everyone: it’s rare there’s not a two-way exchange of knowledge. Teaching boys Scotch’s history or helping classes with subject-relevant information is fulfilling. Assisting OSCA functions and fundraising means I help Scotch in almost every way. There is nothing else I would rather be doing.

On a personal note, would you mind sharing some of your passions and hobbies?

Living in Finley, I fired a rifle for the first time. I returned the next year to go hunting. I now regularly hunt with mates to help on Scotch and Melbourne Grammar School families’ properties. At a recent professional shooting course, I was one of a handful given ‘Top Gun’ accreditation. Every night I hunt, I look at the silent, majestic black star-filled sky, sometimes more than 100km from any town, and thank God.

I enjoy going firewood cutting in the bush with mates and manually splitting a few tons of wood. Since 1984 I’ve done genealogy and love its mental challenge. Intuition, lateral thinking and interpretation are essential. I love old cars. My 1959 Buick Electra coupe will never have a stereo as I like hearing its rumbling 401 cubic inch V8. I'm no fan of summer; the USA, England, Germany and Austria are my most-visited countries over Christmas, but highlights include Venice, snow falling on me in a Swiss thermal pool at night, and a brass band materialising on a quiet Sunday afternoon as snow fell in Lichtenstein.

MR TIM SHEARER ('85) HEAD OF ADVANCEMENT

SCOTCH ‘ADVANCES’ TO 175TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2026

THE

ANNIVERSARY

WILL OFFER OPPORTUNITIES TO ‘LOOK BACK AND FORGETFULLY WONDER’

These are extraordinary times. Advancement teams like mine are engaged in advancing our institutions amid rapid social change, intensifying global conflicts, contentious international elections, ever-evolving technology … the list goes on.

According to Sue Cunningham, CEO and President of the international body CASE (the Council for Advancement and Support of Education), ‘Advancement teams exist to advance their institutions because they matter to our communities and to the broader community. In advancement, we connect people to one another to create opportunities. As stewards of our institutions, we enable future generations to experience education that truly transforms lives and society.’ It is indeed a privilege to play such a role – which got me thinking …

The term advancement means ‘moving forward’, so it is perhaps somewhat ironic that the school’s Advancement team is leading Scotch’s 175th anniversary celebrations program, when we will look back at Scotch’s first 175 years through a number of reflective celebrations and activities.

Scotch has always respected its past, and 2026 will offer several opportunities to ‘look back and forgetfully wonder’. It will also provide a platform for the school to look forward, as it embraces a new strategic plan, which has been informed as much by our past, as it looks to shape our future. True to our origins, borne of the Scottish Enlightenment of the late 19th century, Scotch will again lift its eyes to articulate an ambitious program where our boys – and their future interests –are central to all that we do.

The strategic plan has been driven by our innate urge to improve, and it has been inspired by the shared belief that the school’s best days are ahead of it. The strategic plan will be launched by the School Council

and Principal in early 2025 as the countdown to 2026 commences in earnest.

School Councillor Andrew Wilson (’78) is chairing Scotch’s 175th Anniversary Committee which comprises representatives from across the school community. The committee is developing a suite of events which will appropriately acknowledge the significance of such a milestone. Scotch is the oldest surviving secondary school in Victoria.

We are looking to engage with as many members of the Scotch Family as we can across the year, but it should be noted that the committee is taking a ‘less is more’ approach to the proposed celebratory events, as it looks to ensure that each event has its own unique place in the program. As such, existing events such as the Foundation Day Concert and Family Day will be enhanced in recognition of the anniversary. There will, however, be one special stand-alone anniversary

event at the commencement of 2026 where everyone is invited to come together to celebrate the important milestone.

A limited range of anniversary merchandise will be available, and an anniversary school logo will be created for the year. I look forward to sharing more information about the 2026 program in the next edition of Great Scot and via the school’s new website, which will be launched early in 2025.

Inspired by the successful relaunch of Scotch’s sports uniforms in 2020, the school is conducting a review of the academic uniform, which has essentially remained unchanged since 1974. Interestingly, prior to 1974, the school’s academic uniform had a number of iterations, and more can be read about the evolution of the Scotch academic uniform in the Archives section of this edition of Great Scot. An Academic Uniform Committee has been working for the past 12

months with highly regarded designer Jonathan Ward to navigate this important process. The committee comprises a number of current students, staff and parents, and is consulting widely to ensure that the 175 Collection meets the needs of current and future Scotch boys while faithfully respecting our past.

An important by-product of the new strategic plan will be the School’s Master Plan. The Master Plan will articulate the resources required to deliver the strategic plan, and the Scotch College Foundation is readying itself to launch a comprehensive capital campaign to support the delivery of the projects identified in the Master Plan. As in the past, the support of the Scotch Family will be central to the success of the campaign, and by extension, the future success of the school.

TIM SHEARER ('85) – HEAD OF ADVANCEMENT

FOUNDATION

ANOTHER BUSY YEAR OF ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR MANY DONORS

A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE SCHOOL WE LOVE

As 2024 draws to a close, I am pleased to report that the Scotch Foundation has had another very busy year engaging with our very generous donors and many members of the Scotch Family.

Earlier this year our focus was on the GoolagongCawley First Nations Scholarship fundraising, which was the cornerstone of the 2024 President’s Dinner held at Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in May. Our guests of honour, Evonne Goolagong-Cawley and Roger Cawley, attended the dinner, along with 250 Scotch Family members.

We often talk generally about the First Nations Scholarships that Scotch provides, but nothing beats hearing stories from the boys themselves. Director of the Scotch Indigenous Program, Dr Rob Smith, engaged and entertained us by interviewing Year 11 boys Kobe Williams and Max Phelps, and then two Young Old Boys, Jy Simpkin (’16) and Joel Garner (’17) who have kicked on since leaving school. Hearing about their Scotch journeys and what they have been doing in the outside world certainly had all the attendees shifting from teary eyes to tears of joy, as they passionately told their stories of good and hard times.

Many of us grew up watching Evonne Goolagong play tennis, so we were all aware of what a wonderful role model Evonne has been to us all, through her sportsmanship, hard work and giving back; but it was her speech which was the highlight of the night. We heard about her amazing and very successful journey from her early days growing up, and then conquering the world on the tennis court with her seven singles Grand Slam victories. This led to her marriage to Roger Cawley and the influence he has had on her life after tennis, as the couple raised their two children and embarked on a selfless life to improve outcomes for Indigenous people around Australia.

A huge vote of thanks goes to the Foundation Office team for putting this very happy and successful Foundation event together, and particularly to Tim Shearer who as MC directed the evening in his usual thoughtful and humorous manner.

Following on from the President’s Dinner, in August the Foundation held its Art Show, which raises funds for the Foundation’s First Nations Program Support Fund. This fund allows Tiwi College students to visit Melbourne annually, and also provides funding for First Nations Scholarship recipients to participate in interstate and international school tours.

Apart from the amazing art that was presented to be sold, with a significant portion of the sale proceeds going to the fund, we also heard from Hugh Reynolds, a Year 10 Scotch boy who had attended the Tiwi College excursion in the July holidays. Hugh was interviewed by Scotch teacher and Foundation Board member, Diana McNamara, who had also participated in the Tiwi College visit. Once again guests were treated to a passionate discussion between Diana

EVONNE GOOLAGONG WITH SCOTCH FIRST NATIONS STUDENTS AND THE PRINCIPAL, DR SCOTT MARSH

MR MIKE SIM ('78) PRESIDENT OF THE SCOTCH COLLEGE FOUNDATION

and Hugh, as they talked about their experiences at Tiwi and their firsthand knowledge now of the hardships which the Tiwi children live through each day. Another highlight of the evening was the MC, current School Captain, Matt Callaghan, who held the night together exceptionally well and then introduced last year’s Captain, Dion Whitfield, to the podium. It was wonderful at a Foundation event to have these two leaders of Scotch participating, and also Hugh Reynolds, as it reinforces our mission to support the school in educating fine young men of character.

Abi Hand and a supporting committee convened the Art Show. They are to be commended for the planning and execution of an exceptional Scotch Foundation Art Show that ran for four days and achieved its goal of supporting the Indigenous program

While the School Council determines the order of our next major projects, the Foundation continues to chip away at smaller and specific purpose projects. In July we were pleased to host the opening of the Kaminsky Family High Performance Gymnasium, for which the Foundation raised the funds to enable the gym to be built. I was thrilled that we achieved this aim, and delighted to hear that there has been a significant increase in boys wanting to attend this supervised gym to develop their health and fitness. Anything we can do to enhance the welfare of our boys, needs our total commitment. It was wonderful to name the gym after Martin Kaminsky, an Old Boy of the Class of 2014 and a powerlifter at state and national championship level, and to have his parents also contribute to the gym. It’s been a big Scotch year for the Kaminsky family, with Martin’s mum, Jill, joining the Foundation Board this year.

We have held many events through the year, including Forbes and Alexander Morrison Circle functions, a Sydney gathering and many other luncheons and breakfasts, which have all been well attended and are special events, predominantly organised and led by Tim Shearer and Sandra Dick. Tim and Sandra recently received recognition of their work by both presenting at the Educate Plus Conference in Perth.

The East Melbourne Glen Chapter (EMG) is a group of Scotch Family members aged over 75, led by the ever-energetic Ken Jasper (’55). The EMG luncheons are always well attended, and Ken is a wonderful host of each event. He is an amazing Old Boy who never stops helping us to help the school.

During 2024 we were very grateful to Gwen Head who donated a new perpetual scholarship to Scotch in the name of her husband, Dr Alan Head AO, FRS FAA (’42) who died in 2010. Himself a scholarship boy who entered Scotch in 1941, Alan was a world-renowned

theoretical physicist and chief research scientist at the CSIRO. He joined its Tribophysical Division and was renowned for his research into the structure of solids and their application to industry, having begun with research into fatigue cracks in aeroplanes. Alan was a member of the Royal Society, and his name is well represented in our Science Building on the Royal Society Honour Board, with his plaque alongside other Old Scotch Collegians who have worked in science to make the world a better place.

All of these engagements don’t just happen without a lot of work in preparation and delivery. The Foundation is fortunate to have a very dedicated staff who all support our members with care and compassion. We are led by the best Executive Director of a Foundation in Australia, Tim Shearer, whom the Scotch Family knows well. Tim’s energy and passion to improve Scotch are always on his mind and when he gets the chance – on yours! Tim is ably supported in the office by Rebecca Mortimer, who works behind the scenes and ensures all our operations go smoothly.

Sandra Dick is a vital member of our team, as she interacts with many members of the Foundation through organising and hosting many of our functions, and goes beyond the call of duty by ensuring that many of our more senior members can attend functions with a minimum of fuss.

We have staff such as David Ashton (’65) who looks after our publications and is a great support to me to ensure my correspondence and articles are well constructed and on time, as he does with Great Scot. Hugh Wilson is another person on whom I lean to remodel our financial data so that we can see trends and make sense of them, ensuring that better decisions can be made.

Lisa Sheard and Cindy Huang continue to support the Foundation Office team, and I am equally grateful for their care and attention to detail.

And of course, the school’s Archivist, Paul Mishura, provides a wealth of information about all things Scotch. I think Paul has a hand in everything we do in the Foundation, and his contribution should not be underestimated. Furthermore, we greatly appreciate his support and attendance at almost all our functions.

The Foundation Board has rolled up its sleeves in 2024 and has made a significant contribution to the school we love, and I thank each board member for their contributions to our successful year.

So to our members, our board, our office and all our Scotch Foundation supporters, thank you for your work for the Foundation in 2024. I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

EMG WINTER LUNCH WARMS A CHILLY DAY

A GREAT VIBE AMONG 115 EMG MEMBERS AND GUESTS

BOTTOM:

A lively gathering of 115 East Melbourne Glen Chapter members and guests braved winter’s chilly winds to attend the 2024 EMG Winter Lunch, held in the Cardinal Pavilion’s Boykett Room on Wednesday 5 June.

There was a great vibe during the lunch, a highlight of which was the address by guest speaker, School Council Chairman Hamish Tadgell (’85), who began by ‘admitting’ that he is the son of a third generation Wesley College boy, who nevertheless described Scotch as ‘the college of knowledge’.

Hamish said he had become a Scotch boy at least partly because of a commonsense decision made by his Scottish mother: Scotch was just around the corner from the family home in Gardiner Road, while Wesley was comparatively far away. Thirteen Tadgells have now attended Scotch.

Hamish said he had gladly taken on the Chairman’s role because of the special place that Scotch holds in his heart, and his desire to give back and strengthen the Cardinal Thread, after he benefited greatly from his well-rounded Scotch education. He spoke of the forces at play which could undermine Scotch, such as the imposition of the payroll tax and the proposal to remove tax deductibility for donations to building funds. Council is currently working on a strategic plan for Scotch which will set the direction for the school. This will provide clear guidelines for ensuring that Scotch continues to offer a first-class education, with a re-emphasis on the importance of service. Hamish invited all present to play a part in the formulation of the strategic plan. He said: ‘We all have a responsibility to nurture and support institutions we see as important, such as Scotch, so that they will continue to thrive.’

Other lunch highlights included:

• OSCA Chaplain Graham Bradbeer’s grace, in which he emphasised the importance of ‘being with’ other people;

• Celebrating the 86th birthday of EMG Chairman, Ken Jasper AM (’55) and the 50th birthday of Scotch Archivist Paul Mishura;

• Videos of Scotch’s new Mallacoota property and the proposed Main Oval Pavilion project screened by Head of Advancement, Tim Shearer (’85);

• A progress report on developments at Mallacoota by the Principal, Dr Scott Marsh;

• Recognition of the oldest Old Boy present at the lunch – former School Captain Bill Philip AM (’46), who was accompanied by his wife, Mary-Lou. Foundation Coordinator, Rebecca Mortimer organised the Winter Lunch, supported by Bequest Program Manager, Sandra Dick. Chartwell’s provided the delicious lunch.

TOP, LEFT TO RIGHT: OSCA PRESIDENT STEPHEN WEBSTER (’73), SCHOOL COUNCIL CHAIRMAN HAMISH TADGELL (’85), SCOTCH FOUNDATION PRESIDENT MIKE SIM (’78)

ABOVE: JOHN CHRISTENSEN (’57), BILL MCNAUGHTON (’54), DAVID HUGHES (’60), KEN JASPER AM (’55), PETER GIBBS (’58), PETER TURNLEY (’58)

DAVID ASHTON (’65), DON MOYES (’50), BRUCE APPLETON (’53), JOHN COPPOCK (’49)

ALAN

HEAD PERPETUAL SCHOLARSHIP HONOURS ONE OF SCOTCH’S GREAT SCIENTISTS

Earlier this year Gwen Head, wife of the late Dr Alan Head AO FRS (’42), donated $1m to create the Dr Alan Head Perpetual Scholarship, to provide a scholarship for a boy to enter Scotch in Year 10 who has a proficiency in Science and Mathematics. Alan (who died on 9 January 2010) was a mathematical physicist and Chief Research Scientist at the CSIRO. Alan had a fascinating Scotch connection; his greatgreat-grandfather, William Head settled on the current site of Scotch in January 1839 as an employee of settler John Gardiner. William and his wife, Sarah, were the first white settlers on the Scotch site.

A brick monument to the Heads is located near the junction of the Yarra River and Gardiners Creek. A plaque reads: ‘In memory of William and Sarah Head who landed here on 1st January 1839. Erected by their descendants 1939’. A plaque on the tree above the monument reads: ‘To commemorate William and Sarah Head who landed here and established their first home in this locality. Unveiled at the 150th anniversary Head family gathering. January 1989’.

Alan entered Scotch having received a half entrance scholarship as a boarder in Arthur Robinson House. Alan quickly made his mark, becoming Dux of Scotch in 1942, achieving honours in all five subjects. He was awarded the University Exhibition in Mathematics I and III, and received one of nine Government Senior Scholarships awarded to Scotch boys. He was also

awarded a residential scholarship to Ormond College, graduating with a BA in Mathematics and a BSc in Physics.

Alan commenced as a Research Officer at the CSIRO’s Aeronautical Research Laboratory, before marrying Gwen in 1951 and moving to the University of Bristol where he received a PhD in 1954. Alan returned to the CSIRO. He had many scientific interests. He was a mathematical physicist, but he could turn his hand to almost anything scientific. His achievements ranged from a design for a giant radio telescope to writing a computer program to simulate the diffraction of electrons.

Perhaps his greatest success was the theory of fatigue in aluminium alloys used in the construction of jet aeroplanes. Melbourne University awarded Alan a DSc in 1963 and the Syme Medal in 1969. Alan was elected to the Australian Academy of Sciences in 1971 and the Royal Society of London in 1988. In 1992 Alan was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for his ‘service to science through research into the structure of solids and its application to industry’. Alan Head is one of seven Old Scotch Collegians who have signed the Charter Book as Fellows of the Royal Society, London.

Alan’s photograph and a biography appear on a plaque in the stairwell of the Sir Zelman Cowen Centre for Science. Gwen has donated a significant collection of her husband’s certificates and awards for display in the school’s Archives.

THIS PHOTO: GWEN HEAD ON HER 99TH BIRTHDAY EARLIER THIS YEAR, ACCOMPANIED BY FOUNDATION PRESIDENT MIKE SIM (’78) AND BEQUEST PROGRAM MANAGER, SANDRA DICK. LEFT: DR ALAN HEAD AO FRS (’42)

BOTTOM LEFT: THE PLAQUE ON THE 1939 HEAD MONUMENT SECOND BOTTOM LEFT: REPRESENTATION OF WILLIAM AND SARAH HEAD ON THE 1939 BRICK MONUMENT

FOUNDATION

WILLIAM MURDOCH CAPTAIN OF HOCKEY PRIZE INAUGURATED

HONOURING A SCOTCH BOY WHO LOVED HOCKEY

Scotch has created a new sports prize – the William Murdoch Captain of Hockey Prize – to honour the memory of William (Will) Murdoch (’15) who was tragically killed on Melbourne Cup Day, 7 November 2023. Will died during a car rally, when in a freak accident, a tree branch fell on the car he was driving.

Born in Melbourne on 10 October 1997, Will was a ‘Prep to Year 12’ boy who over his 13 years at Scotch was involved in many aspects of school life. He was a School Prefect, a valued member of the Pipes and Drums Band, Morrison House Captain, Captain of Squash and Captain of Hockey.

After graduating from Scotch in 2015, Will had completed his studies at Monash Caulfield, and he was working at KPMG at the time of his accident.

Will loved travel, time with friends and cars, but hockey had a special place in his heart. As early as Year 3 he discovered the joys of the game. While his friends were mostly playing soccer and football, Will was tearing around a hockey pitch, learning how to connect stick and ball. He particularly loved the teamwork of hockey, playing with girls and boys, learning and improving his

skills, and especially the friendships he made across a variety of clubs and schools.

Will loved hockey the most when the team was playing as one, competitively and in a spirit of sportsmanship. He also loved encouraging and supporting his teammates.

Will’s parents, Geoff (’81) and Lisa Murdoch have generously donated $10,000 to the Scotch College Foundation Prize Fund to endow the William Murdoch Captain of Hockey Prize. The award acknowledges the captain’s role in leading others to play at their best together and with fun – attributes which Will always took onto the hockey pitch.

The prize, which was inaugurated at the 2024 Prize Giving Assembly on Thursday 17 October, will be awarded annually.

In a message to Will’s parents, Scotch’s Head of Advancement and Scotch College Foundation Executive Director, Tim Shearer, said this special award will ensure that the light Will exuded will continue through the years. He described Will as ‘a terrific lad who embodied all that we want in our boys – he was thoughtful, capable and he was great company.’

A FEAST OF COLOUR AND INSPIRATION

The Scotch College Foundation hosted its fourth art show from 29 August to 1 September, in the David Yu Family Foyer of the James Forbes Academy. The funds raised were directed to the Scotch College First Nations Support Fund which this year specifically supported literacy and numeracy programs at Tiwi College.

We were thrilled to have 60 participating artists this year, with over 200 artworks. The broad range of media and styles turned the David Yu Foyer into a visual feast of colour and inspiration for all those attending the show. We greatly appreciate the artists who have supported the Scotch art show since 2016, but were also excited to include many new established and emerging artists into this year's brilliant show.

The Opening Night Cocktail Party was a sparkling affair attended by Scotch parents, Foundation members, teachers, artists and members of the wider community – our best attended opening yet. Guests were treated to a live jazz ensemble made up of eight students. The 2023 School Captain, Dion Whitfield (’22) provided the acknowledgment to the traditional owners of our land, and also made some enlightened and heartfelt points about the significant and positive impact made by the Scotch College First Nations Scholarship Program. Teacher and Foundation Board member, Diana McNamara, open-interviewed some students to share their perspective and insights from their Tiwi trip. Matt Callaghan (2024 School Captain) was a superb MC, and the show was officially opened by Dr Scott Marsh and Foundation Chair, Michael Sim (’78).

The art show was open for viewing over the four days, and we welcomed a record number of visitors who enjoyed viewing and purchasing the works as well as participating in our 'People's Choice' award.

For the first time this year's art show included an evening art collecting seminar. Georgie Bruce of GB Art Advisory spoke and fielded questions about the intricacies of collecting art. The audience was captivated by her art market overview and recommendations for the novice collector. Another highlight was hosting senior art students during the day, as they reviewed the show. The students sought information about the curation

process from Art Show Committee members and then selected works to use as a basis for their own curation project.

A quality printed art show catalogue was distributed to all school families. We are exceedingly grateful to all the corporate sponsors, artists and volunteers for their support this year.

The art show Committee was dedicated to ensuring that the 2024 art show was a great success. Our thanks go to Penny Brassington, Fleur Coldwell, Sandra Dick, Abigail Hand, Kristine Lempriere, Louise Murdoch, Kate O'Brien, Emily Schubert, Victoria Stevens and Sally Upjohn, for their efforts.

ABIGAIL HAND – CHAIR, 2024 SCOTCH COLLEGE FOUNDATION ART SHOW COMMITTEE

TOP LEFT: ARTIST EDDIE BOTHA. TOP RIGHT: ANNE MARIE KEMP, DR DAVID KEMP AC (’59), HUGH WILSON (’65), NOELENE WILSON

SECOND TOP, LEFT TO RIGHT, ART SHOW COMMITTEE MEMBERS

- LOUISE MURDOCH, FLEUR COLDWELL, VICTORIA STEVENS, EMILY SCHUBERT, SANDRA DICK, ABI HAND, SALLY UPJOHN, KATE O’BRIEN, PENNY BRASSINGTON

THIRD TOP: ART SHOW SCENE IN THE DAVID YU FAMILY FOYER

BOTTOM: DION WHITFIELD (’22), TRISH STRAHAN, BARBARA HOLDER, MIKE SIM (’78)

MR

STEPHEN WEBSTER ('73)

OSCA PRESIDENT

THOSE INTANGIBLE TIES THAT BIND THE SCOTCH FAMILY

Writing this article straddles the transition of the OSCA presidency to Matthew Guthridge (’91): by the time the article is published I shall be the Immediate Past President of OSCA. It's my privilege to reflect on what unites OSCA members for so many years after leaving the Monash Gates. There is an invisible connection that draws the Scotch Family together: an idea, a feeling , a connection that we call the Cardinal Thread. Scotch is very effective at inculcating school spirit through its teaching and training, and by the participation of boys in sport, music, drama and other pursuits that also connect their teachers, coaches and families. But at its essence it’s the friendships and relationships we all build through a school life together.

THE STRENGTH OF OUR BOND

Why does this remain after we leave school? The Cardinal Thread weaves through our lives, providing support, inspiration, and a sense of belonging. Its strength will fluctuate in each of us over time, but it exists in the values inculcated in each of us at Scotch: independence, egalitarianism, service; respect for others and a belief in purpose, something bigger than ourselves.

That connection drew large crowds of supporters to this year’s A grade grand final performances of the Old Scotch Football Club’s men’s and women’s football teams, resulting in them winning both premierships.

GIVING BACK

THE CARDINAL THREAD IS ABOUT WHAT WE GIVE, AS WELL AS WHAT WE RECEIVE

The Cardinal Thread is not just about what we receive, but also what we give. Many OSCA members find fulfilment in contributing to the school that shaped them:

• Volunteering time and expertise;

• Supporting scholarships and bursaries; and

• Participating in career days and networking events.

These acts of generosity ensure that future generations of Scotch boys benefit from the same opportunities and experiences that have enriched our lives.

BUSINESS NETWORKING BREAKFAST IN JULY ATTRACTED MORE THAN 200 PARTICIPANTS. IN THE PHOTO ARE (LEFT TO RIGHT) INCOMING OSCA PRESIDENT MATTHEW GUTHRIDGE (’91), NICK GRIFFIN (’91) AND CLARK KIRBY (’96)

The Cardinal Thread is also manifested in artefacts such as in the Tartan Project, in which OSCA created our own Scotch tartan. The Scotch tartan was proudly worn by both the Scotch and the Old Scotch pipe bands at the World Piping Championships in Glasgow in August.

FOSTERING CONNECTIONS

The purpose of OSCA is clearly expressed in its strategy: to provide reasons and ways to connect and opportunities to give back. OSCA is focused on creating and fostering connections through its many diverse activities. During a year, OSCA hosts, organises and participates in about 50 major events and activities that reach approximately 6000 people. From local reunions to international dinners, we create opportunities for Old Boys to reconnect and forge new friendships. Our diverse range of clubs cater to sporting enthusiasts, cultural aficionados, and everything in between. These groups allow alumni to pursue their passions.

ENDURING SCOTCH SPIRIT

The Cardinal Thread is more than just a metaphor – it's a living testament to the enduring spirit of Scotch College. It reminds us that no matter where life takes us, we're part of something greater. As Old Boys, we have the privilege and responsibility to nurture this connection, ensuring it remains strong for generations to come.

Together, we continue to write the story of Scotch College, united by our shared experiences and bound by the Cardinal Thread that connects us all.

As I finish my term as OSCA President, I wish to focus on three factors that are contributing to OSCA’s success. They are, in my view:

1. The excellent work of Scott Montgomery (’85) –OSCA’s Executive Director – and Caroline Taylor, OSCA’s Events and Communications Manager, supported by Shell Shi, OSCA’s Administration Assistant and Young Old Boys, Will Dixon ('19) and Jacob Hooke ('22). I thank the OSCA Executive team for building on previous years to deliver a better and richer experience for us all.

2. The recognition by the Principal, Dr Marsh, of the value of OSCA and how Old Boys can help support the growth and development of Scotch students; the importance of the Scotch Family and for ‘turbocharging’ the concept of the Cardinal Thread. l appreciate the strong working relationship with Dr Marsh and his executive team, and his thoroughly engaged participation in OSCA events.

3. The strong working relationship with the Chairman of the School Council, Hamish Tadgell (’85) that has brought the two Councils closer together for the benefit of both OSCA and the school.

Finally, I wish to thank my fellow OSCA Councillors for their support and contribution over the past two years. I know that OSCA is in good hands under its new President, Matthew Guthridge.

MR SCOTT MONTGOMERY ('85) OSCA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

INNOVATIVE EVENTS WIDEN OSCA’S FOCUS

TOP: BUSINESS BREAKFAST.

MIDDLE: RED ARMY ARTIST COLLECTIVE OPENING NIGHT.

YUDHA SCHOLES, AND RUSSEL HOWCROFT ('83) WITH ROBERT YIN ('23) BOTTOM: LAW NETWORKING DRINKS

ART SHOW, BUSINESS BREAKFAST, LAW NETWORKING DRINKS – AND DUAL FOOTBALL PREMIERSHIPS

It’s always great to be able to contribute to and to experience something new, and this was certainly the case on a number of occasions since the last edition of Great Scot.

OSCA was delighted to support our creative young Old Boys and Scotch’s Head of Art, Yudha Scholes, at the inaugural Red Army Artist Collective Art Show, Just Doing It. An article about the art show appears elsewhere in the OSCA pages of this edition. Opening night at Ladder Art Space in Denmark Street, Kew, on 5 October was a great success, with more than 200 Scotch Family members on hand to admire the work of our talented Young Old Boy artists. I was delighted to welcome guests to this innovative event, along with Yudha Scholes. Notable media personality Russel Howcroft (’83) presented the Ben Shearer Acquisitive Art Award to Robert Yin (’23). Donated by Ben, the award was presented to the artwork that most captured excellence in creative expression.

Expanding the opportunities for our alumni to network has been a key focus in 2024, with our OSCA Business Breakfast in July enabling over 200 participants to hear from Clark Kirby ('96), Chief Executive Officer of the Village Roadshow Group, and Nick Griffin (’91) Founding Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Munro Partners. This was the second successive year of the Business Breakfast, which is set to become an annual event, as the 2025 date is now set in the calendar.

From big things little things grow, and this was the case with our efforts to inaugurate a law networking opportunity. More than 50 Young Old Boys attended the OSCA Law Networking Drinks on 10 October at the Essoign Club in William Street, Melbourne, hosted by Luke Stanistreet (’95), with some intriguing stories told by Chris Winneke KC (’85), our guest speaker.

What a week in September it was for the Old Scotch Football Club – winning two A grade Victorian Amateur Football Association flags in a week. The men’s team broke a 46-year drought and the women’s team – the Old Scotch Stars – also reigned supreme. As coach of the women’s reserve team, I have had so much fun playing a role in the OSFC women’s program, and I was delighted to see the club and teams achieve those elusive flags. To take part in the celebrations and to see the smiles on everyone’s faces back at the club on the day of the men’s premiership triumph was a night I will always remember.

OSCA ANNUAL DINNER 2024 – ALL THE TRADITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS AND MORE

Upon entering the hallway of Leonda by the Yarra, with the sounds of the Scotch traditional bagpipes played at the entrance of the venue still echoing, one could only sense the joy and excitement that occurs once a year, when past Scotch Collegians young and old gather.

The evening consisted of the traditional highlights, with the Master of Ceremonies Matt Douglas’ (’11) welcome, the OSCA President Stephen Webster’s (’73) welcome and toast to the school, the OSCA Chaplain Rev. Graham Bradbeer’s Thanks, as well as the renditions of the traditional Scotch songs conducted by Dr John Ferguson, and the Haggis Ceremony energetically conducted by Jacob Hooke (’22).

After the ‘calling of the years’, the inimitable Bill Morgan (’34) Scotch’s oldest known living Old Boy, addressed the audience with a well thought-out video message.

Our guest of honour, Mr Andrew Dillon, AFL CEO, commenced at the AFL as Legal Counsel in 2000 and has held various roles since, including General Manager of Legal and Business Affairs, National and Game Development and Legal Integrity and Compliance. As a life member of the Old Xaverians Football Club, playing 290 games

with the club, Mr Andrew Dillon gleefully but tastefully recounted some of Old Scotch’s losses against his old school’s team.

After the Principal’s speech, following from his rendition of Gershwin’s Summertime last year with substituted lyrics denouncing the new payroll tax, there was a sense of anticipation – would Dr Scott Marsh pull off another surprise performance? And yes, the Principal did not disappoint. Not only were the selected song’s lyrics (U2’s I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For) modified to convey his move from Sydney and establishing himself within the Scotch Family, but after a first verse with only the acoustic guitar, Dr Marsh surprised the audience with the appearance of Hugh Hasker ('24) playing the bagpipes, followed then by Sam Edney ('24) on the drums, to finish on stage as a dynamic trio for a grand finale. Let’s just say that the stakes might be even higher next year!

All in all, it was another fabulous event, and many thanks go out to all those involved in the organisation, especially OSCA Executive Director Scott Montgomery ('85), Events and Communications Manager Caroline Taylor, Admin Assistant Shell Shi, and the OSCA Events Committee, led by James Adams (’05).

JACOB HOOKE (’22) PERFORMS ADDRESS TO A HAGGIS

JIM DERHAM ('57) WITH HIS GRANDSON, ALASTAIR GRAHAM ('15)

LEFT PAGE, TOP IMAGE: STANDING, LEFT TO RIGHT: ALASTAIR GRAHAM (’15); SCHOOL CAPTAIN MATTHEW CALLAGHAN; FEDERAL MEMBER FOR KOOYONG, DR MONIQUE RYAN MP; PRESIDENT OF THE SCOTCH COLLEGE FOUNDATION, MIKE SIM (’78), STATE MEMBER FOR HAWTHORN, MR JOHN PESUTTO MP; COUNCILLOR FOR RIVERSDALE WARD, CR SUSAN BIGGAR; OSCA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SCOTT MONTGOMERY (’85); JAMES KIOUSSIS (’15). SITTING, LEFT TO

CHAIRMAN HAMISH

STEPHEN

RIGHT: SCHOOL COUNCIL

TADGELL (’85); OSCA PRESIDENT

WEBSTER (’73); GUEST OF HONOUR, MR ANDREW DILLON; SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, DR SCOTT MARSH

MC, MATT DOUGLAS ('11) THE PRINCIPAL ENTERTAINS. HUGH HASKER ('24) IS THE PIPER

GUEST OF HONOUR ANDREW DILLON

KEN JASPER AM ('55), DAVID TENNENT ('57), JOHN NAIRN ('54)

KING'S BIRTHDAY HONOURS, 2024

MEMBER OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (AM)

1. Mr Gareth Eliot Andrews AM (past parent)

Mr Andrews received his award for significant service to the Australian Football League as a player and administrator, to men’s health, and to the community.

2. Mr Raymond Anthony (Tony) Steele AM (’58)

Mr Steele received his award for significant service to cricket as a player, coach and administrator.

3. Mr David Guthrie Willersdorf AM (’63)

Mr Willersdorf received his award for significant service to the community of the Greater Dandenong region.

4. Professor Daryl Lindsay Williams AM (past parent)

Professor Williams received his award for significant service to anaesthesiology and pain medicine.

MEDAL OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (OAM)

5. Dr James Edward Elder OAM (’75)

Dr Elder received his award for service to medicine as an ophthalmologist.

6. Dr Thanh Cac Carl (Carl) Le OAM (’86) / current parent

Dr Le received his award for service to medicine in the motor sports industry.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SCOTCH FAMILY MEMBERS LISTED BELOW, WHO ARE KNOWN TO HAVE RECEIVED AWARDS IN THE 2024 KING’S BIRTHDAY HONOURS

MELBOURNE TARTAN FESTIVAL 2024 – A GREAT CELEBRATION OF ALL THINGS SCOTTISH

FESTIVAL ACCLAIMED AS BEST-EVER STAGED OUTSIDE SCOTLAND

The Melbourne Tartan Festival 2024 was an outstanding success and acclaimed the best ever staged outside Scotland - it celebrated everything Scottish right across Victoria over the whole month of July.

The festival this year was honoured to have from Scotland as its special guest of honour the Right Honourable Lord Lyon King of Arms Joseph Morrow CVO CBE HStJ KC LLD DL FRSE, who not only attended many of the events but also addressed the Scotch College Senior School boys at morning Assembly.

Two big events headlined the festival. The Melbourne Tartan Day Parade was a very colourful and stirring spectacle of 250 pipers, drummers and dancers in traditional dress who marched down Collins Street, Melbourne. The second big event was the Gala Dinner and Concert at the Melbourne Town Hall at the end of the festival.

The Tartan Festival is the public face of the Victorian Scottish Heritage Cultural Foundation (VSHCF), which is chaired by Old Scotch Collegian John Jeffreys (’69).

The festival began with the annual Kirkin’ ‘O the Tartan service at Scots’ Church, with the Parade of Clans piped into the church by Presbyterian Ladies’ College pipers. Clans were announced and welcomed in both Scottish Gaelic and English as they laid their tartans in front of the communion table.

On the following Sunday morning, pop-up performances by Old Scotch Pipes and Drums in the Block Arcade and the City of Melbourne Highland Pipe Band outside the Melbourne Town Hall attracted crowds of city shoppers. There were Highland dancing displays on the terrace of the Old Treasury Building by Victorian Scottish Highland Dance Inc. and the Glenbrae Celtic Dancers, while the Robert Burns Club of Melbourne held a poetry reading in the Treasury Gardens beside Robert Burns’ statue.

The plaintive sound of the pipers on the balconies of the Old Treasury Building signalled it was time for the Melbourne Tartan Day Parade. The Hon Ted Baillieu, Chieftain of Pipe

Bands Victoria (and former Premier of Victoria) led the official party, which was followed by representatives of Scottish clans and societies, a massed pipe band led by Pipe Major Ben Casey, highland dancers, and members of the Scottish Terrier Club with their wee Scotties.

After the parade down Collins Street, a pipe band recital and mass Highland fling finale were held in the forecourt of the Westin Hotel Melbourne, to the delight of hotel guests, staff and spectators. The acoustics were spine tingling!

The premier event of the Melbourne Tartan Festival, the Gala Dinner and Concert on 20 July was graced by the presence of the guest of honour, Lord Lyon, who had accepted an invitation from the VSHCF to spend 10 days in Melbourne during the final week of the festival. A sumptuous gourmet dinner accompanied by fine wines and concert-style entertainment followed. Alan Beck, Immediate Past President of the Robert Burns World Federation, delivered a memorable Address to a Haggis. Later in the evening, Alan, a world class tenor, gave a stellar vocal performance before an enthusiastic audience.

Lord Lyon was treated to some of Australia’s best Scottish/ Australian talent, with this year’s feature band, Old Scotch Pipes and Drums, the Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club with guest singer Fiona Ross and a superb Highland dancing set from the Royal Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing. The City of Melbourne Highland Pipe Band accompanied the Glenbrae Celtic Dancers, before Glenbrae dancers joined Celtic rock band Claymore onstage to close out the night.

During the evening, Lord Lyon presented VSHCF Chairman John Jeffreys and CEO Carol Davis with the foundation’s recently-granted coat of arms. It was a fitting conclusion to what had been a wonderful celebration of Scottish culture and heritage during an action-packed July.

Members of the Scotch Family are encouraged to attend the Melbourne Tartan Festival 2025 which will be held in July. For more information, please contact me on 0411 253 633 or david. tennent@bigpond.com.

DAVID TENNENT (’57) – VICTORIAN SCOTTISH HERITAGE CULTURAL FOUNDATION

AFL DEBUTS FOR THREE OLD SCOTCH COLLEGIANS

TYLER SELLERS (’20), ANGUS MCLENNAN (’21) AND COOPER LORD (’23) EARN SENIOR SELECTION

Three Old Scotch Collegians made their debuts with AFL clubs this year, as the 181st, 182nd and 183rd Old Boys to play with VFL (now AFL) clubs.

Tyler Sellers (’20), was selected for his first game with North Melbourne against Geelong in round five of the AFL season. Tyler, who attended Scotch from 2015 to 2020 and is a key forward, joined the Kangaroos’ VFL program for the 2023 season. Tyler was a member of the Scotch 1st XVIII in 2019, and played one senior game with Old Scotch in 2021 and 10 under 19 games. In 2022 he played 18 senior games (winning the club’s best and fairest) and in 2023 he played seven senior games, for a total of 36 games for Old Scotch. In 2024 Tyler

SCOTCH’S 2023 CAPTAIN OF FOOTBALL NAMED UNDER

18 ALL AUSTRALIAN CAPTAIN

JAGGA SMITH (’23) HONOURED WITH LEADERSHIP NOMINATION

After the 2024 Marsh AFL Under 18 National Championships, Jagga Smith (’23) was named as Captain of the Boys’ All Australian team. Jagga is a lively, very agile and creative midfielder, who had an outstanding championships, in which his strong ball-handling skills and high football intelligence enabled him to average 29.2 disposals.

Jagga played for three years in Scotch’s 1st XVIII, and was Captain of Football in 2023.

The Marsh AFL National Championships for under 18 boys are the highest level of state and territory representative

LOUIS EMMETT (YEAR 11) LEFT AND JAGGA SMITH (’23)

played two senior AFL matches for North. His second game was against Hawthorn in round six.

Angus McLennan (’21) made his AFL debut for St Kilda in round 21. St Kilda lost the game, but Angus performed creditably and was selected again in round 22 against Richmond, which the Saints won by 48 points: but he was left out of the senior side for the remainder of the season. Angus, described by St Kilda as a ’medium defender’ was at Scotch from 2013 to 2021. He was a member of the 1st XVIII in 2019 and 2021 (Vice Captain of the 2021 team), and came to St Kilda in November 2022 via the Next Generation Academy from Sandringham in the VFL.

Cooper Lord (‘23) was selected for his first senior game with Carlton in the round 23 game against the West Coast Eagles at Optus Stadum In Perth. Cooper was at Scotch from 2015 to 2023, where he was a member of the 1st XVIII in 2022 and 2023, and rowed in the winning Scotch 1st Crew in the 2022 Head of the River. Cooper is a midfielder who came to Carlton from the Sandringham Dragons and Vic Metro via the 2024 mid-season draft. Cooper also played in the Blues’ round 24 narrow loss to St Kilda. He had earned senior selection after averaging 26 disposals, seven tackles and more than four clearances in seven games for the Carlton VFL team.

football featuring the country’s most talented under 18 boy footballers. Matches were played across Australia for two months. Jagga’s Victoria Metro took out the title with a thrilling one-point victory over Victoria Country at Marvel Stadium, finishing the championships with a perfect 4-0 record to take the title.

In the 2024 National Draft, Jagga was taken at pick three by Carlton. After the draft, Jagga commented to the Carlton website: ‘For Carlton to put the trust in me, they obviously traded up the order to get a midfielder. For me to be that player, it really means a lot to me and I’ll grab the opportunity with both hands.’

Jagga’s father is Scotch’s Curator, Michael Smith, who was drafted to Collingwood in 1988 as a 16 year old. Michael was around the club in their premiership year of 1990. He later had a successful career as a country footballer. In an interview with Fox Footy, Jagga said although Michael didn’t play senor football with Collingwood, his father was ‘obviously very young and was around when they won the (1990) flag and Peter Daicos was playing. He tells me about all of them, and being coached by Leigh Matthews as well.’

Another Scotch Collegian who participated in the 2024 under 18 National Championships was Louis Emmett (Year 11), who also played for Vic Metro. Louis, 198cm tall and very athletic, played well as a ruckman and forward in the National Championships, and he has been a member of Scotch’s 1st XVIII for the past two years.

A REUNION WITH A DIFFERENCE!

In 2019 the Class of 1969 celebrated our 50 year reunion, with more than 100 attendees including a few from 1968 and 1970 and seven masters. While it was a very successful and enjoyable night, and with formalities reduced, comments were still being made that more time was wanted for mixing and camaraderie. At the reunion committee’s subsequent debriefing meeting, Chris Don (’69) suggested an informal drinks night away from Scotch for our 55th reunion gathering.

Since our 30 year reunion, we have had reunions every 10 years. However, it was decided to have a 55th year reunion as a totally informal drinks night at a venue away from the school. OSCA, which encourages Old Boys to arrange their own events, assisted in several ways.

On 11 September a most enjoyable night was held at the Glenferrie Hotel with 55 attending. There were no formalities or speeches, just mixing and catching up with old friends and sharing wonderful memories. Old Boys purchased their own drinks and food at the bar.

The overwhelming responses were ‘let’s do it this way for future reunions’. So the Class of 1969 will schedule more of these drinks nights; but of course there is the sentimentality for Scotch, so our 10 year reunions will still be held there, although with minimal formalities!

DAVID CLARK, CHRIS DON, ALEX MCKENZIE – CLASS OF 1969

TOP PHOTO: JOHN MORGAN, MURRAY GERSTMAN, TONY CLARKE (BACK), JIM HARKNESS. MIDDLE PHOTO: PHIL SHIELS, CHRIS DON, ROSS BLAIR-HOLT BOTTOM PHOTO: RICK WIDMER, EUAN LITTLEJOHN, JOHN DIGBY

DR OLIVER CRONIN (’02) IS THE 2024 PERELBERG AWARD WINNER

PERELBERG AWARD GOES TO A GREAT AMBASSADOR FOR SCOTCH AND AUSTRALIA

The 2024 Perelberg Award has been presented to an Old Scotch Collegian described by the Principal, Dr Scott Marsh, as ‘a great ambassador not only for Scotch, but also for our country’.

This year’s Perelberg Award winner is Dr Oliver Cronin (’02), an early-career clinician-researcher and an advanced endoscopist/ gastroenterologist. His expertise lies in the early detection and curative resection of colorectal cancer, the third most common cancer in Australia. Dr Cronin received his award at the 2024 Year 12 Presentation Night in the Memorial Hall on 17 October.

After attending Scotch, Dr Cronin earned his medical degree from James Cook University with high distinction. He went on to specialise as a gastroenterologist, training at the major Melbourne teaching hospitals. Dr Cronin was then selected for a prestigious two-year Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship at Westmead Hospital where he gained a wealth of experience in minimally invasive endoscopic resection techniques for the curative resection of GI cancers. Westmead is a world leader in these techniques.

Dr Cronin is completing a PhD with the University of Sydney for which he was awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council postgraduate scholarship.

In 2023, Dr Cronin was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, often referred to as ‘the American Rhodes Scholarship’. This allowed Dr Cronin to work at a world-leading endoscopy centre in New York. He currently works as an advanced endoscopist and gastroenterologist at the Alfred, the Northern, and Epworth Hospitals.

Dr Cronin has authored over 60 publications in international peer-reviewed journals and has presented his work at numerous local and international conferences. He divides his time between clinical work and research and teaching, and is also committed to servicing regional Australia, providing his gastroenterology

services in Wagga Wagga, NSW. Dr Cronin is actively involved in teaching medical and nursing students as well as physician trainees.

Outside of work, Dr Cronin enjoys spending quality time at Point Lonsdale with his wife and three children. He is a keen runner and has completed more than 15 marathons and two ironman triathlons.

Responding after receiving the award from Dr Marsh, Dr Cronin said he was ‘deeply humbled and honoured to receive this esteemed award’. He thanked the Perelberg family for establishing the award in loving memory of Ashley Perelberg.

The Perelberg Award is presented annually for ‘exemplary Scotch Spirit’. It is awarded in alternate years to either an Old Scotch Collegian or to a student who is currently completing his VCE. The award honours the memory of Ashley Perelberg, a member of the Class of 1992 who died suddenly during his first year of university studies. This year the award has been presented to an Old Scotch Collegian.

Ashley’s family created a perpetual memorial and presented a magnificent silver trophy depicting the penguin parade at Phillip Island, inspired by Ashley’s devotion to the annual Scotch-atCowes summer camps. The trophy is normally displayed in the Keon-Cohen Dining Hall, for Scotch boys to see every day. Each year the award winner receives a splendid silver replica.

Ashley Perelberg had a full and enthusiastic life at Scotch, and exemplified Scotch Spirit in every way. This award very much captures the essence of Scotch Spirit – championing progress, inspired by our past, and advancing learning that appreciates beauty, pursues goodness and discerns truth. All these qualities are very much in evidence in the work and the life of the 2024 Perelberg Award winner, Dr Oliver Cronin.

LEFT: AFTER THE PERELBERG AWARD PRESENTATION:

DR CRONIN WITH HIS WIFE KATIE, AND DAUGHTERS MATILDA (SIX MONTHS), GEORGIA (SIX) AND MARGOT (THREE)

SCOTT MARSH PRESENTS THE PERELBERG AWARD TO DR OLIVER CRONIN (’02)

Chaplain

UNITING THE OSCA JOURNEY

Early in my teaching career at Scotch, the legendary Deputy Head, Mr Ron Bond, retired. A man of extraordinary intellect, Ron Bond had served in an elite unit deciphering Japanese military codes during World War II. While many of his colleagues went on to become university professors, Ron chose to dedicate his career to teaching Classics at Scotch, leaving an indelible mark on generations of students.

His parting words at his final Assembly in the Memorial Hall in 1985, still ring in my ears: ‘I want to thank you for your singing – on those occasions when you choose to sing!’ I understood exactly what he meant. When a thousand young men lift their voices together, the sound is powerful, resonant, unforgettable. In early 1984, another APS chaplain had remarked to me, ‘I wish we had the Scotch College tradition of singing.’ There’s something deeply stirring about it.

Even Sir Ernest Shackleton, as the authors of Shackleton’s Way (2001) discovered, valued singing in a team of men. Each applicant for his 1913 Trans-Antarctic Expedition was asked the unexpected question, ‘Can you sing?’ It didn’t matter whether the candidate was a cook, a physicist, or a navigator – every man had to answer. But why? Shackleton wasn’t hiring choirboys; he was recruiting explorers for one of the most perilous voyages in history. The authors never directly answer the question, but the implication is clear: Shackleton knew that men who can sing together can work together. Singing revealed more than just a man’s voice – it showed his spirit, his resilience, his willingness to contribute to the harmony of the group, literally and figuratively.

Shackleton may have failed in his primary mission, but in two years of extreme peril, he succeeded in what truly mattered: he brought all 27 members of his crew home alive. And, perhaps, part of that success was his instinct to gather men who could sing. Singing isn’t just an expression of joy; it’s a declaration of unity, of shared purpose, and courage.

I saw that same courage during choir camps, as young men stood shoulder to shoulder, with nowhere to hide, lifting their voices in unison. It wasn’t just about hitting the right notes. It was about the sense of deep joy that comes from blending voices into a single, powerful song.

HARMONY IN SONG IS AN EXPRESSION OF UNITY, SHARED PURPOSE AND COURAGE

‘Singing from the same song sheet’ has become a phrase synonymous with unity. We hear it in the AFL theme songs echoing through Melbourne, but imagine the impact when the lyrics speak not just of teams but of human dignity, forgiveness, redemption – even sacrifice. These are the themes that make our singing at Scotch truly timeless. The Scotch Song Book is filled with an eclectic mix that reaches far beyond school songs. Psalms over 3000 years old, Latin hymns from 1500 years ago, Reformation anthems, and the stirring melodies of the 18thcentury Evangelical Awakening – these songs remind us that we are part of something greater, something enduring.

I was deeply moved when Marnie O’Brien shared a report from the Scotch visit to the Garma Festival in Arnhem Land. A concert had called for each visiting group to perform, and the boys decided to sing. But what? The only songs they could all confidently sing together were the four doxologies from Memorial Hall Assembly. And so they sang the doxologies! In a moment far from Scotch, those ancient hymns resonated across cultures, a testimony to the power of shared song.

Our Song Book is just the baseline. Over the years, songs have come and gone, some great, some less so. But there have been highlights: from the Assembly’s love for the Swahili chorus taught by Songe Chibambo, to the sheer force of the Choir of Texas A&M University that left us all in awe.

Singing connects us to something larger than ourselves. It can lift us beyond the mundane, towards the very things that make life flourish. The visionary Book of Revelation speaks of a day when all the songs of earth will rise to a shared climax – a moment when the darkness of past behaviours and attitudes will be overwhelmed by the light of an innocent, triumphant redemption.

Ron Bond was right. Visitors to Memorial Hall Assembly, hearing the boys sing, would often express their amazement afterwards: they were ‘blown away.’ And so were the boys at Garma, because in the end, singing is about striving to give glory where glory is due.

There’s no greater calling than that.

GRAHAM BRADBEER – OSCA CHAPLAIN

The Old Scotch Bowls Club started the 2024/25 bowling season on 4 September at our Swinburne Avenue, Hawthorn, home rinks with wins against several APS clubs -- Old Melburnians/Old Caulfield Grammarians combined, and Old Wesley Collegians/ MCC Bowling Club combined.

The APS bowling competition in which Old Scotch plays runs from the first week in September through to the middle of April, so we APS bowlers miss the cold winter weather and enjoy the spring and summer seasons, making it a very pleasant outdoor sporting activity.

The APS bowling competition, unlike pennant bowls, is run on a more social format, where the main aim is to enjoy the company and fraternity of our fellow Scotch Family members and our counterparts from the other APS clubs, while enjoying exercise playing the game of lawn bowls.

There is only one game, the last in the season, in which the competition is serious – the Combined APS Schools Championship Annual Trophy Match, where all the APS schools’ best bowlers are picked to play for their club teams for the APS Trophy, awarded each year to the winning old school club with the highest score after a full day’s bowling of 33 ends. Old Scotch has a proud record of being a major winner of the APS tournament over the years.

BOWLERS’ SEASON STARTED ON A WINNING NOTE

ABOVE: DAVID TENNANT (’57) WITH BOWLS CLUB COMMITTEE MEMBER AND TEAM SELECTOR, ROGER TALLENT (’73) ON THE SEASON OPENING DAY, 4 SEPTEMBER

WINS AGAINST APS CLUBS SET THE SCENE FOR AN ENJOYABLE SEASON

During the club season Old Scotch plays at a more leisurely social pace, and we also have two away games against clubs outside the APS group – the West Brighton Club and the Royal Melbourne Golf Bowls Section. These games are annual trophy matches with a long and famous history, having been played annually for over 40 years. These two days are also designed as a great social get-together between the clubs, with long lunches, many speeches and trophy presentation ceremonies after the two-hour morning matches are concluded.

Old Scotch still has vacancies for male and female members of the Scotch Family to join our club. We warmly welcome new members to join our thriving club and enjoy the fraternity of being with like-minded individuals enjoying the social aspects of OSCA, and the exercise of lawn bowls. We offer free tuition from a qualified bowls coach and loan bowls to all new members while they learn the sport.

Old Scotch plays on 13 Wednesdays at two great MCC facilities in Hawthorn, with plenty of free parking, and we also play two away Wednesday games as detailed above.

For more information, to inspect the club’s outstanding facilities, and to have lessons to play with Old Scotch, please contact me on 0411 253 633 or email david.tennent@bigpond.com.

DAVID TENNENT (’57) – SECRETARY, OLD SCOTCH BOWLS CLUB

The Old Scotch Heritage Club held its annual general meeting during the September school holidays, at which Neil Lucas (’63) was elected President to replace Bruce Brown (’60) who was stepping down after 15 years as President. Ian Kerr (’60) was re-elected Club Secretary.

After the meeting, the club visited the boarding precinct to view the Errington Retreat, the Boarders’ Common and the renovated backblocks of School and McMeckan Houses.

Anyone interested in joining the Heritage Club is invited to contact the Secretary via email: ian_h_kerr@hotmail.com.

HUGH WILSON ('65) – OLD SCOTCH HERITAGE CLUB

Athletics NEIL LUCAS TAKES THE REINS

WINTER OF CONTENT FOR ATHLETIC CLUB NOTABLE

ACHIEVEMENTS IN NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

It is fitting that in a Great Scot issue that is considering the theme of unity and togetherness we can celebrate the achievements of all our Old Scotch Athletic Club athletes over the winter season. Athletics is truly a sport that offers every person an opportunity to get fit, stay fit and strive to improve on one’s performances. However, when it comes to autumn and winter the focus moves to the byways and country tracks around Melbourne and Victoria.

While some work on their strength and conditioning for the track season, others just want to reconnect with their friends and rivals and challenge themselves with the unpredictable weather and the variety of distances. It is a very welcoming environment where everyone is encouraged to participate from the elite to the back-of-the-packers. The afternoon teas at the end of the event are a great way of meeting others and strengthening friendships. It was a very successful winter season with some notable achievements. Fresh from representing Australia in the 2024 World University Cross Country Championships in Oman, Ben Beischer (‘19) was crowned Associated Public Schools Old Collegians’ Association under 23 Athlete of the Year, and runnerup in the Men's Open Athlete of the Year category.

We have seen real growth and involvement of our women athletes who have competed with great distinction in both the APSOC Cross-Country season and the Athletics Victoria season.

They have competed with great success, and it is a real encouragement to see so many donning the cardinal singlet each weekend.

The Australian National Cross Country Championships took place on 31 August at Symmons Plains Raceway, Tasmania. The conditions were described as ‘brutal’ with a freezing, howling wind and torrential rain. Indeed, some races were shortened in distance to spare the athletes. The following Old Scotch athletes took part in the championships and performed impressively: James Hall (Year 5) won the under 12 3km, Conor Sullivan (Year 11) was fourth in the under 18 6km, and Rory Vial (Year 12) was 11th in the under 19 6km. Congratulations to all those athletes.

Anyone interested in competing for the club can check out our website: oldscotchathleticclub.com.au. We look forward to welcoming you on board.

TONY STUBBS (’87) – OLD SCOTCH ATHLETIC CLUB

HERITAGE CLUB MEMBERS AT THE AGM: STANDING, LEFT TO RIGHT – BRUCE BROWN (’60), GRAHAM STANLEY (’61), SUE STANLEY, GUS HAWTHORNE (’53). SITTING, LEFT TO RIGHT – VICKI O’NEILL, PETER FISHLEY (’52), NEIL LUCAS (’63), IAN KERR (’60).

BEN BEISCHER (’19) COMPETING FOR THE OLD SCOTCH ATHLETIC CLUB

Bushwalking MORNING TEA, FOLLOWED BY A GREAT WINTER WALK

OLD SCOTCH BUSHWALKERS TACKLE THE LYONVILLE-TRENTHAM RAIL TRAIL

Nothing gets a bushwalk off to a good start like a good morning tea before we start walking. And that’s how the Old Scotch Bushwalking Club’s walk from the Lyonville Mechanics Hall to the Trentham railway station started on Sunday 11 August. Lyonville

(population: 175) is located east of Daylesford, approximately 100km from Melbourne.

In planning this walk, my wife, Sue, and I discovered the Lyonville Mechanics Hall, and by pure chance, one of the hall’s committee of management members, David Bruce. The hall is currently used for private functions and four annual events. As a fundraiser, the hall is open every Sunday morning for morning tea for the locals.

The plan was for the walkers to meet at the hall for morning tea before we started the walk. And a benefit for the locals was that we would be putting some money into the hall (built in 1886) to help maintain it.

We enjoyed a magnificent morning tea, at which the barista on duty for the day happened to be local resident and Old Scotch Collegian, Simon Eggleston (‘64). It certainly is a small world! In all, we contributed more than $200 to their funds.

Twenty-one club members had registered for the walk and 18 took part. The 6km Domino rail trail we walked along was the old Trentham to Lyonville rail line, which was opened on 16 February 1880, as part of the Carlsruhe to Daylesford line. It closed on 3 July 1978.

The rail trail runs through picturesque country nestled among the tall timbers of the Wombat State Forest.

The Trentham station did provide an excellent venue for us to have our lunch, even if there was no train to take us back to Lyonville. After lunch and posing for a photo on the station, we left on the return journey to Lyonville. It had been a great day, beginning with a delicious morning tea, followed by a thoroughly enjoyable walk in mild, sunny winter weather.

GRAHAM STANLEY ('61) – OLD SCOTCH

BUSHWALKING CLUB

OLD SCOTCH BUSHWALKERS OUTSIDE THE LYONVILLE MECHANICS HALL BEFORE THE START OF THE WALK.

OLD SCOTCH BUSHWALKERS WAITING FOR THE TRAIN TO LYONVILLE. THEY MISSED THE TRAIN BY 46 YEARS – THE LAST TRAIN LEFT TRENTHAM ON 3 JULY 1978!

Soccer

PIVOTAL YEAR FOR OLD SCOTCH SOCCER CLUB

This has been a pivotal year in the history of the Old Scotch Soccer Club.

It saw the club field its first ever women’s team, which experienced great success in Victorian State League 5, finishing in a very respectable sixth position with six wins and 26 goals scored.

Congratulations to Mia Mackenzie and Isabella Mackenzie, who won the first ever best and fairest and Golden Boot awards for the team in the club’s history.

The Men’s Seniors finished eighth in their second year in Victorian State League 1. Season highlights included defeating tough Banyule City Soccer Club 1-0 away, and defeating rivals Collingwood City Football Club 2-1 twice (including in the last game of the season). The team debuted several young players this year, but unfortunately lost a few experienced long-serving players, notably club legend Jonny Beamish to an injury early in the season, Harry Hackett (’12) who has moved to France, and 2024 best and fairest winner Jannis Boeckle, who has returned home to Germany. The team believes that with the injection of a few more players, it will be able to push for a top half finish in 2025.

The Men’s Reserves had a very good season, finishing seventh in the tough Victorian State League 1. Like the Seniors, 2024 saw the Reserves debut several talented

young players who have huge potential for growth in 2025. The team had three players win the Golden Boot (George Maj, Angus Macdonald (’21) and Tom Proe-Carter).

The Men’s Blues team had a season filled with growth and resilience in Victorian Metropolitan League 3, despite facing challenges in the results column. With eight draws highlighting its close matches, it was clear that the team was competitive and consistently put in the effort.

Players showed significant development throughout the year, with younger players learning invaluable lessons from the seasoned veterans. The hard work and determination displayed by every player was evident in our practices and games, creating an environment that was thoroughly enjoyable to be involved with.

The Men’s Golds team finished the season in Victorian Metropolitan League 6 in a strong vein of form, winning the last three games to secure fifth place. The team really grew throughout the campaign, with a lot of new players integrating well with the squad over the course of the season. The squad is looking to go one further next season and push for promotion!

The Cardinals, which played in Bayside FA Over 35s Division 3, experienced huge success in its inaugural year by coming

second and gaining promotion to Division 2. The team achieved a massive tally of 51 goals and suffered only 15 goals against (the strongest defensive performance in the league). Congratulations to Tim Davidson for winning not only the team-voted best and fairest award, but also the best and fairest award for the entire league. The team is very excited for 2025, during which matches will be played on Friday nights at H A Smith Reserve, and is determined to emulate the successes of 2024.

Thank you to all of the club’s players, supporters, and sponsors. We would not be the club we are without you. For information about playing at, supporting or sponsoring the club in 2025, please contact us at committee@ossc.com.au.

Last but not least, after 20 years of coaching and leading the club to four promotions to Victorian State League 1, Men’s Seniors’ Coach Eamonn Beamish (’79) is hanging up his coaching boots and will take on the new role as Director of Football. Eamonn’s unrelentless passion, commitment, hard work and dedication over the last 20 years have been at the heart of the club’s growth and success. Eamonn – thank you for everything you have done for our club.

JASON CHOI ('07) – OLD SCOTCH SOCCER CLUB

Badminton

THE THREAD THAT BINDS FOR A ‘SMASHING’ TIME

This is a tale of two Young Old Boys: Richard Zhou (‘14) and Henry Teo (‘15).

During the APS Winter Sports Seasons of 2014 and 2015, Henry was toiling away in the Fourths Red Soccer team, while Richard was playing in the 1st XV Rugby team. Despite these somewhat contrasting sporting experiences over these two winters, the Cardinal Thread that runs throughout our journeys

Masonic Lodge

at Scotch College has brought these two individuals together on the badminton court.

While Henry had long established himself as a leading Scotch shuttler – he was part of the Scotch College 1st Badminton team during 2012, 2013, and 2014, and was Captain of Badminton in 2015, winning the APS Badminton Championship in each of those years – Richard had his first exposure to the sport when he joined the Old Scotch Badminton Club to play with friends. With his determination to become a better player, Richard developed into a formidable player within a few years. Before long, both Richard and Henry became a consistent doubles pair, developing teamwork, cooperation, and an understanding of each other’s game and strategies.

Through the Old Scotch Badminton Club, the Old Boys have been united in their passion for the sport and the feelings provoked within them prior to every game: a crackling tension that helps them both hit top gear on court. This recently culminated in the pair joining forces when they represented the Old Scotch Badminton Club in the 2024 Monash Open and Graded Badminton Championship. After being narrowly defeated in the semi-finals by a single, solitary point, the pair claimed third place: a valiant effort in their first competitive outing as an established doubles pair.

More than achieving a strong result in the tournament, this is just one of the many ways that the Scotch Family shows the strength that people have when we unite our forces.

DANNY TEE KEAT TAN (‘04) – OLD SCOTCH BADMINTON CLUB

LODGE MOVES TOWARDS ITS CENTENARY

CONSECRATION RE-ENACTMENT PLANNED FOR OUR MASONIC LODGE

As the Old Scotch Collegians Lodge, No. 396 proceeds towards its centenary in November 2025, our work continues in collating all the achievements of the Lodge and its members throughout our 100-year history.

Founded in 1925, and sponsored by the Old Melburnians’ Lodge, it continues to provide a stream of interest for Old Boys to connect with fellow students on a regular basis, develop skills in leadership and personal development and socially interact, while also being guided by a moral compass based on principles of truth, honour and virtue.

Originally meeting at the home of Victorian Freemasonry at 25 Collins Street, which was later demolished and turned into what is now the Sofitel Hotel, the Lodge moved in 1950 to the Masonic

Centre in Glenferrie, again to Camberwell in 1992, again to Box Hill in 2014, and since 2021 it has met at the new headquarters in East Melbourne.

In February 2025, we will reinstall our brother James Stewart (‘97) into the role of Master of the Lodge (an annual appointment), and in November we plan to conduct a reconsecration ceremony in the same style as was done 100 years ago.

In so many ways, our centuries-old traditions, built on empowering men to connect with their inner self and community, has contributed to much of the social fabric and early landscape of architecture around Melbourne.

Other members, empowered by our ancient traditions, demonstrate with enthusiasm and leadership the principles of a journey of truth and life. As we know from

our days at Scotch, an education is not just what we learn, but together with lasting friendships, it is the achievements we build in the process to the society we live in.

The Old Scotch Collegians’ Lodge currently meets on the first Wednesday of each even month in East Melbourne. Everyone is welcome to learn more about the Lodge.

All members of the Scotch Family, particularly all past members, and anyone enquiring about membership, are welcome to contact our Secretary, Graeme Weber (’64) (geweber@netspace.net.au) or Stuart McArthur (’89) (stuart.mcarthur@ nihon2000.com); or visit our website: https://www.oscl396.org.au/

STUART MCARTHUR (’89) – DIRECTOR OF CEREMONIES, OLD SCOTCH COLLEGIANS' MASONIC LODGE

OLD SCOTCH BADMINTON CLUB

DOUBLES PAIR HENRY TEO ('15) (LEFT) AND RICHARD ZHOU ('14)

CREEPY, KOOKY AND HILARIOUS –THE ADDAMS FAMILY

EEERILY ENCHANTING MUSICAL IS OSM a D’s 2024 PRODUCTION

Snap your fingers for a spook-tacularly hilarious night at the theatre as the eerily enchanting Addams Family invites you into their gloriously ghoulish mansion for an evening of twisted fun and toe-tapping tunes. It’s creepy, it’s kooky, and it’s hitting the Geoffrey McComas Theatre stage like never before! OSMaD’s contemporary adaptation plays with theatrical convention. The Addams Family musical will be staged at Scotch from 5 to 14 December.

The Addams Family features an original story, and it's every father's nightmare. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family - a man her parents have never met.

And if that weren't upsetting enough, Wednesday confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he's never done before - keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday's 'normal' boyfriend and his parents. A love story to die for (literally!).

Find out more and #MeetOurFamily at https://osmad.com.au/addams

OSMaD has the privilege of performing annually at the OSCA President’s Dinner. This is an opportunity to showcase the upcoming December production and welcome new faces and old to the Scotch community. Each year at the dinner two numbers are performed, featuring some of the shining stars of Melbourne’s pre-professional theatre scene. At OSMaD, we are fortunate to have one foot in the Scotch Family and one foot in the wider theatre community – Melbourne is home to the highest number of amateur theatre companies in the country.

Each of OSMaD’s 16 musical productions has delighted audiences and drawn wide praise from critics, winning awards and gaining nominations from the Music Theatre Guild of Victoria and the Lyrebird Awards.

OSMaD is privileged to be able to stage productions in the Geoffrey McComas Theatre, a fully resourced state-of-the-art theatrical space run by industry professionals. We in the OSMaD family pride ourselves on the many members of our community who keep coming back for more. Many of them have remained stalwarts since our 2008 conception, and some have served in different roles – both on and off the stage.

We are always interested in new faces joining our family: https://osmad.com.au/get-involved

Football

GALA BALL CELEBRATES AN UNFORGETTABLE YEAR FOR FOOTBALL CLUB

More than 260 Old Scotch Football Club members and guests celebrated like never before, as they got together at Hawthorn Arts Centre on Friday 18 October for the Best and Fairest Gala Ball, to celebrate the club’s Premier Grade men’s and women’s premierships and to congratulate the award winners.

In a never-to-be forgotten year, the Men’s 1st XVIII won its first senior premiership since 1978, and the Women’s 1st XVIII team took out its third premiership in the past four years. As well, the Men’s Reserves and Women’s Reserves teams made their grand finals. In addition, the Under 19 Premier Men’s Under 19 and the Men’s 3rd XVIII teams' each made the preliminary finals in their grades.

Highlights of the Gala Ball included Charlie Cormack taking out the Men’s 1st XVIII best and fairest from James Tarrant, and Mia Caffry winning the Women’s 1st XVIII best and fairest, ahead of Bella Gray. Kate Tassiopoulos and Stephanie Allen won the prestigious best club person trophies. Premiership winning coaches Mark Gnatt and Dean Anderson held court on stage for a joyous period of flag recognition, as the club toasted our senior and all other trophy winners.

The club also gave thanks to our departing 3rd XVIII coach, Alex van Ryn ('09), and to Lachie Fraser-Smith ('85) for exhorting us all to give more in a wonderful club auction. And we definitely give thanks to Scotch College Principal Dr Scott Marsh for joining us on the night.

It was a night we will all remember, with possibly the biggest moment of all being the two premiership teams joining together on stage for a group photo.

TWO SENIOR PREMIERSHIPS AND MULTIPLE FINALS APPEARANCES

THE PREMIERSHIP-WINNING OSFC MEN’S AND WOMEN’S 1ST XVIII TEAMS ON STAGE TOGETHER.

Our biggest in-season event was the inaugural Hall of Fame night at the MCG in August. We honoured two teams of the decade (2000s and 2010s), Hall of Fame members (14 in total) and our first-ever Legends. The three Legends are champion goalkicker of the 1930s, Bill Pearson (’29), who kicked more than 1000 goals for Old Scotch; premiership captain, multiple best and fairest winner, regular competition representative and Big V champion, John Anderson (’65); and the man who coached us to our last two senior flags (before 2024!), Laurie Aghan. A great night was had by the 140 in attendance and we look forward to the next edition in 2027.

CLUB AWARDS

Best Club Person Off-Field (Bryan Gibbs Distinguished Service Award) - Kate Tassiopoulos

Best Club Person On-Field (John Anderson Distinguished Service Award) - Stephanie Allen

MEN'S 1ST XVIII

1st Best and Fairest - Charlie Cormack (’17); 2nd Best and Fairest - James Tarrant (’17); 3rd Best and Fairest - Isaac Conway; Coaches’ Award - Ryan Valentine, Best Finals Player Award - Charlie Cormack (’17); Encouragement Award (Ian McKinley Trophy) - Will Clark (’17); Sacrificial Acts Award (Manson Russel Award) - Andrew Jelbart (’11); Team Player of the Year Award (Ewen Davidson Award) - Jack Brown (’18); Club Leading Goalkicker (Bill Pearson Award) - Ryan Valentine: 38

WOMEN'S 1ST XVIII

1st Best and Fairest - Mia Caffry; 2nd Best and Fairest - Bella Gray; 3rd Best and Fairest - Katie Hunter-Scott; Coaches’ Award - Millie Fraser-Smith; Best Finals Player Award - Jordan Mifsud; Encouragement Award - Ella Sciberras; Leading GoalkickerEloise Defina

MEN'S 2ND XVIII

1st Best and Fairest - Charlie Schilling (’17), 2nd Best and Fairest - Robbie Beckworth (’21), 3rd Best and FairestMichael Tassiopoulos (’20)

WOMEN'S 2ND XVIII

1st Best and Fairest - Georgie Kerr, 2nd Best and FairestIsabella Tuttle, 3rd Best and Fairest - Zara Fodor

MEN'S UNDER 19

1st Best and Fairest - Jake Phillips (’22), 2nd Best and FairestHenry Long (’22), 3rd Best and Fairest - Matthew Mayes (’23)

MEN'S 3RD XVIII

1st Best and Fairest - John Stavris (’12), Equal 2nd Best and Fairest - James Broderick, Equal 2nd Best and Fairest - Will Steventon (’19)

MEN'S SHARKS

1st Best and Fairest - Oscar Kyriacou (’18), 2nd Best and Fairest - Sam Martin, 3rd Best and Fairest - Ryan Higgins

ANDREW TOOP – GENERAL MANAGER, OLD SCOTCH FOOTBALL CLUB

BELOW: AT THE GALA BALL – OSFC PRESIDENT STEPHEN WEBSTER (’73), MRS ALVIE WEBSTER, THE PRINCIPAL DR SCOTT MARSH, SCOTCH’S HEAD OF ADVANCEMENT, TIM SHEARER (’85). BOTTOM: SID TASSIOPOULOS, OSCA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SCOTT MONTGOMERY (’85), OSFC UNDER 19 ASSISTANT COACH RHYS HASLAM, EDDIE MONTGOMERY (’18).

THESE IMAGES: THE OSFC MEN’S AND WOMEN’S 1ST XVIII TEAMS LINE UP BEFORE THEIR GRAND FINALS.

HARRY STUBBINGS (’18).

YEAR 12 MOTHER’S DAY BREAKFAST 9 May 2024

LEONDA BY THE YARRA

YEAR 12 FATHER’S DAY BREAKFAST 1 September 2024

KOOYONG TENNIS CLUB

APS GOLF DAY 10 May 2024

VICTORIA GOLF CLUB - OSCA WINS THE DAY!

CORDNER-EGGLESTON CUP LUNCH 24 May 2024

BOYKETT ROOM, CARDINAL PAVILION

SCOTCH FAMILY ADELAIDE DINNER 20 April 2024 COMMITTEE ROOM, ADELAIDE OVAL

1. DAVID MARTIN (’65), STEPHANIE MARTIN, GERALDINE MCOMISH, ROSS, MCOMISH, GLENN RONAN . 2. AARON ABELL (’91), JESSICA ABELL, JOHN ABRAHAMS. 3.

RISHABH BHARGAVA (’19), SCOTT MARSH, GEOFFREY MCLEAN (’66), ANN MCLEAN. 4. ANN MCLEAN, GEOFFREY MCLEAN (’66), ROSS

MARSH, SCOTT MARSH, ROSS MCOMISH (’66), SCOT MONTGOMERY (’85), ANDREW SINCLAIR (’80). 6. GRAHAM BOWIE (’65), ROWAN EVANS.

5.

STEFAN SANDERS (’88),

LECKIE (’59).

ROW MONTGOMERY, RON RULE, STELLA

SCOTCH FAMILY BENDIGO DINNER

2 August 2024

MACKENZIE HALL, BENDIGO

SCOTCH FAMILY SYDNEY DRINKS 8 August 2024

THE ROYAL HOTEL, PADDINGTON

1. CLASS OF 1981 LADS. 2. DARRYL RATHJEN (‘81), EMMA BRYANT, PETER HYETT (‘81), DUNCAN WALLIS (‘83), RAMON RATHJEN (’77). 3. GRAEME MANN (’60), JOHN KNIGHT (’74), PHIL SHAW (’80), PAUL MISHURA - SCOTCH ARCHIVIST, PETER HYETT (’80). 4. THE BENDIGO FAMILY. 5. ERROLL HAY (’68), DOUG CAHILL (’65), RICHARD HYETT (’51), TOM GLAZEBROOK (’43), JEREMY LONG (’68). 6. SANDRA DICK, DEAN LITTLE (’80), ANGELIQUE LITTLE.

1.

3.

FAMILY PERTH DINNER 11 September 2024

SCOTCH FAMILY NORTH-EAST 6 October 2024

40 YEAR REUNION Class of '84 - 23 August 2024

KEON-COHEN DINING HALL

SCOTCH FAMILY BELLARINE 27

October 2024 QUEENSCLIFF BOWLS CLUB

1. CLASS OF 84 REUNION CREW. 2. MATT DICKOS, GREGOR BROWNLEY, JAMES DOUGLAS, PIP DARVALL, BRETT LANGLEY. 3. ANDREW ROFFEY, DUGALD CHRISTIE-JOHNSTON, DAVID MCARTHUR, NICK MURDOCH. 4. MARTIN KING, JOHN LAUNDER, SCOTT MAGINNESS, ANDREW SUTHERLAND. 5. FRANK STEPHENS, EWAN STEWART, KEN WOODS, BRUCE CAMERON, WILLIAM DORAN. 6. SIMON HILL, ANDREW GREEN, PAUL BOSISTO, DAVID WOODS.

1. JOHN CHRISTENSEN (’58), PETER GIBBS (’58), DEB BURLEY, RAY SNEDDON (’58). 2. PETER TURNLEY (’57), RAY SNEDDON (’58), CLIVE JONES (’58) PETER GIBBS (’58), JOHN MONTGOMERY (’60), GEOFF KIDD (’61). 3. RICK AITCHISON (’57) - ADDRESS TO A HAGGIS. 4. RICK AITCHISON (’57) ROBIN MUNRO, NORMA CORNISH, SANDRA DICK, DARBY MUNRO (‘59). 5. CRAIG EBELING (’56), RICK AITCHISON (’57), CASS EBELING, DR SCOTT MARSH, JIM DERHAM (’56). 6. CHRISTINE SHEARER, JOHN JEFFREYS (’69), STEPHEN WEBSTER (’73), PHIL WRIGHT (’69), ROS TURNLEY.

RAAC JUST DID IT!

OLD BOY ARTISTS’ INAUGURAL ART GALLERY EXHIBITION IRL

How exciting to see 20 Old Boy artists exhibiting their artworks and filling a local gallery space with their talent and creativity.

The Just Doing It exhibition at Ladder Art Space Gallery in Kew this October was a great success, giving the artists of the Scotch Family the opportunity to share their unique take on the world. The opening night was a reunion of sorts, bringing the creative alumni together with their friends and family, as well as interested onlookers, to participate in the creative vibe of this first ever IRL art exhibition of the Old Boys’ Red Army Artist Collective.

The title of the exhibition Just Doing It was a nod to the strength of the creative arts at Scotch, and the focus on creativity and making which has been a hallmark of the program through several generations. It has taught generations of students to always be creative, trust your instincts and focus on making the best quality product you can, rather than trying to follow any current fads. This was a common message of the artists, that they were so happy to be a part of this exhibition and to contribute back to the school where they felt they were encouraged to find their creative voice. They are also excited that current students will be able to join them in future exhibitions and artistic events.

The announcement of the Ben Shearer Acquisitive Art Award was a feature, with guest Russel Howcroft (’83) speaking enthusiastically about Ben’s lasting impact on himself and so many other Old Boys whom he encouraged to follow their creative and entrepreneurial instincts as a favourite Art teacher. The prize of $2500, donated by Ben, was awarded to Robert Yin (’23), the youngest exhibitor at the exhibition. His artwork, titled A Day and Forever First, is a beautifully crafted painting, reminiscent of Rick Amor’s emotionally solitary themes and Jeffrey Smart’s draftsmanship. We hold high hopes for Robert’s future progress with his Fine Art studies at Monash University, and look forward to seeing his next artworks soon.

There were many great stories, from Graeme McRae’s (’54) inclusion in his first exhibition, to Anzak Newman (’10) including one of his incredible carved artworks with Torres Strait symbolism from his studio in Cairns, to seasoned artists such as Jim Hardy

(’17), (aka Jim One) and Mac Hewitt (’11) showing their peerless skills, to high profile content creators Nic Smith (’09) and Ben Hartnett (’14), showing their sought-after tattoo and auto video content; and Scotch Art teacher Jacob Vuk’s (’11) ironically humorous cartoon character paintings. Old Boys who are working in IT, app creation and accounting who are creatives at heart also showed their flair. There were great stories associated with all of the artists and there was something for everyone to enjoy.

I would like to send a big thank you to OSCA Executive Director, Scott Montgomery (’85) for the support he showed from the beginning of this exhibition proposal. This support really made the exhibition possible. Also thank you to Ben Shearer for his ongoing and substantial personal support of the creative arts at Scotch. And finally, a shout out to Theodore Dryden (’21), in the final year of his Fine Art Curating degree at Monash University. Theo (aka Moddpodge) took on the reigns as the curator of the exhibition, and did a splendid job in gathering artistic information and designing the hanging of the exhibition in such a beautiful and captivating way. It was great to work with all of these wonderful contributors on this exhibition.

If you missed the exhibition you can take a look at the online version at this link: https://artspaces.kunstmatrix.com/fr/ exhibition/13596705/raac-just-doing-it

There is also still the opportunity to purchase artworks from the exhibition, with sales directly supporting the artist and OSCA’s YOB Art support funds. The catalogue can be viewed at this link: https://ladderartspace.com.au/product-category/ artworks/art_exhibition_in_melbourne_art_gallery_ ladderartspace_just-doing-it-raac/ YUDHA SCHOLES – HEAD OF ART

PHOTOS AT LEFT: GROUPS AT THE RED ARMY ARTIST COLLECTIVE EXHIBITION.

RIGHT, TOP: RUSSEL HOWCROFT (’83) SPEAKS ABOUT BEN SHEARER’ S LASTING IMPACT

SAM PALAZZO (’18) WITH FORMER SCOTCH HEAD OF ART, MARK MASON

WHAT THEY'RE DOING NOW – COMPILED BY DAVID ASHTON ('65)

1940s

ADRIAN GRALEY (’43) is an active 98 year old who serves as Residential Care Representative on the Consumer Advisory Body of the Glenview Community Services’ Windsor residential care facility in Glenorchy, Tasmania. The Consumer Advisory Body represents the Windsor residents and provides feedback to the Glenview board. Adrian, who has been a Windsor resident for more than 10 years, is a strong advocate for the Windsor residents.

Adrian attended Scotch from 1942-43 and then Melbourne University where he gained a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in chemistry. Adrian worked as an Experimental Soils Chemist with the CSIRO at Battery Point, Hobart, for 40 years.

Adrian Graley is the 20th oldest known living Old Scotch Collegian (as at 15 October 2024).

Another active nonagenarian, FATHER JOHN CATHCART (’48), featured in the previous edition of Great Scot, describing himself as an ‘engineering missionary’. Now living on a ranch In Texas with a son and grandson, John says he has never been busier. He quips: 'I’m not sure this is the way retirement is supposed to be, and it’s definitely not what I had in mind … but as John Lennon said, “Life is what happens while you’re busy making plans”’.

Although he had great success in his life as a professional engineer, John says he has gained far more satisfaction from the opportunities he has had later in life through helping people medically,

academically, socially and spiritually right across the world, including in western and central Europe, the Pacific, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Central America and Africa.

John believes giving should be a win-win deal – ‘what’s in it for me?’ – and that it’s important to give people knowhow rather than straight charity. ‘Make it easy for them! Don’t leave them to their own resources,’ he says. Also: ‘Ask people to give for a new pulpit and you will be overwhelmed: ask them to give on principle, because they should pay their tithes, and lots of luck!’

1950s

In a ‘What they’re doing now’ item in the November 1986 issue of Great Scot, BILL MOLYNEUX (‘52) said he had spent several years finding his true vocation – horticulture, landscape restoration and design, and writing. Bill attended Scotch from 1947 to 1950. He was born in Footscray in 1935, and as a youngster he had developed an affinity with Australian plants on the basalt plains and Maribyrnong River near his home. He began studying horticulture in 1969 and received a certificate from the Burnley College.

Bill took over Austraflora Nursery in 1972, and was later joined by his wife, Sue Forrester, a horticulturist and a contributor and assistant in much of his work. Bill’s interests include landscaping using Australian plants, revegetation for mining companies, vegetation planning on highways, and planting designs for private gardens.

Bill is an Honorary Research Fellow at La Trobe University and an Honorary Associate with the National Herbarium of Victoria. His botanical interests include acacia, callistemon and grevillea. Plants named after him honour his involvement in saving their Little Desert habitat, and include Grevillea molyneuxii and Eucalyptus molyneuxii. Bill is the author or co-author of several books, and he wrote for The Age from 1979 to 1998.

Congratulations to PETER WARNER OAM (’59) who has received a City of Boroondara Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising his association with community sport for well over 60 years.

Peter’s career in the Camberwell Cricket Club’s senior teams extended from 1959 until he retired in 1984/85. He has taken on many roles with the club and with Cricket Victoria, including two terms as Camberwell Cricket Club President, and two terms as President after the merger with Camberwell Cricket Club created the Camberwell Magpies Cricket Club. He was a director of Cricket Victoria for 13 years, and a director of Cricket Australia for five years.

Peter has also served the Old Scotch Football Club with distinction, including as a long-term member, sponsor, Treasurer in 2014, Vice President in 1994, Co-President in 2015, and President in 2016. He was elected a life member of the club in 2024.

In the 2021 Australia Day honours, Peter received a Medal of the Order of Australia award (OAM) for service to cricket, and to Australian rules football. During a dinner last November he was acknowledged for his 67 years’ service to the Camberwell Cricket Club and the Camberwell Magpies Cricket Club.

LEFT TO RIGHT: ADRIAN GRALEY (’43); BILL MOLYNEUX (’52); PETER WARNER OAM (’59); JIM WELLS (’63); BILL BAXTER AM (’64)

1960s

After Scotch, JIM WELLS (’63) studied Commerce at Melbourne University and then joined the Commonwealth Public Service. He soon became a member of the Australian Army as a National Serviceman, spending most of his two years’ service as an Education Officer (‘Chalkie’) in Papua New Guinea, serving in both Port Moresby and Lae.

While there Jim experienced some flights with the RAAF, including a memorable low flight down the Markham Valley in a DHC-4 Caribou. Returning to Melbourne after a two-year working holiday in the UK, he worked for Kodak in North Coburg, then occupying one of the largest industrial sites in the city, which is now long gone.

Never sporty at school, Jim discovered orienteering about 1975 and he still participates occasionally. Marriage took him to Sydney in 1979, where employers included Unilever, Chubb Security and the NSW Railways.

Since retirement Jim has been active in several organisations, including Rotary and Probus. For Rotary he served as District Treasurer for four years, followed by a stint as District Probus Chair. Jim’s experience in document design and layout has led him to be a newsletter editor for various organisations.

BILL BAXTER AM (’64) left the Parliament of Victoria in 2006 after 33 years as a National Party MP. He remains active in politics as a director of the Nationals’ think tank, the Page Research Centre, and participating in state and federal election campaigns. Next year will

mark 60 years of holding elected office of one sort or another in the National Party.

Bill maintains an interest in the family farm at Picola. He relocated to Nagambie five years ago in the footsteps of his Presbyterian great-grandparents who selected land nearby in the 1860s after emigrating from County Donegal.

Bill is a Director of Nagambie Health Care which operates a 50-bed aged care facility. He says that it is even more stressful than being a Minister in JEFF KENNETT’S Cabinet Bill and his wife, Jan, aim to take an overseas trip each year until advancing age renders travel insurance beyond reach. Last year they went to Greenland, the Faroes, Svalbard in the Arctic (site of the doomsday seed vault) and Scotland. In spring, they cruised the Mississippi, the Douro in Portugal and around the Azores.

‘Scotch opened my eyes,’ Bill says. ‘I continue to see opportunity and to make the best of it.’

GEOFF MCCRACKEN (’65) has compiled a list of ‘musical memories’ –evocative songs which have coincided with significant events in his life. Geoff describes it as ‘the soundtrack to my life’. He admits that it could be seen as the project of a man who has plenty of spare time on his hands, but as he says, ‘In retirement, that’s exactly what I do have – plenty of time’.

Some examples of songs coinciding with significant moments in Geoff’s life are: Scotch College school songs, such as The Boating Song – coinciding with Geoff’s Scotch years, 1954-65; She Loves You (the Beatles) – 1963: his first Beatles 45rpm record; Walk on By (Dionne Warwick) –1968: his first love; Honky Cat (Elton John) – 1972: living in London, The Best Disco

in Town (the Ritchie Family) – 1976: when he met his future wife, Bev; A Little Ray of Sunshine (Axiom) – 1983: the birth of his daughter, Elizabeth; Arabesque no. 1 in E Major (Claude Debussy) – 1989: Geoff and Bev’s 10th wedding anniversary.

In retirement, Geoff has done much more than muse over significant songs. For example, among many projects for the Old Scotch Football Club, in 2021 he co-authored (with BRUCE BROWN (’60)) Fighting for the Cardinal Gold and Blue, the club’s monumental centenary history. Last year he painstakingly researched documents relating to the Old Scotch Cricket Club, including their ‘Ashes’ series against Sydney Scots Cricket Club, for a possible history of the club.

The latest book by one of Australia’s most respected and prolific authors, ROLAND PERRY OAM (’65), tells the true story of two generals who in World War II took on the momentous task of defending Australia against the ever-advancing Japanese war machine.

In The Battle of the Generals , Roland’s 40th book, launched on 1 October, he draws on archival sources and interviews to graphically recreate the times and the personalities of two very different generals – Australia’s Tom Blamey and America’s Douglas MacArthur. Blamey was the son of a drover, one of 10 children, who rose through the ranks after serving under General Sir John Monash in World War I. MacArthur was born into a military life as the son of an American general. As Roland says, ‘One would lead us to victory, the other would claim the glory.’ Roland’s books have sold more than two million copies in Australia alone.

LEFT TO RIGHT: GEOFF MCCRACKEN (’65); ROLAND PERRY OAM (’65); DUNCAN LECKIE (’73); RICHARD TULLOCH (’66); GRAEME TIVEY (’74)

WHAT THEY'RE DOING NOW

For more information about the book: www.rolandperry.com.au.

RICHARD TULLOCH (’66) is another very creative Old Scotch Collegian. Richard lives between bases in Sydney and Amsterdam and has spent 50 years writing books, screenplays and theatre for young people. ‘Whenever I decide to retire, someone offers me a gig on an interesting new project and I invariably say “yes”. It’s Freelancer’s FOMO.'

His 150 episodes of Bananas in Pyjamas (‘the original “two guys in fruit suits” series, not the later animated version’) screened around the world. More recent work includes writing stage adaptations of the wonderful Dutch novel The Book of Everything and five of Andy Griffiths’ and Terry Denton’s 13-Storey Treehouse books. The Book of Everything , for which he wrote early drafts in English, was finally released in 2024 as a Dutch language film. Next up is a collaboration with the former Wiggles, now band composer John Field on The Grandparents' Club, a comedy musical touring Australia in 2025.

Meanwhile, making the most of his remaining knee cartilage, Richard enjoys cycling around the Netherlands with his wife, volunteering as a hiking guide in NSW National Parks, and spending time with his children and grandchildren in Sydney.

1970s

After his final School Assembly, DUNCAN LECKIE (’73) took home a flyer for teaching studentships. His mother said, ‘Fill it in, and you will be paid to go to

university!’ That was the genesis of a long and wonderfully rewarding career as a school teacher. Duncan’s first posting was at Pascoe Vale Girls’ High School, where he was a Science and Maths teacher and also Head of Sport. A founding achievement was setting up a girls’ AFL competition within the region in 1981, and one of his players actually nominated for the first AFL draft.

Duncan then moved to Carey Baptist Grammar School where he stayed until retiring 31 years later. Boys’ and girls’ football was an ongoing interest, and he ran the school program for many years as well as coaching the 1st XVIII. He especially enjoyed defeating his old school whenever possible! His pastoral role was as Head of Steele House, named after the first Principal of Carey, Harold George Steele, who attended Scotch from 1900-02. Duncan and his wife, Margaret, moved permanently to Lorne eight years ago, where they are very happy and have travelled extensively, including a great kayaking trip to Antarctica. With three children and three grandchildren, family is a strong focus for Duncan and Margaret.

GRAEME TIVEY (’74) still manages to work two days a week at the local disability service provider despite recently taking on the Captain’s role at the Narrawong CFA (15km east of Portland) and volunteering as Treasurer of the Portland Men’s Shed since 2017. The CFA connection also inspired Graeme to take on the area manager role of the Good Friday Appeal. A keen apiarist on his 30 acres at Mount Clay, he keeps a dozen beehives along with mobs of kangaroos, plenty of koalas and several echidnas.

Graeme recently refreshed his private pilot’s licence, dormant while he worked in

Singapore and Indonesia as a Chartered Accountant in mining and logistics from 1996 to 2016. During this time, he also completed his MBA and the International Directors’ Course with the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Graeme and his chef wife, Alicia, from Bandung, Indonesia, married in 1985, and spend several of the colder months each year travelling, based around a long stay in Indonesia. They have two daughters in Melbourne: Isabelle, a physiotherapist, and Amelia, an administrator.

1980s

Congratulations to DR CHRIS BURNS (’81), who along with his colleague Professor Andrew Wilks, has been awarded the 2024 Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation. The prize is in recognition of the colleagues’ outstanding contribution to drug discovery and development in Australia. Professor Wilks and Dr Burns invented momelotinib, a drug to help treat myelofibrosis, a rare form of blood cancer which impacts one in 100,000 people in Australia. Many people who suffer from it develop anaemia and require regular blood transfusions, with low chance of recovery. Professor Wilks founded a biotechnology company focused on developing new drugs to treat cancer and other diseases. He joined forces with Dr Burns in 2001 and the duo translated their research and breakthrough discoveries into momelotinib, which works to ‘switch off’ the cancerous signal in the body.

The US Food and Drug Administration approved momelotinib in 2023, which is

LEFT TO RIGHT: DR CHRIS BURNS (’81); ANDREW PROBYN (’88); SETH PETERSON (’87); PETER MAJOR (’94) AND SON, BEN (YEAR 9)

a rare achievement for an all-Australian team, and shows that Australian academic life science can be translated into medicines with global impacts.

Specialist sport and exercise physician PAUL BLOOMFIELD (’86) has been involved with a wide range of professional teams in various sports. Paul was Chief Medical Officer for the National Rugby League from 2015 to 2021, during which time he developed and implemented numerous policies to help the safety and welfare of players. He was the Assistant Medical Officer for the St George rugby league team, before becoming Team Doctor/Medical Officer for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles rugby league team for 13 years.

Paul has been involved in many sports such as soccer (Soccer Australia senior men’s team and the Northern Spirit Soccer Club), the Australian men’s volleyball team, the Brooks triathlon series, and mountain bike and skateboard competitions, as well as being a member of the medical panel of the World Surfing League.

SETH PETERSON’S year at Scotch in 1986 as a fifth form boy on an AFS Exchange Student Program from Lincoln, Nebraska, USA, was a pivotal one. It was his first international experience and kindled a lifetime love of travel. In addition to the adventures with his host family, he enjoyed many other Scotch adventures. Seth told Great Scot: ‘When I returned to the Midwest with my blazer and exotic accent I decided to pursue Chinese studies and international relations for my bachelor’s degree, which involved study in Taiwan. Later, after graduating and travelling around the world for a year on a research

fellowship, I came to Hong Kong and started my career in strategy consulting. Three decades later I’m still here.

‘I had a few years in Shanghai early on, and a couple of years in the US with a Fortune 500 company while completing an MBA, but our two kids – now 20 and 16 – were both born here. I took a sabbatical after 12 years in the corporate world, returned to consulting as an Independent, and eventually reinvented myself as an executive search consultant, my career of the last 14 years.’

Seth now leads the Industrial Practice in the Asia-Pacific region for Korn Ferry, a US-listed organisational consulting firm with offices throughout the Hong Kong region. He said: ‘I love the variety serving different clients across various industrial sectors, and developing long-term partnerships and friendships with many. Meanwhile my Scotch and Melbourne connections and affinity continue.’

For a record third time, 9News National Affairs Editor ANDREW PROBYN (’88) has been named Federal Press Gallery Journalist of the Year. Andrew’s award was the unanimous decision of the judging panel. The judges said: ‘Andrew demonstrates a mastery of his craft. His news scoops weren’t handed to him on a plate and his body of work was broad and agenda setting. His 60 Minutes story on the Taipan helicopter crash showed his tenacity and ability to report with sensitivity. He’s both a news breaker and a sharp analyst of Australian politics.’ Andrew joined 9News last October after leaving the ABC in June 2023.

1990s

After completing his final year at Scotch in 1994, PETER MAJOR studied Engineering/Science at Melbourne University majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics. He is currently working for a global food technology company as a project engineer. But his second passion outside of engineering is playing hockey with Hawthorn Hockey Club (originally Old Scotch Hockey Club).

He told Great Scot : ‘I started playing hockey with Scotch in Year 10 and joined Hawthorn while at university, and have been playing with the club ever since. I now play masters hockey +45Bs on Monday nights and have been playing men's seniors with a fathers’ and sons’ team. I am also the Hawthorn Hockey Club Juniors President, where many current Scotch students play their club hockey, including my son, Ben, who is in Year 9.’

This year Hawthorn Hockey Club celebrated the centenary of its establishment in 1924. The club and Scotch have been fortunate to share resources, with many of the club's international premier league players taking coaching roles with the Scotch hockey teams.

CHARLES CAMPBELL-JONES (’95) moved to London in 2002 and now lives in the southern suburb of Herne Hill with his wife Isy, daughter Seymour (seven) and son Walter (four). Charles told Great Scot: ‘I spent the first 12 years in London writing and recording esoteric music before finally realising that I wasn’t the next Bryan Ferry. (The most recent

LEFT TO RIGHT: CHARLES CAMPBELL-JONES (’95) AND DAUGHTER, SEYMOUR; ALEX BERRY (’95); JOSH FLYNN (’01); THOMAS GIN (’07)

WHAT THEY'RE DOING NOW

releases, made with much pride but minimal fanfare in collaboration with some Swedish friends, survive on Spotify under the name Hans Creep.)’ He then retrained in psychodynamic psychotherapy, which was always an interest and has proved a more satisfying profession. He currently works in both private practice and with the National Health Service. He said: ‘Outside of work and family, you’ll mainly find me raging against the dying of the light – and hoping for a league promotion – on a court at Dulwich Squash Club.’

After leaving Scotch ALEX BERRY (’95) studied Civil Engineering at Monash University, which kick-started a rewarding career working on large-scale complex infrastructure projects throughout Australia and in the UK. After starting out delivering major projects for government, Alex soon moved into engineering consulting, spending 20 years as a project manager/project executive, before moving into construction, where he now leads new business and strategy for McConnell Dowell Constructors in Victoria/Tasmania. Some of his favourite projects include working on the Sydney desalination plant, developing the early concept designs for the West Gate Tunnel project and rebuilding roads in rural Queensland after the 2011 floods.

Outside of work, Alex is married with two primary school-aged girls, is still content after seeing Richmond win three recent flags, and enjoys playing basketball a couple of nights a week.

2000s

The appeal of using practical skills in Christian missions drew JOSH FLYNN (’01) to train as a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer and to work with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), a Christian organisation providing support to mission and humanitarian agencies in remote areas.

Josh said relocating to remote East Arnhem Land, NT, with four children seemed a bit daunting for him and for his wife, Ely. ‘But after a lengthy application and support-raising period, and committing to at least four years, we did it, and a year later, are feeling quite settled (despite the heat),’ he said. ‘We’ve loved camping in some stunning country.

‘This amazing place has been described as a third world country attached to a first world one. The challenges that most Yolngu people have to face on a daily basis are shocking, and the obstacles to progress are huge. Health and education reached crisis point decades ago, and although there’s no lack of effort, they remain there with myriad other social issues. The MAF Arnhem Land Program is celebrating 50 years here, and as we continue to serve the Yolngu and the education and support services here with our fleet of eight aircraft, we believe in real hope for the future.’

DR THOMAS GIN (’07) is a Melbourne ophthalmologist, specialising in cataract surgery and medical retinal diseases. Thomas serves as a consultant ophthalmologist at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and Austin Health. He also works in private practice at the Retinology Institute in Glen Iris and at the

Southern Eye Centre in Frankston with alumnus WALTER CHANG (‘82)

Beyond his clinical practice, Thomas is committed to educating the next generation of doctors. He lectures through the John Colvin Lecture Series and is the convenor for the Hector Maclean Ophthalmology Prize Examination to foster medical student interest in the field. Outside of his professional endeavours, Thomas is a keen tennis player, a devoted husband, and father to two beautiful daughters.

2010s

After Scotch, JUNHO KIM (’15) completed a Bachelor of Arts at Melbourne University, majoring in Politics and International Relations. Since then he has pursued a career in the banking industry at the National Australia Bank. He told Great Scot : ‘This is my eighth year at NAB, and it has been an absolute pleasure to see how we are directly involved in the development and success of businesses. More recently, however, I have been involved in the “Waste to Energy” sector, providing innovative solutions to turn waste into reusable and environmentallyfriendly energy, which has been a new yet rewarding experience. Outside of work, I keep up my exercise through indoor soccer (futsal) and running, but when I’m not up for a sweat, I like spending my time on the golf course most Saturdays. I have such fond memories of Scotch College, especially the James Forbes Academy, and will always continue to support the school and remember how great my time was at Scotch.’

LEFT TO RIGHT: JUNHO KIM (‘15); NICK SHEARER (’17), LEFT, AND ALASTAIR FRANCIS (’16); EVAN SEARLES (’18)

An astonishing two out of 22 pilots graduating from the RAAF’s Intermediate Pilots’ Course at RAAF Base Pearce at Bullsbrook, Western Australia on 27 September were Old Scotch boys – and from consecutive years. ALASTAIR ‘FRANKIE’ FRANCIS (’16) and NICK SHEARER (’17) received their ‘Wings’. They had passed what former Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston AK AFC (retired) described as ‘one of the most demanding courses available to young Australians’ by attaining the prescribed proficiency for flying military aircraft. Both Old Boys joined the RAAF in 2022. Alastair has been posted to RAAF Edinburgh in South Australia, where he will fly the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. Nick remains at Pearce to continue his training, doing the PreIntroductory Fighter Course in the Pilatus PC-21 pilot training aircraft.

EVAN SEARLES (’18) left Scotch as a fine rugby player and trumpeter who with his cheeky charisma was known to many. Shortly after leaving Scotch he returned to the UK with his family, and went on to study at the University of Newcastle. During his time at university, Evan completed the commissioning short course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and graduated as a second lieutenant through the Northumbria University Officer Training Corps (Reserve).

Completing his studies at Newcastle, he entered Sandhurst for a second time, now as a full-time solider. At the conclusion of the 44-week course he passed out in 2023 as a second lieutenant with the Royal Dragoon Guards, one of the armoured cavalry regiments of the British Army. The

regiment specialises in reconnaissance, anti-tank warfare and fire support. Evan is now the commander of a Warrior Armoured Fighting Vehicle and is based at Battlesbury Barracks in Warminster, UK.

2020s

Lieutenant BEN COLLIE (’20) graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon in August and has taken up a posting in the Royal Australian Corps of Transport at Gallipoli Barracks in Brisbane. Ben went directly to the Australian Defence Force Academy after Scotch, where he completed a Bachelor of Business at UNSW, Canberra. Ben said studying Australians at war with Dr Mark Johnston in Year 9 inspired him to consider a career in defence, and he switched to cadets from Year 10.

After 13 years at Scotch, MACFARLANE (MAC) PATERSON (’20) went straight from VCE into a BA Psychology course at RMIT. After figuring out that it wasn’t for him, Mac ventured into the world of photography in 2021, but unfortunately that same year he was diagnosed with keratoconus, a genetic eye condition. Mac told Great Scot, ‘Both of my corneas were failing, and my eyesight was being severely compromised. Photography was now out of the question. In late 2021 I underwent bilateral corneal cross-linking, a procedure designed to halt the disease (for which as of now, there is no cure).’

After four cross-linkings, there has been moderate success in Mac’s right eye, but less so in his left, which has left him with low vision. He said: ‘I now wear hard scleral

contact lenses and glasses with a heavy prism, which has made it possible for me to return to study – at RMIT doing a Bachelor of Business, with a major in Logistics. I also play both futsal and mixed netball every week with Old Scotch mates. We’re probably the only team in the league with a low vision goalie, but we’ve got our tactics. With the support of my mates and family, I intend to live life to the fullest. I’m not going to allow my eyes to hold me back.’

Since graduating in 2021, HUGO BERNARD has been actively engaged in his studies, as well as in the Scotch community. He is currently studying Medicinal Chemistry (BSc) at Melbourne University, which he described as ‘a challenging but incredibly fulfilling journey’. Hugo said: ‘I’ve found the course to strike a great balance between my love for science and my desire to make a positive impact on others. I also previously stayed at Ormond College for two years after graduating from Scotch –an experience I’ll always cherish.’

Beyond university, Hugo has had the opportunity to give back to Scotch as a bagpipe teacher. ‘Sharing my knowledge of the instrument with the younger generation has been a rewarding and fulfilling experience,’ he said. ‘I've enjoyed staying connected to the school community, whether by teaching the younger students, or drawing upon my own experiences to guide prospective Years 11 and 12 students as they explore their post-graduation options. It has been a privilege to contribute to the school that played such a significant role in my development.’

LEFT TO RIGHT: BEN COLLIE (’20), RIGHT, AT HIS DUNTROON GRADUATION; MAC PATERSON (’20); HUGO BERNARD (’21)

MR

PAUL MISHURA SCHOOL ARCHIVIST

1. WILLIAM ROBERTSON SKENE.

2. SKENE’S SIGNATURE ON AN 1868 ILLUMINATED LETTER OF SYMPATHY TO THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.

3. THE 1868 HEAD OF THE RIVER

WILLIAM ROBERTSON SKENE’S 1868 DIARY

A FASCINATING INSIGHT INTO THE WORLD OF A SCOTCH BOY IN 1868

Born on 24 May 1850 at Mount Mitchell, Ballarat, Skene came from Burrumbeet, Hamilton to board at Scotch from 1863 to 1868. He played in the 1868 1st XX (now the 1st XVIII). Skene became a grazier and died on 9 January 1901 at East St Kilda. His great-grandson, Ross Skene, of Cowra, New South Wales, kindly donated the diary to Scotch on 22 July 2024.

Skene had an 1867 trip to England. His diary starts on 1 January 1868 with New Year’s Day festivities on the SS Great Britain, which reached Melbourne on 12 February. Skene returned to Scotch six days later.

The following extracts give an insight into his life in 1868 –a year notable for historical firsts.

7 March 1868: The Scotch College & Grammar School (7 from each) … were to play the East Melbourne Cricket Club. The seven from the Grammar School did not come; the Scotch College played them themselves & got them all out for 145.

10 March: Left my gun at Richards in Elizabeth Street to get her mended.

12 March: Telegrams were received … that the Prince (Duke of Edinburgh) had been shot … in Sydney … crowds of people

standing about the “Age” & “Argus” offices awaiting anxiously … new telegraphs.

16 March: Tomorrow is St Patrick’s Day & there is a Fenian [Irish revolutionary] rising expected here.

17 March: No boy is allowed downtown today as Mr Morrison [Principal Alexander Morrison] did not wish us to go as he was afraid of Fenian rows.

19 March: The four principal schools of Melbourne viz. The Scotch College, St Patrick’s College, Wesley College and the Church of England Grammar School are to send a letter of sympathy to the Duke of Edinburgh [Skene signed it.]

25 March: The Scotch College Cricket Club is going to play the Grammar School CC tomorrow on the East Melbourne ground; all they who take part in the match get a holiday. We expect to get a licking, but it can’t be helped.

26 March: The match against the Grammar School was played today. In the first Innings we made 103. The Grammar School then went in & made only 21. They were put in again & made 57. So we beat them in one innings by 25 runs.

16 April: The Scotch College have got up a boating club. This was the first night of their rowing. I am not in their Club as no boy is allowed to go on the Yarra until he has learnt to swim. Stevens saved a young boy from drowning in the Yarra this evening.

21 April: O’Farrell was hanged today in Sydney for the attempted assassination of the Duke of Edinburgh.

16 May: David, Duncan Johnstone, Tommy and I spent the day with Mrs Cameron in Richmond. We had some games of croquet

18 June: The race against the Grammar School took place this evening … The Grammar School crew attribute their defeat to a

heavy boat and the strong wind [This was the inaugural Head of the River.]

1 July: We … began looking for possums & soon killed fourteen. After lunch we walked out with our guns & killed 25 more, besides a cat & some birds, & in the evening Tommy McKellar and I shot 19 possums in about an hour – making a total of 58 for today.

11 July: … it was not until eleven o’clock that we began our match against the Grammar School. We knocked off playing at 4 o’clock, the match then ended in a drawn game, one goal being kicked by each side. The GS were blowing about beating us in an hour and having a scratch match in the afternoon, but they soon found out their mistake. Our opponents were very much baked & were very glad when the time was up. I rather think if we had played much longer that we would have had another goal.

19 July: Morrison had a regular court martial today in our room, over those boys who had contrary to his printed rules, bought, sold or exchanged anything since Midwinter. He gave them all a good flogging.

27 August: There was a meeting in the Commercial Room after 4 to try & inaugurate …[the] Scotch College Games . [Planning the inaugural Scotch College Athletics, now called Family Day.]

29 August: Played the Geelong College at Football in the Zoological Park, & according to our usual luck it ended in a drawn game. The GC had three men more than we at the end of the game. The wind was very high during the first part of the game. After we had played about ¼ of an hour the ball burst, we soon got another.

1 September: The “Argus” contains the paragraph from the “Geelong Advertiser.” And with a few words intimating that they will not again notice our matches unless they are carried on in a more gentlemanly manner. Arthur Wilson, as Captain of the SC team has written an answer which will appear in tomorrow’s Argus.

3 September: A. Wilson wrote another answer which will put an end to the dispute. Mr Morrison sent the following telegram: “The Captain of the SCFBC requests the pleasure of the company of the Captain of the GCFBC & his Twenty to luncheon on Saturday next at 1pm. Bill of fare includes Railway fare. Reply paid for.” In the afternoon we received a reply respectfully declining the invitation.

30 November: The Scotch College Games were held today in the Melbourne Cricket Ground & were a great success. Stevens, Arthur Wilson & I went down in the evening to the Old Collegians’ Supper in the “Criterion Hotel”, but they were an awful rowdy set.

Five current Scotchies are Skene’s first cousins five times removed: Ben (Year 8) and Will Whitehead (Year 12), Charles (Year 7) and Edward Skene (Year 9), and Arlo De Pace (Year 7).

4. SKENE’S RELATIVES CHARLES, EDWARD, ARLO, BEN AND WILL. 5 SKENE’S REFERENCE TO THE START OF THE SCOTCH COLLEGE BOAT CLUB. 6. INSIDE COVER OF SKENE’S DIARY. HE BOUGHT IT IN ENGLAND.

THE SCOTCH UNIFORM HAS NEVER STOOD (COMPLETELY) STILL

THE EVOLUTION OF THE SCOTCH

In the beginning … there was no need for a uniform. In 1851 Scotch had no sporting contests against other schools – none are known before 1858 – and they were irregularly held until cups offered for competition made them more common in the 1870s. It was then that Scotch received its first colours, using the blue and white of the cross of St Andrew to distinguish its teams from its fellow Public School opponents – who also used blue or blue and white!

In 1886 Scotch’s colours become cardinal and blue. Even though Geelong and Melbourne Grammar Schools and Wesley College had blazers by then, Scotch did not. Apart from caps and hatbands for boaters with the overlaid

letters ‘SC’ within a strap and buckle, there is no evidence of any academic Scotch uniform before Principal William Still Littlejohn’s arrival in 1904.

Between 1904 and 1907 came the first blazer (see the December 2022 Great Scot for the blazer’s detailed history), and with it came a tie. Gold was added to Scotch’s uniforms in 1908. Blazers, caps, hatbands and ties changed regularly in different designs in cardinal, gold and blue. Some ties were silk, and others woollen. Meanwhile, boys wore shorts, knickerbockers or trousers, with trousers seen as a graduation from shorts for older boys. Sailor suits were in vogue for younger boys before World War I. Class photographs in 1917 show the Scotch cap

as the only uniform common denominator, as boys wore footy jumpers or various jackets, ties or no ties. A wide cloth belt in Scotch colours became available around World War I.

From the 1920s the uniform became more settled. The same braided cardinal cap was standard from 1921 to 1967 in the Senior School although it survived into the 1970s in the Junior School. A short-lived navy-blue suit coat was in place by 1926, but the 1929 Prospectus mandated suits ‘made of Scotch College grey’. Despite this mandate, various suits appear in group photos. The tie worn today seems to date from at least 1928 and possibly earlier, but the black and white photographs of the time rule out confirming that. The double-

COLLEGE UNIFORM

breasted suit coat dates from 1933 and was popular into the 1950s.

Scotch’s famous blazer was designed in 1932 and only elements of its pocket have changed since then. It was more widely used in the past, with Junior School boys even sporting it while playing in the sand on the beach.

The grey Scotch jumper appears in 1934 photos, but because it was rarely worn in formal photos, it may predate that. Since then, only the width of the coloured bands (and colour variations) has changed. The Scotch boater was always optional, but expensive. It had periods of popularity before World War I, in the late 1930s and the early 1950s, with rarer appearances since then. Like caps, it was targeted by

opposing schoolboys but was easily (and expensively) destroyed.

From the 1930s until 1967 the Scotch academic uniform was settled and little changed. Exceptions included the width of ties – thin in the late 1950s and early 1960s then very wide in the 1970s before narrowing in the 1980s – and the return of single-breasted suit coats. In 1968 caps became optional in the Senior School – and boys opted not to wear the widely-loathed headgear. A significant change occurred in 1974. Senior School boys were given a summer uniform of shorts and shortsleeved shirts so that they need not swelter anymore. Little has changed since then.

White Year 12 jumpers with Scotchcoloured bands were introduced by the

1970s. They resembled the 1st XI and 1st VIII jumpers. In 1993 they were replaced by the dark blue jumper with the Scotch coat of arms that is worn today, initially with the year embroidered on them. Apart from the standard Scotch tie, variations have been made for Prefects, Year 12s and others, including a sesquicentenary tie in 2001 (cardinal for students and staff and blue for Old Boys).

In the 2010s the Scotch slicker (first introduced in 1988) was permitted to be more widely worn, a practice that has continued with the shell jacket that replaced it. The grey suit coat has become a less common sight as Scotch boys wear more Scotch red than at any time in history: evidently, they love to rock the red!

CIRCA 1908

THE 25 OLDEST KNOWN LIVING OLD BOYS

(AS AT 29 NOVEMBER 2024) 1.

1. Rev. William Morgan, b. 23 October 1915. 1935 School Captain. Aged 109

2. William Simpson Brake, b. 12 May 1923. 1941 Prefect. Aged 101

3. Maurice Smith, b. 15 November 1923. Aged 101

4. Robert Wilbur Wishart , b. 7 May 1924. Aged 100

5. Dr Trevor Percival Telfer, b. 7 August 1924. Aged 100

6. Edward Graeme Marshall, b. 2 September 1924. Aged 100

7. Herbert Neil Kelly, b. 10 November 1924. Aged 100

8. William Geoffrey Wicks, b. 11 November 1924. Aged 100

9. Cornelius Jan Schram, b. 29 November 1924. Aged 100

10. Donald Albert Howarth, b. 26 December 1924

11. Russell Callum Jack , b. 13 January 1925

12. Bruce McKenzie Crowl, b. 1 September 1925

13. Douglas Roland Zerbe, b. 13 January 1926

14. Stuart Paton Wilson, b. 15 February 1926

BILL MORGAN’S 109TH BIRTHDAY

WELL CELEBRATED

Scotch’s patriarch, our wonderful oldest Old Boy, Bill Morgan (’34), celebrated his 109th birthday on 23 October in an event attended by the Principal, Dr Scott Marsh, OSCA Executive Director, Scott Montgomery (’85), School Captain Matt Callaghan, 2023 School Captain, Dion Whitfield, and Foundation Bequest Program Manager, Sandra Dick.

As always, Bill regaled the guests with fascinating stories from his Scotch schooldays in the 1920s and ‘30s. With his sharp memory, Bill greatly enjoys reminiscing about his school days.

Bill was born in 1915 – the same year the 21 hectare Glen Estate in Hawthorn was purchased for Scotch.

15. Rex Jenkins, b. 22 April 1926

16. Douglas Skinner Anderson, b. 5 May 1926

17. Thomas Morland Glazebrook AM, b. 7 May 1926

18 Donald James Little, b. 18 June 1926

19. Alan Fyfe Stuart , b. 24 July 1926

20. Adrian Maddren Graley, b. 29 July 1926

21. Arnold Newman Rose, b. 4 August 1926

22. Dr Robert Ian Gillies, b. 10 October 1926. 1944 Prefect

23. Dr David Malcolm McLaren b. 10 October 1926. 1943 Prefect

24. David Wellesley Purvis, b. 24 November 1926

25. John Arthur Pickworth MBE , b. 18 December 1926

The youngest Scotch boy is James Ooi, b. 29 March 2019 – 103 years, 5 months and 6 days younger than the oldest known living Old Boy.

THE OLDEST KNOWN OLD SCOTCH

COLLEGIANS OF ALL TIME*

DEATHS OF OLD BOYS OR FORMER STAFF MEMBERS OF WHICH SCOTCH IS AWARE ARE LISTED HERE

INDEX

AISBETT, Blair Edward (’47). Born 28 September 1930, SC 1946-48, died 17 August 2023

ALLAN, Kenneth Roderick (’60). Born 15 August 1943, SC 1958-61, died 20 June 2024

BARNETT, John Henry (’62). Born 11 April 1945, SC 1957-61, died 6 October 2024

BODY, Arthur Clifford (’52). Born 9 June 1933, SC 1945-49, died 17 November 2024

BRAM, Arnold Martin (’48). Born 7 December 1931, SC 1939-49, died 11 September 2024

BROUGH, Andrew Ian (’69). Born 11 July 1952, SC 1961-70, died 18 August 2024

BRYDON, David John (’47). Born 6 November 1929, SC 1941-46, died 13 June 2024

BUCKETT, Wayne Anthony (’89). Born 24 March 1971, SC 1977-88, died 30 May 2024 at Newcastle, New South Wales

CARDWELL, Vivian Thomas (’53). Born 7 April 1936, SC 1948-51, died 2 November 2024 at New Norfolk, Tasmania

CHENU, Robert Erskine (’46). Born 26 January 1929, SC 1943-46, died 20 July 2024 in Western Australia

CHERRY, Allan Paul (’46). Born 11 September 1929, SC 1942-46, died 19 March 2024

CLYNE , Ian Hyett (’63). Born 16 July 1946, SC 1952-63, died 4 November 2024 at Los Angeles, California, United States of America

COLSTON-ING, Jenelle (Staff 2024). Born 16 September 1983, died 15 August 2024

CORR, David Ian (’61). Born 11 July 1944, SC 1956-62, died 21 June 2024

DARVALL, William Anthony Le Poer (’55). Born 8 July 1939, SC 1950-56, died 7 August 2024

DAVIS, Donald Keith (’49). Born 7 July 1931, SC 1948, died 4 March

2023 in Queensland

DUNCAN, Professor John Leask (’50). Born 20 December 1932, SC 1942-43, died 3 December 2023 in New Zealand.

ELLIS, Robert Barton (’47). Born 29 September 1929, SC 1941-47, died 18 August 2024

FERGUSON, Matthew David (’43). Born 24 September 1926, SC 1940-43, died 13 August 2024

FLANNERY, Ian Howard (’44). Born 22 October 1926, SC 1938-42, died

31 May 2024 in South Australia

FRAATZ, Edmund John (’52). Born

24 March 1934, SC 1947-51, died 19 September 2024

GASCOIGNE , Anthony Edward (’56). Born 2 October 1939, SC 1951-56, died 3 August 2024

GRECIAN, Geoffrey Roger (’65).

Born 24 November 1947, SC 1954-65, died 23 November 2024

HAMILTON, Stuart John (’82).

Born 27 December 1964, SC 1970-82, died 26 July 2024

HANKINSON, John Allerding (’47).

Born 9 January 1930, SC 1945-47, died 21 March 2024

HEATHERSHAW, Robert David (’83). Born 25 October 1966, SC 1972-83, died 10 August 2024

HENDERSON, James Geoffrey (’46). Born 25 March 1929, SC 1941-45, died 22 September 2024

HENLEY, Clive Achalen (’59). Born 31 May 1942, SC 1949-59, died 7 May 2024

HEWITT, Dr Ian Alan (’44). Born 6 March 1928, SC 1940-45, died 13 July 2024

HICKFORD, John Frederick (’49).

Born 9 October 1931, SC 1944-48, died 17 October 2024

HILL, Malcolm Walker (’57). Born 7 October 1938, SC 1946-56, died 17 May 2024 at Bedford Park, South Australia

HILLIARD, Philip McKenzie (’67).

Born 26 February 1950, SC 1963-

68, died 24 July 2024 at Cairns, Queensland

HINCHLIFFE, Ronald Bruce (’48).

Born 2 January 1931, SC 1946-48, died 8 June 2023

HOLTEN, Robin Talbot (’48). Born 1 April 1930, SC 1940-47, died 2 January 2024

HORWILL, Frank Merrick (’53).

Born 11 May 1936, SC 1951-53, died 12 September 2024

HYSLOP, Douglas Kenneth (’57).

Born 16 May 1940, SC 1946-58, died 27 June 2024

JACKSON, James Dunstan (’53).

Born 18 March 1935, SC 1950-52, died 24 July 2024

JAMES, John Anthony (’56). Born 4 November 1937, SC 1949-56, died 22 September 2024

JORDAN, David Francis (’74). Born 25 March 1957, SC 1972-74, died 15 May 2024 at Noumea, New Caledonia

KELLAWAY, Richard John (’55).

Born 9 October 1937, SC 1950-55, died 5 April 2023

LANGMEAD, David Cameron (’68).

Born 23 May 1951, SC 1963-68, died 21 July 2024

LYNN, Kaye (’50). Born 8 March 1933, SC 1948, died 20 June 2024

LORD, Peter Richard (’46). Born 1 January 1929, SC 1940-47, died 17 December 2023 in Queensland

MACARTHUR, Douglas Bruce (’55). Born 16 February 1938, SC 1949-55, died 2 September 2024

MacDOUGALL, Dr Russell Walter Alexander (’53). Born 21 October 1936, SC 1948-53, died 24 March 2024 in New South Wales

MACK, Graeme John (’68). Born 7 March 1951, SC 1964-67, died 11 October 2024

MACKENZIE, Ian Parker (’44).

Born 27 October 1927, SC 1939-44, died 11 July 2024

MADDEN, John Duncan (’54).

Born 31 October 1937, SC 1951-52,

Obituaries for the names in italics below appear on the following pages of this edition

died 9 August 2024 in Western Australia

McCALLUM, Peter Malcolm (Staff 1989-92). Born 24 April 1932, died 9 October 2024

McKAY, Keith Murray (’44). Born 11 October 1926, SC 1939-43, died 22 April 2023

McQUEEN, Ian Gregor (’64). Born 28 December 1946, SC 1959-63, died 17 April 2024.

MELVILLE, Rev. Peter Kennedy (Ken) (’47). Born 11 February 1931, SC 1943-48, died 18 September 2024 at Subiaco, Western Australia

MILES, Bruce Acland (’40). Born 2 August 1923, SC 1937-38, died 20 July 2024

MITCHELL, Dr Alexander John (’47). Born 25 January 1930, SC 1945-48, died 25 March 2023 at Nambour, Queensland

MOUNTAIN, Dr Kenneth Raymond (’50). Born 10 November 1932, SC 1946-50, died 3 August 2024

MURDOCH, Hugh Maxwell (’63). Born 23 April 1945, SC 1955-63, died 2 August 2024

NORMAN, Philip Macgregor (’66). Born 16 November 1949, SC 1955-66, died 18 July 2024

NORMAND, Robert Bruce (’47). Born 24 February 1930, SC 1944-47, died 6 May 2024

PULVERMAN, Leon Maurice (’50). Born 17 June 1931, SC 1943-48, died 14 March 2024

PANTU, Haralambos (Staff 1975-2001). Born 10 June 1937, died 19 December 2023

PARKER, Wallace Alexander (’55). Born 24 February 1938, SC 1947-49, died 8 March 2024

PATERSON, Gordon Walton (’54). Born 18 March 1936, SC 1949-52, died 1 September 2024

PAWSEY, Clarence John Kendall (’42). Born 7 September 1924, SC 1931-42, died 18 May 2024 at Noosaville, Queensland

PEACOCK, Andrew Robert Graeme (’52). Born 22 August 1934, SC 1952, died 24 November 2024

PEARSON, Frederick Randall (’44). Born 27 July 1926, SC 1940-43, died 21 August 2024

PERMEZEL, Peter William George (’60). Born 6 November 1941, SC 1956-60, died 25 May 2024

PICCOLI, Andrew Peter (’61). Born 12 July 1944, SC 1958-62, died 16 June 2024

POLLACK, Norman Francis (’62). Born 15 February 1945, SC 1959-62, died 24 August 2024

PRICE, Kenneth John (’44). Born 9 September 1927, SC 1939-43, died 31 October 2024

RAMSAY, Ian James (’59). Born 5 November 1940, SC 1950-57, died 21 May 2024 in South Australia

REDD, Lachlan Crombie (Staff 2005-24). Born 27 May 1974, died 12 July 2024

REID, Donald Hugh (’48). Born 4 January 1932, SC 1947-48, died 19 November 2024

RICHARDS, Phillip Andrew (Staff 2008-24). Born 12 December 1966, died 8 July 2024

RICKER, Victor Bryce (’45). Born 7 December 1928, SC 1934-45, died 5 July 2023 in Queensland

ROBERTSON, John Ross Struan (’48). Born 6 January 1932, SC 1945-47, died 12 November 2024

ROSS, John Macpherson (’53).

Born 5 November 1936, SC 194853, died 22 July 2024

ROSSITER, Dr Ian George Francis (’54). Born 21 September 1936, SC 1951-54, died 6 February 2024

SALTHOUSE, Peter William (’48).

Born 19 March 1931, SC 1945-48, died 21 May 2024

SANDFORD, Dr Mark William Murray (’73). Born 4 October 1955, SC 1970-73, died 24 June 2024

SAUNDERS, James Edward (’71). Born 11 April 1954, SC 1964-71, died 15 June 2024

SCOTT, David Leigh (’43). Born 2 July 1927, SC 1940-44, died 27 September 2024

SCOTT, Robert David Reid (’49). Born 31 January 1932, SC 1942-47, staff 1945 and 1948-88, died 2 September 2024

SELL OAM, Anthony Edward (’59).

Born 30 March 1943, SC 1951-60, died 29 October 2024

SHEEHAN, Barry Alistair (Staff 1969). Born 12 September 1939, died 8 June 2024

SIMPSON, Bruce Priestley (’75).

Born 4 April 1957, SC 1970-75, died 13 February 2024

SMITH (later TURNBULLSMITH), Kenneth James (’47). Born 30 January 1930, SC 1944-46, died 6 March 2024

STEPHENS, Dr Arthur George (’44). Born 23 March 1926, SC 1933-44, died 22 September 2024

STEWART, Alexander (’48). Born 18 December 1930, SC 1939-49, died 27 April 2024

STRANG, David Malcolm Andrew (’62). Born 7 March 1944, SC 1949-62, died 15 September 2024

SUTHERLAND, Donald John (’43). Born 8 May 1926, SC 1940-43, died 17 September 2024

SWAIN, Kelvin Francis (’49). Born 15 February 1932, SC 1946-49, died 20 January 2023

TOWNSEND, Richard William (’66). Born 6 August 1947, SC 1965, died 28 May 2024

THORN, Stephen Ronald (’68). Born 6 July 1950, SC 1959-68, died 18 July 2024

TURNER, Jeffrey Frank Edward (’62). Born 24 June 1945, SC 1959-63, died 28 June 2024

WALLER, Adrian Donald (’43). Born 20 March 1926, SC 1936-42, died 1 September 2024

WELLS, Brian William (’47). Born 29 April 1929, SC 1941-47, died 3 May 2024

WILLIAMS, Geoffrey Stanford (’62). Born 21 September 1944, SC 1954-61, died 14 September 2023

THE OBITUARIES APPEARING BELOW HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS, EXCEPT THE OBITUARY FOR LACHLAN CROMBIE REDD, WHICH WAS WRITTEN BY ARCHIVIST, PAUL MISHURA.

CORRECTION

An obituary for Bruce Priestley Simpson (’75) was published in Great Scot, edition 1 2024. Unfortunately a photo of Bruce Simpson appeared in that edition which had not been approved by the Simpson family. Great Scot apologises to the Simpson family for that error. The obituary is reprinted here, accompanied by a photo approved by the Simpson family.

SIMPSON, Bruce Priestley (’75)

Bruce’s brothers, James (’71) and John (’75), wrote: Bruce Simpson was physically a large man. Much more significant, however, was

his largeness of soul. He always generously and cheerfully radiated calm, utter dependability, and constructive common sense. Bruce died on his farm, ‘Coolowie’ on 13 February 2024, from an anaphylactic reaction following a wasp attack.

Bruce was born on 4 April 1957 at Box Hill, the son of Meg and Ron Simpson (SC 1934-41). At Scotch (1970-75) he immediately gravitated to fellow students who came from the country. Bruce loved his school years. He rowed in the 1st VIII in 1975 and was a 1975 Prefect. He became a significant contributor to the Cardinal Club

In 1977 he went to the Riverina and worked first on farms, gained a degree in Agricultural Science and then held positions as crop manager in some of the tougher reaches of the southern Riverina.

Bruce married Shandra Catherine Powell on 4 March 1989 at Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. Shandra and Bruce were devoted parents to Charlie (SC 2011-14) and Lucy.

Moving to Deniliquin in 2000, Bruce joined a farm consulting business (Peppin Planners), of which he later became a partner and owner. He and Shandra also purchased a mixed irrigation property ‘Coolowie’, 17km outside Deniliquin, and later three adjoining properties.

Bruce became Chair of Murray River Irrigation Ltd., and the Murray Group of Concerned Communities; he was the inaugural Chair of the Country Education Foundation, Edward River Region; and he chaired a committee to establish a country university. He was also on the board of Intereach, a non-profit community organisation.

In her parliamentary eulogy to him on 28 February 2024, the Hon. Sussan Ley listed Bruce’s many community contributions, and added ‘more importantly, he was a good bloke’. Bruce Simpson was a very good bloke indeed, an ever-cheerful, magnanimous, wise and kind giver who commanded deep respect from all.

He is survived by his wife Shandra, his children Charlie and Lucy, and the many members of his extended family, including sister Julie and brothers James and (twin) John.

BARNETT, John Henry (’62)

John’s brother, Geoff (’64), wrote: John was born on 11 April 1945 at St Andrew’s Hospital, East Melbourne, the son of Frederick Roy (born 22.9.1912, SC 1926-29, died 9.2.1980) and Phyllis Elaine Gertrude (nee Dudfield) Barnett. A good sportsman, John played at full-forward for Mont Albert Central School.

Soon after entering Scotch in 1957 as a member of Lawson-MacFarland House, John suffered rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and bronchiectasis. Placed in a total body splint for a year in 1961, he was nursed at home on his bed. Unable

to return to school, John’s lessons were sent home by dedicated teachers, and – no longer officially at Scotch – he completed Matriculation (Year 12) in his bed.

Among many Scotch relatives were John’s brother, Geoff (SC 1959-64), Ingram cousins, Barnett nephews and uncles, and his great-grandfather Louis Barnett (born 16.11.1850, SC 1860-61, died 6.1.1937).

Intellectually bright, John loved playing chess and had many Scotch friends. During his Matriculation year they visited him for a party.

John completed an Arts degree in Mathematics by correspondence through Melbourne University. He started a very successful mathematics tutoring service at home. Some students became lifelong friends.

John worked for the Victorian and Federal Governments in disability, travelling to work by taxi. He passionately sought to improve disabled people’s experiences and edited the newsletter, Ability News. In 1986 he made a successful personal trip to China to investigate its disability practices and received congratulatory letters from the Chinese and Australian embassies.

Spending his last 25 years at his Caulfield North unit, supported by Yooralla carers, family, neighbours and friends, John often liked being alone, but in a 2020 fall he fractured his neck and back. John went to Cabrini Hospital and Cabrini Palliative Care but returned home with increased assistance. In May 2024 he had COVID, after which his strength, movement, mental capacity and breathing decreased, and he died on 6 October 2024 at the Alfred Hospital, Prahran.

A great communicator, happy and bright, John never complained of his disability. He inspired everyone, saying he had never been depressed.

John loved bagpipes, haggis, OSCA dinners and reunions.

RIP John.

DARVALL, Dr William Anthony LePoer (’55) Will’s brother, Jonathan (’65), wrote: Will was born at East Melbourne on 8 July 1939, the son of Herbert LePoer Darvall (born 11.11.1905, SC 1919-23, died 3.6.1965), nephew of Anthony LePoer Darvall (born 7.2.1910, SC 1919-28, died 27.9.1987) and great-great-nephew of Edward A’Beckett (born 12 May 1844, SC 1852-58, Melbourne Grammar School 1858-62, died 4.2.1932).

Leaving Ivanhoe Grammar School to attend Scotch as a member of LawsonMacFarland House from 1950 to 1956, Will followed his brother Jeremy LePoer Darvall (born 10.11.1936, SC 1949-54, died 6.10.2018) and preceded his brothers Peter (SC 1952-58) and Jonathan (SC 1958-66); cousin Tony (SC 1953-58) and Tony’s son Hugh (SC 1984-95); Will’s nephews Pip (SC 1978-80), Toby (SC 1979-86), Jai (SC 1992-97), Taj (SC 1995-2000) and Dev (SC 2001-06) and greatnephews Oliver (SC 2018-23) and Henry (SC 2020-22) attended Scotch.

Will played in the 1st Tennis teams of 1955 and 1956, captaining the latter, and enjoyed playing tennis with close friend Tony Cockram.

Will graduated MBBS (1963) from Melbourne University, later doing studies in obstetrics and gynaecology. He was a general practitioner for 39 years and senior partner at the Ivanhoe Medical Clinic. Two doctors who worked at the clinic were Euan Ironside Littlejohn (born 26.10.1892, SC 1904-11, died 7.2.1968) and William Euan Ironside Littlejohn (born 14.7.1920, SC 192739, died 22.9.1994), the son and grandson respectively of Scotch’s third Principal, William Still Littlejohn.

On 27 January 1970 Will married Eril Osland Bilson at the Melbourne Unitarian Peace Memorial Church in East Melbourne. They had two daughters, Cinnamon and Henrietta, and two grandchildren, Harriet and Charlton. They lived initially in Camberwell and then at the original Darvall family residence at The Eyrie in Eaglemont.

Will remarried in a civil ceremony on 19 November 2005 at home at Longstaff Street, East Ivanhoe, to Barbara Carolyn Davies.

Will had a great interest in cars and motorsport and was a medical specialist for the Confederation of Australian Motorsports (CAMS). He was President of the Porsche Club of Victoria from 2011 to 2012 and was made a Life Member.

Will died of COVID complications and underlying Alzheimer’s at Regis Armadale on 7 August 2024.

HEATHERSHAW,

Robert David (’83)

Robert’s classmate and friend, James McAdam (’83), wrote: Robert was born on 25 October 1966 at Cabrini Hospital, Malvern, the first child of David Thornton (SC 1951-54) and Jill Roberta (nee Davies) Heathershaw.

Entering the Junior School in 1972, Rob joined the Senior School in 1979 as a member of Monash House and Orton (Minor House). He played tennis and hockey, and rowed, was a Cadet and did Social Services, and he was a member of the Computer Club.

Rob’s other Scotch relatives included his cousins Tom (SC 1992-2000) and John Cade (SC 1995-2003), nephews Luca (SC 2015-16) and Charlie Jones (SC 2014), first cousin twice removed Reginald Victor Naveau (born 23.5.1887, SC 1900-01, died 21.11.1975), great-uncle Percy Clarke Heathershaw (born 9.5.1901, SC 1915-17, died 7.11.1980) and great-grandfather Henry Robilliard Heathershaw (born 5.11.1855, entered SC 1870, died 20.3.1933).

After completing his HSC in 1983, Rob commenced work at Johnson Taylor while completing a Bachelor of Business at Monash University, finishing at the top of his cohort in 1992. This led to a long career as a financial adviser at firms including McKinley Wilson, Ord Minnett, Citi Group and Shaw and Partners.

While working at McKinley Wilson, Robert met Diane Elizabeth Rowley and

they were married on 4 July 1998 at Becco Italian restaurant in Crossley Street, Melbourne. They settled in a quiet street in Richmond, becoming fully engaged in the local community, where they had a wide circle of friends. Rob was always a generous and welcoming host.

Rob was a lifelong member of the Collingwood Football Club and was also a keen real tennis player and a member of the Royal Melbourne Tennis Club. More recently he had become a member of Melbourne’s Athenaeum Club and become vitally involved in the club’s activities.

Rob died peacefully, but unexpectedly, at home at Richmond on Saturday 10 August 2024. He was 57.

HENDERSON, James Geoffrey (Geoff) (’46)

Geoff’s friend, Rick Aitchison (’57), wrote: Geoff was born on 25 March 1929 at Geelong, the son of James (born 10.2.1896, SC 1910-13, died 19.12.1976) and Gwennie Lavinia (nee Webster) Henderson.

He rode his pony to Portarlington State School and then boarded at Scotch from 1941 to 1945 in McMeckan (1941-42) and Arthur Robinson Houses (1943-45). Geoff was a member of Littlejohn House and did rowing. He watched the 1942 demolition of Glen House on the Hill, including a failed attempt to pull down its tower with cables.

Relatives at Scotch include his brother Donald (SC 1947-50), great-great-nephew Henderson Moffat (Grade Prep), uncle Walter Henderson (born 30.5.1898, SC 1911-12, died 15.6.1940), and three Aspinwall great-uncles dating back to 1870.

Geoff worked in Melbourne’s largest accounting firm for a year as an office boy/ runner then joined his father in farming.

On 21 April 1954, Geoff married Helen Whitfield at the Highton Anglican Church. Their sons Tim and Andrew attended Geelong College. Andrew died in a car accident on 11 July 1976.

In 1951 Geoff purchased a 300-acre bush block at St Leonards, later called

‘Inverness’. He worked as a builder’s labourer while constructing the farmhouse (1957), tractor shed, shearing shed and hayshed and prepared land for peas, fat lambs, beef calves, potatoes and pumpkins. Inverness had two large soil erosion gullies. Geoff became a well-known soil conservationist: in 1968 he won the Victorian Government’s Hanslow Cup for controlling erosion. For more than 25 years he served on the Otway District Soil Conservation Advisory Board.

Geoff was a founding member and a Secretary of the St Leonards and Indented Head Country Fire Brigade, and Secretary and long-serving President of St Leonards Golf Club. He volunteered on St Leonards State School’s committee. Long involved with OSCA’s Bellarine Branch, Geoff was the oldest present at his last annual lunch.

After selling Inverness, Geoff and Helen retired to Point Lonsdale. He took up bowls and – aged 88 – gave up golf.

A tragic Cats’ supporter, Geoff died on 22 September 2024 at Baxter House, Barwon Health University Hospital, Geelong: the day after Geelong’s preliminary final loss.

JACKSON, James Dunstan (Jim) (‘53)

Jim’s son, Geoff (’77), wrote: Jim was born at St Arnaud on 18 March 1935, the son of Thomas Alexander

Ivan (Ivan) born 10.3.1911, SC 1927-28, died 25.10.1988), and Jean Colina (Ina) (nee Dunstan) Jackson.

After attending Beazley’s Bridge State School and St Arnaud High School, Jim attended Scotch from 1950 to 1952, boarding in Arthur Robinson House as a member of Littlejohn House. He returned to the family farm, ‘Avalon’, at Beazley’s Bridge for a long and successful farming career.

Jim married Joan Kathleen (Kath) Ward at Scotch on 2 August 1958. They had four sons: Geoff (SC 1974-77), Ken (SC 1976-79), Ivan (SC 1980-83) and Scott (SC 1986-89). All boarded in Arthur Robinson House. Other Scotch relatives included his cousin, John Dunstan (SC 1955-57) and uncle, Thomas

Campbell Dunstan (born 26.1.1905, SC 1922-24, died 20.10.1981).

As a teenager Jim had a passion for travel: aged 16, he and a Scotch mate hitchhiked to Queensland and back during the school holidays. In 1954 Jim and two Scotch mates, David Edward Cook (born 14.10.1936, SC 1950-52, died 25.12.1958 in a car accident) and Geoff Cornish (SC 1947-51) drove to the west coast of Western Australia, headed to Darwin and returned through Alice Springs in an old Austin A70. The 14-week trip traversed some very remote areas. A second trip with two friends from St Arnaud in a small Morris Minor utility in 1955 went through outback South Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland.

Jim was active in the local community, including the Victorian Young Farmers, Jaycees and various farming organisations. In 1979, Jim was elected the inaugural president of the St Arnaud Branch of the Victorian Farmers’ and Graziers’ Association. He was actively involved with the Country Fire Authority (CFA) for over 50 years as a volunteer fire fighter, including being Beazley Bridge’s Fire Captain. Jim received a CFA Life Member Medal for his service.

Jim retired from farming due to ill-health and moved with Kath from St Arnaud to Horsham. Jim died at Sunnyside Lutheran Retirement Village, Horsham, on 24 July 2024, ending a long and loving marriage nine days shy of 66 years.

NORMAN, Philip MacGregor (’66)

Philip’s brother, Colin (‘65), and friend, Peter Carland, wrote: Philip was born on 16 November 1949 at St Andrew’s Hospital, East Melbourne, the son of Arthur Howard (born 10.1.1912, SC 1920-29, died 5.9.1959) and Jean Olive (nee MacGregor) Norman.

Philip attended Scotch from 1955 to 1966 with highlights including rowing in the winning 1966 Head of the River crew and receiving the 1966 N.C. Elliott Prize as the outstanding Senior Scout.

Relatives at Scotch included Philip’s brothers Colin (SC 1954-65), Warwick (SC 1958-69) and Murray (SC 1960-71), cousins James (SC 1977-80) and Thomas MacGregor (SC 1979-83), nephew Arthur Norman (SC 2002) and uncle Donald Stuart MacGregor (born 19.10.1928, SC 1941-45, died 14.11.2002). Philip had three sisters: Claire, Barbara and Emma.

On 9 January 1971, Philip married Suzanne Caroline Lewer at St Margaret’s Anglican Church, Eltham. They had three children: Josephine, Timothy and Felicity.

Philip completed Honours in Economics at Melbourne University, living in, and later tutoring in, Ormond College. He obtained a Blue in Rowing, competing in Tokyo with the University crew. Philip completed a Master’s in Economics at the University of Southampton, returning to Australia in 1973. He worked for the Reserve Bank in Sydney, and BHP’s Minerals Division in Melbourne. Philip spent eight years in a leading role at a family stationery and printing business before joining the Business Council of Australia as a Senior Economist. He worked in senior economics roles in the Victorian Public Service and actively participated in the Economics Society of Australia.

On 26 October 2011, Philip remarried to Mrs Pamela Margaret (nee Pearce) Bainbridge at the East Kew Uniting Church. They enjoyed a happy marriage until her death on 4 January 2015.

Philip avidly participated in the Masters Games and enjoyed competing regularly in Alice Springs and Adelaide. He was a longtime member of the St Kilda Lifesaving Club and an Elder of the East Kew Uniting Church, where he made many friends.

Early this year, Philip was diagnosed with brain cancer, but was determined not to let it undermine his deeply positive approach to life. He died on 18 July 2024 at North Balwyn, survived by three children and seven grandchildren.

PICCOLI, Andrew Peter (’61) Andrew’s friend, Geoff Hindle (’60), wrote: Andrew was born at Melbourne on 12 July 1944, the son of Andrew Christian and Gwenneth Jessie (nee McLean) Piccoli. He attended Scotch from 1958 to 1962. Andrew was a member of the 1961 and 1962 1st XI and the 1962 1st XVIII. He was a 1962 Probationer.

After graduating in Economics at Monash and following early jobs in Canada, Andrew joined the Australian Marketing Department of Beecham, a British multinational, in 1970, with responsibility for many popular brands. Over a decade he launched three new health drinks including Claytons, ‘the drink you have when you are not having a drink’. His attention to detail made these brands successful and boosted the Australian business. In 1980 he went to Beecham’s London head office, handling its Middle East business.

Returning to Australia in 1984, Andrew was Head of Marketing and Sales at the Ardmona fruit company until his 2006 retirement. His Ardmona colleagues recall the Chairman regarding Andrew’s work as transformational.

Andrew played tennis for the Old Scotch Tennis Club and was its President from 1987 to 1989. He played for many years in the past students’ competition (PSTA) and won several club championships. He played at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club and was a regular in two groups.

Never married, Andrew had two longterm partners: Sue Gibson (from about 1985 to 2005) and Josselin Callinan, from Montreal, from about 2007 until 2024. In retirement, Andrew and Josselin travelled widely in Europe and North America, often with old friends with whom they walked the challenging Spanish and French Caminos, and they safaried in Africa.

Over 12 years ago, Andrew had surgery for prostate cancer, which subsequently returned, and he was given three years to live. He made the most of it, competing in International Masters Games in tennis

and athletics, doing courses in History at Cambridge, researching the marketing activities of botanical gardens in North America and Europe and teaching marketing. He loved his extended retirement.

Andrew was diagnosed with myelofibrosis in March 2024 and died at Cabrini Hospital, Malvern on 16 June 2024.

REDD, Lachlan Crombie (Staff 2005-24)

Lachlan was born on 27 May 1974 and attended Peninsula Grammar School as a member of its Class of 1992.

On 9 February 2005 Lachlan arrived at Scotch with a Bachelor of Music (Honours) and a Master of Music, tasked with teaching both piano and organ lessons. He also came with an impressive musical curriculum vitae.

Lachlan performed throughout Australia as a soloist with nearly every major orchestra, on ABC TV and on FM radio. The Australian ’s critic reported that, ‘Lachlan Redd is a superb pianist ... demonstrating a breathtakingly impressive technique’. He appeared at the Port Fairy Music Festival as a soloist and concerto artist in the Schirmer Ensemble. He also performed with the Glenhaven Festival Orchestra and as guest artist with the Australian Chamber Ensemble.

In 2000 Lachlan won first prize at the fourth International Youth Music Festival’s ‘Virtuosi of the Year 2000’ competition in Russia, performing in St Petersburg’s historic Mariinsky Theatre. With the assistance of the Queen’s Trust Grant for Young Australians and a scholarship from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, Lachlan studied with Philip Kawin to obtain his Master of Music in Performance.

Highlights of Lachlan’s career included 16 performances of Tchaikovsky's Second Piano Concerto for the Australian Ballet, two performances of Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto with the Melbourne Symphony, and return engagements of Mozart concertos at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London.

Those Scotch boys who were not taught by Lachlan would have heard him play the organ for Chapel services and at Memorial Hall Assemblies.

When not teaching at Scotch, Lachlan was the Assistant Organist at St Paul’s Cathedral and was Melbourne Grammar School’s Chapel Organist.

Lachlan taught at Scotch until he died unexpectedly at home on 12 July 2024, shocking and saddening his many close friends in the Music School. His legacy lives on through the many Scotch boys he taught. His funeral was fittingly held at St Paul’s Cathedral on 23 July 2024.

STEWART, Alexander (’48) Alexander’s daughter, Kate, wrote: Alex was born on 18 December 1930 at ‘Seskinore’ South Camberwell, the son of George Shaw (Geordie) (born 26.8.1897, SC 1911-16, died 15.4.1969) and Margaret (nee Stuart) Stewart. Geordie (1st XVIII 1912-16 including being 1916 Captain) could have played cricket for Australia, but instead fought in the 4th Light Horse Brigade, famous for its charge at the Battle of Beersheba.

Attending Scotch from 1939 to 1949, Alex was a member and 1949 Captain of Gardiner House. He played in the 1949 1st XI and the 1948 and 1949 1st XVIIIs (1949 Captain). Alex was a 1948 Probationer and a 1949 Prefect.

Also at Scotch were Alex’s great-nephew Adam Noble (SC 1996-2001), uncles Alexander Armstrong Stewart (born 14.12.1884, SC 1897-1901, 1901 Dux, died 1.7.1961), William Stewart (born 19.8.1889, SC 1903-04, died 18.5.1953), Sutherland Leigh Stewart (born 23.12.1893, SC 1908-10, died 5.7.1963) and Neil Livingstone Stewart (born 1.5.1895, SC 1909-12, died 4.7.1948) and one Thompson and four Armstrong great-uncles who attended between 1867 and 1894. His grandfather, Rev. Alexander Stewart, was on the School Council.

Alex was involved in establishing the premiership Old Scotch Football Club’s under 19s in 1952 and was a 1953 Secretary

of the club. He later regularly played for the Old Scotch Bowls Club.

Following a BHP share registry cadetship, Alex began as a sales representative for Draffin Everhot (a Scotch Family company) where he remained in various roles until retirement.

On 15 June 1968 at St Andrew’s Anglican Church, Brighton, Alex married Barbara Ann Bellamy, and they enjoyed more than 55 years of marriage. Alex did not have any sons but could not have been prouder when his grandsons Max Rogers (SC 2015-20) and Henry Rogers (SC 2015-23; 2023 co-Dux) started together at Scotch.

Alex’s life revolved around family, friends and sport. He was a member of the Melbourne Cricket Club for 85 years and a passionate supporter of the Melbourne Football Club. He played golf with a single figure handicap at Keysborough Golf Club and pennant bowls at the Brighton Bowling Club.

Alex died at Sandringham Hospital on 27 April 2024 after a short illness.

STRANG, David Malcolm Andrew (’62)

David’s daughter, Samantha McFarlane, wrote: David was born on 7 March 1944 at East Melbourne,

the son of Donald John George and Molly Noreen (nee Stainer) Strang. He was one of five brothers who concurrently attended Scotch, which is believed to be a record. David attended Scotch from 1949 to 1962 as a member of Gilray House but boarded in Arthur Robinson House in 1960. He excelled in sport, playing for the 1961 (undefeated in school matches) and 1962 1st XV, and he played cricket and swam. His time at Scotch was marked not only by his athleticism but also by his gentle and happy disposition, qualities that stayed with him throughout his life.

David’s brothers were Peter Donald George (born 10.7.1939, SC 1946-46, died 23.3.1997), John Francis Roderick (born 20.7.1940, SC 1947-58, died 29.9.2016),

Graeme Duncan Parfitt (born 9.8.1941, SC 1948-59, died 26.8.2020) and Robert William Alistair Strang (born 28.6.1946, SC 1952-64, died 7.11.2020). Also at Scotch were his nephews Alex (SC 1979-90) and Rob Strang (SC 1981-93) and great-nephews Ben (SC 2009-21), Henry (SC 2010-22) and Sebastian Strang (SC 2019-20).

As a stockbroker, David worked next door to his school friend, Jeffrey Oliver (SC 1949-61). Later, he joined the family stevedoring business, continuing the strong family tradition of hard work and dedication.

On 30 July 1969 David married the love of his life, Lola Christine Griffin at Scotch. Their son Nicholas attended Scotch from 1983-90 and their daughter, Samantha, continued the family’s close ties to Scotch by marrying Cameron McFarlane (SC 1982-90) at Scotch. David’s grandson, Tom McFarlane, is currently in Year 11, continuing the Strang family legacy at Scotch.

David’s greatest joy outside of his family was his 60-year membership at Kingston Heath Golf Club, where he was a beloved member of the community. He was immensely proud to celebrate his 80th birthday surrounded by family.

David died peacefully on 15 September 2024 at the Box Hill Hospital, surrounded by his loving family. He leaves a legacy of kindness, gentleness, and an enduring love for his family. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

SUTHERLAND,

Donald John (’43)

Don’s children, Peter, Geoff and Janne, wrote: Don was born at Ormond on 8 May 1926, the son of John Donald and Elizabeth Louise (nee McKenzie) Sutherland. He attended Scotch from 1940 to 1943 as a member of Gardiner House. Don played football and cricket, did athletics, and was a Cadet. He recalled digging trenches at Scotch during the war as protection against possible air raids.

Among relatives at Scotch were Don’s cousin Thomas Gordon Pickford (born

17.8.1928, SC 1942-45, died 11.5.2021), uncle Bruce Sutherland (born 14.8.1909, SC 1922-25, died 29.6.1994), grandfather John Gordon Sutherland (born 21.2.1863, SC 1879-84, died 15.6.1946; notably 1st XI Captain 1881-84) and great-uncle Alexander John Sutherland (born 8.6.1854, entered SC 1869, died 22.12.1934).

In 1944 Don commenced a Science degree at Melbourne University, but in 1945 he joined the RAAF and trained at Cootamundra in New South Wales. In 1946 he enrolled for a Fellowship Diploma of Chemical Engineering at the Melbourne Technical College. It was there that he met Joy Elizabeth Shattock, an enrollee in Applied Chemistry, whom Don married on 8 December 1951 at St Mary’s Anglican Church, Caulfield.

Don graduated in 1952 and completed a Management Diploma at RMIT in 1964 while working with Victor Leggo & Farmers Ltd. In 1957 he joined Dewey and Almy Pty Ltd as Superintendent of its Container and Chemical Division and completed his training in the USA and Europe. The company was taken over by W.R. Grace Australia Ltd., where Don served for 31 years, retiring as General Manager and Director in August 1988. On his retirement, the company news article read: ‘In trying to capture the story of Don we find a gentleman and a person of high integrity’.

Outside of work, Don’s interests included racing pigeons in his younger years and sailing and farming later. He had a great love of the land and owned country properties in Victoria, where he bred Murray Grey cattle which his ancestors had first founded as a breed at Thologolong on the River Murray.

Don died at Camberwell on 17 September 2024, survived by his wife, three children, six grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren.

Hospital, Australian Capital Territory, the son of Major Henry and Lorna (nee Skippen) Wells.

Attending Scotch from 1941 to 1947, Brian boarded in Arthur Robinson House in 1947. A gymnast, swimmer and member of the 1946 and 1947 1st XV, Brian was a Cadet Sergeant and Guard and a choir member. His Leaving Testimonial stated: ‘A fine type of boy, manly and courteous and of excellent character’.

Also at Scotch was Brian’s brother, Alan Desmond Wells OBE (born 1.7.1930, SC 1941-48, died 7.2.2008).

For several years from 1948 Brian worked for Shell in Darwin. He purchased an Arial motorbike there and rode it to Melbourne via Queensland, camping beside unsealed roads at night. In Melbourne Brian attended the Working Men's College (now RMIT University) evening classes in Auto Mechanics, Auto Electrics and Diesel Mechanics.

Brian purchased his only home in 1968: a Californian bungalow in Malvern, where he lived independently for 56 years.

In addition to work and increasing travel abroad (into his 90s), Brian befriended and taught English to migrants at TAFE. He often visited Papua New Guinea, where he sponsored young students through school.

After a 36-year professional career, Brian voluntarily drove for Red Cross for 35 years, taking people to medical appointments around Melbourne. He reluctantly stopped in his late 80s.

From the early 1950s Brian skied at Mount Buller before formal tows were built. With friends, he constructed a hut at the mountain’s base and purchased a secondhand Land Rover to haul skiers to and from the slopes.

WELLS, Brian William (’47) Brian’s nephew, David Wells, and niece, Diana Race, wrote:

Brian was born on 29 April 1929 at the Canberra

Brian enjoyed every summer at Lake Eildon in a caravan purchased in the late 1960s. He enjoyed swimming, water skiing and ‘going bush’. He formed close friendships with fellow campers, and their settlement became a semi-commune. Brian drove to Eildon until early 2024.

Fastidious about his health, Brian walked at least one hour daily and enjoyed surfing and windsurfing. He survived two heart attacks, and COVID in 2021. Hard-working, determined and disciplined, Brian was highly conscientious, and free-spirited.

He died at Cabrini Malvern on 3 May 2024.

THE SCHOOL’S POLICIES FOR GREAT SCOT OBITUARIES ARE:

m The names, Scotch attendance years (where applicable) and dates of birth and death of current and past students, staff, and School Council members will be listed in the Great Scot obituaries column.

m Family members or friends are invited to submit obituaries for editing by the Archivist and the Great Scot editorial team.

All edited obituaries will be sent to originators for approval, to help ensure that obituaries are an accurate, relevant and interesting record of Scotch Family members’ lives.

m Only spouses for whom full marriage details (full maiden name and exact date and place of marriage) are supplied will be included.

m Reference will be made to multi-generational Scotch connections (e.g., son, father, grandfather, great-grandfather).

m Special tributes recognising Scotch Family members who have made an outstanding contribution to Scotch College, the Old Scotch Collegians’ Association, or to the wider community will be initiated by the Great Scot editorial team. In these tributes, the school will seek to include material, including reflections, quotes and photographs, from family or friends, and from other sources.

m Scotch College takes no responsibility for the accuracy of information supplied by family members or friends, other than information which can be confirmed by Scotch College records.

m Obituaries are limited to 350 words, with the exception of those for very noteworthy people as determined at the discretion of the Great Scot editorial committee.

m Photographs of Old Boys should ideally be from their time at Scotch, and should be sent as TIF files with a resolution of 300 dpi for photographs 6 inches x 4 inches, or 600 dpi for a smaller photograph. Alternatively, original photos can be donated, delivered or mailed to the Archivist for scanning (and return, if not donated to the school).

Enquiries are welcome about Great Scot obituaries.

Please contact the Scotch Archivist, Paul Mishura, on 9810 4470, or paul.mishura@scotch.vic.edu.au.

Tributes and photographs should be emailed to Paul Mishura, or mailed to: Great Scot Obituaries, Scotch College, 1 Morrison Street, Hawthorn Vic 3122.

Apply early for places at Scotch

DEMAND FOR PLACES AT SCOTCH IS VERY HIGH AND MEMBERS OF THE SCOTCH FAMILY ARE ADVISED TO SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATIONS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEIR SON'S BIRTH

Applications can be made online via the Scotch College website, along with further information relationg to the School's admissions process, at: www.scotch.vic.edu. au/admissions.aspx

The application fee is $250.

SCOTCH COLLEGE, FOUNDATION AND OSCA EVENTS 2025

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