THE ST ANDREW’S COLLEGE MAGAZINE
Meet our 2022 St Andrew’s College Scholars
The St Andrew’s Scholars Program seeks young people with the capacity and commitment to realise their potential to lead their College, university, nation and world. We are pleased to introduce our 2022 Scholars, all of whom are studying at the University of Sydney:
Jamie Podmore Taylor (left) is studying Arts, majoring in English and Environmental Studies. She is also an elite athlete and the recipient of a Sydney University Sports & Fitness General Scholarship for netball.
Austin Wallace is studying a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy). His wide range of interests include sport, the creative arts, the Cadets, community initiatives and academic challenges.
Emma Woodcock (right) is studying a Bachelor of Engineering Honours and a Bachelor of Commerce. She was the first female to command the largest cadet unit in the Southern Hemisphere, leading 1,300 students and winning acclaim for her leadership skills.
Visit: standrewscollege.edu.au/scholars/ to read more about these exceptional young people.
This view for instance, SORROW looks BACK WORRY looks AROUND FAITH looks UP Strange the different ways we LOOK at LIFE.
Then there is St Paul’s view. and that might just work - for you!
“the one thing I do, however is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead..... God’s Call
through Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:13,14 GNT)
Rev Dr Gareth Clayton OAM, Chaplain
From the Chair & Bird
From our Student Leaders
Semester 1 has been action packed; our new Chair & Bird discuss the College’s progress
Introducing Sasha Kovic, our new Chair of Council
The College officially launched Celebrations for this important milestone in March
We share photographs from the special event in our community We catch up with ten of our alumnae to celebrate 20 Years of Undergraduate Women
Blue & White is published twice a year by the College Advancement and Marketing teams for the St Andrew’s College community. We wish to thank all of our photographers for their contributions.
Launch of the SAC Centre for Education
Meet Sasha Kovic, our new Chair of Council 20 Years of Undergraduate Women Launch
Harper Master Plan Update
Public Art Project: ‘BECOME THE PART’ Unveiled
Introducing our new Academic Heads
Academic Report
University & Schools Dinner & Chapel Service
High Achievers Honour Roll
Creative Arts Program Update
Palladian Report
Rawson & Rosebowl Reports
Drew's News
Artist in Residence 2022: Introducing Alice Xu
Special 20YUGW Edition: Where are they now?
From the Archives: A Timeline of 20 Years of Women
Clarrisa Luk - Emerging Space Industry Leader
1960 Fresher Year Reunion Report
Alumni & Community Events
Philanthropy Update
From the Society Awards, Honours & Achievements
Obituaries
Matthew Duchesne
Andy Baker Photography
Zoe Kemp (Fr 2020)
Clementine Paradice (Fr 2021)
Nick Reynolds (Fr 2021)
Annabelle Richens (Fr 2020)
Front Audrey Little (Fr 2022) Jamie Podmore Taylor (Fr 2022) at the Rosebowl Netball Finals Back Cover The Public Art Opening Event In june 2022
From the Chair
It is a privilege to be the 28th Chair of St Andrew’s College and to lead such a talented group of Councillors. We have a great mix of skills and opinions; and most importantly we are all working in the same direction and want the best for our College.
Under the previous leadership from Charlie Taylor and Robert Harper, St Andrew’s has emerged as the top college at the University of Sydney and is one of the best in the country. My vision for the College builds upon their excellent work and I look forward to executing the 2025 Strategic Plan and enhancing the alumni experience and mentoring potential.
I also hope to work with St Paul’s College to ensure their co-residency in 2023 is a success. I believe the stronger the sandstone colleges, the better for St Andrew’s.
I would like to thank former Chair, Charlie Taylor, for his wonderful passion, leadership and generosity. College has been greatly enriched by his service and I’m grateful for his encouragement and friendship over the past seven years.
I’m excited by the new leadership changes at St Andrew’s as we move to a new operating model necessary to fulfil the complex needs of a College this size, which includes a fulltime Vice Principal role and a Dean of Wellbeing. I want to congratulate Ian Smith, the current Director of Operations, on the well-deserved full-time Vice Principal appointment. I worked closely with Ian during the major construction work
on the campus in recent years and know that he will bring great energy to this newly designed role.
I’d like to thank Dr Hester Wilson who held the part-time Vice Principal role with great distinction since 2014. Hester has been invaluable to Council, staff and students over her 19 years at the College and has made an exceptional contribution to College and student life. I wish Hester all the best for the future.
We will also farewell Wayne Erickson at the end of 2022 after 15 years at St Andrew’s. I hope to make this Wayne’s best year yet, and look forward to celebrating his extraordinary contribution later this year. The new Principal, Dr Robert Leach, will commence at the start of 2023. Rob is an inspiring leader, with the ability to engender trust and respect while being culturally aligned with the vision and mission of the College.
Finally, I’m very impressed by the proactive leadership and enthusiasm demonstrated from the student executive team led by Elizabeth Woodcock. I’m confident that the Students’ Club is in great hands and hope they get to maximise all that College has to offer.
Sasha Kovic (Fr 2005) Chair of Council
See the profile of Sasha on pages 8 & 9.
From the Bird
What a welcome return to normality the first semester of 2022 has been! Our students have been able to participate in the normal wide range of college events and activities that were severely impacted over the past two years. Later in this issue you can read about their successes to date in the Palladian, Rawson and Rosebowl, where St Andrew’s currently leads in all three competitions.
Our new Chair of Council, Sasha Kovic, has had an exceptional first semester in the role, presiding over openings, celebrations and decision-making. I was delighted to hear of Council’s appointment of Dr Rob Leach as principal-elect. Rob’s engagement with students as emerging adults, and his strengths in leading innovative practice in residential college life are only two aspects of an impressive skill set which Rob will bring to the role. Council has also chosen wisely in appointing Ian Smith to the new full-time Vice Principal position, and I am confident that he will provide outstanding support for Rob. The new full-time Dean of Wellbeing post reflects the importance that Council places on the wellbeing of our whole community.
College has been extraordinarily favoured by the many outstanding contributions from Dr Hester Wilson in her almost 20 years of service to St Andrew’s. Hundreds of students have benefited from Dr Wilson’s kindness and
care in her pastoral and academic support roles and her expert professional guidance in helping them to navigate the challenges of myriad personal development issues. Dr Wilson’s leadership in the College’s cultural renewal project, from the earliest days of co-residency through to the present day, has provided a depth and breadth of confidence that our policies and procedures regarding the safety and wellbeing of the community are of the highest order.
We hope that you will join with us in thanking Dr Wilson and congratulating Mr Smith as St Andrew’s College enters into this exciting, new era of College history.
In this year of celebrating 20 years of undergraduate women at St Andrew’s, I am delighted that our all-female executive team, and indeed the House Committee as a whole, are demonstrating exemplary leadership. They are not preserving customs for tradition’s sake, instead they are holding our conventions up to the light and examining them honestly. While we still have more work to do, our students are working with Council and staff to continually evolve our great institution into one that is welcoming, diverse, and fit for today’s world.
Wayne Erickson Principal
From our Student Leaders
After a turbulent couple of years, the Students’ Club has hit the ground running in 2022.
Our Androvians are so excited to be back on campus for another year, and the calendar of Semester 1 has provided nothing short of the exciting and eventful experience that we’d hoped for.
As we navigate our way out of the pandemic, we’ve seen our sporting games, social life, tutorials, and performing arts program return to (nearly) normal, and we couldn’t be more pleased.
In February, our House Committee, along with 35 Mentors, organised and facilitated a very successful Welcome Week. The week was full of old traditions such as the Loving Cup ceremony and Highlander events; and new activities like bubble soccer and laser tag, all designed to show the freshers what it truly means to be an Androvian. We couldn’t be more impressed by the calibre of first year students, who have so much passion and enthusiasm, and who each bring something special to this community.
The Pastoral Care Leaders are also well underway with their various projects and initiatives, each intended to improve the wellbeing of our students. These have included social ping-pong tournaments, morning walks, wholesome conversations over tea and Tim Tams, regular mental health
check-ins and many other great ideas.
Our Palladian, Rawson and Rosebowl campaigns have been very successful thus far, and St Andrew’s is currently leading in all three cups. We are so proud of all our players and performers and could not be more impressed by the unyielding support from the Andrew’s crowd at every event. This year we hope to secure our third consecutive victory by bringing home each of the cups again.
We’d also like to express how grateful we are for the incredible support we’ve received from donors and benefactors this year, who have funded the scholarships and facilities that allow us to thrive in each of the intercollegiate competitions. Your generosity is truly shaping the Andrew’s experience and we are all extremely appreciative.
In reflecting on a successful semester, the Executive Team are very grateful and proud of every effort made by the students so far this year, across all areas. We cannot wait to dive into Semester 2 and continue creating more unforgettable experiences and memories to fondly look back on in years to come.
Elisabeth Woodcock, Senior Student
Hannah Westhuizen, Honorary Treasurer
Pamela Murphy, Honorary Secretary
Launch of the St Andrew’s College Centre for Education
Learning in small groups alongside people you live with –collegiate learning – is a remarkable way of exploring complex ideas and generating new ones. It is at the heart of the timehonoured undergraduate degrees of Oxford and Cambridge, and – closer to home – the subject support tutorials of St Andrew’s College. In a seminar with 50 unfamiliar people, it is difficult to ventilate ‘stupid questions’, and easy to hide; but in a tutorial with six neighbours, there’s no hiding, and the line between conversation and learning fades.
In 2018, the St Andrew’s College Council started a conversation about new ways of harnessing the benefits of collegiate learning. By 2020, conversation had crystalised into a resolution: under the leadership of Councillors Charlie Taylor and Ian Jackman SC, who were willing to volunteer their time and intellects as lecturers, we would deliver a formal course in the summer of 2021. The purpose of this pilot project was to test our contention that college-run courses would be a hit. After the course, we ran the national QILT Student Experience Survey, which showed that our new ‘Certificate of Complex Problem Solving’ sat comfortably at the top of the ladder in terms of student satisfaction and overall experience.
18 months on, we have formalised our vision of offering collegiate courses by creating a teaching institute called
the St Andrew’s College Centre for Education. This step reflects our commitment to bringing collegiate courses into the heartland of the Australian higher education sector. We believe that University of Sydney students should be able to take a co-badged Andrew’s unit of study, and that Andrew’s students should be able to spend their university vacations developing new knowledge and skills.
This winter – on a journey to offering accredited degrees or graduate diplomas – we will be running three courses:
1. A Certificate of Complex Problem Solving in Law and Jurisprudence;
2. A Certificate of Complex Problem Solving in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Business; and
3. A Certificate of Complex Problem Solving in Politics, Philosophy and Economics.
We are deeply grateful to all the lecturers and guest speakers who have helped us build the Centre for Education. We are also grateful and indebted to the generous benefactors who have supported us. If you have the capacity to get involved in this exciting project, we would love to hear from you.
Will Cesta Director of Education & Student Life
Meet Sasha Kovic, our new Chair of Council
Sasha Kovic took on the Chair of St Andrew’s College Council in February 2022. She is the first female – and the youngest – Chair of College ever appointed.
An alumna of St Andrew’s College, Sasha graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering / Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) in 2010.
Sasha is an experienced Councillor and has served more than seven years on the St Andrew’s College Council where she was Chair of the Major Works Committee and a member of the Operations Committee. She led the formation of the College’s Young Alumni Committee in 2019 and has been a member of the St Andrew’s College Alumni Society Committee.
Sasha grew up on a property near Bungendore NSW and was educated at Canberra Girl’s Grammar School, before moving to Sydney for university.
Sasha was an active resident of St Andrew’s College from 2005 to 2008 and was one of the inaugural Sub-Deans in her final year. During her time at the College, she was the 2007 Rowing Captain and was also a member of the Rosebowl hockey and soccer teams.
Sasha has worked in the property industry for the last 14 years in construction management and property
development. She has held roles at Multiplex, Richard Crookes Constructions, Frasers Property Australia and most recently at Roberts Co.
Sasha resides in Paddington with her fiancé and two cats, Aggie and Frida. In her downtime she enjoys travel, skiing, tennis and golf.
We recently caught up with Sasha to find out more about our new Chair.
Q: What attracted you to St Andrew’s College as a student?
Not having grown up in Sydney, I was keen to reside on campus and build a network here. I had heard from my friend’s older siblings that St Andrew’s was a great option at Sydney Uni, and I wanted the co-residential experience. But honestly, the crests on the carpet in the Main Building sealed the deal for me!
Q: What are your favourite memories of College?
The calendar was always jam packed full of sport, events and nights out and I somehow managed time to squeeze in some study. Chatting in the dining hall for 1.5 hours at lunch while enjoying multiple trips to the buffet seems like such a luxury now. Not only did I meet wonderful people at St Andrew’s College who are my lifelong friends, I also became great mates with many from the Intercol community in my senior years.
Q: What changes have you observed in College since you were a student?
There are the tangible differences of new buildings and renovated rooms which is exciting to see, but it’s the high calibre of students that is the incredible change. As a Councillor, I’ve also seen the coming and going of traditions with each student cohort. Traditions seem to evolve and be made more enjoyable for all, which reflect the times we now live in.
Q: You have already served College in many ways as a Councillor, on various Committees and the Alumni Society – what motivates you to do so?
I’m clearly passionate about the College and its future, but it’s the talent that we are helping to foster here which is very motivating. We have such impressive students who are wellrounded, intelligent and kind – they will go onto lead their communities – that’s exciting to help in the process.
Q: What will be your main focus as Chair?
I am nostalgic of my time at College but as Chair I understand the importance of finding the balance between tradition and moving the College forward. We want to strive for continual improvement without losing the ‘x factor’ which so many alumni cherish and love. The College is a special place and we don’t want to become a sandstone hotel or generic university provided student accommodation. My focus will be to provide access for a more diverse group of students especially from rural and regional Australia; improve the campus facilities via the Harper Master Plan; and expand our
educational offering to create strong community leaders. I want St Andrew’s to be the best environment it can be for all our students, staff and alumni.
Q: How does being the first female Chair affect your outlook?
I’m a reflection of what the College represents these days –I’m young, energetic, female and have a strong passion for St Andrew’s. But I’m very conscious that this Chair appointment is only possible due the courageous vision Council had back in 2001 to allow co-residency to occur. I thank Council at the time for this bravery and must acknowledge the strong student leadership demonstrated from the male residents which helped successfully integrate women into the College. These were definitely challenging times in the College’s history, but it helped make this institution the wonderful place it is today.
It’s also a nice coincidence that my appointment overlaps with 20 Years of Undergraduate Women at the College and I look forward to celebrating this milestone over the year.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
I always love chatting to students, alumni, parents and friends of the College. Feel free to reach out with any ideas, innovations or concerns.
You can get in touch with Sasha by emailling: principalassist@standrewscollege.edu.au
1 Sasha Kovic with former Chair of Council Charlie Taylor and Principal Wayne Erickson 2 Sasha with Emma German (SACAS Committee) at the Women’s Rugby 7’s Tournament in May.
Launch of Celebrations for 20 Years of Undergraduate Women
On Saturday 26 March St Andrew’s College held the official launch of celebrations to mark 20 Years of Undergraduate Women at College. It was a milestone event celebrated with special guests Her Excellency, The Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC, Governor of New South Wales; Professor Mark Scott AO, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney; Chair of Foundation, Niall Cairns; previous Principals; previous Chairs of Council; alumni, parents, current students and staff.
The Principal, Wayne Erickson, paid tribute to the many women and men, past and present, who played a vital role in making St Andrew’s College the equal opportunity institution it is today.
In her speech, the Governor emphasised the importance of understanding the past to avoid making the same mistakes in the future and asked us all to examine the impacts when people are excluded. The Governor congratulated St Andrew’s for making the move to co-residency and on the appointment of Sasha Kovic, our first female, to Chair of Council.
Professor Mark Scott said there is much to commemorate, much to celebrate, and a significant opportunity to reflect on the nature of change.
In her speech, Senior Student Elisabeth Woodcock reflected on what it means to be a woman at St Andrew’s College today, and shared some of the impressive milestones and
achievements our women have reached over the past 20 years. House Committee Cultural Representative, Onyinye Nwamadi also gave the acknolwedgement of Country, whilst the Rev Dr Gareth Clayton gave a Prayer of Dedication and blessed the celebrations.
Current student Anna Hunt (Fr 2022) was awarded the inaugural 20 Years of Undergraduate Women Scholarship on the day. Anna, who is a talented soccer player, comes from rural and regional Australia and is studying nursing at the University of Sydney.
The Vice Principal of St Andrew’s and Director of Ceremonies for the event, Dr Hester Wilson, said:
“It was wonderful to hear from the NSW Governor, University of Sydney Vice Chancellor, Senior Student and Principal; and welcome so many alumni, friends of College, staff and current students to mark this historic occasion.
Truly welcoming women to College through the admission of women to full participation in college might have been a little late on the uptake for my liking, however College continues to be enriched and enlivened by all the wonderful women that have become part of our community both now and into the future.”
You can see a timeline of the last 20 Years of Undergraduate Women at College, find details of further events and activities planned and read our interviews with some of our alumnae ahead from page 30 onwards.
1 The Official Party - Dr Hester Wilson, Professor Mark Scott AO, Mr Denis Wilson, Wayne Erickson, Anna Hunt, Her Excellency, Elisabeth Woodcock, Rev Dr Gareth Clayton, Onyinye Nwamadi 2 Her Excellency gives her address 3 Wayne with 2002 Freshers Victoria Ball and Cassia Ferguson 4 Elisabeth speaks to guests 5 Bagpipers kicked off the event 6 Foundation Chairman, Niall Cairns takes in the Archival display 7 Brad Wheaton, Andrew Murray and Bill Porges were some of the key
Harper Master Plan Update
The College Council’s current strategy includes a number of smaller projects, including closing out the Public Art Project, a façade upgrade to the Thyne Building, the refurbishment of Gillespie Hall as well as the remaining student bedrooms located in Main Building. You can read about the completion of the Public Art Project on the following pages.
The College has continued to progress with its plans to refurbish the remaining 87 Main Building bedrooms over a multi-year period. The heritage bedrooms within Main Building will be revitalised in a design that allows students to enjoy modern amenity in a respectful tribute to the vision of our founding fathers.
The first step in this project was an architectural design process. We worked with two different architects to imagine what the newly refurbished bedroom designs could look like. The Major Works Committee decided that the designs of Architects AJ+C (with whom the College has worked previously) were most in line with our objectives and vision. The designs included under floor heating, ceiling fans, extra and improved storage spaces, new desk and bed furnishings in a new colour scheme. Some main building bedrooms will also have their fireplaces and mantles restored.
The next step was to build the designs into three prototype bedrooms (pictured), in which freshers would reside in this year. Feedback has now been gathered from the three students living in these rooms, allowing the architects and the Major Works Committee to iron out any flaws in the designs before committing to rolling them out across all 87 bedrooms.
Work will begin on the Thyne Façade upgrade in the coming months. This project will entail refreshing elements on the side of the building facing the Bailey carpark by installing a modern balustrade and enhanced landscaping. Planning forthe Gillespie Hall Upgrade has progressed, with the DA submission on track for later in Semester two.
The progress and speed of each of these projects is wholly dependent on funding, and we welcome our community’s support. If you have any questions please get in touch with the College. We look forward to keeping you updated as they each progress.
Ian Smith Vice Principal
Public Art Project: ‘BECOME THE PART’ Unveiled
Our Public Art Project, ‘Become the Part’ was officially unveiled on Saturday 18 June at an Opening Ceremony held in the new outdoor garden space.
The 10m long sculpture, designed by artists Michael Snape and Agatha Gothe-Snape in collaboration with landscape architects FJMT, is now in situ in a verdant garden on the corner of Carillon Ave and Missenden Road, creating a tranquil space for all of the Newtown community to enjoy.
In his welcome speech, Principal Wayne Erickson said: “This project is an invitation to the broader community to cut the corner; to walk across this more welcoming doormat; to perhaps take some time to pause and reflect on the many possibilities proposed by Michael and Agatha’s work, which from our perspective is an invitation to engage with, and understand, what St Andrew’s really is all about, as we seek to engage with and understand our neighbours and fellow travellers. Come in! You’re very welcome here!”
City of Sydney Councillor HY William Chan officially unveiled the sculpture at the ceremony , which was attended by Chair of College Council Sasha Kovic, Alister Henskens SC MP, the Minister for Skills and Training, and Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology, Former College Principal Dr Bill Porges, Dr Reingard Porges, the artist Michael Snape, our Newtown neighbours, friends of College, students and staff.
The artist, Michael Snape, who in collaboration with his daughter, Agatha Gothe-Snape, created the sculpture said: “The culture of St Andrew’s specifically, places emphasis on being part of a community. To not be a part is not to be strong and not belong. From whichever perspective the words can be read, the already large words expand. They are wrought here from molten earth and through the letters you can walk, or rest, or take shelter. The walls of steel blend with the shapes of stone walls of the college, bringing the background forward into the shared space. That ART as part of PART should find itself to have a final singular dedicated plate in this space is coincidental. When things come together however, you don’t argue.”
Chair of Council, Sasha Kovic, expressed thanks to the many people who collaborated on this project to bring it to fruition including Michael Snape and Agatha Gothe-Snape; FJMT Landscape Architects; Spectrum Partners Project Managers; Marsupial; City of Sydney Public Art Advisory Panel and Councillor HY William Chan; former Councillor Eleanor Gammell, former Chair of Council Charlie Taylor; Chair of the Major Works Committee Stuart Niven; former Chair of the Major Works Committee Campbell Hanan and Vice Principal Ian Smith.
You can read more about this event and see all the photographs from the day by visiting our website.
1 Sasha Kovic, Wayne Erickson, Michael Snape, HY William Chan toast to the Opening 2 HY William Chan unveils the artwork 3 Michael Snape and friends
4 Michael Snape addresses guests 5 Some of our younger guests got up close with the sculpture 6 Guests applaud the opening 7 Visitors to the space can take a seat on the sculpture.
Introducing our new Academic Heads
In 2021, the College’s Education & Student Life Department adopted a new department structure which created five new academic positions within the department – the ‘Academic Heads’.
These positions are occupied by university lecturers and researchers, and each Academic Head is responsible for leading a team of Senior Academic Tutors and Academic Tutors, some of whom are senior students of St Andrew’s College.
In addition to overseeing the delivery of subject tutorials, academic mentoring sessions and academic skills workshops – staples of the College’s Academic Program –they also contribute to the College’s innovative new courses and develop academic policy that will ensure the ongoing improvement of the College’s educational offerings.
This year, the College is joined by four new ‘Academic Heads’. Each Academic Head is responsible for managing a team of tutors, mentoring students, and running academic skills workshops to develop students’ foundational academic skills.
We are delighted to introduce our new Academic Heads: Dr Jason Chin, Dr Stephen George-Williams, Dr Elena Gordon, and Dr Michael Huang. We also welcome back Sapna Kumar (Head of Business).
Head of Arts
Dr Elena Gordon PhD (Philosophy), BA (Philosophy Hons I)
Elena is the Anderson Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Philosophy within the University of Sydney. She is interested in early modern philosophy, with her PhD being on the philosophy of David Hume. Her research interests lie in understanding how we form our beliefs about the world, how socialisation and the social realm determine how we think and express ourselves, and how we learn to articulate ourselves through language.
Head of Law
Dr Jason Chin PhD (Social Psychology), JD, MA, BA (Psych, Econ)
Jason is a lecturer at Sydney Law School whose research and teaching interests include evidence law, metaresearch, psychology and law, and wrongful convictions.
Originally from Arlington, Virginia, he completed his Honours degree in Psychology and Economics before moving to Vancouver to complete an MA and PhD in psychology at the University of British Columbia. He then completed his JD at the University of Toronto and became a barrister in New York. Jason lectured at the University of Queensland before joining the Law School at the University of Sydney where he now teaches.
Head of Science and Mathematics
Dr Stephen George-Williams PhD (Chemical Education), PhD (Chemistry), BSc (Adv) (Hons), FHEA, MRACI CChem, MRSC
Stephen is a Senior Lecturer and the Director of First-Year Chemistry at the School of Chemistry within the University of Sydney. He is also the Postgraduate Teaching Fellow Coordinator. Stephen describes himself as ‘not a normal person’ – he completed an undergraduate science degree with a major in chemistry, completed a PhD in chemistry and then decided to undertake another PhD in chemistry education!
After he completed his second PhD, Stephen joined the University of Sydney as an education-focused member of staff in 2019. Stephen is a self-professed nerd, and loves to hike, play games and read.
Head of Technology, Engineering and Medicine
Dr Michael Huang PhD (Medicine), BSc (Bioinf Hon I)
Michael is a Senior Research Fellow at the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney and is a multidisciplinary researcher with training across biology, bioinformatics, biostatistics, molecular biology and human pathology. Michael has a BSc in bioinformatics and a PhD in biomedical research.
Michael’s significant academic achievements include producing an international patent as the inventor, three books/chapters and 42 peer-reviewed publications in topranking international journals such as Blood, Proceedings of the National Academic of Sciences USA, and Redox Biology. His work has also been recognized with 22 internationally competitive research funding grants (totalling over AU$4.3 million), including the Peter Doherty Early Career Fellowship and Project Grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, and Development Grant from the Muscular Dystrophy Association USA.
Academic Report
Colleges have never played a more important role in the tertiary sector.
Many incoming university students expect to find themselves in classes of 20, presume that they will get to know all of their teachers and walk into an office if they are having an administrative problem. However, the enormous scale of universities is making these assumptions increasingly disconnected from reality.
The University of Sydney is one of Australia’s leading universities, and sits comfortably within the top 50 in the world. However, like the overwhelming majority of universities in Australia, it is huge, with an overall student population of 74,862. Many things students may have been used to in high school – small classes, in-person assistance with administrative problems – cannot be found on this campus (or others around Australia). This is not a criticism; there are many advantages of large universities, but we cannot deny that such a model leaves gaps in the experience of students.
This year, the College’s Education Program has been focused on ‘filling gaps’.
For example, our Academic Mentoring Program now offers 1:1, in-person support to all students seeking support on academic matters. Students receive guidance from the College’s newly appointed Academic Heads (meet them on page 16), who are University of Sydney academics that divide their time between the University and St Andrew’s. The demand for mentoring is high – in Semester 1, we held more than 105 Academic Mentoring sessions.
Our Academic Skills Workshops allow our students to learn fundamental academic skills – such as writing essays and presenting – that they need to survive and thrive at university. Like the mentoring sessions, the workshops are delivered by Academic Heads, even occasionally over some wine and cheese. It’s a rare experience for students to be able to sit down with university academics and 8 – 10 of their peers to actively participate in discussions.
The College’s Subject Tutorial Program is another example. It enables students to participate in small-scale tutorials led by the Academic Heads and Tutors at College. In Semester 1 this year, the College facilitated regular tutorials in over 130 university subjects (a mixture of weekly tutorials and ‘on-demand’ tutorials). The average tutorial size is not 35, but five.
Finally, it is worth noting that the College has a ‘no wrong door policy’, meaning that students can approach any member of staff with queries, including issues relating to their degrees. This may sound unremarkable, but in an era where the main way of communicating with university staff is via email or lodging tickets in the ‘Service Now Portal’, having a door to knock on is a big deal. Campus can be a lonely place, so at Andrew’s, we make a conscious effort to provide a welcoming experience to our students.
I would like to finish by mentioning that our students have, yet again, performed very well in their academics, approaching a distinction average across College in Semester 2, 2021 (72.44). This is a testament to their hard work and their willingness to engage with a range of support programs.
Minami Takahashi Senior Tutor and Education Manager
University & Schools Chapel Service & Dinner
The College’s annual University and Schools Dinner was held on Thursday 26 May to acknowledge the remarkable academic success of St Andrew’s students during 2021. Guests, students and College members gathered to celebrate the results of our hard-working Androvians. We were delighted to welcome Professor Mark Scott AO, ViceChancellor of the University of Sydney to his first St Andrew’s University & Schools Dinner, and thank him for presenting the major awards. Also in attendance were former Chair of Council Charlie Taylor (Fr 1982) and Councillor Ian Jackman SC (Fr 1981) who gave the toast to the University.
Principal Wayne Erickson paid tribute to the twenty Androvians who achieved First Class Honours in 2021, and particularly to two students: Elysee Dubois, who won the University Medal for her Honours Thesis, and Bianca CullyDuse, who won the University Medal at the University of New England, for her Honours thesis in Science. Bianca is pursuing her doctorate this year at the University of Sydney, researching the pathways towards discovery of a more effective vaccine for cystic fibrosis patients.
See all the photographs by scanning the QR code below.
1 The College Choir performs at the Chapel Service
2 Professor Mark Scott AO gives his address to the College 3 The Dining Hall was looking it best for this year’s University & Schools Dinner
High Achievers Honour Roll 2021
We extend our congratulations to the following St Andrew's College students who received an average mark of High Distinction or Distinction during 2021:
High Distinction Average
Dyone Bettega
Daniel Breden
Emily Dawson
Ash Dribbus
Edward Goodman
James Haskis
Zoe Haseler
Jaime Hemmingway
Imogen Johnson
Emily Joseph
Patrick Mahony
Kupakwashe Matangira
Lucy Mauviel
Elise Nolte
William Price-Cunliffe
Charlotte Ross
William Saddington
Temana Short
Adelaide Taylor
Olivia Taylor
Danielle Tweedale
Jules Vahl
Alannah Webster
Hannah Westhuizen
Millie Youngman
1 Principal, Wayne Erickson; St Andrew’s medallist Lachlan Zhou; Professor Mark Scott AO, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney 2 & 3 Students attending the University & Schools Dinner
Distinction Average
Robert Abadee
Ella Anderson
Will Andrews
Amber Arnold
Samuel Aubin
Elizabeth Avery
Finn Ball
Grace Barr
Hamish Bell
Lucy Benuska
Harry Best
Anna-Sophia Birgitte Carter Omoe
Oonagh Bolton
George Bright
Zara Broinowski
Roisin Browne
Lexi Bundy
Charlie Burns
Chester Burns
Penelope Butler
Elsie Cannon
Sophia Carmody
James Carraro
Laura Chancellor
Rosie Charge
Asher Clark
Kuani Cleveland
Emelia Coe
Jade Conner
Georgia Cottle
Annabel Cox
Darcy Creagh
Eliza Curll
Henry Daunt
Isobel Delany
Grace Dowse
Anneke Eales
Laura Eckersley
Duncan Eddy-Soros
Charlotte Ekins
Maddy Everingham
Rebecca Fahy
Benjamin Fakira
Lucy Fenwicke
Oliver Fergusson
Matthew Fogarty
Nina Friars
Laura Ganley
Katharine Garth
Alex Gerrard
Lucy Gillis
Laura Grant
Vince Guo
Kiran Gupta
Charlotte Haling
Netra Hankins
James Harding
Lily Harper
Lucy Helm
Emily Hewitt-Park
Matthew Hingston
Hannah Hippisley
Madeleine Holthouse
Sophie Hoskins-Murphy
Alastair Hoskinson
Xander Hoskinson
Gem Hudson
Isaac Hunn
Owen Hunt
Stirling Hutchings
Zoe Janssen
Lulu Jerogin
Thurkka Jeyakumar
Zoe Kemp
Olivia Kempton
Zoe Kimber
Kristina Lane
Lucy Last
Sasha Lavender
Philip Law
Alice Litchfield
Michelle Lonsdale
Jack Lynch
Charlotte Macdonald
Tom Mackenzie Wood
Belle Macleod
Anna Mactier
Alexander Malouf
Alexander Marrapese
Lachlan Martin
Sebastian Martin
Lucia Massaro
Ella McCutcheon
Emma Mellick
Katinka Morris
Mia Mossenson
Connor Murphy
Ella Nicol
Annie Nikolovski
Onor Nottle
Roisin O’Brien
Olivia O’Donnell
Jim Osborne
Clementine Paradice
Georgia Poole
Eleanor Price
Emily Prickett
Sam Reckling
Annika Rhoades
Annabelle Richens
Jadon Routley
Xavier Ruberg
Henry Ryan
Archie Stacy
Ricky Tang
David Tejcek
Mia Thomas
Hamish Todd
Emily Tyrrell
Nicholas Van Veen
Mari Watkins
Cassidy Watts
Emily Watts
Sophie Whalley
Sienna Whiteley
Elisabeth Woodcock
Maximilian Woollard
Lachlan Zhou
Creative Arts Program Update
From mounting a great Palladian campaign so far, to our regular round of events, the Creative Arts Program within College is always busy and productive.
This semester I would like to share some of the many personal creative projects to which our College residents dedicate their time, independent of their College and university responsibilities. Here are just a few from Semester 1.
Our Major Music Scholar, pianist Neon Fan (Fr 2020) successfully auditioned to be one of four onstage musicians for Amy Campbell’s critically-acclaimed dance show ‘Leap’, which premiered at Riverside Theatres (with several enthusiastic staff members from College in the audience) and will tour regional NSW and Queensland until June.
Meanwhile, our Minor Music Scholar Michael De Huy (Fr 2022) gave his first fully-improvised solo recital at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Called ‘Airs & Surfaces’, Michael combined piano, synthesisers, and vocals – all played, sometimes simultaneously, by him – as he blended philosophical reflections on time, space, memory, and experience with his own words and music.
Photographer Zoe Kemp (Fr 2020) secured an internship with Lyndal Irons, a widely-exhibited and published Sydney artist currently working with ACE Parramatta. Zoe, Lyndal and Nakama Arts Director Chris Hamer-Smith recently spent
a day in the College chapel photographing and filming young autistic pianist Jonathan Yung, part of ACE’s innovative Club Weld program.
In between running drama workshops at College, Taylor Scholar Alice Litchfield has made various professional appearances, including at the Sydney Comedy Festival in Mystery Flight, and in the short film ‘Dyed in the Wool’ produced and directed by Isabella Conti-Morato.
Fresher Grace Amos, an award-winning singer and recording artist, released her new single, ‘Kiss You Til I’m Sober’, which has clocked up over 63,000 listens in just under a month.
Soprano Elise Nolte (Fr 2021) is leaving College after successfully applying to spend a year on exchange at the London Royal College of Music.
Finally, we welcomed figurative artist Alice Xu as our 2022 Artist in Residence recently – read more about Alice and her art on page 28.
Dr Sarah Penicka-Smith
Head
of Creative Arts
1 Grace Amos perfoming at the Semester 1 Coffee Concert
Palladian Report
St Andrew’s emerged from Semester 1 in the lead for the Palladian Cup with eight points – and Wesley following only one point behind. The events held in the first semester were Solo Instrumental, Solo Vocal, Oration, Dance and Solo Drama. Each event showcased the exceptional talent of all of our students.
St Andrew’s won 1st place in the Solo Vocal with a tremendous appearance from Madeline Greentree (Fr 2021) who performed Kodaline’s ‘All I Want’. Elise Nolte (Fr 2021) also gave a great performance on the night.
St Andrew’s placed 2nd in the Solo Drama with Ewan Jackman (Fr 2022) performing ‘Stag Do’. Darcy Neale (Fr 2022) also received a Highly Commended / Special Mention for performing ‘Murder on the Ballarat Express’.
St Andrew’s also placed 2nd in the Solo Instrumental when Michael de Huy (Fr 2022) performed a stunning original composition. Callum Wearne (Fr 2022) also gave an admirable performance.
The small Dance team of St Andrew’s won our final points for the Semester, while the big Dance team put on an entertaining show on the evening. The small Dance team comprised of the following performers:
Sophie Bennetts (Fr 2021), Isobel Delany (Fr 2021), Elisabeth Woodcock (Fr 2020), Becca Fahy (Fr 2020), Anneke Eales (Fr 2021), Sophie Melrose (Fr 2021), Ashleigh Satterthwaite (Fr 2021), Sienna MacCallum (Fr 2022), Liv Kearney (Fr 2022), Gracie Hyde (Fr 2022), Emma Woodcock (Fr 2022) and Meredith Page (Fr 2022).
Finally we witnessed a spirited performance from the St Andrew’s Oration team of Adelaide Taylor (Fr 2021) and Thurkka Jeyakumar (Fr 2021) in a highly competitive event.
A big thanks to all our talented performers and the hardworking secretaries this semester:
• Solo Vocal – Secretary – Charlotte MacDonald (Fr 2021)
• Solo Drama – Secretary – Annabelle Richens (Fr 2021)
• Solo Instrumental – Secretary – Jules Vahl (Fr 2021)
• Dance – Secretaries – Ashleigh Satterthwaite (Fr 2021) and Sophie Melrose (Fr 2021)
• Oration – Secretary – Adelaide Taylor (Fr 2021)
Onyinye Nwamadi (Fr 2020) Palladian Representative 2022
1 Palladian small Dance team 2 Michael De Huy performing in the Palladian Solo Instrumental 3 Drew’s students show their support at the Palladian Solo Instrumental
Rawson & Rosebowl Reports
RAWSON
The Rawson campaign has undergone a fantastic start as we come to the conclusion of Semester 1. The first sport off the bat was Cricket where the boys took on St John’s. After a great start with the ball, the match was abandoned due to rain. Wesley were our next opponents and they took the win by three wickets. Although the final against St Paul’s was washed out in Semester 1, it has been rescheduled for 12th October.
The Swimming carnival was the next event on the calendar. The men dominated the carnival winning with 175 points. Special mention to Elliot Earnshaw (Fr 2020) who placed 1st in three events. Further, Drew’s also placed 1st in the two relays, which is a huge testament to strength of the whole squad. Lastly, the Diving team were also clinical in their performances with Charlie Burns (Fr 2021) taking 1st and Owen Hunt (Fr 2020) taking 2nd.
The final sport that took place this semester was Rugby. After solid performances against Wesley (41-3) and St John’s (86-0), the boys went into the final against St Paul’s with confidence. After a tight first half, the men came out firing after the break, running away with the win 34-21. Special mention to Teddy Wilson (Fr 2021) for 19 points in the final.
Finally, the Rowing was postponed due to algae in the water at the Sydney International Regatta Centre. This has since been rescheduled for 6th October.
Due to all this hard work and success, Drew’s finished with a six-point lead going into Semester 2. Well done to all.
Drew Sellers (Fr 2020)
Rawson Representative 2022
ROSEBOWL
St Andrew’s Rosebowl campaign for Semester 1 was very successful with our teams retaining the Netball, Swimming, Rugby 7s and Hockey cups.
A crowd favourite, the semester kicked off with Rosebowl Netball team led by Abbey Lowe (Fr 2021). There were some tough games against John’s and Women’s. However, Audrey Little (Fr 2022) and Jamie Podmore Taylor (Fr 2022) really stepped up in those games and helped St Andrew’s get the win. Our women really showed our skills and abilities against Wesley in the final, winning 76-12 to retain the Cup for the 12th consecutive year.
From the court to the pool, we then participated in Rosebowl Swimming and Diving. Our women were extremely dominant amongst the high calibre of intercol swimmers and divers. Annika Tonuri (Fr 2022) was a stand-out and won the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle. Lucy Gillis (Fr 2020) also won the 200m and came 2nd in the 50m backstroke. St Andrew’s women won the night with a total point score of 151.5.
Our Rosebowl Hockey team also had a successful semester. Led by Emily Hewitt-Park (Fr 2021), the women went into the final undefeated and succeeded in beating Sancta by a very respectable 3-1. Overall it was a fantastic campaign.
On Sunday 15 May, St Andrew’s hosted the second annual Intercol Women’s Rugby 7s Gala Day, where both of our A and B teams were very successful. Andrew’s A team played in the final against Women’s and won 14-0. Shout-out to Liv O’Donnell (Fr 2020) for having a cracking game.
Charlotte Haling (Fr 2020)
Rosebowl Representative 2022
1 Women’s Rugby 7s teams A & B 2 Rawson & Rosebowl Swimming & Diving Teams 3 Rosebowl Netball in action 4 Rosebowl Hockey girls were all smiles 5 Rawson Rugby Final against St Paul’s 6 Rawson Cricket
One step forward, one giant leap to go
Growing up, I was fortunate to never feel like I had to fight to be equal with my brothers. My parents created a culture in our house where gender wasn’t a factor that had to be overcome in the mundane day-to-day expectations or achieving our greater aspirations. This culture was largely unspoken and presented itself through the everyday shenanigans. All of us were expected to hang out the laundry and equally be there for the heavy lifting Saturday morning chores. I’ve only truly begun to realise how privileged I was to grow up submerged in a culture where every opportunity my brothers had was equally accessible to me.
As I grew up, gender started to have a much bigger impact on my life. I started to notice issues of gender in the media more and more. Just last year I sat down to watch Ms Represented as an eager high school student with my fingers crossed on getting into politics at Sydney University. The ABC documentary didn’t shy away from the vivid accounts of gender deafness, bombarding character judgements and women feeling the need to adapt themselves to fit within the male mould inside politics.
The recent election has resulted in more women than ever finding a place in the Cabinet - women now make up 38 per cent of the chamber. Additionally, policy projections are beginning to respond to the modern ‘needs and interests of women’.
Yet as a young woman in politics, I feel there is still a long way to go. It’s hard not to hear the alarm bells ring when you sit down and listen to the personal struggles of inspiring and strong women in the political sphere. What can this mean for future generations of women? How real will this change really be? The spike in Australia’s international ranking from 57th to 37th of women in parliament is a big step forward. But what true implications will this have when there is an underlying culture that breeds sexism? And alarmingly, how effective will female representation in parliament be when these women represent one race, one socioeconomic status and one way of life?
Political coverage over the past couple of years has slammed the federal parliament for its toxic culture for women. With the Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins’ report finding that one in three staffers in parliament experiences sexual harassment, it’s hard not to question whether we have truly gotten anywhere. As Jenkins so pertinently said, “It is a man’s world and you are reminded of it every day thanks
to the looks up and down you get, to the representation in the parliamentary chambers, to the preferential treatment politicians give senior male journalists.”
In light of the recent election, it does seem as though a new page has been turned. One where women are refusing to sit in the back seat while men take the lead of this country. The strong public response for the 15 female candidates out of 17 who drove seat changes is undeniable. Looking ahead, we may finally be entering an era where the culture in parliament is driven by the interests of the public and rewritten to celebrate the voices and needs of Australian women.
I watch this change unfold from my college room at Drew’s. It is a big step onwards from sitting down to unpack Ms Represented only last year. Still, there is an issue of intersectionality simmering. It is easy to welcome the surge of female politicians, but how representative are they really? While women of colour have achieved incredible results in this election and the parliament is the most diverse yet, there are only 7% of candidates in the House who are of diverse or First Nations background. The wave of female teal independents simply reflects the lack of diversity in our parliament. We still have a long way to go.
Things aren’t perfect, but they’ve changed for the better and with the determined public interests to create a diverse Australian parliament we are on track for progression unlike anything this country has seen before. Women are fed up with having our interests and needs determined for us. The 2022 election has illustrated a pivotal moment in the minds of the Australian public, embodied by Zoe Daniel’s campaign question that ignites a collective step forward: “If not us, who? If not now, when?”
“If not us, who? If not now, when?”
The spectacle of the election can detach the meanings of these issues in our day-to-day lives. In reflecting on the anniversary of 20 Years of Undergraduate Women at College I questioned whether my fourteen weeks of Drew’s life were enough to paint the entire picture. It would be easy to tell you about my experience, from seeing how valued women are in leadership roles to the tremendous respect given to
our women representing Drew’s in Rosebowl and Palladian. If I’ve learnt one thing from Australia’s politics, it’s that gender equality measures put a foot in the right direction, but it won’t go anywhere unless there is a culture that backs it up. Reflecting on my time at Drew’s, I simply asked myself, how does the culture reflect its progressive representation?
Stepping into Drew’s at the beginning of this year I did not know what to expect. I did not have pre-existing connections to any current or past students. What I did know was there would be amazing opportunities to develop my skills across the field and meet like-minded people. From day one, I have felt that women have the same opportunities to develop and thrive in the Drew’s environment. On the first day, the femaleled executive team established the ongoing expectation that leadership at Drew’s is an open door to anyone who strives to make it their own. The systems in place, like the Fresher representatives having both a male and a female role, enable women to have access to fully participating in College life. However, these explicit leadership roles aren’t for everyone. The Rosebowl and Palladian competitions also open the door for talented and driven women to represent Drew’s and continue to foster their leadership qualities in their respective fields. Outside of this, there are endless rewarding leadership opportunities for women to lead tutorials, be a part of the event committees and become Pastoral Care Leaders. In theory, this increased gender equality is progressive but is merely performative if not met with a culture that reinforces these values.
I turned to my experience as a spectator of Rosebowl and Palladian events, which have been incredible opportunities to watch St Andrew’s women represent the College in such a strong way whilst showcasing their valuable talent. In my first semester, witnessing Drew’s women take advantage of every opportunity, whether through sport, creative arts or leadership roles, has been inspiring.
The culture is a formation of not just the attitude and experiences of Drew’s women, but how Drew’s men react to female participation. During the first week of College, fresher men showcased their overwhelming support for the netball by punctually showing up to each game covered in blue and white body paint, shirtless and ready to roar louder than the opposition’s crowd for the entirety of the sixtyminute game.
It isn’t hard to recognise how valued women feel at St Andrew’s. From the celebrations of victories in netball and hockey to solo vocal performances, tremendous pride is felt by the women taking part, and the spectators looking on.
The College spirit on display is matched to that seen at any of the Rawson events. While there are several sports not yet integrated into the Rosebowl competition, the enthusiasm and determination of Drew’s women to still excel in every arena is a merit of the culture that has formed over the past 20 years and will continue forwards. An achievement for women at Drew’s is an achievement for the College as a whole.
An achievement for women at Drew’s is an achievement for the College as a whole.
Having the support of the entire College behind every woman performing or playing for Rosebowl and Palladian has created an environment where women at St Andrew’s know they are integral and valued members of the College. This extends beyond the sporting field where the women leading the Students’ Club in 2022 have worked tirelessly in their positions and receive continual admiration from the entire student and staff body. The current climate of leadership is inspiring for current and future students as women are not constrained from having a significant contribution to how the College is run. I’m fortunate to recognise that the culture I grew up with is reflected here at Drew’s. One that’s progressive, supportive and values the development of women.
Maya Smith (Fr 2022) Editorial Team, Drew’s News
Maya is a member of the editorial team of Drew’s News, our student blog. Read the full article and others written by our students at www.drewsnews.org
Artist in Residence 2022: Introducing Alice Xu
St Andrew’s College is pleased to welcome our youngest Artist in Residence, Alice Xu, for 2022. Now in its fifth year, the St Andrew’s Artist in Residence Program offers one creative artist a year the opportunity to focus on developing their own body of work in a residential environment, as well as sharing their skills and experience with College residents and our wider community.
A multidisciplinary artist, Alice mostly paints with oils and inks, as well as creating digital illustrations. She produces collages and often paints these by assembling and composing images, particularly of bodies and figures in scenes of the mundane. The inspirations for her work are the little moments in life, and she enjoys the technical sides of art –drawing faces, and figure drawing. Each oil and ink painting takes approximately a month to complete, and she works on several pieces at a time. She says: “My work is done when there is enough detail.”
Alice’s proudest achievement to date is her progress in her practice – not to mention the numerous awards she has received. Alice says: “My greatest ambition is to be able to support myself as a full-time artist, and eventually become an art teacher”.
Since receiving a Bachelor of Fine Art from the National Art School in 2021, Alice has only flourished in her work. Currently she is taking leave from her Masters to complete
her residency here at College, which she sees as an excellent opportunity to develop her art.
Alice is now settling into College, connecting and collaborating with other creative students. Her most recent portrait work involves College students in and around campus – talking in their bedrooms and spending time around the common spaces.
Alice resonates with artists such as Liu Xiao Dong and Kim Jung Gi, who have semi-realist styles and create narratives out of found locations and the ordinary, seeing people as they are. Austin Briggs, who draws with charcoal but shades with ink, is an inspiration in composition for her documentative paintings. For them and herself, painting is better used as a device to display the personal story of the subjects and environment.
Her advice to fledgling artists is: “Stick to your own style! Take advice but stay true to what you want to make, and not what you think others will like.”
Alice’s first solo exhibition was held at the Sheffer Gallery in Darlington, from 22 June to 2 July.
You can find out more about Alice at her website: alicexuart.com or contact her at: alicexuart@gmail.com.
1 Alice Xu in front of Main 2 In the Moment, chinese ink on paper, 173 x 80cm 3 Concentration, oil on canvas, 121 x 92cm, 2022 4 After Hours, oil on canvas, 92 x 70cm, 2022 5 What Goes on in the Drawing Class, oil on canvas, 121 x 92cm, 2022 6 NAS Life, chinese ink on paper, 141 x 120cm, 2021
Celebrating 20 Years of Undergraduate Women at St Andrew’s
College & Introducing our
Since 2002, some 1,170 young women have walked through the front gates of St Andrew’s College to become residents. This year, we are celebrating and acknowledging the milestone of twenty years since undergraduate women were first admitted to St Andrew’s College, and have held and planned a range of events and activities as part of these celebrations.
Celebrations were officially launched in March and you can read all of the details about this special event back on page 10. Following on from this, in Mid-May the 2022 Intercol Women’s Rugby 7s Tournament was held. Hosted on the St Andrew’s College Oval for the first time, the competition saw our Andrew’s women play a full day’s worth of seven’s matches against each of the other Colleges. We saw many parents and alumni join us on the sidelines, cheering on the ladies and purchasing raffle tickets and 20YUGW merchandise. Together they helped us raise over $2,500 for the new 20YUGW scholarship fund.
We have three more events planned this year to round out the 20 Years of Undergraduate Women celebrations; the SACAS Rosebowl Soccer Finals event on Wednesday 17th August, a Women’s Alumni & Student Mentoring & Networking Dinner on Tuesday 20th September and a Garden Party & Coffee Concert on Saturday 22nd October.
Alumnae
More details and invitations for each event will be sent out closer to the dates. Should members of our community with to get involved in the planning or participating in the events, I encourage you to get in touch, we welcome your contributions.
The 20 Years of Undergraduate Women Steering Commitee felt that one of the most important parts of reflecting on the past 20 years was to speak to our alumnae to understand what their experiences of College were like and to find out where their paths have taken them since leaving College. The following pages offer just a small snapshot of where some of our amazing Andrew’s alumnae are and what they are doing, and we know there are many more women out there doing just as interesting and impressive things! I encourage you to scan the QR code below and read the full interviews with each of them on our website as well.
Hannah Atwell Director of Advancement
Read the full interviews by scanning the QR code or visiting: www.standrewscollege.edu.au/where-arethey-now/where-are-they-now-2/
1 The Ode to Haggis is performed by Sarah Faraday, nee Cowan (Fr 2004) at an event in 2006.
Samantha McEncroe Susannah Cooke
Samantha McEncroe (Fr 2005) came to College from regional NSW, to study a Bachelor of Economics. She has led a diverse career in finance and has held a variety of different positions. Samantha is currently the Executive Manager of Retail Deposits at Commonwealth Bank.
What are your favourite memories of College life?
Definitely the connections made with people were my favourite part of College life. I loved that there was a mixed group of smart, motivated people all there in one place – the vibe was always exciting. My favourite memories were the more social aspects such as celebration dinners, formals, and even just coming together for nightly formal dinners –the camaraderie was always there.
How did you see the College change for women whilst you were there? And have you noticed any further changes since you left?
As one of the earlier years of women at the College, it was definitely in a transition period. You could see the remnants of history in some of the traditions. Over my time and since, that has dropped away and I love seeing and hearing updates from the College today, including the female Senior Students who have been elected over the years.
Your two younger brothers attended College in the years following you. Did you encourage them to apply and what was it like to all be at College at the same time?
I definitely encouraged them – including with some healthy banter to not even think about attending rival colleges! It was so fun to all be there together, three years in a row. And the best part was that we built friendships across our shared friends – so we have triple the number of friends than we would have normally! Some of my closest friends today are friends from my brothers’ years.
Susannah Cooke (Fr 2016) grew up in Yass and became St Andrew’s College’s second female Senior Student in 2018. She is now both studying medicine at Newcastle University and playing rugby for the Brumbies in Canberra.
You were our second female Senior Student and part of the first all-female executive team. Do you have any advice for the 2022 all-female executive team?
For the 2022 executive team, I think they are at the great advantage because it may come somewhat more naturally to them to collaborate and share the load of the responsibilities that come with being the executive team. The game changer in our year was the teamwork between Liv, Liv and I. Putting egos and traditional role responsibilities aside, we genuinely worked as a unit with our house committee to make sure we were doing what’s best for the College and setting the standards we wanted the students of St Andrew’s to uphold. If they can work together and be proactive about all issues no matter how small that come up throughout the year, they will be incredibly successful. The College is lucky to have such a strong group of women lead them in 2022.
How has St Andrew’s influenced your life after College?
Drew’s was a big part of my life for the three years I was there. Those years straight after leaving high school are obviously pivotal years in growing up and learning more about yourself as a person and where you want to go in life. To spend those years at Drew’s surrounded by great people to guide me along the way helped me become the person I am today; full of ambition. Specifically, I learnt the art of managing study with social life, communication skills and how to adapt these to my audience, and most importantly I now have a great group of friends who I met across all years in college whom I would have possibly never come across if it weren’t for Drew’s.
Clare Wheeler Emma German
Clare (Fr 2017) is a professional soccer player, currently playing for Fortuna Hjørring in Denmark. Last year Clare made her international debut with the Australian women’s soccer team the Matilda’s.
How did it feel to leave your job at Macquarie Bank and Australia to join professional soccer club Fortuna Hjorring in Demark?
Moving to Denmark to pursue football full time was a difficult decision to make during the pandemic. However, it was an essential step for me in my pursuit of representing Australia at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Macquarie were extremely supportive of my decision and I’m deeply thankful of my time there.
How was your debut with the Matildas?
It’s hard to describe the last couple of months. From debuting in September 2021 as a last minute injury placement to recently representing the team at AFC, every opportunity has been amazing and challenging. I’m excited and driven to continue at this level as I aim for the 2023 World Cup.
Do you have any advice for young Androvians looking to pursue a career in sport?
Keep going. I believe a large part of being an athlete is down to perseverance. To persevere through the challenges and trust your path.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The opportunity St Andrew’s provided me was pivotal towards my recent achievements. Their generosity following the loss of my mother was nothing short of incredible. From financial, tuition and other support, Drew’s gave me the opportunity to get a Sydney University degree and play for SUSFC in the NSW Women’s NPL 1. This is something I’m forever grateful for.
Emma (Fr 2006) works as Senior Legal Counsel at Network 10. She has worked with a range of organisations including ninemsn, King & Wood Mallesons Fuji Xerox and Stan.
What are your favourite memories of College?
The older I get, the more I realise it’s not necessarily the big things or the formal events that my mind wanders to the most (although VDs and Walkabout are pretty hard to forget!). Rather, it’s the smaller, seemingly insignificant memories that hold tight – hanging out in the ‘dungeon’ during my first year, conversations in the dining hall, Wednesday nights at the pub, Highlander nights (although I hear it’s now called the ‘Lander’).
What’s motivated you to get involved with College again?
I’m thrilled to join the Alumni Society committee, and loved being part of the professional development program. I am continually impressed with the calibre of the students. My time at College was really so formative for me, both personally and professionally. It feels great to be at a point in my life where I can give back and help alumni stay connected to the College and continue to reap the benefits of being part of what is a very unique community.
What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?
Since we’re celebrating 20 years of undergraduate women, two particular accomplishments come to mind. Careerwise, I’m very proud of my achievements in what was traditionally a male-dominated industry, particularly having been involved in the launch of both Stan (as one of only two lawyers at Australia’s first streaming company) and Paramount+. Personally, my greatest accomplishment has been building a life surrounded by phenomenal, supportive and successful women - we lift each other up and have a lot of laughs along the way.
Lucy Richards Clarissa Luk
Clarissa (Fr 2018) is studying a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Space Major) and a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Sydney. She is currently a Visiting Junior Research Fellow at the Australian Defence Force Academy, has established a business as a commercial artist and volunteers her time with a non-for-profit for the homeless.
Please tell us a bit more about yourself ?
I was born and grew up in Perth, WA. My parents are from China and that cultural influence was certainly present in my household. So, I consider myself to have grown up ChineseAustralian. I moved to Sydney after finishing high school.
Why did you choose to come to St Andrew’s College?
I was looking for a strong community to support me moving away from home at 17. There are a lot of opportunities to participate in the sporting and cultural life, which I loved about my high school. I also really enjoyed my interview with Will Cesta, which helped me to realise that St Andrew’s was the best place for me.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
Six years of study might not be enough for me as I am considering doing a PhD. I spent my honours thesis coming up with a regulatory solution to manage the orbital debris problem. I couldn’t keep a lid on it (a common undergraduate thesis problem) and so I may continue that research in further study. I’m also considering doing commercial space law since there is a real need for interdisciplinary lawyers in the highly technical domain. And I’m considering joining the Air Force Space Division. Hopefully I will get to do all those things in time… maybe not in five years.
You can read about Clarissa’s recent attendance at the Space Generation Fusion Forum and Space Symposium on page 40.
Lucy (Fr 2005) came to St Andrew’s from Narrabri in NorthWest NSW. She is an Obstetrics and Gynaecology Registrar who works at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne.
How did you see the College change for women whilst you were there?
I started at Drew’s within a couple of years of the first female Drew’s women and so my seniors still had strong memories of life of an all-boys college. Naturally and quite happily we saw a few traditions that shifted as they didn’t fit the culture of a place that valued both women and men equally.
Seeing the women step into leadership roles took a little longer to shift. In my year a number of fantastic women stepped forward for leadership roles on subcommittees and there was some sentiment that perhaps they wouldn’t be ‘strong enough’ to lead both the men and women. We definitely had some robust discussions about this with our close male friends at the time. I’m pleased to hear that there have been many awesome female leaders at the College since.
Not without controversy, my female friend and I did manage to infiltrate the BBQ subcommittee. ‘How on earth could cooking a steak be mastered by a woman?’ they asked! Rather successfully, it turned out! And finally, I was proud to be the first female to carry the Haggis around the dining hall.
I remember feeling at the start of my time at Drew’s that the boys’ sports were much more important for the College to win, better attended by spectators and supported by the College as a whole. Pretty quickly in the years following, everyone realised that the Drew’s women were a pretty spectacular group of sportswomen and dominated the Rosebowl in my final year – it forced everyone to step up and pay attention with equal focus and pride.
Chaanah Crichton Jennifer Jackett
Chaanah (Fr 2006) is a Senior Marketing Manager for Deloitte Global, with a focus on Climate & Sustainability, and Resilience. She has held many different roles in marketing in her time at Edelman and Deloitte which has given her opportunities to work overseas in England and Hong Kong.
What are your favourite memories of College?
The constant events and activities! I loved the social scene of college and the array of different things you could be involved in. I was an O-Week Fresher leader, took part in the jazz band, was in the annual DramSoc play, started Drewtopia with some fellow students and tried to attend every event on offer! My college friends are still some of my closest, with friendships formed from the many hours hanging out in each other’s rooms and having fun together.
Why did you choose to reside at St Andrew’s College?
My older brother decided to go to university in England and as part of that he was able to live in a residential college similar to Drew’s. As I had decided to stay in Australia for university and study at UTS, when I heard that Drew’s accepted students from other universities I applied and was able to secure a place.
How did you see the College change for women whilst you were there?
Women were very much an equal force at College during the years I was there, with representation across the student council and all aspects of college life. There was still an acknowledgement of Drew’s all-male history, through things such as College anthems, but it felt like a nod to the history of the College opposed to a culture of inequity. I’ve been overseas for most of my life since leaving College, so haven’t been close enough to see too many changes, but I have been inspired by how many women in my cohort have accomplished amazing things and forged incredible careers.
Jennifer (Fr 2008) works in the public sector, including as a Senior Advisor in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C). In 2021, she was awarded the Sir Roland Wilson Scholarship which has allowed her to undertake her PhD full-time at the Australian National University.
How have you seen the College change for women?
By the time I commenced at St Andrew’s, women had been living there for almost a decade. Women were as integral to the fabric of the College as any of the male residents, which was reflected in female appointments to key student leadership roles. The successes of St Andrew’s women were celebrated just like the male residents. But there was still some necessary cultural change underway to improve some historic informal traditions to ensure they reflected the contemporary values of the College. There were many positive steps taken in my time there, which I know have continued since I left.
Could you please describe your career path to date?
Throughout my studies in International Relations, Geography, and Languages, I was passionate about pursuing a career in the public service. Following university, I undertook a Graduate Program in the Department of Defence in Canberra, where I worked in several roles including supporting Australia’s defence engagement with Afghanistan and Pakistan, and deploying as a policy adviser on a major Australia-United States exercise. I then worked as an analyst on Air Force capability projects, before moving into international policy to help manage defence cooperation with China and South Korea. I then moved into the PM&C to support coordination of policy proposals for the National Security Committee of Cabinet. I have held a range of roles in PM&C, including as a counter-terrorism adviser, working for a Cabinet Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, and most recently as a Senior Adviser on national security issues.
Ellie Hewitt Ruby Riethmuller
Ellie (Fr 2011) is the Head of Product Strategy for Open Banking & Real Time Payments at Visa. Previously she worked in several different roles at KPMG. In 2020 she was awarded the UK Women in Payments ‘Rising Star’ Award.
Please tell us a bit more about yourself
I am a true blue Novocastrian, and grew up spending most days surfing at Bar Beach or playing rugby (or just wrestling) with my brother in the back yard. I was really involved in Cooks Hill Surf Club, firstly as a nipper, and then patrolling the beach for many years. Like many other Androvians, I went to Newcastle Grammar School, and spent a lot of time training for the rowing and netball teams.
You recently got involved in College again as part of the new Cross-Disciplinary Problem Solving Course. What are your thoughts on this?
There are a lot of skills that I gained through my varied experiences at College that I only realised subsequently. Enabling students to explicitly understand their capabilities, strengths and skills from the outset of their career will be hugely advantageous. These micro-credentials will give Androvians the soft, transferrable skills – like problem solving or stakeholder management – that will be relevant regardless of what career path they choose.
What is it like living in London?
While moving to the other side of the world is incredibly exciting, it was also a little bit daunting. The route between London and Sydney is a very well-trodden path, and I went into the move fairly confidently – I was moving with a secure job transfer, and I had a lot of college friends who had also made the move. The culture and humour in the UK is really similar to Australia, which makes building friendships much easier. The opportunity to travel to so many amazing places across Europe at the drop of a hat is also pretty awesome!
Ruby (Fr 2016) was the Cultural Representative on the House Committee in 2018. A few years on from College, in 2020, she founded Womn-Kind, a social enterprise supporting the well-being of teenage girls.
Could you tell us a bit more about Womn-Kind?
Having spent three years as a boarder before another three years at college, I left realising just how valuable of a resource girls leading girls and young people leading young people were in my journey and that of so many others.
It became rather obvious through conversations with peers that as a generation we sometimes feel isolated from each other by the very feelings and experiences we have in common so I decided to create an organisation in the hope that we would work towards closing the gap in effective mental health education and support for pre-teen and teenage girls in the contemporary world.
My intention for Womn-Kind is to shift the stigma around mental health by promoting the fact that everyone has mental health, and the need to engage in mental health promoting conversations and activities shouldn’t change with the presence or absence of mental illness.
How has St Andrew’s influenced your life after College?
My involvement at Drew’s as a Pastoral Care Leader and mentor was my first real taste of the power of peer-to-peer mentoring. In this way, my time at College has definitely influenced my career thus far. My time management skills and ability to multitask were definitely put to the test at College and I would say that I developed a lot of valuable skills during my time there.
From the Archives: 20 Years of Undergraduate Women at College
On 11 November 2001 the Council of St Andrew’s College met to discuss and vote on the issue of coresidency. That morning, over 100 alumni gathered in the Junior Common Room, with opinions ranging from vehement opposition to varying degrees of support for the admission of undergraduate women in either 2002 or 2003. The students in College in 2001 were vocal in their oppositon to co-residency, despite support from the Senior Student Alex Nock. Despite widespread oppostion, both the alumni and the Students’ Club agreed to accept the decision of Council. The Senior Student elect, John Enkelmann, addressed Council and gave an undertaking that the Students’ Club would support the decision and he would do his utmost to make it work.
Minutes of Council Meeting, 11 November 2001
2001
In 2002, the first year of co-residency, the ratio of men to women was 75% men and 25% (Fresher) women.
The first formal dinner attended by female undergraduate students at St Andrew’s College was held on 4 March 2002.
2002
“The very first team to represent St Andrew’s in the Rosebowl was the women’s fresher four in the rowing. They were determined to give a good account of themselves, to show the men in College that they meant business… and they surprised everyone by finishing a close second to a very good Women’s College crew.”
10 Years of Women at St Andrew’s, Annual Report, 2012
Peta Hird, a student at Abbotsleigh School in Sydney, is the first undergraduate woman to be offered a place into St Andrew’s College.
Sydney Morning Herald, 14 November 2001, (licenced from Fairfax FXB1282138)
2003
With the start of 2003 (the second year of St Andrew’s College as a co-residential establishment) the gender balance of 50:50 was achieved (approximately 100 men and 100 women).
Stephanie Topp was announced as the winner of the New South Wales Rhodes Scholarship on 23 October 2003. Stephanie was a resident and residential mentor at St Andrew’s College in 2002, and a 2002 College / Sports Scholarship winner. She was the female Sports rep on the House Committee of the College Students’ Club in 2002, and an elite athlete for College in 2002 Rosebowl athletics and basketball competitions. Her main sport was judo where she was the under 70kg judo champion. She was also the Sydney University 400, 800 and 1500 metre and long jump champion.
“Rhodes Scholars”, Annual Report, 2003
In the 2003 Palladian Cup competition, Samantha Robinson took victory in the Solo Instrumental program, and Tammy Taylor and Katie Dunstan won the Group Drama program, helping St Andrew’s to their first ever Palladian Cup Victory.
2004
Allison O’Brien (Fr 2002) (pictured above, left), became the first woman to be elected to the Executive of the Students’ Club, holding the position of Honorary Secretary. In her first year at Drew’s Allison had represented the College in all eight Rosebowl sports and was named InterCol Sportswoman of the Year.
Honorary Secretary’s report, Annual Report 2004
“The Rosebowl - this year saw our girls come second to Women’s in the Rosebowl. In addition, the first victory for Drew’s was achieved (see Tennis report) with a massive Victory Dinner to celebrate the significance. One place better next year…”
Senior Student’s Report, Annual Report, 2004
“The Valedictory Dinner - this was the first time female residents had valedicted, it was wonderful to reflect on the transition and the life that they have brought to this College. The dinner itself was a moving and sentimental tribute to a great College which has some wonderful people associated with it.”
Senior Student’s Report, Annual Report, 2004
Felicity Ryburn holding the Palladian Cup, 2003
In 2006, St Andrew’s tied with Women’s College as the joint winners of the Rosebowl trophy.
“It was an historic year for rowing at St Andrew’s. Never before had we won a race in the Rosebowl competition, let alone won the rowing cup... The freshers crossed the line exhausted but victorious in 3 minutes 45 seconds in still conditions. Denyse Skipper in the bow, with absolutely nothing left in the tank, became the first woman from St Andrew’s across the line in a winning boat. ... a win in the fresher race and a very close second in the senior race was enough to score our first ever Rosebowl Rowing victory dinner, a fact commemorated with a decorated trophy oar, as tradition dictates, presented by members of St Andrew’s first ever female rowing crew, the magnificent freshers of 2002.”
Rosebowl Rowing report, Annual Report, 2006
“… the St Andrew’s College Fathers’ Dinner of 2006 was a night of firsts. It was the first time a female had been involved in the ‘Ode to the Haggis’ at Drew’s, Luce Richards being the ‘bearer’ on the evening.”
Father’s Dinner report, Annual Report, 2006
2005 - 2008
“JCR and Main Building Bathrooms… The four bathrooms have been made unisex, and their design has been brought into line with other bathrooms refurbished throughout the College. Only the Thyne bathrooms remain to be updated, and these are scheduled for completion during 2007.”
Works Commitee report, Annual Report, 2006
“Furthermore, the variety of products was expanded to include different types of crisps, chocolate bars, lollies and soft drinks. Other new products, including muesli bars, fruit juice and hygiene products were also introduced.”
Buffet report, Annual Report, 2006
“Thyne Building. The bathrooms in the southern end were increased slightly in size and renovated for co-residential use.”
Works Committee report, Annual Report 2007
“Allison O’Brien (f2002) was elected to replace Lucas Smith. She is the Society’s first female committee member and was a fresher in the first co-residential intake in 2002.”
Alumni Society Report 2007
2009 - 2010
In 2009, St Andrew’s secured their first outright victory, with wins in Swimming, Tennis, Netball, Basketball and Athletics and second place in Rowing, Softball and Hockey.
The next year, 2010, St Andrew’s women won all eight Rosebowl sports - the first time any College has achieved this.
The same year, at the University & Schools Dinner - ‘To A Haggis’ is performed by a woman (not for the first time), Hattie Archibald (Fr 2008) with Lisa Fedorenko (Fr 2009) the haggis bearer.
The 2010 House Commitee with both Rawson & Rosebowl Cups for the first time
2012
2012 marked the anniversary of 10 years of undergraduate women at St Andrew’s College.
In 2012, Rosebowl Rowing was raced in eights for the first time over 2000m, having previously been raced in a fresher and seniors four over 1000m. “The whole squad was thrilled with the result and are incredibly proud to be the winning crew of the first women’s rowing eight in the Rosebowl competition.”
Rosebowl Rowing report, Annual Report, 2012
2015 - 2018
2015 saw Gemma Larkin (Fr 2013) was elected the College’s first female Senior Student.
2017 marked 15 years of undergraduate women was celebrated at St Andrew’s College.
In 2018, the first all-female Executive of the Students’ Club at St Andrew’s College was elected: Susannah Cooke, Senior Student; Olivia Peck, Honorary Secretary; Olivia O’Connor, Honorary Treasurer.
2022
This year we celebrate 20 years of undergraduate women at St Andrew’s College. The second all-female Executive of the Students’ Club at St Andrew’s College: Elisabeth Woodcock, Senior Student; Hannah Westhuizen, Honorary Treasurer; Pamela Murphy, Honorary Secretary.
Gemma Larkin, first female Senior Student, 2015
Rachel Assef (Tennis) and Holly Lawrence (Rowing) were awarded Sydney University Sporting Blues.
From the Bird’s Cage, March 2013
The 2012 Rosebowl Eight
Olivia Peck, Susannah Cooke and Olivia O’Connor (all Fr 2016)
Clarissa Luk – Emerging Space Industry Leader
Alumna Clarissa Luk (Fr 2018) is an Honours student at the University of Sydney studying a double degree in Space Engineering and Law. Clarissa was one of 50 emerging space industry leaders invited to attend the Space Generation Fusion Forum and Space Symposium held between 1st and 8th April in Colorado Springs, USA.
This event, organised by the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) and affiliated with the UN Office of Outer Space Affairs, brought together influential young people from all over the world.
Clarissa contributed to important discussions on orbital debris mitigation (reducing space junk!) which relates closely to the topic of her Honours thesis at the University of Sydney. SGAC will present the recommendations of all groups to UN COPUOS (the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space) as a collective effort of emerging leaders towards addressing the evolving issues in the space domain.
At the Space Symposium, Clarissa represented Australia in Team Defence Australia’s export technology pavilion. For more than two years (concurrently while studying at
university) Clarissa has held a professional role at Myriota, one of Australia’s leading space companies with a technology solution for IoT (Internet of Things) connectivity.
Clarissa said: “This week helped me to see the breadth of the space industry on the global stage, through talks, panels, discussions, meetings, networking and social events.”
Clarissa has also been recently selected to speak at the International Astronautical Congress in Paris this September. After one year working on her Engineering Honours thesis, she will present her research on regulating for debris mitigation, including her new proposal for an Orbital Activities Code. Clarissa has previously spoken virtually at the International Space University Adelaide Conference on Space Junk, and looks forward to taking this next step in her space career.
Clarissa attended St Andrew’s College from 2018 to 2020 and continues to be involved in College life as a Senior Academic Tutor. St Andrew’s College and the Alumni Society were able to provide Clarissa with some grants to assist with the cost of her travels to America, and we look forward to following Clarissa’s career in the future!
1960 Fresher Reunion
In 2020 the College enlisted Peter Wilkinson’s help in organising a 1960 freshers’ table at the Annual Dinner that year, to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of their enrolment in St Andrew’s. Unfortunately, COVID restrictions resulted in the cancellation of this function until 2022.
Peter suggested to his fellow freshers that, in addition to attending the Annual Dinner this year, they should follow the example of the 1954 freshers, who hold a regular Reunion Lunch in the Senior Common Room each year. As Mike Hunter quipped during a recent telephone conversation: “The sooner the better, while we are all still alive”!
Four of the 1960 freshers: Ian (Darcy) Dugan; Derek Hall; Mike (Michael) Hunter; and Peter Wilkinson, gathered together at the College on Friday 6th May. Unfortunately, and understandably, Biman Dhar wasn’t able to make the trip from Calcutta; Robert Brayshaw wasn’t planning to travel from Western Australia until later in the year; Ross Williamson passed away on the Friday before Easter; Roger McLellan had been admitted recently to St Vincent’s Hospital; and Michael Champion and Goodwin Poole both had prior engagements.
The four stalwarts gathered at Reception for a tour of the College, including the renovated kitchens and the new Thyne Reid Link Building. They were blown away by the high standard of the new facilities available to the students, especially when compared to their days in College.
Following Pre-Drinks they enjoyed a delicious three-course lunch, with fine wines over several hours, while sharing their experiences of College life. The Advancement Team also
provided an archival folder for each guest, including copies of their Valedictory Reports and the 1960 St Andrew’s College Photo, which aided the group in identifying their fellow freshers, and to exchange anecdotes of the various escapades they all got up to. Derek Hall organised a video call with Roger McLellan (in St Vincent’s), so that they could catch up with Roger, and make sure that he was not left out.
Ian (aka Darcy or Linus) Dugan studied Pharmacy and Medicine at university, becoming a consultant, with a forty year career in private practice in Sydney, including Westmead, Auburn, and various private, hospitals. Derek Hall obtained a degree in Economics, working as a journalist in Australia and overseas, before taking over the management, with his brother, of the family wholesale pharmaceutical business. Mike Hunter, who studied Architecture, established a practice in Tamworth, and continues to manage, with the help of his sons, the family grazing property nearby. Peter Wilkinson also studied Economics at University, before entering a fifty-two year career in the Education Sector, with teaching, managerial, and advisory roles, at several institutions, including Sydney Boys’ High; The King’s School Parramatta; Canberra Boys’ Grammar School; the National Council of Independent Schools, Canberra; The Cranbrook School, Bellevue Hill; the National Fund Raising Counsel of Australia; and St Andrew’s College Foundation.
After four fascinating and memorable hours together, they parted company outside the Main Gate in Carillion Avenue, going their separate ways, sixty two years after they first met. As the College is willing to hold reunion events for groups from two to twenty-one, other fresher years might be interested in taking advantage of this service.
1 Peter Wilkinson, Mike Hunter, Derek Hall and Ian (Darcy) Dugan
Community Events
PARENTS' COCKTAIL EVENING
On the evening of Friday 11th March, the College held our annual Parents’ Cocktail Night to welcome our new and returning parents back to College for the new year. More than 250 parents attended, with speeches from the Principal, Chair of Council, our Senior Student, and parent Natasha Raine. All then enjoyed performances by the St Andrew’s College Jazz Ensemble, Elise Nolte (Fr 2021) and Charlotte McDonald (Fr 2021). As is always the case at this event, the Advancement Team struggled to get any guests to leave on time as they were enjoying themselves too much.
YOUNG ALUMNI SOCIAL DRINKS
The Young Alumni Committee hosted Young Alumni Social Drinks at Verandah Bar in the heart of the Sydney CBD on Thursday 3 March. Approximately 100 alumni from fresher years 2001 – 2021 were in attendance for this lively event. They enjoyed a variety of canapés and drinks and mingled with their fellow St Andrew’s alumni, catching up with old and new friends alike. The event was sponsored by the Alumni Society and the College, so tickets were available to young alumni at a heavily subsidised and highly affordable price. Stay tuned for details of more events that the Young Alumni Committee are organising for the remainder of the year.
SEMESTER 1 COFFEE CONCERT
Our second Coffee Concert, held on Saturday 30th April, showcased the College’s diverse range of vocalists and pianists. Designed to provide a relaxed format in which to share performances with the broader College community, this event started with a coffee cart and morning tea, followed by an hour of music in the Chapel. April’s concert featured original works on piano and voice by Michael De Huy & Grace Amos as well as a selection of music theatre, contemporary and classical works performed by Jules Vahl, Charlotte MacDonald, Matthew Hingston, and Alastair Hoskinson. The Boys Choir, and a particularly beautiful mixed voice rendition of The Parting Glass closed the morning.
REGIONAL REUNIONS
This year, the Principal and Director of Advancement travelled to Canberra, Newcastle and Orange and to host St Andrew’s Regional Reunion Dinners in each location. Once there they connected with more alumni, parents and friends of the College than ever before, over delicious fare in local venues. They used the visits to give an update on the progress of the College, but also to find out first hand what’s been happening outside of Sydney and gather feedback and insights about this important part of our community. Over 50% of students who attend St Andrew’s are from rural and regional Australia, and we are committed to maintaining our connections with them and their families.
MOTHER’S DINNER
St Andrew’s College recently welcomed some very special guests to our annual Mother’s Dinner and the students were delighted to show their appreciation for their mums and all they do. Held in an open-air marquee on the Oval following pre-drinks on the Forecourt, the Mother’s Dinner on May 8 was filled with fairy lights, music and laughter. Mothers were treated to a taste of Haggis and performances from the Jazz Band. Grace Dowse (Fr 2020) gave a heart-felt ‘To the Mothers’ speech, and her mother, Sarah Dowse responded with a ‘To the Children’ speech. The dinner raised $1,500 for the Women’s and Girls’ Emergency Centre (WAGEC) in Redfern, whose programs support women and children.
1954 FRESHER REUNION LUNCH
We welcomed the 1954 Freshers back to College on Thursday 24th March for the third year in a row. The group of 10 fresher mates enjoyed a three course lunch in the Senior Common Room where they were able to reminisce about their time at College and catch-up on life events that had occurred since they last saw one another. The group also heard from the Principal, Wayne Erickson, who provided an update on the College and key developments that had occurred throughout the year. If your fresher cohort would like to organise a reunion at the College, please contact the Advancement Office: E: alumni@standrewscollege.edu.au | T: + 61 2 9565 7302
We thank everyone for their support at these events. For details on upcoming alumni & community events in Semester 2, visit the College’s website.
Philanthropy Update
To date in 2022, we have raised over $530,000 in new gifts and pledges, in support of more scholarships, improved and new building facilities and resourcing for our academic programs. Our 2022 Annual Giving Appeal launched in June and has so far 80 plus alumni, parents and friends of the College come together to raise over $90,000 for our key means tested scholarship funds (Rural & Regional Scholarships, Government School Scholarships, Indigenous Scholarships and the 20YUGW Scholarship), as well as the Thyne Reid Link Building. There have also been a number of significant gifts made by individuals and families this year, for which we are also incredibly grateful for.
Big or small, we know that every gift counts, and together we have raised more than $6.4M in gifts and pledges since 2015. Our current philanthropic campaign - Enabling Access to Andrew’s - has focused on giving more places to more students through new bedrooms in the Thyne Reid Link in addition to providing the scholarship support necessary so that young people have the opportunity to experience College life and all that it has to offer, no matter their financial background. We are so close to our goal of raising $7M for these two key objectives, and we thank all of you who have helped us reach this point.
Recognising the contributions of our community is really important to us here at St Andrew’s. We are looking forward to acknowledging the contributions of all of our donors at the Annual Founders & Benefactors Dinner and Chapel Service on Monday 29th August. Our donors from will be invited to join us at the College for a formal, sit down dinner, hear from our talented musicians and meet our students –many of whom directly benefit from scholarship support. We also held our second annual Highlander Club in May, bringing together a section of our community who are incredibly passionate about College and thanking them for their continued support as part of a wine and cheese night.
You can read more about the College’s Philanthropy Program and the impact of giving in our Annual Philanthropy Report, printed alongside this issue of Blue & White. And if you would like to make a gift or find out more information about our philanthropy program, please do not hesitate to get in touch via advancement@standrewscollege.edu.au or 02 9565 7303.
Hannah Atwell Director of Advancement
1 Louisa Patterson, Sophia Wood, Hannah Atwell, Sarah Pranic and Jack Wall at the University & Schools Dinner 2
Club
Despite the resurgent pandemic challenges throughout 2022, The Alumni Society Committee are pleased to note the resumption and acceleration of College activities, and SACAS’ continuing support of Alumni and student initiatives.
The first of which this year was the sponsorship of the Young Alumni Social Drinks in the Sydney CBD during March, garnering in excess of 100 attendees. The Young Alumni Committee are to be commended for the efforts in planning such a successful social networking event and we look forward to their next social event planned, which will be an afternoon of lawn bowls in November.
The SACAS sponsored the Rawson Rugby Finals event again in May. The event proved as popular as ever, with over 250 registrations from alumni, parents and friends of the College. The SACAS sponsorship provided guests with a free drink and snack pack, which were positively received. The event goes from strength to strength each year and the atmosphere was amazing, strengthened by St Andrew’s ongoing domination of Rugby results across both genders.
The Society was also proud to have been able to confirm the 2022 SACAS Scholarships recipients. Thanks to the ongoing support of the community, $16,000 in scholarship support was awarded to current student leaders Hannah Westhuizen, Pamela Murphy and Aidan Wearne, all of whom have made significant contributions to the College and Student Life during their time there so far. We congratulate and thank them for their efforts.
In recognition and celebration of the anniversary of 20 Years of Undergraduate Women at College in 2022, the Society has also agreed to make a gift of $10,000 in support of the new means-tested 20YUGW Scholarship alongside our support of and attendance at the 20YUGW marquee events run by the College this year. The first of these events for Semester Two will be the Rosebowl Soccer Finals event, which will also be proudly sponsored by the SACAS. This will be held in the early evening of Wednesday 17th August at the Sydney University’s TAG Grandstand and Oval No.2.
We invite all alumni, parents and friends to join us to cheer on our Andrew’s women.
The SACAS Committee are very excited to confirm the return of the SACAS Annual Golf Day and Dinner on the 28th and 29th October 2022, after a two year hiatus thanks to COVID-19. Fresher Year Reunions for the past two years will be celebrated alongside Fresher Year Reunions this year so we expect a very good turnout. The Committee are working alongside the Advancement Office to ensure that both events are of the highest quality and have been in touch with ‘Reunion Captains’ for each fresher year. Already, just through this contact with the Reunion Captains, over 160 tickets have been purchased for the dinner, and 20 for the Golf Day. Parents and current students are also warmly invited to join us on the Friday for the Annual Golf Day, like last year. Formal invitations to both events are imminent so keep an eye on your inbox and do not delay purchasing your ticket if you would like to attend either of these events.
Finally, there has also been ongoing consideration and testing of a mentoring and networking application (Wundar) that could be rolled out to St Andrew’s College alumni and students to enhance career and networking opportunities. More on this to come.
We have enjoyed the ongoing collaboration with Council, Principal and Student Leadership throughout the year, and are excited to see consistent growth and progress of our College.
Again, we reiterate our thanks to the Advancement Office headed by Hannah Atwell whose enthusiasm and support has been essential to Alumni Society activities, as well as the SACAS committee members for their contribution this year.
Alex Rhydderch (Fr
1994, SS 1997)
President of the Alumni Society
Awards, Achievements & Honours
The College would like to congratulate the following alumni, students, parents and friends of the College on their awards and achievements so far in 2022:
Australia Day Honours
Mr Allan Anforth AM (Fr 1975)
For significant service to the law, to social welfare and to education.
Dr Denis Hugh Gordon OAM (Fr 1954)
For service to the community of Belmont.
Mr James John Barkell OAM (Fr 1964)
For service to the community through a range of organisations.
Mr Donald Rees Magarey OAM (Fr 1958)
For service to the law and to music.
Dr Helen Nugent AO (Past Parent)
For eminent service to people with disability through leadership of social and economic policy reform and implementation, to business, to the arts, and to the community (Companion (AC) in the General Division)
Queen’s Birthday Honours:
Mr Richard John Dunstan OAM (Fr 1971)
For service to the community through a range of organisations.
Robert Peter Austin AM (Senior Tutor 1979-1981)
For significant service to the law and to the judiciary, and to education.
Mr David Arthur Kenyon AM (Fr 1975)
For significant service to the community of the Australian Capital Territory region.
Geoffrey Macquarie Stooke AM (Past Parent)
For significant service to rugby union, to sports administration, to business, and to the community.
Peter Neilsen McGeoch OAM (Past Parent)
For service to sports medicine.
Achievements & Awards
Alumna wins Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Award
Congratulations to Arabella Tuck (Fr 2012) for taking out the Taxation category at the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards. Arabella works at MinterEllison in addition to working with Lifeline Harbour to Hawkesbury.
Current Student Qualifies for Worlds
Congratulations to current student Laura Roderick (Fr 2022) for winning gold in the U20 Women 5000m Final at the 2022 Australian Track & Field Championships in March! Laura has now qualified for the 2022 World Athletics Under 20 Championships to be held in Colombia this August.
SUSF Sports Awards
Huge congratulations to Andrew’s alumnus Rohan Browning (Fr 2016) who was named SUSF Sportsman of the Year for 2021 - another one to add to his many achievements! Congratulations must also go to our alumna Hannah Buckling (Fr 2010) who was nominated for Sportswoman of the Year, which was awarded to Olympic High Jumper, Nicola McDermott.
2022 Winter Olympics
Congratulations to James Matheson OLY (Fr 2014) who was a member of the Australian Men’s Moguls team for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games this February. This was James’ second Olympics campaign, having made his debut at the PyeongChang Games in 2018 proudly representing his country.
Australia’s Top M&A Lawyer Named
Congratulations to Tony Damian (Fr 1990) for being named the Top Merger & Acquisition Lawyer in Australia in 2021 by MergerLinks. Tony is Partner at Herbert Smith Freehills and has more than 25 years’ experience and this is not his first time being recognised as the top in his field!
Alumna Makes International Soccer Debut
Congratulations to Clare Wheeler (Fr 2017), midfielder on the Commonwealth Bank Matildas squad, who was selected for the traveling squad to play at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Asian Cup India 2022. Clare made her international tournament debut in a spectacular win against Indonesia in January.
Obituaries
The College has learned of the following deaths in our community. Our sympathies are extended to their families.
Mr Todd Adrian Henry (Fr 1990)
Dr Kenneth Stewart McWhirter (Fr 1950)
Mr Richard John Dunstan OAM (Fr 1971)
Mr John Colin Bennett (Fr 1963)
Mr Alan Robert Antill Swinton (Fr 1952)
Mr Ross James Logan Williamson (Fr 1960)
Mr William Murray Town (Fr 1964)
Mr Peter Charles Taylor (Fr 1955) Governor of the Foundation
Mr Neil Mccheyne Anderson (Fr 1955) Governor of the Foundation
Mr Derek Ian Cassidy QC (Fr 1950) Former Chair of Council (1985-1988), Honorary Fellow, 1867 Circle Member
Dr Graeme Robert Elliot (Fr 1949) Honorary Treasurer (1953)
Mr Richard Henry Taperell (Fr 1966, SS 1970) Honorary Secretary (1969), Seniot Student (1970)
If you know of any other recent deaths in our community, please contact: E: alumni@standrewscollege.edu.au | T: +61 2 9565 7302.
Read the obituaries in full by scanning the QR code or visiting: www.standrewscollege.edu.au/obituaries/
