Introducing our 2017 House Committee
The new Students’ Club House Committee for 2017 has been chosen. The selection includes a great mix of residents who are all honoured to be appointed to their roles and even more so to be working with each other next year.
Executive Council
Senior Student – Lachlan Mactier
“I’m honoured to have the opportunity to lead the College in its 150th year and give back to a place that has given me so much during my time at St Andrew’s. I’m looking forward to the challenges that the role will present and having the chance to build upon the strong sense of community that the College offers.”
Honorary Secretary – Sarah Steele-Park
“I am so excited to take on next year as honorary secretary. I can’t wait to make strong friendships with everyone, especially the incoming freshers. I feel we have a strong House Committee and I know that everyone will do the best job.”
Honorary Treasurer – Georgia Nikolovski
“I am really excited to be taking on the role of Honorary Treasurer next year. Over my time at the College I have seen my predecessors in the role doing
incredible work when taking on the challenges the role entails and will strive to do the same for our wonderful College next year.”
Honorary Assistant Treasurer – Olivia van Veen
Female Intercol Representative – Ella Brown
Male Intercol Representative – Max Carter
Rosebowl Representative – Talor Hamilton
Rawson Representative – James Kane
Cultural Representative – Nicholas Jackman
Social Representative – Benjamin Watt
Alumni Representative – Nimalan Sundaram
Hilary Shannon (Fr 2015) Student Intern
Throughout its long and distinguished history, St Andrew’s has valued greatly the constant support that friends, alumni and students provide in a variety of ways.
Rev Dr Gareth Clayton OAM, Chaplain
This is the type of support St Paul might well have had in mind when he encouraged the Galatians to “help carry one another’s burdens.” (Gal 6:2)
An old, old saying put it this way:
If you can make TWO people HAPPY, one of them is sure to be YOU.
2016 Senior Student Xander Jackman and incoming 2017 Senior Student Lachlan Mactier complete the flag-changing ceremony marking the change-over of House Committees.
From the Chair and Bird
In some ways this has been a challenging year for St Andrew’s, with many high points of significant success punctuated by some disappointing and sad lows for our community. In May the Sydney colleges, including St Andrew’s, were the subject of media attention focused on criticism of College culture. This criticism, most notably in Honi Soit, the Sydney Morning Herald and other media forums, resulted in the University of Sydney appointing Elizabeth Broderick to undertake a review of the colleges and we welcome this opportunity to work with Ms Broderick in an independent examination of our culture. As an extension of our annual ‘Living in the Community’ training program, we have undertaken our own review, conducted by the Vice Principal, Dr Hester Wilson, student leaders and independent facilitators, involving a series of surveys and forums to examine this integral part of College Life. You can read more about this ongoing process on page 6.
Since the last edition of Blue & White we have also had much cause to celebrate with the Father’s Day Dinner in September, a second place
in the Palladian Cup – where we fell agonisingly short by 1 point to St Paul’s – and wins in the Rawson, Rosebowl and University Cups (page 13). We also celebrated an extraordinary act of generosity with the unveiling of a portrait of Janet Coutts (page 4), who left a significant bequest – equivalent to $2million in today’s terms – to the College in 1914. Janet’s portrait graces the front of this edition and we invite you to visit the portrait in the Dining Hall when you are next at College.
As the year draws to a close, we are looking forward to celebrating 150 years of St Andrew’s in 2017. Our Sesquicentenary will be a terrific opportunity to reflect on and celebrate our history, review College now and look to the future as we lay the groundwork for St Andrew’s next 150 years. We have more details about our plans on page 10 and a list of planned events inside the back cover.
Charlie Taylor (Fr 1982)
Wayne Erickson
James Kane and Sarah Wallis representing St Andrew’s at Palladian Drama.
Of course, an important part of our planning for any year is the selection of our Fresher cohort and we thought we’d take the chance to share with you details about how we choose our students.
The key to creating a new cohort is balance. As you may be aware, we are in the fortunate position of receiving well over 600 applicants each year for approximately 100 places in College. While maintaining a 50/50 balance of men and women, we are keen to ensure there is a mix of students, taking into consideration:
• Geographic background – with a focus on rural and regional students, we also have students from metro Sydney, interstate and overseas
• Schools – including independent schools, smaller non-government and government schools
• Academic ability – with ATARs ranging from 75 to 99.95
• University faculty – seeking a balance that is comparable to the University’s mix of faculties.
We also look for students who possess other skills to ensure that we have a cohort of wellrounded residents, seeking talent, potential and skill in academic pursuits, performing arts, sport and community work. Many of our students are able to contribute to College Life in more than one area. The rich inter-generational heritage of alumni connection is also a factor in our selection process, specifically when choosing between two applicants who otherwise represent equal merit.
We understand that many students do not have access to the resources that help them
fulfil their full potential whilst at high school. We always take this into account when we are assessing the potential and merit of an application; and, that is why we don’t select students on ATAR alone. We hold interviews with students and include a current resident in the interview to assist us with selection.
We are also conscious of the financial burden that some families face in supporting their children to come to College, which is why we have a means-tested program to provide financial support in which we ask families – both parents and students – to provide comprehensive information about their financial circumstances. This helps us to ensure that we are able to give students the most appropriate level of support.
Of course we are keen to increase access to St Andrew’s and the many experiences we offer students. We continue to raise funds for needs-based scholarships and we are currently preparing plans for the Thyne Reid Building project (page 10), which is due to commence late in 2017.
As always, we welcome your feedback on our plans and we look forward to seeing you at one of our many planned events in 2017.
Charlie Taylor SS 1985 Chair of Council
Wayne Erickson Principal
Would you like to know more about our selection process and student community?
We have an interview with the Principal and his Selection Committee and FAQs about our students at standrewscollege.edu.au
Chair and Bird
Janet Coutts, the quiet benefactor
“Janet dedicated a life of 93 years to assisting the needy and deserving youth of the colony to realise their educational potential”
It is deeply satisfying to hang the first portrait of a woman in this hall. It has been too easy to overlook the contribution of women to this College, although the wives and daughters of Principals have lived here for 140 years, although resident matrons were dominant forces here throughout the first half of the twentieth century and although many women in the Presbyterian community have been influential supporters for more than 150 years.
Janet Coutts is barely a name to most, but made an extraordinary contribution to the well-being of generations of students between 1916 and 1984. In 1914 she bequeathed her entire residuary estate of £19,000 (about $2 million today) to College, leaving Council to use the income for ‘educational purposes’. This fortune, skilfully invested, funded scholarships for seventy years. Up to half the students in a given year might be subsidised by the Coutts bequest and their parents relieved of the burden of up to 70% of the College fees; many could not have come to
University otherwise. Janet Coutts enabled 569 individual Andrew’s students to have a tertiary education.
This is why College commissioned Paul Newton to paint a posthumous portrait based on two nineteenth-century photographs which our Archivist, Professor Ian Jack, rediscovered in 2015.
Who was Janet Coutts?
Janet Coutts knew about poverty. She was born Janet Grant in 1821 on a small Aberdeenshire farm and in 1841 came to Australia to seek a better life. On her ship was a fellow Aberdonian called John Coutts, twenty-two years her senior. John was returning to the colony where, after making a small fortune in coastal shipping and whaling, he had taken up a grazing estate on the Darling Downs. They were married in Sydney in 1843 and for the next eleven years the Couttses lived on their Queensland property, raising four children. But John met an untimely death
Coutts in 1854, aged 55. His body was brought to Parramatta for burial by his twin brother, the Reverend James Coutts.
Janet and her four bairns moved to James Coutt’s manse at Newcastle but over the next 25 years all four of Janet’s children died; all were childless. Janet was comprehensively bereaved and remained alone throughout the last four decades of her very long life.
Janet sold the Queensland station and lived for the next sixty years in the houses of relatives or friends, or travelled overseas. She took a keen interest in education: her two sons in the 1860s were high achievers at the University of Sydney, one in law, the other in medicine, as well as rowing and cricket. Because Andrew’s had not yet been founded, both went to St Paul’s. One of their closest friends at University was Edmund Barton, later Sir Edmund Barton, the first Prime-Minister of Australia, who was also a staunch friend and adviser of their mother. Barton’s elder son, Wilfrid, was a student at St Andrew’s and won the first Rhodes Scholarship in 1904. With the help of Barton, Janet much later endowed scholarships in their names at the University, assisted the infant Women’s College and finally, after liberally remembering all her nephews, nieces, grandnieces and cousins, could still leave £19,000 to this Presbyterian College. She also showed her intense practicality during her life by giving St Andrew’s £500 (about $50,000 today) in 1912 to build new toilets for the young men. The Janet Coutts urinals remain our only sanitary endowment.
We are immensely grateful to Paul Newton for his brilliant recreation of this small, practical, determined product of the Scottish Enlightenment. Having lost all her immediate family, Janet dedicated a life of 93 years to assisting the needy and deserving youth of the colony to realise their educational potential. She did this quietly, virtually unnoticed by those she helped. But her role in succouring 24 generations of Andrew’s students over seventy years was fundamental and unique. The Principal of Andrew’s, Dr Harper, assisted at her funeral in Parramatta and years later went back on behalf of College Council to ensure that the grave was properly maintained. Janet Coutts has a very special place at Andrew’s and we welcome her unreservedly to our Dining Hall.
Hester Wilson Vice Principal
Founders & Benefactors, 12 September 2016
Janet
‘Holding the Mirror’ with Dr Hester Wilson
Dr Hester Wilson Vice Principal & Director of Residential Life
As a result of criticism in Honi Soit, the Sydney Morning Herald and other forums in May this year, the College has undertaken a Review of Culture at College: Holding the Mirror.
Can you tell us a little about the ‘Holding the Mirror’ Project?
The Holding the Mirror Project is part of our annual Leadership Training. This year we added an extra component to find out more about our student’s experience of culture at College. We had some interesting survey results, so in order to explore further we organised 15 smallgroup forums, including an LGBTI, a women’sonly and a men’s-only session. More than 100 students, parents and alumni attended. These forums were part of the ongoing leadership training, and all our 2016 leaders were able to be involved in the process.
What do you hope to achieve with this project?
We want to continue to create a safe space for everybody at St Andrew’s – so no matter where you come from, your gender, sexuality or who you are in the world, this is a safe space to be in, and we respect you and engage with you. There is also an understanding that St Andrew’s has a hierarchy and, being self-governing, if you are higher in that hierarchy then you have a greater responsibility around how you behave and how
you treat others, and how you model those behaviours that encourage people to feel safe. There is an understanding that the attitudes in College will be reflective of the greater Australian community, but there is no reason why we shouldn’t be in front of the curve, because we host a group of young adults who are intelligent and are developing as human beings. We are asking them to question, as they did in the Scottish enlightenment: Is the way we think the best way? We are starting to get to the point where it’s not just about academics, it’s about health, wellbeing and personal safety.
How does this fit into what we’ve been doing with the Students’ Club over the past decade or so?
It was a chance to step back and have a reality check on College life now – and one of the challenges in any community is that you have a dominant culture which is very easy to see and, if you are part of that dominant culture, everything is fine. Yet, there are other groups in College that aren’t as visible. It is interesting to see the students from that dominant culture look at the results and find that experiences in College can greatly vary. We have had students attend LGBTI forums just because they wanted to understand the experiences of the LGBTI community. There are still traditions at College that can exclude minority groups and there needs to be gradual changes to ensure all cultures are comfortable and included.
What changes have you seen in the culture at College over the past decade?
In terms of extra-curricular activities, there is a much more equal sense of all the activities. Sport, drama, music, art, and community work are now of equal importance. The InterCol
Cultural Competition, the Palladian Cup, has been great in making it clear that College is a safe and encouraging place for everyone to showcase their talents.
Also, the percentage of young people coming from government schools has increased –when I first started it was around 4% and now it is closer to 20%. The scholarship program has been at the forefront of this change. When we go through our applicants we find some exceptional young people who we want to become a part of our College, and their presence and experience can then help to change attitudes.
Is this part of the Broderick Review that has been commissioned by the University of Sydney? If not, how does it fit into that Review?
I have been in conversation with Elizabeth Broderick and her colleague Alex Shehadie about our process: I didn’t want to set it up in opposition, or do the same work they have been commissioned to do. We have been through the surveys and the small forum process and Alex sat in on two of our forums. Holding the Mirror is separate to the Broderick process, but it is something that we are doing in parallel
to their Review. We hope our work on cultural change over a number years will be reflected in Broderick’s Report. We understand there is more work to do and I am very enthusiastic about Broderick’s Review; they can depend on the College to solidify and continue their work.
What are the next steps? In 2016, 2017 and beyond?
We will be moving on with the changes the College, Students’ Club and the community will make and will be having more meetings and training with senior students throughout the start of next year. With internal surveying, we will likely do that every second year but it’s important that we have a tool we can implement to get these results. Mostly, the survey gave students the chance to speak and to be heard, and now the next step is deciding how we and the students are going to implement these changes. We have made some positive changes already and we will continue to develop and ensure everyone feels safe and supported at St Andrew’s.
While we were particularly interested in surveying current students and recent alumni, we took the opportunity to survey every member of our community in late August, with the following response rates:
• Current students – 63%
• Alumni 2002–2015 – 5%
• Alumni pre-2002 – 5%
• Parents, Councillors, Staff and other members of our community – 7%
For the full interview please visit standrewscollege.edu.au
Lauren Ribbon Communications Officer
The 2017 Executive Council: Georgia Nikolovski, Lachlan Mactier and Sarah Steele-Park.
The Sesquincentenary
Ian Jack Senior Fellow and Archivist
During the 150 years between the middle of Queen Victoria’s reign and the start of the Trump presidency, St Andrew’s College has amply fulfilled the aspirations of the 1462 men and women, mostly of Scottish origin, who paid for the grand buildings to be erected in the 1870s. These founders, imbued with the Scottish commitment to widespread education, successfully created an institution providing a home from home for deserving students.
Resident collegiate life, enjoyed by eight young men in 1876, is now embraced by some 260
male and female undergraduates and a dozen graduate students. The recent statement of the College mission is a modern version of the high principles, born of the Scottish Enlightenment, which informed the Victorian institution under Principal Kinross. From the beginning, the students have been assisted throughout their journey towards adulthood by staff, tutors and peers, so that, along with the intellectual challenges of a great university, the changing demands of social and cultural life can be realised.
Sport and music, drama and debating, have been safety valves for teenage life for a century and a half. For 120 years involvement in
[1910] The rural setting of the early College, with milch-cows grazing in front of the main building.
to continue their residency into a third or a fourth year, and the role of mentors, deans and sub-deans has become defined and extended under a Director of College Life. The pastoral care exercised in an exemplary fashion by Principal Kinross in the nineteenth century is no less evident today but is, in the spirit of the times, both more systematised and more diffuse.
On the cusp of its sesquicentenary, Andrew’s, while remaining intensely aware of its history and its real traditions, has worked hard to translate into modern terms the values which encouraged so many folk to support its initial creation. The challenge, cheerfully accepted by College, is to maintain this momentum up to the bicentenary and beyond.
self-government, through the Students’ Club, has offered a rich education for the future.
As student numbers have grown, the creation of specialised clubs and informal groups has also accelerated, while the natural rivalry among the Colleges has given a friendly edge to sporting encounters, through the Rawson Cup and the Rose Bowl, and in recent years to cultural contests for the Palladian Cup.
The need for scholarships and bursaries to allow the needy and gifted to come to College and to University has been recognised since the very beginning in the 1860s. A significant percentage of students has been enabled to attend through the generosity of a few major donors, such as Janet Coutts, and a host of smaller donations. Nowadays, there is also an emphasis on encouraging more senior students
Ian Jack Senior Fellow and Archivist
[1952] Fourteen freshers dressed for class in 1952. Their names are: Ray Au, Jeff Cameron, Bruce Christie, Tony Edwards, Neville Japp, Doug Killeen, Rod McDonald, Peter McLaren, Jock Murray, Bob Oakeshott, Vic Pannikote, Barry Perdriau, Ian Smith and Rob Swinton.
[1980s] College group tastefully distributed about the front steps in the 1980s.
Harper Master Plan –Update
In October the Council appointed award winning Allen Jack+Cottier as the architects to design the new Thyne Reid Development.
With a ratio of 6:1 high quality applicants to available places at College each year, there is no doubt that we need to build new facilities to increase access for these terrific students.
It is with this in mind that Council has decided to commence the Harper Master Plan by developing a new wing to link the Thyne and Reid Buildings to create a senior undergraduate precinct around the Glen.
After an extensive consultation process, which included giving students, alumni and parents the opportunity to vote and provide feedback on the designs of the four shortlisted architects, the Council chose Allen Jack+Cottier (AJC).
The Council’s Major Works Committee, along with senior undergraduates, are currently
working with AJC to develop the plans for this new building, which is expected to add approximately 80 new bedrooms to College. There are also plans to include new facilities such as social spaces, tutorial and rehearsal rooms and a new gym.
At this early stage, Council is working towards opening this new accommodation in early 2019. We look forward to sharing with you our progress on this exciting project in 2017.
You can find out more about AJC at www.architectsajc.com
Student Community
Ruby Riethmuller
What Degree are you studying and where?
I’m studying a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communications at UTS.
What has been your favourite part about the St Andrew’s experience so far?
The camaraderie. There is such a lovely sense of community, which is built of respect.
What’s your greatest achievement to date?
An achievement that I’m probably most proud of would be my Year 12 major work for visual arts. Working on the piece over a number of months, I quickly understood the need for commitment and passion and being able to identify issues and move forward from them. Seeing the work finished at the end was thrilling and being nominated for ArtExpress just topped it off. It is now displayed in the new boarding house at Ascham and that is a real privilege.
Where did your inspiration come from for your Palladian Art Entry ‘Eye on the Prize?’
My inspiration for the work came from the brief ‘champagne’ and my love for horses. Growing up as a rider in Wagga Wagga, I am very fond of horses and I see them as a symbol of beauty and courage, which in the racing world leads to successes – and what better way to celebrate success than with champagne.
Based on your interests and skills, in which areas of College life do you believe you’ll make the most significant contributions?
As a spirited but not so talented sportsperson, I can definitely say that contributing to the cultural aspects of College is more up my alley. Having produced this year’s DRAMSOC play, I look forward to my involvement in drama and the arts next year.
What would you like to see more of at St Andrew’s?
As a College renowned for its sporting achievements I feel that more of a focus needs to be placed on the cultural life of St Andrew’s. This year’s play and our many Palladian performances only further highlighted the immense talent of our College, and this is something that needs to be fully supported by the student and staff bodies.
What advice would you give to prospective St Andrew’s applicants?
It’s important for prospective students to really consider what they want to do after school. I think that it is essential to be sure that the decision you are making is the right one and not just what the rest of the crowd is doing. At St Andrew’s each student is given the chance to flourish as an individual, which is why it is important to be genuine when going through the application process.
Read the full interview at standrewscollege.edu.au
A Father’s Day Dinner to Remember
On 3 September the Androvians, as usual, had an absolute ball at one of the rarest nights a young adult will see: the opportunity to re-live the glory days with Dad. It is an indescribable experience, introducing your Dad to the wonders of College whilst at the same time he plans to show you a thing or two about how they used to do it in his day. This year was no exception.
As usual the bellow of the bagpipes summoned everyone upstairs to the dining hall for dinner. A new addition from the organising committee this year was cut-outs of jokes and riddles found at each place setting – such a fun way to get the conversations rolling! After welcome and first grace from the Principal, Wayne, the crowd was introduced to speaker Gary Sillett from this year’s charity – ‘Pillars of Strength’. Pillars of Strength is a charity devoted to raising money for bereaved Dads in stressful situations such as problems at the birth of their children. The charity works towards raising money to keep Fathers, who often go unacknowledged in this kind of situation compared to Mothers, engaged in social and sporting activities that keep their feet on the ground during times of distress. St Andrew’s helped raise a total of $3300 for Pillars of Strength. These donations can help towards the cost of staying at hotels near the hospital for long periods of time. Gary was a very good speaker for a well-deserving charity.
Finally, the organiser of the event, Charlie Cooke, took the stage and he spoke very well about his experiences growing up that had formed his relentless appreciation for his father. This speech was mirrored by a reply speech from Charlie’s father, Paul Cooke, (it is a tradition that the father of the head organiser speaks), who filled us in on the joys he found in dad-hood.
Later on the dancefloor filled up fairly quickly, as many classic hits from a time when Dads were our age (and could dance like we can) were played. It is really so special that for this one night a year sons and daughters get to show their Dads what it’s like to live at College, and Dads get to compare it to their own experiences – and of course pretend to be young again! To no-one’s surprise, this was a Father’s Dinner to remember.
Hilary Shannon (Fr 2015) Student Intern
Rawson Report 2016
The campaign kicked off with our Cricketers, led by Nimalan Sundaram, who came agonisingly close to defeating a very strong Pauline outfit. Drew’s tasted their first victory of the year with Gus Robinson and our Rowers dominating the field to win the Rawson Rowing by several boat lengths. This was carried on into the Swimming, where Patrick Hoey and Tom McFayden led a terrific evening of races, seeing Drew’s earn another win and, importantly, edge ahead of Paul’s. Semester One saw a Rawson Rugby clean sweep, George Lehmann captaining the side to three big wins; most notably a 34–10 victory over the Pauline’s on our home turf. Semester Two was tight. Skipper Alex Forbes and our Rawson Footballers fought bravely against very strong Wesley and Pauline outfits, eventually settling for
Rosebowl Report 2016
2016 started off with an inspirational Netball campaign, led by Ella Brown, who fought diligently to bring home the trophy. The Rowing and Hockey competitions proved no different. Both teams had some invaluable players including Nicky Fenaughty, Alice Arnott and Dani Pettit, who were all leaders in their own right. Swimming was an extremely hotly contested competition but the girls came together as a collective and were able to secure the win. Second semester kicked off with the soccer campaign, Hilary Shannon leading the team to another competitive victory. Next, the Basketballers came up against some very formidable opposition, placing 2nd against the
Palladian Cup 2016
This year saw one of the toughest Palladian competitions to date, with Andrew’s at 14 points finishing a close second place behind Paul’s with 15 points. In third place was Women’s and Sancta tied on 10 points, followed by Wesley and Johns. Although disappointed to end the Palladian year without victory it can be said on behalf of all Drew’s residents, both participants and spectators, that we are honoured to have claimed runners-up in what has been one of the most close and talent-filled Palladian competitions to date. Highlights of this Palladian year include:
third. The outstanding leadership of Yi Xuan Zhang, as well as the impressive performances of ‘Heavies’ Will Clarke and Ben Killen, earned Drew’s victory in the Basketball. The inspiring performance of James Green in the Tennis was a highlight of the campaign; however, our Tennis side fell just short of a deserved winner in Paul’s. The efforts of Matt Dowsett, Rohan Browning and Will McNamara saw our Drew’s take out the Rawson Athletics yet again. Thanks to the hard work of each Androvian who took the field and those who came along in support, St Andrew’s finished 2016 as Rawson Cup Champions.
Jack McCalman (Fr 2014) Rawson Rep
well deserved Wesley College. The Hamilton sisters, Talor and Brooke, alongside Jennifer Kay, were pivotal players in the Tennis, winning the competition outright. At this stage of the year, the Rosebowl Cup was well and truly secured but the Athletics girls were determined to go out and display amazing talent across the field although ultimately they were unable to beat St John’s. Congratulations to our female athletes who have stepped up to the table and fought to retain the Rosebowl cup once again.
Rose Clarke (Fr 2014) Rosebowl Rep
• Palladian Solo Instrumental: First place to sophomore Alice Morgan (saxophone)
• Palladian Debating: First place to St Andrews
• Palladian Art: First place to sophomore Kieran Bonin
• Palladian Group Drama: Third place to performance trio of fresher Hannah Steel, sophomore Nick Jackman, and third-year Xander Jackman
• Palladian Group Instrumental: First place to St Andrew’s Chamber Ensemble
• Palladian Group Vocal: Third place to St Andrew’s Chapel Choir Hilary Shannon (Fr 2015) Student Intern
Where are they Now?
Nick Harrington (Fr 2010)
When were you at St Andrew’s and what did you study?
I was a resident at St Andrew’s from 2010–11, during which time I studied law and international studies at UTS.
What are your best memories at College?
My best memories of College include hanging out with good friends after the major sporting/ social events. The time spent in ‘Switzerland’ (Reid) was particularly memorable, as were the VDs in the JCR.
What did you do at College and/or University that you are most proud of?
During my time at St Andrew’s I was most proud of my involvement in establishing the St Andrew’s College Children’s Camp with James Cahill. The Camp continues today and has a fantastic impact on the community, as well as an opportunity for current students to get involved in a perpetual project.
At the same time, I was building up The Manjeri School Project, a small international development organisation that I continue to lead today. We work in Uganda building exceptional sustainable schools that serve the most disadvantaged children. What has been really humbling is the number of Androvians who have joined our team and gone to Uganda to volunteer. Our accountant,
auditor, website designer, agriculture team and enterprise investment team have all come from St Andrew’s. I think this demonstrates a willingness of Alumni to contribute skills and expertise to meaningful endeavours outside of their day-to-day careers.
What have you been up to since you left College?
Since leaving St Andrew’s and finishing Uni, I continue to work on The Manjeri School Project on a volunteer basis after hours. We have recently undergone major infrastructure projects including the construction of nine classrooms and teacher accommodation, and invested in a number of local social enterprises.
During the day I work at Social Ventures Australia (SVA), where I manage and deploy a pool of capital in Australia, seeking both a financial and a social return for our investors. We seek to improve the lives of disadvantaged Australians.
Would you say St Andrew’s helped build your life experiences and business career?
I think St Andrew’s contributed to the development of who I am today and provided the platform to build a great group of diverse friends who otherwise I would never have met, or work with today.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Androvians who have contributed their time and expertise to The Manjeri School Project over the years including: Luke Tregurtha, Angus Alcock, Campbell Leckie, Brad Wheaton, Tom Joffick, Jack O’Connor, James Larkin, Georgina Bird, Catherine Wild Taylor and Andrew Gavel. The full interview can be viewed at standrewscollege.edu.au
Where are they Now?
Jessica
Cowell
(née Assef) (Fr 2006)
When were you at St Andrew’s and what did you study?
I was at St Andrew’s from 2006–2008, and was studying International Studies/Law at Sydney University. It has been 10 years now since I was a fresher! My Dad, Paul Assef, also lived at St Andrew’s College in 1975.
What did you do at College and/or University that you are most proud of?
College was a very significant time for me –it really was the point at which I made decisions that I have followed on from about how I would live life as an adult. I am very glad that I took the opportunities I had to put my faith in Jesus as the top priority in my life. This was helped by sad experiences while at College, losing both my Dad and my cousin very suddenly to different illnesses, when they were in their 50s. It reminded me that life is very short, and we don’t always have control over it!
What have you been up to since you left College?
I married Simon, who I had met through the Evangelical Union at Sydney Uni – we were on a trip in India for two months with a small team and thought we’d better keep spending time together after that! I worked for a couple of years at Clayton Utz as a lawyer before heading back to Carillon Avenue to study for two years at Moore Theological College. Since then, our gorgeous girls Lydia (2) and baby Emma have come along.
What are you doing now? What projects are you involved in?
Right now, Simon and I are in the pre-departure stages of being sent to Italy by the Church Missionary Society of Australia, to work with the Italian movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. In Australia, university Christian groups such as the Evangelical Union (EU) have a staff to student ratio of about 1:6,000 while in Italy it is more like 1:115,000. We look forward to taking up their invitation to work with them, and hope to be reading the Bible with students and talking about Jesus with young people, as they consider him for the first time as an adult.
Would you say St Andrew’s helped build your life experiences and business career?
I loved living at St Andrew’s. The challenge of having peers and friends watching how you live your life 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, helped me to try and live with integrity. You have no choice but to be honest about what you believe, your failings and your strengths when people see how you live. This is a great blessing in my life, to have had the chance to think this through right from the start of adulthood!
The full interview can be viewed at standrewscollege.edu.au
Alumni Events
Careers Week 2016
The 8th of August saw the second annual Careers Week take place at St Andrew’s College. Over the week, thirty-three alumni, parents and friends of the College shared their experience and advice with the Students Club.
Each evening during the Week began with formal dinner, followed by panel discussions, and finally finished with networking drinks in the Junior Common Room. This event aims to inspire St Andrew’s students to broaden their outlook in relation to careers and further study, and to give those within the wider college network the chance to engage with the college community. In some cases it is an opportunity to establish a formal or informal mentoring relationship.
Students were fortunate enough to speak to professionals from Advertising, Media, Education, Engineering, Medicine, Law and Agricultural backgrounds, to name a few. Commerce students were particularly privileged to be able to speak to experts in Management Consulting, Accounting and Finance, and also had the chance to learn from Entrepreneurs and CEOs.
The Careers Week is an amazing opportunity for the Students Club to tap into the vast knowledge of the College’s Alumni, and to learn about the diverse range of career options available to them after they complete their degrees. We would like to extend a special thanks to all those who were involved in 2016.
Marco Van Westing (Fr 2013)
Canberra Reunion
On Wednesday 3 August 2016, The Principal and the Director of Advancement were joined at the Commonwealth Club by Parents and Alumni from fresher years 1955 to 1982, as well as one of our very own Councillors. We are hoping to keep these
2016 Foundation AGM
On Thursday 23 June 2016, the Foundation held their Annual General Meeting at the Australian Club to give the Andrew’s Community an update on their year so far and their plans for the future. The Board was joined by 16 Alumni and friends of the College who were treated to an update of the Master Plan, as well as given an insight into the benefits of Scholarships & Bursaries within the College. The Foundation would like to thank everyone who attended the evening, as well as all the generous donors who gave within the last year and a half.
Alumni Lunch
Hosted by the Chairman of the Foundation Niall Cairns, the Andrew’s Lunch was held on Friday 28 October 2016, at the Malaya in Darling Harbour. Joined by Alumni and friends of the College, the Chair and Principal gave a short update on what the College has been up to this year and some of our future plans. Mostly the lunch was just a great chance for everyone to get together on a Friday afternoon and catch up over drinks and a 3-course meal. We would like to thank everyone for coming and hope they all had a great time.
reunions as part of the Principal’s yearly School Visits around the country and would love to hear from anyone interested in hosting a reunion in their area. Please contact us at advancement@standrewscollege. edu.au if you would like to organise a reunion, we would love to hear from you.
Queen’s Birthday Honours
In June, former Chair of Council Andrew Murray AM was invested as a Member of the Order of Australia in recognition for his:
Significant service to the community through contributions to aero-medical, conservation, education and research organisations, and to rugby union.
Andrew has long been a significant contributor to the St Andrew’s Community, first as a Senior Student in 1964, then as a Councillor from 1984 until 2002, including leading the College as Chair of Council (1999–2002) through its transition to co-residency. Andrew has continued his service to our community as a member of the St Andrew’s College Foundation’s Board of Management as Chairman (2002–2003) and has since continued on the Board as Deputy Chairman.
We would be delighted to hear from any other members of our alumni community who received honours and are not listed above: alumni@standrewscollege.edu.au or +61 2 9565 7302.
The College has learned of the following deaths in our community. Our sympathy is extended to the families of these Alumni.
Nicholas Roderick Carson (Fr 1959)
The Principal, Council and St Andrew’s College community honour the life of Nick Carson (Fr 1959), father of Simon Carson (Fr 1984). As a partner at Ashurst (formerly Blake Dawson Waldron) for more than 34 years, Nick made many outstanding contributions to the legal fraternity, particularly in litigation and dispute resolution practice. Nick also made a significant contribution to the College Community as a Foundation Governor and Director of the Foundation Board of Management (2009–2013). Our sympathy is extended to Nick’s family and to those who knew and loved him.
David Sandilands Nicol (Councillor 1996–2001, Foundation Chairman 1985–1993)
The Principal, Council and St Andrew’s College was saddened to hear of the passing of Honorary Fellow David Nicol, father of Don Nicol (Fr 1984) and grandfather of Georgia Nicol (Fr 2015). David was the founding Chairman of the St Andrew’s College Foundation (1985–1993) and a member of College Council (1996–2001). Our sympathy is extended to David’s family and to those who knew and loved him.
If you know of any other passings in our community, please do not hesitate to contact us on T: (02) 9565 7302 E: alumni@standrewscollege.edu.au
Celebrating 15 Years of Women in College
The Chair of Council and Principal invite you to join them at the first Formal Dinner of 2017 to celebrate 15 years of Women at St Andrew’s College.
Family Fun Fair
Please join us at this Family Fun Fair with activities for the whole family including: Animal Petting Zoo, Jumping Castle, Circus Workshop, Face Painting – and for the bigger kids – Gladiator Jousting and Bungee Run, Market Stalls & Tastings for Adults. See our website for more details!
The Spaces In-Between
In this afternoon of talks from St Andrew’s most inspired thinkers, you will have the chance to hear from and engage with the leading researchers and practitioners in our community.
Date: Saturday 20 May
We will send more details as we confirm them, in the meantime, save the date!
Date: Monday 6 March 2017 at 6.30pm
RSVP by: Monday 27 February
Dress: Formal and, if you have them, bring your gowns!
Tickets: $25
Date: Sunday 19 March 2017, 11am – 3pm
RSVP by: Monday 6 March
Tickets: Adult: $20; Child (under 15): $5; Family (Two adults and two children under 15): $40
Rides tickets: 2 rides for $5 (on the day)
Do you have something inspiring to share? Can you share it in 20 minutes or less on Saturday 20 May? Then we’d love to hear from you! Please contact Fiona McQueen, Director of Advancement at E: advancement@standrewscollege.edu.au
Sesquicentenary Cocktail Function and Great Hall Dinner
The Principal and Council of St Andrew’s College invite you to join them in celebration of our Sesquicentenary at this special event.
Date: Saturday 16 September 2017
RSVP by: Monday 4 September
Dress: Black Tie
Cocktail Function
Venue: St Andrew’s College, 6–7.30pm
Price: $100
Great Hall Dinner
Venue: Great Hall, University of Sydney, 7.30pm
Price: $200
Ticket price for both events: $220
Please note we will provide a bus from the College to the Great Hall.
To RSVP to these events, go our website: http://www.standrewscollege.edu.au/alumni/upcoming-events/ Or for enquiries please contact Lauren Ribbon on T: 02 9565 7307 or E: communications@standrewscollege.edu.au
The Chair of Council, Charlie Taylor (SS 1985), and Principal, Wayne Erickson, invite you to join with them in 2017 in celebration of our Sesquicentenary
During the year we will have many opportunities to celebrate with our community, reflect on our heritage and consider our next 150 years at St Andrew’s.
Please turn over for details about some of our planned events. We will send you regular Sesqui-updates with details about plans throughout the year.
St Andrew’s College students today and in the 1920s
