17 minute read

SCOGA Bulletin

from St Catherine's News - Autumn 2021

from St Catherine's News - Autumn 2021, page 18

HISTORY CREATED ON THE RIVER

I must say that I am very happy to turn the page on 2020. St Catherine's Old Girls’ Association (SCOGA) found itself in a position of needing to turn ourselves 180 degrees from where we usually stand… on the front foot. We had to grasp the situation we all found ourselves in and find new ways of assisting our Old Girls and the current St Catherine’s community. We needed to continue to be proactive so as not to stall in our progress, but become reactionary to the tsunami of troubles which were heading towards us.

For the vast majority of the year we had to manoeuvre and pivot to the situation at hand. Many decisions were forced upon us, such as the postponement of all our remaining events for the year. We have offered the year groups the opportunity to celebrate their milestone celebration in 2021. This has been well received and we look forward to an extended reunion program this year.

Following on from the substantial 2019 donation by SCOGA of ‘The Hands’ sculpture, 2020 evolved into a year of great difficulty and financial struggle for many within our School community. The development of The Hardship Fund was launched in direct need to the situation at hand, and to also provide opportunities to future students. SCOGA was in full support of the need for this fund, and therefore immediately gave $50,000 to the cause. For SCOGA, we were absolutely delighted, encouraged, humbled, and thankful to our Old Girls’ community who made up 40% of the total donors. This is a reflection of the real engagement of our alumnae. Despite a quieter year on the gatherings and events front, SCOGA has not been idle with its time. We are thrilled to announce that our Facebook and Instagram pages were launched on 1 October 2020. Find our Instagram page @scoga.au, and our Facebook members only page at St Catherine’s Old Girls’ Association (SCOGA). These pages have been developed to highlight the history of the Old Girls and the current goings on of our community. Old Girls are being encouraged to send through photos of their times at St Catherine’s, which have been giving our followers a wonderful collage of the life and times of a St Cath’s girl.

Our Mentor Program and launching of the international, interstate and regional chapters were put on the back-burner last year due to restrictions, however, they will become front and centre as part of our 2021 program. These are vitally important initiatives which will aid our Old Girls with their careers and also to connect those who live in cities across the globe.

The SCOGA Fellowship was offered again in 2020. After two incredible years and with a vast numbers of applications, the success of 2020 was an unknown due to the need for many applicants to future plan which for some would involve travel. I am happy to report that the global pandemic did not stop our Old Girls from applying. We were thrilled to advise that the 2020 recipient was Professor Susan Davis AO (’74), and who this year also received an Australia Day honour for her work. The SCOGA Fellowship remains an important foundation stone of what we do and why we do it. Long may it continue. 2021 will see the introduction of our International, Interstate and Regional Chapters. Spanning across the globe, I also want to acknowledge and thank our Old Girls who will be leading these groups. Our Community Committee and the Chapter Heads will be formulating the charter together to ensure it encompasses the best and most suitable way to deliver a successful and tailored program.

We have a lot of ground to make up with the hosting of all the regular reunions, the rescheduling of the 2020 postponed reunions, celebrating 100 years of SCOGA and all the festivities of the School’s 125 years.

Finally, I must say a very strong farewell to 2020. It has certainly brought with it challenges but also lessons and positives. I wish to thank the SCOGA Committee, a magnificent group of women who volunteer their time to continue to strengthen and bind our Old Girls’ community. We head into 2021 with a remarkably strong SCOGA Committee of 20 extraordinary women. I am incredibly thankful for their work and commitment to achieve our goals

In summary, 2020 has been one that will undoubtedly fill a chapter in future publications about the history of St Catherine’s School. I genuinely feel that the rocky seas we have all had to endure will scar many, but like all wounds they will heal over time. Sometimes these scars are forever noticeable but we learn to live with them; but others will fade. A mark that we spot every now and then – a brief reminder of that time.

Fellowship SCOGA 2020

The 2020 SCOGA Fellowship University. It is internationally recognised was launched in July. With for undertaking research into the common the difficulties embracing us health conditions that affect women. all with restrictions due to Susan says “The work this funding

COVID-19, as a Committee we will support will provide new, important were unsure as to its success information about the impact of endometriosis on the lives of women. this year. We were wrong. I will present the finding at international Our Old Girls, once again, applied in medical meetings and publish the findings great numbers. Thank you all so much in an international medical journal. for being so incredibly supportive of this But more importantly the outcomes from important program. We wish to advise that this research will directly inform the care the recipient of the SCOGA Fellowship for of women affected by endometriosis.” 2020, and an Australia Day honour in 2021, We look forward to Susan being an was Professor Susan Davis AO (’74). extraordinary SCOGA Ambassador, Susan leads a research team at the Women’s and to her being able to impart her Health Research Program at Monash wisdom to the entire School community.

DAVID GREYBEARD

How lucky was Melbourne city to see the incredible work of Lisa Roet (’84). For a few weeks, ‘David Greybeard’ sat in his nest outside the Arts Centre taking the attention of all passers-by. He became a feature on TV news broadcasts, and social media lit up with photographs of him.

David Greybeard has since moved on to tour the world, but you can see some of the remarkable work of Lisa by visiting ‘The Hands’ at St Catherine’s.

Connecting our Community

Please ensure your details are up to date so you do not miss any invitations and news from SCOGA or the School. To update your contact information (email, postal address or phone numbers), please email scoga@stcatherines.net.au or contact Meredith Taylor, SCOGA Executive Assistant on +61 3 9828 3081.

SCOGA, and St Catherine’s, are very active on social media and can be found at the following addresses:

Facebook scoga.au

Facebook stcatherinesschooltoorak

Instagram @scoga.au

Instagram @stcatherinesschool

SCOGA International, Interstate and Regional Chapters have been set up in London, New York, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, Queensland, New South Wales, ACT, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and Regional Victoria. These groups can be found on Facebook at e.g. St Catherine’s Old Girls’ Association (SCOGA) – London

SCOGA 2020 AGM

Pivoting came thick and fast in 2020. Cancellations, rescheduling, and adapting was a constant battle.

Our Annual General Meeting was no different as we tackled Constitutional demands, government legislation and COVID-19 restrictions. Online we went and it was brilliant. I want to thank all those who attended and lit up our screen. This version might become an included option in the future.

Chrissy Ryan (Graham ’79) SCOGA President

Leavers Panel

Following such an extraordinary 12 months for our 2020 Year 12 cohort, it was lovely to be able to bring them back to the School for our annual offering of the Leavers Panel.

This year we want to give enormous thanks to our panellists Georgie Sitch (’17) Ingrid Crossing (’17) and Frances Curtis (’16) for their words of wisdom. Thanks too to our SCOGA Committee member Diana Dunlop (’14) for being a wonderful moderator.

Thanks for coming girls, and we look forward to many more catch ups over many years to come.

Class of 2000

Zoom Reunion

L-R – T-B: Julia Thomas (Hammon), Angela Johnson, Amanda Derham, Sarah Jarrett (Sladen), Sophie Klopper, Lucy Johnstone (Howell), Megan Fairbaim (Shiels), Freya Owen, Anna Riddell, Rhiannon ‘Totty’ Brobryn (Tucker), Marisa Paterson, Megan Macdonald (Benson), Melanie Bayford (Wallace-Smith), Brooke Baker (Gronow), Emily Payne, Clementine Jacobs (Inglis), Melissa Peters (Kavals), Kara Maisano, Kate Hunt (Mann), Tess Lambourne (Lander-Lambourne), Sarah Pragnell (McCarthy).

2021 Events & Reunions

Friday 19 February

5.30pm – 8.00pm 10 Year Reunion 2011 Sherren House Drawing Room

Wednesday 10 March

6.30pm – 8.30pm Year Group Reps Cocktail Party Sherren House Drawing Room

Friday 19 March

5.30pm – 8.00pm 15 Year Reunion 2005 Sherren House Ballroom

Friday 19 March

5.30pm – 8.00pm 15 Year Reunion 2006 Sherren House Drawing Room

Wednesday 24 March

5.30pm – 8.00pm 50 Year Reunion 1970 Sherren House Drawing Room

Saturday 1 May

9.30am – 12.00pm 30 Year Reunion 1990 Sherren House Ballroom

Saturday 1 May

9.30am – 12.00pm 30 Year Reunion 1991 Sherren House Drawing Room

Tuesday 4 May

6.30 – 8.30pm SCOGA Past Presidents and Committee Cocktail Party Sherren House Drawing Room or Ballroom

Friday 7 May

5.30pm – 8.00pm 40 Year Reunion 1980 Sherren House Ballroom

Friday 7 May

5.30pm – 8.00pm 40 Year Reunion 1981 Sherren House Drawing Room

Friday 6 August

5.30pm – 8.00pm 20 Year Reunion 2000 Sherren House Ballroom

Friday 6 August

5.30pm – 8.00pm 20 Year Reunion 2001 Sherren House Drawing Room

Friday 10 September

5.30pm – 8.00pm 50 Year Reunion 1971 Sherren House Drawing Room

Friday 15 October

5.30pm – 8.00pm 5 Year Reunion 2015 Sherren House Ballroom

Friday 15 October

5.30pm – 8.00pm 5 Year Reunion 2016 Sherren House Drawing Room

Friday 22 October

11.00am – 3.00pm Pre 1962 Luncheon Sherren House Ballroom

Friday 12 November

5.30pm – 8.00pm 25 Year Reunion 1995 Sherren House Ballroom

Friday 12 November

5.30pm – 8.00pm 25 Year Reunion 1996 Sherren House Drawing Room

Saturday 20 November

SCOGA Function and Boarders Reunion St Catherine’s School TBC

Saturday 27 November

9.45am – 11.15am SCOGA AGM Sherren House Ballroom

Edith Jessie (Jess) Flanders (Edgar ’39)

The remarkable story of Jess Flanders came across my radar a couple of years ago. I have read numerous publications about the extraordinary life of Jess, yet had no luck with getting in contact.

Out of the blue, I received a phone call from an Old Girl, Jenny Carty, to advise me of the passing of her cousin… it was Jess Flanders. Thank you Jenny for contacting me. It was a call that I will never forget. Thanks to Jess’s family for providing us with a copy of the eulogy read by Jess’s son, Richard Patterson.

10 MARCH 1921 – 14 AUGUST 2020

‘A life well lived’ would be a suitable summary for Jess who was well into her 100th year. Born March 10th 1921 into a world so different to the one she has so recently departed. At that time, Australia was suffering the effects of a nasty little virus. At that time the economy was shrinking. The unemployment rising. The endless printing of money and the rising price of gold was causing problems. Perhaps today is deja-vu all over again.

Jess was always very much aware of her good fortune. She was born into a large and loving family. Each parent came from something much the same. Her parents at Harrow, Oliver Edgar was the grandson of David Edgar who was initially at Heywood and then at ‘Pine Hills’. Edith Haines was nearby at ‘Koolomurt’ and was the granddaughter of WC Haines who led the first government in Victoria after the Eureka Uprising of 1854. Her history spans centuries.

It was this sharp mind that was recognised in 1943. The Women’s Royal Australian Navy Leading Writer EJ Edgar WR/1528 became a decoder at Monterey in Melbourne, an outpost of Bletchley Park, the famous British institution that broke the German codes. Jessie worked on the Japanese Codes in absolute secrecy that she maintained for many decades. The work of Monterey has been widely credited with bringing the war to an earlier close and saving countless lives. The Japanese surrendered on 14th August 1945. Jess died on the 75th anniversary of VJ day or Victory over Japan Day.

Her work and the contribution of her colleagues was not recognised by Australia for the secrecy reasons. They had signed and sworn to the Secrecy Act and would have been court-martialled had they spoken about their work. Her war time story for us was that she was a driver in the Navy. Her war time story was indeed significant. A leading author, Sue Smethurst had won a contract to write a large book about Jess and her contribution to the war effort. The role of women has been overlooked and three publishers had sought the rights. Sue had completed several interviews but sadly not enough to complete the task.

Fortunately the British recognised the work of their decoders and a medal was struck. Jess received a citation and a medal from the British Prime Minister. She felt that the recognition was a little late as many of her colleagues had died. Jessie was probably the last surviving soul of this intrepid but modest band. Her sharp mind had been put to good use for Australia.

She travelled her path with big strides at times but none more so than when she led the Melbourne Anzac Day march to the Shrine in 2018. Emma and Samantha asked if she had ever marched and encouraged her to do so. Fortunately in 2018 the RSL decided to honour women by having them lead the March. Mum was the only surviving woman and so she was placed behind the Governor and the Premier and in front of a march of many thousands of veterans.

Some people make a genuine difference in the world… Edith Jessie Flanders was one of them, and she is one of us – an Old Girl.

Sue Giffney (Leslie ’62)

A wonderful article printed in the Australian Nurses and Midwifery Federation (Victorian Branch) in relation to the nursing career of Mrs Susan Giffney (Leslie ’62) who was a student at St Catherine's from 1950 to 1962.

Having worked in women’s health for 45 years Sue Giffney is well-qualified to answer the question: “What’s changed for the better for women?”

Ms Giffney recently retired from The Women’s, where she had worked since 2003 at the Well Women’s Clinic and Women’s Health Information Centre. It was her second stint at The Women’s, in a remarkable career in which she has both gained and passed on knowledge about gynaecology, forensic health, sexual health, family violence, sexual assault, midwifery and psychiatric care.

Her work providing nursing care and education to women in the community – including women in prison and victim/ survivors of sexual assault and family violence – has instilled an understanding that health is both affected by, and affects, relationships and life circumstances.

Ms Giffney credits Margaret Harvard, charge sister in her first year of nursing in the gynaecology ward at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, for teaching her that each patient is a person who happened to have a particular condition or disease, and is not just a ‘disease sitting on a bed’.

As to that question of “What’s changed for the better?” Ms Giffney’s answer is unequivocal: “access to contraception and legal, safe abortion, and screening for cervical cancer.”

“As a student nurse back in the early 60s, I nursed women who were dying with cervical cancer and it was traumatic because they were young and it was such a horrific disease,” Ms Giffney said.

Now the HPV vaccine and pap smears prevent many women from developing cervical cancer, and dysplasia clinics provide specialist services for women with abnormal pap test results.

Ms Giffney also remembers, from her student nursing days, colleagues surreptitiously passing the hat around to fund a termination, which would be performed illegally in secret.

It was not until 2008 that abortion was decriminalised in Victoria. Until the 1960s, women with unwanted pregnancies could access a termination if a doctor was willing to rely on court rulings which allowed ‘therapeutic abortion’ if continuing with the pregnancy were to risk a woman’s life or seriously impair her health. Before terminations were offered by qualified doctors, ‘backyard’ abortions were common. Between 1930 and 1933, 1,069 women were treated at The Women’s Hospital for septic abortion, 136 of whom died.1

Working at Fairlea Women’s Prison in the 1990s broadened Ms Giffney’s perspective again on how a woman’s experiences influence her choices and her health.

“I probably had a bit of the general community’s prejudice against drug abuse and in those days it was heroin,” Ms Giffney said.

“When you got to talk to the women, a lot of them would tell you that they started taking drugs because they were being sexually abused and it (heroin) was blocking it out. A lot of them were victims of incest and sexual assault.” stint at The Women’s, she had the fortune of working in the hospital’s pregnancy clinic with the late Dr Michael Kloss, who headed up an Obstetrics Unit. He was “a man of great compassion”, Ms Giffney said.

Dr Kloss also regularly provided illegal abortions rather than treat women in the hospital for septicaemia and gangrene, the result of backyard abortions.2

Ms Giffney also credits Dr Gytha Betheras with broadening her perspective on women’s health. Ms Giffney and Dr Betheras worked together at Victoria’s second family planning clinic, established in 1971.

Ms Giffney reflects “I always remember Dr Betheras coming back from the clinics Board meeting where the board would ask “what about all of the unmarried women and under 18s?” Dr Betheras would reply "if these young women got pregnant and we delivered their babies, we have a moral obligation to provide them with effective contraception so they don't get caught out again.”

Ms Giffney’s own experience also helped her to understand.

“I got married and quickly had two kids. Bang, bang. Contraception wasn’t easy to come by then.”

Having spent years imparting her knowledge through lecturing, community education and providing training to organisations such as Victoria Police, Victorian women and the broader community are more informed about women's health.

Ms Giffney's two children, now in their 40s were lucky enough to grow up with education on contraception, pap smears and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Ms Giffney smiled: “They told me recently that as youngsters, not one of their peers had unplanned pregnancies or an STI.”

1. Victorian Law Reform Commission:

A History of Abortion Law Policy. 2. R.V. Gregory. Corrupt Cops, Crooked

Docs, Prevaricating Pollies and Mad

Redicals: a history of Abortion Law Reform in Victoria 1959-1974. PhD thesis 2005.

This has been republished with permission from the Australian Nurses and Midwifery Federation (Victorian Branch).

SCOGA Committee Weddings

President

Chrissy Ryan (Graham ’79)

Vice-President

Nicolle McCurdy (Austin ’88)

Vice-President

Sarah O’Brien (’02)

Honorary Treasurer

Melissa Sweetland (’86)

Honorary Secretary Sally Hartmanis (’10)

General Committee

Deb Berry (Manos ’77) Kate Barber (’96) Becky Simmons (’07) Alison Owen (’67) Brooke Maat (’16) Roz Mackay (Kirk ’75) Seph Holdenson (’16) Prue Pisani (Gerritsen ’97) Christina Parkes (’95) Prue Dobson (Cameron ’69) Megan Cassidy-Welch (Cassidy ’85) Sonja Sasse (’84) Manon Dennison (’15)

If you are interested in joining this remarkable group of volunteers and becoming part of the SCOGA Committee, please feel free to contact Chrissy Ryan at scoga@stcatherines.net.au

Angela Johnson (’00) married Mariska de Wet

Annabelle Atkins (’11) married Bill Bruckner

Vale

Edith Jessie Flanders (Edgar ‘39) Anne Sutherland (Kiddle ’49) Sally Edwards (Teacher & Honorary Old Girl) Shirley Strauss (Ellinson ’42) Pamela Le Couteur (Rosse-Woods ’42) Wendy Hopkins (Edwards ’48) Margery Snowball (Hillford ’43) Tui McKenzie (Teacher & Honorary Old Girl) Sylvia Aitken (James ’41)