2025 Chronicle

Chronicle2025

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Musical: Anything Goes

Acknowlegement of Country

We acknowledge and pay respect to the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, the Traditional Custodians of the land upon which our college is situated. We pay our respect to all the Elders of Indigenous students who call St Hilda’s home.

We also acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our community, the University of Melbourne, and the wider world.

St Hilda’s College

The University of Melbourne

19-25 College Crescent, Parkville, Victoria 3052

Tel +61 3 92488400

Email: communitas@hildas.unimelb.edu.au www.hildas.unimelb.edu.au

facebook.com/sthildascollege/ instagram.com/sthildasunimelb/ tiktok.com/@sthildascollege

linkedin.com/school/st-hilda-s-college-university-of-melbourne

St Hildas College LTD

ABN: 68 426 085 488 ISSN: 1442-6935

Principal: James Hardiman

Editor: Carly Damen

Photography: Organic Photography, Ned Blenkiron, Tom Stevens, Nathaniel Elijah & Carly Damen

Design: Missy Callaghan @italixcs

Thank you for all of your contributions

The Editor’s Note

It is always an honour to be the first person to read all the various stories that make up The Chronicle.

Moving from piece to piece at the end of the year, it is a chance to be reminded of all the enthusiasm, excitement and community spirit that has been poured into the plethora of activities, initiatives and even just the simple everyday moments that make up life at Hilda’s.

With the establishment of the quarterly alumni newsletter this year, The Chronicle is now almost exclusively focused on documenting the year that was 2025 from the student perspective. And with that student focus, it is hoped that this year’s Chronicle will not only be a memento for this year’s residents, but will provide a great artefact for those years down the track who might be wondering what Hilda’s was like back in the mid 2020s.

As always, my thanks to all of the GC members and staff who wrote up reports this year and to the various students who shared their individual reflections on endeavours or events they were part of this year at Hilda’s. Thanks also to this year’s Communications Interns, Clementine Dernelley and Aimee Watson for the work they did in the Community Engagement space and to Student Photographer, Ned Blenkiron and Social Media Coordinator, Jade Busch for the visual documentation

of all things Hilda’s. Shout out as well to Nathaniel Elijah for his photography - especially for the wonderful images captured of the dress rehearsal of this year’s play - and to incoming Student Photographer, Tom Stevens who provided images for this year’s publication.

Carrying on the approach of the past couple of years, we have again ensured that the 2025 edition of The Chronicle is student designed. It has been a pleasure to work with this year’s designer, Missy Callaghan (Hilda’s second year student) and I hope this has been a great professional development exercise for them to hone their craft.

To you as the reader, whoever you may be, I hope you enjoy the stories that speak to the year that was 2025 here at Hilda’s and get a sense of the joy and pride our community has for this place and its people.

Finally, thank you as always to our wonderful external photographer, Francesco Vicenzi from Organic Photography, and his associates, who we love having attend our major events each year. I’d also like to acknowledge and thank Malcolm D’Souza and his team at Snap Carlton for the great work they do each year for us in printing the Chronicle.

Carly Damen Community Engagement Manager Marketing, Communications & Events

Clementine Dernelley, 2025 Communications Intern

Nathaniel Elijah, photographer Jade Busch, 2025 Social Media Coordinator

Missy Callaghan, designer of the 2025 Chronicle

Tom Stevens, 2026 Student Photographer

Carly Damen, Editor of the 2025 Cronicle

Ned Blenkiron, 2025 Student Photographer

Aimee Watson, 2025 Communications Intern

Principal’s Report

It’s been another amazing year here at St Hilda’s. It is such a pleasure to work and live within a community of passionate leaders and students who are so committed to making a positive impact on our college and on the communities around us. This year has again seen the introduction of a number of new events and initiatives that our entire community can be proud of. Thank you to the 2025 cohort for continuing to build on our sense of inclusion, respect and curiosity and for working alongside all the staff team in creating the most welcoming and supportive experience for all our students this year.

There are many highlights this year, too many to list, but I will focus on just a few that stand out as testament to the incredible achievements of our students.

First, and perhaps most importantly, I continue to be astounded at the culture of academic success that grows and grows each year here at Hilda’s. While our collective exam results aren’t always the first thing that springs to mind when we think about what college is and means to us, these results are ultimately what we are all here to do! It is incredible to watch on as over a third of our students achieve a H1 average and as we posted our strongest academic results on record. This is amazing in and of itself, but even more amazing when you consider that it’s been achieved alongside a long list of events, activities and extra-curriculars that kept us very busy in 2025.

The culture of Communitas has been strong again this year. After some strong momentum in 2024, it has been fantastic to see the environment committee kick some great goals and put some

aspirations into action in 2025. From waste audits, to swap shops, to workshops and to new waste processing technologies, this group has really ramped up this year and should be proud of the impact they’re making. I look forward to seeing an ongoing focus on this issue and am excited to already be working with the team on our Paddock to Plate focus in 2026 which hopes to bring environmental conservation to the forefront. Finally, in the world of Communitas, a big shout out to our incoming sports directors who knocked off a collective 120km during the community marathon event – incredible.

In our arts and culture scene, it was another incredible year of outstanding performances. The cast and crew of Anything Goes should be proud of their performance that brought such buzz, excitement and smiles to the College, including in the weeks before and after the production. It’s a HUGE commitment to be part of the annual show and the outcome was, as ever, top notch. Congratulations to all involved. Our performers had plenty of other opportunities to shine this year and a worthy shout out goes to our Step Up and Battle of the Bands contributors who represented the green and blue with pride and passion, both placing well in the intercollegiate standings.

The sporting teams of 2025 have also had a great run. While we may not have brought home too many flags, what continues to stand out for me is the culture of our teams, who show up to play hard but always put respect and fair play first. It’s also been great to watch the emergence of several new social sports that are getting people active and creating new opportunities for building connections; I look forward to seeing this expand in years to come.

James Hardiman giving the welcome speech at the 2025 Commencement Dinner

Jimmy helping students get ready before the third year graduation.

I can also confirm with confidence that the strength and size of our supporter base, even at the 7am whistle, is the envy of all other colleges.

Importantly, I want to acknowledge the incredible work of our GC and RA teams this year. The countless events and endless opportunities for fun and personal growth would not be possible without their hard work and dedication to our community. You should be proud of the community culture that you have nurtured and the initiatives you have instigated.

Lastly, I want to thank the amazing efforts of the staff here at Hilda’s. Many of you operate in the wings and while you’re not always up on stage or front and centre, your contributions to our community do not go unnoticed. It is a privilege to work alongside you as people who are committed to creating a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment within which our students can thrive.

Wrapping up, it’s been another non-stop, jampacked and wild year of fun and memories. I continue to learn and grow myself, challenged and supported by our amazing students. I hope, in turn, they have learnt much from each other and our amazing staff. If you are departing at the end of 2025, good luck and I look forward to watching your future success! If you’re joining us again in 2026, I can’t wait to see you again in the new year as we continue to shape the culture and community within the best college in the world.

Go Well.

Jimmy

James Hardiman Principal

Early morning rowing supporters

2024-2025 General Committee

Principal Jimmy addressing the 2025 Paddock to Plate attendees

Alice Davidson, Sharon Anthony, and Laura O’Shannessy

A Note From The Dean

St Hilda’s College: A Year of Growth, Connection and Authenticity

What an extraordinary and transformative year it has been at St Hilda’s College. As we look back on the vibrant social, sporting, cultural and philanthropic moments that coloured 2025, it is equally important to celebrate the quieter—but no less powerful—journeys of personal and professional growth that have shaped our students’ time with us. It has been a privilege to walk alongside our students as they embraced the opportunities St Hilda’s has to offer as they challenged themselves to learn and grow.

For many of our new students, the year began with nervous anticipation. Moving into the St Hilda’s community and stepping into university life is a life milestone—exciting, daunting, and filled with possibility. During O-Week, I had countless conversations that reflected this: students spoke openly about the challenge of moving away from home and adapting to a new community.

We were incredibly proud of our O-Week leaders, as they created a thoughtful, inclusive, safe and fun O-Week program that supported our new students to make friends, get to know college and Melbourne Uni while having a lot of fun. As I reflect ten months later, I see those same new students stand as confident, independent adults who have formed lifelong friendships, discovered new passions, and stretched far beyond what they once thought possible.

The spirit of growth is at the heart of our wellbeing and professional development program, Hilda’s Headstart— a program designed to support students as they build the 21st Century life skills needed for adulthood and their future careers. At St Hilda’s, we encourage students to be curious, to step out of their comfort zones, to take ‘challenge by choice’ and to step to their edge and embrace the moments where challenge becomes transformation and personal growth.

Across the year, students embraced a remarkable range of growth experiences: new sports, musical performances, Fireside Chats with industry leaders, Hilda’s Under the Stars, Hilda’s Fest, and the St Hilda’s Marathon. Each opportunity invited students to tap into their courage, resilience, creativity, curiosity, leadership and sense of purpose.

One of the most memorable highlights of the year was the college musical, Anything Goes. Our students leapt courageously into the spotlight, many for the first time, and delivered a series of performances that brought joy and admiration to our community. Their energy and talent lit up the stage, earning standing ovations and reminding us of the joy found in trying something new, taking on a challenge and having a serious amount of fun with friends.

Fiona Cadorel chatting to students before the 3rd Year Graduation

Diego and 2025 O-Week leaders on Welcome Saturday

Dress rehearsal of 2025 musical; Anything Goes

It was inspiring to work with our St Hilda’s Environment Committee as they delivered multiple impactful initiatives this year. They must be congratulated on receiving the Melbourne City Council’s Youth Climate Grant, which allowed them to facilitate a Local Conference for Youth for 30 students, conduct a St Hilda’s community waste audit with B-Alternative and to implement a new food waste management partnership with Bardee. A group of Environment students also adopted a garden in Morrison Close and planted a native garden. The Committee also ran a community swap shop and donated 15 wheelie bins worth of clothes to Diabetes Victoria. The Environment Committee’s work is a testament to the St Hilda’s community’s commitment to sustainability and the reduction of our community’s carbon footprint.

St Hilda’s continues to be a place where ideas are explored, and perspectives broaden. At this year’s Whitby Dinners, students enjoyed two nights of critical thinking and spirited discussion on real world wicked problems. College Fellow, Merran Kelsall FCPA AO facilitated an evening of provocation on superannuation and David Gilbertson KC guided a night of discussion on navigating ethics in the courtroom. Watching students from all disciplines wrestle with real-world problems reminded us all of the importance of having opportunities to develop communication and leadership skills, to explore and challenge ideas and to celebrate the value in coming together to explore solutions to real world challenges.

Our wellbeing initiatives this year enabled authentic connection, the development of emotional literacy and community belonging. Over 180 students participated wholeheartedly in our Hilda’s Community Speakeasy, a night of storytelling, connection and honouring, facilitated by Man Cave. It was wonderful seeing our students demonstrate courage in sharing their stories, listening, showing empathy for the people in their group and building new connections throughout the evening.

Tilly Stepto presenting at the City of Melbourne’s Youth Climate Grant Showcase

Respect Week workshop with Daniel Principe

St Hilda’s College: A Year of Growth, Connection and Authenticity

The learning continued throughout the semester as members of our community participated in a whole day Transform workshop with The Man Cave. Students had the opportunity to reflect on their lived experiences and discuss the societal pressures people feel and the challenges they face. Students reflected on how powerful the workshop was in helping them understand themselves and their friends. Their reflections also revealed just how deeply they value being part of a community that encourages vulnerability, courage and under standing.

Following these workshops, our Residential Ad visors and Senior Residential Advisors facilitated regular opportunities to come together to share and learn. Both Women’s Health Week and Men’s Health Week were a great success, offering work shops on reproductive health, Period Health and sustainability, Healthy Masculinity and the impacts of social media, and an Intimacy Workshop. These events were designed by students, for students, and were attended by the community.

This year, St Hilda’s College partnered with UMSU to deliver The Masculinities Project, a program aimed at unpacking dominant gender norms and supporting men in exploring and practising healthier, more flexible masculinities. Twenty of our male-identifying students participated in the program and all reflected on how beneficial it was in broadening their perspectives and in creating a sense of connection and camaraderie.

SEP

Women’s Health Week

SEP 01 02 WED SEP 03 THUR SEP 04

FRI SEP 05

SPEAKER: Dr Bianca Forrester 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Dining Hall

TRIVIA: Women’s Health 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM JCR

WORKSHOP: Bleed Lightly with Hannah Richards 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM Auditorium

ARVO TEA: Girlies Graze 3:00 PM - 4:00PM Back Quad

WORKSHOP: Intimacy with Elephant Ed 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Auditorium

This year, students were given multiple opportunities to learn and celebrate First Nations culture. Cultural Awareness Training level 1 led by Aunty Tarina Fanning, a proud Larrakia and Tiwi woman was delivered during O-Week to all of our new students. To mark the beginning of Reconciliation Week, over fifty students and staff participated in Cultural Awareness Training level 2. This learning experience deepened their understanding of First Nations culture and encouraged them to explore ways of creating a more culturally aware community. Thirty students attended Bangarra Dance Company’s performance of Illume, an exploration of the ways light has captivated and sustained Indigenous cultural existence for millennia. Our students were also fortunate to visit Murrundindi Ngurungaeta of the Wurundjerri people at Healesville Sanctuary, which is located on the land of Coranderrk Mission. Murrundindi generously shared his family’s culture and history with our students gaining a richer appreciation of Wurundjeri culture, bush tucker, stories and song.

Men’s Health Week Guided Breathing workshop

St Hilda’s College: A Year of Growth, Connection and Authenticity

Another highlight to the year was the St Hilda’s Marathon. More than 40 students teamed up to run laps of the University oval to raise money for the Zoe Kennedy Foundation. We must congratulate incoming Sports Rep, Rory Vial for running 70km and individually raising $1500. Congratulations also to our other incoming Sports Rep, Hannah Piper, who completed a full marathon distance for the event. Collectively the St Hilda’s community raised $5367 for the Foundation. It was an extraordinary effort and the whole community was incredibly proud of everyone who participated and contributed.

Hilda’s Head Start also played a central role in building the employability and future-readiness of our students. This program, supported by numerous alumni, friends, and other professionals, offered a structured pathway of workshops, coaching, and real-world learning experiences that aimed to provide students with the confidence, skills, and professional literacy needed to thrive and survive beyond their time at college. Students engaged in practical sessions on CV and cover-letter writing, interview preparation, internship strategies, GAMSAT readiness, financial management, time and energy-management, and more.

Third year students also participated in a simulated graduate recruitment process through an inhouse mock assessment centre, allowing for personalised feedback in a low-stakes environment to strengthen their applications for future-jobs. Individual coaching sessions with staff provided students with the opportunity to clarify their goals and build their leadership capacity, while fireside chats with alumni broadened career perspectives

and general career awareness. These initiatives ensure that Hilda’s Head Start provides comprehensive support across the different year levels to prepare students for meaningful careers with both confidence and purpose.

We are immensely proud of our students’ commitment to their academic pursuits. Throughout the year, they have demonstrated diligence and determination, engaging consistently in over 80 weekly academic tutorials and a wide range of professional development opportunities.

Our academic results are the best they have been for the past decade, with students achieving second class honours on average and a third of our students receiving first class honours.

We thank the 30+ non-residential tutors that provide continual support to our students through their subject-specific tutorials. Collectively, our students have fostered a strong culture of academic excellence—seeking support when needed, studying collaboratively, and encouraging one another to achieve their personal best.

As I look back on the year, it is clear that St Hilda’s College remains a community defined by growth, empowerment, innovation and connection. Our students have embraced challenges, celebrated triumphs, and strengthened the fabric of our community through their compassion, empathy, leadership and willingness to step up.

It has been an honour to witness our students’ journeys of self-discovery and transformation.

We cannot wait to see how they continue to shape their futures—and impact the world around them—with courage, authenticity, curiosity and integrity.

Fiona Cadorel Dean of St Hilda’s College

Murrindindi performs a Welcome to Country and Yidaki (Didgeridoo) performance

Leadership From the Student Club Co-Presidents

In our opinion, 2025 was one of the most successful years in student club history.

Starting off the year, we had an awesome O-week, seeing the highest recorded student satisfaction numbers. It included major events such as the night at the Old Melbourne Gaol and Spy Training, alongside the introduction of a formal fresher-returner integration program and cultural awareness training.

The momentum didn’t slow down entering Semester One. Some of the major events included a pirate-themed boat cruise, Pride night, a Melbourne Town Hall Ball, a rowing regatta turned Hilda’s Hottest 100 song celebration, and flight night salsa. Moreover, there were a plethora of opportunities for our students to showcase how talented they are.

Regarding the arts, the O-week back quad concert turned campfire jam session kicked us off. Following, we finished 2nd in the intercollegiate “step up” dance competition and ran Hilda’s under the stars and Hilda’s Fest with all the bands truly proving what great performers we have. Sports-wise, St Hilda’s won Athletics(!) as well as making multiple other minor and grand finals, such as cricket and ping pong, respectively. This was capped off at sports awards and bowls at the end of the semester.

While Semester Two had some great events such as the musical, Anything Goes, three turns, and a squash grand final appearance, it also saw some major changes to the structure of the student club.

Firstly, the General Committee saw two more roles join it. Namely, a cultural diversity convenor was formed to provide greater representational diversity on the GC, run events celebrating different cultures, and advocate for issues and fair treatment of culturally diverse students. Alongside them, a sustainability consultant joins the accessibility consultant to work with the GC to make its events as sustainable as possible. Some minor roles such as DJ decks, social sport and dance convenor have also been introduced.

Secondly, starting in 2026, the first ever student run and funded ticket-subsidy program will be rolled out. The St Hilda’s Student Club Financial Accessibility Project is an opt-in system which allows students on needs-based scholarships to receive ticket subsidies for all GC events over $10. The semester was capped off with Valedictory dinner and a handover to Simon and Ashna’s 2026 General Committee.

But college isn’t just about the big-ticket items and events. It’s about the connections you make, the trips to Woolies, class, or The Clyde, with people you’re just getting to know. People who will eventually become some of your closest friends. It is about growth, moving out from home for the first time, finding your independence. As Presidents it has been our absolute honour to watch this happen over the past year. Seeing so many people make connections, challenge themselves, and get involved with all aspects of college life reminds us why Hilda’s is so special. It’s that communitas, that feeling that you belong, no matter who you are or where you come from that is so unique. We both hope that we have been able to uphold the motto of communitas in 2025 and cannot wait to see where the College goes next.

Thanks!

Sharon Anthony and Harry Walker-Jones

The 2025 Student Club Co-Presidents

2025 Student Club Co-Presidents: Harry Walker -Jones and Sharon Anthony

My Hilda’s

Second Year Student’s Reflection

How do you even begin to sum up 608 days of our lives in a three-minute speech?

We’ve had an amazing two years, from being robbed at Step Up to seeing the girls almost take out the Soccer Grand Final. We’ve had two College balls, eight turns, a B3 rave or two. We’ve cheered on the musical maestros at Hilda’s Fest, watched our sports teams face up against the competition, produced two awesome plays, and so much more. So many memories, and I have loved it all.

Everyone will have memories that they cherish, things that have become so important to them, and we’d be here for hours if I tried to list them all. So, instead, I wanted to share something that I’ve been reflecting on as my time at Hilda’s comes to an end.

It’s a proverb in Te Reo Māori, the language of Aotearoa, New Zealand, said every year at my high school.

He aha te mea nui o te ao?

What is the most important thing in the world?

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. It is people, it is people, it is people.

I don’t think I truly reflected on what this proverb meant when it was first shared with me; I think in part because I hadn’t yet found my people. But after two years at Hilda’s, I can confidently say that’s changed.

My people are there at sports matches, the early mornings or late-night games, cheering on the green and blue. They promise we’re going to lock in, in the library, but end up chatting for hours instead. People who set up an impromptu sleepover in the auditorium when a few of us get flooded out of our rooms. People who always smile and wave to one another on campus. Who stop and chat to anyone, whether it’s in the line for coffee or passing by a tute room. People who take every opportunity to honour one another in the most thoughtful and genuine ways I’ve ever seen. These little moments are the things that I will miss the most.

And that’s why people are the most important thing in the world. Hilda’s isn’t special because of its buildings. Its foundations aren’t made of concrete; they are made up of every single person here, who embodies the spirit of communitas and love for one another.

That feeling of community that just comes so naturally. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’ve come from; you will always feel at home here.

Sholeh O’Keeffe, Lucie Bailey, and Lulu Di Sciascio

Aimee Watson delivering her Second-Year reflection at Valedictory Dinner

Lara Swenson, James Smythe, Santa (Jackson Barthold), and Tom Pickles

Reflections

To all the second years for whom this is their last semester, I hope you’ll continue to feel part of this community, long after we leave. Being from St Hilda’s shouldn’t stop when you leave the gates for the last time.

I hope, whether you’ve been here one semester or all three years, that you’ve felt like this is a home away from home.

I hope that being a Hildarian has given you the same pride and feeling of belonging that it has given me.

I hope that you feel like you’ve found your people.

Thank you to the first and third years, who went from either guiding us or being guided by us during O-Week, and have become our closest friends. We have been so lucky to share this place with you.

I also want to thank Jimmy, Fe and Oats, and all the staff. It’s because of you that we’ve had the opportunity to come and be a part of the community that has been created here, something that has been so special. Thank you for always pushing us to be our best and giving us the tools to succeed.

Thank you, Hilda’s, for the most incredible two years. To the second years, wherever life takes you next, may you continue to seize amazing opportunities, take risks, challenge yourselves, and build communities like you have done here. I can’t wait to stay in touch and hear about everything that you get up to. Because, if there’s one thing I know for certain, Hilda’s, you will always be my people.

Aimee Watson

Delivered at the Valedictory Dinner

Diego and Aimee providing a warm welcome to our incoming students on move-in day

My Hilda’s

Third Year Student’s Reflection

Three years ago, we were the silly little freshers at the back. Now we are the old third years, getting ready to say goodbye to this place and become what my 9 year old brother terms a ‘real adult’. It has been a journey. So many highs and lows, so many challenges, but so much growth and discovery. And so much fun.

971 days ago, we walked through the front entrance on our Welcome Saturday, bright-eyed, nervous, but ultimately so full of excitement to be at college. RodeO-Week happened and was a whirlwind.

Just

two days in I remember feeling like I’d known my corridor for months.

We went to the arcade at Archie Brothers, Nonos in Brunswick, and had formal breakfast where we wore our aca gowns for the first time - it felt so Harry Potter and out of a movie. Shit Kits turn. Rhyme without Reason social tour which had some memorable moments. Vote Count, which didn’t necessarily go as planned. We got married on Hilda’s Day at Glamorama and had a Winter Wonderland ball at San Remo. A ski trip did happen. A white lies turn, and a minions turn. An earthquake. And a secret Society of Silent Whispers, which to this day I still have no idea who it was that managed to convince 20 of us to meet at 11:14pm on the 15th of September in the luscious left patch of grass in the carpark.

And then in second year, we weren’t the little newbies anymore. We met all the new freshers at Ballers. A cancelled turn. An under the sea boat cruise.

A starry night ball. We had a revamped Hilda’s Day scav hunt, which saw many of us drive across borders. And then an incident involving sprinklers which, to say the very least, absolutely affected me and my room.

And now third year, where College definitely looks and feels a bit different for us, with many of us in a role of responsibility. But so many amazing opportunities that we have had as a result. We got to welcome all you freshers to our community in O-Week with a jail rave, spy training and line dancing. A smurf turn. A masquerade ball, which was definitely the best of our three years. Hilda’s Fest, Pride night, lawn bowls. BTQ. Sort of. And now, the last few weeks where we’ve had our final few events of College - Green and Blue Gala and Fresher Refresher.

And somehow it’s already Val - time has flown so fast that it feels surreal. One more event to look forward to tonight. Enjoy it.

I have loved all of these memories and all the big events, and I will miss them for sure. But College isn’t just about that. What truly makes College what it is are all of the small moments. Sitting with people out on the grass in the front quad in spring, where we are studying but not actually studying. The endless time spent chatting in the dining hall. The pre’s in different people’s rooms. The walks home after a night out, stopping by Smiths or Incys for a HSP. Ping pong. Those moments are so special and what a lot of us will miss most.

Joel Biro delivering his Third-Year reflection at Valedictory Dinner

Joel Biro on his first move-in day

And Hilda’s itself is a special place too. Communitas is something that I think a lot of us, and definitely myself included, can sometimes take for granted. But I’m so grateful for this great, positive culture that we have. A couple of my favourite moments that I want to share: at the end of O-Week this year when we had our back quad concert and then at the end, everyone formed a circle around Sam and a couple of others and started an impromptu sing along. It was really special. And then as some of you will know - when my room was flooded last year in SWOTVAC and I ended up having to sleep for a few nights in the auditorium, a bunch of people decided to join me so that I wasn’t lonely, and we had an auditorium sleepover.

I think these moments just sum up Communitas and the spirit of our college. Moments like these are what I feel truly makes this place special and a home.

So on behalf of all of the third years, I just want to say a massive thank you to Jimmy, Fe and Oats. You guys are so much of the reason why this college is the positive place that it is today, and you have been such a huge part of creating this college experience. You’ve also had a role in mentoring a lot of us this year, so thank you.

To everyone who is leaving this year, whether you be a third year, a second year or a fresher, tonight is a bittersweet night - so soak it up and enjoy it. Life out of College is going to look different, but it is an exciting new chapter for all of us. We’re all ready.

The friendships and memories that we’ve made here don’t end tonight, we’ll remember them long after we leave this place.

And, no matter if you’re leaving or staying, I hope that you all have the best night tonight with your friends to cap off what has been an amazing year. See you on Smith Street.

Joel Biro

Delivered at the 2025 Valedictory Dinner

Jesse McDougall at the 2025 Marjorie Smart Oration

Alison O’Brien chatting with fellow freshers back in 2023

Joel Biro, Sharon Anthony, and Carly Damen welcoming first year students

2025 Residential Advisors: Jade Busch, Sharon Anthony, Aaron Bennett, Joel Biro, and Laura O’Shannessy

Around the Grounds

Cricket kicked off the sporting year with a bang. After both teams’ excellent performances last season, expectations were high and Hildarians did not disappoint. Supporters flocked to the boundary under the summer sun to cheer on Kavin’s century, Chloe’s spectacular (but sadly disallowed) catch, and Lara’s six off the first ball of the season. A fiery grudge match against Queen’s brought controversy over the turf wicket and an unsportsmanlike run-out of Gus. The guys bounced back from a tough loss to win the minor final and finish 3rd, while the girls also fought hard in a close loss to Queen’s to wrap up a fun-filled season in 4th.

Tennis followed, with high hopes and strong leadership from captains, Zach and Anna. The team mixed fresher talent with seasoned veterans, producing classy performances and earning a well-deserved 3rd place. Highlights included a cameo from Aaron in the doubles and some top-quality play from our captains leading by example.

Our cross-country athletes showed immense grit over the 5 km course and also posed for some very wholesome photos. Watching Rory finish 2nd and still look fresh as a daisy was a highlight, leading the way to 4th and 3rd place finishes for the men’s and women’s teams respectively.

weekend fell victim to classic Melbourne weather, with key events like high jump and the mascot race cancelled due to rain. Still, spirits were high as supporters cheered our athletes to outstanding results. The girls backed up last year’s excellence with another 1st place finish, while the guys gave it their all and made captain George proud.

The men’s soccer team had a season to remember. After an own goal by Ormond and UC’s disqualification for fielding non-college players, the guys made it to the quarterfinals without scoring a single goal. A heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to Trinity sent them to the minor final, where a tough loss relegated the team to a lucky 4th. Meanwhile, the women’s team impressed with skill and flair. Emily and Kalika anchored a strong backline while the forwards tore through defences with ease. After a brilliant run of close matches and passionate support, they reached the grand final, falling just short in a tough contest against Queen’s.

Hockey proved one of the few blemishes on an otherwise stellar first semester. The women’s team looked composed and professional, with experienced players guiding the less experienced players. The men’s side, missing their captain, fielded an inexperienced lineup but showed great heart and determination throughout.

Athletics

Hilda’s cricket skills captured in action

Men’s Cross Country team: Curtis McCoughtry, Callan Dunne, Angus Lisle, Jesse McDougall, Grant Hardisty, Rory Vial

Georgia Shell running in the Intercollegiate Cross Country

The Women’s Hockey team celebrating a great game

Parker Maughan warming up before Men’s Soccer

Swimming saw our talented swimmers shine. Led by Hannah and powered by the loudest cheer squad in the pool, the women swam their way to a fantastic 3rd place. For the men, James’ (painted-on) abs in the belly flop competition were undoubtedly the highlight.

Table tennis was another standout of the year. Incredible performances from Dylan and Amelie in the singles carried Hilda’s to the grand final despite a tough draw. With a massive crowd behind them, both won their matches as the underdog, but Trinity completely outplayed us in the doubles matches. A tense mixed doubles decider saw us narrowly finish 2nd, a result captain, Ned and the whole college was immensely proud of.

Rowing season saw huge crowds of supporters donning dino heads, waving hand-painted banners, and tucking into Tyso’s legendary breakfast BBQ. Despite enormous effort and countless early mornings, our rowers couldn’t quite make the finals — but their passion and dedication were unmatched.

Semester Two started with a bang as footy season arrived!

The men’s team faced a tough draw but displayed class, resilience, and some cracking goals. Captains-turned-coaches Joel and Tom kept spirits high, while Kieran and Will captured hearts with their pre-game and half-time rev up speeches. The women’s team went one better, making the minor final and finishing 4th after a gallant match against Queen’s. It was a great effort from the whole team, but in particular the many women who took to an AFL field for the first time! A special shout out goes to our rotating rovers Chloe, Bella and Rose who never stopped running.

Netball season brought a massive turnout at trials. The Firsts, captained by Alice (Hilda’s Netball Royalty), were full of fresher talent and they delivered a string of stellar performances, including a nail-biting draw. They ended the season on a high by winning the minor final, with Sarah taking home Best and Fairest for her rock-solid defence. Our Seconds team were a crowd favourite, bringing energy and entertainment to every game. Though they couldn’t secure a win, they remained fiercely competitive throughout the season, with Aimee earning MVP for her reliable and accurate shooting.

Jesse McDougall wins his race

Men’s 2nds take on the Yarra

Rowing supporters sporting their dino-heads

Macy Francis shoots for a goal

Inès Chevrant-Breton looks to pass the ball

Basketball kept the early mornings rolling, with captains Charli (Women’s) and Jordan and Simon (Men’s) leading spirited teams against tough opposition. Despite the lack of wins, MVPs Jessi and James lit up the court with their performances.

Badminton captain, Zach was thrilled with the fresh influx of talent, and while unconventional trial venues (the back quad and auditorium!) made for some laughs, a skillful team was selected and put up good fights against the other colleges. MVPs Ria and Ivan stood out in the team’s campaign which just missed out on finals.

Volleyball marked Zach’s third and final captaincy of the year. His energy drove the men’s team through an exciting season, and even though wins were elusive, the team performed well with Ben claiming MVP honours. The women’s team fared better, securing two victories and finishing 4th after the minor final. Highlights included Bronte’s defensive brilliance, Macy’s powerful spikes, and Saskia’s incredible 15-point serving streak.

On a rainy Sunday, plenty of Hildarians stayed dry indoors at the state netball centre to either compete in or support the men’s netball carnival. The team showed heart and chemistry, picking up one win for the day and plenty of admiration from the crowd. Shout out to Fletcher for a fantastic performance in centre across the day earning him MVP.

The intercollegiate sporting calendar came to a close with the highly anticipated squash tournament — a sport which captain, Harry had been eagerly promoting since O-week. The team stormed through IH and JCH to reach the Grand Final against Ormond, where Lara and Tom claimed individual wins before the team narrowly settled for 2nd place.

Beyond intercollegiate sport, 2025 also saw the rise of social sport at Hilda’s, with fun-filled intra-college events in dodgeball, pickleball, ultimate frisbee, tennis, and lacrosse. There was also a mid-semester canoeing trip to the Glenelg River which had rave reviews by all attendees — kudos to Tom for organising the trip. Finally, Houhong wrapped up his three years at Hilda’s with a three-peat in the Hilda’s Pool Competition!

Sports

Friendly competition between the Hilda’s netball teams

Hilda’s supporters showing up in rain or shine

Harry Walker-Jones pumping up the crowd during his squash game

Fierce competition for the ball on the netball court

The netball team discusses strategy

To celebrate an incredible year, Hildarians came together for Sports Night in Semester One, showing off their lawn bowls skills and creative duo costumes. The Green and Blue Gala (Sports, Arts, and Supporter Ball) followed in Semester Two, where the College dressed up in Hilda’s colours to enjoy speeches, camaraderie, and two enormous dessert grazing tables.

Hilda’s sport is all about celebrating the green and blue spirit; showing up, giving it your all, and having fun along the way. From the buzz of trials and training sessions to early morning wake-ups and treks to weekend venues, Hildarians always bring energy, pride, and passion. Whether it’s cheering from the sidelines in a sea of dino heads or competing on the field, it’s this sense of community that makes Hilda’s sport truly special. A massive thank you to all our players, captains, coaches, and supporters for making 2025 such a memorable year.

We can’t wait to see what 2026 brings!

Lara Swenson and Shehan Weeraratna 2025 Sport Representatives

Lykke Lee, Lizzy Day, Charlotte Moss, Kirsten Tam, Alex Coory, and Tara Vissa at the Green and Blue Gala

Felix Burns and Genevieve Powers smile for the camera

Rowing Regatta x Hottest 100

An early morning start didn’t stop an army of Hilda’s supporters from making their way down to the Yarra River for one of the best intercollegiate events of the year: Rowing!

Donning brand-new, Diego-inspired dinosaur hats, Hildarians were some of the best-dressed on the banks of the Yarra. It was great to see the College rallying to support our two rowing teams, who worked together and pushed hard to put in great performances.

As always, our rowing Hildarians made the College proud while supporters showed up with music, cheers and hand-painted signs.

For the first time, the Rowing Regatta coincided with Hottest 100, an afternoon of the best 100 songs of the year as voted by our students. We made the most of the great weather with a setup in the back quad, complete with ping pong, beanbags and karaoke. By the early evening, we moved inside to hear the top songs, finishing the night with Hilda’s hottest song of the year: “Untouched” by The Veronicas.

While indeed a busy day, Rowing x Hottest 100 was an amazing combination of College pride, sports, music and camaraderie. Thank you to our Sports Directors, Rowing Captains and First-Year Representatives for organising these events.

Aimee Watson 2025 Communications Intern

Rowing

Hilda’s rowing team

Grace Doddrell, Claudia Cole, Kalika Miliankos-King, Eva McCaffrey support the rowers

An aerial view of our rowing supporters, adorned with Dino heads from the 2025 GC

The Hilda’s boat cutting through the water like a shark

Play Anything Goes

This September we had the pleasure of boarding the S.S.American for three exceptional nights of wonderfully talented performances. This year’s musical, Anything Goes, is a 1930’s jazz classic set aboard a cruise ship on its way from New York City to London. It humorously follows romance, mischief and fun as the passengers navigate unforeseen tribulations.

The show was energetic to say the least, with our audience and cast lighting up the Union House Theatre (UHT) with their radiant enthusiasm! The cast really brought this show alive, with some even describing it as ‘the best St Hilda’s musical they had ever seen’!

Leading up to these nights, our devoted cast and crew put in countless hours of work to ensure this show was a work of love. Although the audience only saw three nights, our cast, creative team, band and crew saw almost a year leading up to production week. This was filled with taking (almost) every Sunday at rehearsals, exhausted performers trying their best to learn complicated choreography and far too many late nights. However, because of those hard parts, inseparable bonds and unforgettable memories were made – I know I’ll hold this experience close to my heart!

This was all wrapped by a celebration at The Clyde Hotel, where the cast, crew, creative team and band - of around 70 people all togetherreminisced on the stories they collected during this year. Awards were given, drinks were had, and costumes were executed flawlessly.

Everyone involved all did such an incredible job and deserve to be very proud of their efforts! A special shout-out goes to all those who received UHT awards, especially our very own Reno Sweeney (Harper Raverty) who won Best Performer! Congratulations Harper!

All in all, this experience was an unforgettable one! I’m so grateful for the bonds and memories that were made, and I’m sure everyone else is too! Thank you to everyone that participated or supported at any stage during this process.

Turning it over to the next play convenors, I can’t wait to see what their efforts lead to. I’m sure with the exceptional talent we have here at Hilda’s it will be incredible, as always!

Clementine Dernelley

Play Convenor & Producer of the 2025 St Hilda’s production of Anything Goes

Harper Raverty leading an ensemble number in Anything Goes

The cast of Anything Goes creating a magical performance

Harper Raverty belts out ‘Blow, Gabriel, Blow’

Grace Hall watches on as Gemma Ashton lets out her trademarked shriek

Ruben Reji Mathew and James Mulcahy in the opening scene

Pippa Monckton talks to the ship’s captain (Grace Hall)

Ashna Sharma and Harper Raverty nail their comedic duet

Georgia Shell serenades the auidence

Pippa Monckton lifted by the ship’s sailors

Ashna Sharma gives a hilarious performance

Harper Raverty leading the ensemble in another iconic outfit

Harrison Abbott and Harper Raverty mid-scene

Leading man Sam Kohler singing his heart-breaking solo

Diversity Report

International Representative Aimee Watson

2025 has been an exciting year of development in the international student community. Our focus this year has been on providing meaningful platforms for international students to share their stories and parts of their home and their culture with the community.

Through new and redesigned initiatives, we aimed to promote cultural exchange, curiosity, understanding and empathy for one another. Flight Night was the first event of the year, where students volunteered to teach their fellow Hildarians games, contributed to an international menu delivered by our amazing kitchen staff, or spent hours creating intricate Mehndi designs! It was wonderful to see so many students getting involved, learning new things and connecting with one another.

A new initiative to be continued next year is High Table Highlights, where students will work with the kitchen to prepare a menu from their home country and introduce the meal and its significance at High Table. This will allow international students to have a ‘taste of home’ here at Hilda’s, and give others an opportunity to learn about and try new cuisines.

This year has also been for reflection. We’ve looked at how the International Rep role has functioned thus far, how to develop for the future and how we can continue to best support and advocate for the whole Student Club. I’m excited to share that we have elected a Cultural Diversity Convenor for 2026, who will support international and domestic students of cultural diversity, ensuring they have a voice in student leadership and a space to be heard.

This change comes with a commitment from the 2025 and 2026 General Committees to work towards transitioning this role to the General Committee in 2027. It was incredibly encouraging to see the number of students involved in our meetings and co-design sessions to support this role as it developed, and I look forward to seeing how the addition of a Cultural Diversity Convenor can enhance our culture at St Hilda’s.

It’s been an absolute pleasure and privilege to serve as International Representative this year. I look forward to seeing how this role continues to develop in the coming years, to advocate for the student body and help our new students transition into life in Australia.

Accessibility Consultant

Eva McPhee

2025 has been an amazing year for the development of this role. My main focus was ensuring the role’s visibility and importance to the community grew.

This year for Autism Awareness Month a picnic was held as an open space for any community member to join in the games, and eat some snacks as a break from studying! It was wonderful to see students from all year levels connecting and learning about accessibility in a fun and relaxed environment. I cannot wait to see more inclusive events like this being run next year as they continue to become a staple part of the College calendar!

A new initiative for next year will be the implementation of an entire Accessibility Week, celebrating and drawing attention to conditions and experiences felt by so many community members that easily go unnoticed. This is a significant step in expanding the scope of this role, allowing greater space for education, connection and advocacy across the College community, to support a wider range of accessibility needs.

It has been an absolute privilege to have been the Accessibility Consultant this year and to have had so much support from the community. I have truly loved contributing to creating a more inclusive and supportive environment. I look forward to seeing this role develop and continue to grow in empowering student voices and advocating to ensure all events are accessible, welcoming and enjoyable for everyone at Hilda’s.

Diversity Report

Queer Representative Ella Goodwin

Hilda’s has such an amazing queer community that continued to flourish in 2025.

In Semester One, our big event was Pride Night; a celebration of queer culture. This event was an absolute hoot! We had drag queen, Xena Ghost run many rounds of drag bingo with iconic queer anthems like Troye Sivan’s, “One Of Your Girls” and Chappel Roan’s, “Good Luck Babe.” We were also treated to a number of drag performances that were, in a word, slay. Apart from Xena, we had popcorn and fairy floss as well as some fruity cocktails and mocktails. The event was a huge success and showed our first years the wonderful and inclusive community that Hilda’s is.

Later in the semester, we held our first ever Queer ‘You Can’t Ask That’ High Tea. This event gave the opportunity for members of the community to ask a panel of students with diverse queer identities about their experience of being queer. Everyone showed up to the dining hall dressed up in their best spring fashion, ready to enjoy some lovely, elegant snacks and eager to listen and learn. It was so wonderful to see so many allies come and learn how they could show up and better support the queer people in our community.

Looking to Semester Two, we held our annual Wear It Purple Day Celebration. From 10am-4pm it was all crafts, raffles and fun! We had all sorts of activities including beading, carabiner decorating, wine glass painting, terrariums and pronoun pin making. People were able to pop in and out amongst their Friday classes filling the whole day with whimsy and fun! The highlight of the day was a lunchtime drag performance by HollyPop. She performed some incredible numbers and even got some of our own Hilda’s students to try their hand at a drag lip sync battle.

At the end of her set, she drew names for our charity raffle where we raised a whopping $442 dollars for Minus18! It was so brilliant to see both queer people and allies get around such an important day in the queer calendar.

Over the year we also held some great intercollegiate queer events run by ICPN - The Intercollegiate Pride Network. We had a Queer Picnic at the start of the year to welcome queer students from all around the crescent. We had a “Cheers Queers” event at PA’s as an IDAHOBIT day celebration. The committee also held its annual Queer Education week with trivia, sex education and a movie night — all celebrating queer history, art and culture. As the secretary I worked hard to formalise the committee this year with a Memorandum of Understanding where 90% of colleges committed to allocate funds and resources to the ICPN — a great success!

It has been such an honour to be the Queer Representative this year, I’ve loved every second of it! Our community is so special here at Hilda’s and the role is in such great hands with Felix next year.

The Wear it Purple Day committee with guest star HollyPop

Harrison Abbott and Hannah Wilson at the O-week Queer picnic

Students enjoying the Wear it Purple day craft activities

Pride Night

On May 20th of this year, the dining hall was transformed for a very special event: Pride Night! With rainbow flags and bunting adorning the walls, a popcorn machine, and cocktail and mocktail stands, the stage was set to celebrate. Hildarians piled into the dining hall, wearing their most colourful outfits for the occasion.

We were lucky enough to have drag queen, Xena Ghost join us for the night, who performed electric lip-sync numbers and hosted drag bingo. We had to name the iconic songs Xena Ghost played in a race to get ‘Bingo’ first. Our music knowledge was put to the test, and there was plenty of friendly competition between groups!

The Communitas spirit was on full display at Pride Night this year, with the event selling a record number of tickets. It was wonderful to see so many Hildarians involved in Pride Night, whether they were a part of the queer community or supporting as an ally. It is a true testament to the importance of Communitas to see our community uplift one another and support events like Pride Night, ensuring our college is a safe and inclusive place for everyone.

Pride Night is always a highlight of the St Hilda’s calendar: a night filled with music, dancing and celebration of our queer community. This event would not be possible without the hard work of 2025 Queer Representative, Ella Goodwin, who worked tirelessly to bring this event to life and create a welcoming community for queer students at St Hilda’s.

Aimee Watson

2025 Communications Intern

The dining hall was decorated in an explosion of colour for the Pride Night celebrations

Zach Ranson, Simon Krupka, Jesse McDougall, and Jasper Thompson enjoying the festivities

Alice Davidson, Charli Nye, Aarron Bennet, and Harper Raverty pose for a photo

Hilda’s On Country Visit to Coranderrk

At the end of May, 25 eager members of our college community had the privilege of visiting Coranderrk and Healesville Sanctuary. We were welcomed by the Ngurungaeta and Elder of the Wurundjeri people, Murrundindi.

It was an absolute honour to hear Murrundindi’s message first hand, and to be enlightened with stories and traditions of the people and Country. I particularly enjoyed learning about the uses of various native plants, such as anti-inflammatory agents from new bracken fern fronds applied to insect bites or the use of kangaroo apple berries as contraception.

After an insightful guided walk around Healesville Sanctuary, we had the delightful experience of witnessing a birds of prey show. Amid all the magnificent and charismatic birds I was able to capture a photo of a barking owl in flight.

With lunch, we were graced with a more personal storytelling experience from Murrundindi. He recounted experiences with his own people, as well as stories of visiting other First Nations people and communities across Australia. He discussed extensively the flaws in Australian secondary education on First Nations people and culture, as well as his own enlightening spiritual experiences while building connections with other communities. Murrundindi finished with a fantastic Yidaki performance.

Overall, this was an amazing opportunity to step away from College, immerse oneself in nature and learn about some of the history and traditions of the Wurundjeri people.

Dillon Lane Second Year Student

Students listen to Murrundindi share the history of Coranderrk

A barking owl flies over the crowd at the birds of prey show

A picture taken through the base of a tree trunk during our walk through the sanctuary

Photos courtesy of Dillon Lane

Communitas Director’s Report

As Communitas director, I have been closely working with my charity and environmental convenors to work on the goals we have for this year.

In the giving back space, the charity convenors and I helped to run Paddock to Plate, raising funds for Rural Aid and giving students and their families an opportunity to properly connect with one another.

Paddock to Plate was a beautiful event, which helped to raise awareness for communities facing hardship in rural and regional communities. It was an event that could not have been done without Carly and the amazing charity convenors Beth, Verity, Ruby and Julia. Regional and rural communities are facing hardship from natural disasters across Australia. Currently, we are experiencing the detrimental effects of the increasing climate crisis. On a local level, we are experiencing natural disasters such as droughts, floods and bushfires. Specifically, it is rural and regional communities who bear the brunt of these disasters. As their primary industries rely on environmental security and sustainability, natural disasters impact every aspect of rural living.

We chose Rural Aid as the charity we wanted to raise funds for throughout the night because they are so committed to helping rural and regional communities. We were able to support them through the generous art works and crafts donated by students and staff for our silent auction, along with many awesome items donated by local businesses for our raffle. Along with the charity aspect of the night, it was an awesome opportunity to meet everyone’s wonderful families and see more of the community we have at Hilda’s.

Many of our students come from rural and regional backgrounds, which facilitated a deeper bond with the event’s goal to raise money for Rural Aid. The skills auction that we ran during the Christmas in August event also raised money for Rural Aid.

In all, across the two events, we ended up raising $10,000.

The environment team of Alex, Danielle and Tilly have worked endlessly to implement and push Hilda’s onto a more sustainable track and they have really improved the way we approach sustainability as a college and also as individuals. For instance, this environmental team has worked on various sustainability initiatives throughout the past year, such as the waste audit to see how we can more effectively manage food waste at Hilda’s, as well as getting someone external to conduct an energy audit and hold a meeting for possible solutions to excessive energy wastage at college. These think tanks have facilitated constructive conversations on how we can promote sustainability.

Guests make their way into the dining hall for Paddock to Plate

Charity Convenors (L-R): Ruby Stringer, Verity Quilty, Julia Huang & Beth Pooley with Communitas Director, Ashna Sharma (centre)

Students participate in the Be Alternative waste audit

Further, we facilitated a UNICEF Local Youth Conference on climate change which was an amazing way to open conversation about this extremely prevalent issue, and a way for young voices to be heard on a global level. In the conference itself, we finalised our ideas, thoughts and views, which have been added to the Global Youth Climate Statement that is submitted to the Conference of Parties (COP) climate negotiations, and will be read at COP30 in Brazil, in November 2025.

Other initiatives we are working on, and will continue to throughout the year, are blood drives and volunteering initiatives we’re passionate about. We also organised an intercollegiate op shop which was a success and raised funds for the Australian Conservation Foundation. Alongside this, I helped the other GC members with their events and any extra support they needed.

All in all, it’s been a great year and my team and I hope that we have made a positive difference this year through community and connectedness across Hilda’s and the wider community! With connectedness comes strength and more importantly, a responsibility to do good.

Ashna Sharma 2025 Communitas Director

Participants of the waste audit prepare to sort through the bins

Practising for the auction of the Tigers’ jersey at P2P

Students gather for the UNICEF Local Youth Conference on climate change

The sustainability convenors, Communitas Director and Clementine Dernelley set up for a plant workshop

Earth hour movie screening in the front quad

Julia Huang discusses the items on offer at P2P

The grazing tables at P2P were a big hit

to

Paddock to Plate

It may have been a cold evening in Melbourne, but this year’s Paddock to Plate dinner was a celebration with warmth, laughter and most importantly, community.

Paddock to Plate is an annual highlight of the St Hilda’s calendar, organised by the Communitas Director, Charity Convenors and Community Engagement Manager. As the main event of our Parents’ Weekend, Paddock to Plate provides an opportunity for Hildarians to share a meal with locally-sourced ingredients and raise money for those in need. For the past two years, Paddock to Plate has supported Rural Aid, an organisation providing support to farmers and their families. With changing weather conditions affecting produce and processes, Rural Aid helps farmers with mental health support and farming supplies, including water and fodder.

Ashna Sharma, this year’s Communitas Director, spoke poignantly about the importance of charity and doing our part to support the St Hilda’s community and beyond, reflecting on why Paddock to Plate is such a crucial part of the year.

Following a chance to try some local produce and chat amongst their tables, the winners of our raffle prizes were drawn. Kindly donated by members of our community, the prizes ranged from wagyu platters to a night at the theatre.

The event began with canapés in the front quad and an arts and crafts silent auction, featuring creative works by our very own staff and students. Guests had the opportunity to view these pieces while they mingled, some of whom were meeting for the first time since joining the St Hilda’s community.

Hilda’s students and their loved ones gathered in the dining hall, decorated for the occasion with fresh flowers and fairy lights. After a welcome from Principal Jimmy and a recap of the year so far, guests enjoyed a meal made from locally-sourced ingredients.

The night would not be complete without music acts, and we had the pleasure of listening to two groups perform over dinner. Georgia Shell and Sam Kohler sang a duet of “Delovely” from Anything Goes, which they had been busy rehearsing as part of the annual musical. Harper Raverty and Macy Francis followed with a rendition of Adele’s “Someone Like You”, complete with beautiful harmonies and piano accompaniment from Macy.

As always, Paddock to Plate was a fantastic night to connect for St Hilda’s students and their family and friends. Thank you to Ashna, Verity, Beth, Ruby, Julia and Carly for all of their hard work in organising the night. This event would also not be possible without those who generously contributed produce and prizes, or bid on art and took part in the raffle. We look forward to welcoming our community back to St Hilda’s for another wonderful Paddock to Plate next year!

Aimee Watson 2025 Communications Intern

The front quad lit up before P2P

Georgia and Sam perform a song from the 2025 musical

Macy Francis and Harper Raverty perform ‘Someone Like You’ by Adele

Ashna Sharma addresses the crowd

Some of the generous wine and produce donated

Emma Carroll and Esther Hunter posing during before-dinner drinks

Applause for a winner of the lucky door prize

Ashna Sharma and Harper Raverty enjoying conversation

Simon Krupka, Keiran Lane, James Smythe, Johnny McKeague, Shehan Weeraratna enjoying before-dinner drinks and entertainment The beautiful decorations and raffle items on display at P2P

Fresher Report

This year we had the privilege of representing the first year cohort as the 2025 First Year Representatives as they navigate through their first year at Hilda’s and, for most of us, our first year at university!

Despite the ups and downs this year, we’re confident to say that our cohort prevailed despite it all, and this is attributed to the strong support and community we found at Hilda’s. The range of events provided to us this year, along with the inviting culture modelled by the returners, created the Hilda’s community we know and love.

The first year of college is a very special time in all of our lives and this year at Hilda’s I think we speak for everyone when we say we have all met some truly incredible people and made friendships that will stand long after we’ve left the College grounds.

Hilda’s is the perfect place to learn, explore and experiment as we all try to work out how we want to live our new adult lives, for many of us, in a very new and unfamiliar place. However after a year of irreplaceable memories with the most amazing group of people in the world, I think it’s safe to say Hilda’s definitely feels like home. We can’t wait to see what the new fresher cohort brings to 2026!

Being the First Year Representatives this year has been an unforgettable experience for both of us, but we are so excited to see how Hilda’s evolves next year with the incoming first years, and can’t wait to embrace the next chapters of life together with our own cohort!

Ria Li and Angus Lisle

2025 First Year Representatives

The O week team welcomes Layla Sheppard

First year students pose with Residential Advisor

Yashua Aboumourad (left)

Angus Lisle gets some help from Dad to move in

Oscar Preuss tries to stay on the mechanical bull

(L-R) Ria Li, Nishka Parekh & Gael Chizungu at the Fresher Formal Breakfast

Marta Henriques-Pereira takes a selfie after the O-week colour run

Christmas in August

Jingle Bells

Jingle Bells

It’s Christmas time at Hilda’s!

Sadly we’re all on holidays during the real Christmas period; so, every year we get together to celebrate on a random Thursday. We get dressed up, eat a big meal together and raise some money for charity while we’re at it.

With this year’s tight-knit culture at Hilda’s, we decided the perfect theme for Christmas was ‘Family Christmas’. This made way to an array of costumes, ranging from PJ’s on Christmas morning to many ugly sweaters.

Starting in the front quad with snacks and photo opportunities with Santa, students dressed up in their best Christmas colours and costumes, while we were treated to Christmas carols by the Pub Choir.

The Christmas spirit was alive and well inside the dining hall, decorated with streamers and a Christmas tree for the occasion. With presents on every table from our annual Kris Kringle, the Christmas dinner (including traditional menu items like Ham and Pavlova) really embodied the warm, joyous environment of a family Christmas. It was a highlight of the night to see what everyone had received, from thoughtful, to practical, to hilarious gifts.

Gift-giving was followed by the much-anticipated Skills Auction where the wonderful members of our community offer up their diverse talents for a good cause. This year’s auction featured items such as wirecraft workshops, crochet commissions and free car rides. The $2900 raised from the Auction went to Rural Aid, a charity supporting farmers and their families with mental health support and farming resources.

Once dinner wrapped up, celebrations continued at the Rokeby 100 with music from DJ duo, Hannah and Nika.

Christmas in August was an amazing chance for our students to reconnect after the Winter break and celebrate the semester to come. Thank you to First-Year Representatives, Ria and Angus, and Communitas Director, Ashna, who organised this event.

Aimee Watson, Ria Li & Angus Lisle

2025 Communications Intern & Fresher Reps

Christmas in August

Second years get into the Christmas spirit

James Mulcahy and Sam Kohler sit in Santa’s (Jackson Barthold) lap

Santa takes a silly photo

Rhiannon Ferdinando, Lulu Di Sciascio, and Georgia O’Brien wearing their Christmas outfits

Industry Showcase Academic Dinner

It was an absolute pleasure on August 28th to welcome eighteen alumni and friends back to the College to share their career journeys with our current students.

Consisting of seven concurrent industry-related panels, the Industry Showcase event preceded an Academic Dinner and students chose a specific session to attend to listen to alumni and friends of the College speak about their careers and how they got there.

Our students were also encouraged to use the canapés and dinner portion of the evening to practise their own networking skills by introducing themselves to the panellists and chatting informally.

Our panels this year consisted of:

Business & Finance

Creative Industries

Design Education

Health & Medicine

Law & Policy

Science & Engineering

A huge thank you to the alumni and friends of the College who so generously donated their time for the event.

Following the Industry Showcase, the panellists stayed on to enjoy an Academic Dinner with our students. For many of the alumni, it was a blast from the past seeing everyone in the Dining Hall all dressed up in their academic gowns.

For those who were on tables with alumni there was also much enjoyment for the students when hearing about formal dinners and events from “back in the day”.

As part of the Academic Dinner, it was a privilege to welcome the evening’s guest speaker, Former Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Sally Capp AO.

Sally not only generously shared her own career journey with all those in attendance, but challenged the current student body to be bold as they take the first steps into their future careers. Her advice to the audience to take chances and dream big was very well received by the students and created much conversation across the tables.

Aimee Watson 2025 Communications Intern

Lucien Savage performs at the Industry Showcase

Students enjoy a beverage while listening to the faculty panels dinner

SRA Richard Hinman facilitates guest panel with speakers Hannah Fiddelaers & Ben Hubbard

Students socialise with alumni guests after formalities have concluded

Showcase

Members of the Health Panel: Adrian Oats (Chair), Sally-Ann Hamilton, Daryl Kroschel & Mia Wisniewski

Member of the Health panel, Emily Kirsch

Jasmine Jordan, Kalika Miliankos-King, Hannah Wilson, and Maddie Robbins at the Industry Showcase

Former Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Sally Capp

Matthew Starick poses with Alice Davidson, Julia Huang, Rhiannon Ferdinando & Shehan Weeraratna during canapés

(L-R) Rafael Bardelli James, Kavin Kumar, Gus Mackay, George Ives & Charli Nye

Students listen to keynote speech by Sally Capp, AO

Flight delays saw Bridget Horsley join the Science panel via Zoom

Class of 2025

Yashua Aboumourad

Sharon Anthony

Aaron Bennett

Joel Biro

Jade Busch

Gabby Burrell

Jordan Chao

Peter Chuan

Alice Davidson

Kelly Hirschmann

Kaxton Wu Kaiyu

Houhong Li

Arnold Luppi

Alison O’Brien

Faieza Shariff

Caitlin Taylor

Harry Walker-Jones

Third years pose on the front quad after their {unofficial} college graduation

Sharon Anthony, Aimee Watson, and Harper Raverty perform at Valedictory dinner ceremony

Fletcher Good, Curtis McCoughtry, Angus Lisle and Spencer McIntosh have a laugh before formal proceedings

Zach Ranson wins an award at Valedictory Dinner

Houhoung Li, Peter Chuan, and Arnold Luppi wear their faculty colours at Valedictory dinner

1st and 2nd years pose for a photo at the last official event of the year

Liv Jones and Harrison Abbott enjoying an Academic Dinner

The 3rd years throw their caps in the air

James Hardiman poses with award winner Alex Wackrow

Students pose in front of the academic centre

The 3rd years walk through the ‘guard of honour’ into the dining hall

Mid-year intake students Jack Perry, Rafael Bardelli James, Ivan Li, and Elize Broderick

CFO’s Report: Buildings, Grounds & Staff

The Spring of 2025 will not be remembered for its wonderful weather, however the College’s grounds have benefitted from the substantial rainfall in recent months. The bright green new growth and the serenity of the College’s compact open spaces reflect the vibrant energy of the students who reside here during the year.

From a facilities perspective, this year has again been defined by infrastructure renewal, safety upgrades and ongoing improvement to the students’ living environments.

A major capital project was initiated to address ageing infrastructure and improve building performance in the Dining Hall. This involved a full roof replacement of the Dining Hall, Penthouse apartment and kitchen. This roof had not been touched since it was built 60 years ago! The upgrade included the replacement of the heating and cooling system, exhaust systems and associated ductwork.

As the College progressively moves away from gas towards electrical appliances, heat pump hot water services were also installed, serving the Dining Hall, kitchen, Penthouse apartment and the bathrooms in A Block.

We continue to prioritise sustainability initiatives across the College and the work done in 2025 has been no exception. This work began over summer, with the heat pumps and solar panels being installed on the new Dining Hall roof.

CFO’s Report: Buildings, Grounds & Staff

During the year, the Student Club Environments Committee has been very active. The Committee completed a community food waste audit and, as a result, the College will be trialling a new system of food waste management when students return in the new year.

The Committee also coordinated a College-wide waste audit in collaboration with B-Alternative, with further changes to the College’s general waste management planned for next year. Much of this work has been facilitated by Dean of Students, Fe and one of the Committee members, Alex Wackrow. Assisted by the College, Alex was successful in St Hilda’s College receiving a Youth Climate Action Grant, which has funded the waste audits.

An independent energy audit was also conducted this year, facilitated by recent alumnus and Wattle Fellowship recipient, Tobias Miliankos-King, to assess the College’s current energy usage and to identify opportunities for greater efficiency. The findings will guide future building upgrades and long-term planning.

As part of these sustainability intentions, the College has embarked on an “internal green-scaping” program. This was launched to enhance indoor spaces with improved air quality and visual appeal and is immediately visible as you enter the College foyer.

Our future building projects will continue to reflect substantial investment in sustainability, safety and student experience. We have an exciting project planned for the 2025/2026 summer break and look forward to providing details in the next edition! These upgrades position the College strongly for the future.

Finally, the year also marked an important moment for staff, with the retirement of a long-serving colleague after nearly three decades of dedicated service.

Many former students will remember Carol Briggs, who retired this year after almost 28 years of service to the College. Carol has been a mainstay in the College’s finance department and her contribution was formally recognised at the 60th anniversary dinner last year, with honorary life membership of the Streoneshalh Association. Our congratulations and thanks to Carol as she embarks on the next chapter.

Rob Lancaster

St Hilda’s Chief Financial Officer

Students enjoy a sunny day on our beautifully maintained front quad lawn

Kate Abraham farewells Carol Briggs who worked as part of the Hilda’s community for 28 years

Jill Dixon at the Marjorie Smart Oration (MSO)

Harrison Neville, Gabbi MacKechnie & Haylee Heard at the MSO

Generations of leaders mixing at the Gold Leaf Dinner

2025’s Marjorie Smart Orator, Fiona McLeay

Alumni Engagement Report

2025 has been another wonderful year for alumni engagement, building on the momentum of last year’s 60th anniversary celebrations.

As has been the case for many years now, we have made an effort at our dedicated alumni events to include opportunities for current students to connect with Hildarians who have come before them.

Some particularly special highlights this year included the official launch of The Communitas Society, which recognises the amazing members of our community who have let us know that they intend to leave a gift to St Hilda’s College in their Will. We also had the absolute privilege of finalising the 60th Anniversary history book project, with Communitas: The First 60 Years of St Hilda’s College now printed and being enjoyed by so many within our community. We also welcomed a host of alumni and friends of the College to engage with our current students via a range of Hilda’s Headstart events, including the very popular Industry Showcase event in August.

A huge thank you to all those alumni and friends of the College who have given back in kind throughout 2025. Your involvement is a testament to the spirit of communitas and by volunteering your time, your stories and your expertise with our current students, you are helping the College in its endeavours to transform the lives of our students.

If you are an alum who wants to consider connecting with the next generation of Hildarians, please use the form below to register your interest. Your commitment could be as little as an hour or two but the impact that you could have on a young person simply by having a chat with them could be enormous!

Kate Abraham Community Engagement Manager - Alumni & Development

Register your interest in connecting with the next generation of Hildarians HERE.

The annual Gold Leaf Dinner

Aimee Watson interviews Christine Penfold at the 2025 Gold Leaf Dinner

Founders and Benefactors Dinner

On Friday October 31st, 2025, we hosted our annual Founders & Benefactors Dinner. This event is a special one on the College calendar, providing us with an opportunity to publicly celebrate those in our community who so generously give back in kind to St Hilda’s College, and/or donate to our scholarship fund.

We were thrilled to see a record attendance of almost 70 guests at the pre-dinner Music Recital from two of our resident VCA students, Kate Katheklakis (Saxophone) and Sophia Stephens (French Horn). This year we also had the privilege of hearing from our wonderful St Hilda’s music tutor, Alex Gorbatov who is not only an alumnus of the College but is also the Artistic Director of Avici. Our sincere thanks to Alex, Kate and Sophia for sharing their talents.

In an attempt to dodge the weather, canapés were held in the back of the Dining Hall which allowed guests to look at the various archive material on display and to collect their copy of Communitas: The First 60 Years of St Hilda’s College Melbourne.

To reflect on the impact our scholarship program has for current Hildarians, second year student and incoming Student Club Secretary, Georgia Shell shared her experience as someone who moved to Melbourne from regional Victoria. It was a joy to see students, alumni, and guests all share what St Hilda’s means to them. Guests at the dinner were also treated to a beautiful rendition of “Colours of the Wind” by Georgia and accompanying keyboardist, Zach Ranson.

Kate Katheklakis and Sophia Stephens with music tutor Alex Gorbatov

The Communitas book: a reflection on the first 60 years of St Hilda’s College Melbourne

Georgia Shell and Zach Ranson performing ‘Colours of the Wind’

Emma Gunn, Charlotte Gibson, Abby Palmer

Incoming Co-presidents Simon Krupka and Ashna Sharma

As in previous years, Founders & Benefactors is where we shared our Annual Community Impact Report.

If you would like to read this year’s report, you can access a digital copy HERE.

Georgia Shell addresses the audience

Freya Gniel, Ria Li, Molly Fraser, James Hardiman, Shayne Hateley & Robyn Hateley

The St Hilda’s College events guest book

Harrison Brooker and Marcus Jerram peruse the event schedule

Chair of the College Board, Lynne Williams addresses the audience

The kitchen served up delicious food for the event

Gold Leaf

Gold Leaf Dinner 2025

Saturday September 13th saw around 50 guests come together at St Hilda’s for our annual Gold Leaf Dinner event.

The Gold Leaf Dinner brings together Hildarians from across the decades whose names are immortalised in the College’s history through our various honour boards and/or because they held a position on the Student Club Executive. This year’s attendees included representatives from all across our history.

One of the highlights of the night was the reunion of the full Executive team of 1993.

Each year at this event, we ask one attendee to speak to the group about what leadership means to them and how their time at St Hilda’s influenced their personal journey. This year’s speaker was 1993’s President, Pete Howell whose reflections on College life focused on the friendships made.

Pete shared what it was like to arrive in Melbourne from a small country town of only 7000 people and discover that St Hilda’s became like a mini version of that town, comprised of 180 people he could count on who came from backgrounds similar to his. He reflected that a number of those people he met in the first few weeks of college remain his closest friends some 30 years later.

Pete also talked about how much the world and St Hilda’s had changed. He singled out things like technology and how different the connections are for today’s students compared to what he and his friends had - a computer room with 6 computers, 1 modem and speeds of 300 bits per second, plus a phone in the hallway for receiving calls and a payphone in the Front Quad if you wanted to make calls! But he also noted from speaking to the current students who were at the event, that a number of things still seemed the same in terms of the community feel.

The lessons Pete shared were ones that will likely still resonate with today’s students. It was about learning to manage the complexities of living with (at the time) 180 very different people and what that does for providing you with opportunities to demonstrate leadership skills and take responsibility for ensuring others get the most out of their experiences.

He also shared those things better understood after time has passed. It’s realising that the friends made at college will be with you for life. It’s understanding how important it is to make the most of the opportunities in front of you, no matter how small they may seem in the moment. It’s about being willing to give back and stay in touch with the College in order to help those coming after you navigate the journey you have already been on. And, importantly, suddenly realising that even after 30 years away you still remember how to say Grace!

Rob Hamilton

Listening to the keynote

Pre-dinner canapés

Sharon Anthony

Current Hilda’s students chat to past College leaders

(L-R) Holly Morrison, Elise Taylor, Naomi Lam & Paige Blyth

Patricia Roberts

1993 President, Pete Howell

(L-R) Justin King, Nick Chan, Mia Wisniewski, Brett Mangan & Ben Murphy

Georgia Shell, Sharon Anthony, Harper Raverty, Charli Nye, Lara Swenson, and Shehan Weeraratna

James Hardiman

Ways To Contribute

St Hilda’s

College

With a belief in education and equal opportunity, we ensure all contributions support our students, enabling them to achieve and be all they can be. Whether you share your time, provide financial support, hire one of our students or speak at a college event, your contribution is an opportunity to celebrate your own accomplishments, facilitate the achievements of others, and leave a lifelong legacy for the community of St Hilda’s.

SCHOLARSHIP & BURSARY FUND

Supporting students to attend St Hilda’s College based on financial need or merit can change their lives and the lives of those around them.

You can elect to contribute each year, set criteria and name an award, or make a one-off donation. All contributions make a difference!

IN-KIND SUPPORT

was founded with a spirit of determination and generosity. Support us!

ANNUAL APPEAL

Sharing knowledge and life experience, alumni and friends have the opportunity to enrich the lives of our current students. By supporting us through the contribution of your time, you help us to enhance the Hilda’s experience for our students.

INTERNSHIPS & GRADUATE PLACEMENTS

Can you provide work experience, internships or graduate programs for our students to gain invaluable experience in their chosen field?

MENTOR A STUDENT

Mentoring is a fantastic way to give back to the St Hilda’s community and build formative relationships with current students.

GUEST SPEAKER

We host a number of dinners and stakeholder engagement events throughout the year. It can be invaluable insight for our students and young alumni to hear from industry professionals about career pathways and life experiences.

The annual Communitas Appeal raises funds to support the St Hilda’s Scholarships and Financial Assistance program. Our scholarships and bursaries help our students to make ends meet. Your support here truly changes lives!

LEAVING A LEGACY

A bequest is a gift to a beneficiary in an individual’s Will. As such, it’s an enduring contribution that can honour you, your family, or someone close to you, well into the future.

Confirmed Bequestors to St Hilda’s College are invited to become members of The Communitas Society, a very special group of people who have pledged to leave a legacy for future generations of Hildarians.

For a confidential discussion about your philanthropic gift to establish a new scholarship, leave a gift in your will, make a donation or set up a regular pledge, please contact communitas@hildas.unimelb.edu.au or call +61 3 9248 8423.

Update Your Details

To ensure that you don’t miss the opportunity to connect with friends and be included in the festivities, make sure you update your contact details using the form on our website (just scan the QR code) and be sure to follow us on social media, including our LinkedIn group.

Alternatively, you can email the Community Engagement Team directly on communitas@hildas.unimelb.edu.au