Hilda’s News



Welcome to the new Hilda’s News A quarterly newsletter which has what we know are modest, but hopefully attainable goals; keeping you up to date with the St Hilda’s community and, perhaps more importantly, providing us with an opportunity to celebrate you, the alumni and friends of St Hilda’s
Each quarter, we want to be able to feature at least two alumni stories The plan with each feature is to have one of our students interview and write the piece This edition features one of these articles:
Semester 1 Communications Intern, Clementine Dernelley interviewed Katie Pearce (2019) about what she has been up to in her post-grad studies
If you have alumni news that you want us to feature in upcoming editions on the newsletter, please get in touch with us
Big or small, we love hearing about what the wider St Hilda’s community is up to. Things you might want to share:
A recommendation for an alumni profile piece News about alumni receiving awards Wedding announcements Celebrating new family members Obituaries
Basically anything that you think the Hilda’s community would be interested in hearing about one of their own.
We also know that we don’t have email addresses for a large number of our alumni community so please, encourage your peers who we may have lost contact to get in touch with us and we can add them into the mailing list so that we can reconnect
Enjoy this quarter’s news and we look forward to hearing from you with ideas for future stories.
Kate Abraham & Carly Damen Community Engagement Managers
Fiona McLeay joined the list of Marjorie Smart Orators on May 3 with an inspiring reflection on her journey from regional Australia to her current role as the Victorian Legal Services Commissioner
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Fiona’s speech explored how intertwined her career in the legal field has been with her passion for service leadership
Against a backdrop of Election Day here in Australia, she challenged those in the audience who are yet to embark on their careers to find ways to “put service and integrity front and centre” in whatever they pursue following university
You can read the full transcript of Fiona’s speech HERE
As has been the practice over the past few years, there was time at the end of Fiona’s speech for members of the audience to pose questions
“Fiona’s warmth and sincerity captured us all and made for a lively Q&A session to conclude the oration”
Participation in the Q&A component showed the high level of interest from across the decades with current students through to members of the 1964 cohort contributing.
Deputy Chair of the St Hilda’s Board, Tim Greenall (PY1982) shared his thoughts on this year’s event stating that, whilst the topic may sound dry and esoteric, Fiona made it relevant for all
Tim also highlighted Fiona’s message of building on that collective project to maintain the rule of law, particularly at a time when around the world we see democratic institutions under strain and challenge
St Hilda’s first year student, Jaz Rossato was particularly inspired by Fiona’s commitment to addressing legal inequalities and the challenge for those present to reflect on how they might contribute to a more just legal system - and by extension - a fairer society.
Current third-year student, and last year’s Communitas Director, Jesse McDougall was particularly interested in the discussion that unfolded around American individualism vs Australian values of service and collectivism.
It left him pondering the fact that Australian culture is increasingly influenced by the USA, and the idea of the American dream is all about individual aspirations and getting ahead; which goes against Fiona’s argument for placing a greater importance on service So he was keen to hear Fiona’s thoughts around how we lead and advocate for a generation of people to come together in a culture where everyone is trying to support themselves and get ahead of one another.
Recent alumnae, Abbey Miller (PY2022) shared that she was privileged to be in attendance at the 2025 Marjorie Smart and see Fiona McLeay's keynote address. She felt that Fiona’s speech not only honoured the legacy of trailblazing women in law but also inspired current and future leaders to uphold the principles of fairness and community engagement Abbey also re Smart Oration was the type feel like she had been well a the St Hilda's College Alum
As always, it was wonderfu from across the College’s hi event and we look forward t and friends to more events l
“Fiona McLeay’s keynote oration was inspiring for all present, especially younger generations.”
Saturday November 22, 2025
Did you and your friends start at St Hilda’s in a year ending in 5?
If so, this year is your reunion year and we would love to see you all back here, enjoying yourself and reminiscing in the Front Quad on Saturday November 22nd
All alumni cohorts are welcome to this event. Held in the afternoon, there will be opportunities for tours of the College, canapes, drinks and time to catch up with friends
Particular focus for the afternoon will be on those who started at St Hilda’s in
1965 -It’s time to celebrate 60 years!
1975 - It’s time to celebrate 50 years!
1985 - It’s time to celebrate 40 years!
1995 - It’s time to celebrate 30 years!
2005 - It’s time to celebrate 20 years! 2015 - It’s time to celebrate 10 years!
We hope to see as many of you as possible so start getting your group chats ready and encourage each other to return to College Crescent on November 22.
Friday September 19, 2025
Did you and your friends start at St Hilda’s between 2020 & 2024?
Young alumni, this one is just for you!
Get your people together, start training (and, if you are so inclined, paint your toenails green and blue), because it’s time for Young Alumni barefoot bowls!
The lawn bowling rinks are booked at Fitzroy Bowls Club for Friday afternoon on September 19.
We are looking forward to seeing you and hearing all about what you have been up to since you left Hilda’s
An invitation for this event will be sent out in early August so keep an eye on your inbox!
By Clementine Dernelley
At Hilda’s there are always incredibly inspiring people coming through, one of those being alumni, Katie Pearce.
Katie is a past student, residential adviser (RA) and current tutor at St Hilda’s College After graduating with a Bachelor of Design from The University of Melbourne, and then taking a oneyear break, she decided to move up to Queensland to study for her Master’s and become registered in Urban Development and Design
Coming from Auckland, New Zealand, the move to Melbourne was already a large change; wanting to experience more cities –and nicer weather– she decided to move up to Queensland The University of Queensland not only brought her a change of scenery, but it also brought her new opportunities One of those being the Queensland Government Wicked Planning Problem Prize - a competition she won
The Wicked Planning Problem is a competition for urban design and urban planning students, in which they have to identify a problem they may face as an urban designer/planner, and come up with a solution to it This could be anything from climate change to the housing crisis, with Katie choosing youth mental health as her focus. She saw the news about the detrimental effects of social media on youth mental health with screentime rising, causing anxiety and depression rates to increase This sparked her inner RA and she decided to try and come up with a solution to the increasingly dire issue.
The winning program she came up with is titled ‘Gusto’ ‘Gusto’ is an augmented reality game, similar to ‘Pokémon Go’ where users meet up try
Katie as part of the 2021 Hilda’s Cricket team
Channeling Diego energy
The morning of Wednesday, May 21 saw family, friends and members from across decades of the St Hilda’s College and Melbourne High School communities come together in their hundreds at Springvale Botanical Cemetery to celebrate a life spent in service to others
“Always there with a story to tell, an interest in everyone and a twinkle in your eye”
This was one of the many tributes shared on the St Hilda’s social media pages following the news of Colin’s passing in May
The husband of Barbara Green AM (St Hilda’s alumnae and fifth College Principal), Colin was known to so many within our community
In the weeks that have passed, alumni who were at College during Barbara’s tenure, along with the wider St Hilda’s community and those across the Crescent have shared memories and reflections that have spoken directly to the impact that Colin had on the lives of so many
“Excellent conversationalist, generous with his time, quick with a joke and an inspirational volunteer A pillar of the College and a leader in education ”
The picture painted of Colin in the thoughts that have been shared show a man who was larger than life and much loved by those that knew him
Throughout the messages was also recognition of Colin’s devotion to Barbara, “the centre of his universe”
At the service on May 21, Colin Green was remembered by his family, and members of the Melbourne High School (MHS) and geography communities as a devoted man who truly ‘honoured the work’, in reference to the motto of the school he had an association with for 65 years
Commencing his career as a geography teacher at MHS, Colin published The Water Cycle (1970) and The Australian Atlas (1977) which were instrumental in teaching geography, geomorphology and climatology to school students across the country.
Planning trips and travelling with his children was a passion of Colin’s and he approached all of his adventures with great gusto
Colin brought great passion and commitment to supporting the Hawthorn Football Club, the MHS Old Boys’ Association and after marrying Barbara in 1983, to St Hilda’s College After Barbara and Colin moved into the St Hilda’s Principal’s residence in 2000, Colin became St Hilda’s’ number one fan on the sporting field, in the fundraising arena, and to Barbara as her constant support and companion
Colin’s devotion to his children, grandchildren and Barbara was beyond question and his adventures continued apace with Barbara in the final years of his life
Barbara and Colin at Barbara’s retirement farewell in 2017
Their wonderful travels were regular highlights. A particular love of Colin’s entailed finding opportunities to visit places of geographic interest, such as the Iguazu Falls, Norwegian fjords and the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland
The service concluded with a moving rendition of the Melbourne High School song
We send our deepest condolences to Barbara, along with Colin’s children, Scott, Claire, Adam and their families.
“Colin was an integral part of the St Hilda’s experience for all of us”
We are always humbled by the generosity of this community and we would like to publicly extend our sincere thanks to all those who donated as part of this year’s appeal Whether long-term or firsttime donors, every one of you makes an impact on the lives of future Hildarians.
We launched this year’s appeal with the story of second-year student, Harper. If you haven’t had a chance to read what Harper shared, you can still do so HERE
Harper’s experience is certainly not unique within the broader St Hilda’s community. Across our history, scores of students have left home to travel to Melbourne to pursue their dreams In doing so, they have had to grapple with the very real financial hurdle.
While this story resonates across our history, we are also cognisant that the barriers the current generation face are becoming increasingly difficult to overcome.
We are pleased to have raised $520,100 so far this year.
Thank you to all of our wonderful donors!
I worked six different jobs so that I could get as much money behind me as possible.
Harper - 2 year student nd
The ongoing cost of living crisis is one that we are all acutely aware of and one which has a significant impact on the aspirations of many students and their families when it comes to making decisions about tertiary study and potential living arrangements
What this looks like in reality is obviously different for each young person but there are a number of sobering statistics that reinforce why access to a college experience is something that many from our heartland now view as a pipe dream
A discussion paper released last year by The Australia Institute explores the increasing financial burden that today’s students are facing. The paper takes particular aim at comparative costs over the decades as they relate to HECSHELP debt It also highlights the increased proportion of full-time students relying on work to support themselves during their studies, around 50% of 20-24 year olds in the 1990s compared with around 75% today
That trend is certainly reflected in the lived experience of Harper and the vast majority of the students currently living at St Hilda’s
Anyone who has had the privilege of being part of a community like St Hilda’s knows it’s so much more than just a place to eat and sleep
College transforms a young person’s life and sets them up to succeed.
That’s why we are so grateful to all the amazing members of the Hilda’s community who continue to support our scholarship program.
You are making a real difference
We gratefully accept donations across the year. If you missed the Annual Scholarship Appeal but would like to support St Hilda’s College to transform student lives, please use the button below
Help transform a student’s life today
James Hardiman
Today’s student body still want to be able to come to college and have a bloody good time. But they - rightly - also expect that they will be part of a community that celebrates every member and is built upon a culture of mutual respect where everyone feels like they belong.
If you have been following the news around Australia’s higher education sector in recent years, you’ll be familiar with the ongoing discussions around issues that are regularly grouped under the broadbrush term, culture.
Drinking culture. Bullying culture. Sexist culture. Woke culture. Cancel culture.
Every member of our community will have their own views on these As the current Principal of St Hilda’s College, I am the first to say that the modern student and what they want and need from us is what drives our culture today
St Hilda’s still throws some of the best turns along the crescent But today’s student expects so much more than a college experience that is just about having great parties, sitting in a few extra tutorials and playing sport - they want a community that seeks to intentionally develop them both personally and professionally so that they can be ready to enter the adult world with the skills, confidence and knowledge to succeed in an ever-evolving modern workplace.
Turns and sporting success will always be part of the highlight reel of a St Hilda’s experience, but we are doing so many other amazing things as well that might be new to those who called this place home over the past six decades Because the modern student experience demands and deserves a nuanced and intentional approach to community, culture and inclusivity
We’re working hard to create a space for people to have positive and respectful discourse We genuinely want to support our students to understand their place in the world and to ponder more deeply about how they might live, think and lead within a diverse community and what that might look like for them
A major part of that is intentional planning around training and development opportunities
Over the past few years, we have spent considerable time and
College today may look a little different than it did in the past. An ongoing challenge is ensuring that we respect our past and traditions without being constrained by them. We acknowledge that modern students and their families are coming to us with different and evolving views and that expectations of what a modern university experience looks like is rapidly changing.
L-R: Dean of Students, Fiona Cadorel; GC Treasurer, Joel Biro; GC President, Harry Walker-Jones; GC President, Sharon Anthony; GC Secretary, Alison O’Brien; and, Principal, James Hardiman Commencement Dinner 2025
effort to craft programs that aim to foster respect, healthy relationships and, ultimately, a positive and community-minded culture where students still have endless fun, but they also learn to take seriously their obligations to each other and their communities beyond our walls at college
We’ve brought in a lot of experts in the field to help our student leaders, our staff and the wider student body to navigate big topics like respectful relationship, healthy masculinity and femininity, as well as the primary prevention of gendered violence The latter has, reasonably, been a consistent focus of community and political leaders in recent years and St Hilda’s takes its responsibility to ensure our students are engaging with issues like this seriously.
We’ve teamed up with organisations and individuals like Mancave (a preventative mental health and emotional literacy charity) and Daniel Principe (youth advocate and educator) We are also proud to have co-designed an industry first pilot program with OurWatch (the national leader in the primary prevention of violence against women) on the prevention of gendered violence in a tertiary and residential setting This pilot is now being implemented at colleges across Australia.
The team at St Hilda’s is conscious we are walking a fine line between creating a environment that is still unashamedly exciting and fun, but is also really respectful and safe for every member of our community
While the topics may vary, a similarity across many of these programs is that they are designed to give participants the language, skills and knowledge to not only develop their own emotional intelligence but to recognise where others are coming from.
The goal is for our students to see that difference can be a good thing.
One of the greatest joys is that this is not just a top-down approach from the College Each year, we are co-designing these programs with a team of passionate student leaders who are genuinely invested in helping to model and create a College culture that represents their values and expectations around equity, respect and community building.
We have so many examples, big and small, of this studentled approach to creating an inclusive space for all.
Last year’s all-male Student Club Executive proactively led the student body on a journey to ensure that future leadership at St Hilda’s would always include diversity of gender They drove a community wide change campaign to change their constitution and introduce a co-president model that ensures diverse gender representation at the most senior of student leadership positions. This is an Australian first for residential colleges.
We’ve seen a student-led push to engage experts in women’s health and create space to be able to talk about topics like chronic illness, reproductive health and others that may have previously been taboo Alongside this, our young men are challenging each other to create space to explore what it
Supporting our sportsTennis 2025
means to be vulnerable alongside conversations around relationships, consent and respect.
We are proud that we have a modern student club that not only has gender representation but also holds space for groups that have been traditionally under-represented within university settings
The leadership team now includes a Queer Representative and an International representative who work with the entire community to represent and advocate for the needs of their cohorts while also providing educational and learning opportunities for all on issues that might disproportionately affect them.
There’s a member of the General Committee whose remit is to help the Student Club think deeply about what all the various activities might look like for our neuro-divergent community and how they can make their events universally accessible.
We are also pleased to see increased interest from our student body around Reconciliation.
This has led to the inclusion in recent years of Cultural Awareness Training, a Welcome to Country ceremony in O Week and the opportunity for students to take part in a one-day on country experience at the Coranderrk Aboriginal Reserve facilitated by a local elder.
Our students and their families tell us that they want a safe and inclusive space For us, that isn’t just a throw-away phrase
It tasks us with creating a community that allows young people to learn and express themselves To discover new ways of thinking without being afraid of questioning. To not be afraid if they aren’t sure or aren’t confident around different expressions of life and the ways people live
We know the world is changing and college is changing with it. The modern student is also changing and expects something different to what a university experience might have looked like as little as ten years ago.
We’re not seeking change students to fit in to a standard arch what a college student and experience ‘should’ look like. The for today’s student is you can be who you want to be and this change for you - not the other way around
We have seen rapid change and we are proud of the culture t continues to evolve here at St Hilda’s.
We believe that the culture students are experiencing will no them up for success as they continue their journeys beyond S but will benefit those around them Their future partners The families. Their work places. Their communities. After all, colle just about the individuals here and now, it’s about their future impact they will have well beyond their time as a student
Welcome Saturday (2025)
There’s a feeling around the St Hilda’s Theatre Group this year: Anything Goes!
That’s right, this year’s production takes a departure from some of our more recent performances and heads back to the Jazz Age aboard the SS American as the main characters navigate all manner of romantic complications amidst a backdrop of laughter, music and danc
Running for three nights only from Thursday September 4 to Saturday September 6 at Union House Theatre, tickets for Anything Goe will go on sale in late July so keep an eye on the various St Hilda’s social media channels th th
In the meantime, the cast and crew are busy getting ready and are looking forward to Play Intensive week (A K A Plonding Week) at the end of Winter break
Plonding Week 2024 - Legally Blonde
If you haven’t caught a Hilda’s production in a while, there are high hopes that this year’s iteration will continue to follow in the illustrious footsteps of the past few years
For those who had the pleasure of productions like Heathers, The Addams Family and Legally Blonde we can’t wait to sit in the audience and see what the 2025 team have pulled together
Following a wonderful inaugural luncheon in March, we will be hosting our second V I P event for members of The Communitas Society during Semester 2
If you would like to have a confidential conversation with the Principal or to simply find out more about our new bequest society, please contact the Community Engagement Team at St Hilda’s College.
You can contact us via email at communitas@hildas unimelb edu au or you can call +61 3 9248 8400 and ask to speak with Kate Abraham.
Alternatively, you can visit the dedicated page on the St Hilda’s College website Click here to learn more
Applications for 2026 entry have been open for a couple of months now and, as we have come to expect in the post-COVID landscape, interest across the colleges is high.
If a young person in your life is thinking about Hilda’s, the following may be of interest:
“Time after time we hear from families how welcome they feel when they walk in the door at Open Day and are met by a group of Hilda’s students keen to show them around”
- James Hardiman, Principal
students and library
This year’s Open Day is on Sunday 17 August from 10am - 4pm.
As part of the Open Day offerings, St Hilda’s will be open for tours These tours are a chance for prospective students and their families to meet our current students and staff, see the facilities we have to offer and get a sense of whether our community is the right fit for them.
While not compulsory, the Colleges University of Melbourne group is collecting registrations for likely visitors on the day to assist with planning and catering using the button below
For more information on the broader University of Melbourne Open Day offerings, head to the Open Day website to help plan your day
Luckily, Open Day is not the only time that prospective students can visit St Hilda’s!
For a number of years now, we have had a system in place where those who are looking at their options for uni accommodation can contact us to book in a time for a one-on-one tour.
These tours happen year round and we can accommodate after hours and weekend tours as needed
For those that can’t make it to Melbourne, we can also organise a tour via Zoom where one of our students will give the tour through their phone
“I wouldn’t be here at Hilda’s if I hadn’t heard about it from someone who was already here”
- Ruby, Second-year student & Hilda’s Ambassador
We are seeing increasing numbers of schools reaching out to us to bring their senior students down to Melbourne to check out St Hilda’s.
We also regularly visit schools in regional Victoria and inter-state
Plus, we are in the process of re-launching the Hilda’s Student Ambassador program that will see current students complete a training program and then going back to their old schools to talk to Senior students and staff
For any of our alumni currently working in schools who would like to connect with us for a school visit, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via phone (03) 9248 8400 or email admissions@hildas.unimelb.edu.au
t’s that time of year where lots of places are having their Careers Expos.
St Hilda’s will have representation at the ollowing upcoming Expos:
Gippsland Grammar Futures Expo July 23
Geelong Grammar Careers Discovery Day July 27
Ballarat Careers and Futures July 28
There will also be Colleges Uni Melbourne epresentation at:
TSXPO Brisbane 19-20 July
Sunshine Coast Careers Expo 22 July
Meet Melbourne Albury July 30
St Hilda’s was devastated to hear the news of the passing in June of Jonthan Neilson (Peer Year 2000)
Jonathan’s wife, Jayne (née Ellis; peer year 2002) and their children Jesse, Ashlyn and Heidi were by his side when he unexpectedly passed away at home
Jonathan was the second eldest son of Kaye and Geoff Neilson’s seven children, six of whom have attended St Hilda’s College
Jonathan is remembered for his jovial nature and his unwavering dedication to family, friends and the community
A Service to celebrate and honour the life of Jonathan was held at Nielsen Funeral Chapel in Warragul on Monday June 23 . rd
As an act of remembering and honoring Jonathan, the Neilson family have created a private space for anyone who knew Jono to share a memory or a reflection They have invited anyone who knew Jono in any way to share something A story A word A moment All of it counts
This space remains open as a gift to Jonathon’s family.
If you would like to share something in this private space, you can find the link HERE.
Jonathan and brother, Simon with the 2002 Cricket Premiership team
Rowing supporters 2025
There was no missing the Hilda’s supporters at this year’s Regatta, with the Student Club exhausting the national K Mart stock of Dinosaur hats in the lead up
The Queen’s watermelons had nothing on our parade of dinosaurs; plus, in chilly early morning conditions, the Green & Blue army were feeling nicely snug on the banks of the Yarra!
Athletics
Soccer
Molly Fraser & Rory Vial
Cricket
Emily Bauer & Kavin
Kumar
Cross Country
Chloe Bretherton & Rory
Vial
Hockey
Nishka Parekh & Ben
Rippey
Rowing
Eva Raco & James Smythe
Swimming
Will Malet de Carteret & Kalika Miliankos-King
Spencer McIntosh & Hannah Piper
Table Tennis
Dylan Thompson & Amelie Woodward
Tennis
Emily Lester & Josh
Rowbottom
09/05/1945 - 11/04/2025
Helen came to St Hilda’s from Geelong High School in 1964 She was the recipient of a Residental Scholarship and an Education Department Studentship and studied in the Arts Faculty with particular enthusiasm for English Literature
According to her friend Val (Taylor) Clarke, Helen was motivated by deadlines and enjoyed meeting them with the narrowest of margins
She was an avid reader and lived in a world of books She collected many and loved discussing them This made her a brilliant and passionate teacher for her students at the sequentially named Melbourne State College/ Melbourne Institute of Education/ Education Faculty of the University of Melbourne until she was made redundant by the latter. She was also passionate about the writing of Ford Maddox Ford and always hoped he would be the subject of the PhD she would write
her in Brunswick t to live with her left. When her mother became unwell, Helen cared for her devotedly She enjoyed being a hermit but admitted that, although retreating into her beloved books had made her very happy, perhaps she had missed out on life
Her own poor health made her fearful of catching Covid and from 2020, Helen became totally isolated She continued to contact her friends by phone and email, sharing with them the many topics and concerns that interested her
Val Clarke and Irene Donohoue Clyne remained good friends with Helen and this obituary is based on their affectionate tributes at the service to farewell her
We’d like to welcome the following new member of our extended St Hilda’s Community.
Banjo Hardiman joined Principal, James “Jimmy” Hardiman’s family at the end of April and is endearing himself to everyone he meets!
Current students are already lining up to take Banjo on plenty of walks around Prinny Park
We’d like to congratulate Dr David James Iserfather of Kate Lindquist (Iser, PY2000) and brother-in-law of Cheryl Iser (PY1964) who was on this year’s King’s Birthday Awards list David was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to medicine as a general practitioner
We’d like to send our condolences to Jenny Hall (Haines, PY1964) following the passing of her husband, John Hall in June John was well-known to the 1964-1965 cohorts and will be dearly missed by many
We also send our thoughts to the family and friends of Ian Weeks Husband of 1964 alumna, Wendy Davenport (Deceased), Ian was also a tutor at St Hilda’s during the College’s early years. Ian was well-known to the College’s founding cohorts and will be remembered fondly.
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With each Linked In post, newsletter, Facebook post, etc. that we send out, we are slowly hearing from more alumni who want to reconnect with St Hilda’s
Whether it’s so they can hear about upcoming events or simply enjoy the occasional trip down memory lane by hearing about what the current Hildarians are up to, please encourage your St Hilda’s friends to get in touch with us to update their details.
Additionally, if there is someone from your era who you think we should be celebrating, let us know!
Details can be updated via the form on the Alumni page of the St Hilda’s website
To let us know about alumni news, drop us a line via communitas@hildas unimelb edu au