Community Engagement
This past quarter has seen a number of opportunities for the College to welcome various alumni back on site In each instance, we’ve also been thrilled to facilitate the interaction of our current students with those who have come before them.
This quarter’s news provides an insight into why that link between the different eras of St Hilda’s is so important and why we are keen to keep finding space for those connections to grow
This quarter also features several alumni profiles and a shout out to two members of the community who just completed the Berlin marathon!
Georgie welcoming guests to the recent Gold Leaf Dinner
As always, we also have updates about what the current cohort of students at St Hilda’s are up to, including introducing the incoming Student Club Executive for 2026.
Finally, we’d like to take this opportunity to introduce and welcome the newest member of the Community Engagement team, Georgie Macho.
Georgie joined the team at the start of this month as the Community Engagement Coordinator and will be working mainly with Kate in the alumni and development space. A recent graduate, Georgie is a former St Hilda’s student and is looking forward to getting to know the wider alumni community as part of her new role
Kate Abraham & Carly Damen Community Engagement Managers
communitas@hildas unimelb edu au
Gold Leaf Dinner
Saturday September 13 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.
Photos by Organic Photography
Pre-dinner drinks and canapés in the Front Quad
Patricia Roberts
Pete Howell
L-R: Justin King, Nick Chan, Mia Wisniewski, Brett Mangan & Ben Murphy
Find the full set of photos HERE
If you know former Executive members and/or honour board recipients who aren’t receiving invitations to this event, encourage them to get in touch with us to update their details!
L-R: Simon Krupka, Harry WalkerJones, Alex Dyson, Amber Young & Robyn Mackenzie
L-R: Peter Howell, Anna Shield, Dan Boulton & Chris Roberts
L-R: Julie Connolly & Wendy Lewis
Back L-R: Harrison Neville, Will Munday & Georgie Macho
Front L-R: Alex Wackrow, Joshua Lee, Sharon Anthony & Abbey Miller
Plenty of photos & memorabilia were on display in the JCR for a trip down memory lane
L-R: Holly Morrison, Elise Taylor, Naomi Lam & Paige Blyth
Reunion News!
Saturday November 22, 2025
Calling all Peer Year groups ending in 5!
On Saturday 22 November we will be holding a reunion at St Hilda's for alumni celebrating decades since they first started as students at College in 1965, 1975, 1985, 1995, 2005 and 2015.
You will have the opportunity across the afternoon to look around the College, visit your old room(s) and then enjoy canapés and drinks with Hildarians across the decades.
Invitations went out yesterday, so if you haven’t yet received one in your inbox, please let us know!
Please also encourage friends who may have dropped off the mailing list to get in touch so they don’t miss out!
We'll wrap the event up at five so that you and your friends can then continue the trip down memory lane at your leisure Maybe Lygon St is calling, perhaps it's Naughton's or The Clyde. We will leave the dinner plans up to you!
Whether it's been 10 years, 60 years or somewhere in between, we look forward to welcoming you back to St Hilda's
STUDENT CLUB NEWS
Introducing the incoming Student Club Executive
It is our pleasure to introduce the 2026 St Hilda’s College Student Club Executive:
Simon Krupka - Co-President
Ashna Sharma - Co-President
Alex Wackrow - Treasurer
Georgia Shell - Secretary
The College is looking forward to working with the incoming Executive and congratulate them on their successful appointment
We would also like to acknowledge the work that the 2025 Executive have put in so far this year
L-R: Georgia Shell, Simon Krupka, Diego, Ashna Sharma & Alex Wackrow
Alumni Profile
By Aimee Watson
“If you went to Melbourne Uni, the aspiration was that you go to St Hilda's.”
The inaugural Industry Showcase & Academic Dinner held at St Hilda’s in August was an incredible success, with alumni and special guests in attendance to share career reflections and advice with our current students. I was lucky enough to speak with two of our alumni from the early 1990s, Daryl Kroschel and Matt Starick, about their memories from their time at St Hilda’s and where their careers have taken them
Daryl and Matt arrived at St Hilda’s from country towns, Horsham and Dimboola, respectively.
“St Hilda’s was really renowned as a country college,” says Daryl, “If you went to Melbourne Uni, the aspiration was that you go to St Hilda's ”
While at St Hilda’s, Matt completed his degree in Science, while Daryl completed his preclinical years of a Medical degree. After three years each at College, Matt and Daryl pursued careers across Australia and beyond
Matt first worked in Western Australia as an Earth Scientist in Iron Ore Operations but after a year, he decided to pursue another career path, returning to university to study a Bachelor of Commerce. He pivoted to Operating Analysis, then Portfolio Management with one of the world’s most successful hedge funds. His roles have taken him across the world from Sydney to Shanghai, Chicago and Hong Kong, before landing back in Australia
Matt Starick (left) with current Hilda’s students at the Industry Showcase
With an entrepreneurial mind, Matt started his own hedge fund, a process he says was incredibly enlightening. Using the lessons from his first endeavour, Matt started a second hedge fund focused on responsibility to the environment. Clean Alpha Partners assesses the carbon emissions of the companies they invest in, aiming to give their customers sustainable and responsible investing opportunities without sacrificing return on their investments. Talking to the company’s ethos, Matt says: “Everything we do is about decarbonising investment or investing for the next generation ”
Reflecting on his journey, Matt sees a culmination of experiences – utilising his Science and Commerce degrees, working in Western Australia and his time in hedge funds overseas – that have led him to where he is today. From working in leadership as the founder of his own company, he says acknowledging that a leader doesn’t have all the answers is the most important step to effective leadership. Very team-focused, Matt spoke about how crucial it is to lean on and learn from a team, gathering feedback and coming together to make decisions.
Daryl continued with his studies after College, doing his clinical years and internship year at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. After completing his degree, Daryl spent a year in the United Kingdom working for the NHS, returning 5 years later for stints in General Practice and Emergency Medicine at Westminster Chelsea Hospital He came back to Australia having experienced a different world of medicine and took on roles across the country Daryl started with Hospital in the Home, a first-of-its-kind model in Australia focused on providing care beyond traditional practice or hospital environments.
Next, he moved to Perth to develop the systems and processes and manage the workforce for their Hospital in the Home project. Now back in Victoria, Daryl works as Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Epworth, tasked with managing a medical workforce of over 3000 staff across 7 sites.
With extensive experience across different specialties, leadership roles and countries, Daryl still has a love for sports medicine, having worked as Club Doctor for the Williamstown VFL team, getting up close with AFL personalities and debating injury management. “That’s a season I really enjoyed,” Daryl says.
Daryl Kroschel enjoying the Academic Dinner following the Industry Showcase
The front quad in the early 1990s
Daryl was also able to achieve a lifelong goal when he participated in the Oxford Healthcare Leadership Programme. This week-long intensive course incorporates elements of Oxford’s Masters of Business Administration, explores challenges in the medical field and provides a global network for participants.
Similar to Matt, Daryl agreed that his time in leadership taught him the importance of working in a team. He reflected on a change in how we perceive leadership, from strength and ‘leading from the front’ in the nineties to a more group-focused model today. Matt spoke to a strength in vulnerability when it comes to leadership: being able to ask for help and allowing himself to be challenged by those around him.
When I asked what they learnt during their time at St Hilda’s, it was clear how much importance was placed on community and connection Matt and Daryl both emphasised how they can still rely on the network of people formed at college and stay in touch with people they may not have seen in 30 years.
“It’s amazing how many people are dotted around the place and really doing exceptional things,” Matt said. The piece of advice he offered was not to be afraid of reaching out to other alumni and utilising the shared identity of St Hilda’s.
Daryl spoke about St Hilda’s as a support as he left home for the first time, especially coming from Country Victoria. He fondly remembered the 1994 Men’s Footy Premiership as a highlight of his time at College, as well as being able to develop strong relationships with other Hildarians “It was really a village within a big city, and for me it was a safe space.”
Thank you so much to Matt and Daryl for being a part of our Industry Showcase Event and for sitting down to share their stories with me.
Daryl Kroschel (left) with current students at the Industry Showcase
Industry Showcase Event
It was an absolute pleasure on August 28 to welcome eighteen alumni and friends back to the College to share their career journeys with our current students. th
Consisting of a 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.
L-R: In the Communitas Lounge, Senior Residential Advisor, Grant Hardisty hosted the Creative Industry panel which featured two friends of the College, Maddie Nunn & Joanna Werner
L-R: Sally-Ann Miller, Daryl Kroschel & Mia Wisniewski formed part of the Health & Medicine panel in the JCR
Our panels this year consisted of:
Business & Finance
Creative Industries
Design
Education
Health & Medicine
Law & Policy
Science & Engineering
The program of panellists can be seen HERE A huge thank you to the alumni and friends of the College who so generously donated their time for the event.
Former Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Sally Capp was the guest speaker for the Academic Dinner
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
L-R: Anna Foley, James Hardiman & Bridget Horsley formed the Science & Engineering panel in the Auditorium
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”.
Senior Residential Advisor, Richard Hinman (centre) hosted Hannah Fiddelaers (left) and Ben Hubbard (right) for the Law & Policy panel in the Library
Following in their footsteps
James Hardiman
Principal of St Hilda’s College
One of the most valuable and necessary parts of a modern tertiary education are those skills a student learns outside of the traditional tutorial or lecture theatre walls. Whether you call them soft skills, 21st Century skills or employability skills, ultimately it’s the interpersonal collaboration, communication and leadership skills we know industry is crying out for.
As past Hildarians will know, a college environment offers a unique space in which to develop and practise these skills - whether intentional or not!
Living with and studying alongside a couple of hundred other students teaches you pretty quickly how to navigate a whole heap of different situations and personalities
It’s also where you get to start building your future networks.
Alongside this organic development, a college experience also gives students access to intentionally-designed programs and networking opportunities.
2025's Industry Showcase with the Health & Medicine Panel
St Hilda’s has had variants of these in place since its inception and, in recent years, they have fallen under the umbrella of our Hilda’s Headstart program. This program is based around the desire to give the current Hildarian as many opportunities as possible to build confidence in these various ‘soft skills’
There’s two reasons that Hilda’s Headstart is important to us. For our students, they need these skills to become employable For industry, they need people who will have the skills and appetite to take on some of the most wicked and complex problems ever seen
It’s all well and good for someone to get amazing marks in their degree, but if they can’t enter their chosen field knowing how to communicate and negotiate, to think critically and creatively, to network, etc. then they’re not going to be able to do much with the knowledge they have poured so much time and effort into mastering. Ultimately, it’s about helping our students move from holding knowledge to making an impact
Critical to the success of Hilda’s Headstart is the involvement of previous generations of Hildarians. Who better for current students to hear and learn from than those who have already walked the path this generation is beginning to navigate?
L-R: Jason Chequer & Matthew Starick at the Business & Finance panel at this year’s Industry Showcase event
We’ve been incredibly fortunate over the years through our Fellows, our many guest speakers, and those involved in various mentor events to introduce today’s students to alumni across a vast number of industries and career paths.
The Industry Showcase in August was an event that gave the whole College cohort an opportunity to gain insight into the career journeys of members of the alumni community, while also offering a chance to practise networking in an environment where they are already comfortable
The old adage of “it’s not what you know but who you know” still exists for a reason It may not be the key to who successfully gains every position out there, but we all know your network is often who alerts you to roles that might be coming up somewhere. For the modern student though, it’s really easy to fall behind the safety of a screen and miss chances to build a network.
In current society, the necessity to interact with people in person has decreased. This has meant that, compared to generations before them, more young people are less comfortable with the notion of face-to-face interaction with people they don’t know.
This is not a criticism of the current generation Rather, it’s an observation of how the ways we communicate and interact have changed over recent decades. Ultimately, this is impacting on how different generations deal with tension points, conflict and disagreement.
appear incredibly intimidating. By integrating our alumni community into these events and programs, the fear factor is somewhat diminished for our students because there is an obvious point for connection - by virtue of the fact that they are all part of the same community.
Not only does the presence of alumni give our current students a topic to start a conversation, it allows them to see their future selves. At its heart, that is one of the true benefits of a college experience - knowing that there is a whole community of people who have come before you and who you can learn from.
If the first year student from a small school in regional Victoria gets to chat to someone who came from a similar background about how they worked their way into an executive position in their firm, suddenly that first year student can believe that they too can aim big.
It’s against this backdrop that Hilda’s Headstart looks to create opportunities for our students to put themselves in the deep end and begin building the confidence to speak to people they’ve never met and don’t know. People who, on paper (or LinkedIn) may Then there is the third year student who is panicking about not knowing what they want to do when they finish their undergraduate degree. When they hear alumni talk about their ‘spaghetti careers’, their imposter syndrome or their uncertainty about where they want to be in 5-10 years time, it’s likely that same third year student will realise that professional journeys rarely follow a tidy, linear pathway Crucially, they will hopefully understand they don’t have to have all the answers at 21 years of age!
Heather Schnagl at the 2024 Semester 2 Whitby Dinner
We know that the majority of our students land in Melbourne at the start of their journey not knowing anyone and not having the early entry points to a network That’s why we are always so grateful to all those many alumni who reach out to us to give back in kind to the current generation of Hildarians That early connection for our students is transformational.
Tim Chenoweth (left) & Mikaela Prentice (centre) share early career insights as part of a Young Alumi Panel chaired by 2024 Student Club President, Patrick Ryan at a 2024 Academic Dinner
I know from my own experience as a student how valuable it was to gain early insights into a profession by connecting with people already in the field. I had the privilege of connecting with established engineers who were alumni of my college I was also lucky enough to enjoy a series of industry placements as part of my own scholarship where I gained experience with four different companies as an intern before I graduated. These early interactions and experiences not only helped me begin building my own network but it also gave me invaluable insights into what my passions were and, equally important, what I didn’t want to pursue for my future career
Obviously we know that these events and programs are hugely impactful for our students, but we also firmly believe they have value for the alumni who get involved On a purely altruistic level, it’s always a good feeling to know
you’re passing knowledge onto the next generationespecially if you were once in their shoes.
At a practical level though, we also know many of our alumni are at points in their careers where they are recruiting young people For these alumni, it’s no doubt fascinating to get an insight into what the current undergraduate student is thinking about and what influences their decisions around who they want to work for in the future.
Richard Dent hosting a Whitby Dinner in 2024 for our highest achieving students
The recent Industry Showcase event has been mentioned several times in this quarter’s newsletter. It’s just one example in a long list of existing touch points between our current students and the alumni community, but it also marks a moment in time where we are actively looking to turn up the dial in connecting our current students to those who have come before them.
We are hearing more and more from our students how much they value meeting and learning from past Hildarians. Whether it is the full College events or more targeted workshops or fireside chats relating to specific faculties, interest areas or skills, the appetite amongst our students to engage in the Hilda’s Headstart program is strong.
We are also increasingly hearing from alumni who want to be able to give back in kind to the College. This year we have seen a range of alumni involvement in this space. One example was a workshop offering practical financial literacy for students so they know
how to budget when they move into their first share house. Other alumni have come in and run mock assessment centres for our students to help them practise interview skills and prepare for the GAMSAT. We’ve had sessions on ethical decison making, public speaking skills and more.
The opportunities for growth in this area are endless and our challenge moving forward will be balancing the enthusiasm from our students and generosity of our alumni and wider community with the Hilda’s calendar.
This is a challenge that we relish though. So, if you are sitting there reading this and want to get involved in this space, please get in touch with us.
You might think students would benefit from hearing about your career journey so far. You might be looking to offer a workshop based around a specific skillset. Or you could be in the position to start a conversation about a new industry scholarship
However you want to get involved, you can help us transform the lives of the students who may follow in your footsteps!
Students listening to the Law & Policy panel at the Industry Showcase event
Treading the boards
After months of hard work, the St Hilda’s Theatre Group delivered a spectacular rendition of the Broadway classic, Anything Goes at The Union Theatre at the beginning of September.
Across three nights, the cast and crew performed to an appreciative audience who are still humming along to the various tunes.
It was a particular delight to see the band sharing the stage with the rest of the cast this year and our congratulations to all involved.
As has been the case over many years now, it was great to see recent alumni involved across their various capacities Thanks also to those alumni who bought tickets to watch the show
L-R: Ashna Sharma as Moonface Martin & Harper
Raverty as Reno Sweeney performing “Friendship”
Sam Kohler as Billy Crocker performing “All through the night”
The chorus performing “Bon Voyage”
Centre: Pippa Monckton as Erma performs “Buddy Beware” surrounded by some of her sailors (L-R: Charlotte Gibson, Liv Jones, Ben Rippey & Macy Francis)
Alumni Profile
By Aimee Watson
“There was a group of women who wanted to see another women’s college... so St Hilda’s was born through that”
The recent Gold Leaf Dinner marked an opportunity for student leaders past and present to come together, sharing a meal and conversation. I had the pleasure of talking to Christine Penfold, one of the 1964 Foundation Students and 1966 Student Club President.
Christine arrived at St Hilda’s in 1964 in her second year of a degree in medicine. Her mother had been involved with the College before its opening, and St Hilda’s was embarking on an exciting journey as the newest College on the Crescent. “There was a group of women who wanted to see another Women’s College…. So St Hilda’s was born through that,” she said
As Student Club President in 1966, Christine worked closely with Marjorie Smart, remembering her as inspirational and someone who set boundaries while still encouraging collaboration with the student body. Marjorie would make time for groups of students to have coffee with her and share ideas on the kind of college they wanted to build together
For Christine, the motto of “Communitas” was apparent from the moment she arrived, and it was clear how much she embodied this motto. She spoke fondly of studying with students who had a range of perspectives. Spending most of her time at university with medical students, she returned home to college to live with students in the arts, history, and law, among other fields When asked about her lessons from leadership, she spoke about how important it was to have a diverse team of students “Everybody brings something different,” she said.
L-R: Christine Penfold, Dean of Students Fiona Cadorel, Principal James Hardiman & Campbell Penfold at the Gold Leaf Dinner
After spending three years at St Hilda’s, Christine moved into a house with friends to finish the final two years of her degree. While undertaking an internship at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, she married her husband, Campbell, who was a registrar at the hospital
Christine and Campbell made the brave decision to spend six months in Vietnam in 1970, during the Vietnam War They started their work in a civilian hospital near Saigon with a full Australian surgical team sponsored by AUSAID. Christine worked in paediatrics, dealing mainly with infectious diseases compounded by a lack of infrastructure. Later, she and Campbell moved to a southern province in the Mekong Delta to work in the civilian hospital Long Xuyen, replacing the Vietnamese medical staff who were with the army Christine remembers her experience as “very real” She said, “My parents weren't sure if they would ever see us again.”
Following six months in Vietnam, Christine moved with Campbell to London, working in paediatrics for two and a half years. Next was twelve months in New Orleans, where Christine’s daughter was born
In 1973, Christine and Campbell moved back to Australia. She began working part-time at the National Heart Foundation, then as a Student Medical Officer at the Institute for Early Childhood, and as President of a local kindergarten. As President, Christine again found opportunities to be involved in a community and connect with people
Following two years pursuing a Fine Arts degree, and with all three children at school, Christine became the Clinical Sub Dean at the University of Melbourne Clinical School This role was based at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Western Hospital and she worked here for 23 years with medical students in their clinical years and was involved with all aspects of their learning
What was evident from hearing about Christine’s career is her commitment to people – her continued pursuit of leadership and connecting with communities From being Head Prefect of her secondary school to President of the local kindergarten, Christine spoke of a focus on development, responsibility, and keeping the community at the forefront.
Returning to St Hilda’s for events such as the Gold Leaf Dinner, the College may have changed physically but Christine suggests that its values have stayed strong since that inaugural year.
Christine at the 2024 Founders & Benefactor’s Dinner
A pamphlet for the early stage fundraising of St
College
Early architectural model of St Hilda’s College from Stephenson & Turner Architects, March 1962
Hilda’s
She valued having passionate speakers at Academic Dinners, being able to engage in discussions with like-minded people and being a part of a diverse community, aspects of college life that are still alive and well It is such a gift to hear from St Hilda’s alumni and share stories. While the stories from St Hilda’s may differ with each passing year, it is clear that the incredible community that is built and shared here will always be at the center.
Thank you very much to Christine for speaking with me about her time at college, her career and what ‘Communitas’ has meant to her.
Campbell & Christine with incoming Student Club Treasurer, Alex Wackrow at the Gold Leaf Dinner
Christine & Campbell at the 2024 Marjorie Smart Oration
Christine at the 2024 recreation of the first St Hilda’s College dinner
Our second event for members of The Communitas Society will be held in mid-October, in recognition of those who have advised us of their intent to leave a gift in their Will to St Hilda’s College.
If you are interested in joining, please contact us via email at communitas@hildas.unimelb.edu. au or call +61 3 9248 8400 for a confidential discussion with Kate Abraham or James Hardiman.
Alternatively, you can visit the dedicated page on the St Hilda’s College website.
Paddock to Plate
This year’s Paddock to Plate event was another resounding success, with the Student Club choosing to once again raise money for Rural Aid.
The fundraising component of this night wouldn’t exist without the support of all those individuals, families, and businesses who donate items and experiences in support of the Student Club’s efforts and the College is very grateful to everyone who got involved this year
If you would like to support the businesses/organisations who have supported this year’s Paddock to Plate, they are (in alphabetical order):
Almost $10k* in total raised by the Student Club for Rural Aid. Well done to all the team!
L-R - 2025's Charity Convenors & Communitas Director: Ruby Stringer, Verity Quilty, Ashna Sharma (Communitas Director), Beth Pooley & Julia Huang
Thank you to all our contributors
Bodriggy Brewing Co
CorePlus studios in North Melbourne
Darling Estate Wines
D.O.C
Faull’s Shoes
Fitzroy Swimming Pool (Yarra Leisure)
Gifting Owl
Global Agritrends
Global Ballooning
Grampians Olive Co
Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie & IceCreamery
iFly
In Good Spirits Distilling
Melbourne Theatre Company
Lenne’s Orchard
Mountain View Hotel - King Valley
Politini Wines
Puffing Billy
Reh Liquids
Santa & D’SAS
St Hilda’s Theatre Group
The Source Bulk Foods - Ballarat
What The Putt Yo-Chi
Our thanks as well to the Bennetts, the Miliankos-Kings, the Lancasters and to Liz Dax and Hugh Taylor for their support.
Wear it Purple
Friday August 29 saw the Student Club put on their annual Wear it Purple Day event.
This year’s weather meant that the usual arts and craft stations had to be relocated to the JCR but lots of fun was still had by all
Drag performer, Holly Pop once again entertained everyone over lunch as well as adjudicating several song and dance activities Holly Pop also facilitated the charity raffle which raised $442 for Minus18.
For several years now, Wear It Purple Day at St Hilda’s has brought together our Queer community and their allies for a day of creativity and fun with 2025 continuing that tradition. Congratulations to Ella and the team on a successful day!
Indy
was positively bouncing with excitement!
L-R: Ella Goodwin (2025 Queer Rep) & Holly Pop
We had some epic lip sync battles over lunch
Wine glass painting was just one of the arts & crafts stations for the day
Welcome, Congratulations & Farewell
There has been much excitement at College over the past month or so with the arrival of Vincent Patrick Nicholson Hinman. Vincent is the son of our muchloved SRA, Richard and his wife, Toni Little Vincent’s arrival also sees some new supporter gear entering the rotation for future events!
St Hilda’s was very proud to hear recently that two of our alumni have proceeded to the finals of the prestigious Herald Sun Aria competition for emerging classical singers. A huge congratulations to Bailey Montgomerie and Breanna Stuart who have made it through the the final six
The final will be held on Sunday October 26 at the Elisabeth Murdoch Hall Tickets can be purchased directly from Melbourne Recital Centre.
th Bailey Montgomerie
Our youngest resident Breanna Stuart
Some people collect stamps and some collect medals for completing World Marathon Majors!
Our Admissions Manager, Rose has just added another one to her collection having completed the Berlin Marathon on September 21!
And Rose wasn’t the only Hildarian pounding the pavement in Berlin!
Recent alumn, Finlay Ekins also participated in the event in an effort to raise money for MakeA-Wish Foundation. At the time of writing this, Finlay had almost reached his fundraising target of £2,000!
We’ve heard from both parties that it got pretty hot out on the course so congratulations to both of them for battling through the conditions.
We are so proud of both Rose and Finlay for their respective achievements. What an inspiration!
Vale - Steve Johnson 1972-2025
St Hilda’s was saddened to hear of the passing of Steve Johnson in September. Steve came to College from Bendigo in 1990, followed by brother Matt in 1992.
St Hilda’s was a formative time in Steve’s life it helped shape his confidence and direction. Much of what followed his success in business and the strong, loving family he built had its roots there He will be hugely missed by the people who knew and loved him.
Rose after collecting her medallion
Finlay during the marathon
Steve Johnson
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Keep in touch
Or more to the point, help your Peer Year to stay in touch!
With each LinkedIn 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 reminiscing 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.
Details can be updated via the form on the Alumni page of the St Hilda’s website .
Additionally, if there is someone from your era who you think we should be celebrating, let us know!
To let us know about alumni news, drop us a line via communitas@hildas.unimelb.edu.au
