St Hilda’s News
Q1 2025
Welcome to St Hilda’s News 2025,
With the first three months of the year already under our belts, there’s quite a bit to share with you all. So, we invite you to sit down with a beverage of your choice and spend some time catching up on all things St Hilda’s!
Among the highlights of this quarter’s news, we have overviews of key events like Welcome Saturday, Commencement Dinner and International Women’s Day. We also share current student achievements, alumni news and the link to the 2024 copy of The Chronicle.
As always, if you have peers that you think may have dropped off from our contact lists, please share this with them and encourage them to update their details with us.
Kind regards,
Kate Abraham & Carly Damen, Community Engagement Team
Welcome Saturday
On Saturday 22nd February, we welcomed the newest Hildarians and their families into our community.
2025 sees 137 new students join the College, including a handful of Transition to Residence students.
Our new students come to us from every state and territory in Australia, with six different countries and four continents being represented across our international first year cohort.
Check out our 2025 Comms Intern, Clem’s story about Welcome Saturday here
In keeping with Hilda’s tradition, the majority of our new students hail from regional or rural areas. Those who have joined us from metropolitan areas are overwhelmingly from interstate or overseas which means that almost all of our first years get to find their feet in Melbourne together.
For all the photos from the day, check our our Flickr album.
Even Diego was finding it hard to contain the excitement!
Some of our most recent alumni were on hand to help new Hildarians move in!
Rooms were getting decorated early!
Melbourne turned the weather on!
The Incognit’O’ Week shirt was a hit!
Plenty of family photos were taken on the day!
So much unpacking to be done!
The ‘O’ Week team were very excited to meet everyone!
The merch table was particularly busy!
Lots of K Mart and Myer trips were had for clothes airers, fans & sheets!
Commencement Dinner
Signifying the start of the academic year, our annual Commencement Dinner was held on Thursday March 6th. After the success of last year, the decision was made to once again hold the event outside in the Front Quad under a beautiful twilight sky.
As always, the dinner included an official address by the Principal, with James (Jimmy) reminding students to take advantage of all the new opportunities that a university and college experience allows, while also reassuring those who might be experiencing some nerves that Hilda’s is always there to support them in this new journey.
Our new Co-Presidents, Sharon Anthony and Harry Walker-Jones also delivered their address to the college and we were pleased to welcome first year student, Sam Kohler to the stage to entertain us with his guitar and vocal rendition of “Hello my old heart” by The Oh Hellos.
The night was also a chance to recognise the highest achievers of 2024 in our returner cohort and all the details of prize winners is on the next page.
For the full set of photos, head over to our Flickr album.
The 2025 Exec team
Making memories
Cheers to a new year
Thanks to Sam for the music
Award Winners
Our congratulations to the following students who were presented with awards at Commencement Dinner for their outstanding academic achievements in 2024.
Miller Exhibition Scholarships
This prize recognises returning second year students who were the highest achieving student in their faculty from the previous year. This year’s recipients are (in alphabetical order):
Rhiannon Ferdinando (Science)
Layla O’Callaghan (Arts)
Emily Rednall (Commerce)
Faeiza Shariff (Non-UniMelb)
Matilda Stepto (Biomedicine)
Alex Wackrow (Design)
Moore Senior Scholarships
This prize recognises returning third year students who were the highest achieving student in their faculty from the previous year. This year’s recipients are (in alphabetical order):
Yashua Aboumourad (Design)
Joel Biro (Biomedicine*)
Kelly Hirschmann (Arts)
Houhong Li (Commerce)
Jesse McDougall (Biomedicine*)
Harry Walker-Jones (Science)
*Awarded jointly in 2025
John Harper Prize
This prize recognises the College’s top performing Uni Melb Commerce student. The 2025 recipient is: Houhong Li
The Anne Wischusen Prize
This prize recognises the College’s top performing female-identifying UniMelb student. The 2025 recipient is:
Alex Wackrow
The Fellows Prize
This prize recognises the College’s top performing UniMelb student (across all faculties). The 2025 recipient is: Houhong Li
Congratulations to all of this year’s Commencement Dinner prize winners! Houhong Li
Alex Wackrow
International Women’s Day
After beginning our life as a women’s college, International Women’s Day remains an important day in our calendar.
This year, we celebrated a few days after the official day, with a luncheon on Tuesday March 11 in the newly revamped auditorium.
Around 90 people were in attendance for the event, representing a crosssection of alumni from all decades, current students, staff and various friends of the St Hilda’s community.
Our guest speaker for the event was Australian Medical Association President, Dr Danielle McMullen. You can read Dr McMullen’s address in full HERE and see the full album of photos on our Flickr page.
You can also read a more detailed story about the event from this year’s student Communications Intern, Clementine Dernelley HERE.
For more information on the 2025 IWD theme, we encourage you to visit the UN Women Australia site to learn about the ‘March Forward” call to action.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the event and we hope to welcome even more of you to next year’s event.
It was great to welcome some of our most recent alumni back
The revamped Auditorium had its first event!
Dr Danielle McMullen delivers her address
Changes to The Board
Following the departure at the end of last year of Chair of the St Hilda’s College Board, David Gilbertson KC, it is our pleasure to welcome our new Chair, Dr Lynne Williams AM.
Lynne will already be well known to many in our community. As well as being an alumna of St Hilda’s herself, Lynne has also been our Principal Fellow since 2018.
We also welcomed two new Board members at the end of 2024, Professor Jamie Evans & Mr Chris Tiedemann. Jamie & Chris join the Board following the
David Gilbertson KC
Professor Richard James
Professor Doreen Thomas
Dr Lynne Williams AM
Student Club News
Sports Reps’ Update:
Sport is well and truly underway in the Intercollegiate calendar with our students giving it a go across the cricket field, tennis courts and more!
While most sports are still finalising their seasons, we can report on an impressive win in the female-identifying comp in the recent Intercollegiate Athletics competition! We also came 5th in the male-identifying comp, placing us an impressive 2nd overall!
In cross-country, first year student, Rory Vial (right) came second in an spirited run.
In cricket news we made the largest total in the maleidentifying comp this year of 190 against Newman, where second-year, Kavin Kumar scored a spectacular century. We unfortunately had a narrow loss to Queens in the semis and are playing in the 3rd place play offs this Saturday.
In the female-identifying comp, we’ve also had a good cricket season and despite missing out on the final this year we will compete for third in the minor final.
In tennis, we lost to Ormond in the tennis semis but ended up with third place overall.
Queer Rep’s Report
We’ve had a number of pride events to start the year at St Hilda’s! We’ve had two Queer Picnics for queer and questioning students both within the college and in the intercollegiate space. These picnics give our queer students a chance to form connections with each other and celebrate their shared identities.
Our big event so far though has been Pride Night, which is a whole college affair! The night consisted of Drag Bingo run by drag queen, Xena Ghost, a costume competition where students dressed up as their favourite gay icon as well as lots of fun food like popcorn, fairy floss and rainbow cupcakes. Pride Night is so important as it sets the welcoming and inclusive culture we have here at Hilda’s and is overall just an incredibly fun night for the whole college to get around!
Hilda’s Play News
The production for this year has been announced and we are very excited to let you know that we will be perfoming, Anything Goes.
Auditions finish this weekend. Stay tuned in coming months for ticket info.
Key Dates
Upcoming events to pop into your calendar:
Marjorie Smart Oration - Saturday May 3rd (watch your inboxes for the invite next week)
Open House - Saturday May 17th
St Hilda’s Community and Alumni Reunion Day | Saturday 22 November
Congratulations to Susan Henning, PhD
St Hilda’s is very proud to congratulate one of our wonderful alumna, Professor Emerita Susan J. Henning (PY 1964) following news that she has been awarded the Harry Shwachman Award.
Awarded by the North American Society For Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition (NASPGHAN), The Shwachman Award recognises one of their members, “who has made major, life long scientific or educational contributions to the field of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology or nutrition in North America”.
Susan is the first PhD and only the sixth woman to be recognised with the Shwachman Award.
Her award recognises both her academic research (and subsequent discoveries), plus the significant impact that she has had throughout her career to date as a mentor and guide in her field.
In their overview, NASPGHAN refers to Susan as a role model. St Hilda’s agrees. From regional roots, to the University of Melbourne and then a distinguished career in the U.S.A., Susan is a shining example to our community.
Congratulations Susan! A very well-deserved award.
Susan (centre) receiving her award
If you know of other alumni achievements you think we should share, please let us know!
Paddock to Plate 2025 - EOI
St Hilda’s College, in partnership with the Student Club, is pleased to announce that this year’s Paddock to Plate event (the showpiece of our current families’ weekend) will once again support Rural Aid.
As a college that proudly has its roots in rural and regional Australia, supporting a charity like Rural Aid is a real privilege and it makes sense to again combine the Paddock to Plate event with our fundraising efforts in this space.
As in previous years, we invite anyone in our community who would like to contribute to this event to get in contact with us if you are in a position to:
1.
Donate an item/experience that can be used for our raffle, silent auction or lucky door prizes
2.
Be a featured producer for the event (food/beverage/decorations).
All contributors to the event will have the option to be listed in the event program (including your logo if relevant) and be tagged in related social media posts. The program will then be hosted on the college website with encouragement of our wider community to support the various businesses and individuals who have been involved.
You can view last year’s program HERE
To discuss potential donations and/or to enquire about being a featured producer for the event, please contact Carly Damen (Community Engagement Manager - Marketing, Communications & Events):
Email - carly.damen@hildas.unimelb.edu.au
Phone - 03 9248 8422
The Communitas Society: Inaugural Event
Friday March 21st was a historic day in this year’s calendar. It was the day we were honoured to host the inaugural event of The Communitas Society.
The Communitas Society is a very special set of members of the St Hilda’s College community. An invite-only group, it is comprised of individuals who have indicated to the College that they have included a gift to St Hilda’s in their will.
The Communitas Society was launched at last year’s Founders & Benefactors event and the inaugural event welcomed and recognised 11 founding members of this group.
Those who attended enjoyed a guided tour around the Melbourne Botanical Gardens followed by a beautiful luncheon at Bacash Restaurant in South Yarra.
While Principal, James Hardiman was unfortunately ruled out of the event due to illness, our Dean of Students, Fiona Cadorel stepped in to officially welcome the group and delivered a heart-felt speech on behalf of James.
Learn more about The Communitas Society here
Industry Cooperative Program
Last year, we welcomed the first recepient of a St Hilda’s College Industry Cooperative Scholarship, Lara Swenson. Carly & James chatted to Lara and our first industry partner, Northrop about what the experience has been like so far.
Lara, can you describe how you felt when you found out you were the recipient of this scholarship & internship package?
I was overwhelmed with joy, excitement and gratitude, and once I had received that phone call, my decision was made to move from QLD to Melbourne.
What was it like completing first year knowing you already had industry links?
Built-in industry connections removed a significant stress from my plate and allowed me to focus on settling into university life in a new state. Throughout the year, I had the pleasure to attend Northrop’s Melbourne social events, and this early industry connection inspired and motivated me through first year.
Tell us about your first instalment of the Summer internship
As an undergraduate structural engineer, I was exposed to a diverse range of tasks, including running calculations by hand and using computer software, learning about Australia’s standards, codes and building regulations, interpreting site reports and engineering plans, attending site inspections, participating in meetings, and enjoying office social activities such as lunchtime futsal games!
Site visits were definitely a highlight, I loved seeing the variety of construction projects across Melbourne and Ballarat. I also really enjoyed learning industry software, particularly modeling structures and observing how they respond to different loads.
What have you learnt?
closely with clients, builders, architects, drafters, civil, mechanical, electrical, and geotechnical engineers, sustainability consultants, and even arborists. I realized I enjoy working in a dynamic environment and that building strong connections and collaborating with others is a key strength of mine.
What impact has the internship program had on you so far?
It’s significantly boosted my confidence and allowed me to see the bigger picture of how uni’s theoretical concepts apply in realworld industry practices. I feel more motivated, as I can visualise what my degree is preparing me for. Plus, having a headstart in classes by being familiar with engineering software, floor plans, and practical concepts is hugely beneficial.
Alumni Participation EOI
I discovered that engineering involves far more than just mathematical equations and physics concepts. One of my favorite aspects of the internship was the opportunity to interact with a variety of professionals daily. I got to observe the structural engineering team collaborate
As an undergraduate student, this is an invaluable experience and I hope more companies/individuals consider this type of program. Even just gaining exposure to the industry—understanding what a typical day looks like, learning industry terminology, and exploring various career pathways—can have a profound impact on a young person’s career development. I know it is giving me a strong head start and fostering a deeper understanding of the profession; I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity.
Northrop’s reflections to James on the experience also highlights the value of this type of partnership.
Why invest in young people?
One of our core values is a focus on developing people to their full potential. This all starts in early careers where we believe in the benefits of a talent pipeline. By showing commitment to the development of our interns and graduates, in turn we see that they show commitment to our company and our industry.
Why the combination of scholarship & internship?
Internship programs are something that Northrop has always believed in. We have a well-developed early careers program that allows young professionals to engage with all levels of our business and all areas of our industry with the hope of inspiring them to take on the challenge of joining our team in future. Investing in people early is important to us.
The scholarship component of this agreement was an added bonus for Northrop to work with a college that has aligned values in the support of gender equality in an historically maledominated industry. We are passionate about programs that support and champion Women in STEM and this program allowed us to contribute in a meaningful way.
Why Hilda’s?
St Hilda’s has a strong track record of developing capable leaders who are engaged with the world around them.
Northrop sees great value in the leadership and professional development program that St Hilda’s builds for its students across three years which means that interns and early career professionals are coming to us already ahead of the curve and ready to hit the ground running. We also see great values alignment with St Hilda’s who have a clear focus on equity and access to education for otherwise underrepresented cohorts.
Why should more businesses take this step?
The industry co-operative program not only affords Northrop access to some incredible early career talent, but it allows us to show our commitment to important challenges like gender equity in STEM careers. It has been great to welcome the first summer intern to our site over summer and we look forward to their ongoing growth and development in coming years.
One year in, how has the experience been for you and your team so far?
St Hilda’s helpfully shortlisted some amazing candidates for this program and from the get go we were thrilled with the calibre of the candidates. Our inaugural intern has just finished their first summer internship and has been a great contributor to our team, absolutely absorbing every opportunity available to learn.
If you, or someone you know, may be interested in teaming up with St Hilda’s for a similar program, please get in touch with Principal, James Hardiman to find out more about our Industry Partnership Program.
The Chronicle - 2024
A couple of weeks ago, we took delivery of the printed copies of 2024's edition of The Chronicle from Snap Printing in Carlton.
In order to cut down on printing costs, and following feedback from a number of alumni in recent years, we have opted to do a very small print run of The Chronicle, mainly for distribution to the residents of 2024.
Once again, we were very pleased to be able to use The Chronicle 2024 as an opportunity for exisiting students of the College to build on their portfolios. For a second year, our designer was Abbey Miller (2024 Graduate in Design). She was joined by Georgie Macho (2024 Graduate in Arts) who wrote a number of the pieces in her capacity as Comms Intern and who took on the role as Editor this year.
Images in The Chronicle also have a student touch, coming from the 2024 Student Photographers, Charlie Williams (PY-2023) & Annika Rasmussen (PY2023), along with work from Nathaniel Elijah (PY-2024), Carly Damen (Staff) and our external photographer, Francesco from Organic Photo Melbourne. The full college photo was taken by Larry Pitt.
Our thanks to everyone who was involved in the development of The Chronicle 2024. We hope you enjoy reading about the year that was 2024 at St Hilda’s College.
Abbey Georgie
Charlie
Annika
Nathaniel
Seeking Expressions of Interest
A massive thank you to those alumni and friends of the College who have volunteered their time and expertise so far in 2025.
If this is something that you are interested in doing, we encourage you to reach out and chat to us about how you can reconnect with the College community, especially in regards to our current student cohort.
If you are an alumn 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 structured as involvement in our mentor program or as little as an hour or two on a single day, but the impact that you could have on a young person simply by having a chat to them could be enormous!
Whether you are starting out in a career, are enjoying retirement or are somewhere in between, we look forward to hearing from you!
Members of the alumni panel at a 2024 Academic Dinner