Three generations of St Mary's College women

When Annie Jordan and Sophie Kowaluk (nee Holborow) were students at St Mary’s College back in the early 2000s, they walked the same ground that their grandmother, and first lay Principal of the College, Ann (nee Masters) did in the years before them. While having a former school principal in the family might be intimidating for some people, for the Holborow sisters, it was a source of pride. “I was in Year 3 when Grandma retired and Sophie was one year away from starting Kinder, so we only really saw her when she visited for assemblies or Cathedral. It was pretty special, but it felt normal for us. We were very proud,” Annie says. Ann was appointed Principal of St Mary’s College in 1999 after serving as Deputy Principal in 1981 and Head of the Junior School (19791985). In 1991, she was called on to act as lay Principal for a full year— the first Acting lay Principal in the history of the College. It was under Ann’s guidance that the College segued from being run by the Presentation Sisters to lay Principals in a seamless way. “From smaller beginnings, the College has now grown into such an icon in Hobart. I think it’s wonderful,” Ann says. “The people who came after me have worked hard to produce something that is going to go on for a long time and that proves the quality, both of the people who are here now and their aspirations for the future,” she says. “I am proud that the girls chose to continue the St Mary’s College legacy in our family, but it was not with any great encouragement from me!” In 2014, Annie (class of 2010) graduated with a Bachelor of Education (Primary), before returning to teach at St Mary’s in 2018. As a Junior School class teacher, Annie works in close quarters with her mum, Jo Holborow, who is the College’s Junior School Administrative Officer.

“It has been a privilege working at SMC for 26 years as I’ve witnessed my daughters’ journey from the sidelines,” Jo says. For Jo, St Mary’s College was embedded into the fabric of her family well before she had children. “The natural thing for John and I to do was to enrol our girls. We wanted them to journey through their school life and gain the values of the College and the Presentation Sisters,” she says. “We are so very proud to say that St Mary’s College helped shape Annie and Sophie into the strong, independent and kind young women they are.” In 2021 Jo celebrated 25 years at St Mary's College after beginning her journey here in 1996 as a Teacher's Assistant in the very first Kindergarten class. Jo is also a very proud grandmother. Her son, Daniel has a daughter, Daisy, age seven, and Annie gave birth to her daughter, April in May 2021 – future SMC alumni.

Pictured above: Jo Holborow, Ann Stanfield, Annie Jordan, baby April Jordan and Sophie Kowaluk during a recent visit to St Mary's College. On the right: Jo Holborow, Ann Stanfield and Annie Jordan at the 150th Anniversary Gala Dinner in 2018.