The Women's College Magazine Vol 39, 2023

VOL 39 | 2023

THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE

LEADING WITH HONOURS OUR GRADUATES TOPPING THE CLASS

8

+ Sporting prowess 18

College survey results 22

Alumnae friendships 26

TO GET H

VALEDICT 2022

First class Isabella Harris

Isabella Harris arrived at College in 2018, having completed her HSC at St Matthew’s Catholic School in Mudgee. With the support of a Katrina Dawson Foundation scholarship Bella flourished at College and in her degree, the exacting Bachelor of Design in Architecture. In her fourth year at Women’s Bella received the Sibyl Leadership Grant, awarded by the Alumnae Committee for a self-designed project to further a senior student’s personal and professional development. Her work as an undergraduate and in her Honours thesis led the National Council of Women NSW to recognise Bella with an Australia Day Award. At this year’s Chancellor’s Dinner, held to honour our high-achieving students, Belinda Hutchinson AC, Chancellor of the University of Sydney, awarded Bella the Janet Elspeth Crawford Prize. This prize is given by the University of Sydney to the Women’s College student who achieves the highest results in Honours.

In her speech on behalf of the 2021 Valedicts, Bella spoke of the ‘space between’ – an architectural and imaginative space, but also a temporal space between entering and leaving College – a space of transformation. It is a ‘special place’, according to Bella, ‘a place of welcome and inclusivity’. It is also a place of ‘understated purpose; an enabling space of personal and academic growth, of connectedness and friendship’. She spoke movingly of the importance of beauty and meaningfulness of College’s buildings. The Federation style of Main is ‘more like a home than a college’, Bella observed: it is a structure that reflects the sense of welcome and comfort it provides every member of College. There is ‘something enchanting about these corridors and the stories they hold of the generations of women’ before us, Bella said, and the students valedicting and continuing had now become part of that wonderful narrative.

Having completed Honours, Bella is now undertaking the Master of Architecture degree. She is excited to continue exploring the possibilities for inclusive, sustainable design. Like so many of our newest alumnae, Bella maintains very close ties to College, and has taken on the role of tutoring many of our undergraduate Architecture and Design students.

R

ALUMNA 2018 – 2022

Sibyl Grant/Australia Day award/KDF scholar

Welcome

Paying tribute last year. We thank the College community for its willingness to participate in these surveys, which generate valuable data to inform our future planning and programming.

Our alumnae continue to achieve across all their fields of endeavour. The Magazine highlights the extraordinary success of six very recent ex-students who completed honours degrees in medical science, music, linguistics and allied health last year. In addition, we profile our 2022 Alumnae Award winners: Professor Rose McGready, Chloe Hickey-Jones and Ané Coetzee. As a result of the pandemic, it had been four years since these awards were last held.

Included also are articles on the first Australian-born Chinese student at College, Mary Wang, two 1990s alumnae whose friendship has been forged across their personal and working lives in Darwin, and an alumna who accidentally discovered a rare form of cuttlefish during her anthropological field work on Lord Howe Island.

Last but not least, a sneak peek at the preliminary program for the second The Women’s College Film Festival is included. We invite you to join us for this special event, to be held in the Sibyl Centre 13-14 October.

My warmest wishes to everyone in our extended College community.

PRINCIPAL SINCE 2020

THERE’S A SENSE of normalcy returning to life at College this year. The disruptions of the past three years have mostly receded into the background, and the academic, social, sporting and cultural programs are in full swing again. With the return of in-person university teaching, students are experiencing College and university as they were before the pandemic. The pace of College life has taken on a relaxed vibrancy as students enjoy the fully immersive experience, including live examinations, again.

This issue of the Magazine pays tribute to the achievements of our students and alumnae. 2023 Senior Student Jade Richardson outlines her goals and resolutions for the year ahead, and gives her thoughts about the ‘real’ Women’s College, a place that defies comparison.

We profile first-year student Juliette Burgess, who grew up on the South Coast of NSW and is studying fine arts at the University of Sydney. Third-year student Hannah Jones’s sporting success is celebrated, along with her recent University Blue for soccer.

Results from a series of 2022 surveys sent to students, parents and alumnae are summarised, including the findings of the cultural renewal survey, first presented as part of the Broderick Review in 2017 and re-administered

DR TIFFANY DONNELLY PRINCIPAL

VOLUME 39 | 2023

1

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE

1.

WOMEN IN FOCUS

The Women’s College Magazine is published annually to report on the activities of the College.

Our students study across a range of degrees and our alumnae cover many fields of professional endeavour. The Magazine exists to tell the stories of this proud and unique women’s institution.

The Women’s College 15 Carillon Avenue The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia www.thewomenscollege.edu.au

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Acknowledging achievements in our community.....................................................................6 LEADING WITH HONOURS

Women's graduates topping the class......................................8 ALISON GEE

Women's mentoring program empowering the next generation........................................... 13 JULIETTE BURGESS

Postal PO Box 743 Broadway NSW 2007 Australia

A room of one's own............................................................... 16

Telephone +61 (0)2 9517 5000

An incredible journey from the Newcastle Jets to the Young Matildas.................................... 18

HANNAH JONES

Facebook @TheWomensCollege Instagram @TheWomensCollege TikTok @TheWomensCollege ISSN 2204-1028 Design Katie Sorrenson Cover Leyla Meharg photographed

by Stefanie Zingsheim Additional Photography Marinco Kojdanovski, Shawnee Turner, Dan Ullman, Women’s College Archives, staff, students and alumnae of the Women’s College.

We acknowledge the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work.

14 SALLY MONTGOMERY

uncovers a mysterious form of local Cuttlefish on Lord Howe Island

THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE

CONTENTS

2.

3.

WOMEN IN THE WORLD

WOMEN GIVING BACK

STRENGTH IN DIVERSITY

ANGELA FRITH

Leading the charge in diversity and support for students........................................................20

Our new Alumnae President in conversation with Vice Principal Olivia Murphy........................................ 33

SURVEY MARKERS

PATSY WANG

Survey data helps the College identify strengths and focus................................................................ 22

Tracing the footsteps of her mother, alumna Mary Wang [1926-28]...............................................34

EXEMPLARY ACHIEVEMENTS

RAISING SUPPORT

Recognising the extraordinary contribution our alumnae make in their communities and throughout the world......................................................24

Acknowledging donations from the past year......................36 JADE RICHARDSON

Senior Student report............................................................38 COUNCIL NOTES

From the Chair Samantha Gavel...........................................40

26

THE TWO OF US

Darwin-based alumnae reflect on their friendship

30 VOLUME 39 | 2023

IN FULL BLOOM

After a three-year break, the annual Wisteria Lunch returns to Women’s College

3

THE SIBYL CENTRE, THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE

THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE FILM FESTIVAL 13TH-14TH OCTOBER FRI 13TH

Opening night SAT 14TH

Screenings FEATURING ALUMNAE WORKS

»The Handmaid’s Tale

Director Kate Dennis [1984-85] MGM Television (Director of Offspring, The Mindy Project, Suits episodes, The Serpent Queen)

»While the Men Are Away Co-Creator Alexandra Burke [2003-05] Arcadia Productions

»Eulogise Me

Director Alexandra Bateman [2016-18] Columbia University

»Kindling

Co-Director Izabella Rizzo [2020-22] independent production

+

MAKERS’ TALKS, STUDENT WORKS, AND MORE TO COME…

FOLLOW THE PROGRAM ON INSTAGRAM @WOMENSCOLLEGEFILMFEST

Tickets and information will be available at thewomenscollege.edu.au/events

IN FOCUS

1.

We are proud to be a culture of women who don't do things for the sake of comparison.

SENIOR STUDENT JADE RICHARDSON PG 38

Women in focus

From national and professional awards to volunteering and sports, our alumnae and students are making their mark.

Awards & recognition QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY HONOURS 2022 COMPANION IN THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (AC) EMERITUS PROFESSOR ANNE GREEN [BARWICK: 1968-72] For eminent service to science, particularly physics and astrophysics, as an educator and researcher, as a mentor to colleagues and students, and a role model to women.

SARA BOUERI [2007-09] was named among the top

50 Human Resources leaders in the Middle East at the Future Forward Middle East Awards 2023, sponsored by the Economic Times. Sara is Global Chief Human Resources Officer at Future Pipe Industries, based in Dubai.

RACHAEL KWA [2012-15]

has been awarded a scholarship to study a Master of Music at the Royal Academy in London, where she will be continuing to learn from teacher Dr Robin Wilson.

Rachael is first violin at the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

6

DR PATRICIA MARGARET SELKIRK AAM [CONNELL: 1960-63] For eminent service to science and conservation, particularly through research of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems, to tertiary education, and as a mentor and champion for women.

MEMBER IN THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (AM) PROFESSOR ANGELA FAY DULHUNTY [1965-68] For significant service to medical research, and to professional organisations.

THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

SHARMILA DISSANAIKE [1995-97] has been

elected American Burn Association President in 2023. The Association is the largest organisation of burn professionals globally. Sharmila is Peter C. Canizaro Chair of Surgery at Texas Tech University Health Services.

ALISON AND AUDREY SHEN [2001] were named in the inaugural Australian Women’s Small Business Awards in November.

Known for their role in popular TV show Bondi Vets, the twin veterinarians co-created 21Scrubs, a range of durable and practical uniform pieces for working veterinarians. The pandemic-launched outfit was awarded Champion Specialised Small Business at the Awards Gala Dinner.

MARIE KARYKIS [2010-12]

was named as a finalist in the 2022 Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards, in the Corporate Counsel (Large Business) and Media & Telecommunications categories. Marie is Corporate Counsel at Optus.

ISABELLE RYDER [2015-16] was awarded the

National Emergency Medal in May 2022 for her service as a Firefighter in the NSW Rural Fire Service in the 2019/2020 bushfire season. Isabelle is a Senior Health and Economic Outcomes Research Consultant at HTAnalysts, a boutique healthcare consulting service.

ELLA FRASER [2020-22] AND HANNAH JONES [2021-] were awarded

University Blues at the 2022 Sydney University Sports Awards.

Ella received her Blue for tennis, and Hannah for soccer. See the profile of Hannah contained later in this Magazine.

ANNABELLE TRAVES [2015-19] is currently touring

Europe with André Rieu as a member of his Johann Strauss Orchestra. The concert violinist is based in Amsterdam but will spend most of the next six months on the road.

VOLUME 39 | 2023

ASTHA RAJVANSHI [2013-14] was awarded a

Tiny Foundation Fellowship for Investigative Journalism in July 2022. Based in London, Astha is a Staff Writer for Time Magazine. Her writing has appeared in WIRED, National Geographic, Slate, BBC, and The New York Times. Sponsored by Global Reporting Centre and The Citizens UK, her fellowship project focused on internet censorship in India.

7

Women in focus

Women's graduates topping the class

ALUMNA 2022

LEADING with HONOURS

Leyla Meharg in the lab preparing bovine embryo samples for analysis.

8

THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE

LEADING WITH HONOURS

Samantha Cronin BACHELOR OF SCIENCE/ADVANCED STUDIES

The University of Sydney AWARDS First class Honours HOMETOWN Nelson, South Island of Aotearoa, New Zealand ALMA MATER Nelson College for Girls.

Women's College empowers young women to pursue their dreams and achieve success in their chosen fields. In this feature, we highlight six remarkable graduates and future leaders in their respective A member fields. of theFrom elite Dalyell groundbreaking HIV receptor in human IVF tissue to stream, Samantha Cronin prevent infection. research, to invented languages and mental health, these pursued a combined degree in During her time at young women are breaking Science and barriers Advancedand Studies,making Westmead, a positive Samantha's passion specializing in International for research grew. Today, she impact on the world. Relations and Infectious Diseases. is pursuing her PhD at the Her exceptional knowledge and passion also made her an PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEFANIE ZINGSHEIM invaluable tutor and Academic & MARINCO KOJDANOVSKI Assistant at Women's Colleg, roles which she took on in both 2021 and 2022.

In her Honours year Sam joined a lab at Westmead where she earned first class Honours for her contribution to finding a novel

Leyla Meharg COMBINED BACHELOR OF SCIENCE/ADVANCED STUDIES

The University of Sydney AWARDS University Medal, Graduate Women of NSW’s Jamieson Award and Janet Elspeth Crawford Prize HOMETOWN Shellharbour, NSW, 100km South of Sydney ATTENDED Smith’s Hill High School

Leyla Meharg's groundbreaking work in developing new cultures to facilitate embryo growth for IVF has earned her not only the prestigious University Medal but also the Janet Elspeth Crawford Prize for the highest Honours result for a student at Women’s College.

Originally from Shellharbour, Leyla attended the University of Sydney, where she pursued a combined degree in Science and Advanced Studies, with majors in physiology and biology. She was also part of the elite Dalyell stream, named after Women’s alumna Dr Elsie Dalyell, which recognises and supports the brightest minds in the University.

During her studies, Leyla joined Women's College as a tutor in 2021, before securing a Charles Perkins Centre Summer Research Scholarship in 2022. With the generous financial support of the BJ Stevenson Scholarship, she was then able to continue her studies at Women's College.

VOLUME 39 | 2023

University of Sydney with the support of highly competitive Commonwealth RTP funding.

Below: Sam presenting her research into dendric cells and HIV at Sydney Universities Charles Perkins Centre Despite a busy schedule in the laboratory, Leyla found time to become a valued member of the Sibyl Society (for students in their fourth year and above) and even played for the silver medalwinning Rosebowl soccer team.

At University, Leyla served as a Dalyell Science Mentor and as the elected undergraduate Science Faculty representative to the University’s Academic Board.

Her contributions to the community earned her the Graduate Women of NSW’s Jamieson Award, recognising her significant impact and leadership in the field.

Leyla's research and expertise were showcased at the College's annual ‘Three Minute Thesis’ Formal Dinner, where she presented some of her team's results with bovine embryos to College.

Looking to the future, Leyla has embarked on a degree in Medicine at the University of Notre Dame, Sydney.

9

Women in focus

Emma Khoo BACHELOR OF PHYSIOTHERAPY

ALUMNA 2020-PRESENT

Currently a graduate physiotherapist at RPA Hospital, Emma Khoo earned first class Honours for her research on the relationship between mental health and injury in women's hockey.

During the COVID-19 pandemic she also assisted with the mass vaccination effort at RPA Hospital and will undertake a secondment at Dubbo Base Hospital in 2023.

An enthusiastic member of the Women's community, Emma learned about College through her sister and cousin. During her residency, Emma participated in numerous committees and was part of the Cabaret cast. In her fourth year, she served as a dedicated Resident Assistant for Back Alley and Maples and was elected as the Sibyl Society Representative to the House Committee.

ALUMNA 2019-22

The University of Sydney AWARDS First class Honours HOMETOWN Canberra ATTENDED Canberra Girls Grammar

Bridget Moloney

ALUMNA 2018-22

BACHELOR OF ARTS/ADVANCED STUDIES

10

The University of Sydney AWARDS First class Honours and an award from the National Council of Women NSW 2022, nominated by the Sydney University Women’s Group.

HOMETOWN Gold Coast ATTENDED Emmanuel College Bridget Moloney majored in Linguistics and Japanese. Her thesis, earning her first class Honours in Linguistics, examined the relatively unexplored area of invented languages on screen and in literature.

Bridget joined Women's to study Arts and Advanced Studies after a gap year in Japan, supported by a Lions Fellowship. She was a valued resident of College for three years and an affiliate in 2021-2022, serving as the Graduate Librarian. In 2022 Bridget gave the address at the Valedictory Dinner.

THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE

LEADING WITH HONOURS

Samantha Cronin BACHELOR OF SCIENCE/ADVANCED STUDIES

The University of Sydney AWARDS First class Honours and recipient of the BJ Stevenson Scholarship for her residency at College.

HOMETOWN Nelson, South Island of Aotearoa/New Zealand ATTENDED Nelson College for Girls for her contribution to finding a novel HIV receptor in human tissue to prevent infection.

During her time at Westmead, Samantha's passion for research grew. Today, she is pursuing her PhD at the University of Sydney with the support of highly competitive Commonwealth RTP funding.

Below: Sam presenting her research into dendric cells and HIV at Sydney University's Charles Perkins Centre

ALUMNA 2019-22

In her Honours year Sam joined a lab at Westmead searching for a novel HIV receptor in human tissue to prevent infection

A member of the elite Dalyell stream, Samantha Cronin pursued a combined degree in Science and Advanced Studies, majoring in International Relations and Infectious Diseases. Her exceptional knowledge and passion also made her an invaluable tutor and Academic Assistant at Women's College, roles which she held in both 2021 and 2022.

In her Honours year, Sam joined a lab at Westmead where she earned first class Honours

VOLUME 39 | 2023

11

LEADING WITH HONOURS

Estelle Shircore Barker

ALUMNA 2020-22

BACHELOR OF MUSIC (PERFORMANCE)

Above: Estelle (left) performing a duet with fellow music student Isobel Cumpston at the Katrina Dawson Foundation Concert in December.

Michelle Chen BACHELOR OF SCIENCE/ADVANCED STUDIES AND BACHELOR OF LAW

Michelle began her combined Science/ Advanced Studies and Law degrees at the University of Sydney in 2019, in the Dalyell Stream. Michelle heard about Women’s College while President of the Women in Science Society, and joined as a resident in 2022 to complete research on student engagement in Pharmacology, which she gained with first class Honours. In her first year Michelle served in the College's Senior Leadership Group as an Academic Assistant. Now in her penultimate year of law, Michelle is a Resident Assistant at College.

12

CURRENT STUDENT

The University of Sydney AWARDS First class Honours in Pharmacology and recipient of the BJ Stevenson Scholarship and a Sibyl Leadership Grant HOMETOWN Telopea in Western Sydney ATTENDED James Ruse Agricultural High School

Conservatorium of Music AWARDS Honours in Music and recipient of a Women's College Music Scholarship during her residency and the Margot Anthony Grant in 2021 and 2022.

HOMETOWN Apollo Bay, 100km Southwest of Melbourne ATTENDED Apollo Bay College Estelle moved to Sydney in 2019 to study a Bachelor of Music (Performance) at the Conservatorium of Music. With the support of a music scholarship in 2020, Estelle joined College in her second year, where her stunning solo performances and generous accompanying made a great contribution to College life. A recipient of the Margot Anthony Grant, Estelle was able to take masterclasses and study in Europe during the mid-year breaks. While working on her Honours thesis on Clara Schumann, Estelle also assisted other College music students as a tutor and Academic Assistant.

Women in focus

Empowering the next generation Alumna mentor Alison Gee reflects on the success of the College’s unique mentoring program in empowering the next generation of young women like Leyla.

LL WOMEN’S COLLEGE students in their

MENTOR DR ALISON GEE [1988-1991]

MENTEE LEYLA MEHARG [2022]

Head of the Department of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, and a fertility specialist at Genea

Studied Science and Advanced Studies, majoring in physiology and biology. Recipient of the University Medal in 2022 for her research into IVF

VOLUME 39 | 2023

ALUMNA 1988-91

third year (or higher) of university study have the opportunity to be matched with a mentor. Our benchmark program draws on our 4,000 active alumnae to create around 90 relationships each year. Most mentors are recently established in their careers and able to offer support and guidance to young women about to embark on their own career paths.

In 2022 Leyla Meharg’s mentor was Dr Alison Gee, an experienced IVF researcher and clinician. Alison is the Head of the Department of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, and a fertility specialist at Genea. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Sydney in 1994 and undertook the Master of Reproductive Health and Human Genetics before becoming a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

The relationships built between mentors and mentees give our students an insight into what their lives and careers might look like once they finish university. They are also some of the most valuable ways through which alumnae can sustain their connection with College while making a real difference in the lives of enthusiastic, likeminded young people.

Alison said of the experience, ‘Leyla is an intelligent, engaging and very talented young woman who it was a pleasure and a privilege to connect with through the Women’s College mentoring program. As a University Medallist Leyla can be so proud of her achievements – I am really looking forward to seeing where Leyla’s career takes her in the future’.

13

Women in focus

Alumna Sally Montgomery uncovers a mysterious form of local cuttlefish on Lord Howe Island

Extraordinary discovery PHOTOGRAPHY

BY SHAWNEE TURNER

RIGINALLY FROM Mittagong

Left: Sally Montgomery out in the wilds of Lord Howe island.

Right: A rare form of cuttlefish (Sepia baxteri), that Sally found washed up on the shore after a wild storm.

VOLUME 39 | 2023

For her fieldwork, Sally’s approach belongs to ‘more-than-human’ anthropology, and her research pays attention to the ways in which the island’s animals, plants, elements and landscapes interact and intersect with each other and with humans in meaningful but oftentimes overlooked ways.

Fortunately she has found herself a magnet for unusual sea-life. On her second day on Lord Howe she made an extremely rare sighting of a sunfish (and helped some tourists push the fish back into the sea). Not long afterwards, while beachcombing after a wild storm, she took a photo of what she thought was an unusuallooking squid. Crossing paths with marine parks staff, they identified it as a rare specimen that they had been seeking for years, the Lord Howe Island cuttlefish, Sepia baxteri, previously known only by its cuttlebones that occasionally wash ashore.

Sally has also participated in weed eradication, sorted beach plastics from the stomachs of seabirds alongside scientists and helped survey instances of invasive myrtle rust. Now nearing the end of her year’s field work, Sally hopes that her research will help us understand how global and local environmental concerns are negotiated and experienced.

‘Having been generously welcomed to the island by so many people who have shared with me their stories, experiences, and time,’ she writes, ‘I am also hoping that my research might benefit the island and lead to a better understanding of the island’s unique socialenvironmental history. There has been scant social research conducted on Lord Howe Island, so I feel I have been entrusted with important stories of the past and present that might otherwise not be recorded for the future’.

ALUMNA 2016-19

in the NSW Southern Highlands, Sally Montgomery’s path has taken her from the fens of Cambridgeshire to the wilds of Lord Howe Island, an isolated volcanic outcrop in the middle of the Tasman, 600km east of Port Macquarie.

For the environmental anthropologist, the World Heritage-listed island is a rich setting in which to study the complex engagement between state regulation aiming to preserve this ‘last paradise’, visiting scientists anxious to protect and study the island’s unique biome, and the needs of the eighth-generation settlers whose day-to-day lives and incomes depend largely on the 400 tourists permitted to visit Lord Howe each year.

Sally discovered a passion for anthropology while undertaking a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Sydney and living at the Women’s College. Encouraged to undertake the Honours research year, Sally graduated with first class Honours and won a Cambridge-Australia Newnham Scholarship to undertake her Masters and PhD at Newnham College, Cambridge. As one of only two remaining women’s colleges at the University of Cambridge, Sally found much that was familiar at Newnham, saying it has ‘a similar feeling of support, a similar atmosphere’ to Women’s.

15

Women in focus

First year student Juliette Burgess explains the significance of some of the objects that decorate her room in Langley.

CURRENT STUDENT

A ROOM OF HER OWN

Juliette in her bedroom in Langley. The wall collage in the background has travelled with her as she has moved over the years.

ULIETTE COMES from Gerringong on the South Coast of NSW, and completed her HSC at Kiama High School in 2022. While most of her friends opted to attend the nearby University of Wollongong, Juliette felt that the fine arts teaching available at the University of Sydney would better suit her diverse interests.

She is now in her first year of a combined Bachelor of Visual Arts and Bachelor of Advanced Studies, majoring in Ancient History. Juliette first heard about Women’s College from her mother, alumna Alison [CLISSOLD: 1989-92].

16

THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE

2

1 4

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEFANIE ZINGSHEIM

3

1. POT PLANT This is a little succulent that I bought at the Glebe markets not long after I moved into College. I haven’t had much time to explore Sydney yet beyond the university, except for [adjacent suburbs] Glebe and Newtown. I love how everything is so accessible here! I can walk to get everything I need right near the uni.

2. BOOK SHELF My ‘to read’ pile is getting bigger. I like Sally Rooney and I love Japanese art and music like [the singer] Mitski, so I’m reading some new books by Japanese novelists. A Room of One’s Own is up there too.

I’m finding College to be really

good. Everyone here is lovely, and I’ve met a lot of people on the same wavelength. No one from my school is here, but it’s great to know that lots of us are in the same boat. I’ve made friends with people from Tasmania, from Bathurst, from overseas.

3. PORTRAIT This is a portrait I made in Year 12 from a photo of my sister as a baby. I always liked painting, but in the Visual Arts program we get to rotate through a different medium every three months. The rose I took from the table setting for the Galentine’s picnic party we had on the front lawn to celebrate the end of Welcome Week and all the second and third years coming back to College.

VOLUME 39 | 2023

4. WALL COLLAGE EXCERPT My best friend from school did photography for the HSC and I was her model. This is part of the collage I’ve made for my wall.

I’ve moved a few times in the last couple of years but I re-create this collage in my bedroom every time I move. The drawings are in oil pastels and willow charcoal – I did them at Women’s. There are also some posters from Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. The stickers are from Fair Day in Victoria Park. I went with some of the other students from my Langley corridor.

17

women in focus

CURRENT STUDENT

Hannah commands the ball: Sydney Uni vs. Northern Tigers; National Premier Leagues NSW competition June 2022

From the Newcastle Jets to the Young Matildas, Hannah Jones is kicking all the right goals.

An incredible journey ‘I’ve always been a driven person and the culture at Women’s has been supportive of that’

18

AS A THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD playing soccer for the Newcastle Jets in the National Premier League, Hannah Jones saw the University of Sydney first-grade team frequently top the leagues table. Now in her third year at College, the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering student has not only realised her dream of playing for the University, she has also trained with the Young Matildas as one of only two club players to qualify for the intensive Under-20s training camp.

Hannah completed her HSC in Port Macquarie. Coming from a regional area, she saw College as the best way to meet new friends and help her manage a tough academic and training schedule. Her hard work has paid off with stellar academic results and success on the field. While the pandemic cut short the 2021 season, in 2022 the University were minor premiers of the competition, and Hannah was awarded a University Blue and the Jim Zannet medal for the best overall sportsperson of the club.

Since moving to Sydney, Hannah has also found the supportive environment of Women’s extends well beyond the College walls. A Katrina Dawson Foundation scholarship was central to this, subsidising her College fees and providing valuable professional mentoring. In her niche course at university, Hannah has been able to run conferences in thermodynamics and present her research on gravitational energy storage mechanisms.

While continuing her studies as an affiliate student this year, Hannah has also taken up an internship on the development of a Dubbo-based wind farm. ‘Renewables require extra infrastructure that isn’t necessary for fossil fuels’, explains Hannah, ‘so part of the challenge is working out how to store that energy’.

THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE

IN THE WORLD

2.

One of the beautiful things about Women’s College is the friendships... Confidence comes from being around people who promote you or encourage you.

– JUDITH OLIVER PG 26

Women’s College is leading the charge for student diversity.

Our generous scholarship program and far-reaching engagement with prospective students across the country and globe, ensure that we continue to build a dynamic community of young women, pursuing a multitude of degrees, who share their individual passions and skills in our supportive environment.

THE WOMEN'S COLLEGE IN 2023

REPRESENTING

27

287 RESIDENTS

60

AFFILIATE STUDENTS

17-29 STUDENT AGE RANGE

102

DIFFERENT DEGRESS STUDIED

COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE

5

UNIVERSITIES REPRESENTED

Women in the world

STRENGTH IN

diversity THE WOMEN'S COLLEGE DIFFERENCE

32%

STUDENTS RECEIVING SCHOLARSHIPS

$1M SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED IN 2023

30% RESIDENTS FROM A RURAL/REGIONAL AREA

VOLUME 39 | 2023

21

WOMEN IN THE WORLD

SURVEY MARKERS Survey data helps us identify strengths and focus on the future of the College

AT E L AST Y E A R , the extended College community – students, parents and alumnae – was invited to participate in a number of landmark surveys as a way of providing some benchmark data on the College experience. We thank all those who completed the surveys, which have generated a wealth of information on what Women’s College does well, and where we have more work to do.

College alumnae representing every decade from the 1940s to the 2020s told us that Women’s was the place where they made their lifelong friends, and that they had found the College a supportive and empowering environment. A number of alumnae said that the College experience had been formative of their feminist views or an understanding that women could achieve in a variety of fields.

It has been one of, if not the most positive experience of my life. The many friendships and connections I formed were a highlight, and the really deep and stimulating conversations with like-minded women. I also loved feeling a part of a community with a long and important history that supports and values women, and feeling a great sense of belonging. College has provided me with many great memories that I will cherish forever.

Most alumnae agreed that Women’s College had had a positive impact on their life, with around 70% also reporting that the College network had been valuable to them in their careers. College alumnae continue to give back. Over 70% recorded that they had engaged in volunteering or community work in the past twelve months, and a further 40% that they held a board position on a corporate, government, community

22

or not-for-profit board. Opinions on College programs were consistent over the decades: formal dinners, as well as the social, academic and cultural programs rated highly.

Perhaps the greatest area for growth identified in the alumnae survey was in engagement. While 76% of those who filled in the survey told us they were in regular contact with one or more fellow alumnae and similar numbers read College communications, 66% of those surveyed had not attended any alumnae events. Promisingly, a number of respondents indicated that they were interested in donating time or money to the College in the future.

Student and parent surveys were similarly positive. College students and their parents echoed alumnae in their praise for the supportive nature of the environment at Women’s, and most rated the academic, community, cultural, social, sporting and wellbeing programs highly, with commentary consistently noting that the College was a great place to achieve personal, academic and professional growth. Many students also noted that they had found their ‘lifelong friends’ at Women’s and that the experience had increased their confidence appreciably.

Constructive suggestions were offered in relation to continuing to grow the social landscape for students, and to expand some of our leadership and professional programs. The College’s physical environment – its buildings and facilities, as well as the variety and quality of our food service – rated overwhelmingly highly, with most results measuring over 90% satisfaction.

Women's College has provided our daughter with a lovely group of friends, a sense of belonging at University, a network of people to collaborate with, and the best food on campus. A very positive experience.

THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE

90

SURVEY RESULTS

Key findings

70% 90% 80%

ALUMNAE REPORTED THE COLLEGE NETWORK HAD BEEN VALUABLE IN THEIR CAREER

STUDENT SATISFACTION WITH BUILDINGS, FACILITIES AND FOOD SERVICE

STUDENTS IN 2022 FELT SUPPORTED

BY THEIR COLLEGE PEERS AND STAFF

SEPARATE TO THE stakeholder experience surveys, Women’s College participated in a repeat of the cultural renewal survey of students, first presented as part of the Broderick Review into College Cultures at the University of Sydney in 2017.

Pleasingly, our 2022 survey data showed significant strides in many of the cultural markers initially measured.

Last year, our students reported similarly high levels of engagement in College life and sense of belonging as they had five years ago. Over 80% stated that they felt supported by their College peers and staff, and at 10% of respondents, instances of bullying, hazing or exclusion were half those reported in 2017. Similarly low statistics were recorded in relation to feeling pressure to drink alcohol, with 5% of students stating there was too much focus on drinking at College – compared with 14% in the previous survey.

Sexual assault and sexual harassment disproportionately impact young women in our society and this is reflected in the 2022 survey, with recorded rates similar to 2017. While this remains concerning, more Women’s College students are seeking support when they experience bullying, harassment and assault, and more are opting to make formal reports or complaints.

Cultural renewal is a continual process, and the College remains committed to working towards improving the experiences of its students. Fostering a culture of reporting, enhancing our education and awareness programs, and working with our student leaders on inclusion and safety will remain a focus for the present and future as we continue to embed cultural renewal in our community.

VOLUME 39 | 2023

23

ALUMNA 1984-86

EXEMPLARY

achievements ROSE McGREADY Winner of the Women’s College Alumna Award 2022 Professor at Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mae Sot Thailand; Mahidol Oxford Research Unit; Oxford University

O R N E A R LY three decades, Professor Rose McGready has dedicated her life to improving maternal and child health in the tropics of the Thailand-Myanmar border region. Malaria can be a disaster for infected women and their babies, but the increased vulnerability of pregnant women to infection means that they can be unwitting reservoirs of the disease, hampering elimination efforts. Caring for the health of infected pregnant women is crucial to the success of any attempt to control the disease.

Rose’s focus on women’s and children’s health is now benefitting the whole community. When she arrived at her clinic in 1994,

24

Every two years, the Women’s College seeks nominations for awards recognising the extraordinary contribution our alumnae make in their communities and throughout the world.

THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE

ALUMNI AWARDS

Professor Rose McGready at her clinic on the Thai-Myanmar border

Additional recipients ALUMNA 2012-14 CHLOE HICKEY-JONES Winner of the Young Alumna Award Sustainable Equity Specialist, Associate Director - UBS Asset Management

a multidrug-resistant variant of the deadly malaria falciparum was widespread, with Rose and her team treating up to 100 infected patients a day. Through their work and other dedicated elimination efforts in the region, since 2015 the clinic has not experienced a single case of the disease.

In her time as the Deputy Director and Head of Maternal and Child Health at the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU) Rose has helped care for women through over 80,000 pregnancies, including 20,000 episodes of malaria in pregnancy. The SMRU is a joint project of the University of Oxford, where Rose is a Professor of Tropical Medicine, and the medical school of Mahidol University Bangkok. The SMRU also receives funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust. Via the world’s largest number of randomised controlled treatment studies of malaria in pregnancy, Rose established that rather than the once-standard approach of leaving infected pregnant women untreated, drugs derived from artemisinin – an anti-malarial identified in the 1970s by Nobel Prize-winning Chinese pharmaceutical chemist Tu Youyou – could be safely and effectively used to treat pregnant women. Rose’s studies have contributed to 281 scholarly articles and countless lives saved, both through her direct treatment of infected women and through her research, which has established new protocols for caring for women in malarial regions. Rates of maternal mortality from malaria have plummeted in the region, from 1,000 per 1,000,000 live births in 1985 to zero since 2015.

Rose is now turning her attention to treatment of malaria in breastfeeding women which will help prevent the recurrence of the disease in later pregnancies, and training members of the local community in safe obstetric practices to make up for the severe shortage of local midwives. The intensive obstetrics training program Rose has developed goes a long way towards ensuring women’s health in an area where medical infrastructure is limited and unstable.

In 2023, with the help of friends in Australia, Rose launched the Dr Rose McGready Foundation to expand the work pioneered by the SMRU to other affected areas around the equator.

Chloe Hickey-Jones is an emerging talent in international financial services, focused on promoting women's participation in the industry.

She works as a Sustainable Equity Specialist at UBS Asset Management in London, and leads efforts to elevate women's voices in finance.

Chloe serves on the Future Leaders Shadow Board advising the Women in Banking and Finance (WIBF) UK Board, advocating for young women's interests in finance. Her work supports the Accelerating Change Together research program, aimed at addressing gender and inclusion issues in finance. WIBF used this research to launch the GOOD FINANCE Framework, a guide for creating inclusive organisations in financial and professional services.

ALUMNA 2018 ANÉ COETZEE Winner of the Community Achievement Award CEO and Founder Young Women in Sustainable Development Ané is the CEO and founder of Young Women in Sustainable Development (YWISD), which aims to break down the barriers that prevent young women from addressing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The organisation empowers young women to work on solutions for some of the world's most pressing problems and amplifies their voices in every aspect of international development. Ané has previously worked with Australian aid organisations in the Pacific and is also a delegate to the United Nations Youth Change Conference. YWISD provides guidance to NGOs, including UNICEF, Save the Children, and WorldVision, on involving young people in international development issues.

VOLUME 39 | 2023

25

ALUMNA 1992-95

Women in the world

THE TWO OF us 26

Louise Maple-Brown and Judith Oliver knew each other at Women’s College, but their friendship was cemented living in Darwin over the last twenty years.

THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE

ALUMNAE FRIENDSHIPS

ALUMNA 1990-93

JUDITH OLIVER [NEWMAN: 1992-95] Pharmacist, Director, Australian Regional and Remote Community Services, State Manager (NT), Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

PROFESSOR LOUISE MAPLE-BROWN [1990-93] Deputy Director Research, Menzies School of Health Research.

Senior Endocrinologist, Royal Darwin and Palmerston Hospitals.

Lou and I had different social connections at College so although we weren’t close friends we knew people in common. I went to Sydney University from Mudgee in Central New South Wales to study pharmacy. I can remember in the first few weeks thinking how well spoken and confident everyone was and by the end of four years feeling like I totally belonged. I think one of the beautiful things about Women’s College is the friendships you make with people both within and outside your course. Confidence comes from being around people who promote you or encourage you.

I moved to Darwin for two years and am still here nearly 22 years later. It’s a great place to live and raise a family. Darwin is more of an expat community and your friends become your family. So, when Lou’s family come to visit her, we look forward to seeing them as well. Lou is someone I can call socially, or to discuss professional issues. It’s great to be able to get insights from someone else whose opinion you value.

There are challenges working in the NT but with that comes all sorts of opportunities as a health professional. The scope of practice is broader and there’s less bureaucracy, so it’s easier to form partnerships and collaborations and have the conversations you need to get things done. It’s rewarding working with people whose chronic disease burden is greater than the rest of the country. Seeing the difference that you can make is really satisfying.

After my physician’s training I was interested in doing research, particularly with disadvantaged populations. I had worked in Alice Springs and that had inspired a passion for Aboriginal health. When I received funding to go to Darwin I only committed to one year.

That was 21 years ago.

Jude picked me up from the airport when I first arrived. She and (husband) Will were the only people I knew in town. Even though we weren’t the closest friends at College, it was a strong point of connection. I don’t think I was conscious of it when I was at Women’s College, but the strong female role models and leadership opportunities were important.

Later in my career I’ve experienced being the only woman on a high level committee or being in the minority. I’ve mentored other women and started a women in medicine group at Darwin hospital. The need for those initiatives has become more obvious to me, and the foundation was there from my time at Women’s.

The challenges of working in the Territory relate to the size of the population and its remoteness. We have a critical shortage in key areas of the workforce and it’s difficult to recruit. I love my role as I am fortunate to work both as a clinician and a medical researcher, as well as in policy and advocacy; together they bring rich opportunity for driving change to improve health outcomes. What’s important to me is making that difference in partnership with Aboriginal people and Aboriginal communities, and contributing to capacity‑building with Aboriginal people.

VOLUME 39 | 2023

27

We are now almost halfway to this goal.

The Realise campaign was launched in 2021 with the goal of increasing the Women’s College scholarship fund to $30 million by the year 2040. This target will enable the College to support half of its students with scholarships and bursaries, ensuring that no young woman is disadvantaged in realising her desire to attend Women’s College and university because of financial or geographic constraints.

Join our six campaign ambassadors in supporting the Realise campaign by using the donation card in this Magazine, or

TO DONATE VISIT THEWOMENSCOLLEGE.EDU.AU/GIVING/REALISE

GIVING BACK

3.

How many of us remember sunbathing on a warm spring day in the courtyards, delighting at the colourful haze of azaleas and camellias at the front garden - OI CHOONG, PG 30

Women Giving back

After a three-year break, the annual Wisteria Lunch returned to Women’s College, marked by the spectacular blooms of the College wisteria. It was the perfect occasion to plant some

IN FULL BLOOM Excerpt from an address on the history of the College landscape, given by landscape architect Oi Choong at the Wisteria Lunch in September 2022

H E G RO U N D S and gardens of the College are a fundamental part, not only of the architectural setting of the University, but of College life itself. How many of us remember sunbathing on a warm spring day in the courtyards, delighting at the colourful haze of azaleas and camellias at the front garden, or the accompanying dread that followed the first flush of jacarandas in spring that signalled exam time! But when the foundations for the Main building were laid, College existed in an open, treeless paddock with no street frontage, on lands that were formerly part of Major Grose’s farm.

The College was built during a financial depression and very little funds were available for landscape development. From the first, however, there were aspirations to give the College a suitable setting, and parts of the garden design began to be laid out. The first trees were planted in the winter of 1893 by prominent citizens connected with the College and the University.

Two powerful and enduring themes have underpinned the design philosophy of the site planning and served as a constant

30

for successive architects for the College. Firstly, the creation of enclosed lush landscaped courtyards in the Oxbridge style, for the safe enjoyment of the residents; and secondly, the retention of the romantic parkland garden setting in the much admired western entry precinct in front of Main.

According to the College’s Conservation Management Plan, the loveliest period of the College grounds was during the 1920s-30s, coinciding with the arrival of College’s long term resident gardener Ms Elise Warren. During Ms Warren’s tenure, a rose garden and wisteria archway were added and a substantial vegetable garden cultivated in the paddock. Azaleas were donated by the principal, Mrs Fitzhardinge, herself a keen gardener. A pet sheep helped to keep the grass mown.

The practice of inviting those connected with the College to plant trees continued. In the spring of 1928, eighteen types of trees presented by the Botanic Gardens on the advice of curator James Grant were added to the paddock, creating a more park-like setting. In December 1934, Lady Game planted

THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE

Rhonnie Cuningham and current student Noura Tehfe planting a Saucer Magnolia

The ceremonial spade and guest book

Dr Janet McCredie AM Principal Dr Tiffany Donnelly and Wisteria Lunch Guest Speaker Oi Choong

Past and present generations gathered to celebrate the tree plantings

New plantings PENNY CAMERON ALUMNA [WYNDHAM: 1957-59] Elaeocarpus reticulatus ‘Prima Donna’ (Blueberry Ash) OI CHOONG ALUMNA 1969-70 Waterhousea floribunda ‘Amaroo’ (Weeping Lilly Pilly) RHONWEN CUNINGHAM ALUMNA 1960-62 Magnolia x soulangeana (Saucer Magnolia) DR ANN EYLAND PRINCIPAL OF COLLEGE 1990-96 Magnolia x soulangeana (Saucer Magnolia) JANET FLINT ALUMNA [PHIPPARD: 1953-55] Ulmus parvifolia 'Burnley Select' (Chinese Elm) DR JANET McCREDIE AM ALUMNA 1953-56 Brachychiton acerifolius (Illawarra Flame Tree) MARY McGUIRK WOMEN’S COLLEGE STAFF, 2005-CURRENT Magnolia grandiflora (Magnolia Teddy Bear)

32

‘ We are all privileged in enjoying College’s landscape legacy today because of the vision and stewardship of its distinguished past and present Principals’ an Illawarra flame tree in the grounds of the College on the occasion of the visit of the English Women’s Cricket team, captained by future College principal Betty Archdale.

We are all privileged in enjoying College’s landscape legacy today because of the vision and stewardship of its distinguished past and present Principals. There have also been many generous donors who have contributed to beautifying the grounds. I would like to think that the College’s gardens are still works in progress - with the potential to bloom with agency and imagination into memorable spaces for the women of College, a home away from home.

We are living now in the age of the Anthropocene, of climate change, threatened biodiversity and environmental challenges often beyond our control. In this increasingly changing world, these trees are our treasures and the College gardens and landscapes the jewels in the crown.

THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE

Women Giving back

Organisational change coach and director of Stepchange Consulting, Angela Frith was elected President of the Alumnae Committee in March 2023. Vice Principal Dr Olivia Murphy speaks with Angela about her memories of College and her plans for the Alumnae.

Cultivating future leaders OLIVIA MURPHY: As an alumna – and

College with the natural advantage of parents who have good networks or industry ties.

Others – especially regional students – may not have seen that before and may not be as confident. I want to see us not just encouraging networking but also supporting those who aren’t as confident.

OM: That sounds like it comes from your experience. What advice would you give your younger self?

AF: I often ask that in interviews! I would say to not be afraid to reach out to your networks, not necessarily to ask for advice or help but just to hear people’s stories. They can give you the best ideas about what you want to do.

ALUMNA 1984-87

as the mother of a very recent alumna – what would you say has changed at College?

ANGELA FRITH: I think there are probably some things that haven’t changed. I have a lot of fond memories of long Sunday brunches after Saturday nights out, when no one is in a rush and you could just sit around and chat.

I do think that some things have definitely changed, though. I think taking students from beyond the University of Sydney has been a great move. I also feel that the Women’s College really stands for something more strongly now – for women making the most of their potential. There are so many more leadership opportunities: convenorships, resident assistants; all those roles that are available to a much broader group of students.

I feel the opportunity here to encourage and cultivate leaders can make a real difference.

College is fostering purposeful, practical, confident leaders who will make a real difference, and the networks to support them.

OM: What are your ambitions for the Alumnae Committee?

AF: I want us to work to build the scholarships we provide students, which are so important.

The alumnae network is just such an unparalleled opportunity. The Alumnae Committee wants to hold events that will create connections so alumnae can take advantage of that opportunity, and give back to College too. We want to build on the really successful Alumnae Mentoring Program.

Women are self-starters, and with just a little opportunity to connect they can make amazing things happen. Some of us come to

ANGELA FRITH ALUMNAE COMMITTEE PRESIDENT

VOLUME 39 | 2023

33

Women Giving back

International Affairs

34

THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE

Patsy Wang points to her mother in the 1926 year photo taken in her first year at The Women's College.

Patsy Wang traces the footsteps of her mother, (Alma) Mary Chong, the first Australian-born Chinese student to attend the College.

AT SY WA N G spent three years

VOLUME 39 | 2023

During her visit to the College, Patsy saw the room where her mother had been the student librarian (now the Principal’s Office) and picked her mother out from the annual College photographs hung in the Menzies corridor. “It was hard to recognise her at first, but exciting to see her photo on the wall at the College. I wish I had asked my mother more about her time at the College,” Patsy remarked.

Patsy remembers her mother as “very political and very determined.” Mary was vocal in her objections to the White Australia Policy in the 1930s, but she preserved her admiration for Australian freedom and opportunity throughout her life. On returning to Australia in 1957 she wrote an article for her old school magazine, reflecting: In no country in the world today is there more freedom or more opportunities for people to enjoy the full fruits of their labour than there are in Australia.

This country and its people have been far more greatly blessed than most other peoples of the earth. But how are we to preserve our happy way of life in a world torn with turmoil and strife?

There is only one answer. War must be averted at all costs. But war can only be averted and true peace achieved in one way, and that is, through genuine international understanding and goodwill. The nations of the world must learn to live together – to live and let live. This is not an accomplishment that can be achieved without effort, but it is not an unattainable ideal. It requires the whole-hearted co-operation of every person, and especially our young people, to bring this ideal to its full realisation.

ALUMNA 1926-28

at the University of Sydney studying Pharmacy in the 1960s. Last year, Patsy visited Women’s College for the first time, tracing the footsteps of her mother, (Alma) Mary Wang [CHONG], who had been a student at Women’s College from 1926-28.

Mary Chong was Dux of Dubbo High School in 1925. She entered Women’s College with an exhibition scholarship to the University, a NSW State Bursary to purchase text books, and a Bundock Scholarship which supported her College fees. After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts and Diploma of Education from Sydney University – one of the first Australian-born Chinese students to graduate from an Australian university, and the first at Women’s College – she became Secretary to the Chinese Consul General in Sydney and in the early 1930s was appointed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nanking, China. Mary worked as a broadcaster and journalist in Beijing, and during World War II she co-edited the Shanghai-English newspaper, The China Critic. She cultivated a lifelong interest in international affairs.

Mary returned to Australia from China with her husband and three children (including Patsy) in 1957. She became secretary to the general manager of Readers Digest and later worked as a school teacher at Kingsgrove High School and for the NSW Education Department Blackfriars Correspondence School, writing language materials for outback students and studying postgraduate psychology.

It was at St George Girls’ High School in the 1950s that Mary’s daughter Patsy was befriended by fellow student Ruth Shatford, forging a connection which would eventually lead to Patsy’s visit to Women’s College more than sixty years later. Dr Ruth Shatford was Acting Principal of the College in 2003 between the terms of Quentin Bryce AD CVO and Yvonne Rate AM.

35

Women Giving back

The Women’s College acknowledges the generous support of gifts and contributions received from donors, 1 January to 31 December 2022.

Raising support Antoinette Albert Alliance OPCO Catering Emily Amos Anonymous donors Victoria Baker Zoe Barker Mary Barton AO Jeanette Beaumont Amanda Bell AM Christine Biggs OAM Quentin Bryce AD CVO Peter Bull Margaret Burgess AO Cassandra Burke Penelope Cameron Yvonne Campbell Lucy Cantrill Margaret Chaffey Philippa Childs Jennifer Combet & Kim Edwards Simon Conn Elizabeth Constable AM Amy Cooper John Copland AO Nerida Croker Judith Dalla Jennifer Davidson Gineke de Haan Tiffany Donnelly Doug & Margot Anthony Foundation Robyn Doughty Barbara Dowe Emma Dykes Gillian Eagles

36

Stephen Edwards Maryam Eghtedari Estate of the late Brenda Jean Stevenson Estate of the late Paulette Milliner Ann Eyland Tim Fairfax AC Catriona Fergusson Alexandra Fletcher Janet Flint Susan Fuller Denise Fung Romy Fung Future Generation Australia Olma Gan Lucinda Garling Carolyn Gavel Paul Gavel Jennifer Giles Christopher & Patricia Goodman Emily Graetz Rebecca Griffin Lisa Gulesserian Lachlan Gyles Hayley Hamilton Pauline Harding Margaret Hawkins Hannah Heading Anne Henchman Lindy Henderson Melissa Heris Pamela (Jill) Hodgson OAM Christine Hughes Julie Ingram

Geoffrey & Anna Joyce George Karhan Katharine & Thyne Reid Foundation Lucy Shook Yiu Koe Anne Le Couteur Rosalind Lehane Christa Lenard Zoe Lenard Sharon Leow Jenny Ling Jocelyn Lloyd Penelope Lloyd Margot Love Katherine McCorkindale Brian & Eleanor McCourt Janet McCredie AM Rose McGready Mary McGuirk Leah McKenzie Olivia-James McKeown Sophie McPhate Fiona MacLachlan OAM Jane MacMaster Gwenyth Macnamara Alison Main Susan Maple-Brown AM Maple-Brown Family Foundation Limited Skye Mason Emelia Milliner Claire & Scott Milson Marjorie (Ann) Moffatt Stephanie Moffitt

THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE

Barbara Moloney Caroline Nattrass Cherry O’Donnell Robyn Overall Mary E Page Elizabeth Katherine Palmer Louise Gay Parsons Nicola Paterson Minas Petrelis Janet Phippard Hugh Ralston AM & Jan Haskins Mina Alexandra May Rhodes Chloe Roe Joan Ross Pauline Ross Catherine Rothery Carole Roussel Clara Rudd Elizabeth Sakker Fabienne Sakker Juliet Schmidt Trish Sharp Karina Shircore Lorna Siah Wai Kee Sin Andrew Sinclair Michael & Melissa Slattery Julia Smart Natalie Smith Leone Steele OAM Catherine Stewart Anne (Nancy) Sutherland Julie Sutton OAM

Cara Taylor The Barton Foundation The Katrina Dawson Foundation Jennifer Thompson Elisabeth Tondl Pauline Tondl Leo Tutt OAM Ramila Varendran Tim Vercoe Lynda Warlik Lucinda Warren Sarah Webster Alice Wilson Felicity Wilson Lisa Wilson Xia Lian Wilson Peter Wilson & James Emmett Gay Windeyer Women’s College Alumnae Association Women’s College Students’ Club Katherine Wong Jill Wran AM Yu Shen Yin

Women Giving back

Senior Student Jade Richardson outlines the House Committee goals for 2023

Setting the tone SENIOR STUDENT 2023

2023 IS FEELING special already. It wasn’t

38

too long ago I was a 17-year-old fresher moving into my first Langley room, equally nervous and excited. My mum dropped me off half an hour before the welcome lunch started and said “YOLO, you’ll be fine.” And despite that brief encouragement, she was right. But it took a bit of time.

These years of our lives can be a little confusing.

While in pursuit of finding our passions in life we tend to fall into a habit of juggling 25 things at once, and it can be draining. I do a double degree of graphic design and finance, so I am constantly confused about the direction my life will take. But ever since I was little, I have been encouraged to just try things out, a let’s get weird mindset.

This adventurous instinct seems to deteriorate as we get older, as we become more conscious of what people think. Other people’s expectations can get the better of us in our late teens and early twenties. I see this judgment in the College scene too. Everyone has an opinion on what College is supposed to look like, whether that’s from newspapers, College alumnae, or our friendly neighbours on campus. And we get the constant questions. Are we really like Diana Reid’s Love & Virtue? Do we all actually like salads and yoga?

Why does a College of entirely women need to even exist anymore?

As someone peering in you would probably think our answer would consist of our events, the dining hall menu, our academic grind, all those predictable responses. But there’s a little bit more to it, a little bit more hiding in the spaces between.

Women’s is morning walks to Ralph’s Café, with or without a little head noise. It’s giggling in the bathroom at the Formal as you compliment each other’s dresses. It’s the morning debriefs on your friends’ balcony and going to lunch in your pyjamas because you’ve missed your alarm again.

It’s your friends bringing you food and medicine when you are sick. Or proofreading one another’s assignments 15 minutes before they’re due.

It’s recording yourself at 2am to audition for Palladian dance, despite zero experience in that field. It is everything and anything in between.

It is the moments that aren’t typically advertised.

College is simply what you make of it, and the people you are surrounded by. The people here are what make the experience, and you only meet them by putting yourself out there a little bit.

My resolution for this year is to be resilient and to be brave. As women, I feel we are always told to be gracious, but it is equally integral to remain passionate and to make a bit of noise. That’s how we grow and how we connect with people. And as for Women’s College, we are proud to be a culture of women who don’t do things for the sake of comparison but for the sake of ourselves and for the sake of the people we love. We are a home, and I am so excited for the year ahead.

JADE RICHARDSON SENIOR STUDENT

THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE

PHOTOGRAPH BY STEFANIE ZINGSHEIM

COUNCIL NOTES

From the Chair IVE NEW MEMBERS have been welcomed to the College Council this year. Following the retirement of Sally Auld [1990-93], Jennifer Davidson [1990-92] and Jane Oakeshott [1979-83], new members Fiona Beatty [O’DONNELL: 1997-2000], Louise Carroll [2009-11, 2013] and Mary Stewart [1989-92] have been elected.

Fiona Beatty recently returned to Australia after ten years working abroad, most recently in the not-for-profit sector as Head of Legal at the Royal Horticultural Society in London and a Director and Trustee of Fulham Palace Trust. A specialist in reproductive health, Mary Stewart is a Medical Doctor at the Northern Sydney Sexual Assault Service and Sexual Health Clinic.

Louise Carroll is a chartered accountant working as a Financial Controller for disability and family services provider Westhaven, based in Orange.

In addition to these newly elected members, Rob Brown was appointed to the casual vacancy created by the retirement of Hugh Donaldson in March this year. Rob [St Paul’s College 1996-2000] brings more than 20 years of legal experience to his role on Council, as well as a strong focus on education and inclusion.

New President of the Alumnae Committee Angela Frith [1984-87] replaces retiring President Lucinda Garling [2003-04] as an ex-officio member of the College Council. Angela is a Director of Stepchange Consulting and a co-Founder of Fire Up Solutions. She has spent much of her career in organisational design and change.

Council is pleased to welcome its new members, and extends thanks to outgoing members for their time and dedication to the College.

SAMANTHA GAVEL CHAIR OF COUNCIL

COUNCIL MEMBERS 2023 Samantha Gavel [1982-84] BA GAICD Chair Honor McFadyen [1983] BEc GAICD Deputy Chair Peter Wilson BCom (Hons) LLB Honorary Treasurer Fiona Beatty [O’Donnell: 1997-2000] BA/LLB LLM Robert Brown BA LLB Louise Carroll [2009-11, 2013] BCom CEMS Annie Fenwicke [Clissold: 1984-86] BA LLB MEd GAICD Felicity Lehane [1998-2001] BA LLB LLM Rowena Newman [1992-95] BSc (Hons I) Mary Stewart [1989-92] MBBS MPH MForensMed Sue Weston PSM [1980-82] BSc GradDip Accounting GAICD FCPA CA EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Tiffany Donnelly BA (Hons) MA PhD Principal of The Women’s College Renae Ryan BSc (Hons) PhD GAICD Senate Representative Angela Frith [1984-87] BCom/BA CA President, Women’s College Alumnae Committee Jade Richardson Senior Student 2023

40

THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE

IE R

YE T

M I GH T

Leading the way for women