ISSUE NO.61 NOV 2016

ISSUE NO. 61 NOVEMBER 2016

Ringwood, Victoria

A CO-EDUCATIONAL SCHOOL IN THE ANGLICAN TRADITION – EARLY LEARNING TO YEAR 12

Contents From the Principal

01

Foundation news

02

YOG news

06

Yarra Parents & Friends news

07

Turning the vision into a reality

08

Chairman’s Ball

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50th Anniversary Cathedral Service

12

Yarra’s Community Festival

14

Yarra Old Grammarian’s Gallery

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What Yarra means to me

18

Yarra Spirit news

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YOG profile – Damian Vick

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YOG profile – David Robinson

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YOG profile – Our Olympians

26

YOG adventure story – Canadian wildfire

28

Past staff profile – Chris Taylor

29

Class reunions

30

Celebrations

36

Help us reconnect

38

Calendar of events

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ISSUE NO. 61 NOVEMBER 2016

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Board Members Mrs Sarah Tipping

Chairman

FRONT COVER

Mr Richard Nicholas

Vice Chairman

Photography by Paul Shire

Mr Nicholas Brooke

EDITOR

Mrs Charmaine Dunstan

Margaret Kimber +61 03 9262 7700 Margaret.kimber@yvg.vic.edu.au

Mr Michael Fung

DESIGN

Reverend Denise Nicholls

Tandem Design +61 03 9571 7253 www.tandemdesign.com.au

Ms Laurice Temple

Mr Andrew Hirst Mr Hamish King

Mr Craig Watts Dr Mark Merry

CEO/Principal

Ms Jane Macneil

Company Secretary

From the Principal Welcome to the final edition of the Link in this our 50th Birthday year. The year began with the opening assemblies where we invited Old Grammarians back to school to meet our current students and to reconnect with the place.

The Chairman’s Ball at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne was a particular highlight as too was the whole School Cathedral Service at St Paul’s where we gave thanks for the contributions of generations of students and their families to the life of the School. The Yarra Community Festival was a particularly popular event culminating in a fireworks display which drew people from the surrounding areas to the School to enjoy the spectacle.

My son Simon (YOG 2015), is not one easily awestruck, but he

came home genuinely impressed by the show. The various Yarra Spirit groups made this event such a great success and their ongoing contributions to our School community are truly inspiring.

The Community Festival was also the venue for two key events. The first was the unveiling of a major art piece by Old Grammarian, Damian Vick (YOG 1998) who was commissioned to produce something memorable for the 50th anniversary. Damian

excelled himself with The Visionary which stands looking out over the playing field and towards the hills. The sculpture reflects the School’s motto, Levavi Oculos – to lift up the eyes. The second major event was the launching of the official school history authored by Dennis Carroll titled: Yarra Valley Grammar: The First Fifty Years.

This wonderful illustrated history introduced by author and celebrated Old Grammarian, Andy Griffith (YOG 1979) has already proven to be a best seller. The book is available for purchase for $49.95 from www.yvg.vic.edu.au/historybook

in our series of celebrations for the year. This is the 50th Anniversary Presentation Evening at Hamer Hall in Melbourne. This is the opportunity for the whole school family to gather in one place at the same time except our ELC to Year 2, who will be tucked up in bed at the time. The evening at Hamer Hall will allow us to celebrate the past, acknowledge the contributions and achievements of this year and give the community a glimpse at some exciting new developments which will begin the next fifty years in the life of Yarra Valley Grammar.

As we go to print the School is preparing for the final big event

Dr Mark Merry, Principal

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Foundation news

President’s Message As we celebrate the School’s 50th year, it is also appropriate that we give thanks to those who built this wonderful school environment we all enjoy today!

And when we stop to reflect on the journey from the farmland purchased in 1963 to this amazing School that first opened its doors in 1966 we can ask – who built it?

Well, it was built by our founding parents (our Founders), all our past and current School Boards and Chairmen, all our past and current School staff and Principals, all our current and past parents and friends and of course, all our Yarra Foundation members. Yes, it is our own Yarra community that has given us this wonderful legacy.

It is therefore our obligation to in turn ensure we add our bit to that legacy for the School – and in doing so ensure that in another fifty years, the future generation will be as appreciative as we are today.

By becoming a member of the Yarra Foundation you will ensure that your legacy is ongoing.

We have welcomed over twenty new Full members this year, and over eighty new Associate members – all ensuring the future of the School with their commitment. Many of these recent members are new

parents to the School, highlighting their appreciation and greater understanding of what it is their children are enjoying each and every day.

It is with great pleasure that we have also welcomed a new member to the Baldwin Circle, which is the School’s bequest program. This new member explained that although they couldn’t afford a substantial amount during their time as current parents, they wanted to offer a thank you gift to the School for future generations.

Gary Pratt President Yarra Foundation, current Senior School parent and past parent (2006 & 2011)

How to become a Foundation member The aim of membership is to give everyone the opportunity to support The Foundation Building Fund at a level they are comfortable with and fully tax deductable donations at all levels are most welcome.

Associate membership begins at $100 and can easily be made each term with your school fees.

Already more than 50% of current families have joined!

Full Foundation membership begins at Bronze level, commencing at $1,000.

Please contact the Development Office 03 9262 7717 or email development@yvg.vic.edu.au if you wish to know how you can become involved.

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Baldwin Circle – building for the future Gifts in the form of bequests to the Yarra Foundation are important to those who plan the future development of the School. Yarra would not be what it is today without the involvement of passionate and committed supporters who have donated either in their lifetime or through a bequest. We ask that you consider making a

bequest to the Yarra Foundation.

In doing so, you give a gift that outlives your own life and makes a difference to generations to come. It will enable initiatives and opportunities to be embraced by our students of tomorrow.

Foundation member profile

A chat with Nick Katis Nick grew up in inner eastern Melbourne and attended Carey Grammar.

He studied a Bachelor of Economics at Monash University and his formative working career was with Nestle.

Today, he owns Warran Glen

Garden Centre & Café in Warrandyte and is part owner in Moondarra Cheese Co. and has recently joined the Yarra Foundation.

Nick is husband to Becky, whom he met at school and father to Sebastian (Year 9) and Marlo

(Year 5). Sebastian and Nick enjoy time together, particularly playing soccer and tennis and laughing with friends. Marlo and Nick love spending time getting fit and playing with their cat.

They all love travelling, particularly to anywhere in Europe.

What attracted you to the Yarra Foundation?

I was impressed with the embryonic stages of the Yarra Foundation – its aim to have a lasting legacy for the School.

And I really wanted to have more than a passive interest in my children’s School – both present and future.

Why have you decided to join the Yarra Foundation?

I realised that the Yarra Foundation is also a working group to preserve the School’s

past as well and that appealed to me. I’m still looking for more ways to actively contribute.

Would you recommend Yarra parents to join the Foundation?

Yes. The Yarra Foundation seems to have a vision and a direction. It is comprised of volunteers; past and present parents, who lend their experience and expertise for the development of the School.

What are your favourite moments since joining the Yarra community?

This year’s Chairman’s Ball was lots of fun, but the relationships Sebastian is forging with his friends and the friendships we have made with parents is the real highlight.

Thank you, Nick.

Mid-Year Appeal The Yarra Foundation is pleased to announce that the 2016 Mid-Year Appeal has been a great success, raising over $37,500.

It was particularly pleasing to note that our participation has increased by 37% on last year.

We would like to thank everyone who made a contribution to this year’s Appeal – your support will assist us in building on our inheritance and enhancing the foundations of this great School.

The majority of money donated will be going towards the new Hearing Unit Scholarship Fund that will provide scholarships to hearing impaired students hoping to study at Yarra. This fund offers another opportunity to donors to contribute to the School in a tax effective way.

Our thanks go to all of our School community, both past and present, who kindly donated to our Mid-Year Appeal.

Contributors include: Mr Kit Brooke Mr Max Brooke Miss Samantha Brooke Mr Nick Brooke Mrs Rosie Brown The Calvert-Jones Foundation Mr John and Mrs Janet Calvert-Jones Mrs Judy Cameron Mr Bryan Chau and Ms Sheila Lau Mr Geoff and Mrs Julie Cope Mr Karl and Mrs Rachel Davis Mr Lianhui Deng and Mrs Qinging Zhang Mr Robert and Mrs Kerrie Dykstra Ms Ebtesam Gauda Mr Bruce and Mrs Tracey Gow Mr John and Mrs Joan Hale Mr Ian and Mrs Julie Hall Mr Sam He and Ms Cathy Li Mr Andrew and Mrs Tracey Hocking

Mr Jon and Mrs Lesley Hubbard Mrs Margaret Kaiser Mr Ken and Mrs Robyn Lakeman Mr Chris and Mrs Jan Lawson Mr Yang Li and Mrs Song Zhang Mr Andrew and Mrs Alicia McIntosh Mr Ian and Mrs Margaret McKellar Dr Mark and Mrs Manuela Merry Mr Jim Mitchell and Ms Fiona Hall Mr Walter and Mrs Linda Pigatto Mr Michael Potthoff and Ms Vicki Brown Mr Radcliff and Mrs Robin Owen Mr Nanda and Mrs Jeevanthi Ranatunge Ms Jenny Rolleston Mr Mike and Mrs Marjorie Russell Mr David Sandbach Mr Andrew and Mrs Sue Seeger Mr Andis and Mrs Carole Seja Mr Peter and Mrs Joan Selby Smith Mr John and Mrs Pam Sharwood Mr Alan Shi and Mrs K Yang Mr Henry Speagle Mrs Joyce Sun Ms Dina Tanphanich Mr Rob and Mrs Vicki Taylor Mr Fred van den Hout and

Ms Linda Craven Mr Edwin and Mrs Marie van Ravesteyn Mr Julian and Mrs Linda Walker Mr Jack Wang and Mrs Jen Lin Mr Mike and Mrs Christine Wasley Mr Prathapa and Mrs Champika Wethasinghe Mr George and Mrs Elizabeth Wood Mrs Pat Woolmer Mr Lawrence and Mrs Christine Wu Mr Tao Xiong and Ms Qian Xi Mr Patrick Yang and Ms Michelle Fei Mr Joe Zhang and Ms Rosa Yu …and a large number of other donors who would prefer to remain anonymous.

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Foundation news

Chairman’s Ball Silent Auction This year we wanted to make the traditional Yarra Valley Foundation Silent Auction, held at the Chairman’s Ball, a special one. Our focus was on providing experiences that you simply can’t just go out and buy.

more Doggies than ever before even travelling to GWS to watch the Preliminary Final win. On Grand Final Day he & his Dad managed to get seats whilst his wife took the three boys to the G and watched outside on the big screen. “I was so excited.

What a year. I was inspired thanks to you guys!”

The Grand Hyatt, with special thanks to current parent, Ilan Weill put together an extraordinary package that included accommodation and a special dining experience for six guests, in room, by Head Chef, Jason. We look forward to hearing from the Pratt Family once they have enjoyed this once in a lifetime experience.

And last but not least, we congratulate Tarkin and Niyal Goktepe along with their son, Adem in taking home the Yarra Valley Grammar package.

Although this included uniform vouchers, book vouchers, various music and sporting lessons, the envy of most families was a reserved VIP car park!

We are always grateful to our extensive network of families who own or work in businesses within our neighbouring Yarra Valley. Sam Appleby was the happy winner of An abundance of Yarra Valley wining, dining, staying and playing experiences.

First stop was a Natskin massage, “Pure Bliss!” says Sam. Many parts of the prize

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have been given as gifts so the enjoyment has been well spread. The variety of Yarra Valley wines have been shared and enjoyed amongst friends in their home. A dinner at the Healesville Hotel, followed by a night at the RACV Club is the next on the calendar. “We are waiting for the sun to come out for Richie to enjoy his Ferrari ride”. In fact, there is so much more to come. “So, bring on the next one – we will be bidding to discover even more delights in our own backyard”.

What a year to be part of a Day with the Doggies! Matt Chilver and his family had a wonderful day out sharing time in the team rooms pre and post-match, a corporate dining package and of course, watching the game against the Tigers. We thank YOG, David Stevenson for organising and donating this prize. “The kids couldn’t wipe the smiles off their faces getting their jumpers signed by all the players and getting photos with their heroes!” Inspired by the day, Chilly and his family are

In all, we raised just over $10,000 that will go the Yarra Foundation Building Fund, a fund we are always working to grow. Thanks to all donors and all who participated! And a hint to stay tuned as that VIP car park will surely be on the prize list again in the future.

New Foundation Members Thank you to the following Yarra Valley Grammar Foundation members who have joined this year as part of our Voluntary Giving program and Mid-Year Appeal. Your support enables the Yarra Foundation to resource the School for its future success, while still providing immediate benefits for our current students and families.

Associate members

Mr Ronald and Mrs Leonie Gillies

Mr Darren and Mrs Heather McCaffrey

Mr Andrew and Mrs Helen Walker

Mr Taskin and Mrs Niyal Goktepe

Mr Bradford Baker and Ms Susan Dalton

Mr David Gluyas and Mrs Nicole Sidon-Gluyas

Mr Andrew and Mrs Alicia McIntosh

Mr Julian and Mrs Linda Walker

Mr Bruce and Mrs Tracey Gow

Mr Guohong Bao and Ms Ying Dai

Mr Zhao Qin Gong and Ms Mingzhen Dai

Mr James Mitchell and Ms Fiona Hall

Mr Tao Wang and Mrs Haizhou Zhang

Mr Philip and Mrs Leonie Grundy

Mr Leslie and Mrs Bronwyn Barnes

Mr Mark Gooi and Ms Sui Hoon Khor

Mr Simon Mustoe and Ms Fiona Seers

Mr Yuan Wang and Ms Shanshan Gao

Mr John and Mrs Joan Hale

Mrs Ingrid Bartusch

Mr Dominic and Mrs Sandra Gregory

Mr Vikas and Mrs Kanika Nayyar

Mr Zhaoqi Wang and Ms JingJing Sun

Mr Greg and Mrs Sharyn Higgins

Mr Amit and Dr Hema Grover

Mr Timothy and Mrs Tanya Neate

Mr Michael and Mrs Christine Wasley

Mr Anthony Holah and Ms Monique Du Chateau

Mrs Julie and Mr Ian Hall

Mr Desmond and Mrs Shirley Ng

Mr Mahendranath and Dr Champika Wethasinghe

Mr Peter Kent and Mrs Louise Osborne

Mr Damien and Ms Rochelle Nicks

Mr Paul and Mrs Michelle Wolff

Mr Peter Kett

Prof Edward and Mrs Jacqueline Ogden

Mrs Pat Woolmer

Mr Roman Korobitsin and Mrs Irina Korobitsina

Dr Youn and Dr Mi Park

Mr Yin Wu and Mrs Zhi Ying Tan

Mr Ian and Mrs Margaret McKellar

Mr Jon and Mrs Lesley Hubbard

Mr George and Mrs Gael Petcopoulos

Mr Lecheng Wu and Mrs Yun Wu

Mr Andrew Molnar and Ms Samantha Dummett

Mr Shane and Mrs Joanne Hume

Mr Walter and Mrs Linda Pigatto

Mr Jun Xiong and Ms Linli Zhu

Mr Andrew and Mrs Lisa Raper

Mrs Margaret Kaiser

Mr Rodney Planner Mr Michael Potthoff and Ms Victoria Brown

Mr Tao Xiong and Ms Qian Xi

Mr Paul Rath

Dr Darren and Mrs Robyn Kelly Mr David Kight and Ms Roxanne Dastur

Ms Jennifer Rolleston

Mr Shiyan Xu and Ms Jili Zhou

Mr Michael and Mrs Marjorie Russell

Mr Shunli Xu and Ms Ming Dong

Mr David Sandbach

Mr Zhanwei Yang and Mrs Weihua Yang

Mr Matthew and Mrs Heidi Bell Mr Hames and Mrs Judith Boyd Mr Mitchell and Mrs Rachael Burich

Mr Jason and Mrs Martina Hammerstein

Mrs Judy Cameron

Mr Houwu He and Ms Chuanqi Li

Mr Xudong Cao Mr Siu Kan Chan and Mrs Su Lian Huang Mr Matthew Chen and Ms Jenny Xiang Mr Ken-Bill Cheng and Ms Kelly Ding Mr Edwin Choo and Ms Yvonne Loh Mr Jeffrey and Mrs Maree Coldrey Mr Damian Coutts and Mrs Bronwyn Haines Mr Huan Dang and Mrs Tran Vunh Khuu Mr James Davies and Dr Larissa McLean Davies Mr Lianhui Deng and Ms Qingning Zhang Mr Ross and Mrs Elizabeth Didier Mr Xibing Ding Mr Jochen Ehret and Ms Jutta Heider Mr Jeremy and Mrs Olga Elia Mr Peter and Mrs Diana Fayle Mrs Roslyn Fay Mr Darren Fox Mr Rao Fu and Ms Xue Ru Ms Ebtesam Gauda Mr Jie Geng and Mrs Hua Huang

Mr Andrew and Mrs Tracy Hocking

Mr Daniel and Mrs Aletta Knott Mr Chunhua Li and Mrs Liping Wang

Mr Mario and Mrs Josie Schena

Mr Min Li and Ms Shuyao Lu

Mr Mark and Mrs Patricia Sewell

Mr Ming Jun Li and Ms Hua Yuan

Mr Bevan Smillie and Ms Samantha Dove

Mr Mingtao Li and Ms Yahong Zhao

Mr Daniel and Mrs Catherine Smith

Mr Zhi Jun Li and Mrs Zhi Min Tan

Mr Henry Speagle

Mr Shi Zhong Lin and Ms Li Hou Mr Rob Little and Ms Kirsty Goetz Mr Jianling Liu and Ms Jiling Zhou Mr Qisheng Liu and Ms Xuemei Liao Mr Yadong Luo and Ms Xiaoli Bie

Mr Andrew and Ms Sue Stark

Mr Wei Quan Ye and Ms Aihao Tan Mr Ming Gao Zheng and Ms Jin Zhou Mr Yong Liang Zu and Ms Cindy Huaying Sun

Bronze members Mr Ritchie and Mrs Samantha Appleby

Mr Paul and Mrs Stephanie Schwab Mr William and Mrs Amanda Stark Ms Dina Tanphanich Mr Gary Taylor Mr Wayne and Mrs Bronwyn Taylor Dr Adam West and Dr Madeleine Howard Mr Joseph Zhang and Ms Rosa Yu

Silver members Mr Peter and Mrs Chris Elsworth Mr Gary and Mrs Trisha Pratt

Mrs Liang Fang Sun

Mr Neil and Mrs Adrienne Bidgood

Mr Laiwei Tang and Ms Siew Hong Huang

Dr Peter Brotchie

Diamond members

Mr Matthew and Mrs Simone Chilver

Mr Peter and Mrs Joan Selby Smith

Dr Shirani Thevarajan

Mr Paul Doupe and Ms Anne Bortolussi

Platinum members

Mr Stephen and Mrs Heather Tiley

Mr Rohan and Mrs Lisa Fernando

The Calvert-Jones Foundation

Mr Benjamin and Mrs Kelly Terrill

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YOG news

President’s Report Wow! What a fantastic year it has been. It has been sensational to see so many Yarra Old Grammarians (YOGs) at all the 50th Anniversary events this year. In particular, there were many tables of YOGs at the Chairman’s Ball in May and YOGs played a significant role at the latest celebration, Yarra’s 50th Community Festival on Saturday 15 October.

Damian Vick (YOG 1998) unveiled his 50th Anniversary commemorative sculpture the Visionary, Geoff Hams (YOG 1974) and his granddaughters helped Dr Merry to bury Yarra’s time capsule, William Lyall (YOG 1985) from Carter Real Estate sponsored the Community Photography Competition, for which we had two YOG judges; Damian Vick (YOG 1998) and Chris Martin (YOG 1993) and William also helped us by auctioning off some Junior School artwork. Dr Merry took approximately 100 YOG/past staff on a tour of the School during the Festival, the YOG Gallery was on display in the George Wood Performing Arts Centre, Andy Griffiths (YOG 1979) helped author, Dennis Carroll launch Yarra Valley Grammar: The First Fifty Years,

three YOG judges; Martin Evett (YOG 2009), Tyla Hodgson (YOG 2009) and Joe Napoleone (YOG 2012) adjudicated the Levavi Voculos singing competition, the Yarra Old Grammarians Football Club (YOGFC) cooked up a storm on the BBQ and many other YOGs attended to enjoy the celebrations.

For those of you who have not as yet bought your copy of Yarra Valley Grammar: The First Fifty Years, I encourage you to do so. It is a sensational read with each year self-contained so that you can find your place in history easily and work your way from there! Any YOG who purchases a copy online and picks it up from the School, will also receive a FREE copy of The Associated Grammar School of Victoria: A Sporting and Social History, a history of AGSV Sport through the years.

Student Enterprise 2016, which is mentored by YOGs is now drawing to a close. The students have done an amazing job, raising approx. $10,000 to

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support the chosen charity, So They Can. We have now started the process for 2017 with the applications being assessed and the applicants being interviewed by YOGs. Thanks to everyone for their involvement. If you are interested in helping us mentor these entrepreneurial students please contact us at yog@yvg.vic.edu.au.

It was my great pleasure on Friday 14 October to welcome the 2016 Year 12 students into the YOG fold at the YOG Year 12 breakfast. I would also like to thank Luke Gillies (YOG 1996) and representative from the YOGFC who also attended to answer questions on the YOGFC and their associated women’s football, netball and basketball teams. If any of you need more information about any of the YOG sporting teams, please contact Michael Wines on 0409 996 878 or email: president@yvobfc.com.au.

It’s exciting times for the YOG association, with lots of new initiatives being introduced, including getting a YOG team together to help at the 2017 Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal. We’d love to hear from any YOG eager to help either for this initiative, on the committee or as an advisor on one of our many other projects. If you are interested, please email me at yog@yvg.vic.edu.au.

We encourage everyone to update your details on the website www.yvg.vic.edu.au/ our-community/YOG/updateyour-details.

Thanks for a great 2016 and we look forward to the coming year.

Rod Penaluna President, Yarra Old Grammarians (YOG 1990)

Yarra Parents & Friends news

Co-Presidents’ Report The year to date has seen Yarra Parents & Friends continuing with its regular fundraising endeavours as well as ensuring that a strong sense of community spirit is maintained for existing connections as well as encouraging new ones.

With this year being Yarra’s 50th birthday, celebrations have included a look back at our history within the Parents and Friends community as well as the link we have with the School as a whole. A stand out event was the Mothers of Past Students (MOPS) luncheon at the Brooke Nicholas Pavilion in April which included a tour of the School. Dr Merry joined the group for lunch and then guided all the guests through the School pointing out changes and additions. P & F pride ourselves in being able to have an integral part to play in maintaining the connections between past and present.

The popular Junior School disco continues to be a highlight of the School year for the Year 3 to Year 6 children. Parents & Friends provide the refreshments and also the volunteers for the evening which makes it a huge success.

We also attended a meeting for the Victorian Parents Council at Ruyton Girls School which is held once a term. It’s a great forum for parents from committees at Independent Schools of Victoria to share ideas and successes.

The yearly donation continues to both the Father’s Day and Mother’s Day breakfast in Senior School celebrating the special day with prizes from P & F drawn at the event. The Mother’s and Father’s Day stalls in Junior School provide children with a range of gifts for the special day.

The Second Hand Uniform Shop is now permanently located on School grounds and has permanent trading hours which is proving to be very popular with parents.

The cafe at the Pavilion continues to trade during Winter Sport weekends, offering coffee and snacks to parents, competitors and visitors. It’s still a new initiative and we hope that it will evolve to become a staple for Saturday sports throughout the year.

It goes without saying that the successes we celebrate in enriching the school life of the children from the Junior School playground, to the chocolates at

Easter and much more, would not be possible without the tireless involvement of parent volunteers and also the strong support of the School and its staff. All profit from fundraising ventures are channelled directly back into the School for the benefit of all and we take this opportunity to thank all those involved.

Silvina Solano and Robyn McKinnell Co-Presidents, Yarra Parents & Friends

Parents & Friends also donated a beautiful fish tank which was installed into the Science and Mathematics building and the science students are involved with maintaining the tank and caring for the fish as well as learning about fish ecosystems.

Plus it adds a great extra feature to the Science space.

Robyn and I were invited to the annual Community Volunteers Luncheon at Karalyka Centre hosted by the Mayor of Maroondah. It was an opportunity to meet other volunteers within our wider community and share stories and ideas.

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Turning the vision into a reality No one who observes this School could not be more proud of the Schools’ achievements than those who were the School’s Foundation team under the leadership of Robin Clarke. In the beginning, there were twenty eight Foundation members of whom fifteen were the first Council Members. I am told that I am one of only three contactable Founders still standing of those first involved.

Briefly, I would like to share with you my memory of some of the highlights and personalities who took on particular responsibilities to establish the School.

Robert Hughes, a leading Melbourne solicitor and Jim Hemphill, the Chief Administrative Officer of the ANZ Bank supported Robin Clarke’s leadership by having an excellent reputation for handling other people’s money and by arranging loans to buy the School land.

The land was discovered by Allan Carter MBE, the owner of Carter’s Real Estate in Croydon.

I will never forget the Colonial Mutuals’ Chief at that YV Board meeting quietly offering to the Board a loan to buy the land of

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probably close to a million dollars on today’s values. At that stage not many donations for starting the School had been received either! The ANZ Bank also then provided a loan to allow the Colonial Life to have some security from the Board to meet initial interest payments.

Don Annells, a Director of J B Were, the sharebrokers, was in the mix of people who were involved in providing financial confidence. Knowing all of this gave me, the youngest of Board members, as the potential parents representative, and less experienced in financial matters, a clear indication that a solid positive reputation of reliability in life was so important. Robin Clarke had picked the Board team well. These two transactions enabled the School

to be created with planning and steady progress.

The sixth person I would like to mention is Bill Harker, a principal engineer with John Holland and Co. which was to later build the new Australian Parliament House. Bill and I, a professional Forester, walked the 71.5 acre site examining the needs for designed treescaping particularly along the entrance drive, viewing the makeup of natural vegetation, soil types for playing fields, and drainage as the Board became confident to go ahead. Bill was not well at that time and died not long after from a disability illness in the prime of his life.

Again, it was an instructive period for me to be in the company of a fine thoughtful

gentleman, a very competent engineer and someone with such mental strength.

Board meetings were chaired by John Harper OBE, another leading Melbourne solicitor, and whilst Board members were all mature and experienced in life, I observed in action, one of the most competent chairperson I have ever known. Later in life, as Chairperson of a global Forestry organisation attempted to be as efficient in getting business done at committee meetings with fifteen Board members, around a table, with one objective in mind!

Some task.

Whilst the Board enlisted the services of a professional fundraising organisation to build the school there was a

fundraising committee headed

by Dr Lucas, a local Dentist, Allan Carter and I amongst the team. My role with Donald MacCallum, a Captain of the Australian National Shipping Line and also a potential parent, apart from seeking funds was to demonstrate how to ask for donations to twenty or more fundraising volunteers. The meetings sometimes resulted in gentle hilarity when volunteers came together to report the size of anonymous donations, with stories of success or sometimes failure. But we did reach a substantial total!

Finally, but just as importantly, amongst other requisites, needed for a new school the Board received support from Tom Plummer, the experienced Bursar of Melbourne Grammar where Robin Clarke had gone to school, and the local Vicar, Arthur Robin who was full of encouragement. These two, plus Bishop Felix Arnott ensured that the Christian foundation and the culture that have made many Independent Schools such a

success were to be outstanding for those attending this School.

I hope I have given a useful recollection of what some of the major early risks and challenges were, that simply had to be met.

And after a start of 135 boys in 1966 there are now over twelve hundred boys and girls receiving a caring education! What a remarkable achievement!

I would like to close on a simple reflection for I am sure all the Founders of the School would like to have heard this said: “Whatever has been given in early vision, toil, and thoughtful planning and decision making has been taken up by those who have followed and long may it continue.”

Yarra Valley Grammar: The First FIFTY Years This specially commissioned history book of the first 50 years of Yarra Valley Grammar has been written and compiled by former teacher, Dennis Carroll. It details major events and issues, and shorter articles about aspects of each individual year. There are stories about Old Grammarians who have gone on to become very successful in their chosen fields. Among these are a top selling author, a number of academics, several Olympians, an internationally acclaimed musician, a judge and a Hollywood actor. Included each year is a detailed coverage of extra-curricular activities, in particular sport, music and theatre. There are 622 photographs in the book’s 288 pages.

Yarra Valley Grammar: The First Fifty Years is available for $49.95 plus postage.

The book is available for purchase from www.yvg.vic.edu.au/historybook

Robert L Newman, OAM Yarra Foundation Team Member

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Chairman’s Ball On Saturday 21 May over 550 people gathered at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in the city for the Chairman’s Ball which formed part of the 50th Anniversary of Yarra Valley Grammar.

The night was a great success.

The General Manager of the Grand Hyatt, Mr Ilan Weill, is a Yarra parent and he made very sure that we were all well looked after, and we offer him our thanks.

The Esstee Big Band, whose members comprise past and present staff and students, entertained us with some classic jazz and some great dance numbers to ensure there was something for everyone to get out on the dance floor.

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We are also very grateful to the contributors to the silent auction which was a successful fundraiser for the Yarra Foundation conducted during the evening.

There was a diverse group on the night; past and present parents, Yarra Old Grammarians, staff past and present and past leaders of the School. All had in common a great affection for the School and the sense of Yarra Spirit was strong.

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50th Anniversary Cathedral Service The whole School community gathered for the Yarra Valley Grammar Cathedral Service on Sunday 31 July at St Paul’s cathedral. This was a great celebration of the life of our school and one which occurs only once every ten years.

The YVG Symphony Orchestra and choirs were at their finest on the day as too was the student body, who acquitted themselves beautifully. The grand occasion attracted members of the public who sat in on the service which meant that the cathedral was filled to over capacity with standing room only at the back.

We are grateful to the Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr Philip Freier for joining us for the occasion. Students and staff from Johoku High School in Hiroshima, Japan and Pinghu High School in Pinghu, China joined us for the service as part of their exchange visit here to Yarra.

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Yarra’s Community Festival The Yarra 50th Anniversary Community Festival…what a great event! It’s difficult to know where to start as there was so much going on here at the School. There were many highlights and here are just a few: • The unveiling of the 50th anniversary sculpture by the Chair of our Board, Mrs Sarah Tipping and the artist, Old Grammarian Damian Vick (YOG 1998). The work titled

The Visionary is truly impressive as it looks over the playing fields towards the hills. It beautifully captures the School’s motto, Levavi Oculos (Lift up my eyes).

• The interning of the Time Capsule to be opened on the 100th birthday of the School.

This simple ceremony was performed by Mr Geoff Hams a Foundation student and his three granddaughters who are all current students in our Junior School. Each of the girls; Sienna, Isabel and Charlotte were presented with a letter from Dr Merry inviting them back in fifty years’ time to unearth the capsule.

• The launch of the official history of the School titled Yarra Valley Grammar: the First Fifty Years written by Dennis Carroll. The book was launched by Old Grammarian

and renowned children’s author, Andy Griffiths (YOG 1979). Andy also provided us with his own written history which was an essay he wrote at school long before his Treehouse series.

• The tour of the School which saw many Old Grammarians and past staff reconnecting with Yarra, several for the first time in many years.

• The carnival rides, craft stores, food court and music festival which provided so much of the atmosphere.

• The grand fireworks display which were a fitting end to the festivities.

Thank you to the organisers and the many volunteers who made the occasion such a great success. What better way to celebrate the Schools’ birthday than to bring the whole community together?

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Yarra Old Grammarian’s Gallery As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations we established a gallery of some of our leading Old Grammarians and their achievements. They are in the George Wood Performing Arts Centre gallery space and will eventually be displayed in the new administration building foyer. The intention is to continue to build on our proud collection.

The following are just a few profiles displayed.

The Honourable Justice Peter Almond (Yog 1972) Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria Peter completed an Arts/Law degree at the University of Melbourne in 1978. While at university, Peter worked as a volunteer at the Fitzroy Legal Service. In his final year, he and two friends founded the North Melbourne Legal Service. In 1979, he served his articles of clerkship with a small firm in the CBD and, after admission, worked there as a solicitor for two years. He completed the Victorian Bar Readers’ Course in 1982 and became a barrister. He also undertook a Master of Laws degree, examining in his thesis the legal implications for Australia of offshore commercial exploration and exploitation of mineral resources in the Australian Antarctic Territory.

Do everything well and with integrity.

Peter established a busy commercial practice at the Victorian Bar and became a Queen’s Counsel in 1999.

In 2010, after eleven years as a silk, he was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria, the 138th judge appointed to that court since its establishment in 1852. He is married to Carmel and has three children..

Howard Brenchley (Yog 1971) Executive Director & Chief Investment Officer, APN Funds Management Ltd Howard was a Foundation Student at Yarra Valley Grammar and completed his secondary education in 1971.

After graduating with an Economics degree from Monash University and spending a number of years working for the Australian Government, Howard went into stockbroking with A.C. Goode & Co in 1987.

Accepted wisdom is not always right. Question.

Regularly.

In 1989 he co-founded Property Investment Research Pty Ltd, a specialist company researching commercial property investment. In 1998 he was responsible for the establishment of a new business, APN Funds Management Limited, a subsidiary of APN Property Group Limited, which listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) in 2005. APN has received numerous investment management industry awards and currently manages in excess of $2.5 billion in commercial property investments for its clients.

Howard is currently a director of a number of ASX-listed entities; APN Property Group Ltd, Generation Healthcare REIT, Industria REIT and National Storage REIT.

Lerida Delbridge (Yog 1996) Assistant Concertmaster, Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Bite off more than you can chew, then chew like blazes!

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Lerida was so advanced in both violin and piano that she became the first student to begin a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Melbourne when she was in Year 11. After leaving Yarra Valley Grammar she went straight into the third year of her music degree, again the first to do so. She graduated with honours and then completed a master’s degree and a doctorate. Meanwhile she performed successfully in competitions, toured with the Australian Youth Orchestra, worked casually with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) and spent short periods overseas studying. Significantly, she and three of her fellow students formed the Tinalley String Quartet which won several major competitions, including the most prestigious of all, the Banff International Competition in 2007.

After touring Europe and North America with the quartet for 18 months, Lerida applied successfully for a position with the MSO. Then in 2013 she was appointed Assistant Concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO), a major promotion to number three in the hierarchy. When not performing with the SSO, she continues playing with Tinalley and as a guest artist with other orchestras.

Andy Griffiths (Yog 1979) Internationally renowned Children’s Author Having spent his secondary years at Yarra Valley Grammar, Andy completed an honours degree in Arts at Monash University and a Diploma of Education at Rusden. During this period he also pursued music as a member of alternative underground bands which performed mainly at venues in the St Kilda area. He then taught English at schools in Ballarat and Mildura and began writing humorous pieces for his classes.

Life is too important to be taken seriously!

After taking leave to pursue his writing, Andy achieved his major breakthrough in 1997 with Just Tricking!

Then followed a series of best sellers, and in 2011 the first of the hugely successful Treehouse series was published. In 2015 more than 1.3 million copies of his books for young readers were sold in Australia alone, bringing his career total to over seven million. His books have been translated into 24 languages.

Dr Alastair Iles (Yog 1986) Associate Professor of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley

Be patient, find out your real passion in life, and just do it!

A member of Yarra’s Hearing Unit, Alastair was awarded Dux of the School in 1986. He then went on to complete Arts and Law degrees at the University of Melbourne before spending 18 months in the environmental law group at Malleson Stephen Jacques. Winning the R G Menzies Scholarship, he completed a Master of Laws at Harvard and a PhD on social learning in environmental regulation. Then followed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley, during which he undertook extensive training in environmental policy and technology studies. The National Science Foundation then awarded him a postdoctoral fellowship to investigate green chemistry science and policies.

Currently Alastair is an Associate Professor at Berkeley, his research focusing on how societies might develop sustainable food systems and make the transition to using non-toxic and renewable chemicals. He helped to establish the Berkeley Food Institute as well as the Berkeley Centre for Green Chemistry, the latter aiming to train scientists who are concerned about the health and social effects of their designs.

Peter Russell-Clarke (Yog 1986) Industrial Designer, Apple, San Francisco Peter Russell-Clarke graduated from Yarra Valley Grammar in 1986 and went on to study Industrial Design at RMIT. After RMIT, he went on to complete a Masters degree in Industrial Design at the Royal College of Art in London.

Two years turned into fifteen, working in small consultancies and eventually establishing his own studio with clients including Nike, Swatch and numerous Italian furniture makers. One of his clients, Nokia, invited him to become the Global Design Manager for mobile phones, managing teams in five countries across Europe, China, and the USA.

Keep exploring. Keep absorbing. Keep questioning.

Keep creating.

In 2005 Apple approached him to join their small team of Industrial Designers working with Jonathan Ive. Peter has been involved in the design of every iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch since then.

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What Yarra means to me Throughout the year we have been asking members of the Yarra community to express exactly what Yarra means to them in order to get a sense of what the Yarra spirit really is‌

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Yarra Spirit news

YOG Bushrangers In twenty five seasons of Yarra Football there has never been an off season like this one! Riding a wave of momentum, unprecedented in Australian sport, the Bushranger’s will field a team in the first ever Victorian Amateur Football association (VAFA) Women’s League, which will commence in 2017.

Already 21 women have expressed interest in playing football for the Bushrangers and it’s still early days! If you want to be part of this massive cultural shift as a player, supporter, volunteer or sponsor please contact me.

2016 saw both the Seniors and Reserves play finals, a huge result considering the number of Senior players who had retired over the previous two

seasons. Players such as Wil Elsworth (YOG 2013), Mitch Hatton (YOG 2013) and Jack Hall (YOG 2005) followed in the formidable footsteps of recently retired champions Chris Beal (YOG 1999), Nick Pask (YOG 1999) and Sam Savage (YOG 1999), to finish fourth at the end of the season.

The club has decided to invest heavily in a new football department, headlined by the appointment of Greg Freemantle (past Yarra parent).

Greg is easily the highest profile coach the club has employed. He coached East Ringwood through

their golden era to an Eastern Football League (EFL) Division 1 premiership and three Grand Finals, then took Croydon to their only EFL Division 1 Grand Final. So with this is amazing coach, coupled with an exciting group of young players, 2017 can’t come quick enough.

A highlight of the year was the first ever Legends match played in front of a huge crowd on the Queen’s Birthday weekend.

What started as a half time Little League concept turned into the biggest social event of the season with past Club legends including Travis

Reddaway (YOG 1992) and former Richmond star, Kelvin Moore (YOG 2002) pulling on the Club’s jumper for the first time in many years! For the record, Graeme Kerr (YOG 1995) kicked 3 goals as a runaway Best on Ground.

The 2017 pre-season starts at the School on Monday 14 November for the boys and a little later for the girls, get involved in the biggest season in the club’s history. #Go Yarra!

Luke Gillies (YOG 1999) secretary@yvobfc.com.au

Yarra Tennis Annual Tennis Championship This year’s Tennis Championship was held over 10 and 11 September with 75 participants including current students, Old Grammarians, future students and parents. It was a great atmosphere and fun was had by all who competed.

The Mens singles champion was Chris Mottin (YOG 2012) and the Womens singles champ was Jacqueline Chester (current Year 10 student). Thanks to all those involved to make it such a successful weekend of tennis.

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Tennis Premiership trophy It was with great pride that Marie Van Ravesteyn on behalf of Yarra Tennis presented Dr Merry, YVG Principal, with an antique tennis racquet that commemorates the three

premiership teams of 1996, 2013 and 2014. This special trophy now takes pride of place in the YVG trophy cabinet in the George Wood Performing Arts Centre foyer.

Yarra Snowsports 2016 The 2016 Yarra Snowsports Team by numbers…

50+

Competing schools from all across Victoria

24...Years of Yarra competing at the Victorian Interschools Competition

23...Yarra students

representing the school and showing outstanding sportsmanship and conduct

16...Yarra’s place overall amongst Victorian co-educational schools (In 2015 we were in the 17th place)

13...Team days on snow at Mt Buller

13...Very cold, very early

Monday morning dry-land training sessions at School

10... New faces to the team

ranging from complete beginners to national level riders

9... Different events from Cross Country to Slopestyle

6... Divisions and six Yarra year levels represented from Year 5 to Year 11

5... The number of National

qualifiers amongst the Yarra team: Wade Ritchie, Ellie Buxton, Kyle McGown, Jasmine McGown, Archer Rostron

4... Victorian Interschools

medals attained by Ellie Buxton, Archer Rostron and Kyle McGown

4... World Champion coaches (Two Sochi Olympians, Cam Bolton and Anton Grimus)

2... Team Captains, Lucas

Heider (Year 8) and Dan Buchanan (Year 10) who showed leadership through example

1...

3... Off-snow Yarra Spirit

New set of ski tuning equipment purchased by the Snowsports Spirit Group for student use

3... Snowsports camps

Mountain: Mt Buller and staying at Alpine Retreat

2... Students competing

Independent Ski & Snowboard Australia National Junior Champion in Skier Cross, Kyle McGown.

Group functions

throughout Winter

independently in the New Zealand Nationals

1...

1...

A whole lot of fun, fantastic support from the Snowsports parent group, terrific enthusiasm and hard work from all team members; thank you to all involved.

Yarra Snowsports is open to all Yarra students from Year 4 – Year 12 regardless of ability.

Nathan O’Malley Snowsports Coordinator snowsports@yvg.vic.edu.au

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YOG profile

Damian Vick (YOG 1998) Artist, Sculptor

I was an academic child and I did well in all my studies, so it was a bit of a shock to everyone when, at the end of Year 10, I abandoned all academic subjects to focus on visual arts and communication. I couldn’t say that this shift was the result of a particular event, but I do recall encountering the phrase, He who loves his job never works a day in his life.

The romance of this concept struck a deep chord with me at the time, and while I now feel that the phrase is not entirely accurate, its potent echo still lingers.

I spent my final years at Yarra embedded in the Arts department, which seemed like an oasis at the time. It was a place where many of the teachers allowed us to call them by their first names, where certain details in respect to uniform requirements were not as strictly observed as they were elsewhere in the School, and where we were encouraged to think laterally, to experiment, and to work and learn with a collegial and collaborative attitude. I was aware that I existed in a small world, a microcosm, a little pond but I was encouraged to think large, to dream larger and prepare myself for the big world beyond.

I graduated from Yarra in 1998, and was accepted into Graphic Design at RMIT. I had left my little pond and found myself in a river of like-minds, filled with colourful people whose stories, backgrounds and perspectives were a lot more varied. This river eventually led me out into the great big ocean, where, I must admit, I spent some time drifting.

I struggled to find the meaning in corporate graphic design and found myself working as an in-house designer for an NGO which appealed to my philosophical ideals of social justice.

However, after several years, I felt myself stagnating again

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and hungry for something different, something more personal. I was living in a creative warehouse space that I had started with some friends but despite being surrounded by painters and musicians I was still unable to determine a solid outlet for my energies. So, a little lost, I felt that the best way to find my find my calling was to get even more lost, by setting off for a walk around the world.

I hoped to find some fresh experiences that would give me a new perspective, which may lead to an awakening, a re-imagining of my future.

In many ways, this is what happened. I spent some time in India and northern Africa, which allowed me to consider my own path anew. It helped me realise that I felt constricted by the two dimensional nature of graphic design and that I had an urge to use a more physical medium; to build large sculpture and unique features. It would be an outlet that would allow me to explore new and diverse design challenges, and solve them on a case by case basis.

I have worked on a large array of projects over the last eight years; from architectural cladding, to custom made furniture, but nothing provides a thrill for me like building large-scale sculpture. So I felt

considerable excitement when I was approached by YVG to discuss the development of an artwork to commemorate their 50th anniversary.

With an open brief and the support of Ngaire Thompson (Head of Art, Design and Technology), Rosie Brown (Director of Development) and Dr Merry (Principal), I prepared, explored and presented various directions and concepts that aimed to encapsulate the nature of Yarra and its people, its philosophy and its direction.

With the aid and input of the aforementioned, we settled on a single vision; a figure, a dreamer, a visionary.

While a school is compromised of many elements, its focus is essentially its students and this is what I was keen to capture in the work. School is a time where we mature, grow and prepare ourselves for life as an adult. It provides us with information and experiences that inspire the mind and guides our trajectory

works involve, it is often the case that the artist grows weary of the work as it nears completion. This is something I have experienced many times, but this work was different somehow and I feel uniquely proud of this sculpture due to the fact that it lives up to my original vision and eloquently achieves what I set out to communicate. into the world beyond. It is a place in which we can develop our dreams and then equip ourselves for the challenge of making those dreams come true. It was the School motto, Levavi Oculous – I lift up my eyes that determined the scale and pose that the sculpture would take; an aspirational

dreamer, looking skyward, pondering and projecting their future.

The work itself was a joy to build despite the technical challenges it posed, and I think it marks a significant milestone in my career. When you consider the amount of planning, design and development that large

It was an honour to involved in marking this historic achievement and I would like to thank Dr Merry, Rosie Brown and Ngaire Thompson for finding me, engaging me and trusting in my ability to deliver a suitable outcome. In addition, I must say that if it were not for YVG’s commitment to providing students with the opportunity

explore their interests in a wide range of subjects, from drama, to music and visual arts, I think it would be unlikely that I would have found the ability, support and inspiration to carve out the path that I currently walk, a path that allows me to discover and generate the meaning and fulfilment I have always sought.

And finally, I would like to thank the teachers who did so much to guide me during my school years including David Musker, Laurie Hamilton, Lindy Spreadborough, Neil Loveless, and Steve Freestone. (My apologies if I omitted anyone.

You know who you are).

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YOG profile

David Robinson (YOG 1975) Yarra Foundation Student

I was a Foundation student at Yarra Valley Grammar, starting in Year 3 in 1966 and completing my HSC in 1975. I have some great memories of the ten years spent at Yarra, and am glad my parents made the wise decision to send me there.

To this day I still remember the atmosphere of excitement and anticipation around the fact that this was a brand new school just starting out on its journey.

I recall as clear as if it was yesterday, my first day at Yarra in February 1966, feeling a bit nervous at first but quickly made to feel at home as I was introduced to my fellow classmates and teachers. It was quite a small class of about 14 students in Year 3 with colleagues including Gregory Baldwyn, Michael Buxton, Christopher Lee and Gordon Morrison. We had a very nice teacher, Frances McLernon. The following year our teacher was Elizabeth Newman, also a very nice person whose classes combined good teaching standards with a sense of fun.

Over the years I had the privilege of learning from some inspiring teachers who were deeply committed to bringing out the best in their students.

They included Mr Acford, Mr Afiff, Mr Borton, Miss Buck, Mr Crawley, Mr Greullich, Mr Habben, Mr Lambert, Mr Macarthur, Mr Samson, Mr Sullivan, Mr Thompson and Mr Tyndall. Our English teacher Miss Buck had a beautiful German shepherd named Sean who she often brought to school and he became a beloved friend and honorary classmate.

Memorable highlights from the early days include the School’s annual Christmas carol service at St John’s church in Croydon and excursions to the city where

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we would visit the Botanical Gardens, the Shrine, Como House and other places.

Being an all boys school, the atmosphere could sometimes be quite boisterous and competitive. I remember many lunchtimes when we would form into opposing sides and fight wars in the bushland at the edge of the School grounds.

There were quite a few occasions when students returned to class soaking wet and muddy, having fallen (or more likely been pushed!) into the creek which ran through the bush.

After completing my HSC in 1975 I studied law and commerce at Melbourne University. Following graduation in 1981, I worked for a small law firm and in 1983 joined the Commonwealth Public Service where I have had several roles over the past 33 years. My first position was in the Melbourne office of the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal. In 1986 I was transferred to their Head Office in Sydney. While it was initially intended as a brief temporary transfer, it was subsequently made into a permanent position and Sydney has been my home ever since.

Since 1992 I have been working at the Australian Human Rights Commission.

I don’t think I could have found a more interesting organisation to be a part of. Although working in the human rights field has its challenges, the past 24 years at the Commission has

been an enjoyable and satisfying experience. During this period I also pursued some part-time studies, completing a Masters degree in International Law at the University of New South Wales.

Over the years I have worked in different areas of the Australian Human Rights Commission. In 2000 I joined the Commission’s International Programs Unit and my current position is Director of the unit. Whereas previously I had been focusing on human rights issues in Australia, this role has given me wider exposure to international human rights issues. The role has included travelling to and working with various countries

in the region, including China, Vietnam , Laos, Indonesia and the Philippines. I am part of a small team and much of our work consists of managing programs of technical cooperation on human rights, funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. We cooperate with other governments and organizations in the region in training and capacity building activities aimed at strengthening the protection of human rights.

Our largest cooperation program is with China. I have travelled to China many times for work, so I often feel like it is my second home. I have had the

good fortune to visit some amazing parts of the country that I probably would not have seen otherwise, such as Tibet and other remote areas in north and western China. The training workshops and other activities with our Chinese partners have addressed a wide variety of topics including prevention of violence against women, delivery of legal aid services for disadvantaged groups, support for people with disabilities, treatment of prisoners, protecting the rights of parties in criminal justice proceedings and support for the role of civil society organizations. Working with people from so many

diverse backgrounds often reminds me that while countries are very different in their political systems and their circumstances, at heart people everywhere have basically the same goals in seeking a happy and peaceful life for themselves and their families.

In February 2016 I attended the 50th anniversary Commencement service at Yarra. It was a very special and moving occasion for me. It was wonderful to see some familiar faces from so many years ago.

How awesome being able to catch up with Mrs Cooper (formerly Miss Newman) who was my Year 4 teacher in 1967!

I was delighted to see Sally Clark and other members of the Clark family who played such an important role in the early days helping to get the school established. And I had a lovely chat with Mrs Haig (mother of Douglas Haig, another Foundation student), who used to serve in the School tuck-shop and whose warm and friendly manner I still remember.

50 years ago. I could not believe how quickly the years had flown by, almost like the blink of an eye. I am sure the next 50 years will pass by equally quickly for them. And I hope that over the next 50 years their lives will be equally enriched by the experience of having been a student at Yarra Valley.

Happy Anniversary Yarra Valley!

During the Commencement service, as I sat in the audience and saw the students assembled up on the stage, I found myself feeling quite emotional. I think the reason was because I realized that the student up on the stage was me

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YOG profile

Our Olympians In this Olympic year, we thought it fitting to celebrate some of our Old Grammarians who have represented Australia in the Olympic and Paralympic games.

DAVID CULBERT (YOG 1984) Olympic long jumper, sports commentator and Director of Jump Media and Marketing During the six years David represented Yarra Valley Grammar at the AGSV Athletics, he won 14 individual events and set four records. He won his first Australian Junior Long Jump title in 1984, and then, as soon as his final Year 12 exam was completed, took up a scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport. In 1986 he finished fourth at the World Junior Championships in Greece, en route to Edinburgh for his first Commonwealth Games where he placed seventh. While competing he was employed initially by Vic Sport. He then moved to Athletics Victoria, at the same time completing a Bachelor of Business and Sports Administration.

David represented Australia in the Long Jump at eleven major championships, winning Commonwealth Games silver medals in 1990 and 1994, and finishing sixth at the 1991 World Championships.

By coincidence, David jumped 8.02m in that competition, the exact same distance and place as Yarra Valley Grammar’s PE teacher, Allen Crawley in the 1968 Mexico Olympics.

After retiring from athletics, David has had a successful career as a media commentator, most recently commentating at his fifth Olympic Games and as Director of his own company, Jump Media and Marketing.

JAMES ELMER (YOG 1988) Olympic Hockey Player James started at Yarra Valley Grammar in Year 7 and was heavily involved in the sporting side of his education which had a significant influence on his sporting career.

James left Yarra in 1986 and made his senior debut for the Australian men’s field hockey team, The Kookaburras, in 1993. At

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the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, he was in the gold medal-winning men’s hockey team. He went on to represent Australia in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games gaining an Olympic Bronze medal.

He finished his career after 102 international matches, in which he scored 30 goals.

James started his non-sporting career as a carpenter. Having owned his own carpentry business working on high end extensions and renovations in the inner suburbs of Melbourne, he is now a Construction Manager working in medium density housing.

CAMPBELL MESSAGE (YOG 1992) Paralympic Medallist Campbell entered Yarra Valley Grammar in Year 7 and had a keen interest in sport. He sustained a spinal cord injury at a young age and uses a wheelchair to get around and various pieces of incredible adaptive equipment to play sport. Following Year 12 he completed an Arts degree at Latrobe University while also playing very successfully with the Dandenong Rangers in the National Wheelchair Basketball League. In lieu of an honours year, he spent 1999-2000 at the University of Texas on a wheelchair basketball scholarship.

On his return, he decided that he wanted to work in rehabilitation so he began a Post Graduate Diploma in that field. This was put on hold, however, when he was selected in the Basketball squad for the Athens Paralympics. Having made the final cut, he then travelled to the Games where the team performed brilliantly to win the silver medal.

Back in Australia he completed his course and then in 2006 began working at the Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre. He is also a member of a team known as the Spinal Community Integration Service, and has a part-time involvement with a physiotherapy practice.

GRANT NEL (YOG 2006) Olympic Diver Soon after moving from Johannesburg with his family, Grant began Year 7 at Yarra Valley Grammar in 2001 and graduated from Yarra in 2006. In 2007 he began a course in Exercise Science and Human Movement and competed at his first World Diving Championships. Then, following his initial World Cup appearance in 2008, he accepted a four-year scholarship at Texas A & M University, switching to study Agriculture Engineering. During that period he competed at two more World

Championships and World Cups, and won a bronze medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

In 2013, Grant competed at his fourth World Championships, and in 2014 was chosen to compete at another World Cup. Also in that year he won silver and bronze medals at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in the 3m individual and synchronised diving events.

A fifth World Championships appearance followed in 2015 and he was selected in the Australian diving team for the Rio Olympics, he made it through to the semi-final round in the 3 metre event.

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YOG – adventure story

Canadian wildfire Tom Goldstraw (YOG 2001)

2015 was a record fire season for Canada and so for me it was an incredible experience to be involved with a busy North American fire season.

I started my career in wildfire in 2000 by joining the South Warrandyte CFA under the tutelage of the McCausland brothers; Stu and Al, both ex Yarra students (YOG 1995 and 1998). My fire experience in Australia has taken me to NSW, South Australia and all over Victoria. The big fire years of 2003, 2005/6 and 2009 gave me a well-rounded background and after 14 years’ experience working in Australian wildfire my girlfriend, Bonnie and I decided it was time to head to the great white North and try our hand at a Canadian fire season.

Fire fighting in Canada turned out to be quite different to Australia. To start with, the training which coincided with the official start of the fire season, was conducted in temperatures in the negative, with most of the forest still covered in snow. The rivers and creeks were iced over and we had to break through them with an axe to get water to the

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pumps. The early season fires were in farmland where the melting snow exposed dead grass, cured by frost. Our first fire was on a day that didn’t break 3 degrees Celsius!

All our work was conducted from a helicopter and our crew of four, known as Edson HAC (Helitac) #3 was based in Hinton just east of the Jasper National Park in Western Alberta. My crew was an Initial Attack crew. We responded to new fire starts across our district with the goal of keeping the fire to less than two hectares and having it extinguished by 10am the following day. Mostly we were successful but sometimes not.

We attended fires of ranging size from single trees that had been struck by lightning to fires over 15,000ha that would take months to extinguish. Once dispatched (often by Bonnie who was working as a wildfire dispatcher) we would hop in the chopper and fly to the fire, scout

the fire situation and find a landing site which was usually just an opening in the forest or a road, before being dropped off and walking to the fire. Our chopper would then make water drops on the fire with a bucket and we would work until either the fire was out or the sun was setting and we needed to fly back to base. Often we were so far North that the sun would not set until nearly midnight.

The season went for six months and was amazing for wildfire experience but also for the scenery of the Rocky Mountains and the amazing wildlife, we

encountered black and grizzly bears, moose, mountain goats, elk and marmots.

Tom currently lives with his partner in Taggerty and works for the Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning in the Planned Burn team.

Past staff profile

Chris Taylor Past Teacher’s reflection

I was appointed as Head of the Fine Arts Department at Yarra and held that position from 1984-1994 when I took a position as Head of Art and Design at Scotch College, Melbourne.

During my time at Yarra I was instrumental in developing the Fine Art‘s program, expanding the department from four to ten staff, as well as substantially extending the Design Technology and Graphic Communication buildings. I also started the Fine Art student’s week, long art tours to Canberra and the Mornington Peninsula, which were a highlight of the year’s program.

My son Glen (YOG 1990) and my daughter Nadine (YOG 1993) both attended the School during this period. Glen was an exchange student to Vancouver Island, Canada in his Year 10.

The other role I was heavily involved with was as Teacher in Charge of Rugby along with Norman Maggs and Adrian Bolton. Yarra Valley Rugby

Union was very successful at both Under 16 and Open Firsts under 15 level, including winning the first Victorian School’s Rugby Union Premiership’s in 1991 at both levels.

Several boys went on the represent Victoria and in Division 2 Australian Teams.

As manager and coach, I took several tours of Yarra rugby players to Interstate tournaments and hosted numerous Australian and International teams into Melbourne at the School.

Several players toured with me in Victorian State sides and National tournaments as well as Tasmania, New Zealand.

Also, a number of boys made the selection to Canada /USA and Japan, when I was manager of the Division 2 Australian

team. I have very fond memories of my rugby days at Yarra.

I am now retired from teaching and work full time between my sculpture studio at Drummond in country Victoria, and my painting studio in Carlton.

Earlier this year I was awarded first prize in the 2016 Royal Australian Air Force Heritage Art Award. Loading for Iraq is a watercolour and pastel portrait of Leading Airman Ryan

Douglas working inside a Hercules transport in the Middle East in June 2015. It is 1200mm x 900mm. The work is now part of the RAAF Air Power Development Centre art collection in Canberra. It was presented at the RAAF Air Power Conference 15 March 2016, by Air Marshall Leo Davies with Leading Airman Douglas Ryan being flown in for the presentation.

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Class of 2015 1 Year Out Reunion 27 AUGUST, 2016 Café 23, RINGWOOD NORTH

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Class of 2011 5 Year Out Reunion 23 july, 2016 transport bar, federation square

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Class of 2006 10 Year Out Reunion 25 JUNE, 2016 AUBURN HOTEL, HAWTHORN EAST

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Celebrations Weddings

Amy Carden (YOG 2006) Amy married Matthew Tuddin on 10 October 2015 at Rochford Wines in the Yarra Valley with four bridesmaids, two were also from the class of 2006 (Justine Leonard and Olivia Soekirno).

Elizabeth Savarin (YOG 2010) Elizabeth married Abraham Foord on 17 October, 2015 at Brown Brothers Winery, Milawa.

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The weather was good for the ceremony but started to thunder and lightning as they finished the photos – wonderful timing!

Special thanks to Guy Evans Photography.

Sam Keenan (YOG 2010) and Emily Love (YOG 2010) Sam and Emily were married in October 2015 in The Dome on Collins Street, Melbourne surrounded by family and friends including many peers from 2010 and 2011.

Cass Young (YOG 2006) Cass and Nick Hoekstra were married in Noosa, Queensland on 23 April, 2016. They honeymooned in the United States and now live in Noosaville.

Thomas Andrews (YOG 1998)

Jessica Hirst (YOG 2010)

Thomas and Krista Norsworthy celebrated their wedding on 9 January, 2016 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with their Canadian family and friends.

It was minus 22 degrees that day and the wedding photo was taken in an ice castle. The couple honeymooned in Hawaii following the wedding. Thomas and Krista celebrated their marriage with their Australian family and friends in Melbourne on 2 April, 2016.

Jessica and Aaron Walley celebrated their wedding in August this year surrounded by family and friends. After six years, Jessica has completed her Journalism degree and will graduate in December.

Congratulations!

Births Tyson Heinrich (YOG 2001) Tyson and his wife, Sally welcomed their first child, Mason Thomas Heinrich on 16 April, 2016.

Rob Drew (YOG 2000) Rob and his wife, Carly welcomed their first child, Spencer on 16 May, 2016.

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Help us reconnect Thank you to everyone who has already assisted with our Help us reconnect campaign. As a result, we have successfully reconnected with many Yarra Old Grammarians but we still have more who are missing. We value our past student community and would like to keep everyone up to date on School news, events and reunions. If you are able to assist in contacting any of the following YOGs, please contact the Development office on 03 9262 7717 or email development@yvg.vic.edu.au Year

First Name

1970 Gregory 1971 Robert 1971 Philip 1973 Michael 1973 Peter 1973 Geoffrey 1973 Daryl 1973 Andrew 1973 Andrew 1974 David 1974 Raymond 1974 Nicholas 1974 Gregory 1975 Leigh 1975 Trevor 1975 David 1975 Nicholas 1976 Bryan 1976 Michael 1976 Howard 1976 Malcolm 1976 David 1976 Andrew 1977 Halvard 1977 Andre 1977 Neal 1977 Matthew 1977 David 1978 Christopher 1978 Mark 1978 David 1978 Nicholas 1978 Peter 1978 Roderick 1979 Christopher 1979 Peter 1979 Carl 1979 Craig 1979 Mathew 1980 Stephen 1980 Ross 1980 Grant 1980 Barbara 1980 Christine 1980 David 1980 Hugh 1981 Lisa 1981 Kristine 1981 David 1981 Neil 1981 Wesley 1981 Stuart 1981 Meredith 1982 Brian 1982 John 1982 Peter 1982 Robert 1982 Michael 1982 Michael 1983 Phillip 1983 John 1983 Robyn 1983 Scott 1983 Franck

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Surname

Year

First Name

Nicholas McEwan Noyes Adams Beulke Bromilow Fraser Lang McKoy Adams Alexander Cailes Taylor Burke Swift Tate Widdows Abbott Abbott Barclay Ling Metzenthen Semmens Andersen-Dalheim Auret Cam Davey Muffatti Adnam Alton Angliss Blackmore Neville Taylor Adams Aitken Andersen-Dalheim Coulson Innes-Irons Alderson Andrews Angwin Braun Dew Gaythorpe Gilchrist Abbott Angus Fowler Gilbert Jones Patrick Stubbs Abbott Donahue Gunn Gunn Lawson Miller Allan Alvarez Anderson Armitage Gentil

1983 Alexander 1983 Thomas 1983 Scott 1984 Simone 1984 Darren 1985 Mark 1985 Luke 1985 Richard 1985 Nicholas 1985 Amanda 1986 Susanne 1986 James 1986 Cameron 1986 Malcolm 1986 Rodney 1986 Fiona 1986 Andrew 1986 Philip 1986 Craig 1986 Andrew 1986 Jessica 1986 John 1987 Andrew 1987 Christopher 1987 Ross 1987 Sarah 1987 Michael 1987 Martin 1987 Michael 1987 Matthew 1987 Stephen 1987 Adam 1987 Robert 1987 Anthony 1988 Adrian 1988 Sam 1988 Lachlan 1988 Felicity 1988 Robert 1988 Olivia 1988 Gary 1988 James 1989 Sarah 1989 Nicholas 1989 Matthew 1989 Barry 1989 Shelley 1989 Campbell 1989 Sonia 1989 Matthew 1989 Thomas 1990 Matthew 1990 Russell 1990 Christopher 1990 Rebecca 1990 Richard 1990 Paul 1990 Alistair 1990 Christopher 1990 Stuart 1990 Jason 1991 Paul 1991 Gregory 1991 Jason 1991 Lydia 1991 Georgina 1991 Ashley

Surname

Year

First Name

Ip Rowe Wilson-Browne Alcock Hose Armsden Broadbent Bygott Carboon Lawrence Agombar Alcock Anderson Burton Buxton Dobson Jinks Peers-Johnson Stagoll Taylor Tindall Westcott Buchan Carboon Coulson Duguid Edyvane Fox Gaudion Green Knights Schonekas Sedawie Wilson Clements Eu McLean Minchin Minchin Ritchie Thomas Thompson Boek Clark Downs Holdway Libbis MacLeod Martin Randall Richardson Arnold Coker Dobson Dodwell Feltscheer Hadley Hick Liem Usher Williams Adelerhof Ajani Andrews Armour Baird Bird

1991 Jonathan 1991 Michelle 1991 Angus 1991 Kellee 1991 Tim 1991 Jacqueline 1991 Thomas 1991 Ben 1992 Timothy 1992 Travis 1992 Richard 1992 Christopher 1992 Dean 1993 Craig 1993 Adrian 1993 Adam 1993 Nicholas 1993 Andrew 1993 Peter 1993 Danielle 1993 Adam 1993 Katrina 1993 Meagan 1993 Jason 1993 Matthew 1994 David 1994 Andrew 1994 Christopher 1994 Gordon 1994 Robin 1994 Simon 1994 Andrew 1994 Scott 1995 Daniel 1995 Richard 1995 Benjamin 1995 Julian 1996 Chia-Hua 1996 Nicholas 1996 Taryn 1996 Evan 1996 Simon 1996 Alan 1997 Peter 1997 Alex 1997 Drew 1997 Michael 1997 Susanne 1997 Vanessa 1997 Stephen 1997 Rebecca 1997 Catriona 1997 Edward 1998 Nicholas 1998 Tristan 1999 Wesley 1999 Nicholas 1999 Kathryn 1999 David 1999 Benjamin 1999 Peter 1999 Vashti 1999 Nicholas 1999 Scott 1999 Campbell 1999 Nathan 1999 Victoria

Surname Burton Clayton Curry O’Hare Pittaway Watson Westcott Wild Adkins Agars Cowley Hocking Noonan Allan Andrew Burnett Burnett Calder Calder Carroll Chandler Ellis Kelso Klindworth Long Aerni Alston Bell Cormack Crockett Heyblok North Peberdy Andrews Iles Randall Watson Chen Donaldson Ferris Kruse Matters Ord Alsop Al-Tarafi Baxter Byrne Dinicolantonio Fodera Kearney Lipsett Manguy Nolle Clarke VanSchouwenburg Ballinger Boyd Buchanan Chapple Colwell Davies Everist Gillard Heath Holdsworth Kerr Kirkham

Year

First Name

1999 Steven 1999 Jonathan 1999 Christopher 1999 Bridget 1999 Paul 1999 Jonathan 1999 Kate 1999 Jason 1999 Dee 1999 Brian 1999 Katrina 1999 Shakeera 2000 Carson 2000 Scott 2000 Kyle 2000 Ryan 2000 Blake 2000 Micah 2000 Simon 2000 Kimberley 2000 Matthew 2000 Justin 2000 Christopher 2000 Simon 2000 Michael 2000 Martin 2000 Christopher 2000 Daniel 2000 Rebekah 2000 Lawrence 2000 Abbey 2000 Andrew 2000 Sam 2000 Luke 2000 Karissa 2000 Benjamin 2000 Matthew 2000 Timothy 2000 Kevin 2000 Daniel 2000 Airlie 2000 Robert 2001 James 2001 Jeanne 2001 Eleise 2001 Kate 2001 Adam 2001 Robert 2001 Kate 2001 Jonathan 2001 Regina 2001 Phillip 2001 Hayley 2001 Thomas 2001 Andre 2001 David 2001 Che 2001 Felix 2001 Joel 2001 Brianna 2001 Timothy 2001 Luke 2001 Rachel 2001 Nicole 2001 Andrew 2001 Robert 2001 Alan 2001 Jonathan 2001 Joshua 2001 Scott 2001 Mitchell 2001 Simon 2001 Richard 2001 James 2001 Tamara 2001 Sheldon 2002 Luke 2002 Natalie

Surname

Year

First Name

Lade Makary Maver-Cowden Murphy Oliver Peake Seadon Seeger Senaratne Starkey Telford Wallis Batty Bayliff Berean Brown Caple Chester Dousek Ebsworth French Fry Gibbs Gillin Goode Hiatt Horden Hutchinson Jay Milford Mitchell Phillips Pope Rose Searle Taine Tierney Tillig Vowles Williamson Young Zhuang Aiton Bardin Britt Burt Cooper Davis Donchi Ebsworth Einschenk Etherington Gillin Goss Grego Haley Hickey Higgs Hitchcock Ho Jacobs Lennox Manassa Oliver Pearson Petchell Sanders Smith Stilwell Tenberge Thomas Van Gend Wallington White Whittington Wynne Askew Brown

2002 Ashlee 2002 Lauren 2002 Justin 2002 Cerise 2002 Maurice 2002 Jodie 2002 Melissa 2002 Glenn 2002 Callum 2002 Jared 2002 James 2002 Brendan 2002 Ebony 2002 Luke 2002 Alistair 2002 Kathryn 2002 Emily 2002 Ryan 2002 Simon 2002 Robert 2002 Mari 2002 Olivia 2002 Jonathan 2002 Francine 2002 Alysha 2002 Louise 2002 Wade 2002 Chloe 2002 Amie 2002 Jonathan 2002 Alicia Rose 2002 Emma 2003 Phillippa 2003 Dale 2003 Nicholas 2003 Shaun 2003 Renee 2003 Edmund 2003 Adam 2003 Andrew 2003 Lauren 2003 Hyee Young 2003 Charles 2003 Nicholas 2003 Andrew 2003 Arun 2003 Qing 2003 Katherine 2003 Andrew 2003 Nick 2003 Morgan 2003 Natalie 2003 Benjamin 2004 Christopher 2004 Layton 2004 Courtney 2004 Rebecca 2004 Stephanie 2004 Parrish 2004 Michael 2004 Lewis 2004 Meaghan 2004 Ashleigh 2004 Toby 2004 Samuel 2004 James 2004 Daniel 2004 Ben 2004 Katherine 2004 Morgan 2004 Jeffrey 2004 Benn 2004 Nicholas 2004 Damien 2004 Joshua 2005 Lucinda 2005 Adam 2005 Nathan

Surname

Year

First Name

Camm Cattach Chan Clark Clark Conilione Donchi Dunbar Farman Fish Flynn Goode Hickey Hickey Hunt Illingworth Jay Kemp Nelsen Norrish Piippo Przybyszewski Reeve Rose Searle Sieber Smith Snaith Suttie Taine Tibbs Winton Allen Bayliff Brooke Brown Crinis Dwyer Fraser Gardner Gillin Ku Lawrance Mitchell Nixon Pal Ran Rickel Robertson Scaglianti Taggert Van Gend Vowles Bevens Bonnici Camm Carroll Celata Cooper Fahmy Farman Flynn Gleeson Goss Hales Hodgson Jarchow Keevil Neilsen Oliver Petchell Pollock Saint Warner Williamson Archer Blizzard Brown

2005 Caitlin 2005 Jonathan 2005 Mark 2005 Ryan 2005 Victoria 2005 Jacob 2005 Maria 2005 Sarah 2005 Sandi 2005 Dylan 2005 Shane 2005 Bryn 2005 Josie 2005 Jace 2005 David 2005 Bryan 2005 Luke 2005 Stephanie 2005 Jeffrey 2005 Shaan 2005 Danielle 2005 Zhenhan 2006 Wendy 2006 Briony 2006 Matthew 2006 Stephanie 2006 Tristan 2006 Bethany 2006 Adriana 2006 Alice 2006 Andrew 2006 Jayden 2006 Ariel 2006 Noelle 2006 Bentley 2006 Lachlan 2006 Gemma 2006 Sarah 2006 Jocelyn 2006 Julia 2006 Vachira 2006 Xiao 2006 Nan Ting 2007 Janelle 2007 Andrew 2007 Daniel 2007 Michael 2007 Michelle 2007 Richard 2007 Robin 2007 Julie 2007 Thomas 2007 Ashleigh 2007 Joseph 2007 Shannon 2007 Daniel 2007 Brennan 2007 Jessica 2007 Jeffrey 2007 Alana 2007 Liam 2007 Elloise 2007 Julia 2007 Ryan 2007 Benjamin 2007 Nicholas 2008 Matthew 2008 Alexandra 2008 Christie 2008 Luke 2008 Lucian 2008 Leah 2008 Ayden 2008 Thomas 2008 Jack 2009 Georgia

Surname Bryan Cowden Donaldson Frazer Fysh Gilchrist Haraldsson Horner Howard Mansfield Marshall Overend Pierce Ransom Rollinson Sieber Spicer Suttie Thompson Weeramantry Yole Zhu Angus Bourke Camm Conroy County-Black Fish Guardiani Harrison Horden Infanti Lewis Marcus Oliver Peel Purdy Renfree Spinks Stollenwerk Tongrow Xu Yeh Albert Bonfield Bowes Bright Cochran Cook County-Black Dunford Fraser Gleeson Glenn Harris Horner Johnson Keenan Knight Love Marshall Moffatt Nikakis Raubenheimer Robinson Suttie Falkingham Glasson McKendry Miller Reeder Savill Sukkel Teifl Wilson Courtney

www.yvg.vic.edu.au | ISSUE NO. 61 NOVEMBER 2016 | 39

Calendar of events Date Event Wednesday 8 February From 2.00pm

First XI vs YOGs cricket match Patterson oval, YVG

Wednesday 8 February 6.00pm – 7.00pm

Yarra Old Grammarians AGM YVG Pavilion

Saturday 25 March Food, Wine and Music Concert 7.00pm YVG Monday 3 April 11.30am – 8.00pm

Annual YOG Golf Day The Commonwealth Golf Club, Oakleigh South

Thursday 4 May Yarra Foundation Food Experience 7.00pm YVG

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Friday 12 May 12noon – 3.00pm

Annual MOPS luncheon YVG Pavilion

Tuesday 16 May 6.00pm

Yarra Foundation AGM YVG Pavilion

Saturday 24 June 7.30pm

10 Year Out Reunion Venue TBA

Saturday 29 July 7.30pm

Jazz in the Café YVG

Wednesday 23 August 7.00pm

Choral Concert George Wood Performing Arts Centre

Saturday 26 August 7.30pm

1 Year Out Reunion Café 23, North Ringwood

Saturday16 September – Monday 18 September

Annual Yarra Tennis Championships YVG

Saturday 7 October 6.30pm

30 and 40 Year Out Reunions YVG Pavilion

Saturday 11 November 6.30pm

20 Year Out Reunion YVG Pavilion

Monday 20 November 8.45am

Yarra Parents & Friends AGM YVG Pavilion

We’re Going Digital!

• N ext year the Link is going digital. If you would still like to receive a printed hard copy through the mail, please let us know by completing the form at www.yvg.vic.edu.au/our-community/ print-Link • I f you are concerned that we may not have your updated email address at which to send your digital copy, then please also go to this link to update your details www.yvg.vic.edu.au/ourcommunity/YOG/update-your-details • L ike Yarra Valley Grammar’s page on Facebook by searching for Yarra Valley Grammar • F ollow Yarra Valley Grammar’s company page on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/yarra-valley-grammar • F ollow Yarra Valley Grammar on Instagram: @ yarravalleygrammar • Follow Yarra Valley Grammar on Twitter: twitter.com/MyYVG. It would be great if you could share this message with your Yarra network as we are trying to reconnect with as many Yarra families as possible!

www.yvg.vic.edu.au | ISSUE NO. 61 NOVEMBER 2016 | 41

Kalinda Road Ringwood Victoria 3134 Australia Telephone +61 3 9262 7700 Email development@yvg.vic.edu.au www.yvg.vic.edu.au ABN 44 004 584 552 CRICOS NO. 00356E

To view more photos of YOG events featured in this magazine visit www.yvg.vic.edu.au/our-community/gallery Join us on Facebook by searching for Yarra Valley Grammar Follow us on Linkedin

Instagram@yarravalleygrammar

Twitter : http:twitter/MyYVG.com