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OLD GRAMMARIAN AND COMMUNITY NEWS Clarice Beckett attended Queen's College from about 1900 until 1903 and became an artist. The School’s historical collection now includes a copy of the excellent catalogue published by the Art Gallery of South Australia for a 2021 exhibition of her work, entitled The Present Moment. A quote from the catalogue states: “Clarice Beckett is more than one of this country’s finest painters of the twentieth century: she is an artist of love and legend.” Queen’s College’s Art and Music teacher Eva Hopkins made an early impact on Clarice Beckett’s artistic development. (Eva continued to teach at the School after her mother, Matilda Hopkins, sold it to Esther Larritt and Sarah Hayhoe in 1889.) ...........................................................
CONGRATULATIONS Congratulations Maggie Caris (2020) on being selected for the Australian 19/U Netball Squad. Jacqueline Dark (1985) has been nominated for Australian Artist of the Year in Limelight Magazine's People's Choice Awards. Jacqueline is one of 20 artists shortlisted for the award and one of three to come from the Ballarat area. Congratulations Old Grammarian Honor Eastly (known as Sarah Haywood while at school, 2007) on being announced as the co-winner of the 2021 Australian Mental Health Prize! Honor is an inspiring mental health advocate, podcaster and writer, who has contributed significantly to the reform of Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing system. Well done Honor! She shares the award with
Professor Ian Hickie AM, Co-Director, Health and Policy at The University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre. Check out Honor’s work with the Big Feels Club at - www.bigfeels.club Charles Johnson (2000) has been in the Ballarat news recently for his creative job advertisement for his business Jono and Johnno, that went “viral”. We hope you found your Khaleesi Charlie! A member of Dart House, Charlie could always provide an imaginative or amusing script or speech when needed!
Congratulations to Alex Morcom (2014) on being named runner up in Essendon’s VFLW Best and Fairest. Robyn Lea (1988) is the author / photographer of a book, A ROOM OF HER OWN: INSIDE THE HOMES AND LIVES OF CREATIVE WOMEN, “a shiny new publication about special spaces, many filled with books, that are uniquely configured salons, sitting rooms and studios of creative women.” From the review by Susan Kurosawa in the Australian. ...........................................................
GREAT MEMORIES OF OUR WONDERFUL TEACHERS Michael Rasmussen - by Paul Kauffman PhD (1969) Past student and current parent Julie Laughton (1994) has taken up an exciting role in Doha, Qatar as Manager, Workforce Operations at Transport Management Services for the FIFA World Cup 2022. Julie has maintained a strong connection to the School since she graduated in 1994, including as a member of the BQOGA Committee and Past President. The Music Department was delighted to receive a very generous gift from Julie earlier this year, donating her beautiful harpsichord to the School before departing to Qatar. Director of Music Andrew Dale stated “Having access to an instrument of this quality will provide many of our students with a greater insight into early music. The Music Department looks forward to showcasing performances on this instrument for many years to come and very much appreciates this wonderful donation”. Congratulations to Sofia Laursen Habel (2014) on the release of the newly-composed opera “Kamalarella" now available for purchase on Bandcamp (www.bandcamp.com)
One extraordinary teacher can change your life. Michael Rasmussen was educated at Christ Church Grammar New Zealand and attended Geelong Grammar from Years 9 to Year 12, where he was joint Dux before completing Honours degrees in French, Russian and Music, and a Master's degree in Russian, at the University of Melbourne. In those halcyon days teaching was considered equal to the diplomatic, business, senior government and political careers of many other Geelong Grammar alumni. Michael taught French and English at Ballarat Grammar in 1959 and 1960. He married Dr Ron Davidson’s daughter Mary (1953). He taught at Christ Church Grammar in Perth from 1961-1963 and then returned to Ballarat Grammar where he taught from 1964 until 1984. The school was extremely small when Michael joined the staff - Years 1 to 12 numbered only 170 students. Teachers’ daily intellectual conversations and friendships were a strong positive. He encouraged Year 12 students to present lectures to the rest of the class, which they
