Spectemur Issue 3 2022

Be the Change

School

From the Headmaster’s Desk 2

100% Renewable Energy 4

Be the Change: Inspiring Stories from our Community 6

Green Pages 12

From the Experts 14

Teaching and Innovation 16

News from Around the School 18

The Biennial Concert at Hamer Hall 24

Junior School Production 28

Middle School Production 30 House Drama Competition 32 Sport 34

Snowsports 37

Community

Alumni News

Alumni Profile

Gallery of Achievement Inductees

Community Events

From the Archives

Connect with Us

Obituaries

From the Headmaster’s Desk

I think that most people now recognise that our climate is changing, even while not everyone agrees on the causes. But the evidence of extreme temperatures, increasingly severe cycles of drought and flooding, melting icecaps and fiords is just too common to ignore. And yet governments around the world of all persuasions seem either to lack the will or are at a loss about what can be done to address it. To be fair to them, the issues are complex, and any proposed solution poses more problems. It seems clear that change is needed, but any change proposed presents further obstacles and challenges. It’s complicated. And it can feel disempowering.

The trouble is, if we wait for all the governments in the world to get their acts together and work together to address this global issue, it will be too late. Maybe in this case it requires people to lead governments. While each one of us may not be able to effect large-scale change, we can each make small changes. And if enough people make those small changes, they can have a significant impact. And if enough people demonstrate to governments that they believe that it is important to act, governments will have to listen and find ways to address the complexity of the problem.

At Camberwell Grammar School, in part prompted by our students, we have adopted a goal to reduce our carbon emissions to zero by 2030. We have engaged CERES to help us identify our benchmarks and to help us develop a plan for reaching that goal. This year we have achieved a major interim goal – all electricity at our school now comes from renewable energy: over 40% from our own solar panels and the remainder from a company, ENGIE Australia, which provides power only

from renewable sources. We are currently working to reduce the amount of landfill we produce, and will also tackle water, electronics, and plastics recycling.

Climate change is now at the point where we really can’t ignore it anymore, and each one of us can make a meaningful contribution towards improving our quality of life.

But there are many other aspects of life in the modern world which need to change too – the re-establishment of the importance of truth, the unequal distribution of the world’s resources, the disempowerment and disenfranchisement of many, and the provision of social justice for all. It can be tempting to think that these problems are too large and too entrenched for any individual to be able to do anything meaningful to address them. But one of our goals in educating our students at Camberwell Grammar is to teach them that they do not need to wait for others to make changes and improvements to the world – they can begin to make those changes themselves. And every change for the good that they make adds value to the world. The ‘teal wave’ in our recent Federal elections demonstrates that ordinary, focused people with a vision can tap into a broad desire in many people to make things better – and they can be successful in shifting the very nature of the political debate. We don’t have to wait for others to make the changes we wish to see; we can begin to change the world ourselves, we can seize every opportunity to make our world a fairer, safer, kinder, more sustainable one: we can be the change.

Dr Paul Hicks Headmaster

“Climate change is now at the point where we really can’t ignore it anymore, and each one of us can make a meaningful contribution towards improving our quality of life.”

100% Renewable Energy

As the first milestone in reducing our carbon footprint, we are excited to announce that we have become one of the first schools in Victoria to procure our energy needs from 100% renewable sources. While 48% of our total energy consumption already comes from our solar panels, we now source the balance of our needs from wind and solar farms in south-eastern Australia, through our partnership with ENGIE

At Camberwell Grammar we aim to lead by our actions, inspired by our Spectemur Agendo – ‘By Our Deeds May We be Known’. This year we are continuing our sustainability journey towards an environmentally-friendly future for our school and community by reaching our goal of 100% clean energy.

This means that every light switch, laptop, and screen at Camberwell Grammar is now powered by renewable energy. This power comes from a combination of our solar panels, which supplies around 48% of the School’s needs, mixed with a further 66% from solar and wind farms in south-eastern Australia, through our partnership with ENGIE. With the surplus 14% power generated on our rooftops (on weekends and holidays), we are able to positively contribute green energy to the local power grid. Reaching this goal means that we will have achieved an overall balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the atmosphere. Importantly, the School is no longer reliant on power from non-renewable sources.

Sustainability is now a core pillar of our school’s strategic plan and the story of our environmental journey will continue beyond the Net-Zero 2030 target as we strive to become a Climate-Positive school. In consultation with The CERES School of Nature and Climate, we have been actively reducing the School’s carbon footprint to ensure we operate in an environmentally sustainable way, while also working on our water usage and the biodiversity rating of our campus.

Furthermore our investment in the future is not skin deep –it is in the bones of the School. At our core, our mission is to educate committed citizens of the future who are passionate about the problems facing our world, instilling them with the necessary skills to make a positive change. Attaining our 100% renewable energy goal is the first step on this journey. We look forward to sharing more steps along the way to Net-Zero by 2030.

Mr Will Hone Sustainability Coordinator

Camberwell Grammar is one

Human Rights Conference

In Term 2, Senior Camberwell Grammar students attended and co-led an exceptional Human Rights Conference with Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar and other participating schools, including Lauriston Girls’ School, Star of the Sea, and Kingswood College.

The conference posed the question, ‘Who will write what history of us?’. The Human Rights Conference was the result of a two-year collaboration and was held in partnership with Liberty Victoria, Australia’s longest-standing human rights organisation.

‘When planning, we aimed for the conference to be a fantastic opportunity to meet like-minded students from schools, whilst also sparking a life-long passion for human rights in each attendee. We were fortunate enough to hear from speakers at the forefront of this issue,’ explained Camberwell Grammar Year 11 student Ravin Desai

A resounding theme throughout the conference was ‘privilege is relative’. Students were challenged to understand their own privilege and open their eyes to human rights, both their own and others.  the Change

The conference featured powerful speakers including, Julian Burnside AO QC and Daye Gang, who shared their expertise, insight, and lived experience in ensuring the ideals of freedom, respect, equality, and dignity are protected in all peoples’ lives.

Ravin continued, ‘With the lack of events like the Ivanhoe Girls Human Rights Conference over the past two years, its occurrence was an excellent reminder about the importance of gatherings like this. Many students like us took the opportunity to use our position to help spread awareness for causes that normally go unrecognized. Jessie Taylor, an Ivanhoe Girls alumna and Barrister, attended the conference and spoke about how crucial it is for students in fortunate situations like ours to stand up and promote awareness for many of the unjust causes and situations around the world. Jessie has published books and co-written a documentary focusing on the conditions that asylum seekers face. Jessie’s story of success set a great example and the presentation was a huge inspiration to all that attended. She was able to use her privilege to alert everyday Australians about social justice issues and take action herself. We hope that the conference has been able to provide some ideas on how students can engage in action of their own and that, as a school, we can continue to promote these values.’

Ravin, together with Tommy Auwardt (Year 10), assisted with introducing the speakers and opening and closing the conference.

‘Additionally, we worked on registration, event management, and ensuring that the catering for the day would run smoothly. Through these responsibilities, we, along with all the Camberwell Grammar students involved in planning the event, learnt invaluable skills in hosting and organising a large conference,’ says Tommy.

Congratulations to Tommy and Ravin, as well as the other Camberwell Grammar attendees for representing the School at an integral event to promote social justice.

Championing Change: Female Leaders in Education

Ms Ione Norris reflects on the changing face of gender equality in the educational environment and how uplifting female members of staff can open discussions to promote gender equality across all levels of the School.

Camberwell Grammar was founded in 1886 and was initially staffed by six ‘gentlemen’ teachers and two visiting, non-permanent, ‘lady’ music teachers. The first permanent ‘lady’ teachers were not employed until 1908 and this number steadily grew as the years went on. According to the School’s Archivist, Dr David Bird, in 1932, Headmaster Henry Tonkin indicated he preferred to work with men, whom by his own admission were ‘more subject to head masterly control (than women)…’ However, in 1945, he admitted that ‘In the Senior School, during the war, we were forced to rely to a great extent on women teachers. They did very good work.’

Times have changed. In 2022, the School boasts 72 female teachers and 85 male teachers – closer to a 50/50 breakdown. In 2010, the first female Deputy Head of School and Head of Senior School was appointed. As a role model, Ms Rachael Falloon was a pioneer and worked at the School for seven years, before leaving to accept a Principal position in a nearby leading girls’ school. We currently have two female Heads of House (formerly House ‘Master ’) out of a total of eight positions. The number of women in senior roles across the School is beginning to grow, including our current Head of ICT Innovation and Learning. There is, however, still a way to go for us to get to some sort of parity in leadership roles across the campuses. The reasons for this are complex and reflect broader trends across society.

I was able to gain some insight into some of these issues when I attended ‘The Leading Edge: Women in Education’ conference recently. This conference focused entirely on women supporting women, empowering women to believe in themselves and their competence, and helping them to find the confidence to apply for leadership positions in education. It encouraged women to develop professionally so that they could be regarded as being on the same footing as men. Topics included managing our personal brand, keeping CVs up to date, knowing how long it takes to make an impact at a job interview (six seconds!), and how to best present yourself. We were also reminded to keep up with professional reading and research in Australia and worldwide. We looked at interview techniques, were run through a mock interview for a Principal or Deputy Head position – interviewed by female Heads and Deputy Heads of schools from around the country – and so much more.

After conversations about the conference with members of the School Executive team, I was encouraged to share what I had learnt with female teaching staff across the School. Two ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions were conducted with an enormously positive response. The need for this sort of information and personal development led to once-a-term catch-ups/meetings of female staff, both on and off-site, and the creation of my LinkedIn group, Female Leadership in Teaching (FLInT).

Our first Q & A session, open to all female staff, was held in August, with guest speaker Dr Paul Hicks. We discussed a range of issues around career development for female staff in a lively, open and honest way. We are also currently in the process of surveying our female support staff for ideas of professional development of interest to them.

At Camberwell Grammar, we value the growth and development of our students to become caring, interested, and good citizens who aspire to make the world what it needs to be, not what it is now. We encourage our students to be courageous, optimistic, kind, and respectful young humans, and to respect both women and men. We also want to present our students with strong female role models in leadership so that they can see that gender does not define one’s authority or leadership prospects. When our students move into the workplace, we hope they take this message with them.

While we still have some way to go, the good news is that we are working each day towards that goal.

Moving forward, I am very hopeful that regular meetings, catch ups, and informal mentoring of younger female staff members will continue to grow and develop. I’m also hopeful that we will see more professional and personal development opportunities available to all female staff.

Ms Ione Norris Head of Summons House, Senior Mathematics Teacher

The Opportunity Challenge

The Opportunity Challenge, previously known as Projec10, has been a successful Year 8 initiative for almost ten years. There are many factors that make it successful – collaborating with girl schools, project-based learning, and entrepreneurial exploration are all contributors. However, the piece at the heart of the project is the philanthropic base on which it stands: assisting Opportunity International Australia, a global microfinance organisation working with developing countries.

In Term 3, over 350 Year 8 students from Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College, Fintona and Camberwell Grammar joined forces to form small groups to plan and implement their entrepreneurial ideas; mimicking the microfinance model.

Through their development of small businesses, they will contribute toward Opportunity International Australia’s efforts of removing 6.8 million families from poverty. As little as $25 can help women in third world countries establish their own businesses, thus providing for their own families.

We are indebted to the leadership of Mrs Sally Treacy who was responsible for the inception of this initiative all that time ago.

Each student started the project with a seed fund of $10 and, through initial meetings and planning sessions, worked in small groups to develop their business plan, forecast and manage budgets, and execute their business plan. At the end of the program, the students pay back the original seed fund and their profits are donated via The Opportunity Challenge.

The project culminated with a lunchtime fete at each of the schools towards the end of Term 3. This year we saw several engaging activities, including arcade and carnival games, and AFL was popular with a footy-themed stall selling Australian food. Other tasty stalls sold sushi, sweet treats, and a sausage sizzle. Mystery boxes and sports games also kept students entertained. All teams enjoyed working together to problem solve, devising many ideas and materials they would need for their project to be successful. One of the highlights this year was certainly the various levels of talent on show during the karaoke.

Through the Middle Years, students move from having most of the decisions being made for them, to wanting and needing to make more decisions for themselves. The Opportunity Challenge gives our students a stage to be challenged in many ways – through collaborating with other schools, developing entrepreneurial thinking skills, product design, customer service, financial literacy, and problem-solving. In total the project raised over $3,500 as well as a multitude of new friendship bonds.

Mr Troy Stanley Head of Middle School

Head of Middle School, Mr Troy Stanley, shares the joy of collaboration and philanthropy through the The Opportunity Challenge initiative.

Stepping into Another Way of Life

In the July school holidays, Year 9 student Rory Woods had a remarkable experience with the Yolngu people on Elcho Island in the Northern Territory. Here, Rory share’s some insight into life in a rural Indigenous community.

During the mid-year holiday, my dad and I were fortunate to be invited to a small island in North East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. Elcho Island is a remote Indigenous community where my parents used to teach and they had developed a relationship with the people in the community. The people who live on Elcho Island are called Yolngu and our family has been adopted into the Yolngu clan system.

The Yolngu people have been living on Elcho Island for around 60,000 years. Their family system is very different from ours. One main difference is that your aunties and uncles are your mothers and fathers, and your cousins are your brothers and sisters. When I was adopted into their family system, I was given the Yolngu name Wuku, meaning grass of the King Brown snake.

The main town Galiwinku, consists mainly of dirt roads, basic housing (usually with many people sharing one house), a school, a council, and lots of wild dogs. Further afield, in the bush is Ban’thula — a small homeland where my dad and I spent most of our time. Here we went crab hunting with spears, ate mangrove worms, and did a year’s worth of fishing in a couple of days! I developed many skills, such as hunting with a spear, and learnt little parts of their language.

I feel incredibly privileged to have made this connection with Yolngu and to have had such an awesome experience. I will definitely go back to Elcho Island in the not-too-distant future.

Rory Woods (Year 9)

The Push-Up Challenge

In Term 2, the Camberwell Grammar community came together to help raise funds for the Push-Up Challenge. This fundraising challenge encourages individuals or teams taking part to complete 3,139 push-ups over a 24-day period.

The Push-Up Challenge raises funds for mental health organisations, such as Lifeline. Mental health is one of the biggest issues facing Australians right now and every 1 in 5 Australians — about 4 million people — suffers from a mental illness. Luckily Lifeline is there to help, and Camberwell Grammar decided to help them!

During the Challenge, many teams of students, staff and community members came together to do push-ups. In fact, we had 291 members of the School community take part, exceeding our initial fundraising goal of $5,000 to ultimately raise $14,594.88. At the end of the Challenge, Camberwell Grammar was the top fundraising school in Victoria, and fifth overall in Australia.

Due to the School’s success, Push-Up Challenge Founder and CEO, Mr Nick Hudson, visited the School and spoke inspiringly about his reasons for starting the Challenge.

We congratulate student Henry Shirrefs (Year 11) and his team of students who spearheaded the campaign along with Mr Earnshaw. It was great to see the School community come together to make this into something so special!

Sustainability Coordinator, Mr Will Hone, recaps the events from Term 3 and looks forward to sharing the School’s sustainability journey during this year’s Open Day.

Term 3 started with a very sustainable bang as the entire school staff were taken to the starting line of our journey towards Net-Zero carbon emissions. In the PAC, the staff heard from the project’s lead consultant at CERES, Jane Burns, who spoke about the School’s current footprint and the various significant contributors which will be our focus in the coming months and years.

After this, both teaching and support staff met in the Camberwell Room to brainstorm ideas on what they could achieve through personal ‘tiny choices’. It was an incredible experience to talk with many people about their ideas and pledges – one music teacher was looking into recycling strings from stringed instruments. People working in administration were investigating the need for reams of old reports that could surely be digitised, while the grounds staff were looking into the viability of mycelium pots that would become part of the soil after carrying the plant from their nursery to the grounds.

And that was just the support staff! It was – and has been since – incredible to see the energy generated around the School, and I look forward to tapping into the amazing resource that is our community as we move forward. Meanwhile, the (anonymised) pledges made on the day are being adapted for projection on the screens in the Wheelton Centre and Middle School, to further embed and amplify the change we have embraced as a community.

Open Day 2022

Open Day looms large on the horizon – because it is actually happening! We are running a shoe drive that you may have read about in various dispatches (for example, these pages last term). We are looking for any kind of old sports shoes that you can round up so that they can be turned into flooring for gyms, changerooms, and playgrounds. Our collection will be going to Tread Lightly, whose ambition is to recycle 1,000,000 shoes by 2023. On Open Day, look for the signs pointing towards collection boxes when you come in – they will be in the car park and close to the entrances – and relish the chance to empty out the shoe cupboard!

Open Day for Towards2050 is about more than old shoes though – it also represents a chance, at long last, to dust off the Towards2050 marquee and bring it out of hibernation – be sure to look for it in the Junior School car park. There you will find our traditional plant sale, which is raising funds to donate a beehive to Auburn South Primary School. Purchase a plant and YOU can help spread bees through the suburbs! While you are there, and as a token of the bees’ appreciation for your efforts, why not try our honey? There will be free tastings available so you can see how sweet the flowers really are at Camberwell Grammar (according to the apiarist they are really, really sweet!). The Towards2050 stall will also have a virtual tour of the School’s sustainability initiatives, along with information about our commitment to and journey towards Net-Zero carbon emissions by 2030.

Camberwell Grammar Battery Recycling Program

For some time now (work on this was well underway before the pandemic hit!) we have been developing a battery recycling scheme. We are extremely excited to announce that the Camberwell Grammar Battery Recycling Program will be launching on Open Day – this means that all families connected with the School are able to sign up to receive a fire-proof battery collection bag to ensure their collections are kept safely at home and transported according to world’s best practice. At school, there will be regularly serviced collection points that will see your old batteries recycled in Victoria, and mined for their various (and valuable) resources, instead of leaching as poison into the water table.

Precious Plastic

In Term 3 we took a small group of students to Monash University to have a look at their Precious Plastics recycling system. Precious Plastic is an open-source platform that

provides plans for a small-scale plastic recycling plant – it can be built in a shipping container or can be modified to fit any number of spaces and uses. Our tour gave the students insight into different kinds of plastics and their place in the modern world, showing them not only how they can be repurposed, but also the complications with sorting, cleaning, and processing plastics into new forms. There were many ideas thrown around during the bus trip home – setting up a small system to grind old 3D printing models into chips might illustrate how powerful plastics are as a medium, while we also considered which forms of commonly used plastics we could collect.

Sharing Ideas Across Schools

During the term, we hosted Strathcona Girls Grammar for a visit to our Friday Activity group to learn about our current sustainability programs. Over a muffin, the two sustainability groups shared ideas, and hope to work together on a shared sustainability project in the future. Tree planting seems to be a concept that keeps popping up and will hopefully be on both our calendars in some shape next year – we are very excited to see where this partnership will lead.

Students take Sustainability Bill to Victoria Youth Parliament

During the July holidays, Patrick Homes and Ravin Desai (Year 11) participated in the 36th annual YMCA Youth Parliament.

As part of the Victoria Youth Parliament team, Patrick and Ravin saw their ‘Effective E-Waste Management Bill 2022’ robustly debated and then pass 32-2 in the Legislative Council. This bill, created with the aid and sponsorship of the City of Boroondara, pledged to promote effective e-waste management, by centralising Government functions and by providing incentives to private and public institutions.

The Victorian Youth Parliament supports young people to speak up and be heard on issues that they are

passionate about. Bills introduced into the Youth Parliament are debated and voted upon during the sitting week held in the chambers of Parliament House, Victoria, and, on conclusion, are handed to the Minister for Youth to be disseminated to the relevant state Members of Parliament. Since the program’s inception, about 32 bills have passed into legislation.

Congratulations to Patrick and Ravin, this year’s elected Chamber Leader, on this successful event.  To read their Bill, visit the CGS Blog at www.cgs.vic.edu.au/news/latest-news

From the Experts

Fostering a Culture of Respect

Our Senior School Counsellor, Ms Elizabeth Grant, offers advice on how parents can continue the discussion on respectful relationships at home.

Respect is one of the core values at Camberwell Grammar and refers to the due regard for the feelings, wishes, and rights of others. Respect features frequently in the media as communities endeavour to make all people feel included, celebrated, welcomed, and valued.

At Camberwell Grammar, we encourage respectful relationships with others by modelling respectful behaviour, such as treating others the way you would like to be treated, and applauding effort in others – whether it is in a production, musical performance, sporting achievements, or presenting to the class. Children and young people are always watching and observing, so it is essential to be aware of how you respond when you think no one is watching. Being polite to the Barista in the busy coffee shop, showing respect for umpires and coaches at sport, showing patience and saying thank you to the staff at your local supermarket, and generally being kind to others whenever possible.

Camberwell Grammar helps to support respectful relationships in a variety of ways. It is encouraged in all classrooms, between students, and between staff. Team captains are given opportunities to lead their teams and show respect to both officials and the opposition – whether it is a debate, a game of football, or a fundraising initiative. We have a range of programs

at different levels that focus on all our values, including respect. Teaching empathy is a theme woven throughout these programs so that young people can see things from another’s perspective. Across the School we encourage the sharing of ideas, the appreciation of differing perspectives, and working together collaboratively.

As representatives of the School, students and staff demonstrate respect for the School rules and values, respect for each other, and respect for others within the community at all times. Students are very in tune with what is right, and will seek out support for another student if they feel that they need assistance or support. This can be seen when students quietly acknowledge a student’s return after an absence, and work quietly with a shared understanding that the student may need the teacher’s help.

Our students value the pastoral care provided by the School, and are taught to identify ‘go to’ people that they can trust and seek out if there are issues that may be troubling them. The range of multi-age activities across the school such as Cadets, Junior School Mentors, orchestras and choirs, and various sports teams allow for cross-age mentoring of younger students by older students.

Parents can help their children understand other perspectives by:

• discussing varying views on different issues;

• talking about emotions and a range of feelings with people they trust as a healthy way for young people to strengthen resilience;

• acknowledging when a child or young person is upset or disappointed, as well as when they are proud or excited;

• reassuring them that dealing with success, failure and disappointment are equally important for the development of compassion for others;

• understanding that sometimes just being able to sit and listen to someone is important, showing empathy and respecting their space and need for quiet reflection in a supported way.

Both teachers and parents can discuss characters and their behaviour in a TV show or movie and call out disrespectful behaviour. There is a great deal of evidence in the media, both print and social, regarding respect and the importance of modelling appropriate behaviour early.

We want to prepare all our students for life beyond school, and respectful relationships are imperative in life. When students leave school they may travel, go to university, start a job, or try any range of things, but showing regard, courtesy, and empathy for others will assist them on their journey. Showing thoughtfulness and consideration can enrich all relationships, and the benefits achieved are endless.

Ms Elizabeth Grant Senior School Counsellor

Further resources

The Australian Government has set up a website for both education and assistance: www.respect.gov.au/

The ‘Stop it at the Start’ campaign aims to help break the cycle of violence by encouraging adults to reflect on their own attitudes and have conversations about respect with young people. The campaign is aimed at parents and family members of children aged 10–17, as well as the teachers, coaches, community leaders, and employers of young people.

The school subscribes to SchoolTv and there are a number of resources there that can be accessed at any time: www.cgs.vic.schooltv.me/

There is some helpful information on Kids Helpline: www.kidshelpline.com.au/teens/issues/all-about-respect

American professor Brene Brown has created a lovely clip to explain empathy: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw

Snapshots of a Research Journey

Camberwell Grammar English Language, Latin and EAL teacher, Mr James Victor, explains ‘Q-methodology’ which he investigated as part of his Master of Philosophy (Education) thesis completed at the University of Melbourne this year. His study Investigating First and Second Language English Teachers’ Attitudes to ‘Grammar’ and ‘Grammar Teaching’ in Secondary Schools Using Q-methodology intends to aid teachers’ understandings of grammar and grammar teaching, and to be of value to curriculum writers for future curricula design, and for professional development providers.

in 1935 by physicist and psychologist, William Stephenson). When I heard about it, Q-methodology, or simply ‘Q’, seemed such a great fit for my research topic: Exploring English and EAL teachers’ attitudes to grammar and its teaching. This fascinating subject usually gives rise to worthwhile and important discussions and various thought-provoking opinions, samples of which were gathered from English and EAL teachers surveyed across Melbourne using Q-sorts. In this case, Q was useful for exploring and establishing a range of viewpoints English and EAL teachers held about grammar and its teaching: opinions teachers surveyed felt very strongly about, including areas of mutual agreement and unexpected spaces of consensus. Essentially, Q as a tool for studying subjectivity systematically was ideally suited to this project. I aim to publish these results fairly soon, and hope that the variety and richness of surveyed teachers’ opinions will make a meaningful contribution to related debates in the domains of English and EAL teaching.

When I set out to do some further study a few years ago, the experience made me reflect on how rewarding, revelatory and how much fun research can be. Who would have thought? Of course, we know research can also be a powerful catalyst for influencing positive social change. Despite this, so many worthwhile research courses are underfunded –aspiring philanthropists, please take note! Nevertheless, what follows is a short reflection on a research journey recently undertaken, which I hope students and our teaching community will find relatable and, more importantly, which I hope will encourage them to aim, act and achieve a goal they may have been delaying.

A few years ago, after enquiring about doing further study at University of Melbourne, Professor Joseph lo Bianco invited me to his lecture on ‘Q and Wicked Problems’ (‘wicked’ here means ‘not tame or easily analysed’). It was both fascinating and insightful because it opened up refreshing windows of possibility: he introduced a methodology, entirely new to me, which I thought was a great innovation (though developed

So what is Q-methodology? In a nutshell, it involves collecting a wide range of opinions (in the form of statements) about a particular topic which are culled to form a representative sample of views. These opinions are sorted and ranked by participants in terms of strength of agreement, thereby providing a holistic configuration of their point of view. Participants are invited to elaborate further on items they feel very strongly about. Software-aided factor analysis of sort data yields a few representative opinions and consensus viewpoints. Finally, these extracted factors are interpreted.

As it turned out, I also discovered that Q was not only useful for educational research, but could be applied to a great variety of ‘wicked problems’, or any subject about which people hold differing opinions. It is adaptable and can be used in combination with other research instruments. Moreover, it also has the potential to assist with social innovation and social change in domains like language planning and policy, health and environmental policy, or as another device for facilitating peace-building and conflict resolution. It has useful applications in the classroom, including as a tool for critical reflection, for evaluating a specific aspect of learning, as a formative feedback instrument or simply for stimulating classroom dialogue.

Other things learned on this research journey? The process of reading and reviewing relevant research literature related to English and EAL grammar teaching was tremendously energising, insightful and rewarding. Related topics of interest ranged from competing approaches to literacy, ideas about different pedagogical grammars, episodes from the history of English and EAL grammar teaching in Australia and the UK, and teacher perceptions about grammar’s usefulness for writing. From all of this, it was fascinating to reflect on how influential some educational ideas were and continue to be, to trace their beginnings and societal consequences. Being part of a Melbourne University-affiliated international research group which meets via video-conferencing has provided excellent learning opportunities through collaborating, sharing ideas and resources.

More recently, I had the privilege of working closely with Camberwell Grammar teachers, Mr Shaun Burke, Ms Kathryn Smith and Ms Aneta Renieris, as part of a School Professional Learning Group. We applied this methodology to explore student attitudes to essay writing in English, English Language and History classes. A broad range of differing but interesting (and mostly not unexpected) opinions emerged across the group of students surveyed in relation to particular aspects of their writing, such as the crafting of conclusions, time spent on proofreading and editing, and opinions about handwriting.

All in all, these have been very worthwhile experiences. I thoroughly recommend pursuing a research degree and strongly encourage anyone, who would like to challenge themselves to learn more about a particular topic and refresh or refine their research skills, to have a go at it. I am always happy to share ideas with anyone in our Camberwell Grammar community who is interested in this topic.

Mr James Victor English, English as Additional Language, and Latin Teacher

“The process of reading and reviewing relevant research literature related to English and EAL grammar teaching was tremendously energising, insightful and rewarding.”

Senior School House Swimming Carnival

Towards the end of Term 2, we were pleased to hold the Senior School House Swimming Carnival for the first time since 2019.

Races were close, but Clifford and Macneil dove into joint first place, winning the House Swimming Trophy, with Bridgland and Steven in joint third.

Junior School Footy Day

On the last day of Term 2, the Junior School participated in their much-loved Footy Day. Students supported their AFL teams by wearing their team’s colours, enjoyed a delicious sausage sizzle arranged by Friends of Norge, and got to finish off the day with a kick around the JTO. Members of our Firsts Football team joined in and delighted our younger players by conducting drills and skills with them.

Interschool Chess Tournament

Congratulations to the Camberwell Grammar chess team who won the Interschool Chess Tournament at Balwyn High School by a convincing margin at the end of Term 2.

The Law School

High School Debate

Congratulations to Year 11 students Kevin Xu, Oliver Tu, Ray He, Cooper Carbone, and Alan Tian, who participated in the 2022 Deakin Law School High School Debate during the July school holidays.

The team competed against eighteen teams from other schools and made it through to participate in the grand final.

Monash Scholars

We are delighted that three Year 10 students, Matthew Lau, Rohan Wickremasinghe and Tony Zhang, have been accepted into the Monash Scholars program for 2022-2024. They join a select group of Camberwell Grammar students who have also been part of the program in recent years.

Monash selected these scholars based on their outstanding academic results, contributions to extra-curricular activities and strong written applications. They will be participating in a series of on-campus and virtual events over the next two years as an introduction to potential opportunities at Monash University.

100 Days of Prep!

On Friday 29 July our Prep students celebrated their 100th day at school – an important milestone for our boys starting their schooling journey!

The day was spent participating in various activities based around the number 100, and the boys were joined by some Year 12 students who assisted them with their counting and games.

The Prep students looked bright and colourful in their celebratory hats and 100 Days of School t-shirts!

The Evatt Cup

In August, Camberwell Grammar hosted the final regional round of the Evatt Cup.

This competition, run by the United Nations Youth Association, is a simulation of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and engages students in Years 9-12 across Australia in world affairs and issues through debating mock Security Council resolutions from the position of an assigned country.

The competition not only provides a forum for students to meet other like-minded students, but develops their public speaking and negotiation skills, and creates a positive and empowering experience for students interested in international relations, politics, and world affairs.

Indonesian Incursion with Robbie Gaspar

In August, Australian soccer player Robbie Gaspar came to visit the Camberwell Grammar community and spend some time with Indonesian students. He showed us some of his soccer skills and taught us some drills, helping students to practice their Indonesian conversation as well.

Robbie gave great insight into his time at many Indonesian and European football clubs over his fourteen-year career, as well as the importance of learning a language. Robbie shared his experience of the benefits of learning the Indonesian language and our growing diplomatic relationships with the country. The students played some games of soccer with Robbie and had fun outside of class, using their language skills practically and enjoying some time with friends.

Declan Collett (Year 10)

Shane Warne tribute

This collaborative tribute to the late Shane Warne was painted by Mr Barry’s Year 7 Art Class students.

The artwork is a massive composition comprising 18 panels in A3 size, each painted in acrylic on mdf board. The students came up with the idea of combining an image and a quote in vibrant composition.

Year 5 Sovereign Hill

Year 5 students immersed themselves in 1850’s gold rush heritage at Sovereign Hill in Ballarat.

Despite the chilly weather, the excitement of the gold fields kept them actively involved in the ‘real life’ learning experience as they explored this important period in Australian history and its impact on the local environment and people.

Middle and Senior School House Cross Country

Middle and Senior School students braved the wet weather for the annual House Cross Country competition at Westerfolds Park in August.

Despite the undulating hills, rain, and kangaroo spectators peeking out from the woodlands, House spirit and friendly rivalry saw students eager to get going on the course.

Congratulations to Schofield for winning the Senior School Cross Country event and Steven for winning the Middle School event!

Book Week

During August, the Norge and Weickhardt Libraries celebrated Book Week with various events and activities across the School. This year, the theme ‘Dreaming with Eyes Open’, acknowledged Australia’s First Nations People and their story-based culture.

Highlights included the Junior School Book Week Parade and the Blokes’ Book Breakfast with author and journalist Paul Kennedy.

Community Connections

Social Innovators: Box of Love Project

Year 9 students Sean Luo, Dennis Shaliga, Edward Wang, and Alan Wang share their Social Innovators idea, the ‘Box of Love Project’, which they began developing in Term 1:

The Box of Love is an idea that we formulated during the two days of the Social Innovators Workshop in Term 1, where the team from Crazy Ideas College (CIC) encouraged us to develop ideas that aim to enrich the lives of our fellow citizens. Our ambitions were set on improving the overall wellbeing of our community and rebuilding the links the community has lost over the last two years.

We liked the idea of a subtle way to convey nicely written messages but still needed a way to spread this. We quickly came up with the idea to incorporate letters that could be available around public areas. This then led to the idea of involving the Year 2 students from Junior School.

We believe that kids see the world as a much more colourful and pure place, compared to the perceptions of more mature people. We also saw this as an opportunity to teach the next generation the importance of kind words and guide them to leave our school as adults who will shape the future and live by the important values held by Camberwell Grammar Grammarians.

Towards the end of Term 3, we assisted the Year 2 class with writing some letters for strangers to read. In conjunction with a café near Surrey Hills, Coco and Latte, we arranged for the letters to be handed out to people purchasing coffee.

Through our project, we hope to remind everyone to spread kindness to those around them and cherish the bonds that make us a community.

Bring a Bag

Towards the end of Term 2, Middle School participated in the ‘Bring a Bag’ program with students encouraged to bring along a bag of non-perishable food items.

Their generosity filled a car to support Anglicare Victoria in their assistance of people in the city community facing hunger and homelessness.

Jump Rope for Heart

In July, the Junior School students and staff participated in the Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser.

It was a great afternoon full of various skipping activities, and the students and Junior School families raised $2,200 for the Heart Foundation – a fantastic effort.

The Rotary District 9800

The Rotary District 9800, of which Camberwell Grammar’s Rotary Interact Club is a part of, have started an Interact District Council, with the aim to bring various school and community-based Interact Clubs together for discussions and potential collaboration.

Camberwell Grammar’s Rotary Interact Club is very excited to be one of seven Interact clubs initially chosen – a great opportunity to spread ideas that have worked at different schools, as well talk about things that might not have gone so well.

I was invited to be the first Chair of this new group, with Ravin Desai (Year 11), our current Treasurer, the Minute Secretary. We are really excited to be a part of this new venture.

Charles Lewis (Year 11) President, Camberwell Grammar Rotary

Author Adrian Beck visits the Year 6s

In August, the Year 6 students were fortunate to have children’s author Adrian Beck visit Camberwell Grammar. Adrian is a successful author of picture books and popular series, such as Stop the Dad Jokes and Derek Dool. Adrian spoke to the students about his writing journey and shared inspirational ideas around how to craft interesting narratives.

Many thanks to the Le Page family for arranging this opportunity for the students through their fundraising for a school that lost everything in the Lismore Floods in NSW.

The students were inspired by this generosity and, with the help of the Le Page family, raised over $1,000 in gift cards for Lismore South Public School, which will be using the funds to help rebuild their classrooms and create a new learning environment for their students.

House Charity Competitions

Term 3 saw lots of Houses take on fun, friendly, and competitive activities to support their chosen charities for the year. Highlights included the Robinson House Street Soccer Tournament, which saw 16 teams competing. In collaboration with the Youth in Philanthropy Group, Robinson House raised over $4,560 for the Kids Undercover Charity! Well done to all involved and the winning team.

Schofield held their popular ‘The Great Debate’ – a comedic debate that sees students take on their teachers. The debate was in support of HoMie, a non for profit street clothing brand founded by Trinity alum Nick Pearce, where 100% of the profits go to youth experiencing homelessness. Schofield raised around $1,500 from the sale of HoMie clothes, drinks, and entry fees.

In August, the School, after years of Covid-19 disruption, was thrilled to finally gather for the very special Biennial Concert at Hamer Hall. Held for the first time since 2018, musicians from across the School, and all of Middle and Senior School, joined together for a jam-packed musical program.

I am completely overwhelmed at the enormity of what we have achieved as a whole school community. Rehearsing music, in many ways, is as easy or as difficult as two things – the printed dots on the page, and the context in which the rehearsal takes place. As teachers, we can control the former, and as teachers at Camberwell Grammar, we can only be exceptionally grateful for the latter.

It is fortunate indeed for us to perform at Hamer Hall, but what makes our music program exceptional, and indeed possible, is the community in which it resides. Above all else, it is the regular time with the students, built from a strong routine of singing in the younger years, that allows our whole school to perform the way they did so brilliantly on our special night. No music program worth its salt is possible without a culture of singing and normality of participation.

Singing together brings us together as a community. It is a shared experience that not only benefits our wellbeing by lowering cortisol levels or releasing oxytocin, or improving our ability to focus, or practicing mindfulness, or activating and connecting our brains; in short, singing is good. Plain and simple. Singing is good. It is, quite simply, hard-wired into us as a species to benefit from singing together.

“It is fortunate indeed for us to perform at Hamer Hall, but what makes our music program exceptional, and indeed possible, is the community in which it resides.”

Groups, communities and cultures who come together in song have an enhanced ability to empathise, communicate and organise; history is full of examples from the Romans to the renaissance, to niche online communities and back to pre-historic folk songs in every culture and corner of the world. It is almost absurd that so few modern communities embrace this ancient super charger of wellbeing and connectedness in an increasingly compartmentalised and isolated society. By complete contrast, we are fortunate beyond belief to be part of a community that not only accepts music making as ‘normal’ but embraces and encourages it so wholeheartedly.

As I said to the students during our morning rehearsal on concert day, it was ‘our’ concert. We achieved a wonderful thing as a community, and it is because of our community that we achieved it. And I am so, so honoured to have had the joy of standing in the middle of it all at the end of the night.

Mr Ben Bishop Director of Music

Junior School Production

Star Warts: The Umpire Strikes Back

In a galaxy far, far away, Luke Warmwater and his aunt, Daft Ada, live a lonely life on their secluded space station, Junction 51. But when Princess Nebula’s ship crash lands in Luke’s bedroom, they soon learn of the evil Umpire and his dark desire to conquer the universe.

Along with Toby Wonky Nosebleed, Zak Solo, and Nigel the Nookie, they follow Princess Nebula in her rebellion. Aboard the Millennium Penguin, they whizz warp-speed through the galaxy to the Umpire’s High Tower on Planet Wimbledonia. But little do they know; the Umpire is about to strike back!

These galactic goofballs embark on a space adventure light-years from home, encountering dippy droids, mad martians, spacedout Space Rangers, and a ferocious pot-plant called Gordon. Can our crazy crew master the power of the sauce to save the galaxy, or will it be game, set, and match to the Umpire?

The Junior School musical production is a biennial event comprising all students from Years 3, 4 and 5. This year the main cast of 27 actors rehearsed regularly during and after school to perfect their stagecraft, acting, singing, and dancing. Led by their Director Mrs Trista Fry and Acting Coaches Mr Mathew McRae, Mr Michael Pettolino, and Ms Michelle Ponert, the cast formed a cohesive team who worked together with fun, flexibility, and determination. Our new Head of Junior School Music and Musical Director, Mr Alex St Vincent Welch, inspired the amazing soloists and chorus singers to produce high standards of performance with energy and heart.

The Camberwell Grammar School Production team must be acknowledged for the many hours of time taken to source

and create all the wonderful costumes and props, ticketing, programs, filming, sound, lighting, and all the other behindthe-scenes theatre coordination that made this show a success. For many students, this first venture onto the stage is the beginning of an interest in theatre and performing arts. The care taken for each member of the cast and chorus by Camberwell Grammar staff ensured life-long memories were made and budding thespians were nurtured in their craft.

After rehearsing throughout Term 2, the show came together at a frenetic pace in the Middleton Theatre, with props, costumes, and microphones in action for the first time. As the cast prepared for their final dress rehearsal, the unfortunate news came that two main cast members were unable to perform due to illness. Condolences were made to Brian Yan (Year 5), Lord Yoga, and Leonardo Tahn (Year 5), Racketeer Roe, who, after their tireless work throughout the term, were unable to perform in the final performances. Congratulations and thank you to Alexander Yakop (Year 4), Samuel Cai (Year 4) and William Zhao (Year 5) who ensured the show could go on by portraying new characters they had not rehearsed and memorising additional lines.

The full chorus of colourful characters rose to the occasion and performed with flair, energy, and comedic timing for three crowd-pleasing performances. From our chorus of Year 3 Apprentices, Year 4 Trekkies, and Year 5 Diddily Squits, to our Cosmic VIP’s, the Jelly Nits, the evil Umpire’s Court, and our heroic Rebels, it truly required the power of the sauce to put on a musical of this size and calibre.

May the sauce be with you.

Mrs Trista Fry Director and Teacher

Middle School Production

The Time Machine

This year’s Middle School Production found its origins in the mind of creative genius H.G. Wells – The Time Machine

The story sees H.G. (played with superb vivacity and conviction by Year 8 student Thomas Klebanowski) relocating from London to New York to be amongst other influential inventors such as Nikoli Tesla and Thomas Edison. He invites his circle of friends (characterized with much vim and panache by Year 7’s Frank Roodenburg, Kamran Vohra, Lachlan Barnes, and James Lyster) to meet at his Upper East Side abode, where he reveals to them his newest invention – the Time Machine.

Soon after, he takes an exciting but often confusing journey into the future, meeting up with 1956 rock ‘n’ rolling teenagers, Lucas Andreopoulos (Year 7) and Lachlan Millard (Year 8), Charles Manson (Year 7’s Dante Tassone) and his ‘Family’ on their way to a ‘Love In’ in 1968, and some social media crazed teens experiencing 2020’s Covid-19 lockdown. Eventually, he lands thousands of years into the future hoping to find the utopian world he envisaged. Instead, he discovers humanity has regressed into two races, the mild and gentle Eloi and the cannibalistic Morlocks. Aided by Weena, a young Eloi he saves from drowning, George must discover the whereabouts of his stolen Time Machine so he may return to his own era unscathed.

Both acting and dancing rehearsals for the show commenced back in early May, involving a group of young and eager students from both Camberwell Grammar and Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College. The script evolved to include dance sequences representing each time frame in which George found himself. Seal’s Crazy is also featured to depict the fight sequence between the Eloi and Morlocks which led to the latter’s domination. Sunday morning dance rehearsals became a time of much hilarity and fun, led enthusiastically by Andy Howitt, who also choreographed 2021’s The Great Gatsby

The show additionally offered opportunities for past Middle School actors to become involved behind the scenes, with Ravin Desai (Year 11) assembling the visually stunning time travel sequences and Show Calling the performances

and Raphael Champion (Year 10), Tommy Auwardt (Year 10) and Nathan Bosmans (Year 10) Stage Managing the backstage crew and leading the warmups for the cast. Ms Tara Suri, from the Weickhardt Library, designed the superb soundscapes and special effects which helped create the atmosphere of the show so evocatively, and the splendid set and costumes were designed by the ever-accomplished Mr Mark Wager and Mrs Jennifer Bennie respectively.

The Time Machine was a delight to direct because of the incredible dedication and talent of its young cast, and was definitely one of the most fun shows to rehearse. In the words of H.G. Wells, ‘I’ve had the most amazing time!’

Mrs Penelope Wood Director

House Drama Competition

In July, the eight Houses gathered for the first time since 2019 to showcase their House productions. Captain of Drama, Colin Jiang , recounts the comradery, House spirit, humour, and dramatic creativity from this year’s performances.

Two hundred students, gathered in the Middleton Theatre, sat waiting eagerly staring at a yellow curtain, endless creativity just waiting to pour out unto their eyes and ears. The audience just oozed excitement and anticipation. This, of course, marked the annual performance of the House Drama competition.

Each House was tasked with performing a 13-minute-long piece, each one oriented around the topic of ‘Fast Films’. This meant that each House had to perform a parody of an original, well-known movie, incorporating various cultural references, and condensing all the significant events from the film. Each House performed outstandingly, with eight unique, one-ofa-kind plays that never failed to entertain the audience: from James Bond, to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Star Wars, Batman, Catch Me if You Can, and more.

With the long, hard hours of rehearsal, costume design, and stage technology programming evident throughout, overall, the annual House Drama Competition was overwhelmingly successful. Ultimately, Steven, Derham, Robinson, and an unexpected Summons emerged in the top four.

On the final night of performances, Robinson took the coveted first place with a well-deserved staging of Murder on the Orient Express, which was nothing less than a perfectly immersive and accurate reenactment of the Agatha Christie classic.

Main actors Ishaan Nandurkar (Year 12) and Harry Watson (Year 11) played flawlessly hilarious interpretations of Poirot and Bouc respectively. These characters, backed by inventive backdrops and great costumes, coalesced to paint a rich, mysterious atmosphere for a performance worthy of first place.

Summons’ performance of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith knew no bounds when it came to making the audience laugh in creative and innovative ways. Their performance was well paced and kept the audience engaged the whole time with joke after joke. A well-deserved second place!

Steven’s interpretation of Forrest Gump was an absolute joy to watch from the first to the last second on stage. Each moment and set transition from the film was effectively communicated to the audience through a diligent effort of the stage crew and cast, and the creative use of lighting and AV, such as the memorable running scene, cultivated an entertaining performance and won them third place.

Congratulations to the other Houses as well, who all worked tirelessly on their productions. Highlights included Cooper Carbone (Year 11) as Frank Abagnale in Derham’s performance of Catch Me If You Can; the mistimed sound effects here and there in Schofield’s interpretation of Batman which made for some unintentionally hilarious moments; the

exceptional set and lighting in Macneil’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was nothing short of iconic; Bridgland’s James Bond captivated the audience with the slow-motion gunfight and prerecorded sequence by the villain; and, finally, Clifford’s interesting interpretation of Flying High had the audience on the edge of their seats with a questionably healthy dose of controversial humour and characters.

Colin Jiang Captain of Drama

Thank you to the adjudicators, Mr Nigel Sutton and Head of Drama, Mr Andrew Stocker, and to the casts and crews for all their efforts in crafting a spectacular House Drama Competition this year.

Spectemur

This year, students were able to enjoy participating in complete Winter and Spring Seasons for the first time since 2019. The last term saw both individual and team success and, more importantly, a return to togetherness and community. Spectators were welcomed again, highlighted by the tremendous support at the Grand Final of our First XI Hockey team, and we enjoyed Presentation Evenings to celebrate seasons, hosted by our fantastic Friends of Groups.

Congratulations to our First IV Badminton team for winning the AGSV Premiership. Led by Captain Jordan Yang (Year 11), the young squad went through the season undefeated and beat Yarra Valley Grammar convincingly in the Grand Final. The team was well led by Head Coach, Nick Ong and Teacher in Charge, Mr Tap-Long Duong. A popular sport in the School, teams across most divisions experienced great success, which should assist in maintaining our dominance in the AGSV for future seasons.

The Cross Country squad completed their most successful season in many years, finishing in 2nd place at the season’s end. Highlights throughout the season included a Round 5 win, knocking off perennial champions Marcellin for the first time in a very long time, and four individual year-level medallists: Gold and Silver for Harvey Williams and James Alex (Year 8) respectively, as well as Gold to Joshua Carlin (Year 9) and Harrison Car (Year 10). With the influence of Craig Mottram and his team of talented coaches, Teacher in Charge Mr Mark Collins is confident the squad will be able to perform strongly again next season.

Our Hockey teams performed consistently, particularly the 7/8A team who went through the season without losing a match, while the First XI only lost one. Heartbreakingly, it was the Grand Final; however, the team was outstanding throughout the season. Firsts Coach, Mr Jamie Watson, and Head of Hockey, Stuart Webster, were instrumental in developing students on and off the field, which resulted in a number of students gaining AGSV Representation.

First XVIII Football Coach, Rayden Tallis, inspired his team to their highest ladder position in many years after winning two of their matches against Yarra Valley Grammar and Peninsula Grammar and remaining competitive across many others. Along with the First XVIII, the program and the students in it are developing positively, including an enthusiastic and skilled group of Year 9 and 10 students. The Inter B team enjoyed an undefeated season.

The season was predicted to be challenging for the First XI Soccer team. A team of varying experience and age, the team performed valiantly to record two wins and finish in 7th place. Gregory Kerdemelidis (Year 12) enjoyed a consistent and much improved season under the guidance of Head Coach Anthony Frost and Head of Soccer, Andreas Papanicolaou. Another sport with talent oozing in younger year levels, there is excitement for future seasons following the development of styles of play and individual growth. Special mention must go to the Inter A team and their coach Mr Nathan Jones for their impressive season.

At the completion of the AGSV Season, students who performed consistently and exceptionally were rewarded with selection in their respective AGSV Representative sport teams. This season, we had one of the largest numbers of students participating in the matches against the APS. We congratulate: Badminton – Jordan Yang (Year 11), Chauncey Yu (Year 9) and Owen Lim (Year 8)

Basketball – Sam Veitch (Year 12 – Co-Captain)

Cross Country – Billy Swingler (Year 12), Jack Dobbyn, Marcus Liew and Henry Shirrefs (Year 11)

Football – Joshua Davidson and Caleb Finlayson (Year 12)

Hockey – Brodie Carswell (GK), Liam Corr, Ed Harper (Year 12), Harry Watson (Year 11) and Domenic Bozzone (Year 10)

Soccer – Ethan Ensor (Year 12)

Participating in the Melbourne Winter Baseball League, our four teams across Under 13, 15 and 17 enjoyed a fruitful season, albeit cold and wet, at times. Three teams made the finals, while the Under 17s, led by Taran Rose (Year 11) were victorious in winning their Grand Final. Our Fencing squad also enjoyed success in individual and team events. Sean Xu (Year 12) performed particularly well, winning the Fencing Victoria Schools’ League Senior Secondary title.

As mentioned previously, not since 2019 had the Spring Sports been held, meaning it was the first opportunity for students from Year 7 to 9 to experience Athletics and Water Polo at the School. After five weeks of intense training sessions and trials, the Athletics squad participated in the Centenary Event of the AGSV Finals. The special event was held on a Saturday at Lakeside Stadium. The team did incredibly well and won the AGSV Premiership for the first time since 1980. Having won the very first event in 1920, it was fitting that we won the 100th AGSV Athletics Carnival. Congratulations to Mr David Rayner (Teacher in Charge), Craig Mottram (Head Coach) and Captain Benny Grayson for their hard work. We are very proud of

all students who were involved throughout the season. Our Water Polo teams also had encouraging seasons. We fielded two teams each at Junior (Year 7/8), Intermediate (Year 9/10) and Seniors (Year 11/12). The Firsts finished runners up to a formidable Melbourne High School team, while our Inter A team defeated Trinity in their Grand Final to claim the premiership.

Congratulations to all students on a fantastic year of Sport at Camberwell Grammar. Thank you to our Year 12 students who have now represented the school for the final time on the sporting field. We wish you every success in your studies and future sporting endeavours.

Attention now turns to a new year of AGSV Sport with the commencement of the Summer Season in Term 4. Preparations have already begun as we aim to defend titles in some sports and push for premierships in others. Training officially starts on Monday 3 October, while Round 1 of the AGSV Season is scheduled for Saturday 15 October.

Mr Lachlan Crawford Head of Sport

Snowsports

To the delight of our Snowsports students and families, a full schedule of Snowsports activities was able to run again this year.

During the July holidays, Camberwell Grammar families were able to attend Falls Family Week. Snowsports students and their families delighted in the ample snow and opportunities to socialise and hone their skills on the slopes. A huge thanks to the Snowsports Friends of Group, Mr Thomson, Mr March, and Mr Hayes for organising such a magical week. Additionally, after a substantial preseason and a long hiatus from accessing the slopes, the Snowsports squad enjoyed competing in the Victorian Interschools Snowsport Championships at Mount Buller in August. Participants ranging from Year 2 to Year 12 competed in a host of skiing and snowboarding events.

Highlights from the Victorian Interschools Snowsports Championships, held in August, included Arya Aminazad (Year 12) taking 1st place in the Ski Cross and 2nd place in the Alpine GS, Division 1. His brother, Arvin Aminazad (Year 2) took 1st place in the Alpine GS, Division 6. Special mention to Alec McDougall (Year 12) who finished the course in his first ever Interschools Cross Country race. Teacher in Charge, Mr Ryan Thomson, and Strength and Conditioning Coach Adam Earnshaw, played significant roles in organising and coaching students. Thanks must also go to the parents and Friends of Snowsports for their unwavering support and commitment to the students and the program.

In June, Year 9 students enjoyed an inspiring talk from past student, author and media personality Tony Wilson (1990).

Tony spoke about the importance of following your passions, whatever they may be, and doing the things in your life that make you happy.

Congratulations to Past Student Julian Kosloff (1988) of Kosloff Architecture who received an Architecture Award in the Interior Architecture category of the Victorian Architecture Awards for their work on Gatwick Hotel featured on The Block.

Congratulations to our oldest (known living) alumni Ken Lyons OAM (1942) on walking in Run Melbourne in July.

Ken was the oldest participant to complete the 5.5km course while raising money for the Stroke Foundation.

Ken was inducted into the Camberwell Grammar School Gallery of Achievement in 2012. Ken was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2012 for service to veterans and their families, and to the community, through a range of volunteer roles.

Thomas Golz (2017) recently caught up with former classmate Leonidas Kapnias (2017) at the 2022 Spaceport America Cup. This is a rocketry competition that brings 110 universities from various countries across the globe together to compete in a week-long event involving the design, presentation, and launch of rockets that have been manufactured by students.

Leonidas was competing as part of the Monash University High Powered Rocketry (HPR) club and Thomas with the University of Melbourne Aerospace and Rocket Engineering Society (ARES).

The University of Melbourne ARES was awarded the Charles Hoult Award for Modelling and Simulation, while Monash HPR was runner-up. This was a fantastic achievement for both universities, and in combination with the University of Sydney and the University of Queensland being awarded individual prizes in separate disciplines, shows that the future is bright for Australian Rocketry.

In 2018, brothers Fraser Thompson (1995) and Macgregor Thompson (1986), along with David Griffin, founded the company Sun Cable, with its flagship project the Australia-Asia PowerLink. This $30 billion-plus project will supply renewable electricity to Darwin and Singapore. It will include the world’s largest solar farm, the world’s largest battery, and the world’s longest undersea cable of 4,200 kilometres. The project is well progressed and has received Major Project Status from

the Australian Federal Government and has been championed by Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as an example of Australia’s green growth opportunity.

Previously based in Singapore with McKinsey & Company, and then AlphaBeta (a company he co-founded), Fraser had been working on sustainability issues with governments in the region for the past decade and had seen the challenge countries face in Asia in reducing carbon emissions given their paucity of renewable energy resources. Macgregor and David, based in Australia, had been working on a range of projects related to solar development and digital technologies and recognised the potential for Australia to export this solar electricity.

Fraser commented ‘As the world shifts to a low carbon future, Australia is perfectly placed to become a renewable energy export superpower. We have plentiful land, endless sunshine, world-class expertise, and trusted relationships with our neighbours. We hope Sun Cable can help pave the way for Australia to capture this renewable energy export opportunity.’

Congratulations to past student Johan Durst (2008) and the Australian Kookaburras Hockey team who recently won gold at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games! The Kookaburras defeated India 7-0 in the gold medal game.

Alumni Profile

Stuart Kollmorgen OAM (1986)

As a student during the 1980s, thinking about how life would be for a gay teenager and man was challenging. There were few role models, and the topic was taboo apart from the ‘grim reaper’ campaign against the AIDS pandemic, scandals in the Truth newspaper, and tragic endings to Hollywood films. Homosexuality was still a mental disorder to be diagnosed according to the World Health Organisation until 1990.

While Camberwell Grammar was relatively enlightened, at that time, there was virtually no reference to homosexuality in class. Rather, there was derogatory comment in the schoolyard, which weighed heavily and made being honest and coming out in the school environment difficult.

I turned this into a challenge to be defeated, applying energy and tenacity with openness. In the end, those who have supported me unconditionally have been schoolmates. I should have been braver and confided in them earlier. I wasted some opportunities for great friendships.

On leaving school, I wanted to study industrial relations and human resources. My parents always brought home interesting stories of the workplace, in the public and private sectors. I liked the inherent controversy and friction between the interests and rights of employers, employees, contractors, and unions.

I realised that I could enjoy great opportunities through a legal lens, so I undertook a Law/Commerce combination at the University of Melbourne. I could easily have chosen labour economics or policy advice.

It was a great choice, as the area was really opening up. I worked as a solicitor in Melbourne for 20 years, of which 16 years were as a partner of a global firm. I had a fascinating period as a political adviser and played a small role in the national harmonisation of employment law and industrial relations regulation.

Whilst working as a solicitor, I took my opportunities fearlessly. I spent time volunteering and taking board roles in LGBTI organisations. I leveraged positions to provide pro bono legal advice to community organisations, culminating in leadership of the Victorian Pride Centre, which, completed in 2021, is the largest purpose-built pride centre in the world – offering support to the Victorian and Australian LGBTI community and beyond into the Asia-Pacific region. That task completed, I chair The Pride Fund, a fundraising charity for LGBTI causes.

In 2019, I was privileged to be awarded an Order of Australia Medal for service to the LGBTI community and sporting organisations and also for pro bono legal work. It was the volunteering mindset instilled by parents and school that kicked things off.

I like the advice of the support team at Camberwell Grammar that students can and should ‘choose to be happy’ amongst the pressure and competing priorities. It makes things so much easier and simpler, both for us and the people around us!

The sporting, language, and music opportunities I enjoyed at school have been enduring and produced many joys in life. Take these! I continued my athletics and wider sporting interests that commenced at school. Not having kids, I was able to travel far and wide with sporting groups, and chose race walking, eventually becoming a four-time individual world champion for my age group. I also became a lawn bowls administrator with Bowls Victoria and enjoy playing for the OCGA team. I met really great friends studying at university, and this does not happen unless you join clubs and social groups. You get back what you put in.

Gallery of Achievement Inductees 2022

Mr David Antony Haintz AM (1983)

David is a Certified Financial Planner and a past director of the Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) in which time he was instrumental in the push for professionalism. He had a 26-year career with his own firm, and subsequently became a founding director of Shadforth Financial Group.

David was the sixth adviser in Australia to be awarded a Fellow of the FPA and served on the FPA Disciplinary Committee for seven years, the FPA Professionalism Committee for six years, and was a National Judge at the FPA’s inaugural Value of Advice Awards. He is a founding trustee of the Future2 Foundation, and lectured at the FINSIA for six years, and was a member of the international Financial Planning Standards Board – Developing Markets Practice Management Working Group.

Having departed Shadforth in 2015, he has established Global Adviser Alpha – a B2B consultancy with a passion for helping leading global advice businesses become world-class and achieve outstanding results for all stakeholders.

In 2017, David published a book titled The Life-First Advisor –How the new financial coach connects ‘money’ with ‘meaning’

David remains the only adviser in Australia to be awarded the two prominent awards – Australian Financial Planner of the Year (2005), and Australian Best Practice of the Year (2004).

In the 2022 Australia Day Honours List, David was awarded as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).

Dr Michael Liffman AM (1964)

Dr Michael Liffman was the founding Director of the AsiaPacific Centre for Philanthropy and Social Investment (now the Centre for Social Impact) at Swinburne University. The Centre pioneered professional education in grant-making and social investment in Australia and beyond.

Michael has a background in social policy and research, community work, and philanthropy, and was CEO of one of Australia’s leading private foundations, The Myer Foundation, and President of the Australian Association of Philanthropy (now Philanthropy Australia) of which he is a Life Member.

While at the Myer Foundation, Michael established The Cranlana Programme, and was closely involved in the establishment of Asialink. He was the first Australian Director of the International Network on Strategic Philanthropy.

His publications include A Tradition of Giving: Seventy-five Years of Myer Family Philanthropy (Melbourne University Publishing, 2004).

He is a Director of Montsalvat.

Michael was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2022 for services to higher education and the not-for-profit sector.

Congratulations to our alumni who were inducted into the Gallery of Achievement at the Gallery of Achievement and Roystead Dinner in June.

Community Events

School Events

The Parents’ Association hosted their Gala Ball, A Night at the Museum, at the Melbourne Museum. With 400 guests dressed for a big night out, an iconic venue, a great band, and wonderful company, everyone looked like they had a fabulous night.

After two years of Covid-19-related delays, there was much dancing, feasting, laughing, making up for lost time, and even rapping amongst the dinosaurs.

Many thanks to my Ball Committee for their help in organising an epic night.

Dr Katherine Lok Social Convenor/Vice President

Year 12 Formal – Thursday 23 June 2022

It was wonderful to finally have the Formal Year 12 Dinner back on the School calendar this year at Leonda by the Yarra. The Year 12 students and their partners enjoyed the opportunity to engage with their teachers and Camberwell Grammar staff in a more social environment.

Parents’ Association Night at the Museum Gala Dinner – Saturday 20 August 2022

The Blokes’ Book Breakfast was a roaring success as it returned after a two-year hiatus. Paul Kennedy, renowned journalist and author, spoke about life as a teenager, growing up in Frankston while a serial killer lurked in the shadows. Despite the occasional dark topics, the chat was both entertaining and intriguing as he reflected on the challenges of masculinity and his desire for true love.

Junior School dads and their children gathered on the Green for a wonderful morning to celebrate Father’s Day and enjoyed a delicious breakfast together. Thank you to all the parent helpers and Friends of Norge for organising the event.

Junior School Father’s Day Breakfast – Friday 2 September 2022

30 Year Reunion – Friday 22 July 2022

The Class of 1992 gathered for their 30 Year Reunion. They were joined by the classes of 1990 and 1991 who were finally able to gather together for their 30 (now 32 and 31) year reunions.

Alumni living and working in Brisbane and surrounds gathered for the QLD Network Function. Thank you to Craig Rose (1994) for hosting drinks at Fiume Rooftop Bar at Crystalbrook Vincent Hotel, followed by dinner at Greca at Howard Smith Wharves.

Alumni living and working in Sydney and surrounds gathered for the NSW Network Function, hosted by Ian Robertson AO (1973).

QLD Network Function, Brisbane – Thursday 28 July 2022

NSW Network Function, Sydney – Friday 29 July 2022

The OCGA Annual Dinner was held at Melbourne Pullman on the Park. The event was opened by the President of the OCGA, Mr Nick Schildberger (1997). Julian Giovannucci (2011), School Captain 2011, said Grace and Master of Ceremonies was Mr Ed Banks (2003). Dr Paul Hicks gave his Headmaster’s Welcome. Retiring staff members Mr Peter Robinson and Mr Ken Schwab delivered the Toast to the School.

Calling of the Years was given by Mr Nick Schildberger with Mr Brian McPhail (1967) and Mr Greg Smith AM (1969) tying for the alumni with the earliest connection to the school having both started in the early 60s. The ‘School Song’ and ‘Sports Song’ were led by Mr Trevor Henley (1969), accompanied by Mr Ben Bishop (1996).

Members of the Camberwell Grammar community enjoyed an evening of art at the opening Gala night of The OCGA Art Exhibition and Sale 2022, held in The David Williams Gallery.

It was a wonderful evening celebrating the artistic talents of the Camberwell Grammar community.

OCGA Art Exhibition and Sale Gala Night – Thursday 11 August 2022

OCGA Annual Dinner – Friday 26 August 2022

Since the foundation of Camberwell Grammar in 1886, the School has prided itself on an open attitude to change. Over the thirteen decades of that period, there has been great social transformation and the School has responded accordingly, making its own changes in an attempt to produce a better learning community and society. No section of the institution has been more challenged by suggested change than the Camberwell School Army Cadet Unit in the early 1960s.

Founded in 1888 and following two significant periods of postwar conviction that military training was redundant, the unit was informed in 1959 by Headmaster T.H. Timpson of his belief that the unit should be transformed according to the English model of the ‘Outward Bound Movement’. The alternative to change, he suggested, was the discontinuation of the unit. At the Officers’ and NCOs dinner on 21 September, the Reverend Timpson promised that ‘plans were being made to develop and extend the activities of the School Cadet Unit and to integrate it much more closely with the life of the Senior School than it had previously’. In seeking to link Outward Bound with the cadet system, the Headmaster was ahead of many other schools and in advance of the national cadet system, which struggled internally over such changes throughout this period.

In a report issued later in the year, the Headmaster announced that all boys entering Form III (Year 9) would become members of the unit unless they were medically unfit and that the cadet program would be along the lines of Outward Bound, ‘helping

the individual boy to learn to accept responsibility for himself and to serve the community to which he belongs’ no more machine guns on campus; no more bayonets except for special parades; no more school rifle range; no more boys carrying home on the tram their (unbolted) .303s; no more battle tactics; no more mortars falling over Chatfield Avenue. Many of the outlined new activities overlapped with existing cadet pursuits and they were to include ‘day trips and weekend bivouacs’, and schoolbased activities such as Rescue and Public Service (first-aid, life-saving, fire service, youth leadership and animal welfare); Expedition (mapping, compass reading, bushcraft, weather study and camping); Pursuits and Projects (physical fitness, art and craft and hobbies).

The unit’s highly-respected commander, John Usher, was initially sceptical, fearing a breach of tradition. He noted: ‘A school such as Camberwell Grammar does not exist to produce merely scholars, but citizens. A lad must be able to look after himself once he leaves the shelter of home and school. In a small way, as a school boy, he acquires selfreliance, but that acquired in cadet training is so much more effective. He learns to give and take orders, to pitch his own tent, to cook his own meal; in short, the Cadet Unit provides the adventure of military life which helps the lad acquire selfconfidence. This is the function of the Cadet Unit in a school, which must therefore be an integral part of it.’

The challenge for the unit in the 1960s would therefore be to accept the inevitability of change whilst maintaining military integrity, to accept ‘integration’ without losing identity. It was one that the unit met in the following years as Outward Bound reforms were gradually implemented, changes that ultimately complemented, not replaced, many traditional cadet practices. The unit continued subsequently to go from strength to strength, maintaining the high profile in the school community that it continues to enjoy over sixty years after the changes first mooted by Headmaster Timpson.

Dr David Bird School Historian and Archivist

‘Replace Cadets with an Outward Bound School as in operation in England.’ Headmaster T.H. Timpson’s proposal to Council, 1 September 1959.

The unit parades in 1960 with the new cadet flag presented by the Taplin family.

At the end of 1964 Headmaster the Reverend T. H. Timpson announced that Mr John Shilliday (B.A., B.Ed.), the present Senior Housemaster of Toowoomba Grammar – a large boarding school – would be joining the staff of Camberwell Grammar as ‘Senior Master’. The holder of this position in this period was effectively the de facto Deputy Headmaster. Timpson hoped that the appointment of a man with John Shilliday’s qualifications and experience would ensure service with distinction. In this case, the Headmaster’s hopes were realised, as John would serve the School with merit from 1965-71, first under the Reverend Tom Timpson and then his successor, David Dyer.

John immediately made his mark in school life in his first year, coaching the 1st Hockey team, reorganising the Student Representative Council as the ‘Adviser’, founding a Public

Headmaster Dyer called his ‘capable cabinet of senior masters’, John became additionally noted as an athletics and cross country coach. In 1968 he organized a Camberwell team to participate in the Network Ten TV quiz program ‘It’s Academic’, the team making it through to the semi-final. He was also Head of English, following Max Howell’s departure, holding this position until handing the role on to Tony Brown in 1967.

John was elevated to ‘Head of the Senior School’ in 1970, a recognition of the integral part he was playing in the life of the School. Early in that year, he suggested that golf be introduced as a School sport and, accordingly, Grammarians were able to participate on the links of the Kew Golf Club on Friday afternoons from July. Many participants have gained an affection for this sport that has endured for the rest of their lives.

John’s involvement in the life of the School included his role as the parent of Ian (1979) and as an active member of the Common Room Association, which particularly lamented his departure at the end of 1971 as he had been an active advocate for improving and maintaining staff amenities. John subsequently held two headmasterships; the first at Hamilton College, the second at Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School, his time at Camberwell Grammar having given him a strong foundation for his outstanding career in education.

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