Eddison House 60th Anniversary

2021 MARKS THE 60TH YEAR SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF EDDISON HOUSE.

To celebrate our 60th year, it seemed more than fitting to commission a mosaic to acknowledge the significant contribution of the three Eddison sisters. Dianna, Pam, and Marion. All were incredible in their own way; working their family farm in the Woden Valley during WWII, volunteering their skills in making clothing for wounded soldiers, riding their horses to school, performing highly as capable sportswomen, working hard with their husbands to raise their families, pursuing their careers, and engaging in a wide array of charitable works in the ACT region. All have been incredible matriarchs; Pam has been especially close to Eddison House, coming to our annual Eddison House Dinners and presenting our captains their ties of office until she passed away at age 97 in May 2019.

We also think it is overdue in the era of co-educational CGS that we do more in Eddison than just talk about the story of the Eddison sisters. In unveiling our mosaic, we seek to add to the visible symbols of Eddison House and CGS as a co-educational institution. While our unveiling ceremony was required to be via Zoom, we were very fortunate to have the Eddison family involved. Wendy Townley, Sue Sarantos, Penny Douglas and Fiona Douglas, the Daughters of Diana, Pam, and Marion, who are remembered in our new mosaic, attended with their families. Wendy spoke on behalf of the Eddison family and recalled the strength of character and positive influence her mother and aunties had shown throughout their lives.

The full Eddison story is both tragic and remarkable. It is an epic tale of a pioneering family, an aspiring migrant family, courageously seeking a new life in a harsh land. It is a tale of duty, of courage, of service to others, and a tale of the ultimate sacrifice. Eddison is privileged to have its origins in this story and seeks to live in honour of this amazing family.

– John Klein, Head of Eddison House