THE NEWSLETTER OF THE CATHEDRAL SCHOOL OF ST ANNE AND ST JAMES
SEPTEMBER 2017 | NUMBER 60
Principal’s Report CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS It is two months since the celebration of our school’s Centenary and yet it feels like only yesterday that we hosted the smiles, laughter and wonderful recollections of our Old Girls and Past Students on the Centenary Reunion Weekend. What a joy it was for our current students, staff and parents to welcome back former students and their families. With all types of emotions on display over the course of both Foundation Day itself and the week end that followed, it was wonderful to see the recognition that those present had for their old school, despite the changes and growth over the past 70 years. In the words of Old Girl and past staff member Nancy Armati, writing in our Centenary publication; “Throughout the physical changes, the spirit of the school has remained constant. The ideals of the Sisters have been upheld by their successors, and the amazing thing is that so much has been done by so few.” The “so few” that Mrs Armati talks about are of course the SSA sisters, who built a school that has now flourished for 100 years; a school that has thrived on the changes that have been either implemented or imposed on it; a school that can look back with great pride at its origins and 100 year journey. The Centenary weekend saw approximately 800 Old Girls and Past Students return to the school, and the overwhelming impression of these people was how happy they were to see some of their former school mates and also how pleased they were to be back at the school that had played a part in their education. Our Centenary project, The Connection Place, was opened at a special Foundation Day assembly by Old Girl, past parent, current grandparent and School Registrar, Mrs Toni Lanphier. In a memorable ceremony, the 23 panels of glass were each unveiled by a small group of people, to finally reveal the 13000 names of the students and staff who have lived, learnt and worked at our school in its first 100 years. It was a beautiful ceremony and The Connection Place has attracted literally thousands of visitors over the last 2 months. The gratitude expressed by so many of our Foundation weekend visitors has been overwhelming and also a great tribute to the hard work put into the events by the
Centenary organising committee - lead by Toni Lanphier, with great assistance from President of the PSA, Mr Tom Porter and the PSA Committee, and the Heatley House team of Regina Blackburn, Grace Baldwin, Karen Lane and Johanna Richardson. Our grounds and buildings were presented in spectacular fashion thanks to the tireless efforts of our Maintenance and Cleaning staff, while our Dining Hall staff ensured that everyone was well fed. Huge thanks must also go to the efforts of our Music staff and students who performed so well all throughout the weekend. No event is ever complete without the input of the Boarders and they were front and centre for the school tours and the gossip sessions, lead mainly by the Old Girls. There are so many other staff, students and parents who assisted with the weekend and they were all crucial to its success. The School invited a St Anne’s Old Girl, Toni Lanphier (1970), and Past Student, Louisa Kippin (2001), to represent our former students as our speakers on Foundation Day. Both of these ladies represented their former school and the 13000 former students and staff members with great integrity and insight. They both demonstrated a clear understanding of what it means to be a part of our school’s history and both have the humility and presence of mind to understand the ethos and spirit of our school. We were certainly very fortunate to have such great speakers representing us on Foundation Day. To conclude, I have mentioned the popularity of The Connection Place and I am sure it will continue to be a must-see destination for Old Girls and Past Students visiting Townsville in the years to come. We are very happy for visitors to come in whenever they please and to spend time looking for their friends’ or teachers’ names. If you would also like to look around the school, we would be very happy to show you the school that has grown since your departure. There are still elements of the old school that existed back in the 80s and we have an increasing volume of older memorabilia that is being collected for display in the not too distant future. We will hopefully see you all at Reunion Weekends into the future. Mr Ian Gamack
Principal
PICTURED ON THE FRONT: Year 12 students, Jayde Langley and Abbie Honeycombe in St Anne’s uniforms at St James’ Cathedral for the launch of the Centenary Week’s celebrations.
Page 2
The Connection - September 2017
Past Students’ Association President’s Report The 21st of July 2017 will go down in the history books as a momentous occasion for the school as we celebrated our centenary. Past students of St Anne’s and The Cathedral School should be very proud of their school whether they attended in the city, Ravenswood or at this site where we are currently located in Mundingburra. The centenary celebrations were huge and everyone seemed to enjoy the many festive events over the weekend. This ‘collector’s edition’ of the Connection magazine will show photos from each of the events. I just want to touch on a few of my memories from the weekend. The Foundation Day service was very special, with the Rock Centre full to capacity and Class of 2001 graduate and fourth generation student, Louisa Kippin, as our guest speaker. The opening of The Connection Place was a time to celebrate every student and staff member who has ever been at the school. The unveiling of the Connection Place’s 23 glass panels was performed by a wide cross-section of people who had a connection to the school either as a student or staff member, past or present. This year’s Lagoon Dash had an enthusiastic line-up of past student runners. Thanks to Angie Darcy, Katelyn Lucey, Jeff Pearce and Gabe Brennan for putting in a great race but unfortunately the past students came second with the current students again winning the Bragging Rights trophy. The Cocktail Party by the lagoon was a magical night, with our musicians performing and the lights of the rain tree reflecting off the lagoon and lighting up the names on the Connection Place. It was great spending time with my school friends for our 10 year reunion, and it was a real treat to meet Betty McLean who was the Head Girl in Ravenswood in 1943. She made a special effort to get to Townsville to attend the school’s centenary celebrations, which is no mean feat for a 91 year old! It was an honour to share a small part of my story and celebrate our centenary with four hundred past students and guests at the Gala Dinner on the Saturday night. We also drew our centenary raffle and I must thank the following people who donated prizes: Justin O’Neill (Cowboys), Bryan Wong (jewellery designer, Hong Kong), Brendan and Annette Carter (City Oasis, Townsville), Stacey and Stuart Christensen (Flinders Butchery, Hughenden), The Porter family, Tennis Townsville and the Past Students’ Association. We raised a significant amount of money to help with future PSA projects. The success of the centenary celebrations could not have happened without many hours of hard work put in by members of the school staff and Past Students’ Association committee members. I want to thank everyone involved
The Connection - September 2017
for the many hours they have put in over the past two years that we have been planning the centenary. I would also like to thank the P&F members for serving our bar at the cocktail evening and providing the lunch-time BBQ by the lagoon on Sunday to round off the weekend’s events. On 21 August we held our annual AGM and meeting of the PSA where we elected our committee for 2017-18. They are Tom Porter (President), Johanna Richardson (Vice-President), Tristan Davey (Secretary), Val Carson (Treasurer), Mary Gallagher, Karen Lane, Annette Nelson, Claudia Power, Nikki Smith and Fiona Macdonald (Committee Members). I must thank our outgoing secretary Karen Lane who has done a wonderful in supporting me and the committee. Grace Baldwin has also done many hours for us as the PSA Administration Assistant and I want to thank her and wish her well on her adventures in London. With the centenary over, the PSA is now looking to its future and what we can achieve. I am very happy to continue as President of this amazing association that is really doing wonderful things in our school community. If you would like to be a part of our committee in any way please don’t hesitate to contact me via email thomas. porter@cathedral.qld.edu.au This year has been one to remember but let’s start writing the next chapter in the school’s history. Tom Porter
PSA President Class of 2007
Page 3
Year 12 students Emelie Williams and Mikala Wright with Mrs Toni Lanphier
Right Reverend Bill Ray, Bishop of North Queensland, Mr Ian Gamack and Mayor of Townsville, Cr Jenny Hill
Book Launch On Wednesday 19 July, the Mayor of Townsville, Councillor Jenny Hill, hosted a small Civic Reception for the launch and blessing of the school’s centenary book, ‘We who would valiant be’. Compiled by School Registrar and past student, Toni Lanphier (nee Parsons), the book is a tribute to all those who have played a part in the school’s first 100 years - staff, students and community.
to reconcile this new school with their beloved St Anne’s. At the same time, the students of more recent years have little understanding of the original school. I wanted to bring it all together, to show the continuum of our school over 100 years, and to help people see that we are all part of one school; we are one community, united by a shared experience.
Mrs Lanphier acknowledged the support of past and present staff and students who helped collect and prepare the material for publication, particularly Mrs Regina Blackburn for the photographs, and coeditors Mrs Judy Newman and Mrs Mary Gallagher. She explained the motivation behind the book to the invited guests in this way:
The book is not intended to be a comprehensive history and there will be many things that have not been included. My aim was to provide a glimpse into the life of the school and its people across the years, to reveal the similarities in programs, goals and vision as the school has evolved, in the hope that its enduring spirit will shine through.
When I arrived at St Anne’s School as a Year 9 boarding student in 1967, I could not have imagined that, 50 years later, I would be compiling the school’s history. However, when I returned as a staff member at The Cathedral School in the mid 1990’s, I realised that, while many things had changed, the real essence of the school had not. In my role as Registrar, I came to realise that the old girls who attended reunions each year have sometimes struggled
The content is arranged along a timeline with photos, features and profiles added to give colour and depth to the history. It has been designed as a coffee table book: one you can pick up, read a bit and put down. I hope that everyone who picks it up will find something familiar, something interesting, and something that connects them with the school that belongs to us all.
Year 12 Prefects at St James’ Cathedral ( above and below)
Mr Ian Gamack with School Captains, Sophie Horlock and Harrison Lessells ready to lead the procession from St James’ Cathedral
Page 4
Mrs Toni Lanphier, Mrs Mary Gallagher, Mr Ian Gamack and Mrs Judy Newman at the Centenary Book Launch
To purchase a copy of the Centenary Book ($75), please call the School on 07 4722 2000 or order online https://www.trybooking.com/NSKO.
The Connection - September 2017
Foundation Day and Lagoon Dash The School’s 100th Birthday was celebrated in style on Friday 21 July with the annual Foundation Day celebrations, exactly 100 years after the official opening of St Anne’s CEGS. Our guest speaker, Louisa Kippin (Class of 2001) reflected on the influence the school had on her during her five years here, and the changes that the previous generations of her family have seen since they were students at St Anne’s. Here is an extract from her speech: When my mum (Jane Kippin nee Gilmore) came to school here, it was an all girls’ school and the uniform code was so strict that the students had ‘bloomer checks’ to make sure they were wearing the correct knickers! When my grandmother (June Gilmore nee Heatley) was at school here, World War II was happening and the entire school was evacuated to Ravenswood for the safety of the students and teachers and so that the school buildings in the city could be occupied by the military. The school spent 3 years away from Townsville. When my great grandmother (Alice Heatley nee Garbutt) was at school here, World War I was happening. In those times, there was almost no question of a girl actually having education beyond high school; even completing high school was unusual and the idea of a girl having a career and making her own life decisions was almost unheard of! And 100 years ago at schools everywhere, instead of school books and iPads, students would have done their school work on a piece of slate. How times have changed! Now it’s 2017 and my niece Millie is a student here because Cathedral is still a great school. But I’d like to mention another aspect of this school, something which I feel has always set it apart, something which I really hope hasn’t changed in the last 100 years… The Cathedral School Spirit - built on a foundation of community, acceptance, respect, resilience and kindness. During my years as a student here, I not only made wonderful friends, many of whom remain close friends to this day, but I also learnt a lot from many wonderful role models amongst my teachers, my peers and the wider school community. Every school has academic students. Every school has sporty students. Every school has a few nerds and a few nuts. Every school has artists and scientists, linguists and mathematicians. But the Cathedral School is about who you are as a person, what you bring to the community and how you treat others. So I encourage you to go about your day mindful of what it means to be part of this school and its culture. I encourage you to pay attention to how you interact with your fellow students, younger, older, your own year group and with your teachers and all the staff. I encourage you to practice every day being the type of person you want to be. Following on from the opening of the Centenary Project - The Connection Place, the students, staff and guests all enjoyed a delicious birthday cake prepared by the School’s Catering Department. The 100th Birthday Cake was cut by Louisa and her mother, Jane Kippin (nee Gilmore), grandmother, June Gilmore (nee Heatley) and young niece, Millie Kippin who is currently in Prep. The annual Lagoon Dash was then run, with Chatham House winning the girls event and Bede House in the boys event. The Current Students were too fast in the Bragging Rights race which was the Past Students V Current Students V Staff, winning for the fifth year in a row.
The Connection - September 2017
BOYS INTERHOUSE Bede: Dugald Cox - Year 6 Gordon Appelcryn - Year 9 Jonathan March - Year 12 Chatham: Jarrah Moncrieff - Year 6 Luka Bartulovich - Year 9 Samuel Warner - Year 12 Langton: Oliver Harvey - Year 6 Bradley Graham - Year 9 Tristan Kun - Year 12 More: Jayden Switzer - Year 6 Karl Schwebel- Year 9 Patrick Wallace - Year 12 GIRLS INTERHOUSE Bede: Milla Armitage-Cosgrove - Year 6 Madeleine Prizeman - Year 9 Loretta Marks - Year 12 Chatham: Lauren Muguira - Year 6 Estel Mocelutu - Year 9 Hannah Egan - Year 12 Langton: Bonnie O’Halloran - Year 6 Lola McArdle - Year 9 Peyton Langtree - Year 12 More: Ellie Neu - Year 6 Chloe Maher - Year 9 Abbie Honeycombe - Year 12 STAFF/PAST STUDENTS /CURRENT STUDENTS Staff: Shari Finlay Ira Hood Aimee Strickland Glen Turner Past Students: Gabriel Brennan (2012) Angie D’Arcy (1990) Katelyn Lucey (2013) Jeff Pearce (1994) Current Students: Emily-Kate Williams (Bede) Melanie Selman (Chatham) Declan Maguire (Langton) Liam Prentice (More)
Page 5
School Song - “Raintree” CENTENARY SONG - RAIN TREES You may have read in the last edition of the Connection Newsletter that the school had commissioned widely acclaimed Australian composer, performer, musical director and educator, Paul Jarman to compose a school song to commemorate the Centenary. After meeting with current staff and students and some past students to gain an understanding of the school ethos and values earlier this year, Paul went away and wrote a beautiful song titled “Rain Trees”. This new song is not set to replace our School Hymn that many past and current students will know all too well, but rather celebrate our School’s Centenary this year and into the future. “Rain Trees” was presented by Paul Jarman and the Centenary Choir and Ensemble on Foundation Day and received an outstanding response. Scan the QR code (below) to listen to this beautiful song.
Special Mention: Thank you to all the past students who donated who donated prizes for the Past Students’ Association raffle over the Centenary weekend. Congratulations to Julie Goedhart who was the lucky winner of Bryan Wong’s beautiful pink Jade necklace. • A pink Jade necklace designed by past student, Bryan Wong from Hong Kong - worth $1,500 • A framed and signed 2016 North Queensland Cowboys Jersey donated by Justin O’Neill • $400 voucher from City Oasis • $300 gift card from the Porter family • $200 voucher from Flinders Butchery Hughenden • Dunlop Family Tennis Kit from Tennis Townsville • Centenary pack donated by the Past Students’ Association • Wooden cheese board and centenary wine glasses donated by the Past Students’ Association
Page 6
The Connection - September 2017
Opening of The Centenary Project Fifteen hundred members of The Cathedral School community packed onto the lawns around the lagoon on Friday 21 July for the official opening and blessing of the School’s centenary project, The Connection Place. Before the twenty-three glass panels were ceremoniously unveiled, Mrs Toni Lanphier gave the following explanation of the project. The vision behind The Connection Place was to acknowledge and celebrate the people who have been part of our school over its first 100 years. And this must be attributed to Mr Gamack, as it was entirely his vision! He was determined to use the school’s centenary as a way of connecting everyone who has ever been part of the school, and this is the culmination. The reason for this was simple - a school is not made up of its buildings, however shabby or impressive they might be. It is made up of its people they are the ones who breathe life into a school, and determine its success, or its failure. And in 100 years, we are extremely fortunate to have had many thousands of people who have each made a personal contribution to the life of this school, and have built it into the successful entity that it is today. The planning began more than two years ago, but it took some time to develop a design concept that seemed to meet the vision. We needed a place that would fit with the natural environment of the lagoon, but create a usable space that actually enhances the area, and which allowed us to inscribe over 13,000 names on a wall of honour. A number of proposals were considered but finally we settled on the current design. So here we have a circular platform, approximately 10 m in diameter, on the banks of our lagoon. Today it is a stage of sorts, and will be the starting line for two of the teams in the Lagoon Dash a little later. But its future uses will be limited only by the imagination - an outdoor classroom for art, science or creative writing, a quiet place to sit and contemplate, a band stand for social functions, or a perfect setting for an outdoor wedding. I wonder who will be the first past student to book The Connection Place for their special day? The design on the glass wall around the back half of the platform uses the rain tree as a unifying theme - that iconic image that is so readily associated with our school; both this campus and the city campus have been blessed with these majestic trees and beautiful gardens, and you may notice that we have recently planted a few more young rain tress around the lagoon to ensure that this feature remains well into the future.
line. This reinforces our view that every individual is equally important, and we are all part of the same school community, woven together over time. Finding all the names was a mission in itself, as the school’s records were far from complete. Apart from the inevitable losses incurred during three complete relocations of the school campus, fires, floods and lack of foresight had reduced the school’s archives to a rather depleted state. A team of staff, students and past students have scoured through Dawn magazines and other retained records to ‘fill in the gaps’ and we have also repeatedly appealed to our past students to provide additional details. But at the end of the day, we could only work with what we had. It was a very nervous day when we reached the deadline for printing the names, as we know there will still be some names that are missing - but these valued students and teachers are acknowledged at the head of the list in the Latin inscription: “magni aestimantur scolarium vel magistrorum”: This honours those who, despite our best efforts, are not recorded here. Thanks go to those who have made a donation towards this project. It is gratifying to know that the school has a number of loyal and generous supporters who are prepared to contribute to our buildings and projects. Indeed, in the early years of the school, that was the only thing that kept the school operational. Although times have changed, we are deeply appreciative of the monetary support that enabled this project to be completed. Donors have been acknowledged on today’s program, and on the centenary website. And now it is time for the great unveiling. The people who will be removing the covers today represent a wide cross-section of our school community - students, staff and parents, both present and past. They have been invited to do this on behalf of everyone here today, and the many thousands of other past students and staff who have been here before us.
In recording the names of all our students and staff, past and present, on the wall of The Connection Place, we made a deliberate decision to arrange them in alphabetical order, staff and students intermingled, with no hierarchy or time
The Connection - September 2017
Page 7
Centenary Celebrations: COCKTAIL FUNCTION
Year 12 1976 Front Row: Leah Krulis, Donna Slack-Smith, Kay Duffield, Greta Harris, Christine Johnson, Betty Witherspoon. Back Row: Catherine Purse, Judy Forster, Noni Tonwar, Helen Slaney, Valmai Hirst, Diane Lynch, Margaret Lloyd, Debbie Lowth, Elizabeth Mitchell, Janice Tessman, Jane Thorpe, Jennifer Garrone. Far Back: Diane Busby, Allison Walker.
Class of 1987 Front Row: Kim McCubben, Tanya Paterson, Mr Neil Tucker (Principal), Jo Steine, Karen Schulz. Back Row: Jennifer Kent, Nicole Campbell, Tracey Morris, Margaret Trower, Susan Thomas, Annette Keable, Michelle Panagis.
The Friday opening of the Connection Place set the scene and created such a wonderful atmosphere for what was to follow. Congratulations to all concerned, and particularly for the incredible work that went into producing the high quality Centenary book. Great memories! Janet Thurecht (Underwood)
Class of 1978 Front Row: Lee Ann Lifoo, Collette Ramsay, Suzanne Currie, Jenny Ferris, Robyn Humbly, Helen Winter. Second Row: Rosemary Kerns, Gayle Slack-Smith, Norris Sherman, Michelle Bailey, Julie Brown, Karen Tessman, Marie Martin.
Class 1982-1985 One Row Only: Julie Francos, Debbie Phillips, Barbara Woodison, Kelly Hazard, Jacqueline Savage, Sheree Thomas, Annette McGuria, Sister Margaret Clough, Fiona Macdonald, Karen Davies, Kay Foster, Kaylene Cossart.
Class of 1963 Adrienne Murphy, Sylvia Kelso, Helen Kugelman, Marilyn Menkins. Class of 1961-1965 Front Row: Susanne Stephenson, Ngaire Paull, Ailsa Neilson, Carol McBow, Maxine Turner, Narelle Perrott. Back Row: Helen Dark, Anne Hely, Sandra Sherlock.
Class of 2007 Tom Porter, Hannah Bellwood, Tristan Davey, Michael Chang, Ashley Baxter, Randil Samarasuriya.
Page 8
Class of 1977 Front Row: Wendy Lowth, Robyn Davey, Jacqueline Hoskin, Julie Goodhart. Back Row: Tracey Roberts, Helen Woods, Joanne Foster.
I really enjoyed the catch up time with students and staff who had aged 20 years since I last saw them! Best of all were the current students who seemed their same lovely courteous selves. It was heartening to see that as the school has transitioned into a viable stable school that the culture has not been lost. Bill Toppin (Past Principal)
The Connection - September 2017
Centenary Celebrations: GALA DINNER Thanks to everyone for organising such a wonderful weekend of Centenary celebrations. I love your vision with the names on the glass panels at the Connection Place and am sure it will be a favourite place within a stunning location. Joanne Chatterton (Foster)
Kaylene Atkinson (Mow-1982), Theresa Mow (Mow-1984), Willma Golding (Mow-1985).
Therese Rein, Elizabeth Rein (McLean-1943). Elizabeth McLean known as Betty McLean. Head girl at Ravenswood in 1943.
Three Heatley sisters. June Gilmore (1946), Janet Hillock (1947), Thea Cowie (1952).
Annette Keable, Kim McCubben, Karen Schulz, Jo Steine, Nicole Campbell.
Staff joined the celebrations - Nancy Watkinson, Tania Townson, Erica Barnes, Leonie Butler, Tania Schnetler, Jacqui Vollugi.
Helen Baronie (Beech), Joanne Gowen (Beauchamp), Janet Thurecht (Underwood).
Front Row: Kay Duffield, Donna Slack Smith, Susan Hendy, Alison Walker, Margaret Lloyd, Helen Slaney, Elizabeth Mitchell, Jane Thorpe, Marian Symonds. Back Row: Greta Harris, Diane Lynch, Betty Witherspoon, Bronwyn Pott, Janice Tessmann, Diane Busby, Valmai Hirst, Jenny Garrone, Christine Johnson, Leah Krulis.
What an eye-opener is the school of today to us ‘old girls’. How fortunate are today’s students to enjoy such a wide range of educational needs, interest and cultures compared with the basics of our day (which we loved anyway!). All this, yet still retaining the underlying principles of caring and preparation for adult life in the outside world. The original SSA would be very proud! June Packham (Sherrington)
Wes Smith, Louisa Kippin, Kelly Hodgens, Tess Sellwood, Sally Vujica, Elise Smith, Melanie Gianoulis (Giannikos), Cicely Biara (Gay), Amiee Knott (Frost), Sarah Reeve (O’Connor), Katie Martin (Tognola), Rebecca Woods (Lindley), Adam Watson.
Margaret Pyke (O’Connor) 1966, John Power, Claudia Power (Underwood) 1967, Jan Jenkinson (Jacobs) 1962, Kevin Jenkinson, Chris Pyke.
Ian Gamack, Diana Gamack, Margo Stanton, Katrina Wilshire, Philip Askin, Christine Askin, Taneille Wilshire.
Scan the QR code to watch the video of some great memories thanks to In the Booth at the Centenary Gala Dinner on 22 July 2017.
I thought the Centenary celebrations were an absolute triumph. I would like to thank all involved for giving me so much pleasure. I was quite overwhelmed at the advances made in providing such a modern education in an awe-inspiring environment. The school tour was a revelation and left me feeling proud to be an ‘old girl’ of such a fine educational establishment. Wendy McTavish (Wordsworth)
The Connection - September 2017
Gwenneth Darveniza (Elliott), Collette Ross (Darveniza), Helen Baronie (Beech).
Neil Tucker, Lucy Milne, Jeanette McCourt (Finch) 1979, Graeme McCourt.
Page 9
School Tours SATURDAY MORNING SCHOOL TOURS AND MORNING TEA
Maureen Bond (Howard, Delia Cassidy (Monahan) and Robyn Thompson Breinl) -1962
Collette Ross (Darveniza) with mother Gwenyneth Darveniza (Elliott)
‘Class of 1970’ - Cath Luder (Hill), Penny Skerman, Roberta Michna (Warnock), Toni Lanphier (Parsons) and June Williams
Valerie Campbell (Thomas), Dorothy Murray (Smith)
Thea Cowie (Heatley), Jane Kippin (Gilmore) and June Gilmore (Heatley)
Betty Witherspoon and Greta Marley (Harris) -1976
Page 10
Alison Murphy (Davies) and Helen Bathgate (Davis)
Patricia Rays (Simmonds), Terri Williamson, Caren Connor (de Witte)
The Connection - September 2017
Japanese Success Congratulations to Year 12 student Bona Obiri-Yeboah who was successful in taking out first place in the Year 12 division of the Modern Language Teachers’ Association of Queensland (MLTAQ) Japanese Speaking Competition pm the Gold Coast in August. Bona was the only student from the North Queensland region to be selected for the competition. The 17 year old has been studying Japanese for six years, and recently won the Senior Division of the regional competition held in Townsville earlier in the year and due to his exceptional results MLTAQ covered the travel and accommodation costs for Bona. Excelling in Japanese competitions, last December Bona was also the winner of the Iwaki-Townsville Sister City Exchange program and was awarded with an all-expense paid trip to Japan to tour Iwaki. We wish Bona the best of luck with his Japanese studies in the future.
A Rising Sports Super Star It’s only half way through the year but Grade 9 Cathedral student, Daisy D’Arcy has already been selected for representative sport in five completely different sports this year. The 14 year old rising sports super star has been selected to represent Townsville in Rugby League (school girls inaugural team), Futsal (national titles), North Queensland for Soccer, Cricket (national pathway program), and has also been identified by Queensland Rugby Union in Rugby 7s. On top of that Daisy has also been selected for the Under 15 Queensland Soccer team to compete at the State Championships in Sydney later this month and a Central Queensland AFL Under 17 side to compete in October. Training five times a week, each in a different sport, when asked what her favourite out of all the sports, Daisy said she doesn’t have a favourite, they are all fun!
Cathedral Dominates the Ross River 20 years on and Cathedral’s Rowing program is stronger than ever with the school again ruling the river at this year’s Head of the River regatta held in August. Cathedral won the girls and boys aggregate awards with 11 first places, 11 second places and 10 third places, along with the prestigious boys and girls 8+ events. Students are now training for the Queensland Schools Regatta during the September holidays. GO TEAM CATHEDRAL!
The Connection - September 2017
Page 11
Twelfth Night Play
In 1967, a group of senior students of St Anne’s CEGS presented Twelfth Night so it seems fitting that 50 years later, and in our Centenary year, another group performed this fantastic play. Developing a Shakespearean production is no easy task, but that challenge can be an enjoyable one, especially when the source material is so good. The cast of this show, and in particular the main players, worked diligently over two terms to craft this play, and I very much enjoyed working with them. Twelfth Night is, arguably, one of Shakespeare’s most loved comedies, but strangely, it begins with a tragedy and finishes with a scene of revenge. Never-the-less, a lot of frivolity fills the middle of the play. While there are a number of other storylines, the plot centres around twins from Messaline, Viola and Sebastian, who are separated in a sea storm. They both believe the other has drowned. Washed up on the shores of Illyria, Viola finds herself alone in the world and disguises herself as a male servant. She takes the name ‘Cesario’, and finds employment with the Count Orsino. He sends Cesario to woo the Lady Olivia, who quickly falls for Cesario; he is quite unlike any other man she’s known! Three shows were performed to almost sell-out crowds on the Rock Centre Stage during August. Thank you to everyone who supported the show. Ms Jillian Turner Director
Page 12
The Connection - September 2017
Cathedral Celebrates National Science Week Students at The Cathedral School celebrated National Science Week from 14 - 18 August with a range of exciting 2 - hands-on activities and workshops aimed at giving students the opportunity to see how Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics (STEM) impacts on our lives, economy, society and world. A number of hands-on activities were organised for the students including a foetal pig dissection, a construction challenge, making slime in the Junior School STEAM room, magnetic LEDs in the STEM room and the annual Food Fair.
Thank You for the Donations... Thank you to all the past students donated their personal school items to the school in the lead up to the Centenary celebrations. We have quite a growing collection which includes previous uniforms, school books, report cards, badges and much more. If you have any items you would like to donate to the school memorabilia collection please let us know, we are ever so grateful for everyone’s generosity. Pictured - Mrs Toni Lanphier (nee Parsons) with Olivia Thompson (Hely) donating her mother, Olivia Hely (Gannon) St Anne’s School Blazer from the 1930s.
The Connection - September 2017
Page 13
Centenary Video Series The last of the Centenary Videos Series were added to the website in July. Scan the QR code to watch the individual videos or visit the website to view them all www.cathedral.qld.edu.au/centenary-stories 1. Mother Eunice - Mother Eunice was a young Sister from the Society of the Sacred Advent who started at St Anne’s CEGS in 1971 and stayed until the Sisters departed the School in 1978. She is the only remaining member of the Order who worked at St Anne’s. In this video, Mother Eunice reflects on the founding Sisters and the enormous contributions they made in shaping the School.
4. Mary Gallagher - Mary Gallagher (nee Crawshaw) was a student at St Anne’s CEGS from 1953 to 1959. Mary was present at the school when it outgrew the campus in the city (where the Townsville City Council is currently located) and moved to the current site in Mundingburra. Mary shares memories of her time at the school and the significant impact the Sisters and school staff had on her life.
2. Ruth Duncan - Ruth Duncan (nee Stayte) was a student at St Anne’s CEGS from 1935 until 1942. Not long after finishing her own education, Ruth became a Music Teacher at the School for 4 years. Ruth was present at St Anne’s when it was located in the Townsville CBD, as well as when the School was evacuated to Ravenswood during WWII. Ruth shares some memories of her time at the school as a student and later as a staff member.
5. Rosemary Menkens - Rosemary Menkens (nee Fox) attended St Anne’s CEGS from 1960 to 1963. Rosemary was a boarder during her time at the school and Chatham House Captain. In more recent years Rosemary has had involvement with the school as a Board Member. Rosemary shares some of her memories and thoughts of her time and connection with the school.
3. The Smith Family - Doris McIntyre was one of the founding teachers at St Anne’s in 1917. Doris married Cecil Smith and the couple had 5 children, David, Margaret, Cecily, Neil and Rosemary. Four of the five children attended St Anne’s CEGS spanning from 1936 to 1957 and have had following generations attend over the years. Neil, Rosemary and Margaret reflect on the influence their parents had on the School as well as some of their memories from St Anne’s.
6. Bea Duffield - Bea Duffield was a boarder at St Anne’s CEGS from 1964 to 1971 along with her two sisters, Margaret and Ailsa. Bea shares some funny stories from her time at the School and the impact some of the teaching staff had on her life and her career.
Photo from Bea Duffield’s video 1969 Basketball Team
Page 14
The Connection - September 2017
7. Nazareth Youngblutt - Nazareth Youngblutt (nee Lowatta) started at The Cathedral School in Year 10 in 1981 and graduated in 1983. She was a boarder from Palm Island and was one of only a few indigenous students at that time. Nazareth has a strong family connection with the School and reflects on her time as a student and the impact some of the staff have made on her life and her children’s. 8. Brady May - Brad May attended St Anne’s CEGS as a Kindergarten student in the early 1970s but left for his primary years. He returned in 1980 for Year 8 when the school became coeducational under the reins of the first lay Principal, Mr Neil Tucker. Brad shares his memories of the transition of boys into the school, curriculum changes that needed to be made and the many past student reunions he has enjoyed attending over the years. 9. Scott Burgess - Scott Burgess was a student at The Cathedral School from 1983 to 1990 and was School Captain in his final year. Scott reflects on the School’s popular Interhouse competitions, the staff who inspired him and the turbulent time the School experienced in 1990 with the departure of the Principal, Mr Fred Danielsen. 10. Melissa Prince - Melissa Prince (nee Feather) attended The Cathedral School from 1989 until 1997 and completed Year 12 over two years due to her dancing commitments. Melissa reflects on her time at the school and some of her favourite events and activities. Melissa also shares how her dancing career continues to assist current and former students of the school.
11. Louisa Kippin - Louisa Kippin attended The Cathedral School from 1997 until 2001 and was a fourth generation student at the school. Her great grandmother, Alice Heatley (nee Garbutt) was one of the first students at St Anne’s in 1917 and her grandmother, June Gilmore (nee Heatley) and mother, Jane Kippin (nee Gilmore) attended in the 1940s and 1960s respectively. Louisa shares some of her memories of her association with the school and the strong friendships she has formed just like her mother, grandmother and great grandmother did in their time. 12. Justin O’Neill - Justin O’Neill attended The Cathedral School from 2004 until 2008. Originally from Hughenden, Justin moved to Townsville for more opportunity in his sports and academic endeavours. Justin was involved in many sports at school whilst also being contracted to the Melbourne Storm. Now a North Queensland Cowboys player, Queensland State of Origin and Australian Rugby League team member, Justin reflects on his time as a boarder at Cathedral and the many extracurricular activities. 13. Sophie Horlock and Harrison Lessells - Sophie Horlock and Harrison Lessells are the School Captains in the School’s Centenary year. Sophie and Harrison share some of their favourite activities and events they have experienced during their time at the school and reflect on some of the school’s history and the importance of the Centenary. They also share their vision for the school’s next 100 years.
Photo from Justin O’Neill’s video - Boarders at the 2008 Boarders’ Final Dinner
The Connection - September 2017
Page 15
Dawn Mystery Revealed... Local printer Sheree Kinlyside had a problem that took 10 years to solve. Although she didn’t know it, it involved our school, and by sheer coincidence (or providence) the solution was discovered on the school’s 100th birthday! When she bought her printing business about ten years ago, she took possession of machinery and blocks dating back quite some time. Amongst them was a well-preserved block featuring a rising sun and two palm trees, with the words ‘The Dawn’ across the centre. Sheree was keen to discover the origins of this design but had no success. On 21 July this year, she happened to be at the James Cook University library browsing the North Queensland Collection when she discovered the original ‘The Dawn’ magazine of St Anne’s School with that exact picture on its cover. She could hardly wait to call the school to find out more. Sheree was very excited to realise that the block in her print shop had been used to print the covers of the ‘Dawn’ magazine from 1925 until 1952. She kindly offered to run a print off it (which is as good as any original could have been) and then donated the block back to the school, its original owner. ‘The Dawn’ is still produced every year and, although the cover design now changes each year, the magazine continues to provide an insight into the people and events in the life of the school.
Mr Gamack thanks Sheree Kinlyside for donating the original block of the cover of ‘The Dawn’ magazine back to the school.
Past Students V Current Students Challenge All Past Students are invited to the annual Past Students V Current Students Touch Football and Netball Challenge on Sunday 22 October at 3pm - players and supporters wanted! Not only will there be the Touch Football game to beat the Current Students at but there will also be a Netball game. Unfortunately the current students won both games last year (marginally) however everyone still had a great time! The challenge is on for the past students to win back the shields this year, in our Centenary year! Stay on after the games for a sausage sizzle and a well-earned cold drink.
DATE CLAIMER 2018 Reunion Weekend Celebrations Friday 20 July: Class of 2014 Five Year Reunion Saturday 21 July Reunion celebrations with particular focus on the “8” year groups, 1948, 1958, 1968, 1978, 1988, 1998 and 2008 Sunday 22 July Church Service at St James’ Cathedral Bookings will open in early 2018 - we look forward to seeing you there!
Centenary Books still available for purchase To purchase a copy of the Centenary Book ($75), please call the School on 07 4722 2000 or order online https://www.trybooking.com/NSKO.
Page 16
The Connection - September 2017