The Cluthan OCTOBER 2017
Clyde Old Girls’ Association Inc Registered Number: A0028536K
THE PRESIDENT AND COMMITTEE OF THE CLYDE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION INC (COGA) INVITE YOU TO THE COGA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND OLD GIRLS’ DAY LUNCH
SUNDAY 15 OCTOBER 2017 at the Royal South Yarra Tennis Club, 310 Williams Road North, Toorak PROGRAM 10.30am 11.00am 11.45am 12.20-2.30pm
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Arrival and morning tea Annual General Meeting Guest speaker: Amanda Elliott (Bayles, Cl’69) Old Girls’ Day lunch Cost: $30 per person
(Please RSVP by 1 October using the yellow form inside The Cluthan) ************************** Amanda Elliott (Bayles, Cl’69) was elected the first female Chairman of the Victoria Racing Club in its 153 year history on 24 February 2017. Amanda was elected to the VRC Committee in 2002, making her the second female Committee Member ever appointed. She went on to become the first female Vice Chairman in 2011 and has played an integral role in pursuing the VRC’s Masterplan to enhance the raceday experience at Flemington for Members and the public. During her time on the VRC Board, Amanda served on a diverse range of Committees including the Australian Stud Book and Director of Australian Genetics Testing, which was sold in 2015. (continued on page 2)
Amanda served on the Melbourne City Advisory Board for Fashion Week for a period of four years.
GUEST SPEAKER COGA 2017 AGM AMANDA ELLIOTT (BAYLES, CL’69)
The Bayles family is deeply connected to Clyde and Geelong Grammar School. Amanda’s brothers Alistair (FB’59) and Arch (FB’65) attended GGS, while sisters Aprilla Hodgson (Bayles, Cl’63) and Ayliffe Caldwell (Bayles, Cl’69) went to Clyde. Her daughters Edwina Machado (Drummond Moray) and Alexandra Elliott (Toorak Campus ELC) attended GGS, as have numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews.
continued... Amanda comes from a family with a long history of thoroughbred racing, breeding and administration. Her father was Vice Chairman of the VRC and a long standing Committeeman of the Club. Her respect for the heritage, history and traditions of the VRC is extremely important to her. Amanda is a passionate racehorse owner and breeder, actively involved in the sport of racing both in Australia and overseas. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her two daughters, Edwina and Alexandra, plays tennis and enjoys most sports along with an avid interest in interior design and fashion.
THE 1966 REUNION
Amanda lived in the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1985 and during this period, became involved in the restoration and conversion of historic buildings in Scotland as part of her interior design business. With a business partner, Amanda set-up a Scottish woollens business (Amaryllis) which introduced an initiative allowing women to work from their homes. The women were producing woollen garments for both the domestic and international markets. Amanda returned to Australia in 1985 and became involved in sports, business and politics at the highest level through marriage to Mr John Elliott, who at the time was President of the Australian Federal Liberal Party, Chairman and Chief Executive of Elders and Chairman of the Carlton Football Club. Through this involvement, Amanda realised the importance of the role that women played in football and the fact that it had not been widely recognised or acknowledged. She then developed initiatives to address that situation which were replicated by other clubs.
L-R: Wizz McCulloch (Bayne) and Pip Leake (Harrison)
AT THE 2016 AGM Watching Meg Hornabrook's stage antics. Below, L-R, back row: Hogg sisters Jenny Blencowe and Susanna Allen, Pam Sinclair (Clyne), Anne Stoney (Peardon) L-R, front row: Rosemary Weatherly (Russell), Jane Nevile (Lewis), Sue Monger (Crooke)
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Clyde Old Girls’ Association Inc ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AGENDA 2017 1. 2. 3. 4.
Apologies Minutes Business Arising President’s Report
5. 6. 7.
Treasurer’s Report Other Business Election of 2017/2018 Committee
2016 – 2017 COMMITTEE MEMBERS Margie Gillett (Cordner) President Light Blue Coordinator 03 9525 3698 gillett22@bigpond.com
Fern Henderson (Welsh) Vice President 03 5989 2664 davhendo3@bigpond.com
Peta Gillespie Treasurer 03 5333 4324 pmg252@gmail.com
Trish Young Secretary 0414 235 316 tyoung@smsmt.com
Katrina Carr (Moore) Clyde House Liaison 07 3374 0196 ksocarr@gmail.com
Elizabeth Landy (Manifold) 03 5663 2220 elizabethlandy@bigpond.com
Sally Powe (Douglas) 0412 223 266 sallylmacgpowe@gmail.com
Di Whittakers (Moore) 03 5882 1143 burnimadeni@bigpond.com
Lesley Griffin (Vincent) 0412 479 860 griffin.lesley@gmail.com
EDITORIAL NEWS AND INFORMATION THE CLUTHAN
In 1914 it was just called Cluthan; by 1915 it had become The Cluthan because that’s how people referred to it. Do you think we should go back to calling it Cluthan again? Your thoughts would be appreciated. You can send Cluthan contributions to: Julia Ponder, 15/89A Bay Terrace, Wynnum 4178 (T) 07 3348 6644 (E) julia@comart.com.au or (E) coganews@gmail.com. The closing date for next year’s news, reports and obituaries is 30 June 2018. If you would like a copy of your submission so you can proof read it I can send you the pages as they will appear in the Cluthan – corrections are due back by the end of July. Thank you to those who have contributed stories, reports and news in this Cluthan as these are greatly appreciated by our readers. My grateful thanks to Margie Gillett (Cordner) and Sue Schudmak (Sproat) for all their help with research, writing, editing, proof reading and distribution of the final copy. Thank you to the Old Geelong Grammarians' Association who are generously funding the printing, to Geelong Grammar School for the postage for the Cluthan and to the Clyde Old Girls who kindly help each year with getting the Cluthan ready for mailing. LIGHT BLUE AND OGG UPDATE E-NEWSLETTER
Light Blue (the GGS magazine) and the monthly OGG Update email are other sources for COGs to receive and share information. Light Blue comes out three times a year and has a section of Clyde Old Girls’ information. If you would like to receive it (or cancel it), contact Katie Rafferty, Alumni Manager, (T) 03 5273 9338 (E) katier@ggs.vic.edu.au. Send articles, photos or contributions to Margie Gillett (Cordner), (T) 03 9525 3698 (E) gillett22@bigpond.com COGA ADDRESS LIST AND DATABASE
Please contact Sue Schudmak (Sproat) for changes to names, addresses, phone numbers, new email addresses (we now include those in our data base and address booklet) and notification of COG deaths. 5 Fawkner Street, South Yarra 3141 (T) 03 9867 2663 (M) 0418 560 563 (E) susanschudmak@icloud.com or Tom Maddicks GGS (T) 03 5227 6292 (E) communityrelations@ggs.vic.edu.au 3
AGM MINUTES 2016 Held at South Melbourne Community Centre, Corner Park Street and Ferrars Place, South Melbourne Sunday 16 October 2016 BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES OF THE LAST AGM
President Margie Gillett opened the meeting at 11:10 am and welcomed everyone in attendance, particularly Miss Joan Montgomery, former Headmistress of Clyde.
1. Joan Mackenzie proposal re COGA membership. Margie Gillett read the original proposal put to the 2015 AGM and spoke of the discussions held with GGS and OGGs. It was clear from these discussions that there was no support at GGS for any type of joint Clyde House/COGA membership.
PRESENT
Names signed in attendance book. Sue Monger (Crooke), Janet McCulloch (Low), Janet Clark (Armstrong), Gill Moxham (Penman), Susanna Allen (Hogg), Dallas Kinnear (Heath), Jenny Blencowe (Hogg), Sally Salter (Stevenson), Pamela Sinclair (Clyne), Lynne Moore (Stevens), Lesley Griffin (Vincent), Susan Schudmak (Sproat), Jane Dumbrell (Selleck), Peta Gillespie, Margie Gillett (Cordner), Cas Bennetto, Joan Montgomery, Jane Nevile (Lewis), Rosemary Weatherly (Russell), Elizabeth Landy (Manifold), Di Whittakers (Moore), Anne Stoney (Peardon), Wendy Read-Smith (Fenton), Ann Rawlins (Hornabrook), Elizabeth Sevior (Cresswell), Meg Hornabrook, Felicity Dalgleish (Gardner).
Discussion from the floor recognised that COGA will eventually fold; Sally Salter requested that Clyde House girls who were also at Clyde School (the transition group) be invited to attend any special celebratory events, e.g. 50th anniversary of the closure of Clyde; Sue Schudmak confirmed that all girls who attended Clyde School were automatically recognised as members of COGA, even though the transition group mostly identified as members of OGGA; Sue Schudmak advised that there are display cabinets and honour boards which hopefully will be included in the refurbished Clyde House; there was support from the floor that Clyde School memorabilia be included in the new building;
APOLOGIES
By mail, phone, email or message on the day. Ros Adams (Ritchie), Tid Alston, Anna Affleck (Durham), Georgina Barraclough (Moran), Hilary Blakiston (Heath), Jacky Bryant (Fenton), Dizzy Carlyon (Clapham), Katrina Carr (Moore), Kammy Cordner Hunt (Cordner), Mary de Crespigny (Bartram), Primmy de Steiger (Bright), Priscilla Donald (Boaden), Jan Fowles (Maling), Deasy Gamble (O'Connor), Tim Gillespie (Street), Janet Gordon (Affleck), Deirdre Gowan (Leviny), Rosemary Grant (Hallowes), Annie Hamilton (Coy), Ann Lie (Hawkes), Sally McKay (Pearce), Gaie McLean (McFarland), Gay Morton (Howard), Suzanne Officer (Jarvie), Rosemary Parker (Holt), Belinda Philp (Laidlaw), Prue Plowman (Manifold), Annabelle Pobjoy (d’Antoine), Sally Powe (Douglas), Judith Reindl (Sterling), Susie Richardson (Hawkes), Belinda Roper (Manifold), Katie Senko (Whiting), Liz Smart (Goode), Alison Smith (Pyper), Roberta Taylor (Cain), Anna Tucker (Kimpton), Trish Young.
There was a request that the Isabel Henderson Kindergarten be remembered financially if/when COGA is dissolved. It was noted that our constitution states that any funds available on dissolution are to be used for educational purposes and IHK would fall into that category. It was moved by Margie Gillett that the Committee decision not to offer membership of COGA to girls who have attended GGS Clyde House (but not Clyde School) and have relatives who attended Clyde School be confirmed. Seconded Peta Gillespie. Carried. 2. Staff named as Old Girls. It was noted that the name Susan Home (Woods) listed at the end of the 2015 minutes should read Susan Horne (Woods). 3. Staff Eligibility. Sue Schudmak spoke of the criteria for former Clyde School staff members to be eligible for COGA membership: not definitive, but those who were alive at the time of confirming the membership list and who had served several years as a member of staff.
MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS AGM
Having been printed in the Cluthan, these were taken as read. Moved they be accepted: Sue Monger. Seconded by Jane Nevile. Carried. 4
boarded the Clyde bus and trundled back to Mt Macedon at 3.30am the next morning. Is there anyone here who can remember that night?
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Margie Gillett read the President’s Report. Margie Gillett moved it be accepted. Seconded Janet McCulloch. Carried.
Our thanks to Joan Mackenzie (Bloomfield) for raising the issue of the relationship between past students of Clyde House and COGA at last year’s AGM. Joan is the daughter, niece, mother and grandmother of Clyde and GGS students. Not surprisingly, she was school captain at Clyde and she was a great COGA President through an era when it might all have folded. Thanks to her leadership and energy within a committed group of supporters, COGA survived, the Clyde History was written, the centenary was celebrated in 2010 and we are still here today. Thank you also to Amanda Elliott (Bayles) who has shown great interest and explored ideas in promoting the connections and traditions between COGA and Clyde House.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Having been printed in the Cluthan, this was taken as read. Peta Gillespie moved it be accepted. Seconded Lynette Moore. Carried. OTHER BUSINESS
A motion of thanks was proposed by Sue Schudmak to thank Margie Gillett for all her effort and extraordinary work for COGA and the Cluthan, particularly with the load of President of the OGGs as well. Seconded Cas Bennetto. Carried. ELECTION OF OFFICER BEARERS
COGA’s constitutional objectives remain firm and relevant: firstly to provide a means of keeping Old Girls in touch with each other, secondly to assist specific educational aims approved by COGA, and thirdly to help maintain the spirit and traditions of Clyde School at Clyde House, GGS. The COGA committee always tries to ensure that our activities and distribution of funds remain consistent with our stated aims and purposes.
Dallas Kinnear took the podium to declare all positions vacant and read out the nominations for the 2016/2017 COGA committee: President: Margie Gillett (Cordner) Vice President: Fern Henderson (Welsh) Treasurer: Peta Gillespie Secretary: Trish Young Committee Members: Sally Powe (Douglas), Katrina Carr (Moore), Elizabeth Landy (Manifold), Di Whittakers (Moore) and Lesley Griffin (Vincent)
COGA has continued its tradition of community service during 2016. The jumble sale organised by Jane Loughnan (Weatherly) was again a credit to the team work of Clyde Old Girls. It was especially tricky this year because we adapted to a new venue, the Toorak Uniting church hall just up the road from St. John’s. It proved a big success, even after a last minute warning to the Clyde team that a ‘yoga and mindfulness class’ would be taking place in the next door room, and we were asked not to disturb them. Imagine a hall full of Clyde workers staying quiet and mindful while trying to run the jumble sale! We also overcame the problem of a newspaper article inadvertently advertising the sale’s starting time as 12 noon, when in fact it was all wrapped up by then. Luckily the latecomers forgave us, it did not affect the results and our heap of trash turned into a heap of cash as usual. Profits donated to Isabel Henderson Kindergarten supported vulnerable families and children, and unsold goods were donated for the benefit of the Diabetes Association. Thank you to everyone who turned up to support this great annual event, and thank you to Jane for her excellent work and leadership as coordinator.
All positions were approved by those present. Meeting closed at 12:00 noon.
COGA PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2016 Welcome everyone to the South Melbourne community centre for the 2016 COGA AGM. Apologies if you were caught up in the traffic restrictions of the Melbourne Marathon – we checked the dates for this event back in February, to ensure there was no clash, but the marathon date was later changed. Today we welcome Janet McCulloch (Low) OAM as our guest speaker and we are looking forward to hearing of her life and experiences since leaving Clyde in 1951. Ballarat’s leading senior citizen, a luminary of the arts and entertainment scene, a dedicated community volunteer, a former police officer – she has quite a story to tell. Janet may have been influenced by many things at Clyde, but I note that 1951 was the first year that a busload of Clyde girls travelled down to Corio for the Geelong Grammar school dance. Apparently the girls visited the Heath family home in Geelong where they were treated to dinner and changed into their party clothes. After dancing the night away at GGS, the girls finally
Garden tours are on the agenda again in 2016. On 19 April Anna Affleck (Durham) joined forces with open garden guru Neil Robertson, the son of Lori Caddy (Robertson/Yencken) and with Sophie Hol5
The Clyde House liaison list and activities report in The Cluthan is always a good read and will prove to be of historical interest in the future. We are grateful to Katrina Carr (Moore) for her diligence in contacting the head of Clyde House, current students and Dougal Morrison at GGS each year to unearth Clyde School connections that even the students and their families were unaware of. Luckily, they are always delighted to learn of Clyde relatives in their family tree. Thank you Trina.
loway to organise a spectacular day out for the GGS community on the Bellarine Peninsula, visiting gardens and enterprises in Corio, Drysdale and Barwon Heads. Proceeds were donated to the Michael Collins Persse scholarship fund at GGS and he was present to enjoy the garden tour and acknowledge those who contributed. Congratulations to Anna on her initiative and generosity in organising a very special day. And of course this week (18-20 October 2016) a busload of COGs will be heading down to the Mornington Peninsula to enjoy a brilliant COGA garden tour itinerary organised by Fern Henderson (Welsh), Dizzy Carlyon (Clapham) and Sue Home (Maberly Smith). It promises to be fabulous and thank you for your amazing hard work and organisation in bringing it all together.
On behalf of COGA, congratulations to the recipients of special awards and prizes this year at GGS (the COGA Prize for English, and the Lady Robinson Reading Prize which is still awarded annually) and at Braemar College (the COGA Prize for Service) and the Geoff and Helen Handbury Foundation’s Dame Elisabeth Murdoch trophy). Congratulations to Anne Kantor (Murdoch) AO on her award in the national honours list for distinguished service to the community through philanthropic support in environment, social welfare, arts and educational organisations.
The Cluthan 2016 was once again produced by a small dedicated team headed by our editor-in-chief Julia Ponder, who is based in Queensland. We are grateful for her work in compiling and formatting an excellent newsy magazine, which she sends down to GGS for printing, publication and distribution. Sue Schudmak (Sproat) assisted with proof-reading, editing, and with some kind helpers including Lesley Griffin (Vincent) and Fern Henderson (Welsh) finalised the envelopes, labels and postage. Our sincere thanks to GGS and Katie Rafferty, Alumni Relations Manager in the OGG Office, for their generous assistance and administrative support, particularly in funding the printing and postage costs of The Cluthan.
We are grateful to Sue Schudmak (Sproat) for her outstanding and continuing collaboration with GGS in maintaining the address lists and database details so vital for our communication. Sue always emphasises the importance of sending in address or email changes to ensure that you receive publications, invitations and notifications of events and reunions. Please never assume that someone else will do it for you, Sue is extremely grateful to all those who have forwarded information after reunions or gatherings. Special thanks to Angie Lyon (Rouse) who collected everyone’s email addresses at a 1971 class lunch in Barwon Heads, and forwarded them with a photo of the event to COGA. A couple of girls who had been ‘lost’ for years were finally added to the address list. Jane Nevile (Lewis) was helpful in providing her new address when she moved from her long-time home in Steiglitz to new accommodation in Geelong. Thank you also to family members who do this on behalf of their relatives.
The Cluthan relies on all of us to send news and contributions. Thank you to Jackie Mackinnon (Kelly) for her lively and informative archives report. Jackie and Sue Schudmak (Sproat) were recognised by GGS for their outstanding work on the archives, being featured in the April 2016 issue of Light Blue magazine, with an interview by editor Brendan McAloon and photographs by Drew Ryan. Geoffrey Laurenson, the professional archivist who recently started work at GGS, is keen to become involved in perpetuating and protecting the Clyde archives collection.
It was another excellent year on the golf course for Clyde girls. Victory in the Fun Cup is always sweet, and this year is no exception. Congratulations to the latest team of golf champions, making Clyde victorious for the sixth time in eight years. Well done to the players who competed for the Women’s Interschool trophy this year and our congratulations to the GGS team for carrying off the big prize in a hard fought contest. Thank you to Anna Tucker (Kimpton) for her reliable coordination of the Clyde teams and for her work as vice president of the Women’s Interschool Golf committee.
We were delighted to receive news from 100 yearold Dorothy Read (Temperley) in London, who wrote and reminisced about her days at Clyde in the 1920s. Dorothy has been interviewed for a forthcoming biography of Joan Lindsay (Weigall) by author Janelle McCulloch and was encouraged to share her memories of school in the 1920s. Her daughter, Catherine Kinley, sent some wonderful photos which will be published in The Cluthan 2017. 6
A big thank you to our Treasurer Peta Gillespie who received the AGM replies and payments and has organised the attendance lists, name tags and COGA finance report for today. Peta is a wonderful and hard-working member of the COGA committee who ensures the smooth running and handling of finances for all COGA activities.
COGA AGM GUEST SPEAKER 2016 JANET MCCULLOCH (LOW) OAM The Great Big Learning Curve of Life. Once upon a time, about 100 years ago, in a faraway land, England to be precise, in London, a young woman was preparing to go on a great adventure. She and another younger woman were taking four young girls, three sisters and a cousin, all under ten, to the other side of the world to be re-united with their parents. What a learning experience for all of them. The voyage on the SS Persic took about six weeks but was very smooth as the cargo was mainly girders for the Sydney Harbour Bridge. On arrival in Australia, the group was taken to Jervis Bay as the father of the single child was the newly appointed Admiral of the Australian Navy. His brother Charles Lane-Poole was the father of the other three. My mother remained with that family for some time living in Melbourne and Canberra.
Special thanks to the COGA committee members for their continuing interest and support of COGA. To vice president Fern Henderson (Welsh) who has been so busy and supportive this year, arranging the Mornington Peninsula garden tour itinerary, and often stepping into the ‘Pres’ shoes. To secretary Trish Young for her administrative assistance and support; to Katrina Carr (Moore) for her effective Clyde House liaison; to Sally Powe (Douglas) for organising the lunch catering today; to Lesley Griffin (Vincent) and Blip Landy (Manifold) who have also put their shoulders to the wheel today; to Di Whittakers (Moore) who is miraculously here after surviving a life-threatening accident. A large gum tree landed on her car as she was driving on a dark and stormy night, she swerved blindly into a river and despite her injuries somehow clambered free of the crushed car as it sank into the murky water. Her escape was truly remarkable. Was it survival instinct, or someone watching from above? Whatever, we are so happy Di is here and talking about tennis already!
Do not ask me how she came to be at a Bachelors and Spinsters Ball in Henty in NSW but she became a farmer’s wife and never returned to her homeland. My father William Alexander Low, was part of the Hill family, pioneers in the Albury district. I was born in Albury and destined to be a single child. Our family moved around the farming areas in NSW and Victoria and my early schooling was by Correspondence School which must have given my mother sleepless nights. Another move to Myrtleford in NE Victoria saw me at the Myrtleford Primary School for two years and then on to Clyde. The learning curve was really beginning.
Once upon a time in the 20th century, the Clyde Old Girls’ Association ran social charity events, dinners and dances, theatre performances and concerts, a Red Cross branch, a kindergarten committee and appeared regularly in local newspapers. Always supporting causes and fund-raising for others in need. Surprising stories emerge when we seek information on ‘lost’ Clyde girls – thanks to Google we find they may have been living in Kenya running a coffee plantation, married to an Egyptian diplomat or living in Madagascar, a remote village in the Andes or Africa; risen to be Mayor of a major provincial town; delving for archaeological treasures in Mesopotamia or working as a police officer in a high risk zone.
It has all been said before, the effect and influence of Clyde. Of the education that changed lives, that gave us the rugged independence and the knowledge of freedom within the confines of discipline. I was there in the days of Olga Hay. A most remarkable person who had a great effect on my life, she decided that I had leanings towards music and art and by the time she had dealt with me, I left Clyde to study music. A lifelong love affair with music has given me great rewards and has taught me much. I want to know if anyone here remembers the Affair of the Slacks in Miss Hay’s time? Page 211 in the Clyde book. It demonstrated her sheer brilliance in people handling.
Many things have changed, but the camaraderie between Clyde girls remains constant, the friendships flourish across all our age groups and for that we are eternally grateful. Margie Gillett (Cordner) COGA President
I sang with the newly formed Opera Company at the Melbourne University Conservatorium and in the first year was the only singer who sang two leading roles. Norma in Verdi’s ‘Simon Boccanegra’ and 7
some help for the mother. I instructed the young Policewoman to make notes of the food in the house and ask each child what they had eaten that day. I just happened to walk past when she said to Frankie, “What have you had to eat today?” He replied, “Nothing” I stopped and said, “But what did you have for breakfast?” He gave me that same answer of “Some wheeties ....”. I said, “Frankie I don’t understand!” “Oh”, he said, “Lady, I always have me breakfast the night before, it saves time in the morning.”
Sister Angelica in that Puccini opera. Life was music, music, music, and I loved it. At this time the Low family lived on a dairy farm and I spent my time between chasing cows and singing in Melbourne. I learned a lot about cows too. Life took another left hand turn when my father died in an accident and I moved to Melbourne where I joined the Victoria Police Force. Little did I know how much there was to learn. “The role of a Police Office is one of the most difficult in our society. He must deal with a range of problems and people that test his patience, his ingenuity, character and courage in ways that few are ever tested.”
Life went on. During days off I became involved with the musical and theatrical life of Ballarat. During a show running at Her Majesty’s Theatre, my character had a line, “No one in Ballarat works harder than I do.” Which always got a reaction. After about six years, I qualified for promotion to Sergeant and left Ballarat. One of my last jobs was the Faraday kidnapping, where the small country school was deserted when the parents arrived to collect the children. The teacher and children had been kidnapped but due to the teacher’s courage and actions they escaped and the offender was caught and imprisoned. When released from goal he tried the same thing again but didn’t succeed.
Believe it, it is true. After the initial training my squad mates and I were transferred to Russell Street and our new life began. I was the only female member in that squad and the boys were all my brothers. In the first few weeks the junior members were taken out, a drunk was found and the member was shown the arrest procedure. The next day they gave the evidence in court. My first drunk was Clara, a female alcoholic who lived in the Carlton Gardens. She was causing trouble at a tram stop. She was used to the procedure but as I placed her in the cell, she turned round and yelled, “Youse lot orta be glad there’s people like me, otherwise you’d all be out of a job.” When you are a Police Officer, you meet an amazing variety of people. You meet the good, the bad and the mad and you learn that there are some genuinely evil people capable of horrific acts. But that there are people who need help and sometimes Police are the only agents who can deliver that help.
I arrived back at Russell Street Headquarters with my Sergeant stripes all new and shiny and the learning curve took a new direction. Supervision duties, in charge of the Night shift, working in the Children’s Court. That learning curve was working overtime. I had developed a fancy for a Scottish Inspector and he eventually saw things my way and we married when I was stationed at Fitzroy. Henry George Arthur McCulloch was the Deputy Commissioner’s Staff Officer. Whilst working at D24, he went into work one day to collect his pay to be told, “Sit down at a console, the West Gate Bridge has fallen down.” One quiet Sunday morning at work he took a phone call, “The Prime Minister has gone for a swim and disappeared”. He seemed to attract trouble.
After about three and a half years I transferred to Ballarat. When I arrived I discovered that the two Policewomen stationed there were also responsible for an area from Beulah, north to the Murray River and from the railway line, west to the South Australian border. I arrived in Ballarat about three weeks before the Grape Picking season and ended up in Mildura for some weeks. Variety is the spice of life and the learning curve was getting longer.
We spent the Christmas Day after we were married at Ballarat and left early on Boxing Day to go to work. We were going around Pykes Creek and I turned the car radio on for the 7am news. Something had happened in Darwin, no one knew what, but it was serious. I was stationed at Avondale Heights with Tullamarine Airport in my area and Jock was needed at Headquarters. The size of the emergency shifting the people from Darwin was enormous. For the next week we saw each other occasionally at Tullamarine and waved to each other.
Some people you deal with remain in your memory and I remember the day in Ballarat when a complaint was received about children not going to school and not being cared for. I had a young Policewoman working with me and we went to the address in the late morning. Mother was still in bed, four children were in their pyjamas and the place was filthy. One young boy, we will call him Frankie, was sitting in the kitchen and I asked him what he had to eat for breakfast. “Some wheeties with water ‘cause there wasn’t any milk and a piece of toast.” After looking at the situation I decided that the children should be removed for a time until we could get
After some time at Avondale Heights, where our area extended from Williamstown to Broadmeadows, I moved to a new Division at Fitzroy. I was the first 8
was developing. She came to live with us. The learning curve got longer. My mother eventually became a resident at the Queen Elizabeth Centre in Ballarat and I spent more time entertaining at the Queen Elizabeth venues. Dementia is a sad journey and we eventually came to the end after learning many lessons.
woman to work at the Fitzroy Police Station. I set up this Division which took in the suburbs of Collingwood, Richmond, North Fitzroy, Kew and Hawthorn but we all loved Fitzroy. It was a wonderful suburb, full of characters and stories. There are hundreds of stories, sad, funny, long or short and some so amazing as to be almost unbelievable but if I start on them we will be here all day and then some.
I joined the Art Gallery Women’s Association and, as a group, we began organising concerts at the end of each month at the Gallery. We gave opportunities to young artists to perform together with established musicians and we are now in our sixteenth year of staging ten concerts a year. That is one big learning curve on its own. In 2003 my husband died and I moved into Ballarat and rearranged my life. I volunteered at RSSS and provided entertainment in Aged Care homes. I taught cookery at the Adult Education Centre and became the bread making teacher. For several years I taught groups of young disabled adults living skills and so the story goes on and the curve became longer.
Life in Melbourne was full of interest, hard work and I still found time for music. I was the soloist with the Police Band and when we did concerts Gendarme the drum horse often came too. We had regular concerts in the Melbourne Town Hall and other venues around Melbourne. I did several shows with local music companies in Melbourne and twice performed the role of the Mother Abbess in the Sound of Music. I had previously performed this role in Ballarat. The Scotsman and the Deputy Commissioner had discovered a cunning plan in a new Superannuation Scheme that would allow them to retire a few years earlier. Jock and I had purchased a block of land at Linton (about 30 kms west of Ballarat) with retirement in mind. I was a Senior Sergeant stationed at Prahran and not old enough to retire but the peace of the country and the nearness of Ballarat seemed a good idea. So we said good bye to the Police Force and headed for the hills. Now Jock had a daughter, a single mother with a young son. Liz had just finished her teaching degree and life was very challenging. There were long discussions and when we headed for the hills, eight year old Wayne came too. Permanently!!!!
What have I learned? All children have a wish and it goes like this. Give me shelter, treat me with care, Give me hope, teach me to share, Let me learn, forgive my mistakes, Let me grow, never to hate. Show me I matter and hear what I say. Show me tomorrow but be here today. I also believe this; there is no human activity that does not arise from the mind and the war games will never cease while the little people all over the world equate violence with entertainment.
I know what Miss Hay would have said; “Give him education” so we sent him to Ballarat Grammar and Grandad walked up and down the track to the school bus with the spelling list and I made school lunches, sewed name tags on clothes and joined the Mother’s Club. The life of retirement changed, we would stand at the kitchen window waiting for the school bus to pull up and say, “Here comes the trip to America/Europe/Asia, I wonder where his blazer is?” The learning curve was in full operation. Wayne had Grandad and Janet and a friend called Mum. He was School Captain in his last year and is now the Senior Vice president of Kony, a global IT company based in Texas. I picked up my musical interests in Ballarat and was often joined by Jock. We were part of a group doing shows at Sovereign Hill and Wayne was often written into the show as well. He later gained an awesome reputation as a public speaker both at school and University. Oh, yes. I did Sound of Music again, for the fourth time.
Also, we do not grow old. We become old when we stop growing, when we no longer contribute to society, when we have nothing to offer, not even a smile or a kind word – then we become old.
Then my elderly mother, who was living in Armidale NSW had some health problems and dementia
Guest speaker Janet McCulloch (Low), Sue Monger (Crooke) and Sue Schudmak (Sproat). 9
TREASURER’S REPORT 2016-2017
AT THE JUMBLE SALE
This report refers to the Financial Statement of the Clyde Old Girls’ Association Inc for the year ending 30 June 2017. It is with pleasure that I again present the Treasurer’s Report to the members of the Clyde Old Girls’ Association. NOTES TO 2017 BALANCE SHEET
Our expenditure for this year looks exceptionally high and that is because of the Garden Tour which took place this time last year. Most of our income for the tour was received in the previous financial year but the expenditure was in the current financial year. I was fortunate to be able to participate in the tour for the first time and it was a lot of fun. We were able to donate some proceeds to local charities, as well as depositing $3,000 into the Clyde Old Girls Scholarship account at GGS – a great result and well done to Dizzy and her team of organisers. Again, I note that donations from the AGM are considerably greater than what we receive on the day. COGA is, willingly, subsidising the cost of the AGM hall hire and catering and we are extremely grateful for the generosity of all our Old Girls. CLUTHAN
The support of the OGGs and GGS who have covered the cost of the Cluthan for both printing and distribution is gratefully acknowledged again this year. This is a considerable saving to the Association and allows us to maintain a healthy bank balance. JUMBLE SALE
As reported elsewhere in the Cluthan, the Jumble Sale was not such a financial success this year. This is not a reflection on Jane and her wonderful team of hard workers, but rather a sign of the times I believe. Takings were down about 25% on last year, with increased expenses. The Committee made the decision to subsidise these expenses by nearly $500 so we could forward $2,000 to the Isabel Henderson Kindergarten – the lowest donation for a number of years.
Top left to bottom right: Anne Stoney (Peardon), Debra Bray (Finch), Tim Gillespie (Street), Elizabeth Smart (Goode), Anne Spiden (Ross), Penny Lewisohn (Weatherly)
GIFTS AND DONATIONS
A donation of $100 was made to the Riding for Disabled Barwon Centre in memory of Jane Nevile (Lewis), a great supporter of the Association and the Jumble Sale in particular. The Committee believed that this was a tangible way for us to remember Jane and RDA were grateful for our support. Peta Gillespie Honorary Treasurer, June 2017
Christina Hayward (Pym) and Dizzie Carlyon (Clapham) 10
BALANCE SHEET AS AT 30 JUNE 2017 2016-17
2015-16
NAB (Opening Balance) 01 July 2016
49,193.61
28,556.59
NAB (Closing Balance) 30 June 2017
28,372.15
49,193.61
Assets
O/S Deposits
0.00
Total Assets
28,372.15
49,193.61
Liabilities O/S Cheques
0.00
Total Liabilities
0.00
Net Assets
28,372.15
49,193.61
825.00
700.00
AGM / General Donations
1,235.00
1,265.00
Jumble Sale
3,812.00
4,921.10
169.84
332.03
9,530.00
23,500.00
389.99
65.00
15,961.83
30,783.13
AGM Expenses
642.50
997.00
Meeting Expenses
297.80
264.90
Jumble Sale Proceeds to Isabel Henderson Kindergarten
2,000.00
3,000.00
Jumble Sale Expenses
2,274.72
1,780.00
Golf Cups (Fun and Inter-School)
432.00
460.00
English Prize to GGS and Braemar
400.00
400.00
Incorporation Fee
55.80
54.40
Reimbursements
0.00
335.44
Archives
0.00
606.07
30,580.47
1,956.00
100.00
292.30
36,783.29
10,146.11
-20,821.46
20,637.02
INCOME and EXPENSES 2016-2017 Income AGM Lunch
Interest Garden Tour History Book Fund
Total Income Expenses
Garden Tour Gifts
Total Expenditure Surplus / Loss for year 11
COGA ACTIVITIES GOLF REPORT
INTER SCHOOL CHALLENGE CUP 2017
FUN CUP 2016
The venue for this year’s Interschool golf was Kew Golf Club. Thirty teams were involved, the event being played on Monday 3rd April 2017.
Clyde finished ahead of St Catherine's and Toorak College to win the Fun Cup played at the very picturesque but challenging Sorrento Golf Club.
Everyone had a fun but competitive day with Clyde finishing midfield with proceeds from the day donated to Cottage by the Sea at Queenscliff. Recently the school reps were invited to visit The Cottage for morning tea to thank them for the donation and inform them of the work done at Queenscliff. Tea and coffee was served along with the biggest scones with jam and cream that I have ever seen! It was lovely to watch a group of local children who were there for the week playing. When they arrive, they find on their bed beautifully knitted items such as teddies, scarves, rugs and beanies which they get to keep. Something that is very special, as some of these children have always had hand-me-downs. It was a very happy and informative morning.
The winning team above was Fi Chirnside (Macfarlan), Vicki d’Antoine (Hughes), Di Goetz (McKay) and Janet Coombes (Dalrymple). Di topped the individual stableford points tally (41) with Janet in equal third place (33) and Vicki in equal fourth (32). A fun day was had by all.
L-R back: Janet Coombes (Dalrymple), Kate Robinson (Richardson), Anna Tucker (Kimpton) co-ordinator
L-R back: Janet Coombes (Dalrymple), Julie Cole (Baird), Fi Chirnside (Macfarlan), Caroline Russell, Di Goetz (McKay), Mandy Snaddon (White), Ann Rawlins (Hornabrook), Deb Calvert (Moore), Jo Armytage (Barr Smith), Anna Tucker (Kimpton)
L-R front: Mandy Snaddon (White), Ann Rawlins (Hornabrook)
L-R front: Deb Middleton (Noall), Kate Robinson (Richardson), Vicki d’Antoine (Hughes) This year the Fun Cup will be held at Barwon Heads Golf Club on Friday 13th October 2017. Any queries please call Anna Tucker (Kimpton), 0408 540 252.
Kew Golf Club 12
COGA GARDEN TOUR TO THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA 16-18 October 2016. Photos show visits to: 1. A romantic French inspired country garden called Picardy in Neerim South, created by Bryce and Marian Somes. 2. The enchanting and timeless Mulberry Hill, Langwarrin, the perfectly preserved home of Sir Daryl and Lady Joan Lindsay (Weigall), with her tiny table and typewriter still in place where she wrote “Picnic at Hanging Rock”. 3. The fascinating seaside garden at The Moorings in Flinders, created by Ranald and Patricia Macdonald from an initial design by Fiona Brockhoff. Also Tamie Fraser’s gorgeous garden at Thurulgoona, a magnificent hillside property at Merricks, overlooking Western Port. Tamie and Malcolm created parkland, sweeps of lawn, an olive grove, silver birches, an avenue of lemon-scented gums, banks of roses, daisies, lavender, and many flowering shrubs.
Above left: A furry friend at Avonlea, Merricks L-R: Deb Smith, Kirsty Trentham, Pammy Bradshaw and Fern Henderson (Welsh)
Other properties visited included Broughton Hall in Jindivick; a superb vineyard with a sprawling sandstone homestead overlooking a lake; and McClellands sculpture garden and cafe at Langwarrin was our last stop on the way home. 13
JUMBLE SALE PICTURES
L-R: Peta Gillespie, Margie Gillett (Cordner) and Jane Loughnan (Weatherly)
L-R: Elizabeth Landy (Manifold), Ann Rawlins (Hornabrook) and Belinda Philp (Laidlaw)
L-R: Ann Willcock (Thomson), Fern Henderson (Welsh) and Debo McNab (Grimwade) at the pricing table
L-R: Tim Gillespie (Street) and Sally Hudson (Mercer)
L-R: Andy Wilkinson (Clarke), Julie Cole (Baird) and Susie Perchey (Russell)
L-R: Felicity Dalgleish (Gardner) and Celia Jones (Griffin) 14
send a cheque to the Isabel Henderson Kindergarten to help with their supportive programs to enable children to enjoy a progressive and exciting education. Jane Loughnan (Weatherly) Jumble Sale Coordinator (M) 0417 535 862 (E) ejloughnan@gmail.com
REUNIONS 1966 REUNION
The Clyde leavers of ’66 gathered on 30 November 2016 for a fun, noisy reunion over a casual lunch at the Flying Duck Hotel in Melbourne’s Prahran. Tessa Clowney (Morris) came all the way from Edinburgh, Scotland, while Marion McPherson walked over from her house! Five Tasmanians came over, some just for lunch – a wonderful effort!
L-R: Annabelle Pobjoy (d’Antoine) and Jackie Mackinnon (Kelly)
JUMBLE SALE REPORT 2017 On Wednesday 21 June, we had a number of COGs delivering goods for the jumble sale, including Lou Robinson (McMillan), Ros Allen (Wilkins) and Janie Grimwade, who were unable to join us on Thursday for the annual jumble sale at The Toorak Uniting Church Hall. Sally Hudson (Mercer) arrived before her work and Christina Hayward (Pym) with her team Billy Philp (Laidlaw), Dizzie Carlyon (Clapham) and Elizabeth Landy (Manifold) arrived to set up the books.
We can thank Wizz McCulloch (Bayne) for the reminder that 50 years had passed since we all departed Clyde, and it might be time to gather the troops! Marita McIntosh (Laycock) suggested another 50 years might be a bit long to wait for the next reunion, so she suggested we gather again in 5 years – very sensible. See you all in 2021!
The car loads of goods and helpers made a steady stream, to have a fun catch up. Peta (our treasurer) and Tim Gillespie (Street) arrived with the float dollars. After a busy hour sorting and displaying, we were ready to open the doors at 10am.
Mary Lou Ashton-Jones (Nielsen)
Debo McNab (Grimwade), Ann Willcock (Thomson), Fern Henderson (Welsh) and Jackie Mackinnon (Kelly) worked on the door pricing goods as they left the hall. Julie Cole (Baird), Susie Perchey (Russell) and Andy Wilkinson (Clarke) had been busy baking, they were busy selling Andy's special homemade dog biscuits and other produce, cakes and biscuits made by the parents at the Isabel Henderson Kindergarten, they enjoy helping with our fundraiser for their Kindergarten.
Above, L-R: Anne Hood, Belinda Winter-Irving and Marnie Bishop (Craig) Below, L-R: Rosie Marshall (Dudley) and Janet Coombes (Dalrymple)
Nani McMullin and Penny Lewisohn (Weatherly) unpacked, hung and folded clothing as it arrived. Susie Schudmak (Sproat), Margie Gillett (Cordner) and Annabelle Pobjoy (d’Antoine) helped around the room, while Lesley Griffin (Vincent), Ann Rawlins (Hornabrook), Meg Hornabrook, Anne Spiden (Ross), Anne Stoney (Peardon), Liz Smart (Goode), Celia Jones (Griffin), Felicity Dalgleish (Gardner) and her granddaughter Izzy sorted and organised all the bric-à-brac. Deb Bray (Finch) and others sorted linen. Thank you to all those who donated and worked hard to make the day a success and we were able to 15
1966 REUNION
L-R: Susie Triggs (Waters) and Angie St Hill (MacKinnon)
L-R: Alison Marshal (Mahar) and Mary Morralee (Burwood)
L-R: Suz Cloke (Grimwade) and Margaret Wood (Fogarty)
L-R: Catie Bucknell (Treweeke), Janie Ayers (MacKinnon) and Marita McIntosh (Laycock)
L-R: Tessa Clowney (Morris) and Jenny Makepeace (Bond) L-R: Caroline Consett (Burston) and Sylvia McLachlan (Clarke)
L-R: Cecily Hardy, Margaret Wood (Fogarty) and Mary Lou Ashton-Jones (Nielsen) Ro Marshall (Stevenson) 16
Marion McPherson
Dorothy and Jasper were married at St Marks, Mohammed Ali Square in Alexandria in 1942, followed by a reception at the famous Cecil Hotel. Dorothy wore a dark suit and white gloves, emerging from her tent to be married. They had two days off for the wedding, then Jasper disappeared with his squadron and Dorothy returned to the UK – it was the rule in those days for married women to leave the forces. She sailed to England in a convoy dodging submarines in the Atlantic, arriving in Scotland for Christmas 1943. Meanwhile, Jasper was involved with the invasion of Italy and Malta, joining her in London much later.
OLD GIRLS’ NEWS Dorothy Leman Read (Temperley, Cl’33) lives in London and celebrated her 100th birthday in November 2015. Her daughter Catherine Kinley has kindly sent some photos, along with a memoir of Clyde written by Dorothy, and some details of their family’s life. Dorothy appreciates receiving The Cluthan each year and also the GGS Light Blue magazine. Some of the photos sent by Catherine show the following stages in her life: Dorothy’s parents were invited to attend the coronation of King George VI in 1937; wearing a beautiful gown she was presented at Buckingham Palace to the new king. Dorothy often reminisces about her wartime service, nursing with the Australian army as a VAD in the Middle East during World War II. She and her group of West Australian VADs left Fremantle for the Middle East in 1941, sailing on the Queen Mary. Her unit was AIF 7th Australian Hospital, her number was WX17003 and she was awarded four campaign medals.
After World War II, Jasper remained in the air force, their daughter Catherine was born, and the family was posted to many places including Germany and Hong Kong. Dorothy returned to Australia often to visit her parents and has reconnected with VAD friends over the years.
Their unit arrived for Christmas 1941 in Gaza Ridge, moving to Rehovot in Palestine and afterwards to Sidon. Later she served in Egypt, working in a casualty clearing station during the Battle of El Alamein. While in Egypt, she met Wing Commander James Alfred Avory Read, always known as Jasper, who was born in South Africa, went to the UK aged 21 in 1935 and joined the RAF in 1936. He was a night fighter pilot.
Ed: According to The Cluthan, in 1933 Dorothy was a school prefect, form captain of VI, secretary of the Dramatic Club, a member of the Library committee, and she won a special prize for Drama. She gave ‘magnificent’ performances as Cynisca in the school play “Pygmalion and Galatea” by WS Gilbert, and as Gertrude Rheade in “Milestones”, performed at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, in aid of the Free Kindergarten Fund. (See photos, Clyde History book, page 144.) Dizzy Carlyon (Clapham, Cl’58), wrote a letter to the COGA Committee following the garden tour of which she was one of the main organisers dated 2 December 2016, on the back of copies of her old school reports: “Apologies for the snail mail, but I have been searching and searching – with no luck – for my Clyde writing paper! So this (i.e. writing on the back 17
tree, hollow in the centre, which had once been used as a prison. Later that day they were delivered to the harbour and, after the tide had come in, sailed in the BHP launch to Cockatoo Island. Every day on the island was an adventure as they were taken to see the iron ore mined, transported and loaded onto ships.
of her old school reports) was the best I could find, or rather, the closest to it!! My father told me the only taste I had was in my mouth – so I was very pleased this teacher thought I had some elsewhere! (Dizzy’s Clyde report for Dressmaking stated she was ‘Very good. Shows good taste’.)
They also swam most days, even Miss Hay. The girls wanted to get a photo of Miss Hay walking on the beach in her bathers so they deliberately encouraged Susan to bend over so that they had a full shot.
This is to thank you and your committee for the MORE than generous thankyous and hospitality and gifts!! I felt we had been thoroughly thanked with the extremely generous gift voucher and host of lovely letters – so a night together at Royal South Yarra (for dinner with the COGA Committee) was icing on a wonderful cake. The RSY committee room is a perfect room – so relaxing to be able to hear everyone speak and the food was very nice. The club does everything so well – but the company was the best part. You have a great committee and all do a wonderful job keeping the ‘spirit of Clyde’ alive and well. In fact I like Clyde a lot more now than I did as a school girl! I don’t think you realise until the head is on older shoulders how special it is to know, share memories and a lot more with the same friends for years and years. That little saying “It takes a long time to grow a friend” is so true and Clyde was certainly fertile soil! Thank you for what you do – to keep us all connected – I do appreciate it very much – so please pass on my sincere thanks for the generosity and kindness of the COGA Committee – especially Peta Gillespie who kept me on the right path. She is a true gem!”
After their spell on the island Miss Hay took them south west to Perth which they explored before flying back to wintery Melbourne. Susan wrote, “I was impressed by how much Miss Hay packed in – she didn’t miss an opportunity to explore or see new territories.”
Susan Pender (Rymill, Cl’58) wrote about school trip in September 1956 when Helen Clarke (Lewis) and Miss Hay took Susan, Gay Morton (Howard), Louise Robinson (McMillan) and Fiona Matheson (McDonald) on a trip to the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Miss Hay had asked Helen’s father, Essington Lewis who was the Chairman of BHP, when she could take her girls to Cockatoo Island and he responded by offering her the manager’s house (the White House).
Penny Lewisohn (Weatherly, Cl’62), has had many connections with Janet Clarke Hall at the University of Melbourne over the years. There was one she kept quiet about as a resident student in the 1960s; her great-grandfather, WT Manifold, a generous benefactor to the College, had initiated the cooking test which became increasingly unpopular as women’s liberation became a reality – it was quietly shelved by the Principal Dr Eva Eden.
They flew into Alice Springs and, after spending a little time there, were driven to Tennant Creek by a very nice man who introduced himself as Strawberry. Strawberry told them that his uncle was Albert Namatjira and that he was living in a camp just a little way off the road. He asked them if they would like to meet Albert Namatjira and of course they said yes.
Penny was a member of Council from 1996 to 2002 and worked for the Friends of Janet Clarke Hall during the ten years of its existence, bringing speakers into the College for fund-raising functions. Her interest in the arts was obvious: she drafted the Council’s inaugural Arts
They then flew to Darwin and caught a plane to Derby where they were met by a BHP representative who showed them the sights including a boab 18
policy; invited her brother, the artist Richard Weatherly, as a guest speaker; and later donated to the College several Weatherly prints, as well as a Jessie Traill painting.
phones, no running water, no sanitation, a few handmade roads and certainly no shops. They married in Australia and returned to the plantation. She joined a tiny band of brave and adventurous young brides who had to cope with every kind of adversity, appalling conditions and all of them virtually impecunious. They had no contact with the outside world. Nothing was easy but everything being an extreme adventure, with numerous wild escapades but through it all they had lots of laughs and the greatest fun. They could mix cement, change tires, treat the lepers, give birth and overcome being seriously ill with malaria, whilst making their own clothes and, all the while, trying to look pretty.
As inaugural Records Officer from 2005 to 2012, Penny worked tirelessly to improve the database and to ‘friend-raise’ for the College. As the Principal remarked: “Anyone who has ever corresponded with Penny will appreciate her incredible knowledge of the College, its people, and the many and varied connections which flow from it …” Penny’s valuable contributions have not been limited to Janet Clarke Hall. She has also had significant engagement with various boards and organisations in the wider community, including the Royal Children’s Hospital and those supporting the many issues around mental health.
The book, entitled “Anna”, can be bought on line – www.annamiddleton.com.au Sarah Lysaght (Bellair, Cl’64) currently lives in New Zealand but spends six months of the year in India as she is the flying manager of Cochin Airport in Kerala State and has been since 1999. Cochin is the main training airport for commercial pilots in India. She is also a flying instructor there. In New Zealand she served three terms on the Wellington City Council and four terms on the National Parks and Reserves Board as a government appointee. She is currently a director of the Body Recovery Unit (part of Search and Rescue) and has been since 1970. She is a JP and received an MBE for Services to the Community. She writes that “Clyde did steer us in amazingly individual ways but now it is maybe time to sit back, smell the roses and enjoy the grandchildren, but my bucket list is far from complete!” Sadly she now has severe health restrictions and is not able to be so active in the flying world.
Reprinted, with permission, from an article in Luce, the alumni magazine of Janet Clarke Hall. Anna Middleton (Jensen, Cl’55) has written a memoir of her early life in Papua New Guinea. After living the High Life in London and Europe for fifteen months, she found herself following a man she barely knew into the Highlands of Papua New Guinea where he was planting coffee at five thousand feet up in the mountains. They had met in Melbourne and had a whirlwind courtship for three weeks before Anna left for the UK and he returned to Papua New Guinea. He was living in a bush house with no electricity, no tele-
The Clyde history book: Bob Hanlen ordered a copy and on enquiring about his interest in Clyde he emailed the following: “My parents, my brother and I moved to Clyde in 1949 and lived in the staff cottage at the bottom of the hill on what was then called Braemar Road, opposite the golf course. My father, Charles Hanlen, was the engineer, responsible for all the day to day engineering and janitorial tasks whilst my mother, Lorna, was responsible to Miss Hay for the smooth running of the domestic staff and their duties. My memory reminds me that mum was also a surrogate mum for a lot of the girls, the ‘homesick’ juniors and the ‘eager to get off the leash’ seniors. Many an evening I remember three or four senior girls sitting around our kitchen table listening to music from the radio, enjoying a cigarette or two! No names will be divulged … ha ha. 19
My family is going to visit the college soon, particularly the area where the cottage was, to spread mum’s ashes in what remains of her flower garden.
We would now like to thank all the donors to our food fund, and to stress the fact that in all cases we have been gourmets and not gourmands.
I am the only remaining Clyde-ite in our family but my own family, including my youngest son, my much younger brother and his family are very eager to see the place my mum spoke so fondly of and what was in my memory a very happy time for us all – the happiest of my mother’s long life. Mum was 97 years of age at her passing.
Being by nature very musically inclined, when the gramophone is not giving us Tex Morton’s latest soliloquy or God Save the Queen by Nellie Melba, our voices may be heard raised in harmonious refrains.
Family history has assumed such an important place in modern day families, a fact which gives me hope for the future of us all.
Ed: The witty team of prefects in 1945 were Anne Murphy (Captain), Barbara Gilder, Philippa Agnew, Joan Kinnear, Mary Morrison, Elizabeth Hunter, Rosemary Russell and Roslyn Agnew.
In conclusion, we wish the best of luck to our successors: “To you from failing hands we throw The Torch, Be yours to hold it high.”
Again, thank you for your interest, and if the rambling memories of an old mountain resident are of further interest to the Clyde old girls I would be only too pleased to answer any queries they might like to pose.”
DIARY FOR A WEEK, BY ‘CLUTHA’, ORIGINAL SECTION, THE CLUTHAN 1945
MONDAY – Woke with a shudder to proverbial Monday morning feeling at 7.48am. Rushed to the shower and had barely smeared soap all over the body when bell went and there came loud knocks on door by Prefect. Hastily removed soap as best I could. Match in afternoon. House badly defeated, felt most depressed, but brightened on the receipt of crisp potato at dinner.
Ed: Does anyone remember Bob's parents Charles and Lorna Hanlen? It is so interesting that people are still buying the Clyde history book and it is even more interesting that stories like this keep surfacing. We are grateful to Bob for sharing his memories.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
TUESDAY – Cold Welsh rarebit for breakfast. In second period fearful crash outside. Class rushed to window to see Good Shepherd Laundry broken down. Much amusement. Very cold in afternoon, at least 18degF am assured by the Old Hands. Snowed. When having snowfight outside Pass, Juniors rebuked us, saying they had just been stopped forcibly, and why should we do it. In fury we desisted.
PREFECTS’ NOTES, THE CLUTHAN 1945
This year the cottage has taken on a new lease of life with its new inmates, and there have been many innovations, e.g. one carpet, one green sofa, eight new chairs, one door, one verandah! There are eight of us altogether. Mum and the kids. Mum is naturally an authority on culinary matters. The eldest child is of the equine species and gives vent to her feelings in most melodious neighs at intervals. Next comes the future Miss Australia, who usually considers herself a ‘Rose among thorns’; then there is our authority on hedgehogs and possums. Three young members of the family include among their many other accomplishments the management of Marmaduke. One of these three also has a talent for horse-breaking and fire-stoking, another for invalid cookery, while the third indulges in inane scribblings requiring untold brain fag. The baby of the family is of the canine species, and, owing to internal idiosyncrasies, has honoured us with her presence ‘more in the breach than in the observance’.
WEDNESDAY – On hearing noise of once-popular song being crashed out on hall piano, regretfully remembered that a certain House has started rehearsing its entertainment, and three weeks of whispering, notes and music (?) will follow. Played hockey in pouring rain, fell painfully on “tail” and returned to boudoir feeling like “nothing on earth”. THURSDAY – Oslo lunch. Very satisfying. Then sweet tuck; felt vile all the afternoon. During afternoon heard that truck had caught on fire en route to Woodend. Loud explosions heard as Susan passed classrooms bent on rescue. (Ed: Susan was a quaint staff vehicle.) Much hilarity and facetiousness ensued.
Our future occupations lie along devious paths, amid all walks of life. Several of us are buying up scarlet accessories, while augmenting our Russian vocabulary; another two have been inspired to bring joy into the lives of the inhabitants of a certain Melbourne hospital, and two more are rusticating while searching for hayseeds.
FRIDAY – Two hours of excruciating agony in afternoon (Biology). After that spent afternoon conversing amicably and mending. Lecture on “Art” in the evening. Dreamed about Chinese idols all night and woke feeling clammy all over. SATURDAY – Match. Spent exhausting morning 20
clapping (for both sides). Visiting teams examined school with interest. Loud expressions of comparison and admiration followed. Games evening. Spent a great deal of money on nothing, but consoled myself with the thought “good cause” …
they were “dull, dark green stiff things in the shade” and didn’t much like them. After more than twenty years working with camellias, she grew to love them, taking camellia flowers to be identified by experts from Dandenong to Adelaide, following up her research on the internet and in books. While most of the RBG’s camellias are divided by cultivars and species, there are many highlighted beauties scattered through the gardens. Jenny has researched other plants including melaleucas, and is confident expounding on plants to people of all ages and backgrounds. Whether leading a group of botanists from China or a class of bored teenagers who throw hats in the lake, Jenny says that generally “people are so appreciative” and they share her love of the Gardens.
SUNDAY – Woke longing vainly for cup of tea. Spent day alternately working, talking and “going round to fruit tuck”. Note: Don’t eat so much fruit on future weekends – uncomfortable results. In bed argued furiously about politics for some hours. Remembered regretfully how tired I had felt the day after our last nocturnal political discussion, and also that the next day was the loathed Monday.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING AWARD WINNERS
COGA PRIZE FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE BRAEMAR COLLEGE
Jenny Happell OAM In the annual Australia Day honours announced on Thursday 26 January, Jennifer Gibson Happell (Shaw, Cl’55) was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the community through voluntary roles with horticultural organisations. Jenny is the wife of OGG and past GGS staff member David Happell (P’50) and her four sons all attended GGS (Charles P’78, Tim (dec.) A’80, Rod P’82 and Dan Happell P’84).
Awarded to a Year 11 or 12 student for service to the local community. Thomas Stockdale is an honest young man who has proven himself to be an involved and supportive student during his time at the College. He has been a passionate supporter of Clyde House encouraging all students to ‘be a part of the House community’ and role modelling through active participation in a wide range of activities. Thomas has developed his leadership skills by accepting the responsibilities associated with the position of Bus Captain. Thomas has balanced his attention to his studies and co-curricular activities with his involvement in community programs. He is a dedicated member of the Scouting Movement, achieving the prestigious Queen’s Scout Award – the highest award available in the movement. Thomas continues to support young people as a Cub Scout Leader. During his time at the College he has also participated in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program, achieving his Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. Both of these awards require a major service component. These impressive achievements reflect Thomas’ breadth of experiences and range of commitments to his community.
Jenny has been a volunteer Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG) tour guide in Melbourne since 1983 and organised a guide-training program at Geelong Botanic Gardens in 1985. In 2013 she and three other volunteers were thanked for their contribution by RBG chief executive Tim Entwisle. In honour of their exceptional thirty years of service, Mr Entwisle planted a rare Melanesian kauri tree, Agathis vitiensis, on the south side of the Gardens. The RBG’s tour guide program started in 1981 and, in a 2013 interview, Jenny said that the training in 1983 was pretty basic. They were told not to take older people up steep slopes, a gardener “pointed out a few trees” and they were told to study Richard Pescott’s book on the history of the gardens. Jenny has learned on the job, always looking up answers to people’s questions, and has become an expert on camellias, with the RBG named a Garden of Excellence by the International Camellia Society. Jenny has helped to identify 950 types of camellias in the RBG’s collection. When she started listing the camellias in 1991, she thought
Thomas is an active member of the CFA, volunteering his time in support of others in emergency situations. Serving others is part of who Thomas is.
21
THE DAME ELISABETH MURDOCH AWARD
CLYDE HOUSE REPORT 2016/2017
Trophy donated by the Geoff and Helen Handbury Foundation. This Award recognises a student who has displayed generosity of spirit and/or has represented the College to an exceptional level.
It has been a very exciting and busy first semester in Clyde full of House rivalry events and great success! At the end of the 2016 year we said goodbye to some of the beloved Clyde staff including Mrs Long, Mrs Pool and also Mrs Griffith. Mrs Steer also stepped down from being Deputy Head of House to being one of our tutors. Mrs Whitten is still doing a great Job as Head of House with our new Deputy Head being Mr Ellinghausen. Our much-adored House Assistant Viv has been doing an amazing job, every week whipping up a delicious supper!
Amelia Eddy has shown herself to be an exceptional young woman who is highly motivated, positive and conscientious. She is a determined and reflective student. Amelia’s determination to succeed is clearly demonstrated by being selected to perform at Melbourne Recital Centre as part of the Top Class Concert, which was based upon her VCE Music – Solo Performance result. She has received academic successes throughout her time at the College, including the top study score for VCE English.
The Clyde House Captain for 2017 is Jamima Jamieson (12), she’s done a wonderful job so far with her Prefects alongside her, which consist of Julia Tallis (12) (Vice House Captain), Serena Brookes (12), Georgina Robinson (12), all related to Clyde Old Girls and also Tilda Stevens (12), Sophie Von Doussa (12), Phoebe Naylor (12), Millie Youngman (12) and Genevieve Brand (12). They’ve done a great job in welcoming the Year 10’s back from Timbertop and also new students from outside the Geelong Grammar Community, and showing us all the ropes of being a Clyde Girl! The Year 10’s have transitioned really well into the senior school routine and love the activities that come along with being a year 10, for example the workshops where they got to do a range of activities including pizza making and silver smithing! All year 12s are knuckling down, working hard and keen to finish their last year of schooling! They are all making it a year to remember!
As the Captain of Music, Amelia has executed her leadership roles responsibly and with deep commitment. Amelia received The Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Award as recognition for her generosity and excellent representation of the College. During her time at the College, Amelia has undertaken the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award completing her Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. These commitments demonstrate her interest in working with the wider community and her ability to manage her time and priorities effectively. Amelia has shared her talents for music through her participation in a number of community groups and at the College. Amelia has demonstrated her leadership skills in her role as the Principal Clarinettist at Orchestra Victoria’s, ‘On the Move’ Programme. She has also demonstrated her commitment to her local community and her ability to balance her passions and school commitments through her membership with the Melbourne Youth Music’s Percy Grainger Youth Orchestra and the Carmel Amelia School of Dance. Amelia has participated in the Bendigo Troupe Dance Competitions where she placed first and received an honourable mention. She also continues to be a reliable and committed volunteer in her local community at the Woodend Library.
House Music is always amazing to see the hidden talents across the school. There were some very brave Clyde girls who took on the solo and small group singing. Clyde were led by Lucy Needle (12) and Maddie Lowi-Genn (12) who got the Clyde girls together to put on a creative performance of “Under the Sea”. Although Clyde didn’t come out with a win, it was a very entertaining afternoon. Francis Brown took out the number one prize with their rendition from The Lion King.
Amelia is a responsible and enthusiastic young woman. She has shown that she is able to manage her time effectively and is willing to engage with the wider world and strive towards achieving her best in all of her endeavours.
House swimming in the Wellbeing centre had a great atmosphere, with everyone doing their bit for their house. The cheer squads were defiantly heard across the school grounds. Clyde took home the Champion House Cup for the 12th year in a row! What an achievement. Cuthbertson House also won for the 12th year in a row but were closely chased by Francis Brown house! Millie Youngman (12) came runner up for the Open Division and Charlotte Crole (11) won the U/17 age group. As a house reward for winning the swimming Viv put on an amazing Mexican night! From nachos to enchiladas … delicious!
Information and photographs provided by Braemar College. 22
The Clyde House outing in term one for 2017 was the Geelong Amazing Race! All year levels mixed into small groups. They had to shop, race, hunt and source a variety of objects all relating to Clyde. This took us all through Geelong, from the foreshore through the city centre. A great bonding afternoon to start the year.
It was great to see Clyde girls competing in the Equestrian. Milly Ritchie (10), won Champion in the Secondary 1* Combined Training riding Vuvuzela at the Equestrian Victoria Championships. Lizzie Brand (10) will soon be competing in the National Championships, following her great success at the same championships and we wish her the best of luck.
Rowing always causes a lot of interest within the GGS community. Head of Rowing, Toby Lister coordinated 158 students, making up 22 crews racing for the Mighty light blue. Great results were achieved across all year levels. Our girls’ firsts included Clyde girls Serena Brookes (12), Phoebe Naylor (12), Zoe Burgess (12) and Lucy Needle (12). The Girls First VIII raced very strongly to win the APS Head of the River for the fourth consecutive year. Many Clyde girls were on the water for the rowing season. The Year Ten Division A crew including Olivia Moore (10), Meg Watkins (10) and Maddy Atkins (10) set a record for GGS winning both the Head of Schoolgirls and the Head of the River for the first time. Jamima Jamieson (12) coxed the Boys First Eight to a third place in the Head of River. Julia Tallis (12) also coxed the 2nd boys crew. Both girls enjoyed competing in the Nationals in Sydney. Jamima was also selected as a Cox in the Victorian Pathways Eight crew which was an absolute credit to her. Overall a very successful season for rowing.
The 2016 all School athletics day was another huge success for Clyde. It is the one event where the whole of GGS comes together at Corio for the day. You can hear the barracking across the oval for all students competing in field and running events. Clyde House did it again, winning the Champion House Cup. Lauren Ryan (12), Captain of the Clyde team did a fantastic job and also won the open championship cup. The Clyde Marquee was buzzing with great enthusiasm for our Clyde girls. Clyde has had a very successful end to 2016 and start to 2017, we all hope to keep the success going and the house in such great condition! All the best to the Year 12’s as they race to the end of their time at GGS. Olivia Moore (CL 10)
23
CLYDE HOUSE GIRLS WITH A CLYDE SCHOOL CONNECTION – 2017
Student
Relationship
Clyde Old Girl
Married Name
Clyde Years
Serena Brookes (Yr12)
Niece
Susie Lowing
Brookes
Cl’69
Olivia Devilee (Yr12)
Niece Niece
Annette Devilee Rosalyn Devilee
Devilee Whish Ferguson
Cl’/GGS 74-78 Cl’/GGS 74-77
Grace Hill-Smith (Yr11)
Grand-daughter
Helen Lane
Hill Smith
Cl’34-36
Flora Jamieson (Yr10)
Great-great-niece Great-great-niece Distant relative Great-niece
Betty Anderson Flo Jamieson Joanne Jamieson Carol Jamieson
Jamieson Calvert Jackson Hancock
Cl’23-24 Cl’17-19 Cl’41-49 Cl’49-54
Jamima Jamieson (Yr12) Great-grand-daughter Great-great-niece Great-niece Distant relative
Betty Anderson Flo Jamieson Joanne Jamieson Carol Jamieson
Jamieson Calvert Jackson Hancock
Cl’23-24 Cl’17-19 Cl’41-49 Cl’49-54
Zara Lane (Yr12)
Great-niece
Helen Lane
Hill Smith
Cl’34-36
Giselle Lansell (Yr11)
Great-niece Great-niece
Audrey Lansell Peggy Lansell
Warren Scott
Cl’25-29 Cl’33-37
Georgie Manifold (Y11)
Great-niece Great-niece
Elizabeth Manifold Prue Manifold
Landy Plowman
Cl’55-59 Cl’57-63
Chloe McGregor (Yr11)
Great-niece
Patricia Mackinnon
McKenzie
Cl’45-51
Annabel (Yr10) and Fleur McLachlan (Yr11)
Great-niece
Sylvia Clarke
McLachlan
Cl’60-67
Olivia Moore (Yr10)
Grand-daughter Great-niece Great-niece Great-niece
Mary Murphy Elizabeth Murphy Anne Murphy Joan Kinnear
Moore a’Beckett Armitt Moore
Cl’31-37 Cl’31-38 Cl’38-45 Cl’40-45
Ava (Yr10) and Claudia Nance (Yr11)
Great-niece Great-niece Relative Relative
Anne Coy Jill Coy Jane Coy Belinda Coy
Hamilton Meredith-Smith Hallowes Barclay
Cl’51-58 Cl’45-51 Cl’56-62 Cl’58-64
Amelia (Millie) Ritchie (Yr10)
Cousin Great-niece Great-great-niece
Rosalind Ritchie Adams Vivienne Knox-Knight Ritchie Elisabeth Greene Murdoch
Georgina Robinson (Yr12)
Niece Niece Great-great-niece
Jenny Robinson Kate Richardson Peggy Robinson
Sanders Cl’68-73 Robinson Cl’70-75 Coldham Baillieu Cl’14-15
Pascale (Pip) (Yr10) and Grand-daughter Scarlett Southey (Yr12) Great-niece
Valerie Clarke Margaret Southey
Southey Mims
Cl’35-38 Cl’36-38
Georgie Spiden (Yr11)
Grand-daughter Great-niece Great-niece Great-great-niece Great-grand-daughter
Ann Ross Helen Ross Rosemary Ross Mary Ross Susan Staughton
Spiden Taylor Borthwick Winter-Irving Ross
Cl’56-61 Cl’58-63 Cl’59-65 Cl’35-40 Cl’29-31
Julia Tallis (Yr12)
Grand-daughter
Mary Learmonth 24
Tallis
Cl’48-55
Cl’/GGS 71-76 Cl’51-53 Cl’22-26
VALE WE RECORD WITH REGRET THE FOLLOWING DEATHS
Ann Selwyn Annand (McCrae/Moran) 11 January 1924 – 5 February 2017 Clyde 1937 – 42
Judith Harris (Cook) 3 June 1937 – 13 April 2016 Clyde 1950 – 51
Jane Aubrey Austin (McFarland) 17 August 1927 – 22 August 2016 Clyde 1941 – 44
Margaret ‘June’ Langford (Meldrum) 8 February 1928 – 25 September 2015 Clyde 1943 – 45
Jane Elizabeth Barnard (Chirnside) 16 January 1934 – 20 July 2017 Clyde 1944 – 51
Doreen Freda McBean (Miller) STAFF 29 November 1918 – 30 August 2016 Clyde 1944 – 46
Susan Duane Brill (Powell) 29 September 1938 – 1 October 2016 Clyde 1948 – 55
Jane Warren Essington Nevile (Lewis) 26 January 1928 – 26 May 2017 Clyde 1942 – 45
June Rose Calvert (Taylor) 1 June 1933 – 29 July 2016 Clyde 1947 – 50
Wendy Corelie Read-Smith (Fenton) 14 April 1952 – 3 June 2017 Clyde 1969 – 70
Frances ‘Frankie’ Austin Castle (Healy) 15 March 1941 – 7 July 2017 Clyde 1953 – 58
Diane Mary Rickard (Whittaker/Paterson) 6 December 1927 – 25 October 2015 Clyde 1941 – 42
Elizabeth ‘Susie’ Mary Darling (Yencken) 30 September 1928 – 20 May 2016 Clyde 1942
Roberta ‘Bobbie’ Mary Cobbold Taylor (Cain) 8 October 1924 – 11 December 2016 Clyde 1936 – 41
Mary Bertha Davies (Law) 8 January 1923 – 29 July 2016 Clyde 1939
Flora M. Vercollone (Mackay Sim) 23 February 1918 – 17 March 2015 Clyde 1929 – 31
Judith P. Gordon (Randol/Paterson) 18 September 1925 – October 2014 Clyde 1940 – 42
Barbara Anne Walker (Mackenzie) 31 December 1947 – 16 February 2016 Clyde 1960 – 65
Ann Selwyn Annand (McCrae/Moran) 11 January 1924 – 5 February 2017 Clyde 1937 – 42
All through her time at Clyde she excelled at piano exams and won prizes in Alliance Francaise recitation competitions. With WWII constantly on everyone’s mind the last stanza of her 1941 poem, The Day, is particularly poignant;
Ann was the youngest daughter of Adeline Lois and Arthur Leslie Moran. Her five siblings were Elizabeth Cook, Louise Horn, Janet Carter, Winifred Whitehead (Moran, Cl’35) and Tim Moran.
As with the passing of the early morning and the coming of the harsh noontide, So comes our life. With disillusionment we hear of war and cruelty, Of misery, of suffering. Perhaps we suffer, too, ourselves, But we must not forget that evening falls, New worlds are opened to our gaze. The very light which was our life Blinded us to a hidden universe of countless Shimmering worlds beyond our comprehension.
She played lead roles in House Entertainments and school plays. In 1941 the Cluthan records that “a very topical ballet, ‘The Truth About Hess’, was performed by the more graceful members of Faireleight. The first scene showed Hess (A. Moran) being kicked out of Germany with much vigour by Hitler (P. Gutteridge). Hess was next seen arriving in Scotland in the true style by parachute, being at first welcomed by several Scotties dancing the Highland Fling, and finally being removed to the asylum by the local yokel (R. Cain)”. In 1939 and 1940 Ann was on the Commentator Committee and she won a form prize and a special prize for Reading in 1940.
After leaving Clyde Ann joined the Australian Women’s Army Service and was based in Queensland working on camouflage. Her section made wooden frames covered in cardboard in the shape of tanks, 25
armoured vehicles and cannons etc. to be placed in strategic war arenas to divert and distract the enemy from the real areas of action, thereby saving thousands of lives. After the war she married George Gordon McCrae with whom she had a son, Andrew, who lives in Tasmania. They lived on a property in Gippsland under the Soldier Settlement Scheme. Ann took to country life raising livestock, cooking for shearers on the wood stove with no electricity in the house and only hurricane lamps and candles for light. Some years after her first marriage was dissolved, Ann married renowned artist Douglas Annand and moved to Sydney. She loved camping; when she and Douglas came down to Melbourne to visit her parents they always had a tent in the car ready to pitch it and sleep overnight on the way.
the King Edward Memorial Hospital in Ealing. Susie met Jim Brill when he was visiting the Hospital and they moved to Devon where they had three children: Andrew 1963, Julie 1965 (both now live in Dorset, England) and Tim 1966 who now lives and works in Darwin. They had a smallholding in North Devon where Susie adored and looked after the animals. Eventually they moved to the Midlands near Nottingham. Susie loved walking and major walks included the Pennine Way, Coast to Coast and the Dales Way.
Ann kept up her interest in music by playing the piano and was a member of the Recorder Guild playing the flute in concerts. She continued studying art and painted watercolours. She had a great sense of humour and was known for her very humorous cartoons. Furthermore, Ann had an interest in and understanding of Aborigines and their culture; always kept up with current affairs; studied the environment and undertook voluntary work.
Susie was gentle, loving and kind; loved by all, she never had a bad word for anyone. In later life Susie had both her hips and knees replaced because of rheumatoid osteoarthritis and developed dementia. Susie passed away peacefully at home with Jim and children at her bedside. ‘The world is a sadder, poorer place without her.’
Ann spent the last few months of her life as a resident at Camberwell Mews. She was the devoted grandmother of Timothy, Jeremy, Marcus and the very proud great grandmother of Angus and Felix.
Adapted from the obituary written by her husband Jim and edited to include information from Cluthans.
Other family members who were connected to Clyde were Elizabeth Moran (White, Cl’41) who married Ann’s brother Tim Moran, their daughter Georgina Barraclough (Moran, Cl’68) and her daughter Marita Adeline Voller (Barraclough, Clyde House 1993).
Frances ‘Frankie’ Austin Castle (Healy) 15 March 1941 – 7 July 2017 Clyde 1953 – 58 The second of three children, Frances Healy was born on 15 March 1941 to Mr and Mrs Tom Healy of Lancefield, Victoria. Nicknamed ‘Mick’ by her family as a child, Frances grew up as a tom-boy, loving to compete with her two brothers Tom and Tim. Throughout her life, most people always called her ‘Frankie’.
Information from family members, particularly her son Andrew McCrae, and Cluthans. Susan Duane Brill (Powell) 29 September 1938 – 1 October 2016 Clyde 1948 – 55 At Clyde Susie was in Clutha House and won prizes for Improvement, Needlework and for a photo in one of the photographic competitions run by the Camera Club. She was on the Birthday League Committee, played in the school orchestra and wrote poems that were published in the Cluthan.
The Healy family were keen equestrians, and close friends with the Clarke family of nearby Clarkefield. Frankie’s father Tom Healy rode with the Oaklands Hunt Club and the family often attended picnic races, hunt meets and social events. Frankie started school at Lancefield where she and her brother Tim rode their ponies five miles to school. After the family moved to Riddells Creek in 1947, Frankie attended the local primary school. Aged eleven in 1952, she won the ‘games race’ at Oaklands Hunt Club Point to Point and in 1953 went to Clyde where she
After Clyde Susie went to the finishing school Prealpine in Chexbres, Switzerland. On her return home, via Istanbul and Bangkok, she sat for her final Mothercraft exams and became a children’s nurse in Melbourne; she then went to London and was a nurse at 26
was a boarder until 1958. Frankie was a superb athlete and team player, excelling at tennis, hockey, baseball, golf, and athletics. She won junior and senior Clyde championships in athletics, tennis and golf and was awarded colours for hockey and tennis. After leaving school, she worked in a variety of jobs including the travel section of a bank in Melbourne and as a live-in house mistress and hockey coach at St Catherine’s School in Toorak. She studied Art at Melbourne Technical College, living in a shared flat in Parkville.
bridge, the Chief Game Officer. She set off in a Landrover on a 16-hour journey to the Luangwa National Park in a remote area of Northern Rhodesia to work with a team of men on a domestication program for pukus, a cloven-hoofed deer-like animal, capturing them in the wild. Johnny Uys (later godfather to Frankie’s son Peter), the Warden of Luangwa National Park, was in charge of the Puku project. According to Tim Healy, “Having heard on the radio that an Aussie girl had got the job and conjuring up images of a massive female, imagine the looks on the faces of the male game scouts when this slight, shy girl stepped out of the Landie! They organised a couple of guys to capture some puku – lots of fun had by all getting a few into an enclosure for Frankie to domesticate. Frankie soon had the pukus eating out of her hand – she always had a magic touch with animals. She also won the admiration of John Castle, initially one of the most sceptical male rangers at the park.” Frankie and John Castle were later married.
She played for the Melbourne University and Victorian State hockey teams. Years later in Zambia, she took up golf again in her 60s, quickly reached a single figure handicap and played in the Zambian National Golf Team for eight years. She was also an exceptionally good horsewoman.
Early in their relationship, during a walk in the Luangwa National Park, Frankie and John were charged by an elephant. They each instinctively took off in their own direction and John realised with relief that Frankie had escaped from danger because she was a very fast runner. After the puku domestication program, Frankie and John spent ten days camping and driving through remote areas of Luangwa in a little Haflinger 4x4, accompanied by a cook and ‘Hitler’ the game scout. They became engaged, and after meeting John’s parents in Natal, South Africa, Frankie travelled around Europe for six months. She did broadcasts for the BBC on outback Australia and Africa, then headed home to prepare for her wedding while John completed his compulsory national service in the Rhodesian Army.
Frankie had always wanted to travel. Heading off alone around Australia, her first stop was Esperance in WA where she helped train racehorses; near Perth she worked as a governess; then by coaster trawler to Wyndham and to Kurunji Station in the remote Kimberleys; onwards to Brunette Downs in the Northern Territory working in a mustering camp; then to Blackall in Queensland as a governess. Exhibiting her equestrian prowess, she won the Queensland Ladies Campdraft at Blackall and went on to Cunnamulla where she met up with her brother Tim. Frankie also taught in the School of the Air while she was in Queensland. An adventurous girl, she travelled on her own and the trip is well summarised by an article about her in the Melbourne Age.
After a short honeymoon in Queensland, Frankie and John returned to Rhodesia and their first farm, Junction Farm, near Raffingora, growing irrigated cotton and Frankie’s next garden creation. Their two children, Peter and Jacqui, were born at Sinoia during the years at Junction. Their pets included a Boerboel dog, a cat, a duiker, a crow and a python – until the python ate the cat! Frankie knew where John was if she could see the crow because the dog and the duiker would always follow John on his motorbike and the crow flew above them all. They then moved to Lundi Ranch, a cattle property near Fort Victoria in the low-veld. They had sailing holidays on Triton (a 30ft trimaran) at Tiger Bay on the vast expanse of Lake Kariba. In 1975, Frankie and John sold Lundi Ranch, bought a Dodge camper and spent a year travelling with Peter and Jacqui through Africa, Asia and Europe. They spent three months in East Africa visiting national parks including Lake Manyara, Ngorogoro, Serengeti, Masai Mara, Tsavo,
In the 1960s she travelled to Africa. During three months in East Africa, she spent time on the Serengeti studying rhinoceros herds, made a lot of friends, visited nearly every game park, caught a sailfish at Malindi and a boat to Beira, Mozambique. Then a train to stay with the Rowe family, tobacco farmers at Trelawney in Rhodesia. She travelled on to the Kaufman family at Bulawayo, followed by the Vavasours at Liebigs Ranch on one million acres near West Nicholson. From here she went on to the enormous Chobe National Park in northern Botswana. In nearby Kasane, she met some legendary East African professional hunters who were conducting safaris in far northern Botswana. Frankie was then recruited as a biologist with the Northern Rhodesian (Zambia after Independence in 1964) Game Department, working for Bill Bain27
ern Road. Her life continued to be eventful. Poachers shooting at game or setting off bushfires to catch game, no water when the pump on her bore gave out or no power and no light, refrigeration or cooking. The power supply was always erratic. Daughter Jacqui gave her an Ipad and a modem and introduced her to E-mail and Skype. Frankie’s wrestling with the technology led to some interesting exchanges.
Marsabit, and Lake Rudolf, they crossed the Red Sea on a dhow, were held up by bandits on the Yemen-Saudi Arabian border area, rode through Petra on horseback, saw snow for the first time in Turkey, and spent six weeks skiing in Austria. On returning to Rhodesia, they developed Wigtown, a farm near Banket, cropping maize and soya beans. Peter and Jacqui started at boarding school in Natal, South Africa and John and Frankie, each with their pilot’s licence, would do the school run in Charlie Oscar, a 4-seater Cherokee Arrow. Then to Moria Ranch near Nuanetsi in the low-veld, running cattle and growing lucerne. Each time Frankie developed a garden and a very beautiful home, mostly from scratch. For most of this time Rhodesia was fighting a civil war for independence and John served in the Rhodesian Army (PATU, Police Anti-Terrorist Unit) on a six weeks on, six weeks off basis. Frankie held the fort while John was away and always slept with a rifle under her pillow. Thankfully, she was never called on to use it. She did regular duty manning the radio at the local military base. In 1980 it became clear they had no long-term future in Zimbabwe and they moved to Pietermaritzburg in Natal, South Africa, where Peter and Jacqui were at school. Then to a fruit farm on the Soutpansburg mountain range in northern South Africa, where John rehabilitated an old pineapple canning factory to can litchis for Gold Crest. Onwards to Pandamatenga in Botswana, and broadacre maize, sorghum and sunflower farming for eight years. In the last year they also ran a photo and hunting safari operation along the Linyanti river system in northern Botswana. Then a return to Zambia where John and son Peter developed ADCO, a timber business that specialises in industrially treated timbers, first based at Kabwe and then at Chingola.
Frankie’s good neighbours were on hand if needed. She started playing bridge again which provided social interaction. She enjoyed growing palms from seeds and sold the seedlings for some income. She loved watching her grand-daughters ride their horses and would often be pressed into service as a jumps judge. Frankie was a remarkably adventurous, capable, talented, courageous and much-loved personality who embraced life and lived it to the full. She died in Lusaka, Zambia on 7 July 2017 and is survived by her son Peter, daughter Jacqui, two grand-daughters and her two brothers. Information from Cluthans 1958 and 1959; Trove NLA (newspapers) and the eulogy from Frankie’s brother Tim Healy. Judith Harris (Cook) 3 June 1937 – 13 April 2016 Clyde 1950 – 51 Her parents were British, Gerald Richardson Cook OBE DSC RN and Brenda Edith Burnett. They married in the 1920s and had four children; Wendy Cook, 19291972; Peter Cook, born 1931 and died from diphtheria in Malta aged four in 1935; Susan Jane Ross (Hodge/Cook), born 14 April 1934 and died 14 April 2014 after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for some years; and Judith Brenda Harris (Cook), born 3 June 1937.
Frankie developed a profound knowledge of plants and wildlife, especially palm trees and birds. She and John loved to observe the birdlife in their garden, describing it in letters to family: “a paradise flycatcher, a migrant breeder, sitting on eggs so close to the kitchen French doors. Grandchildren were fascinated when they spent the day here. Also, a woodland kingfisher has settled outside the bathroom window. Two Heuglins robins have taken up residence by my study window and the veranda. Last night an odd cackling in the trees revealed two hamerkops building their nest in full view of our veranda. The Schalow’s louries which visit all day add to the birdsong chorus. The toppies (bulbuls) are just background chatter as they whistle round polishing off all the fruit left on the trees.”
Although not Catholic, Judy and her sisters’ early schooling was at a convent, Les Oiseaux. When Wendy said she wanted to become a nun, their parents became alarmed and sent Susan and Judith to a Church of England school instead – St. Helen’s in Northwood, Middlesex. They had an idyllic childhood in a house in Bearsted, Kent which had been requisitioned by the army for the duration of WWII. Her father was a UK career naval officer almost from birth. From June 1949 to May 1952, ‘Captain Cook’ was on loan to the Royal Australian Navy as DAMR Australia. On 11 February 1953 he joined
After John’s death in 2010, Frankie continued to live at Kabwe, 80 kms from Lusaka on the Great North28
the guided weapons project of the English Electric Co. in Luton UK and was sent to work at Woomera, Australia, testing rockets such as the Blue Streak. He eventually left at his own request, citing personal family reasons.
to Horsham, put a brass plaque on the gate and taught pupils after school. She also continued to work in the bank. She applied to teach at Clyde. The Horsham Times Friday 28 January 1944 reported “Miss Doreen Miller, Dip. of Music, daughter of Mr and Mrs George Miller, of Searle St, has resigned from the staff of the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney, and has accepted a position as resident music mistress at Clyde Girls School at Woodend. She will leave Horsham at the weekend.”
Judy and Susan Cook attended Clyde in 1950-51 while their father was based in Australia. He was disappointed not to win the fathers’ race on sports day when he learned that Miss Hay awarded a bottle of whisky to the winner!
Doreen always spoke warmly of her time at Clyde. Her daughter was amused when she would relate how girls would climb the tower to look for enemy planes. On reading ‘Clyde, an Uncommon History,’ by Melanie Guile, and in the context of the bombing of Darwin, it was perhaps not quite so hard to believe that many were concerned about Japanese invasion. She also mentioned that there were picnics to nearby Hanging Rock! In 1946 she participated in the Mistresses’ Entertainment. The Cluthan records “The climax of the evening was the operetta, ‘Island Adventure’. Miss Brown, as the wounded airman, gave an excellent performance, and Miss Miller was a typical European in the tropics, with her light frock and wide-brimmed hat.” She left to be married to John McBean at the end of first term.
In 1950 Judy performed in an Ingleton Entertainment play called “The Patchwork Quilt”. She won the Vc Dux and Honours Prizes and a prize in Class Reading. In 1951 she won a prize in a Camera Club competition and was on the Junior Library committee. Adapted from information sent by Judy in 2016 and edited to include Clyde information. Doreen Freda McBean (Miller) STAFF 29 November 1918 – 30 August 2016 Clyde 1944 – 46 Doreen was a country girl, born in the Wimmera town of Horsham in 1918. She had an older sister Joyce and a brother Laurence. Her German, Lutheran ancestors migrated to South Australia in 1850 due to religious and political unrest. They knelt and thanked God for a safe arrival. The first settlement was in Clare, north of the Barossa Valley. Some started vineyards, while others travelled to Victoria and settled on farms in the Wimmera area.
Their children, Peter and Juliana, were born in Melbourne before John was transferred in his job with the Vacuum Oil Company to Launceston, Tasmania in 1950. They did not know anyone initially but met people through John’s work, tennis and golf and Doreen also had piano pupils. Another girl Annette was born in 1954.
Doreen’s father, George Miller, had a partnership, Newton and Miller. They were ‘General Carriers and Produce Merchants’ with an office at the Horsham Railway Station. The Miller family attended the Church of Christ in Horsham where George was secretary for 37 years. His wife Freda Juliana was industrious; she made bread and soap, crocheted and use was made of the fruit trees and vegetable produce in the large back yard.
Doreen and John were both on the ABC Music Committee in Launceston during the 1960’s. Concerts were held at the Princess Theatre in Launceston and afterwards the visiting orchestra and/or musician would visit one of the homes of the committee for supper. Doreen always made her special ‘Apple Cinnamon Cake’! On one occasion Sir Bernard Heinze, who was conducting possibly the MSO, visited the house. He was in charge of the Melbourne Conservatorium when Doreen was there. He said he remembered her!
Doreen had a musical heritage. A relative, Maria Juliana, studied at the ‘Paris Conservatoire’ and, on migrating to Australia, was said to have the first piano in the Wimmera. Her father and grandfather played the cornet in the Horsham Brass Band and also at other functions such as Anzac Day. She kept up her piano studies after finishing school and obtained honours for the highest grades back then. Her examiner Professor Laver and piano teacher Lindsay Biggins encouraged Doreen’s father to send her to the Melbourne Conservatorium. This she did, travelling to Melbourne by train and staying with her married sister Joyce in Glen Iris.
Doreen was very fond of golf, playing into her 70’s. She held the position of Captain and President at the Launceston Golf Club. She even had a ‘hole in one’ in her golfing career! Doreen’s latter years were spent playing Bridge and doing crosswords. She was an avid reader. and also a member of Probus. There were several overseas trips, mainly cruises. Her four Tasmanian great grandchildren called her ‘DorDor’. Doreen’s last few years were spent with dementia in care at Norwood Haven. Juliana says “it was hard to
After obtaining her Diploma of Music, she returned 29
see my mother gradually lose something of what she was. She however did have a sweet spirit and was polite to those who looked after her. My mother would hold the balls of wool that I would bring over from the Bendigo Woollen Mill, and gently unwind as I would crochet. She always responded to the Photo Book we produced for her 90th birthday. She would point to her ancestors knowing their names! We had a photo of Clyde where we took her on a visit some time back. Fortunately her musical memory didn’t die. She remembered how to play a keyboard for piano and the ‘Community Song Book’ always brought much interest. This was the type that people used to play and sing around in days before television and other media: Two Little Girls in Blue, When Johnny comes marching home, Scottish, English folk songs and hymns. My mother would point with her finger, say the words and sing in her funny voice.”
a private library in the Pickwick Club situated at the bottom of the MLC building in the Sydney CBD. During the lunch hour, the staff sold sandwiches to the businessmen who worked in the building.
Doreen showed much resilience in the face of some challenging and difficult circumstances. She was able to adapt and face life head on with determination and a sense of humour. She had ten grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren.
Dee then went to work for Qantas, flying Constellation aircraft between Sydney and London. It was during one of the stopovers in Karachi, Pakistan that she met and married, Englishman James (Jim) Maudsley Whittaker. Both her children (Shaen, Cl’71 and Kerry Whittaker, Cl’73) were born in Karachi. The family subsequently moved to Mumbai (formerly Bombay) in India, and then, two years later, migrated to Collaroy Plateau, north of Sydney. Dee opened a children’s shop ‘Poppets’ on New South Head Road, Edgecliff and initially sewed and knitted all the stock. Jim died suddenly within a year of the family’s move from India, so the family moved to the eastern suburbs of Sydney and Dee moved ‘Poppets’ from New South Head Road to Knox Street in Double Bay where it became well known throughout the eastern suburbs. Following the completion of both girls’ schooling, Dee closed ‘Poppets’ and worked in retail in and around Double Bay.
Adapted from information sent by her daughter Juliana Rickard and edited to include Clyde information. Diane Mary Rickard (Whittaker/Paterson) 6 December 1927 – 25 October 2015 Clyde 1941 – 42 Diane, known as Dee, was the second child of Tom and Thelma Paterson. Dee was educated firstly at St Catherine’s and then Clyde. In 1941 she gained her First Aid certificate, a Vb Honours Prize and prizes in General Knowledge and Drawing. In the second term the school dressed about fifty dolls for the YWCA Competition and Diane won a prize in the section ‘The Doll Best-Dressed in School Uniform’. Like her sister Judith Gordon (Paterson, Cl’42) she played roles in a Clutha House Entertainment and a school play. In 1942 she won a Va Pass Prize and prizes for Scripture and Class Reading. She finished her schooling at Frensham in Mittagong, NSW when her mother moved to Sydney. She always considered herself as a Clyde Old Girl due to her happy time there and kept up with the friendships she had established at Clyde throughout her lifetime.
She married her second husband, Douglas Randolph Rickard (the man who lived in the next door apartment block who she met through friends at a lunch party in Palm Beach) three days after Shaen’s 21st birthday following a whirlwind courtship. They enjoyed many happy years together, until his death in 2001. Dee spent her time between her little house at Avoca Beach, NSW (summer) and her villa at the Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas (winter). Although her eyesight
After finishing her schooling Dee began working at 30
Echuca and Nathalia, and owned by the Cain family from 19041950. The ‘commodious’ Madowla Park homestead was built in the 1860s, one of the original squatters’ homes with wide verandahs, situated on a picturesque lagoon with willow and peppercorn trees between the house and water. There were stables, cart sheds, a 12-stand shearing shed and a wool store. It had a grand old garden and productive orchard with oranges, lemons, grapefruit, apricots, peaches, pears, pomegranates, olives, mulberries and trellises festooned with grapevines. The Leader newspaper (Melbourne, 1892) described Madowla Park with its rich loam soil and ample water as a “splendid exhibition of nature’s abundance” and “an oasis in the desert”. The Cains also had a home in Clowes Street, South Yarra, travelling regularly between city and country.
and her hearing were severely impaired in later years, Dee continued to swim every morning in the pool at Port Douglas and to read her ‘talking’ books. She was an intelligent, charming woman who was well loved by all who knew her. She died shortly after her return to Avoca Beach following her usual ‘wintering’ in Port Douglas. Written by Shaen McDonald (Whittaker), Diane’s daughter, and edited to include information from Cluthans. Judith P. Gordon (Randol/Paterson) 18 September 1925 – October 2014 Clyde 1940 – 42 Judy was the eldest child of Thomas Carlyle Paterson and Thelma Powell Paterson and sister of Diane Rickard (Paterson, Cl’42). At Clyde in 1940 Judy went to the Fancy Dress Dance as a dark-skinned Hawaiian maiden and won the junior Belle of the Ball. In the one-act play, “Cinderella Married”, she was excellent as a lady-in-waiting. At the end of the year she was Dux of Vb. The following year she played roles in the Clutha House Entertainment and a school play; in one she was the ‘Lady in Red’ and “caused much diversion by assuring a policeman how much she disliked the common herd and its ways.”
At Clyde Roberta was on the Junior Club and Junior Library committees and won Dux, Form, House and Special Prizes. She was also Form Captain of Vc in 1938. She played roles in Faireleight House Entertainments and school plays and in 1941 she was in the same play as Ann Moran, “The Truth About Hess” (see Ann’s obituary on page 25). Roberta’s sister Diana Hamilton (Cain) also attended Clyde (1934-39) and their brother Quentin Cain attended Melbourne Grammar School before studying architecture.
After leaving Clyde during World War II, she was a civilian employee of the US Navy and worked as a secretary at Rose Bay Air Base in Sydney. In 1946, she moved to Dallas where she lived for a year with an aunt. In 1947, she moved to New York City and took a position at the Australian Consulate General. She was married in 1951 to Dr Charles Lee Randol, a paediatrician from Baltimore. She had four children, Liz, Christopher, Lucinda and Caroline. She subsequently married Charles Gordon but the marriage ended in 1992. Judy was a long-time volunteer in the Sherwood same-day surgery recovery unit at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center and a tour guide at the Walters Art Museum. She was a gourmet cook, an expert knitter and needlepointer and an avid reader.
Roberta and Diana enjoyed country life and were pictured in the newspaper Table Talk (Melbourne) in 1937 with their horses at Madowla Park. After leaving Clyde, Diana married Mac Hamilton of Caligunee station, Goondiwindi, Queensland. By 1949 Roberta’s parents had moved to Grace Hill, Frankston.
Written by Shaen McDonald (Whittaker), Judith’s niece, and edited to include information from Cluthans. Roberta ‘Bobbie’ Mary Cobbold Taylor (Cain) 8 October 1924 – 11 December 2016 Clyde 1936 – 41
Roberta was an enthusiastic member of the Sunshine Coast Branch of the Australian Federation of University Women Queensland (now Graduate Women Queensland, GWQ) and the following article was written by Roberta in 2000 for a millennial Sunshine Coast Branch publication which contained ‘women’s
Roberta was the younger daughter of Mr and Mrs William N Cain of Madowla Park in northern Victoria, a merino sheep and cattle grazing property, located on the Murray and Goulburn rivers, between 31
to return to college after lectures were over and enjoy my own company in my own room. University was a struggle after four years away from study; but I eventually got my degree (Bachelor of Arts in 1949) and later a Library Practice Certificate.
stories of their university experiences across the 20th century’. “My early schooling was a rather hit and miss affair, correspondence taught, when she felt like it, by my mother, then a twelve pupil, one teacher primary state school in country Victoria. Something must have worked because, when I started boarding at Clyde, I was well up to standard. Clyde wasn’t particularly academic; tennis, hockey and other sports played a large part in our lives. We had a very free, happy schooling with a wonderful headmistress (Miss Olga Hay) who played an important part in forming our attitudes to life in general.
A degree certainly gave me a sense of achievement; but, on my marriage to a mining engineer, I went to live in Uganda on an isolated mining camp and was probably the only women within miles who had been near a University, so I quickly learned to keep quiet about having a degree – it really is of little interest to others. Education, though ‘is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten’, so I am pleased I did get to University.”
My parents had both had a tertiary education and I had always intended to go to University; but after war broke out in 1939, I put aside all those thoughts and, after a year working on our farm in Northern Victoria, I joined the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service. After initial training, which consisted of marching round the streets of Port Melbourne, I was posted to Monterey Flats in Melbourne which housed the Directorate of Naval Communications and a code breaking unit FRUmel (Fleet Radio Unit, Melbourne), a joint US/Australian operation classified Top Secret Security. After a rather sheltered childhood, I had to grow up – and fast. We worked normal Navy watches and the war years passed in a haze of always being tired, travelling on late night trams and living in very austere barracks on the shores of Albert Park Lake.
During twenty years of membership of the GWQ SC Branch, Roberta supported and was inspired by the annual Branch Bursary Awards to female students at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC). She was instrumental in organising the branch’s first book sale to raise funds for student bursaries and when the first USC Graduation Ceremony was held in 1999, she volunteered to ‘Gown the Grads’ and she continued to do so for many years. Due to a generous gift from Roberta, via the Development Office at USC, the Roberta M.C. Taylor Endowment Fund has been created for the purpose of funding one scholarship each year for a student within USC’s School of Nursing and Midwifery, in perpetuity. Roberta has requested that the recipients be female and that the scholarship assist with capacity building in the area of Nursing and Midwifery in rural and remote communities (country towns). An annual scholarship of $4,000 is to be awarded to a student who meets the criteria after academic staff consultation within the USC School of Nursing and Midwifery. In late 2015, the first Roberta M.C. Taylor Rural & Remote Nursing and Midwifery Scholarship for Honours, Higher Degree by Research or Postgraduate students was awarded to one fortunate student.
Apart from encountering my first bottle of Coca Cola and being in charge of feeding Commander Newman’s goldfish, my career there was not particularly distinguished. After the war ended, I was transferred to Flinders Naval Depot as Acting Education Officer; so promptly entered myself for University under the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme. I was discharged from the W.R.A.N.S. the week before University began and, on passing an obligatory home economics test, I went into residence at Janet Clarke Hall. Like all returned service people, we just had to stand on our own two feet and get on with life, with no such things as Student Equity Officers, Counsellors or even printed lecture notes. 1945 saw the main flood of ex-service men and women starting University after the war; lecture theatres were very overcrowded, books difficult to come by, the library very short of space and trips to the Public library, very cold.
Adapted from the celebration of her life written by the Graduate Women Queensland Sunshine Coast Branch and edited to include Clyde information; also from newspaper articles in TROVE NLA. Flora M. Vercollone (Mackay Sim) 23 February 1918 – 17 March 2015 Clyde 1929 – 31 Flora was one of ten children born to Alice Maud Mary Summers and David James Mackay Sim (b. Ardbroath, Scotland 1877 – d. Australia 1964). Flora’s parents were married on 6 July 1906 in Yokohama, Japan and initially lived in Tokyo. Flora’s mother Alice was the daughter of James Summers
My growing up had been done in the W.R.A.N.S. I thought the various clubs and societies rather juvenile, as did many of my ex-service friends. After nine years of communal living, I was only too happy 32
(b. Richfield, Kent UK 5 May 1828 – d. 1891) who worked in China and Japan as a professor of Chinese languages and English literature, a teacher of English and a proponent of Japanese culture. Alice Summers grew up in Japan and taught English in a Japanese summer school in Tokyo before her marriage. Flora’s father David James Mackay Sim was a partner in Macdonald, Hamilton and Co Pty Ltd (MH and Co), the main agents in Australia for the Peninsula and Oriental Steam Navigation Co (P&O) shipping group until about 1960, with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. MH and Co also represented other major British Indian, Australian and New Zealand Steamship companies.
had a mild winter and enjoyed a few weeks of winter sports in the Tyrol, with a quiet traditional Christmas spent at school in Geneva. In Sydney for the next few years, the local newspapers tracked Flora’s social life with regular reports of her outings, often accompanied by her sisters. She attended many fund-raisers, including Support the Missions for Seamen at Elizabeth Bay. During World War II, Flora served as a secretary with the American Red Cross in the South Pacific, based in Noumea. In 1943, she met and married her husband, Lieut. Roy Vercollone in New Caledonia where he was a US Naval commander aboard a mine sweeper. Roy was born and raised in Somerville, Massachusetts USA, one of four sons of Stephen and Teresa Vercollone. He was a graduate of Mount St Mary’s University in Maryland. In 1945, Flora and Roy returned to live in Boston, where Roy began a long and successful career as a salesman with Hormel Foods and Meat Packers. They later lived in Vaucluse, Acton, Dartmouth and Winchester, Massachusetts. Married for seventy years, they raised a close family of five children, Teresa Cryan (b. 1945), David Vercollone, Susan Lloyd, Robert Vercollone and Lisa Arthofer.
Born and raised in Australia, Flora was the sister of Malcolm Mackay Sim (26 Jan 1922 – 2 Sep 2016); Ellen Christina Gray; Deborah Mackay Sim, Madeleine Dennis (Mackay Sim, Cl’27-29), David Mackay Sim, John Mackay Sim, Agnes Williams (Mackay Sim, Cl’29-31), Jean Reid (Mackay Sim, Cl’31-36) and Alice Colson of Norfolk, England. Flora (enrolled as Flora Sim) attended Clyde from 1929-31, as did her sisters Madeleine, Agnes and Jean between 1927-1936. At Clyde, Flora won prizes for Drama and Needlework, forecasting a brilliant career in pattern design and dressmaking.
Flora also had an accomplished career as a seamstress, teacher and author, including television appearances and creating patented designs and inventions. One of her US patented inventions (1975) provided an improved method of making a custom dress form, effectively eliminating the need to estimate corrections to a commercial dress pattern, thus benefitting dressmakers working from home who were tailoring garments to suit individual customers. The kit could be assembled and customised as required. It involved fitting pattern sections to an individual and then spraying the pieces with adhesive and adhering them together to form a solid fabric foam laminate. In 1973, Flora was the author of a 58-page book describing her invention, “The Flora Form”, by Flora M. Vercollone.
In the 1930s, Flora’s family lived at Wirian, 3 Victoria Road, Bellevue Hill in Sydney, a historically significant and decorative interwar Arts and Crafts mansion, built in 1923. (In 1977 much of Wirian’s surrounding land was sold to Cranbrook School.) In 1935 the Mackay Sims were also described as living at Firenze, 322 Edgecliff Road, Woollahra. On 9 Jan 1935, Flora wore “a frock of hydrangea blue chiffon and a hat of matching tulle” as a bridesmaid at her sister Madeleine’s marriage to Peter Dennis, with a reception for 200 people afterwards at Firenze. In March 1935 Flora travelled overseas to spend a year at a finishing school in Geneva, Switzerland, returning to Sydney on the Narkunda in May 1936. Interviewed on her return home, she was described as the “dark and vivacious Miss Sim” who had visited Paris, London and Scotland before returning to Australia. At school in Geneva she studied music, French language, literature, art and fashion, with visits to places of historical interest as part of the syllabus. There were only eight English girls and two German girls in her year. Flora was quoted as saying that, with the unsettled conditions in Europe, it was difficult for girls to attend finishing school and the German authorities were prohibiting people from taking money out of the country. She said they
An article in the Lowell Sun newspaper of Massachusetts, dated 21 September 1976, reviews her book and describes Flora Vercollone as “an inventor, author and occasional television personality who planned her numerous achievements while raising a family of five children. Fascinated by sewing from her childhood days, Mrs Vercollone learned some techniques from Parisian couturiers in Geneva, Switzerland and after her marriage took pride in doing home sewing. During two decades of child rearing, she turned to sewing as a financial aid, a creative outlet and to “keep her sanity” she said. At the time her fifth child Lisa was born, Mrs Vercollone was creating fashions and teaching at a major store’s fab33
ric department, and became a fashion representative for the Anno Company and Drilz Inc. She gave lectures and sewing lessons to teachers and high school students and at women’s club meetings, in department stores and on television. Flora taught according to the Bishop method. She concluded that the Wire Dress form of dressmaker’s dummy, a standard piece of home-sewing equipment, just didn’t work, so she decided to do something about making sewing easier.
Information from Trove NLA newspaper reports: Sydney Morning Herald, The Argus, The West Australian, Daily Commercial News & Shipping List (Sydney, NSW), The Telegraph (Brisbane), Table Talk (Melbourne); Boston Globe, Lowell SunMassachusetts, South Coast Today (USA); Vercollone family tributes; internet; The Cluthan. Barbara Anne Walker (Mackenzie) 31 December 1947 – 16 February 2016 Clyde 1960 – 65
Flora’s project became a family affair; they helped to write the instruction book, a friend helped with the designs, a cousin did all the photography and several friends were models. Someone even volunteered to be wrapped up in masking tape as the prototype. Then the whole family spent night after night putting the Flora Form kits together. Flora Form allows garment ease and for different shaped figures, it is used to correct the pattern, not the garment, saving the home-sewer from difficult estimations.”
Barbara was born in Toorak, Melbourne, the first child of Ian Stewart Mackenzie and Rutherford Norma Mackenzie (Finlay, Cl’35). According to her daughter Angela, Barbara never really liked having 31 December as her birthday – as a child the older relatives always sent one card “Dear Barbie, Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday”, and as an adult everyone remembered it. The family initially lived with her mother’s family at Killamont, Kyabram. When Ian gained his soldier settlement block Binalong at Mansfield and had a garage shed built, they moved and lived in the garage while the house was built. Little brother Ross came along in 1951. Their childhood was a typical baby boomer childhood, there wasn’t much but they made the most of it. There was no shortage of animals with a cat always nearby and horses.
On 17 March 2015, Flora died peacefully aged 97 at McCarthy Hospice in Sandwich, holding the hand of her husband Roy and surrounded by family. She was the cherished grandmother of nine, and greatgrandmother to eleven children. Survived by her sister Alice Colson in England and brother Malcolm Mackay Sim (d. 2.9.2016, aged 94) in Australia, she was predeceased by her sisters Christine, Deborah, Madeleine, Agnes and Jean, and her brothers John and David. After her death, numerous people made donations to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, in memory of Flora Vercollone. The Museum has an extensive historic textiles collection.
Barbara’s education started at the Delatite State School and then she went on to her mother’s school Clyde which was a school for young ladies and also known as the monastery on the hill. It was here that Barbara made some lifelong friends, including Cecily Hardy. Cec and Barbara were in different years but they were always the best of friends. The education side of school was lost on Barbara but it may have been where her love of geography and dress making skills stemmed from. She did excel at drawing pictures of horses and talking, hence the name ‘Babbles’ as she is known by school friends. It was probably the same friends she then spent time with pulling bracken out of the hill as punishment. In 1963 Barbara was a form captain, on the Art Committee; she gained a Dressmaking Certificate and her Intermediate certificate. In 1964 she went on a school trip to New Guinea, was in the Senior 2nds Basketball and Senior 2nds Tennis teams and gained her Leaving certificate. In 1965 she was a Matric vice-captain, won the annual photographic competition and matriculated.
Flora has many relatives in Australia, the UK and the USA, nieces and nephews of the Colson, Gray, Hore, Mackay Sim families and of her sisters Madeleine Dennis, Jean Reid and Agnes Williams’ families and her own Vercollone family.
After Clyde she moved to Melbourne and attended the Holmes Secretarial College. She lived at the Edith Head Hostel and shared a room with Barb Blake (Davies). She then worked for a number of businesses starting at Olympic Tyres before moving
L-R: Flora Vercollone (Mackay Sim) and Agnes Williams (Mackay Sim) 34
determined and generous. She loved a good debate and was always a great sounding board. Her catch phrase of “it’s just what you do!” or as the family often heard, “that is not what you do!” And of course “you’ve just got to get on with it”. When all else failed, “let’s have a grog” was heard. She believed her greatest achievements were raising three children, being married for 38 years and her involvement with Red Cross. Her only regret was not getting Fergus to the Scottish highlands.
on to more entrepreneurial businesses. After the hostel she lived in a number of flats, starting in South Yarra with Marnie Bishop (Craig). She also shared a flat with Ross and they became good mates. She had a big group of friends and there were lots of fun weekends of parties and skiing at Mt Buller. Barbara travelled to Europe and the UK and felt her Mackenzie blood pumping in the Scottish Highlands. Travelling up and across the Bealach na Bà (the cattle pass) into Applecross on the West coast of Scotland was a favourite of hers. This was the land of her forbears. She also discovered the joys of French pastries, Swiss cheese, chocolate and beer.
Adapted from the obituary by her daughter Angela sent to COGA by Sue Monger (Crooke) and edited to include Clyde information.
Her friendship with Barb Davies led to many exciting road trips, although Barbara said she always preferred to drive and there were some hair raising moments with Barb behind the wheel. They dropped into Coolootai Station and met Tom and Kath Walker and caught up with their son Gavin who was a friend of Barb’s. In 1976 Barbara headed on a road trip to visit her school friend Cate Bucknell (Treweeke, Cl’66) and husband Dick at Collarenebri. With big floods on the way she headed east before she was stuck for weeks and arrived at Coolootai with a slipping clutch. The Walker’s other son Fergus happened to be at Coolootai and was only too happy to get the Cortina going again. Apparently sparks flew. Soon after he was invited to join one of their regular ski trips to the lodge at Mt Buller and their relationship blossomed. Barbara and Fergus Walker married six months later on 20 December 1977.
Elizabeth ‘Susie’ Mary Darling (Yencken) 30 September 1928 – 20 May 2016 Clyde 1942 Elizabeth Yencken was born in Berlin in 1928, one of three children born to Arthur Ferdinand Yencken CMG MC (1894-1944) and his wife Mary Joyce, the daughter of grazier George Russell of Langi Willi near Skipton. Her two brothers were OGGs Dr John Yencken OAM (1926-2012) and Emeritus Professor David Yencken AO (1931-). Elizabeth was always called Susie because her young brother ‘stubbornly’ kept calling her that until the family gave in. Eventually, in her 80s, she reverted back to Elizabeth but, after a lifetime of calling her Susie, many found it difficult to call her Elizabeth. Susie’s father, Arthur Yencken served as a diplomat in the British Foreign Service (Australia not yet having its own foreign service) from 1919 until his death in an aircraft crash in Spain on 18 May 1944. His diplomatic postings included Washington USA (1920-22), Berlin, Germany (1928-32), Cairo, Egypt as deputy High Commissioner (1933-36), Rome, Italy (1937-39), then acting Counsellor at the British Embassy, San Sebastián and finally British Charge d’Affaires, Madrid, Spain (1939-44).
Angela arrived in 1980 followed by Elizabeth in 1984 and Stewart in 1985. It was about this time that Barbara’s community spirit kicked in; she was involved in preschool, school P&C and was involved in getting the Rocky Dam Coolootai Red Cross branch off the ground again. Barbara went on to have her own Murray Grey cattle and a year as a fine wool grower at Kailey’s near Bundarra.
Susie’s childhood family homes were dictated by her father’s diplomatic career. Her brother David Yencken’s earliest memories of Susie include their time together in Egypt, in their garden in Cairo, riding camels, swimming in the Mediterranean near Alexandria and, on a trip to Australia, Susie with her pet lamb at Langi Willi, the property in Western Victoria where their mother grew up.
In 2006 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After the initial shock Barbara got on with her life and showed her strength and determination; during this time she was able to help support many other cancer sufferers. In the next nine years Barbara saw all of her children get married and saw two grandchildren born. In 2015 Barbara instigated an inter-generational transfer at Coolootai, persuading Fergus to semi retire to Inverell and become a commuter back to the property. The move was tough physically and mentally for both of them but their year at Inverell allowed them to enjoy life more without the stresses of full time farming and full time gardening.
Her older brother John was early sent off to boarding school leaving Susie and David to make the best of their peripatetic childhood at diplomatic outposts or responding to the dangers of war. They were evacuated from Madrid in 1940, making a Jules Verne type journey, crossing the Atlantic by flying boat, the United States by train and the Pacific by steamship. On the way back to Spain they were stuck in
Barbara can be easily described as strong, resilient, 35
Philadelphia with their accompanying governess and little money to sustain them, living happily off doughnuts as the cheapest food available while they waited for a way to get back to Lisbon and then Madrid. Not long after, all three children were packed off to boarding school in England. Susie came back to Australia during the war and attended Clyde in 1942.
and Jonah; Juliet’s son George Dixon and Camilla’s children Nogeeshik, Quanah and Sequoia Haskell.
Arthur Yencken died when his plane hit a mountain in Spain in 1944 while ferrying refugees from France; Susie was only eighteen at the time. He was buried in the British Cemetery in Madrid. After being widowed, Susie’s mother Joyce moved to Suffolk in England, living in a series of places with wonderful old Norse names; Yoxford, Saxmundam, Dallinghoo, Hoo. Susie especially loved Dallinghoo Hall, a small three storey manor with a croquet lawn and horses to ride. But riding in Suffolk didn’t compare with riding across the plains of Langi Willi when they were in Australia.
Jane was born in Malvern, Victoria, the youngest of five children (Robert, James, Helen, Mary and Jane) born to Gladys Rosalind (Cowan) and Essington Lewis (1881-1961). As managing director of BHP and director of national munitions and aircraft in WWII, Essington Lewis was considered one of Australia’s most powerful civilians, receiving a Companion of Honour (CH) award in 1943. In 1933 Mr Lewis bought a 3,500-acre property called Landscape in Tallarook, near Seymour. The Lewis family used Landscape as a country home, retaining a town house Kooringa in Malvern (1930s) and later 283 Williams Road, South Yarra. Jane loved country life. She was a keen horse rider and would ride in to the Seymour Show, camp at the showgrounds and then ride home again. She also enjoyed playing tennis on the Landscape court. Many famous visitors were hosted at Landscape including Prince Philip in 1940; the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester in the mid1940s; Governor-General Lord Gowrie; the Governor of South Australia Sir Willoughby Norrie in 1949 and tennis player Harry Hopman.
Information from Susie’s daughter Camilla and from her brother David Yencken’s eulogy. Jane Warren Essington Nevile (Lewis) 26 January 1928 – 26 May 2017 Clyde 1942 – 45
In 1948, Susie’s mother married Sir Denys Pilditch (1891-1975), the retired wartime director of the British Intelligence Bureau in India. The family went to live at Bredfield Place close by. Denys was the gentlest of men, belying his calling. Beautiful and vivacious, aged 22, Susie became engaged to John Darling, a bomber pilot during the war. They were married at St Andrew’s Anglican Church at Woodbridge, Suffolk in June 1950 and guests at the wedding included Mary Munckton (Lewis, Cl’41) and Jane Nevile (Lewis, Cl’45).
Jane attended primary school in Melbourne before boarding at Clyde from 1942-45. At Clyde she gained her Intermediate and Leaving certificates, was captain of Honours and Ingleton House, and showed her wide range of interests by serving on several committees: the Debating Club, Library, Music, Camera Club, CSS and Sports Committees and two years on the Cluthan committee. She played in the Senior Basketball VII 1944-45. Her sisters also attended Clyde: Helen Rosalind Clarke (Lewis, Cl’36-40) and Mary Essington Munckton (Lewis, Cl’38-41).
They immediately afterwards returned to Australia to live and moved to Sydney, where John worked for John Darling and Sons – his uncle’s wheat merchant and flour milling business. Their four children (John, Mark, Juliet and Camilla) were brought up in Sydney and at their farm Fernhill at Mulgoa, near Penrith. Set on rolling parklands at the foot of the Blue Mountains, Fernhill is a 1,700 acre country estate with a strong equestrian and racing history. Its heritage-listed 1830s sandstone homestead was built from stone quarried at the property by convicts, and constructed by twenty Irish stonemasons brought to Australia under the ‘bounty system’ of immigration. After her marriage ended Susie lived in Vaucluse and then Darling Point before moving to a nursing home, Beresford Hall, in Rose Bay for the last year or two of her life. She was a very keen tennis player into her 80’s; the love of tennis had been instilled into her by her father who had played championship doubles at Wimbledon with his brother.
From 1947, Jane was a student at Melbourne University where she qualified as a physiotherapist. She later worked for the Victorian Health Department in the poliomyelitis division and with the Commonwealth Rehabilitation Department. Newspapers and social magazines of the era tracked Jane’s busy social and sporting life in Melbourne and interstate, visiting her Cowan and Lewis relatives in South Australia and Western Australia or organising and attending charity functions.
Susie was loving grandmother to John Harold Darling’s children Georgina, Lucy and Camilla; Mark Yencken Darling’s children Linden, Isabel, Harrison
As a first year physiotherapy student in 1947, Jane helped the Town and Gown Guild to run a successful gift stall at Melbourne University, raising £115 for 36
new furnishings and equipment for the Union House. She also joined a rowing crew despite having no experience. The Argus, Mon 19 May 1947, social editor reported that: “At the Yarra river bank boat sheds the Studettes’ Cup contestants were going out for their heats. Nine fours competed, and very few of the girls had ever handled a racing paddle until a week before. Arts, science, physics, Newman Society and the Liberal Club had crews. Most of the girls were first-year students. Their rowing ‘uniform’ was white shorts and varicoloured shirts or windcheaters. Most had their hair tied back with coloured scarves. Robert Menzies MP and Mrs Menzies were down by the water’s edge to watch their daughter Heather, an arts student, who was rowing in one of the crews, while Mrs Essington Lewis and daughter Mary were there to see Jane Lewis row in another.”
Russell Clarke of South Yarra. Best man was the groom’s cousin Sir Rupert Clarke. Jane wore an “ice -blue frock of nylon net, fashioned with a ruched bodice and cap sleeves, with white hyacinths fastened in her hair”. Helen and Michael Clarke went to live at Hollyburton, Clarkefield, Victoria and in March 1951, Jane became godmother to their first born child, her niece Andrea Rosalind Wilkinson (Clarke, Cl’63-68). In May 1949, Jane with Jane Casey (Cl’45-46) and Pamela Stevenson (Cl’40-45), attended the wedding of Geoffrey and Helen Handbury (Murdoch, Cl’42-46). It was a splendid occasion: “A charcoal brazier burned cheerily in the centre of a huge marquee, lined in pale yellow to welcome guests arriving for the reception held by Sir Keith Murdoch and Lady Murdoch (Elisabeth Greene Cl’22-26) after their daughter’s marriage. Yellow-toned chrysanthemums and autumn foliage wreathed the standards of the marquee, and the wedding cake was encircled by garlands of stephanotis, orange blossom and gardenias, flanked by high white candles burning in silver mounted lustres.”
In September 1947, Jane was a catalogue seller, with June Dalrymple (Cl’37-41), Joan Whitton (Cl’3739), and Mary Ross (Cl’35-40), at an exhibition of antique silver at the Lower Melbourne Town Hall. As managing director of BHP, Essington Lewis played a vital role in the development of Australia’s Holden car. He ensured that General Motors Holden (GMH) received sufficient supplies of steel and coal in 1948. Both commodities were scarce in post World War II years, along with all construction materials. BHP was a major supplier of steel for Holden production. Essington Lewis was the recipient of many awards, a member of various professional and social organisations and the author of numerous books on the Australian iron and steel industry. In August 1948, Jane witnessed history when she accompanied her father to the official ‘blowing-in’ or lighting up of the Australian Iron and Steel Ltd.’s new number three 1,500-ton blast furnace at Port Kembla steelworks in Wollongong. Leading the ceremony, Essington Lewis wished the furnace success as he dipped in the blazing torch.
On 7 March 1951, Jane and her sister Mary set sail on the Strathaird, travelling to England where they stayed with Lord and Lady Gowrie at Norman Tower, Windsor Castle. In April they attended a wedding “with an Australian flavour” in the little country church at St Andrews, Woodbridge, Suffolk when Elizabeth ‘Susie’ Mary Yencken (Cl’42) married John Darling, son of Mr and Mrs Harold Darling, Orrong Road, Toorak, followed by a reception at Bredfield Place, the home of Susie’s stepfather, Sir Denys Pilditch. In May 1951 Jane and Mary saw the spectacular Order of the Garter Ceremony, and the Windsor Horse Show where Princess Elizabeth presented the prizes. In July they attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace with their friend Jane Macgowan (Casey). In August they spent two weeks in Germany as guests of Mr and Mrs TC Davis, head of the Canadian Mission in Bonn. The girls returned to Australia in December 1951.
On Thursday 16 September 1948, Jane was a bridesmaid at her sister Helen’s wedding to Michael Alastair Clarke, younger son of Mr and Mrs WL
During 1952, Jane attended the races and major tennis events in Victoria and interstate. She attended the May meeting of the Moonee Valley Racing Club when Anouk, a horse which belonged to Rhonda ‘Plum’ Rutherford (Cl’39-44), won its first race in Melbourne. Also attending were Jane’s sister Helen Clarke and Sheila Irving (Cl’40-43). In July-August 1952, Jane spent three weeks on a flying trip through the Kimberleys, Cockatoo Island, Yampi Sound and Perth. She spent a week at Liveringa, a sheep station in the West Kimberleys. Interviewed for the West Australian newspaper on Thursday 21 August, Jane said that homes on Cock37
and vegetable garden. She used produce from her land to create vast quantities of award winning jellies, jams and preserves. Quinces, cumquats, oranges, lemons, apples, tomatoes, onions – all found a place in her cooking pots and elegantly presented jars and bottles. Jane donated much of this superb produce to help raise funds for the charities she supported, selling at markets, jumble sales and winning top prizes at state agricultural shows. She supplied the annual Clyde Jumble Sale with her produce for several decades, a huge contribution to the Isabel Henderson Kindergarten. Shoppers would turn up each year and ask for their favourites among Jane’s preserves.
atoo Island had electric stoves, hot water services and kerosene refrigerators but, as the island only had a small spring, fresh water was brought by the iron ore ships from Newcastle – they carried it as ballast instead of sea water. “Some of the homes had wonderful vegetable gardens, but it meant hard work”, said Jane. “As most of the island is rocky, one has to dig deep to get to the soil. Once the initial hard work is over, most vegetables grow well. The island has beautiful natural trees and flowers, unlike anything seen further south.” Fully involved in the social events surrounding her parents’ public and working life, Jane assisted in welcoming visitors from the US, Canada, South Africa, England, India, Fiji and New Zealand to the fifth Empire Mining and Metallurgical Congress which opened in the Melbourne Town Hall on Monday 20 April 1953. Essington Lewis was president of the congress. She also helped to entertain the retiring High Commission for the UK in Australia, Mr EJ Williams and his family at a luncheon hosted by her mother in May 1952.
Jane was a dedicated supporter of the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), making her properties available for horse-riding activities. Jane started up the RDA Barwon branch at her property in the 1970s. An experienced horsewoman, she was the RDA Barwon coach, recipient of the prestigious Michael Field National Volunteer Award, and a National Assessor for the RDA. Jane generously supported a range of charities and in later years used the Geelong Community Foundation (GCF) to manage her philanthropic distributions. The Geelong Community Foundation, established in 2000, assists people and communities in the Geelong region, where the region’s needs are not being met from other funding sources. Donations are retained as capital by the Foundation to build a perpetual fund for philanthropic purposes, with only the income from this capital used to make local community grants.
Jane’s mother Gladys Rosalind Lewis died at South Yarra on 6 July 1954. Gladys Lewis had been president of the YWCA and the Lady Gowrie Child Welfare Centres, earning an OBE in 1950 for her work in support of numerous charities. Frequently absent on business trips, Essington Lewis travelled to and fro in the BHP aircraft Silver City. In 1949, Jane’s father had bought the first Holden car produced in Australia, which her sister Mary Munckton later acquired and preserved for national posterity. On 2 October 1961, on one of his visits to Landscape, Jane’s father fell from his horse and suffered fatal chest injuries. His death was reported on the front page of every national daily newspaper.
Described affectionately as a “force to be reckoned with”, Jane was a true country girl, energetic, positive and hard-working, selfless and tireless in her efforts for community service. She was always active, inspiring in the breadth of her capabilities, and a highly valued and loved member of the community. She was a dedicated member of COGA, regularly
Jane married Sandford Nevile in 1959. Sandford Nevile OBE was the chairman of Clyde School Council at the time of amalgamation with GGS in 1976, and a member of GGS Council 1975-82. The Neviles settled in Research, north of Melbourne and had three children Dr Anne Pitcher (Nevile, Cl’/ GGS 77), Sarah Lavingdale (Nevile, Cl’/GGS 80) and Richard Nevile. Sandford was involved in the textile industry and managed Port Philip Mills. At the time of his death in 1982, he was Head of the International Wool Textile Organisation. In 1971 the Nevile family moved to Darriwill on Bakers Bridge Road, near Geelong, a historic 388ha property with a large bluestone homestead (1856), barn, stables and hayloft, overlooking Sutherlands Creek and Moorabool Flats. After selling Darriwill to artist Dougal Ramsay and his wife Nellie, in 1994 Jane moved to her property Kooringa, on Steiglitz Road in Sutherlands Creek where she had an orchard
At the Jumble Sale: Jane Nevile (Lewis) with Joan Mackenzie (Bloomfield) and Margie Gillett (Cordner)’s daughters Emma and Victoria Gillett 38
attending events and reunions for many years, always helpful, and was greatly loved by all her Clyde friends and family: Anne (dec.) and Tim Pitcher, Sarah and Karl Lavingdale, Richard Nevile, and grandchildren Sandford, Henry, William and Florence.
and our hair hanging limp with green slime from swimming in Dutch canals. We eventually got a car from Kent! There were none left in London. Shot home, pressed our frocks (Jane wore white organza) and set off in a huge black car like a hearse, still with hair in pins. Heavy traffic and a stream of black cars filing up Constitution Hill. We swept through the gates and then … there we were in the Palace.” A keen royalist, Jane was also thrilled to attend the Coronation procession. Rising at 4am and travelling by Underground, they were seated by 5.15am for the morning procession. Jane “roared and cheered and leaped up and down” as the Queen passed, looking beautiful in the incredible gold coach. Jane followed the crowds to the Palace and joined thousands of others screaming ‘We want our Queen’. (The Argus 18 June 1953)
Information from city and regional Australian newspapers (Trove NLA); internet; Australian Dictionary of Biography; The Cluthan 1946; GGS Light Blue. Jane Elizabeth Barnard (Chirnside) 16 January 1934 – 20 July 2017 Clyde 1944 – 51 Jane was born in Melbourne in 1934, the second daughter of Elsa Helen (nee Andrew, 1909-99) and Andrew Begbie Chirnside (b1906) of Moorallah, Carranballac, near Streatham. Jane’s siblings were Jennifer, Andrew, Charles and Roderick (Wumpty). Her father, Squadron Leader Andrew Begbie Chirnside (RAAF) was the son of John Percy (Captain Percy) Chirnside CMG OBE (1865-1944) of The Manor, Wyndham, and the grandson of Andrew Spencer Chirnside (1818-1890) of Werribee Park. Her mother was the daughter of Frank Carl Andrew (1883-1926) and his wife Mima Andrew (nee Urquhart), also from a pastoral family.
In 1955, Jane’s 21st birthday was hosted by her parents at Karrangie, the Chirnsides’ holiday home at Peterborough. According to Debo McNab (Grimwade) “Everybody was resplendent in their attire. It went till all hours and the next morning we all migrated to the front beach, wading in the shallows with a G&T in hand!” About 120 guests attended, and a large marquee on the lawn at Karrangie, overlooking the ocean, was decorated with branches of silver frosted bracken, coloured balloons and ivy twining up the poles. Jane wore a ‘ballerina frock’ made from a sari she bought in Bombay. (The Argus 15 January 1955)
After early education by governesses at Moorallah, Jane was sent to board at Clyde in 1944 joining her sister Jennifer ‘Winty’ Austin (Chirnside, Cl’45). She excelled at Clyde, becoming school captain in 1951, active in drama, music and sport and serving on numerous committees: Music Club, Library, Camera Club, Debating, Dramatic Club, CSS, Birthday League, Art Club (treasurer) and Sports Committee. In 1951 she starred as the heroine, Alice Hamilton, in a production of “The Door Opens”, performed at the Union Theatre in Melbourne. The play was written by her grandmother Mima Andrew (d1941), a gifted amateur playwright.
During the 1950s and 60s, Jane enjoyed the heyday of Western District and Melbourne social life, with pastoral families mingling and celebrating with town friends, and almost every event recorded in the daily social columns of national and regional newspapers. She loved the summer holidays at Peterborough with her Western District friends and in Melbourne she shared a flat with Jenny Smith in Hope Street, South Yarra. In 1957, Jane met and later married acclaimed Australian jazz drummer Leonard ‘Len’ Arthur Barnard AM (1929-2005), once a member of the jazz band, Galapagos Duck. In 1952 the Len Barnard Jazz Band recorded Australia’s first microgroove LP record and toured extensively in Australia and overseas until his death in 2005. His brother was Bob Barnard, an accomplished Australian jazz trumpet and cornet stylist.
Known affectionately as ‘Tiggles’ or ‘Tig’, Jane always said that Miss Hay inspired young Clyde girls with confidence and a ‘can do’ attitude. After leaving Clyde Jane sailed overseas with ‘Goofy Sargood’ (Patricia Gibson), arriving in time (May 1953) to be invited to the first Buckingham Palace summer garden party, with a distinguished guest list of people attending the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Returning from a quick trip to Holland, the girls found their invitations with their post at the bank, only four hours before the Royal Garden Party. “No car ordered
In 1960, Jane and Len Barnard moved to the outer Melbourne suburb of Mooroolbark where they bought the whimsically named Badger’s Wood. Built in 1937, heritage-listed Badger’s Wood at 17 Bickleigh Vale Road, Mooroolbark is one of several substantial cottages in the Bickleigh Vale precinct created by Edna Walling, renowned landscape designer of 39
the 1920s-50s. Set in an acre of magical gardens, Jane’s brother Wumpty recalls: “It was the prettiest enchanting place where Tig created a garden that even Elsa was proud of. A little creek at the bottom of the garden set the whole scene which some of us could only dream about.” In woodwork classes with Mr Jardine at GGS, Wumpty carved a house sign for Badger’s Wood which is still there today. Jane and Len had two daughters, Rebecca (1960) and Lucy (1964). As the girls were growing up, Jane and Lenny would spend much time at Yallambee with her mother Elsa and brother Wumpty who says, “There were so many nights of laughter, the girls have inherited the best sense of humour and fun from both their parents. Tig loved Yallambee for its beautiful garden and all the animals”. Lenny left for Sydney in 1973 and Jane was left to bring up the two girls, with great support from Jack McCall. In 1976 Jane travelled to India with Elsa and her aunt Joan Andrew. Back in Melbourne after leaving Mooroolbark, she worked with architect Brian McIvor for twelve years. Jane’s daughter, Rebecca Chirnside Barnard (Clyde House 1978) is the well-known singer, songwriter and musician who was the lead singer of the band Rebecca’s Empire from 1994-2000. Rebecca Barnard has had a distinguished career in music, TV and radio, releasing her third solo album in 2017, called Music for Listening and Relaxation. Jane had a close and caring relationship with her mother, visiting Elsa every weekend when she left Peterborough and moved to residential aged care in Mortlake and then Geelong.
When people talk about Tig, they describe her as FUN, with her slightly wicked and irreverent sense of humour. She loved people who could tell a story and make her laugh. “Loved by all who knew her, she will never be forgotten for her wisdom, beauty, spirit and affection”.
In 2002, Jane moved to Rushalls Park in North Fitzroy, a heritage-listed retirement village run by the Old Colonists’ Association of Victoria. “It was the best place for her and one of her best decisions to live there. Her little garden, photos and poster of her beloved cats, paintings and Elsa’s furniture made the cottage so homely. She made some fabulous friends while she was there and it was a happy time for her.”
As Tig would say to you all … “safe home”. Information from the eulogy by Roderick ‘Wumpty’ Chirnside; Australian Dictionary of Biography; RAAF records; newspaper reports; Trove NLA; The Cluthan 1952.
Ed: Thank you to those who have provided information about family and friends this year. It is greatly appreciated and some remarkable life stories have emerged. We are very grateful when COGs get in touch with us regarding Old Girls. Note: Obituaries are written depending on the information available, please consider providing photos and information for this purpose if a Clyde family member or friend passes away. Obituaries do not necessarily have to be published in the year of death if time or circumstances do not permit; we are very grateful to receive information and assistance at any time. Email: coganews@gmail.com or write to the editor, Julia Ponder 15/89A Bay Terrace, Wynnum 4178. 40