The Hermitage Old Girls' Association Newsletter - 2021 by Geelong Grammar School

The Hermitage Old Girls’ Association Newsletter 2021

The Hermitage Church of England Girls’ Grammar School, Geelong

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Office Bearers and Committee 2020–2021 PRESIDENT

ARCHIVES

Deidre Griffiths

Sue Callahan Kristeen Hunter Jill Nicholls

SECRETARY

Jill Nicholls TREASURER

LIGHT BLUE COORDINATOR & NEWSLET TER

Susie Donald

Jill Nicholls

COMMIT TEE

GOLF DAY

Rosalind Leigh Sue Callahan Allison Rhodes Michele Butcher Elizabeth Bennett

Prue Webb PHOTOS

Susie Donald

POSTAL ADDRESS

The Secretary GPO Box 591 Geelong Victoria 3220 EMAIL AND WEB ADDRESS

hermitagegirls@gmail.com

www.ggs.vic.edu.au

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Dates for Your Diary 2021 MELBOURNE AUTUMN LUNCH

Friday 30th April 2021, 12 noon Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club 310 Williams Road North, Toorak

GOLF DAY

Monday 27th September 2021 Barwon Heads Golf Club

CHRISTMAS CONCERT WITH LUNCH ADEL AIDE REUNION

Thursday 15th April 2021 Invitations will be sent out by Yvonne Thomas (Little) Please contact Yvonne tel: 0421 917 954

OLD GIRLS’ DAY AND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Saturday: 4th September 2021 AGM: 11.00 am, Darling Hall, Geelong Grammar School Drinks: 12 Noon Lunch: 12.45 pm

Monday 6th December, 2021 11.20am, All Saints Hall, Newtown

For information concerning these functions contact: The Secretary Jill Nicholls tel: 0400 800 136 For the Golf Day contact Prue Webb tel: 0407 554 785.

The Hermitage Old Girls’ Association Awards Tenable at Geelong Grammar School: The Hermitage Old Girls’ Association Prize for Service Nadia Andrews (Fr’20) of Fraser House The Hermitage Old Girls’ E V Krome Cup for Sportsmanship Sophie Ward (Cl’20) of Clyde House Tenable at the Geelong College: The Hermitage Old Girls’ Association Prize for all round leadership Lachy Bowker of Mackie House 4

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Australia Day Honours Mary Lou Jelbart (Hazzard)‘56 AM

Receiving an award in the Australia Day Honours this year was a bit of a shock, although you do receive advance warning when the Governor General’s office contacts you to sound out whether you will accept it. Mine was received for “significant service to the visual and performing arts and the community”, which covers a lot of territory. ABC listeners may remember me from the years I spent with Radio National and 774, interviewing artists, reviewing theatre and visual arts, presenting arts programs, etc. It was a hectic time, during which, in addition to my ABC (paid) role I spent 9 years as a St. Kilda Councillor (in those days, unpaid).

In 1980 I founded the St Kilda Festival to showcase local artists and performers (a very different event to today!) and in 1983 founded the St Kilda Short Film Festival with the generous assistance of Melbourne filmmaker Nigel Buesst. It was a time in local government when women were coming to the fore. I was the third woman to join the Council, at a time when many of the conservative old guard were hostile, even abusive, and definitely saw us as a threat. But we had great support from younger men in Council and wonderful older women in the community, and over the years the Council became increasingly progressive and responsive to community needs. It was a demanding time, but I had the most magnificent support from long suffering husband and daughters. I left the ABC in 2000, and in 2001 cofounded the independent (and unfunded) arts venue fortyfivedownstairs in a former rag trade building in Flinders Lane. The gallery had been set up some years before as a commercial space, and is a very beautiful room, which artists love. It’s a complicated story, but today almost 20 years later fortyfivedownstairs is a not for profit theatre and gallery, with two floors available for hire by theatre companies, musicians, and artists. We present much new Australian writing, but there are no hard and fast rules about our

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

program, which can range from Chekov to Cornelius (writer Patricia Cornelius, with her collaborator Director Susie Dee, the only Australian company ever invited to present work at the Venice Biennale theatre program). I now have a dedicated team of five young professionals, who do an amazing job, running a full time professional gallery, and a theatre which operates up to seven days a week. We survive on a shoestring, charge considerably less than the real venue costs, helped by donors (small and large) and by making do. 2020 was a challenge, our income stopped, literally overnight, and closing looked inevitable. But we were saved by the generosity of our arts loving landlords, our supportive audiences (and Job Keeper!) Life for creative artists is hard, unpredictable and uncertain - as the U.K. actor Tom Hollander said in a recent article “nobody in the theatre gets rich” and with a few exceptions that also applies to visual artists. So ironically I have been given this splendid award just as fortyfivedownstairs faces its biggest challenge for survival. It’s been described as “the best multi arts space in Melbourne” but if anyone is curious to test this, I’d say “come and have a look sooner, rather than later”. If it’s not possible, we have a website www.fortyfivedownstairs.com Mary Lou Jelbart Artistic Director fortyfivedownstairs E: marylou@fortyfivedownstairs.com

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

From the Editor What an interesting and frustrating year this has been. With high hopes for a busy year, this all went astray when Covid19 entered our lives. This pandemic has taken us by surprise and taught us many lessons on how to cope with lockdowns and restrictions placed on our lives. I do hope you all escaped the clutches of this terrible pandemic, I realise those in Melbourne would have been impacted the most, especially those in the Ring of Steel lock down, and those running businesses that have been impacted, I sincerely hope that the recovery is swift and successful. Many of us hadn’t seen our families for many months, which makes you realise how special families and friends are at a time like this. Of course all of our wonderful plans for trips and special events went out the window, how bitterly disappointing for many, and I don’t think we will be travelling overseas any time soon. This year we start with high hopes for a much happier and busier year, let’s all make the most of it, we have all done so well compared to other countries, in controlling this pandemic. During this period I am sure we have all become a lot more computer and technologically savvy, I must say my children and grandchildren have been of great assistance.

We are only a small committee and try hard to make our functions enjoyable and so would love the support of everyone. The reunions that were to have happened last year are rescheduled and are included in the Newsletter. Also we have two more reunions and hopefully our Adelaide gathering going ahead. We, as a committee really appreciate the work and organising that goes into planning and hosting a reunion, and the end result is always worth it, with so many happy faces and renewed friendships. I do thank those who have sent in their Cooeegrams, I love receiving them: even though this year has been a little devoid of events they still make for a good read. Please keep them coming in, people always think that no one would be interested in their lives, but everyone loves to be kept up to date with happenings. As I mentioned last year, our mail is kindly sent out by Geelong Grammar School, so has their address and crest on the envelopes, also the emails are kindly sent by Grammar, so please do not disregard them, ladies say they haven’t received invitations, not realising that this is the case. We also send out information through the Monthly OGG Update that is emailed out to all those that have email, and of course Light Blue (Geelong Grammar School Magazine) that comes out 3 times a year and has a section of Hermitage information.

We have entered dates for our functions in the hope that they go ahead when planned; we will notify you of course if things change.

Please contact us (details below) if you have changed your address or email, and if anyone you know has passed away, as this assists us in keeping our data base up to date.

Please attend as many events as you can as this keeps our special Old Girls’ Association alive and well.

Email: hermitagegirls@gmail.com Address: The Secretary, GPO Box 591, Geelong, 3220.

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

The President’s Report This year our Association turned one hundred and eleven years old, I think you will all agree that we have had a very different year from any before. Although the latter part of 2019 followed its normal pattern, from early this year we suddenly found ourselves living in this brave new world full of uncertainty, ongoing health challenges, “working from home”, home schooling, video and teleconferenced meetings and many social and economic upheaval. Life has become far more difficult than it was for many people and stress and anxiety are currently common place. Against this background, it may seem somewhat trite to say that, sadly, because of the Covid-19 Pandemic, we have been unable to hold our usual functions – Golf Day, Autumn Luncheon and Christmas Lunch and our usual Annual Old Girls Day reunion and luncheon – and instead, find ourselves meeting on “Zoom” for our Annual General Meeting. But I think it is important to acknowledge that we have missed our usual opportunities to catch up with friends, review and celebrate our year and remember our school days. Our archivists have not been able to do their usual work of conserving and organising our Archives and memorabilia and we have been unable to participate in the usual GGS community events, many of which have also had to be cancelled. 8

The fact that we miss these opportunities is perhaps a reminder of how important they are to many of us, as part of the familiar fabric of our usual year. Despite the pandemic, our Committee members have managed to meet several times, most recently by video-conference, and keep the Association going with an eye towards a more positive future. We will be ready to bounce back with more events once it is possible to do so. I would like to thank all of the Committee members for their ongoing contributions. I would also like to acknowledge, as we do each year, the great work of past Committee members of many years, without them, our Association would not have continued to this day. We are very glad that several of you are able to join in with us today. We have been very sad to lose some of our Old Girls during the year, and beloved family members and friends, and also much loved members of the broader GGS community. We extend our deepest sympathy to their families and friends. I know that, in the longer term, our shared memories of happy times spent with them will be a great comfort to us. Although we are doing it in this strange new way this year, I think it’s important to note that our annual reunion provides us with an opportunity each year to reflect on our school days at “The Hermitage”, feel gratitude to our teachers and other school staff for all their work and inspiration, and also to our families for enabling us to attend “The Hermitage”.

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

I know that many of you will agree that what we gained from our education, and many wonderful friendships we made, continue with us throughout our life. They are strengthened and enhanced by the Old Girls’ Association and in turn, strengthen the Association. Our ongoing association with Geelong Grammar School, particularly with Hermitage House and with the OGGS adds to the continuity of our legacy, and also helps to keep the spirit of “The Hermitage” CEGGS alive; our beautiful History Book “Proud to be Women” written by Melanie Guile captures all of this for posterity and we were delighted to provide copies of it to Hermitage House girls leaving school at the end of 2019. Apparently the girls are really interested in the book which is wonderful to hear. In this strange year, also and as always, we were made to feel very much a part of the continuing Geelong Grammar School community. We have nothing but praise for the amazing job the Principal, Rebecca Cody, and the school staff, have been doing as they continue to run the school, and provide for the welfare and excellent education of the students, despite the incredible obstacles this year has presented. If we thought they had a huge and demanding job last year, I don’t know how we can describe this year. We have continued to enjoy our involvement with GGS as part of the OGGS committee.

Susie Donald, our new OGGS committee representative, has done a great job continuing our active participation in OGGS, keeping our two committees in touch with each other, and ensuring that we continue to contribute to the great work that the OGGS do for Geelong Grammar School and its community. As full voting members of the OGGS committee, along with Clyde, we Hermitage Old Girls continue to feel able to make a significant contribution to the work of the OGGS. We would like to thank the school staff, and particularly the wonderful Katie Rafferty, for their ongoing support of The Hermitage Old Girls’ Association. No doubt Katie’s job is even more demanding than ever before, yet she continues, with her positive attitude and generous spirit, to provide support wherever it is needed. I would like to extend a special welcome to our guest speaker – Hermitage Old Girls and Australian Artist, Angela Baldwin – whose beautiful works are inspired by the landscapes, vegetation and bird life of the Otway Ranges. We look forward to hearing from her after our meeting. A very warm welcome to you Angela! Finally, we extend an extremely warm welcome to all of you Old Girls who have managed to join us through cyberspace – we are delighted to have you with us- and send warmest greetings to those who could not join us today. We hope to see you this time next year. Deidre Griffiths President

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Secretary’s Report

kept the lines open and all had a lovely chat with lots of fun for the next hour!! Since then I have had two wonderful cooeegrams from these ladies, so you can catch up with their news if you missed out.

Well this will be a very short report, as unfortunately we have had no functions due to the Covid 19 Pandemic.

Maybe some good has come out of Covid 19 !

Hopefully this year will make up for it with our usual functions and maybe a few surprises depending on how the year pans out. While in lockdown the Committee Members have been meeting by Zoom, sometimes with a few hiccups, but learning a lot on the way. We have kept in contact with Grammar, unfortunately we were not able to visit the campus, so could not attend to the Archives at all during the year, although we knew that our treasures were in the safe hands of Geoffrey Laurenson. If anyone has anything that they wish to donate to the Archives please contact me. Committee members have been contacting some of our older members to check on them during the year, as it has been very difficult for many, especially those on their own. This year was the first time we were unable to hold our usual Old Girls Day and Annual Meeting. With the wonderful assistance from Susie Donald, we successfully held a Zoom Meeting for the Annual Meeting. We were thrilled to have 43 participants and even more excited that we had two ladies join us from Queensland, Marcel Pulman (Paas) and Julia Ponder, which was a lovely surprise. After the formalities of the meeting concluded we 10

Please take note of the dates of your reunions and if you are interested in assisting with them please make contact with the organisers. It is the year for the 1961 year to hold their reunion, if anyone is interested in assisting with this, I would greatly appreciate it. Please keep us updated with changes of address and any members of our school community that pass away. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Katie Rafferty, the Alumni Manager, at Geelong Grammar School she is a very knowledgeable and patient lady, who knows so much about everything and never fails to listen and assist. I would also like to thank The Old Geelong Grammarians Association, who generously funds the printing of our Newsletter each year and to Geelong Grammar School for the postage. We love to receive Cooeegrams and we will take them any time of the year, just email them to hermitagegirls@gmail.com Jill Nicholls E: hermitagegirls@gmail.com

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Archives Report for 2020 2020 has been unusual to say the least. Until the end of last year, we continued on with the sorting and cataloguing of new items that have kindly been donated to The Hermitage Old Girls Archives. We had moved the collection to make room for our incoming donations, and some of our books have been included into the Special Book Collection. It is really exciting with what we have gathered and we are very grateful for any donations that help to keep our special memorabilia safe. Many times during the year I have had queries from families both here and overseas, researching details of their family’s stories while at school, and with these wonderful archives we have had some amazing results and very excited family researchers. Geoffrey, the Archivist has been wonderful in assisting with these queries, I would like to thank him for his thoroughness and quick response when I ask him to assist me with these queries. The School’s Archives assistant is planning to scan many of our wonderful photos. They will then be placed in special pockets, which will ensure the longevity and the quality of the photos, which is so important. Since the event of Covid 19, we have not been allowed on the Geelong Grammar School Campus and so there has been no other works carried out by the Archive Committee. If anyone feels that they would like to donate any items to the collection, please contact myself or Kristeen Hunter. Once again I would like to personally thank Kristeen Hunter, who is really the keeper of The Hermitage Archives, she is amazing with her knowledge of what is in the collection and we thank her most sincerely for her dedicated work in this area. Jill Nicholls Kristeen Hunter

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Hermitage House News 2020 will prove to be a unique year in the history of The Hermitage House. Amidst the uncertainties of the times there have been the constants that have kept us ‘together as one’. The work of Catherine Krause, the Tutor team and Bennie to provide a caring and structured home away from home experience for us all has been exceptional, and we thank them for their time and unstinting care. The Year 12s have ensured they will leave the House in a strong and community centred position. Under the guidance of Winky Messner they have been ambitious and focused, and they have provided excellent leadership in relation to their approach to their academic studies. Generally, the Year 11s have been a delight; stepping up when required and committing whole heartedly to the expectations of the School and House programmes. After a tentative start, the Year 10s are kicking goals in all areas of community living. We know that given the outstanding quality of our young women, The Hermitage is well placed to face 2021 and beyond with confidence. Finally, we congratulate Mrs and Mr Krause on the birth of Charles and Anja in Term 3, and we look forward to welcoming her back in 2021.

Year 10 Thoughts Coming into The Hermitage in February was a daunting experience for all Year 10’s. Over the course of Term 1 this soon changed as we learnt to band together. The culture of Hermi was established early on as we were taught some of the customs of the House and we all found some of the little things that make the House so special. We enjoy the simple things – sounds of laughter, constant chatter, some silliness and the smell of freshly baked cooking. In Term 1 we all lost our voices from cheering so loudly in the Swimming carnival. Two days later we felt great pride to sing together in the Singing competition. These experiences of working together led us to appreciate what it is to be a Hermi girl. Things we have loved include: •

The tutes office is always a very vibrant space where all years gather together and are welcomed by our tutors who are not only our teachers but play a major role in caring for us and nurturing the Hermi spirit.

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

•

Saturday morning bacon and eggs

•

Ms Tuechler’s trivia nights

•

Keeping our connection running through zoom on a regular basis

Despite not having a typical introduction to Hermi we feel so lucky to be a part of this House and are looking forward to creating many more memories in the coming years. Lucie Gill, Sophie Manley, Georgia Langley, and Katya Ewing (10He)

Year 11 Commentary Although 2020 has looked very different to what we expected due to COVID-19, there has still been an overwhelming sense of belonging within the Year 11 Hermi cohort. Being off campus for the majority of the year and taking part in remote learning has brought its challenges, however it has made us appreciate each other’s company more when we have been together and made us aware of the endless support which surrounds us. Facing the transition to Year 11 is a big jump from year 10, which has been emphasised by the pandemic, yet the tutors in House are always willing to share their wisdom and give us a boost of motivation. Though we have missed out on the traditional annual House events like the Aths Day and House Dinner, we have had many pizza nights and run many crossies together which has enabled the House spirit to stay alive. The pandemic has allowed us to cherish and not take for granted our friendships within the House, helping us realise that it the small things that are special like our recess catch ups in the kitchen and chats in the tutor’s office with our tutor team… what legends (and thank you)! We will look back on these unprecedented times and remember that the Hermi girls stayed together when times were tough, both in real time and through a screen. Lilli Cowan, Alice Peddie, Catherine Sankey and Amy Thomas (11He)

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Year 12 Review This year has been a particularly challenging and different one for the Year 12 cohort. We have not been able to celebrate a lot of the highlights of the final high school year that we had been looking forward to doing. Besides, the current uncertainties of the future have not necessarily left our minds at ease. This notwithstanding, we have much to be grateful for. The House Choir and Swimming competitions in Term 1 were good bonding experiences and we enjoyed the contributions of many new girls to these events. The lack of extracurricular activities during the two shutdown periods meant that we were able to spend more time with each other as a House - whether that be movie nights, quiz nights, having meals as a House or doing crossies together. We have also thoroughly enjoyed our Saturday bacon and eggs cooked by Cate and Sophia. I think that the Hermitage Year 12s have been incredibly supportive and understanding of each other, as we have navigated through our strange final schooling year. We are all very thankful to Mrs K, Bennie and the tutor team for always being on hand to help us in any time of need and we wish you all well for the years ahead. Cynthia Lo (12He)

Reunions Happening in 2021 When we mention Year Group, this is the year that you would have completed Year 12. 1960 YEAR LEAVERS 60 + 1 YEAR REUNION

Ros Leigh (Taylor) is organizing this reunion, which will be held on Sunday 2nd May 2021. The invitations will be out shortly, so keep the date free; as I am sure everyone will enjoy catching up, even if it is a little late for the 60th! Contact Ros on email rosleigh1@gmail.com, if you could assist her with the organizing, or if you know anyone who has changed address or details.

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

1961 YEAR LEAVERS 60 YEAR REUNION

milestone birthdays, now plus one year!

It was decided to hold this reunion jointly with the 1960 reunion, which is being held on Sunday 2nd May 2021. Dianne McCann (Searle) is organizing this reunion, if anyone would like to assist her please contact her on 0438 223 925. Invitations will be out soon.

With the kind assistance of GGS Alumni and HOGA we have obtained the names of all the girls in our year level at the time of amalgamation.

1970 YEAR LEAVERS 50 YEAR REUNION,

If you are in contact with or know current details of an old girl, please ask if they would send through their details via yourself or any of the email addresses listed, with the former surname included in the email.

NOW 51 YEAR REUNION.

Pom MacKenzie (Russell) is organizing this reunion and it is to be held on Saturday 20th March 2021 The invitations will be out shortly, so keep the date free. It is better to be late than miss out on the celebration!! Pom is missing some contacts, so if you could contact her on email: pomac82@hotmail.com if you know of anyone who has changed address or details. 1971 YEAR LEAVERS 50 YEAR REUNION

At present this special reunion is being held on 11th September 2021 Keep your eyes out for more information as it comes to hand via email. 1977 YEAR LEAVERS – 1975 YEAR 10 GIRLS –

To be held after Old Girls Day 4th September 2021 2021 is filled with hope and excitement of our Hermitage year reuniting at the Old Girls Lunch on 4th September, followed by an informal reunion and also celebrate our

We do not have all the girls’ contacts as some continued onto Geelong College or elsewhere and not all details are current.

Love to hear from you to make this a special time for us all. So please keep 4th September free as we would love to see you. email: hermitagegirls@gmail.com Janet Ryle-Yeates (Bone) email: janetanneyeates@gmail.com Lucienne Kelly (Collins) email: Kellylu6036@gmail.com INFORMATION REGARDING REUNIONS

Could the girls who are making reunions happen please email the date and a contact email address to email: hermitagegirls@gmail.com. These dates can be printed in the Newsletter and Light Blue so girls, particularly those overseas, can have some advance warning. Please also email the following with the contact lists you make up from your reunions so that our data base for year groups can be updated

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

with correct details for all Old Girls.: email: hermitagegirls@gmail.com email: katier@ggs.vic.edu.au

May I ask that the girls organising the reunions please send in a group photo and a written report for the Newsletter. Over the last couple of years some have not been reported on as no information has been received. Girls who were unable to attend do like to read of their year group reunions. Photographs for Light Blue and the Newsletter need to be 1 mgb. Photos are much clearer with a camera rather than an iPad. Girls who are not currently listed as Old Girls can be added by forwarding details.

Old Girls Day THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS ASSOCIATION SEP TEMBER 3RD 2020, 11 AM VIA ZOOM

Susie Donald started the meeting with Welcome to Country. As our President Deidre Griffiths was unable to attend, due to work commitments, Jill Nicholls chaired the proceedings. We were thrilled to have 43 participants, even a couple from interstate, which was very special. We had to have everyone on mute, and just raised hands to pass or second a motion. Chat was available for those asking questions, and these were answered at times during the meeting. The different reports were read, unfortunately there were no Year Group Reunion Reports and those having to cancel their reunions hope that 2021 will be another opportunity to get together. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic and lack of gatherings etc, the Committee from 2019 agreed to continue on for another year, making the process much easier due to the circumstances. During the meeting it was floated that we have been thinking of gathering all of our very skilled members who paint, potter, make cards, or any other type of art or craft, and have a market day, to show off and sell their many and varied goods. We would like feedback as to whether you would participate in such an event. We were very fortunate to have as our speaker Angela Baldwin, just wish we could have seen her wonderful scarves and paintings in person.

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

We closed the meeting with the School Song, which was a little less than perfect, but fun anyway. I would like to sincerely thank those that took the time to join us sadly we did miss the close contact of our friends and a chat over lunch. After the meeting closed we kept the zoom open for another hour and there were a lot of laughs and reminiscences happening all over the screen which was lovely to see. Many thanks to Susie Donald who was the host of the zoom meeting and all of the other Committee members who helped us iron out the intricacies of modern technology, before we had our big meeting.

SPEECH PRESENTED BY ANGEL A BALDWIN

Thank you for inviting me to be guest speaker for the HOGA class of 1975 and the year most of us turn 60. I attended the Hermitage for one year in Form 4 and although I was new to the Hermitage Highton campus I did feel very much at home. I remember warm days spent propped up against classroom walls basking in the sun, slathered in baby oil on our skin and dresses hitched up way to high and chatting about girly stuff. Shortly after commencing Form 4, I was fortunate enough to go on the school excursion around Australia. We flew to Darwin, bussed along the West coast of Australia and caught the train from Perth back to Melbourne. First stop was Darwin and we were immediately confronted by the decimation of Cyclone Tracey 6 months prior. This memory will never be forgotten. For miles all we could see were fields of cement pylons, litter strewn alongside the roads and sparse vegetation. The first night was spent at Berry Springs where the water was warm and crystal clear full of turtles. We saw waterholes, Geeky Gorge, Kununurra, gigantic ant hills, red dust, Fitzroy Crossing, giant manta rays off the pier at Port Hedland, the mining town of Tom Price and the ridiculous Province of Hutt River where we all spent the night in the sheep shed. Dance classes were one of the highlights of the year and we were bussed to Geelong Grammar School where we gathered in an old wooden hall near the lagoon to learn to dance. I mostly 18

remember us being dizzy with giggles and drowning in the waft of old spice and boys wearing grey uniforms and desert boots. The next 2 years at Geelong Grammar brought many changes, the Medieval Revival Style buildings beautifully set in lush grounds with landscaped gardens and Harry Potter style dining rooms. Our uniform changed from grey khaki to pink and white striped dresses, blue corduroy pants, windcheaters and desert boots. My favorite subject was art and I loved spending time in the art room learning pottery, fabric dyeing, painting, weaving, photography and etching. Claire Hanley was an amazing art teacher. My art journey started as a kid and my mother’s singer sewing machine took permanent place on the kitchen table and I was free to sew whenever I chose. I loved sewing and prided myself on sewing the shortest of miniskirts and the widest of bell bottoms. In 1984 I travelled overseas and spent time in Denmark and absolutely fell in love with Danish design – classical, well Bauhaus inspired interiors, art and furniture. When I returned to Australia I knew that I had to pursue a career in design and I was accepted into Melbourne College of Decoration. My creative career started by working as an Architectural Librarian for some leading Architects in Melbourne. I was then employed by a commercial fabric company to market fabrics to Architects and Designers and was involved in

product development and colour selecting for new ranges. I then worked for Godfrey Hirst carpets where I marketed carpets to Architects and Designers and worked on many hospitality, educational and office projects at the same time as developing a strong knowledge of colour and textiles.

My artwork along with the eco printing is purely about exploring the alchemy between colour, nature and textiles.

Seven years ago my husband and I threw in the corporate life and headed to the Otway Ranges where we live off grid on 5 acres of bushland surrounded by Australian beauty. I have been studying a Diploma of Visual Arts (textile design) part time, and part of our curriculum was to learn the techniques of eco dying. That is where I became obsessed by this technique and found a new freedom for art expression.

Instagram: angelabaldwindesign Web: www.angelabaldwindesign.com.au

Happy 60th to our year and hope you have been able to celebrate with your loved ones. x

I am continually delighted and fascinated by the vibrant, unpredictable colours and patterns that nature can gift us. Eco printing is a method whereby fabric is bundled with leaves and objects and steamed in a bath of rainwater to extract pigments. Beautiful botanical colours are derived from a variety of plants such as Eucalyptus leaves ORANGE, basil GREEN, turmeric YELLOW madder RUSETT, indigo BLUE, pomegranate YELLOW, avocado PINK Cherry Ballart GREEN , walnuts BROWN. I also paint large canvas art in acrylic and oil and the subject matters for my original paintings are inspired by the beautiful nature that is abundant in the Otway Ranges. My latest works have been in dry rock walls of the Stoney Rises.

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

DID YOU KNOW?

Many of you would have heard of our wonderful Dauncey Bequest, of $680,000 which has enabled many students the ability to study at Geelong Grammar School, but do we know anything about the person?

Hazell Dauncey The bequest of Mrs Hazell Dauncey to The Hermitage following her death in 1972 is recognised on the plaque unveiled at the opening of The Hermitage House, Corio. Ivy Hazell Austin, pupil number 133 on the school roll, spent only one year 1908 at The Church of England Girls’ High School, Geelong, the only girl to have attended The Hermitage whose maiden name was Austin. These pieces of trivia may surprise Old Girls for whom the family name was synonymous with the foundation of the school and commemorated in the sports house so named. Members of one of Victoria’s influential and philanthropic families, Hazell’s grandmother Elizabeth Phillips Austin (wife of Thomas Austin, Barwon Park) defrayed the total cost of the building of the Austin Hospital. Following its opening in 1882, Mrs Austin journeyed from Winchelsea to Heidelberg monthly to visit every patient and place a piece of money in the hand of each. In 1886, Mrs Austin gave money to have cottages built in Geelong for aged pensioners in reduced circumstances – these are the Austin terraces with their landmark clock tower opposite South Geelong railway station. 20

As a child Hazell Austin lived on a property near Ararat. Her father, Edwin Henry Austin, was at the time of his election, the youngest member of the Victorian Parliament, retaining his seat until his early death in 1909. Hazell Austin married Richard Dauncey in the early 1920’s and they had no children. He was a successful business man who travelled overseas many times, usually with his wife who helped him with entertaining his associates. He became a collector of porcelain as well as original paintings, a valuable collection of which he left to the National Gallery (Victoria). A very knowledgeable dog-lover, Hazell Dauncey bred wire-haired fox terriers at her Toorak home in the late 1930s and 1940s. Later she imported standard poodles – among the first in Australia to do so – and bred from them. (Compiled from notes supplied by Rae Davies, who with her family, had many links with Mrs Dauncey over the years) Editor: This article was taken from the 1993 Newsletter

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Scholarship News We are delighted to report that The Hermitage Old Girls’ Association Scholarship enabled seven students to attend Geelong Grammar School in 2020, including the recipient of the Miss Elsie F Morres Scholarship. We are deeply indebted to those members of The Hermitage community, past and present, whose generosity has enabled lifechanging opportunities for these seven girls – whose families could not otherwise afford a Geelong Grammar School education. These scholarships, which are dedicated to supporting either a girl or a boy who is preferably a descendent of a past student of The Hermitage, are essential to the continued diversity and vibrancy of GGS. They honour the educational legacy of The Hermitage as well as its founding Headmistress, Miss Elsie Morres (Headmistress 1906-33).

Ballarat, Brooke was also a member of the pioneering GGS Girls’ AFLW Football team, played the piano and the bagpipes (most memorably at Michael Collins Persse’s Memorial Service in 2018). A year below Brooke, HOGA Scholarship student, Lilli Cowan (Yr12 He), will complete Year 12 in 2021. From Darwin, Lilli was a member of the Lorne 160 charity relay team that raised funds for the Barwon Health Foundation in 2020. Lilli has been appointed House Captain of The Hermitage House for 2021 and is completing the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma.

The goal of Geelong Grammar School’s scholarship programme is to provide more opportunities to deserving students who simply cannot experience the exceptional education which GGS provides without financial assistance. Currently, the Geelong Of the seven HOGA Scholarship students, Grammar Foundation funds more than 50 one (Brooke Pithie) completed Year 12 in scholarships annually, including the HOGA 2020, one (Lilli Cowan) was in Year 11, two Scholarships. Each HOGA Scholarship is (Sophie Manley and Gen Whitford) were means tested, and the value of each scholarship and the number of in Year 10, two (Georgia Danckert and scholarships available each year is at the Emily Pincott) were in Year 9 and one (Honey Bartholomew) was in Year 8. The discretion of the Principal, Rebecca Cody (each year up to 4% of The Hermitage graduating HOGA Scholarship student in 2020, Brooke Pithie (He’20), was a House Scholarship sub fund is drawn down to provide scholarships to ensure HOGA Prefect in The Hermitage House and a member of the Girls’ 1st VIII Rowing crew Scholarships continue at GGS in perpetuity). The HOGA Scholarships are that won the NSW State Championship (unfortunately, the COVID-19 outbreak in awarded in any year from Year 7 to Victoria resulted in the cancellation of the applicants who meet the admissions criteria and are “viewed as likely to make a Head of the Schoolgirls and the APS positive contribution to the life of the Heads of the River regattas). From

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

School”. If the recipient is a girl and entering Senior School, the “ideal” outcome is that she enters The Hermitage House. Donations to HOGA Scholarships are tax-deductible and can be made over multiple years – please contact the Advancement Office on (03) 5273 9349 for more information.

Donations to HOGA Scholarships can be left as a bequest in your will. Please contact Garry Pierson, Associate Director, on (03) 5273 9349 or garryp@ggs.vic.edu.au for more information.

A Note from Mia Pithie (MACKENZIE J ’86), MOTHER OF BROOKE PITHIE (HE’20)

Dear Hermitage Old Girls, I have intermittently been struck with the wish to provide feedback to the Hermitage Old Girls over the last four years as my daughter Brooke has been the recipient of a scholarship since she started at Timbertop. I hope that you will be happy to receive said feedback, to give the kind donors some insight and hopefully a little reward in hearing what results from their benefaction. Brooke has just finished Year 12, and has (mostly) taken to her bed in response. Like all her cohort she is now waiting for the results to see what she might have in store ahead. Brooke started at Timbertop with characteristic silent determination, quietly saying to herself in the back of the car after a separate trip to Timbertop I can’t wait to run up that hill. She came back from first term exeat riding the crest of the Timbertop first wave, and had a glorious sun soaked first day home, dinner with granny en famille followed by a twilight horse ride in the Indian summer weather, that ended with utter disaster. The horse tossed her over its ears and she landed arms outstretched, one arm buckled on impact, a spiral fracture of her humerus with a large butterfly fragment. We can skip over most of the trauma details but one thing that is worth relating is her revelation, some hours later amongst the wailing, that she had made it her goal to win the Timbertop marathon. She felt that the chance may have been ripped away, along with her opportunity to test herself in the upcoming three day hike - she had chosen the most difficult route to test herself. 22

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Note that this little girl did not have any sort of a track record of running whatsoever, especially not long distance! Two shaky painful weeks later, after smuggling a dog into hospital to provide her first smile, and lots of careful plastering and planning, she was back up there. Sleeping in the skinny bed, that her cast could hardly fit on. Being swooped up in the middle of her nightmares and taken to the San for hot chocolate and reassurance in the middle of the nights. Again we can skip over most of the details right up until late in the year, two magnificent moments, one when a beautiful, kind staff member smuggled a short video of Brooke playing her bagpipes at the Remembrance Day service in Mansfield, and the second a mid-marathon photo of Brooke looking like the sun itself, smiling, young and strong, streaks ahead of the crowd, half way to her winning the marathon! She did it. On to Corio, where Brooke found that she did not want to get out of the car on arrival (uncharacteristic) and did not really take to Year 10, seeming to find the lack of framework bewildering. It didn’t matter that opportunities were around every bend if the framework of introduction to those opportunities was lacking. The year was punctuated by Michael Collins Persse’s passing in the winter and we were proud to hear her play the bagpipes before his memorial service in the school Chapel. Brooke found her mettle eventually in term 3 or 4 when she could seriously sink her teeth into a well organised framework in the rowing shed. By the end of year 10 it seemed she might have a seat in the first eight crew. Still weighing about 50kgs, we were told she had an amazing power to weight ratio. She was so lucky to be embraced by that beautiful crew who took her under their wings and they flew down the river and won HOTR next year. Hurrah! For me year 10 was capped off by Brooke’s Christmas present to me of two ceramic jardinieres in the form of a head - one male and one female, complete with a crown atop each head. They are FABULOUS! She had signed up to rowing as her after-school activity (rowing was also her sport). The school does not allow two activities. She solved this by resorting to subterfuge, and attended Ceramics under her friend’s name - the friend didn’t want to do Ceramics. The wonderful Ceramics master never let on, but having been Brooke’s brother’s housemaster, he probably knew who she was all along. Year 11 was punctuated by a school trip to the Maldives, that we agreed to - if Brooke could earn the money to pay half the cost. She diligently earned money from little

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

projects; selling home-made protein balls to boarding house girls, cleaning out a silo, pulling weeds, selling wool from her hand-reared lamb, sewing and selling up-cycled clothing online. I have to admit she is still going, a few hundred short of the goal, but she is still earning and putting it away. Year 12 in 2020 we all know about. Brooke was happy to spend much of the year in home learning and avoiding boarding. We of course had to reassure ourselves that she was able to keep up in isolation, and to complete the required practical components of her subjects etc etc. We watched and kept up our mostly silent support as Brooke steadily worked her way through the year, her determined and goal-directed nature serving her well, as far as we could tell. We are waiting, like her, to see if her hard work will feel worth it - we know that her goal was characteristically high - I saw the little sticky notes on her wall saying “Goal… We do have a marker of her effort already, in a school Distinction certificate for year 12 Physics - mailed out last week. How unlike ceremonies of the past; where, she might have been able to receive it in person. Brooke probably preferred the mail receipt, and when congratulated played it down with “well the bar wasn’t set very high this year”. We have one final indicator of her effort and your support, which is a study and living support scholarship offer from Monash University. She is also downplaying this, and we hope to help her make the right choice for her - she would prefer to study at RMIT, feeling that Monash may not be the right fit. Annoyingly it is her life and we may just have to let her make her own choices - as she has mostly done!! Thank you, HOGGs for your support. At times I have agonised over sending her boarding while she did not enjoy it, and I hope in time she will look back upon the years and recognise her achievements, feel satisfied and have overall pleasant memories. I have wondered who the women behind the HOGGs scholarship were, and hope you enjoy my summary. With season’s greetings, Yours, Mia Pithie (Mackenzie J ’86)

Editor: As a postscript, Brooke expects to get her first choice at University, which is Environmental Science/Engineering double degree at RMIT, and she has also gained a place at the University of Canberra

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Donation This year we were fortunate to receive a donation from the Golf Day as a result of profits from the raffle. It was decided between the Committee and Prue Webb who so ably organises the Golf Day that the local charity that we would donate it to this time is the Cottage by the Sea. This charity does amazing work throughout the wider community helping young children who have faced trauma in their lives either through natural disasters, or home lives; to have fun, recover and heal. I was amazed and very proud to hear that in the different branches in Geelong, Highton/Ceres, Bellarine and Queenscliff, there are many Old Hermitage Girls playing major roles. This example must surely have something to do with the education and guidance that they received during their schooling.

For Sale We have two beautiful mementoes of our wonderful school. Our beautiful mugs are now with an easy to grip handle and has our emblem on them. They are dishwasher proof and enjoyable to drink out of. The price is only $10.00 plus postage. If you live in the Geelong, or Ballarat region we can organise pick up, or even delivery. We also have our amazing book Proud to be Women: a History of The Hermitage. The price of this master piece is only $65.00, plus postage which is $15.00; once again if you live in the Geelong or Ballarat region we can assist with delivery or pick up. Don’t miss out on these two special items. To order either of these special items, please contact: Jill Nicholls Email: hermitagegirls@gmail.com PAYMENT DETAILS:

Account name: The Hermitage Old Girl’s Association Inc, BSB: 063551 Account Number: 1041 0644 Look forward to hearing from you.

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

The Story of the Two Stained Glass Windows In Hermitage House as in the Predecessor The Hermitage Building in Pakington St, Newtown, there are two beautiful Stained Glass Windows.

A wonderfully appropriate site was found for it – on the north wall of an imposing stairway, leading to the upper storey and this was agreed to by Geelong Grammar School. This restoration and placement SIDNEY AUSTIN STAINED GL ASS WINDOW were funded by the generous donations This window (pictured opposite) bears the from Old Girls. mitre and motto of the Geelong Church of Taken from the Newsletter 2003 England Girls’ Grammar School, The Hermitage. It was situated in the west wall MISS MORRES STAINED GL ASS WINDOW behind the first landing of the grand The other stained glass window that is now staircase in the entrance foyer of The Hermitage (Pakington Street, Newtown) in Hermitage House, is the Miss Morres little stained window. The story goes that and was a gift of the Honorable Sidney she was presented with this window by the Austin, the first Chairman of the School School when she left and it was installed in Council. her house at Sherbrook, as a memento Sidney Austin is credited as being one of of her years of service. When she died, her sister Gwendoline donated it back to the main people concerned with the establishment of the School and made The Hermitage. arrangements for his window to be in position for the opening of the School on 14th February, 1906. Sadly, he did not see his window in place due to ill health, and he died in April of that year. When the School moved to Highton in the 1970’s the window was placed in the foyer outside the Assembly Room (Morres Hall). After Highton was closed in 1997, the window was removed and stored at Geelong Grammar School, Corio. In 2003, one of our Association’s projects became the restoration and relocation of this Sidney Austin window. Preferably in Hermitage House at Corio.

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Cooeegrams MARCELLE PULMAN EMAIL: CHINAMATCHING@POWERUP.COM.AU 3 SANDY STREET, POMONA QLD 4568

Since that wonderful zoom ‘business’, ie Annual Meeting, I’ve been working on a little letter which is still in ‘drafts’. You’re right – my full name is actually Marcelle Emilie Pulman (nee Paas). You’ve been sending me the annual Hermitage Old Girls’ newsletter for some years. I treasure these. To confirm, my address is: 3 Sandy Street, Pomona Qld 4568 After eight years at the Hermitage (1957 – 1965) – I continue to blame it for the best parts of me. Miss Krome was FANTASTIC, and my Dutch sister and I benefitted more than words can describe. At the time, we were the first ‘foreigners’ to attend the school. Without a word of English, we were taught well and enjoyed The Hermitage family for years. Strange - at times I read or hear that past students were less than delighted to be at this amazing school. Definitely to their deficit. My parents saw fit to move the family to Qld in 1965 – five brothers attended Grammar but my sister May, had already started her nursing training at Geelong Hospital. Some stayed in Victoria the rest of us were transplanted. Do you KNOW – I’d spent years looking forward to sliding those doors apart in the assembly hall as prelude to lighting of the candles. Alas, it was not to be. Half way through my intermediate year we headed north. Trying to stay connected to the girls I’d known since grade two – proved to be beyond the challenge. Sally Ford, Susan West, Lindy Sellars, Sally Roberts, Helen Newell, Sharyn Grigg, Roslyn Firth, Merron Apsey, et al, et al – still appear in my dreams. Only Gayle Fryer and I stayed in touch till she died in 2016. Attending the 40th Class reunion in 2007 was poignant. It was the 20th October, my father died that afternoon. The Cats had just won the AFL for the first time in many years; bunting and celebratory vestiges hung from posts and buildings – a little worse for wear. I stayed in a motel near Kardinia Park; we’d lived in Fernleigh Street all those years ago. Before the reunion I wandered down to our old place – it had been divided into separate businesses (my parents had a woolen mill called “Commando Wools”) An old man was walking his dog, coming towards me. So like my father, it was alarming. 30

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

I bit the bullet and walked up to him and started a chat. An Italian who’d spent his working life at Ford. Turned out he remembered the large Dutch family who’d lived there forty years before. And at that moment I knew my father had died – far away in Western Australia. It transpired that Jill Ainsworth and Sally Roberts live near Noosa as do I. Neither were interested in renewed contact so that was that. Now, fifty years plus after leaving Victoria, I believe it’s a tad late to reinvigorate friendships with women who have little in common with the children I remember. Life! Three children and seven grandchildren later, I’m a lucky gal. Life is more than good and Pomona’s been my village home for twenty years. Oh dear, probably just bored the socks off you – will press ‘send’ just the same. Best wishes – Marcelle PS. All six siblings have returned to live in Victoria: May – Hamilton and the boys in Melbourne, Daylesford, Castlemaine, and Orbost. JULIA PONDER UNIT 15/89A BAY TERRACE, WYNNUM QLD 4178

First The Hermitage and then Clyde taught me to be resilient. At Clyde I survived sleeping in a short-sheeted bed in the Mildew room in Iceberg corridor in mid-winter so I can survive anything including a world that has completely changed. I was working at Queensland Museum in March and was one of the first to work from home because none of my work required me to be on site. I didn’t want to leave the building, my greatest thrill was walking into a museum without visitors and viewing the exhibitions in peace and quiet, however management deemed it necessary to reduce the risk for all older workers. I set myself up for working from home (WFH); access to emails, software files and Skype. I soon got to love not having to wake up at 6, get dressed in work clothes and arrive on the dot for an 8am start. It suited me to have a lie-in with a cup of tea, go for a leisurely stroll to pick up a coffee and start work whenever I felt like it. Without any interruptions, except Zoom or Skype meetings and training webinars, I was able to power through my work. I have Asperger’s so the self-isolation (iso) didn’t bother me; social distancing (I haven’t heard an abbreviation for that one yet, SoD?) was also great because I no longer needed to duck and weave around young people absorbed with their phones. THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

MARG DALY (BL AND) 192 BARTON TCE WEST, NORTH ADEL AIDE 5006

The year 2020 will certainly stand out in our memories for so many reasons; bush fires, drought and now of course our COVID-19 Pandemic. But in some ways it has given us the time and space to consider what is important in our lives.

My husband and I walk daily and our gym pool has only just opened, but classes have not yet begun. We certainly appreciate our green open spaces. Our parks are a joy. Fortunately the weather, whilst cold has been sunny.

Here in S.A we seem to be far more fortunate than other States, at least for now, but we do feel particularly for our Victorian neighbours.

Our Church choir, book club and House Group have introduced us to Zoom, but on July 19th we are to return to Church, so slowly restrictions are being modified.

2020 started off for us with the lovely wedding of one of our granddaughters, Kendell at their property in the Adelaide Hills. Despite raging bushfires and searing heat, it was a wonderful day, especially as it was the last time we were all together as a family; coming from Queensland and Victoria. I was looking forward to attending my first Old Girls reunion here in Adelaide, when Covid-19 struck, and turned our lives upside down.

Travel of course is out. As I write we were to have been up in Queensland at Palm Cove.

Having received a phone call from Jill Nicholls, followed by a copy of the latest Hermitage Old Girls Association Newsletter, so many memories flooded back. The excerpt from Eilene (Dewie) was of course of particular interest as “Dewie” lived with us for a number of years before becoming a boarder.

Our hearts turn to all those who have been so badly affected at this time. May happier times soon return.

Presently, Jenny Pope (Oldfield) and I meet regularly for lunch. Fortunately here in Adelaide our regulations seem quite lenient compared to other States. We can eat in our cafes, drive anywhere within the State and have little problem in ‘Social Distancing’.

My generation is perhaps somewhat more used to restrictions etc. Having lived during World War 2 I still remember clothing coupons and food shortage, but was so happy to be able to continue wearing long socks as part of our uniform as stockings were limited.

Left: Jenny Pope (Oldfield) and Marg Daly (Bland). Right: Marg Bland as a schoolgirl

MARGARET GRIFFITHS (DEAN) 33 ERRET T ST, HORSHAM 3400

Good luck with the ongoing success of Cooee – I look forward every year to catching up on letters sent on. Both my husband and I are now residing in aged care and we are very happy here. Recently while talking with cousins, the topic of past family history came up and to my astonishment I learned a niece of my father was a boarder at the Hermitage during 1906-1907. This new information became a coincidence while reading ‘Proud to be Women’ (page 51) where Violet Husband is mentioned. She was one of the earlier boarders and was the first Old Girl to join the Old Girls Committee. What a shame I didn’t know this whilst at the Hermitage 41 years later! MARCIA TANSWELL (CARROLL) 12 L AKE STREET, VARSITY L AKES QUEENSL AND

Editor: We unfortunately did not receive this in time for last year’s newsletter, I have spoken to Marcia several times during the year and she is keeping well. She also sent me a copy of the book she wrote of the story of her father’s voyage, his war record through the just opened and almost complete Panama Canal, derived from letters sent home. It is a wonderful book, and fortunately Marcia very kindly donated one to our archives. Dear “Old Girls”, Hope I am not too late to send my news for the Coo-ee magazine out early next year. I had hoped to send a photo or two as well but my busy family have not sent any to me as yet. Hearty greeting for the Festive Season and good wishes, for a healthy 2020. The highlight of 2019 was my 90th birthday party at Angela’s home in Cabarita Beach, N.S.W. with all my five children there; most of my eleven grandchildren, and most of my six great grandchildren. It was perfection!! The 90th Birthday Certificate was a surprise from the Federal Government. Its disappointing not to be able to come to our Birthday and Tower Luncheons anymore. Stephanie Day (Aikmen) keeps in touch and sometimes Edmee Cudmore (Rushbrook) which is good. Please contact me by mail and or phone anytime for a chat, no matter what your age. Love and God Bless, From Marcia 02.09.1929

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

DESIREE COHEN (HORNE) 20 BEACHWOOD DRIVE, POINT LONSDALE

Thank you to all who contributed to this year’s zoom AGM. How we look forward to life getting back to normal! I retired from Frances Perry House in my Marketing role and thought I would get quickly organised with all the things I had dreamed of doing as I approached 70 and the freedom of not working but not a single retirement goal has been reached! Some of the difficulties I am now going to mention pale into insignificance compared to the really awful experiences for many with Covid and bushfires! For us it has been the postponement of the wedding of two of my children, one here and one in France. We also had to have a funeral of my 96year old father in law, the Rev. Vernon Cohen at All Saints with just 5 family, clergy and 2 bishops…a very different celebration of his life to what had been envisaged. We also sold our home… an experience with Covid rules that was extremely trying. Grandchildren are such a blessing and as our mother used to say, they lighten the spirit with new life and new beginnings. This year we welcomed our 10th grandchild… how blessed are we with our families. Looking forward to getting back to normality! Praying you will all be safe. Desiree Cohen SANDRA BECK SMOXSON@HOTMAIL .COM

Dear Schoolmates I, like many of my peers, am in my 80th year. I have had a good life albeit lots of ups and downs. This is written under ‘Lock-down’ with none of us being able to see into the future. What would I write to my younger self if I knew how the latter self would end up: Dear Sandra, Congratulations you are making the most of many educational experiences, I am glad you don’t fit into the mould because this gives you more scope for shaping and hopefully you will be able to go on developing. When you marry, it will be wise if you can pull with, and not against, your husband so try to learn strategies necessary for ‘pulling with’. Also it will be helpful if you can think of yourself more as being ‘part of a team’.

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

You will be wise to have a better respect for money because, even though you may not feel that you need it your children may. Teach them the value of money along with all the other things in life which you hope to teach them to value such as health, friendship, caring for one another and, most of all, the elements of faith in the God you will come to believe in so strongly. Now I am prepared to let you go to get on with your own life, perhaps when you are old you will be able to pass on some of the wisdom you have learnt along the way. I will keep you under my wing. Sandra IRMA MACAULEY (SKELTON) IRMAMACAULEY@GMAIL .COM

Greetings to all. A couple of years back I wrote about finding a bottle of Samuel Plimsoll wine from a 1973 wine bottling fundraiser which we ran in aid of the then Scholarship Fund. I had planned to open it then, but finding anyone from the Scholarship Fund Committee to share it with was unsuccessful, so it remained unopened until June 2020 when my family and I shared it to celebrate my 90th Birthday. A gamble – being bottled in 1971 it was 47 years old – What would it taste like???? IT WAS EXCELLENT. A great surprise, and a great thrill. So that is the end of the story and the wine. Irma Macauley Irma with her daughters Michelle Coventry (nee Macauley)(left) and Dianne Morgan (nee Macauley) (right)

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

EDMEE CUDMORE NEE RUSHBROOKE CUDMOREJ@BIGPOND.COM

Edmee has sent in this wonderful article.

Three Gold Sovereigns, War in the Pacific and the Suez Crisis of 1956 My mother Clara Florence (Florence) Rushbrooke (née Paine) (b.1894) and I (b.1931) were fortunate to have received the encouragement, stimulus and nurture of a Hermitage education. Reminded of our school motto Esse Quam Videri — It is Better to Be Than to Seem we were launched into the world confident in our ability, if need arose, to change direction or cope with adversity. In 1914, following the outbreak of WWI, Florence, who had learned typing and shorthand, was asked to take on the role of secretary to the Bank Manager for the Geelong branch of the Union Bank of Australia and replace a man who had recently enlisted. She kept, and I still have, her first salary - three gold half-sovereigns - which Mr Turnbull, a close family friend, gave her saying “You are now part of a bank and should be paid in gold!”During the time I was at school, we had incredible freedom to explore and have fun in the Geelong area. My cousins and I could take out our dinghy and go fishing with bait grown in cans under the slipway. On one occasion, some school-friends and I took bikes and billies and rode to the Dog Rocks at Batesford. Our mothers were dubious but my Dad pointed out the police rarely raided Saturday’s illegal Two-up school and their watchdog would keep an eye on kids who “knew how to behave”. People who “knew how to behave” were politely friendly, were never embarrassed and didn’t comprehend questionable comments or questions! They moved on from difficult situations and gave short simple reasons for refusing help and food.

‘Sometimes be sharp/ Never be flat/ Always be natural!’ Some fatherly advice from George Paine. [Page from an autograph album belonging to Florence Paine, 1909]

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

War in the Pacific created a crisis situation both at home and abroad. Most people in Geelong were unsure of the future and this led them to question their ability to cope. The school reacted in two ways: the first by adopting a book Ourselves and the Pacific slapped together by Prof. R.M. Crawford in 1941 which showed world history as cyclical and mankind’s desires as being universal and similar. The book was applied to almost all our subjects. The second innovation was held at The Hermitage in conjunction with Geelong Grammar and was inspired by Eric Linklater’s The Cornerstones. It involved weeks of individual and group project activities, choral and sporting events culminating in a massive History exhibition ‘Today and Tomorrow’ which involved students focussing on the roles played by men and women past, present and future. After school, I became a pharmacist, and following a short stint at The Alfred Hospital, I embarked on the Strathaird, and set out on the Road to Ithaca and London toting a brand new camera with coupled rangefinder, with a wish to study hospital pharmacy. Our route via the Suez Canal in 1956 had stopovers at Colombo, Bombay, Marseilles and Gibraltar. The Canal started and went through the middle of a street in Aden lined with colonnaded French and American colonial houses. Their windows were open and we could hear and see music and dancing. It was like passing through the middle of a live film set. A few days later we returned from an outing to find the ship in chaos. The Suez crisis caused by Nasser of Egypt had materialised; the British army was in battle mode. Our dining table gained two extra chairs and in the evening two immaculate Welsh Guards officers appeared, were introduced and calmly ordered soup. Arriving in London, I was engaged by The Metropolitan Hospital in East End London. It had long underground corridors and a maze of interlinking rooms which were constructed during the war. When confronted by the endless displays of stock lining the shelves in stores today, I often hear the voice of my favourite outpatient, an ancient “barrow boy” who pointing to his shiny apples winked and said: “Them stuff’s tarted up to fool the toffs, git yer chompers roun’ this ‘ere orange pippin”. Travel in post-war Europe revealed much tragedy including the horrors of a failed dictatorship observed when I attended an International Students Conference in Yugoslavia. I heard of one pharmacist whose three pharmacies and several houses were confiscated. He had the option of working at 15 pounds per month with no remuneration for his losses, or have no work and a pittance for the business. He chose to work. Peasants were given no options. Tito’s government was the sole employer and lacking a manufacturing base they had very little to trade and few who wished to trade with them. Tito who was trying to impress Nasser of Egypt visited Zagreb while we were there. Hundreds of ill-dressed and starving workers had been marched in to wait for hours holding flags to cheer them on their way. The three black state automobiles they 38

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rode in had been transported by rail and then reloaded to be sent to the next town. It was possibly a case of smoke and mirrors. It was, however, a month-long trip in a little Morris Minor which shaped the interest in art and cultural history that came to dominate my later life and led me to three years of Fine Arts at Melbourne University and acceptance into a small mature-age tutorial group conducted by Professor Joseph Burke. The owner of the car had a major in Fine Arts; she and another friend, a young English architect, had planned the trip and brought letters of introduction to homes and gardens not normally on public display. We used Youth Hostels, had a small primus and pan, bought local fruit and smallgoods and often picnicked at midday. At night, we sampled the local eateries of France, Italy and Greece. I have vivid memories of visiting the chateaux of the Loire, of travelling through the Corinth Canal and of driving in snow over the newly-opened San Gotthard Pass. PATRICIA O’NEILL (TROT TER), TISHTOM87@YAHOO.COM 2 AUSTRALIND ST, SWANBOURNE W.A. 6010

Last year’s newsletter and its cooeegrams really hit the spot for me. All the years and the living in between my present age, 91, and my schooldays at The Hermitage disappeared as Eilene Dew’s memories of WWII days took me back. I arrived at the school in June 1942 two weeks into Term 2 so not long after the excitement of the arrival of the evacuees. It was assumed that I was one of those exciting individuals. Not so - I was just a displaced Melburnian whose family had transferred to Geelong for my father’s war work. I was embarrassingly known as “the new girl with the much too long tunic” - no time as yet for my poor mother to take up the hem. I was amazed when at recess time Patti Bumstead found me and said she was “assigned to walk with me”. To WALK! we were 12 years old! I was very surprised at such a sedate idea - what sort of a school was this? However it was of course a very sensible and hospitable idea to show the new girl around, particularly the introduction to the 3rd world daygirls toilets. My mother and I had already had a somewhat alarming interview with Krome in her office a couple of nights before. We had made our way on a cold dark June night by “ browned out” tram [no lights to be shown in this large seaport town] to the great gates shadowed by giant Moreton Bay fig trees. We were received courteously but not warmly by this probably exhausted and worried giant of a woman. My good tweed fawn winter coat just passed muster - “it will have to do then if you have run out of coupons”. A message was sent upstairs for little Adele Coutts to come down and take me up to her unit for a little while where on the icy cold old brown lino floor we played Jacks [knucklebones] - The beginning of a lifelong friendship. Mary Hemsley, another evacuee mentioned by Eilene Dew, was in my class - we THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

became friends and she often came to our house in those days. My mother was English and very hospitable - I’m sure it helped her to welcome this little English girl when she herself was very worried about her family in England during the heavy bombing. Mr and Mrs Bland’s care of Eilene, so typical of their big-hearted kindness was a strong trait in their daughter, Marg, who was a great role model for us younger girls. She was always so good-natured, calm, enthusiastic, encouraging. On the baseball field in particular she was our idol and she made a great Head Prefect... [I think Eilene meant that she herself had been Head Boarder not Head Prefect] One of my early close friends was Anne Taylor. It amazes me now to think of the depth and breadth of that comparatively short and intense time. We were both sport mad but also continually discovering the joys of reading everything from adventure, stories of WW1, school stories poetry. What a great English teacher we had in Mrs Moreton in those first couple of years, we loved trying to imitate her marvellous Scots brogue even as we spread the rumour that she didn’t clean the black underside of her pots and pans as it used less gas to heat them.. Anne’s brother was in the navy so she pinched some of his cigarettes when he was home on leave and we lit up at recess in the big concrete pipe air raid shelters under the Moreton Bay figs. The height of our risky adventures came in the holidays when working ourselves into a huge level of excitement we sneaked into old Hermitage house in daylight to find a way into the rumoured padded cell in the cellar area near Krome’s study. We didn’t find anything - the great excitement was in the planning and the thrill of adventure and prospect of being caught. Friendships came and went during those years as we grew and our personalities developed and interests deepened. Music and the school plays joined me in particular to Adele and Marj Moreton and to Val Anderson, and fun and sense of humour to Libby Fairley my other lifelong friend - with all of us hugely keen on sport. They were boarders and would often come home to my place at weekends. We would probably have cooked up the 2 standby cakes of those rationing days [not many eggs and butter] I still use the Hedgehog cake and Pavlova I got from Libby. I also stayed with Dele, Val and Libby during the holidays. Quite an adventure to get to Corowa in wartime, with Libby and sister Marg. The long train trip, special tickets required for travel in wartime, on a crowded train full of servicemen, we would be lucky to get a seat but would possibly have to stand much of the way in the corridor. On our return we had an extra bag with 3 rabbits which Dr Fairley had euthanized for us to dissect in Biol. Of course the other passengers did not know what we had in the bag so we were convulsed from time to time! During those years there were some outstanding girls from a broad range of families in Geelong - some old-established ones well known in the town’s social history, but also 40

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from a cross section of the population and of course boarders several of whom came from country properties large and small. I think that in some ways, as day girls we may have been more aware of what was going on in the world outside the school, every day as we came through the town to school we saw the changes that were happening due to the war. Living with our families we heard the adult conversations and felt their concerns. Some of us became single parent families as fathers were away and that affected our day to day living. School unity was strong despite divisions of opinion about Miss Krome. It was really something to be a Hermitage girl and uphold a reputation to be a person of worth even if you were in fact on a pretty low rung on the ladder. If you belonged to the Hermitage you could be trusted! Comparing difficulties, worries, fears, mental and physical health of those times with Covid19 is almost impossible and meaningless. We are in a different age. On leaving school I attended the first trial of an introductory course in Librarianship at the State Library of Victoria. This 6 month course gave me the Preliminary Certificate in Librarianship from the Australian Library Association. The next step included work in a library for 3 years, get a degree and then do the required study of 9 units set out in a red handbook with reading lists. Work it out for yourself what was important then sit for the unit exams to qualify to become an A.L.A.A. - Asssociate of the Library Association of Australia. I got a job at the Textile college at the Gordon Inst. did a small amount of external study for a couple of Arts degree units, learnt to type and a little shorthand. Then in March 1951 sailed to England on the P&O Mooltan where I lived and worked for 18 months doing and seeing as much as possible on 5 pounds a week. I returned to Australia and in Dec 1952 married my beloved from the Textile College, now designer and up and coming manager of the Albany Woollen Mills in W.A. Much happiness, 3 children and 16 years later Shane died very suddenly and I became the single mum of 3 just getting into their teens. We stayed in Albany, I had a job at the High School so I completed that A.L.A.A and a Teacher’s Certificate. Shane and I had bought a block of land only a few months earlier so with input of various kinds from the young we made up a design for a little house based on a project home we had admired. The next few years were crammed with activity setting up the house, starting the large garden, study, school productions and survival. Difficult times and wonderful times. The young ones gradually left for university in Perth. I spent in all 23 years in school librarianship and education and amateur theatricals, and eventually to my surprise married again to Tom who became principal of Perth Modern School. Sadly there have been times of great loss - my older daughter, my step daughter and my daughter in law have all died from forms of cancer and eventually Tom from Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons - a dash of each. But there has also been much happiness, fun, adventuring and opportunities for creativity. My son Shane and his younger son both have sheep farms in the south of W.A. but Patrick has changed THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

course to this from a great start as an architect and Shane has also been a maths teacher, sailor, builder, architect, gardener and tree grower. Another grandson lives in Perth, has 2 small children, teaches clarinet as does his wife and my second grandson currently lives in Tel Aviv with his Israeli wife and 2 pre-teen daughters. Like many other ex-pats they would dearly like to return to Australia. My daughter, Prue, lives in Perth and lectures in Library Studies at central Tafe. Their 2 daughters have just finished at U.W.A. My oldest granddaughter is a vet currently living in Adelaide.. We have all travelled a lot in the last 30 years or more and have enjoyed the freedom and opportunities to do so, both overseas, and for me widely in Australia as well, particularly in the outback of W.A. Such interesting times, truly amazing.- and still the never-ending delights of books, music and the little garden. Patricia [Trish] O’Neill [nee Trotter]

Below: Patricia with Valerie Anderson on the occasion of Trish’s 90th birthday

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

VALERIE ANDERSON (MCQUALTER)

Girls on the Wall Earlier this year there were calls for people to share their memories of the end of World War II from The Geelong Advertiser. Our ever vigilant Valerie Anderson (McQualter), saw this and called the paper. She reminisced how when the School heard the news there was much excitement and the girls were allowed out of class. They all ran down and climbed onto the wall, and those who could not fit crowded around the base of the wall. Much shouting and singing erupted. After this excitement the girls and staff gathered in the assembly hall and held a thanksgiving service She recalled that a photo of the girls on the wall had been in the paper shortly afterwards, and thought they may still have a copy. The gentleman on the phone said that their photos didn’t go back that far. How disappointed Valerie felt, but couldn’t believe her eyes, when in Saturday August 15th 2020, there was the special photo.

LESLEY ROBINSON (DONALDSON) 52

2020 the year from hell, the year of the big lockdown, yet in Australia most of us emerged comparatively unscathed compared with the rest of the world. In February my sister Robin and I excitedly planned our big trip for the year; locking in bookings for Italy and the Greek Islands seven months before the departure date because anticipation is half the fun. Then we started reading about this new but virulent virus overseas, but it would all be over by August wouldn’t it! In mid-March we went on a shopping spree in Melbourne with our trip in mind and marvelled at how quiet the shops were. It was marvellous! Then before we knew where we were, we were in lockdown. Overnight my social life stopped. I had been involved in various charity groups – fundraising activities cancelled. Normally I would go out for lunch two or three times a week, but of course restaurants were closed. My big outing for the week became a trip to the supermarket, although they didn’t necessarily have what I wanted. Fortunately I had plenty of toilet rolls on hand! My daughter Amanda and son-in-law were marvellous. He would mow my lawns, while she would announce “I’ve come to care.” (I’d never thought of myself as being frail and elderly). I still had yawning days to fill in. The local library started a home delivery service of books, but that took three weeks to kick in so I re-read most of the books I had. With my declining memory the stories were all familiar but I couldn’t remember how they turned out in the end, e.g. “who dun it”. I was so desperate I began to clean out cupboards, which I believe is the worst household task in the world. I’d rather clean windows, clean toilets, anything except deciding “Do I throw it out, put it somewhere else, or put it back in the same place” I confess I’m a hoarder and I’ve lived in the same house for 55 years, so it was quite a task. Amanda bought me some jig-saw puzzles online and I found them to be great timewasters. I took over one end of the dining table and could spend hours at a time hunched over the current puzzle. I haven’t had a dog for several years as I am no longer able to walk one as needed. I have had cats most of my life and find them good company, but after having to have two put down in less than a year, felt reluctant to acquire another one. I always felt so guilty when I took them to the cattery when I was going on holiday – they hate it so much. Consequently I found that I could go three or four days without speaking to anyone. One day when someone from my Probus Club rang I remarked that I didn’t like to intrude by ringing people for no reason, she asked me if I had enjoyed talking with her (Oh I had!) 44

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So I got out the membership list and over a period of several days rang everyone who I knew lived alone. I found that people with whom I would normally exchange a few polite words prolonged the conversation. You tend to forget that other people are feeling the same way. After the jig-saws began to pall Amanda suggested I write my memoirs. I’ve never done anything extraordinary, but she pointed out that when she and her husband were given the task of writing her father’s eulogy a few years ago she had difficulty in nailing facts, so I agreed. She’s certainly well-organized, but I’m not ready to go yet. Every few days for several months I worked on it when I was in the mood and sometimes when I wasn’t and I could tell the difference in the results. I started with my earliest recollection when I was three and included what I knew of the backgrounds of my parents and grand-parents. I also added family stories I had been told and tried to give an idea how family lifestyles have changed over the last 85 years, e.g. refrigerators replacing ice-chests and ration coupons during the war. I wrote it in longhand because that is the way I think, then typed it up to ensure it was legible, making a copy for each of my children. Unbeknownst to me Amanda made it into an album. She had previously incorporated by travel diaries with some of my photos to make albums using the magic of the net. I felt a little embarrassed at first as I would have taken more care, revising and polishing if I had known it was going to be published. However it is rather pleasing to have a permanent record. Gradually we are coming out of isolation and I am appreciating more than ever the friendships and relationships I have formed over the years.

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

HELENE DENNIS (HOLDSWORTH) 2/4 HARBECK ST, HAYFIELD, VIC 2858 HERMO 1940-1950

We moved to Brisbane so I didn’t finish. I went to St Aidans, Corinda, Church of England School run by Sisters of the Sacred Advent. A great little school. My sister Margaret Benecke (Holdsworth) finished at the Hermo. She is now nearly 93 and is in care in Sydney. She is quite amazing, loves life, and drinks lots of wine, very modern in her outlook – very stylish too!! Shoes and bag still match!! Covid has been difficult as she hasn’t been able to see her family. I haven’t seen her since last March, but hope to go for her birthday in May. Please note a new address for my sister below: MARGARET BENECKE, WAHROONGA HOUSE, 131 PACIFIC HIGHWAY, WAHAROONGA, 2076

Just read Light Blue which made me write to you. I know you have trouble getting news. I live in a country town, am very busy with Hospital Auxiliary, Museum and the church, never have a spare minute, I’ll turn 84 in May. My son lives on our farm out of Hayfield so I have family nearby. All for now, Helene Dennis O.A.M. VALERIE MCDOWELL (BENDLE) 44, MCDOWELL .VAL@GMAIL .COM P.O. BOX 80 HOLMESGLEN 3148

On 11th January 2020 we celebrated my sister’s 90th birthday (Wilma Foulkes, nee Bendle) at her daughter’s home in Gippsland. Her extended family paid tribute to her loving care and personal faith over so many years. On March 10th my daughter, Joy, and I embarked on a pleasant ten day cruise around New Zealand – possibly my swansong! We were vaguely aware of the spread of the coronavirus, but decided that the risk of infection was small. One highlight was our visit to Milford Sound. Our family’s visit to the Sound many years ago was bitterly disappointing. While at school; I had been captivated by a photo of The Mitre (a striking peak in the Sound) in our James Geography book; due to a heavy mist and rain on our first visit, we saw NOTHING! However, this time our ship sailed into the Sound in brilliant sunshine. The water glistened and we saw The Mitre in all its glory – another bucket list desire fulfilled! On board the only restriction was compulsory hand sanitation. We arrived back in Sydney on 20th March, one day after The Ruby Princess! Our last night was spent on our ship in Circular Quay where we sat on the veranda of our room in the warm, balmy 46

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air. We marvelled at the fairy-tale atmosphere of the harbour with the illuminated Opera House opposite us and glistening ferries passing by. It was magic! Fortunately there was no sickness on board our ship, The Celebrity Solstice, but we had to self-isolate on our arrival home. How thankful we were for our safety after we heard about the sickness experienced by other unfortunate ships. For the remainder of the year I was in voluntary isolation at home in Melbourne. I greatly missed shopping trips, haircuts, our fellowship at Church and our home Bible Studies. However I have been surrounded with love, phone calls, unexpected gifts of food and flowers, many emails and texts from family and friends and a regular monthly check-up phone call from my splendid doctor. A special blessing has been a former church friend’s offer to do my weekly shopping for me. All my practical needs have been met and I can look back over that remarkable year with thankfulness. A slower pace has given me time to reflect on the wonderful way my life had unfolded over 93 years – and this includes the excellent all -round education I received at The Hermitage, both academically and for life skills, including leadership opportunities. I shall always be deeply thankful for the solid foundation my dearly-loved school gave me. “ Esse quam videri”

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Obituaries: Janet Brumley (Good) Our lovely mum, Jan died peacefully in Melbourne at the time of her choosing, aged 97. She had left us all a caring tradition of decency, social fairness and an abiding love of the wilderness that she nurtured and defended with quiet purpose. She had been our last fond link with the Brumley, Good, Wettenhall and Thwaites generation. Devoted best friend and wife of Mervyn. (dec) Mum we will keep you close in the breezes and wild flowers of Piccaninny.

Helen Botterill This was written by Sue Wettenhall, fortunately the funeral was held just before Covid 19, we thank her very much for sharing this with us as Helen was much loved and admired by us all, Helen was responsible for the designing and supervising the making of the Altar Cloths. My mother often used to say that two of her children were far too easily brought to tears. I was one of them. I hope I can manage this and do her proud. Helen Botterill lived a long and productive life. Not surprisingly she as the last one of her generation and took great pride and joy in being the matriarch of the family after my mother died. When she was very young one of her cousins picked her up to carry her to bed and said, ‘you are so small you are just like a mosquito’. From then on, the family have always called her Skeet so now you will all know who I am talking about. She was born in Mt Gambier, the third of a family of four. When she was only one her father died leaving her mother with 4 step children and 4 of her own. They lived at the Umpherston Caves with a large water filled cave in the backyard until Skeet was 10. Gran then moved herself and 7 children (Aunty Norah had married by then) to Geelong to 41 Aphrasia St, always referred to as simply 41 by us all. She continued to live there for the next 86 years. Skeet made many contributions in many different areas. I am sure everyone here has had experience of this. This included several occasions of being the main carer of others. Skeet worked at Dalgety’s for many years and on our trips over to Adelaide for 48

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Christmas she told us the history of all the farms in the Western District, who owned them, who lived there and lots of other details. She retired from there to keep house for Gran as she was needing more and more care and then some years later Aunt Al. When Aunt Al needed nursing care at Chesterfield, Skeet went to help her with her lunch every day. She went up to Strone to help Uncle Robert in the early days there ensuring that he ate properly and kept the house running. 41 was home for my two brothers and sister during the years they attended school in Geelong. It was the base in Geelong for all her family. None of us went to Geelong without going to 41 for a meal, a rest or a place to stay. Skeet was quite proper, tough and as she would say ‘well brought up’. Manners were stricter at 41 than in most of our homes. David tells of helping her do the dishes when she dropped and broke a very special plate. She looked at him, the pieces on the floor, back at him and said ‘bugger’. One time I was helping her with the dishes and she looked at me and said ‘a plate has two sides Sue’. When you went to 41 for a quick lunch, the table was set with the silver cutlery, a small vase of flowers; butter on a dish with a silver butter knife then lunch would be wheeled in on Gran’s trolley. Skeet was active and quick at everything. When David was living there he played tennis with her and Aunt Al every Saturday afternoon, she walked at a hundred kilometres an hour to the extent that Margaret, when trying to keep up with her said “Skeet do you have to walk so fast?” She rode an old pushbike around Geelong until she was 70 when her bike was stolen. She was very cross about that, and speaking of cross, she was furious with us when, at our instigation, her doctor cancelled her driving license. She was 94 then and could hardly see over the steering wheel. She loved driving and drove to Port Fairy every year until then, for a holiday with Nancy Macdonald. Also speaking of cross, she did not enjoy slowing down. I can still hear her saying I am so slow now when I used to be so quick. To go from walking so fast everywhere, to walking with her trusted Mulga (here on the coffin) and then to walking with a frame was quite difficult for her to take and very difficult for us to enforce. When we were going for our picnics by the river it was always – I’ll just take Mulga won’t I? No, we will take the frame. Skeet did some travelling. She went on several camping trips to central and northern Australia, sleeping on the ground and helping with the cooking. It was on one of these trips that she bought Mulga. She went to New Zealand and Europe. One day mum fell over outside Buckingham Palace ending up with cuts and lots of blood on her face. Skeet promptly fainted in the gutter. She was quite good at fainting – I think the church people here experienced that a few times. Skeet had a strong Christian faith. She was a regular church attendee at All Saints and served as a warden for many years. She made countless jars of Botterill grapefruit THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

marmalade to sell at the church stall on Sundays. Some of you here may have bought some. It is still my favourite marmalade. She was also in charge of, and expert at, the flower arranging at the church – always on duty for Christmas and Easter, weddings and funerals as well as many regular Sundays. For as long as I can remember she played solo regularly with four friends. They saved the one and two cent coins after they went out of circulation and continued to rejoice over wins like 24 cents for the afternoon. She continued to play at Chesterfield when she was becoming increasingly deaf and one of her friends was becoming increasingly blind. Evidently this friend could tell the difference between red and black but not always between hearts and diamonds. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall. As for so many who experienced the depression, she was very frugal and careful with money. She read all the junk mail thoroughly and drove around Geelong to buy the specials. When she replaced her stove she bought the basic model and then was cross that the oven wouldn’t go cool enough to cook the Christmas meringues. Her solution to that was to take the trays of uncooked meringues and leave them in the oven in the church hall overnight cooking by the pilot light. Skeet was an expert sewer, knitter and embroiderer with great attention to detail. She sewed almost all her own clothes, knitted her own jumpers and knitted woollen socks for the Victorian and New Zealand farmers in the family. These garments were not just cheaper, they were better. She did a lot of beautiful embroidery, particularly for the church as seen here today. She was a long term member of the Embroiderers Guild here in Geelong meeting to embroider and learn new skills in the church hall next door to 41. Although she had no real love of school as a student, she was an active member of The Hermitage Old Girls and much to our surprise, greatly enjoyed her time as an office bearer and speechmaker. Skeet loved her garden. It was always full of flowers and neat and tidy. She had a gardener about once a month for about 10 years to do some of the heavy work. Otherwise it was all her. She told many of us many times how she got up from kneeling down weeding – this leg first and this arm second – easy. She would have loved seeing all the flowers here. Skeet lived in the five bedroom house with a cleaner coming for an hour once a fortnight until she was 96 and it became clear that she was not managing well at home. She moved to Chesterfield then and although resistant at first, she became happy there. She was well cared for and it became her home for nearly four years. She had a fabulous 100th birthday there attended by about 50 family members and friends. There was great excitement from her when I read out the congratulatory card from the 50

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Queen. Great memories, of a very happy afternoon. She moved to Estia Grovedale as she needed more medical care. To finish off, an embellishment of and often used saying of Skeets.

She was O L D. She was old but she was awfully tough but finally at 101 and 5 days she had had enough. Goodbye Skeet – we will all miss you so much.

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Helen Evelyn Howard (Rushbrooke) This was kindly sent to us by Edmee Cudmore (Rushbrooke) Helen’s cousin. Helen was born in 1921 in Prahran, Melbourne, the eldest of five children. There was 15 years between Helen and her youngest brother John, and three sisters in between Sheila, Paula and Wendy. Helen was a kind, cheerful and generous lady and this nature stayed with her through life. She made friends easily and was loved by all who knew her. She was always beautifully groomed, with a sense of elegance, and grace. She always had her hair done, nice clothes, scarves and pearls, her handbag and face makeup and of course lipstick. She was known as Sofia Loren, or Lady Helen at her nursing home in Margaret River. Helen attended The Hermitage 1926 – 1938. Helen was an avid reader and also loved knitting, which she learnt from a live in housekeeper, who she would follow around to get impromptu lessons. She knitted beautiful jumpers, scarves and beanies, many of which went overseas to charities for people in need. During the war Helen’s family were evacuated to Woodend in country Victoria. Helen became independent at a young age. After school Helen completed an art course, at the R.M.I.T then completed a secretarial course which gave her a range of interesting jobs in Victoria and England. During this time, she met Olivia, who became her best friend for life. It was very sad for Helen when Olivia died 8 years ago at the age of 92. They met while living in adjoining flats in East Melbourne near Fitzroy Gardens. They would walk through the gardens on their way to work. This was a time when ladies dressed up in a hat and gloves and always look smart. Helen loved the theatre, ballet and concerts and she often spoke about sitting in the ‘gods’ being more affordable seats. During 1946-1950 Helen worked as a private secretary to the Vice Chancellor at Melbourne University. In early 1950 The Melbourne University was contacted by ASIO to enquire about a suitable employee that could do some work for them. Helen was recommended. So in May 1950 Helen commenced work for ASIO. This was to be a fascinating and somewhat secretive period of her working life. It was the time of the Petrov Affair during post war Australia; at the height of the Cold War when Russia was increasing its connections to Australia. The Australian Government needed to know who the Russians were talking to and where they went. Helen became a FIO – Female Investigation Officer for ASIO. Helen was bound to confidentiality, so members of her own family knew little of this part of her life. The only reason any of this came to light is due to conversations Helen had with my brother Mark in early 2014. Mark had found a book online that had been written by an ex-employee from ASIO, Mark vaguely knew that Helen had been involved with ASIO for a period before she married, so he gave Helen the book for Christmas.

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

This was a trigger for Helen opening up about her time in ASIO and how she and two other male investigators were required to watch and keep tabs on people of interest and report information back to ASIO. If Helen sensed she was being followed, she would go to pre-arranged locations and change into different clothes and hats. Helen was also sent to rent a room in a flat in Darlinghurst enabling her ASIO colleagues to bug the room below her flat that contained a person of interest to ASIO. It sounds like something out of a James Bond movie and shows an adventurous side of Helen that we knew little about. Helen left ASIO on 6th January 1954 and departed Australia for the United Kingdom in March 1954. Mark recently found some records that included a letter about Helen by the Senior Field Officer from ASIO in 1954. Miss Rushbrooke had undoubtedly proved herself to be one of the most capable members of the Investigation Section I have under my control. She has at all time consistently maintained a particularly high standard of efficiency in the execution of her duties and has shown a remarkable sense of adaptability and cooperation in carrying out the varied duties of an investigator. I consider the contribution of Miss Rushbrooke in building the records of ASIO will serve as an example of efficiency and an inspiration to our members, not only in this office but throughout the organisation generally. Helen loved to travel especially by ship, often taking weeks to get to the destination. In 1961 Helen again left Australia to work in London, as her parents were living in Cambridge. It was during this time that she met Reginald Howard, and six months later they were married. Her brother John was completing his Doctorate in Physics at Cambridge University, and their parents rented a flat in Cambridge for a year. It was heartbreaking for Helen when her father died suddenly after their wedding reception. Reg was a tower of strength throughout their marriage especially after the loss of their unborn baby son. Helen grieved this loss all of her life as she had dearly wanted a child. Helen overcame much adversity in her life. Her courage and bravery was one of her strengths. When members of her family moved to Perth, Helen and Reg moved there briefly in 1983 and then returned to England. Helen loved her life in England and enjoyed village life in Surrey and living near Eastbourne and Brighton between 1960’s to 1980’s. They returned to Perth in October 1988, which Wendy was delighted about. They were a very close family, and enjoyed lots of family gatherings. Helen joined the ladies Myola Club in Claremont, and in 1977 became the President. Often she found herself gracing the catwalk parading the latest fashions often wearing a lovely hat. Helen had a good sense of humour so enjoyed the fun and frivolity of it all. She also joined the Perth Ionian Club and U3A. Sadly Reg died in 1996 aged 81 and Helen was a widow at 75. Helen was always special in Wendy’s family and she came to Margaret River with Wendy and Ian in 2009 to live THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

in her new home Silver Vines and joined the Probus Club. She was famous for her marmalade jam and delicious deserts. For the past five years the caring staff at Mirranbeena has taken great care of Helen and she was very much loved by them all. Helen was only 13 months off her 100th birthday when she died.

Elwin Her miston (Cameron) Cam, Elwin Hermiston (Cameron) loved her Hermitage boarding school days (1946 to 1949). Cam raised her family on a farm just out of Deniliquin. Cam was an active member of the local community and made a significant contribution including to Meals on Wheels and other community groups. Having been raised on the land, Cam was committed to the health of the land, and was an active member of the Deniliquin Field Naturalists and over many years she revegetated the farm with locally propagated plant species.

Elwin with her son Andrew

Helen Mary Lee (nee Pur nell) 6 July 1925 – 5 November 2019 My mother was born on 6 July 1925 to Ida Mary Purnell (nee Grützner) and Norman Robert Purnell, in the hospital next to their house, Fairbrae, at 89 Prospect Rd, Geelong. Mum’s mother, Ida, was a very strong and independent woman. She was a real pioneer: she worked in the family business, had her own income and bought a block of land at Aireys Inlet in 1920. Ida then built the house, Cra-an-Bir, in 1921. Cra-an-Bir, at Aireys Inlet

The house at Aireys was a major focus of

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

the family’s life. There are many early photos of friends and family enjoying the house and time down there at the beach. And this continued all the way through Mum’s life. Mum loved the outdoors. While at school at the Hermitage (1931 – 1942) she played lots of sport, most notably tennis and baseball, and was part of a champion baseball team. She went on various bike-riding, camping and hiking expeditions, including in Tasmania. She studied Botany, and then later taught, at Melbourne University. She lived at Janet Clarke Hall, and then bought what became our family home in Fitzgibbon St. Parkville. She became an Honorary Research Fellow in the Botany Department of La Trobe University and held a Master’s of Science degree from Melbourne University. In the mid-1950s, employed by the then Victorian State Forestry Commission, she published several papers on pathogenic fungi. She was the first person to identify and describe pathogenic fungi causing dieback in Eucalyptus. In 1987, Mum co-authored a book with Ian Clarke, about the identification of flowering plants. Name that Flower was well received and became a set text for numerous courses. Mum had a very adventurous spirit, and through her life travelled widely. She and Dad (Barry Lee, geneticist) married in London, and lived in Belfast for a couple of years before returning to Fitzgibbon St in 1963. I was born in 1965. My very early memories of Mum are in the back garden at Fitzgibbon St. She grew a variety of fruit and vegetables in that garden and was also a great cook, regularly making jam, marmalade, chutney and pickled onions. She had a busy, full, rich life. She and Dad were both passionate about their fields of interest and continued to do field trips and camping expeditions to all sorts of extraordinary places: the Galapagos Islands, Chile and Peru, Antarctica, the Grand Canyon, Africa, as well as a number of trips across Australia. Mum was fortunate to spend her final years at home, looked after by a number of extremely loyal carers; despite her ongoing frustration with her lack of independence, they were relatively good years. Mum taught me many valuable things and was a wonderful role model. She had a strong moral and ethical compass, was a feminist without ever labelling herself as such, as well as a conservationist, a greenie, an environmentalist, and an incredible carer of people and her environment. I really miss her. Caroline Lee

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Alva Margaret Searle 20th May 1919 - 10th October 2019 Alva was born to Herbert and Ruby Lamb on 20th May 1919 in a private hospital in Skene Street, Newtown. Her childhood growing up was spent in Stonehaven on a property called ‘Rocklea’ with her younger brother Stewart. When she was 8 the family moved to Meltham further up the road towards Inverleigh. Alva and Stuart rode their horses bareback to the ‘Lower Leigh School’ That later became the Stonehaven State School. Later on Alva attended The Hermitage Girls Grammar School, she stayed with her Grandmother Martha Condie in Buckland Ave Newtown during the week and went home at weekends. Alva loved farm life, and wanted to help farm Meltham, She was always riding her horse Toby around and helping with the musters at shearing and cooking for all the men working. Alva competed on Toby at local shows, winning lots of ribbons in showjumping. She married George Searle at St.Matthews , East Geelong on 26th June 1943 during the war, they had 2 children, Dianne and Geoffrey and moved back to Rocklea where she grew up, and ran a very successful farm. They retired to Barwon Heads in 1973. Alva was excellent at sport, she was an A-grade tennis player, then spent several years involved with the Inverleigh Golf Club as lady president. Alva and George joined the Barwon Heads Bowling Club and discovered she could play bowls, she won many championships was lady president and a bowls coach and she was made a life member on her 100th Birthday. Alva spent her last few years in care at The Homestead, Wallington. She passed away on the 10th October, 2019.

Alva celebrating her 100th birthday

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Deaths Anna Baulch 1975, GGS 1978, Died 1st November 2019 Rae Birrell (Crouch) 1933, Died 17th April 2019 Patricia (Trish) Britten 1949, Died 15th April 2020 Janet Brumley (Good) 1938, Died 17th June 2019 Susan Bugeja (Holdenson) 1975 and GGS 1978, Died 29th August, 2020 Marjorie Cashmore (Drayton) 1941, Died 5th January 2021 Geraldine Currie (Dexter) 1940, Died 2nd May 2019 Valerie Findlay (Tipton) 1949, Died 25th August 2020 Elwin Hermiston (Cameron) 1949, Died 19th October 2019 Helen Howard (Rushbrooke) 1939, Died 24th June 2020 Barbara Lamont (Learey) 1954, Died 26th August 2020 Helen Lee (Purnell) 1942, Died 5th November 2019 Mae Lynch (Rainford) 1945, Died 22nd May 2020 Frances McArthur (Lousada) 1941, Died 5th October 2020 Rita McKenzie (Boyce) 1942, Died 8th March 2019 Janet Oates (McCallum) 1949, Died 9th May 2020 Elspeth Pyper, 1942, Died 13th May 2020 Julie Richards (Rich) 1963, Died 17th February 2021 Elizabeth Robertson (Laidlaw) 1941, Died 2nd November 2019 Merle Robinson (Woolman) 1945, Died 13th September 2019 Pamela Ross (Kernot) 1958, Died 11th May 2020 Gillean (Skye) Scobie (MacLeod) 1959, Died 2nd May 2020 Alva Searle (Lamb) 1934, Died 19th October 2020 Patricia (Pat) Seed (Arthur) 1948, Died March 2020 Susan Smith (Hodgson) 1975, Died 15th November 2020 Judith Sweetnam (McMillan) 1944, Died 25th February 2020 Helen Weymouth (Stephinson) 1937, Died 7th December 2019

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Bereavements Di McCann (Searle) - Mother, Alison Smith (Pyper) - Sister Patsy Ristrom (Woolman) - Sister. Carolyn Brockman - Brother Liz Cook (McMillan) – sister Virginia Walker-Morison (Walker) - Daughter Beverly Lee (Morrish) - Son Jan Koch, Angela Worthy - Brother Sue Walshe (Kernot) – Sister Miranda Brockman, Cecilia (Bell), Rosalind, Katherine – Brother Joan Brussel (Learey), Dianne Learey and Robyn Learey – Sister Wendy Yeoward (Rushbrooke) – Sister Jane Annois, Kathy Richardson (Annois) and Elizabeth Thomson (Annois) – Father Elizabeth Britten and Beverly Pepper (Britten) – Sister Sally Teh (Hodgson and Nikki Jupp (Hodgson) - Sister Sandy Fraser (Bell) Husband

Cooee To school fellows near us or distant, We send out our Cooee today; Wherever you be may you hear it, Whether hard at your work or at play. In our own sunny home or in lands far away Do you hear it? Just listen! We greet you today. Cooee! Cooee! Long live the School! Australia’s own call to her daughters is the call of your school now as well: May its echoes ring cheerily round you, Making feelings of gratitude swell. May it be that your conduct will aye prove the worth Of the love of your school and the land of your birth. Cooee! Cooee! Long live the School! May lessons you learn in your school days, Through life make your path ever bright, May you grow in all virtue and beauty Gentle, honest, and strong in the right. In all games that you play, in all work that you do, Do the work, play the game, as a girl straight and true. Cooee! Cooee! Long live the School! May our song in far days waken mem’ries, Of comrades and friends tried and true, Days bright with the freshness of morning, Pleasures many and sorrows but few. Then here’s to you, schoolmates, young, old, far and near, Accept our glad greeting and ring it back here. Cooee! Cooee! Long live the School!

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

If anyone feels that they would like to donate any items to The Hermitage Archives, please email hermitagegirls@gmail.com

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL

The Hermitage Church of England Girls’ Grammar School, Geelong news letter 2021

THE HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER — GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL