ISSUE 94 FEB 2015
↓ SECTION 01 — INTRODUCTION
CREATING WONDER, CURIOSITY AND A DESIRE TO LEARN
One of our beliefs as a School is that “our rigorous academic programmes create wonder, curiosity and a desire to learn”. It is a reflection of the relationship between our environment and our teachers and the programmes they offer – and our students. I think that we offer much to ensure that the human spirit develops and is enhanced within each student – a spirit that thrives on wonder, curiosity and learning. I have been privileged to see inside our new Centre for Creative Education (CCE), which is taking shape on the corner of School Road and Biddlecombe Avenue. The scale of the building is impressive and the potential it has to enhance creative thinking and artistic output is breathtaking. I can only join in thanking all who have made this building
possible, because I think it is going to bring a new level of creative experience to every student and member of staff on the Corio Campus. I always sense there is more to learn and more to become. If we are curious about who someone is, or what’s inside a new building, we ask and listen and open doors – and our desire to learn leads us to new discoveries. Rigorous academic programmes are at the heart of what we do, but people are at the heart of what matters most, and I hope you will find in this edition of Light Blue that there are many stories of people to wonder at and to be curious about. In buildings new and old, we are a community, seeking to serve others and to make a positive difference in the world. Tony Bretherton Director, Community Relations
Editor Brendan McAloon Design Grindstone Photography Shaney Balcombe Tony Bretherton Irene Dowdy Victoria Fangen Hall Sarah Mackie Jon Madin (FB’67) Katie Rafferty (Spry, Ga’84) Drew Ryan Simon Reed (P’76) Sandy Sharp (Cu’64) Website www.ggs.vic.edu.au Email lightblue@ggs.vic.edu.au CRICOS 00143G
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LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL
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CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL
20 MIDDLE
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FROM OUR PRINCIPAL
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YEAR 12 RESULTS
10 MECHAI’S
MEDAL
SCHOOL
38 10
YEAR REUNION
22 TIMBERTOP
39 30
YEAR REUNION
24 ON
40 40
YEAR TIMBERTOP REUNION
41 40
YEAR REUNION
42 50
YEAR REUNION
THE RIVER
25 PADDY
BECOMES A SAINT
11 SCHOOL & FOUNDATION DINNER
26 AN
12 KINDLING
28 FOUNDATION
43 TOWER
32 OGG
PRESIDENT
44 COGA
33 OGG
NEWS
45 HOGA
HOUSE
34 OGG
SPORT
46 CURATOR
COMPUS
36 OGG
GATHERINGS
13 A
CURIOSITY
CREATIVE SPARK
14 2015
SCHOOL CAPTAINS
16 BOSTOCK 18 TOORAK
LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL
ENQUIRING MIND
SECTION 01 — NAME OF SECTION GOES HERE
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LUNCH
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CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL
Looking back at 2014, it was an incredibly busy year with many highlights as we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the move to Corio amongst all the other usual events. For me, one of the real highlights was the inaugural Geelong Grammar School & Geelong Grammar Foundation Dinner on October 22, where the James R. Darling Oration was given by Ian Darling (P’79), the GGS Medal for Service to Society was awarded to Mechai Viravaidya (P’59) and the beautiful 100 Exceptional Stories book was launched. This was a night that celebrated so many of the qualities of the Geelong Grammar School community. Ian Darling’s oration was an exquisite examination of Sir James Darling’s educational legacy and how it resonates strongly today, particularly in the School’s approach to Positive Education and creativity, and how the School encourages its students to pursue their passion and serve a greater purpose than themselves. Ian’s speech set the scene perfectly for the awarding of the medal to Mechai. Although many are aware of Mechai’s achievements in a general sense, I think the audience of 230 was somewhat awestruck as our Vice Principal, Charlie Scudamore, read the citation and brought the impact of what Mechai has achieved so vividly to life. The launch of 100 Exceptional Stories rounded out the evening in a manner which gave multiple voices to the breadth and depth of achievements by so many OGGs. It was a joyous night. One of the topics I touched on at Speech Day (and indeed in other circumstances when I can) is the frustration I, and many others, have with the direction our national curriculum is heading. It seems destined to become increasingly cluttered with things that our students have to know, leaving less and less room for teachers to spend time with students encouraging deep learning, by which I mean thinking skills; critical and creative thinking, research techniques, recognising high quality information from low quality, encouraging collaboration and interpersonal skills, and presenting their thinking in coherent, contextualised ways so that it is understood easily. Information is ubiquitous! Knowing how to access, sift and use it well are the skills we need, along with an appreciation of one’s own strengths and drivers. I do believe that GGS strives to educate its students to develop these skills along with the ‘content’ they need to pass their Year 12 exams. Our Purpose of “creating wonder, curiosity and a desire to learn” is not just a marketing phrase to adorn brochures and prospectuses; it is a creed we pursue. But we must battle, as do other schools, to pursue it while also delivering a curriculum loaded by the authorities with more and more ‘content’ which has to be remembered and regurgitated at exam time!
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This edition of Light Blue carries news of our 2014 Year 12 cohort’s VCE and IB results. Whatever their final score, I hope that they are all able to find a path that leads them to a fulfilling and meaningful life. There are many possible paths and any number of them can lead to a great outcome. I wish them all a successful next phase of their journey. It is very exciting to see the landscape at Corio changing as the Centre for Creative Education (CCE) takes shape on the corner of School Road and Biddlecombe Avenue. I was treated to a ‘walk through’ of the site in October and was impressed with the space and functionality the building will deliver. I can see the building gently shifting the geo-educational activity at the Corio Campus as it will provide the opportunity for collaboration and project work along with the more regular use for assemblies, performing arts and group activities. Together with the ‘freeing up’ of the Bracebridge Wilson Theatre, I think the CCE will further enable the School to provide the type of education I discussed. I look forward to the opening of the CCE in May this year. In closing, I would like to thank all those who voluntarily contribute their time, energy and expertise in assisting the School. This includes members of Council, the Foundation Board, OGG Committee and Branches, support groups, class representatives, those who assist with costumes and make-up for the School’s various drama productions or volunteer for excursions and camps, such as the Great Victorian Bike Ride. These volunteers enable the School to offer a wide range of activities, sports and educational adventures which enrich the lives of our students. Thanks to all of you. Jeremy Kirkwood (FB’79) Chairman of Council
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FROM OUR PRINCIPAL
One of the most enjoyable aspects of teaching a class is when a student asks you a question. Not a question of the “Please could you repeat what you have just said?” variety, but one where they have been stimulated by what you have said, have processed it for themselves against some other information and, from this synthesis, want to take the topic further by finding out more. They have had to think and now you have to think in response – and, hopefully, the outcome of this dialogue is that the knowledge of the entire class has grown. It is that independent thinking, that curiosity, that desire to know more, which is what produces the best students. Such an approach ensures that one can never be complacent about teaching a class because, with different minds engaging the topic, new ideas are generated which is stimulating (and can be challenging) for all concerned.
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Creating wonder, curiosity and a desire to learn is the theme for this edition of Light Blue and is taken, once again, from our Purpose document. Encouraging students to develop these traits – and then seeing them in action – is a very stimulating and rewarding aspect of teaching. The best students have these traits within them from an early age and draw upon them throughout their lives. I have no doubt that the overwhelming majority of the people who featured in our recent book, 100 Exceptional Stories, would have had these traits whilst they were at school – which would explain much about why they were successful in later life, in their chosen fields. I do believe that it is a most remarkable book, giving a snapshot of some incredible lives. What I find most fascinating is the range of careers which are featured in the book which, in itself, is a reminder that the School encourages its students to follow their passions wherever they may lie, rather than seeking to encourage students to follow some well-worn – and in some cases, safer – career paths. It was very good that we were able to have 17 of those whose stories are featured in the book attending its launch in October. The evening itself was one of the best occasions which I have attended in my 10 years as Principal. Over 230 people listened attentively to the excellent James R. Darling Oration, given by the seventh Orator, Ian Darling (P’79). He had researched his topics meticulously and he weaved a number of threads expertly together – creativity, aspects of JRD’s life, current developments at the School and aspects of the qualities of those in the 100 Exceptional Stories book. It was a tour de force. The Oration was followed by the inaugural Geelong Grammar School Medal for Service to Society being awarded to Mechai Viravaidya (P’59), for his quite incredible work on behalf of the people of Thailand. It was humbling to hear the citation listing so much achievement for the benefit of millions of others. An account of the evening is given on pages 10 and 11. I hope that you will get a sense not only of a remarkable evening, but also of the way that creating wonder, curiosity and a desire to learn have been translated through impressive lives into exceptional stories. As another Year 12 cohort come to the end of their School careers, one cannot help wonder which of them will make their significant mark in society and will feature, eventually, in a later edition of 100 More Exceptional Stories. The Year 12 results were strong again this year, with some fine achievements across all spectrums of ability, as can be seen on pages 9 and 10. As in past years, the key feature of the results is not just how well the students did, but how much else they also contributed to the life of the School. That sense of wanting to participate, but also to support one another was a very strong characteristic of this Year group. One achievement from within this year group was a first in the history of the School, as Paddy McCartin (Fr’14) was selected by St Kilda as the number one pick in the AFL Draft. You can read about his story on page 25.
and developing their ideas. For it is the stimulation of creative thinking in all its forms which is at the heart of the new Centre. To that end, we have appointed a new member of staff, Dr Tim Patston, who will join us at the start of Term 1, to co-ordinate our thinking about creativity. Our Vice Principal, Charlie Scudamore, writes about this new role and on the importance of creativity for the future on page 13. The Centre for Creative Education (CCE) has only been made possible by the wonderful support and generosity of members of our community and I am very grateful to them. The Centre was one of the projects with which we launched our five-year fundraising campaign, Exceptional Futures. Other great work has also been going in support of the other projects, including the Toorak Wellbeing Centre, Positive Education, the Richard and Janet Southby Visiting Fellows Programme and Scholarships. Work in support of scholarships has been making great progress in two ways. The Biddlecombe Society, whose members are those who have let the School know that they have left a bequest to the School in their will, has grown strongly this year. Support of scholarships has been a strong feature of the bequests of which we have been notified. On page 31 you can read about a speech which Boz Parsons (M’36) gave to the Biddlecombe Society about the reasons why he feels it is so important to remember the School in this way. The second way in which support for scholarships has been boosted is by the creation of scholarships in memory of Tommy Garnett and the introduction of co-education. This is a most fitting way to remember the great legacy which Tommy Garnett gave the School through his enormous support for the principle of co-education. We are also fortunate that there is eager support to fund scholarships in grateful appreciation of the tireless work which Michael Collins Persse has given to the School. Further details about these scholarships can be read about on pages 26 and 30 respectively. As the year ended, so did our year of celebration of the centenary of the School’s move from the centre of Geelong to Corio. It was a wonderful year and I am very grateful to all those people who have contributed in so many ways to make it such a successful celebration. However, my lasting memory is of the bravery and vision of the School Council and Headmaster who, in 1911, made the decision to build a new campus on the glorious open space at Corio. There are many key moments in a School’s history and that was one of them. Let it continue to inspire us to ensure that we remain faithful to their vision, whilst being insightful and clear about the future of our great School. Stephen Meek Principal
Good progress has been made on the construction of the Centre for Creative Education (CCE), with the aim being to have the building ready for the start of Term 2. I have had the opportunity to look around the new Centre and I am very impressed with all that I have seen. It will be a remarkable addition to the School. As I have said on a number of occasions, the Centre will give us some wonderful additional facilities, including a hall where the whole of the Senior School can assemble, a smaller theatre and a large foyer which will contain many pieces of interactive technology to enable students to work collaboratively in creating LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL
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“I really appreciated living in a community where everyone wants to contribute and participate.” Zoe Yang (Ga’14)
YEAR 12 RESULTS Our 2014 Year 12 students achieved outstanding academic success, with 78 students (36.8%) achieving an ATAR score of 90 or above (top 10%). Median ATAR of 83.40
78 students achieved an ATAR score of 90 or above
80 maximum IB study scores of 7
3 perfect VCE study scores of 50
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Our 2014 Year 12 results were outstanding. 11 students (5.2%) achieved an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) score of 99 or better (top 1%), which is outstanding for a non-selective school dedicated to providing an all-round education. The Duces of the School were Sam Parsons (P’14) and Zoe Yang (Ga’14), who achieved a perfect IB score of 45 out of a possible 45 points, which converts to an ATAR score of 99.95. Sam and Zoe were two of 78 students (36.8%) to achieve an ATAR score of 90 or above (top 10%). “There were some outstanding individual results, reflecting the hard work which these students put into their studies over the past two years and we were delighted for them that they achieved what they deserved,” Principal, Stephen Meek, said. “As a non-selective school, we are proud of all our students’ results and acknowledge the dedication of our exceptional teaching staff and the partnerships between our parents, staff and students to provide the best learning outcomes. We do provide an all-round education and thank our students for their marvellous contributions to all aspects of school life.” In 2014, there were 164 VCE candidates and 48 IB candidates. When combined, the School’s median ATAR was 83.40, which means that the top 50% of our students were in the top 16.5% of the State. 38 students (17.9%) achieved an ATAR of 95 or above.
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“Living in a boarding house, you gain an intimate understanding of how to live as part of a community. Sharing that with other people was a really powerful experience.” Sam Parsons (P’14)
The Proxime Accesserunt were Tony Chen (A’14), Jess Grills (A’14), Billie Hook (Ga’14), Mariah Kennedy (A’14) and Alex Kent (Cl’14), who all achieved a near perfect IB score of 44 out of a possible 45 points, which converts to an ATAR of 99.85. All five students made significant contributions to the life of the School – Tony was a Chapel Charity Captain and represented the School in Chess and Debating; Jess was a School Prefect in Allen House, Captain of Debating, won the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award and was a member of the School Choir; Billie was
LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL
90.6% 50%
67.0% 36.8% 10%
25%
17.9% 5%
Zoe Yang (Ga’14) achieved a maximum score of 7 in Chemistry, Economics, English, Mandarin, Mathematics and Music. A talented violinist, Zoe won the solo category at House Music for a stunning rendition of Monti’s ‘Csárdás’ and was a member of our McKie Strings and Symphony Orchestra. She also represented the APS in Badminton. “I really did not expect to achieve such a high score,” Zoe confessed. “I know how hard I worked but I didn’t expect it and I still can’t believe it.” From Hawthorn in Melbourne’s inner east, Zoe joined the School on a music scholarship in Year 7. “It changed my life,” she said. “I’m not a very outgoing person and I really appreciated living in a community where everyone wants to contribute and participate.” Zoe is planning to study a Bachelor of Biomedicine at Melbourne University.
GGS students
5.2%
Sam Parsons (P’14) achieved a maximum score of 7 in Chemistry, Economics, English, Geography, Mathematics and Spanish. Sam was one of our School Captains. He was also a member of our 1st VIII Rowing crew and a member of the relay team that broke the school record in the 4x400m at the APS Athletics. “It’s a good way to finish my six years at GGS and I’m so proud to be part of this cohort,” Sam said. From Killawarra, near Wangaratta in north-east Victoria, Sam joined the School as a boarder in Year 7. “Living in a boarding house, you gain an intimate understanding of how to live as part of a community,” he explained “Sharing that with other people was a really powerful experience.” Sam has been offered a general merit scholarship to attend Princeton University in the United States, where he will major in Economics.
State average
1%
There were three perfect VCE study scores of 50 recorded in Further Mathematics (2) and Product Design and Technology. 28 of our 48 IB students achieved at least one maximum study score of 7, achieving a total of 80 scores of 7 between them.
The graph above highlights the percentage of Geelong Grammar School students who achieved ATAR scores that placed them in the top 1%, 5%, 25% and 50% of students in Victoria
one of our School Captains, a member of the Girls’ 1st Hockey team and Year 12 Jazz Ensemble; Mariah was House Captain of Allen House and a former UNICEF Young Ambassador who won the Young People’s Human Rights Medal in 2013 for her book Reaching Out: Messages of Hope; whilst Alex was a School Prefect in Clyde House, Captain of Cross Country and Captain of Snow Sports, having won four snowboarding gold medals at the Victorian Interschools Championships in the past three years. The School’s top VCE student was Juliet Bigelow (He’14), who achieved an ATAR of 99.55. Juliet achieved excellent results in English (47), Mathematical Methods (47), Chemistry (44) and Physics (41). She was House Captain of The Hermitage and Captain of our 1st Netball team. Juliet said that the School’s diverse range of co-curricular activities helped her maintain a healthy balance during Year 12. “I really liked having other things to focus on, like House activities and Netball,” she said.
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MECHAI’S MEDAL
Thai health and education activist Mechai Viravaidya (P’59) received the inaugural Geelong Grammar School Medal for Service to Society in Melbourne on Wednesday 22 October. The Medal is granted by the School in conjunction with the Geelong Grammar Foundation to recognise people who, by way of the excellence of their achievements, have made sustained contributions to the betterment of society. The Medal embodies the School’s spirit of making a positive difference. Mechai was presented with the Medal at the inaugural Geelong Grammar School & Geelong Grammar Foundation Dinner, which also featured the 7th James R. Darling Oration given by Ian Darling (P’79) and the official launch of the School’s 100 Exceptional Stories book. Whilst working as an economist for the Thai government’s National Economic Development Board in the 1960s, Mechai recognised that overpopulation was the developing country’s biggest barrier to social and economic progress. Frustrated with bureaucracy, he established the Population and Community Development Association (PDA) in 1974, instigating groundbreaking community-based family planning services aimed at improving the lives of the rural poor. The condom became Mechai’s weapon of choice and he promoted the prophylactic’s use through dynamic, creative and imaginative campaigns – producing stickers, posters and t-shirts emblazoned with catchy slogans like ‘A Condom a Day Keeps the Doctor Away’, persuading Buddhist monks to sprinkle holy water on condoms, and distributing condoms to the entire Bangkok Police Force as part of his infamous ‘Cops and Rubbers’ programme. He single-handedly popularized the use of condoms in Thailand and became affectionately known as ‘Mr Condom’ – or ‘Lord Condom’, as Prince Philip once referred to him – and played a critical role in reducing Thailand’s birth rate from 3.2 to 0.6 per cent, with the average number of children per family falling from seven to under two in the space of 30 years. Mechai entered Thai parliament in 1985, serving both as a Senator and a Minister for Tourism and Information. When Thailand’s notorious sex trade threatened to spawn a horrific AIDS epidemic in the early 1990s, Mechai stepped up his condom campaign, working with sex workers and community advocates to reduce the spread of HIV. As a member of cabinet, he was the architect of a national HIV/AIDS prevention programme that reduced the number of AIDS cases in Thailand from more than 140,000 a year in 1991, down to 20,000 in 2003. The World Bank estimated that Mechai’s policies over those 12 years alone helped save 7.7 million lives. More recently, Mechai has turned his attention to education. His revolutionary Bamboo School was established in 2003 to provide no-cost education to the rural poor of Buriram Province
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in the country’s north-east. It was expanded in 2009 to cater for secondary students, and in 2012 it opened a remote campus for Year 10 students on Thailand’s east coast, a development inspired by Mechai’s experience at Timbertop. He is still Chairman of PDA, now the largest NGO in Thailand, with more than 800 employees and 12,000 volunteers spread across 18 regional centres. In 2007, the organisation received the Bill and Melinda Gates Award for Global Health, which included a $1 million prize. PDA continues to provide innovative poverty reduction, rural development and environmental programmes, whilst Mechai is internationally acclaimed as a leader in the fields of public health, education and community development. Mechai has received numerous awards for his endeavours, including the United Nations Gold Peace Medal. However, he said that the inaugural Geelong Grammar School Medal for Service to Society was the greatest honour he has received.
“When I get other awards, they only know my work,” Mechai explained. “But here, at Geelong Grammar School, they know everything about me. I feel that this award is also for me as a person, which is a very great honour that I will cherish.” LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL
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SCHOOL & FOUNDATION DINNER Award-winning documentary filmmaker, Ian Darling (P’79), presented the 7th James R. Darling Oration to an audience of 230 people at the inaugural Geelong Grammar School & Geelong Grammar Foundation Dinner on Wednesday 22 October. LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL
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The James R. Darling Memorial Oration celebrates the ideals and achievement of Sir James Darling, the School’s headmaster from 1930-1961 and one of Australia’s most inspiring educators. The Oration and the James R. Darling Scholarship Fund were established in 1997 to reflect Sir James’s wishes that he be remembered by actions that help others rather than in bricks and mortar. Ian’s speech highlighted the role of creativity in education, describing the former Headmaster as “a creative, curious and risk-taking man of good heart and great conscience”. “He believed creative instincts were inherent to us all,” Ian said. “He knew in his bones that the true sign of intelligence was not knowledge, but imagination. He knew that a person who never made a mistake had never really tried anything new or been willing to fail.” You can watch Ian Darling (P’79) present the 7th James R. Darling Oration on the School’s website: www.ggs.vic.edu.au. 1 Graeme Ward (P’59), Margery Renwick, Chris Renwick (M’60) 2 Back row, Bill Ranken (M’72), Peter Chomley (Ge’63). Front row, Jeremy Kirkwood (FB’79), Mechai Viravaidya (P’59), Ian Darling (P’79) and Stephen Meek 3 Boz (M’36) and Barbara Parsons with John (M’48) and Lynne Landy 4 Sarah Kirkwood, Susannah Calvert-Jones, Emma Pierson (Bayles, Cl’87) 5 Guests descend the stairs 6 Kate Lyle (Cl’07), Danai Fadgyas (A’07) 7 Ceridwen and Geoff McFadden (P’75), Carol Sisson 8 Ian Darling (P’79) delivers the James R. Darling Oration
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KINDLING CURIOSITY
“Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.” - Stephen Hawking Curiosity is an essential ingredient to living a fulfilling and meaningful life. In encouraging individuals and communities to flourish, Geelong Grammar School aims to kindle and invite curiosity for all ages and stages of life. When considering which experiences of school are remembered fondly, people often describe teachers who were interesting, made learning fun, were passionate about what they taught or perhaps piqued an interest in what seemed a mundane topic. Professor of Psychology at George Mason University, Todd Kashdan, writes about a contagion of curiosity, where “very curious people are viewed by strangers and close friends as comfortable, animated, interesting and fun”. Research suggest that the benefits of curiosity are far-reaching, including a longer life span, protection against Alzheimer’s disease, enhanced sense of meaning and purpose, greater intelligence and better relationship skills, such as the ability to resolve conflict and cope with uncertainty. Curiosity involves being struck by the novel or unfamiliar – the teacher who walks into the classroom with a broom in hand, ready to begin a Harry Potter re-enactment; the sporting coach who stops the training drill to try a new strategy; the new friend who tells you of travels to far away places; or seeing an artwork which takes your breath away. Such moments have the potential to open your mind to new possibilities and ways of doing things. Whether curiosity kindles flames of interest and passion is entirely dependent upon how we judge these experiences in the present moment. Researchers tell us that curiosity is not about what we pay attention to, but rather about how we pay attention. Novel things grab our attention, making obvious what we don’t know. Consider how curiosity increases exponentially when we hear a snippet of gossip about someone we know well. What is familiar has become unfamiliar and irresistibly interesting because a gap in knowledge has arisen. Yet it can be difficult to recognize and remember how ubiquitous ‘novelty’ is in our everyday reality. No sunset is ever the same, no two handshakes are alike and no conversation is exactly like another. Being curious involves
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recognizing the novelty of life and seizing whatever the present moment has to offer. When thinking about cultivating our own wellbeing, curiosity is a powerful character strength that helps to keep our mind open to new opportunities and remain hopeful in the face of adversity. There are many different ways curiosity is threaded through the School’s learning. In our Model of Positive Education, curiosity sits within the Positive Engagement domain, which aims to promote immersion in activities that have a positive impact on wellbeing. A teacher may foster curiosity through mindfulness, where students are encouraged to view their thoughts and experiences in a curious and non-judgmental manner, simultaneously attending to the familiar and noticing the novel. At Bostock House and Toorak Campus, teachers and students collaborate to create artworks which reflect our students’ openness and present moment awareness. Curiosity is seen as a fundamental aspect of our training days. In September last year, the Institute of Positive Education ran its first training course for Old Geelong Grammarians. The day began with trainers encouraging participants to cultivate their curiosity through conversations with each other about wellbeing. Some of the conversations discussed how wellbeing can help to understand other people better and the transformative potential of mindfulness. Other conversations explored the breadth and depth of the word wellbeing. As the day progressed, participants used the character strengths of curiosity, zest and kindness through a range of Positive Education activities. It is hoped that curiosity towards one’s own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others thrives across our School community. Such curiosity will certainly assist Positive Education to continue to grow and evolve in future years and assist people in developing a deeper understanding of wellbeing. Dr Georgiana Cameron Trainer and Content Developer Institute of Positive Education
Tips to stay curious
• Recognize the uniqueness and novelty of your everyday experience. Think of a child playing with a cardboard box and the fascination they show. What can you discover in your everyday routines? • Consider how unfamiliar and uncertain situations might be opportunities for learning and growth. Resist the temptation to judge quickly and control information. Instead, intentionally wait and see what transpires. • Deepen your interests and passion by considering how they connect to your core values. Think about why you choose to do what you do. Whether it is cooking dinner for your children or playing a game of basketball, your chosen activities reflect what you value in life.
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A CREATIVE SPARK The $10 million Centre for Creative Education (CCE) fundraising target has been reached. What a phenomenal effort. What generosity. What vision. With expert support from our fundraising team, Ian Darling (P’79) headed up the CCE Fundraising Committee, providing outstanding leadership, passion, enthusiasm and belief in the benefits of the project. Ian led from the front, travelling across the country with Stephen Meek and myself to articulate the School’s broader vision of creativity that supports this facility. Creativity is a strength found in every single person and an essential 21st century skill that we must all learn to maximise. The CCE will act as a catalyst for innovative and creative thinking. This impressive building will also provide stunning LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL
spaces for theatre, assemblies, exhibitions, classes and modern learning. Our community is incredibly grateful to the generosity of so many who have made this dream become a reality. It will be a very special day in Term 2 when the CCE opens for business. There is an undoubted air of excitement as the School, once again, looks to challenge existing educational paradigms by exploring what it means to be truly educated. Dr Tim Patston (pictured) has been appointed as the School’s inaugural Co-ordinator of Creativity and Innovation to oversee, lead and drive creativity in all areas of the curriculum. A former Head of Music at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and Principal Baritone with Opera Australia, Tim also holds a Doctorate in Philosophy (Psychology) and is an Honorary Fellow of the Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE) at Melbourne University, where he has lectured in positive psychology and curriculum development. Tim is incredibly excited to be given this opportunity to explore how creative thinking can be embedded explicitly and implicitly in everything we do. “More than ever, schools have a responsibility to prepare children for a society of rapidly changing diversity and opportunity,” Tim explained. “Creativity needs to be broad and inclusive, having a place in all areas of the School. I believe that creativity, in all students and teachers, can be accessed, ignited and nurtured, if a supportive and sustaining environment is provided. The vision of Geelong Grammar School in developing the Centre for Creative Education (CCE) puts the School at the vanguard of contemporary education.” Charlie Scudamore Vice Principal
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2015 SCHOOL CAPTAINS
We are delighted that Freya Johnson (Yr12 He) and Don Ritchie (Yr12 P) will represent our School as School Captains in 2015. Light Blue spoke to Freya and Don about the year ahead. Can you tell us a little about your journey at the School and if there has been a particularly memorable or significant stage of that journey? Don: I grew up looking at Mt. Timbertop out of my bedroom window, so I can’t remember a time I didn’t want to go there. My grandfather (Robert Ritchie, P’49) had laid the foundations of the first units and I ended up sleeping in the same bed in B Unit as my father (David Ritchie, P’80). I loved every moment of my Timbertop year: the hiking, the running, unit life. I thrived in an environment where I could push myself. Afterwards, I was put into Perry House because of the strong family connection. My dad joked when I was announced School Captain that I was given the second best job in the School, second to Perry House Captain. Freya: I was about 11 when I became fixated on the whole idea of both boarding and the School itself. I was never entirely clear as to my reasoning but I think the combination of the freedom of a boarding school and the stories my dad (Warwick Johnson, FB’77) had told me of his time at Grammar both enticed and excited me. My parents were reluctant to let me go, understandably they did not want their 11-year-old daughter not only moving schools but moving state, so it took about two years of relentless pestering. Finally, in semester two of Year 8, I began my time in Connewarre House. What do you think makes the School unique? Freya: I think the fact that it is predominantly a boarding school is something unique in Australia and that it is co-educational is especially rare. Spending such a large amount of time together greatly influences the way we interact with other students and teachers. For the most part there is a mutual respect, knowing that you live with one another and that the things that affect you also affect at least the 60 other people in your house, which is so important when many of us live far away (from home).
Is there a particular aspect of the School and/or school life that you feel strongly about? Freya: We are so fortunate at Geelong Grammar School to have been given so many opportunities and such a comprehensive education that it is right that we consider others who may not be so fortunate. With students coming from all over the world, it’s natural that we have more exposure to and interest in a broader community beyond Corio. New projects are constantly being started at school to assist those who are less fortunate, in the Geelong area and extending as far as mainland China. I think that this is something we can be proud of. Why do you think the sense of community is so strong at the GGS? Don: I think that the sense of community can be traced back to the fact that at some stage almost every student has had to live in a dorm or a unit with people whom they would not otherwise have chosen to be around. This helps to break down social barriers as well as give students an appreciation of everything that everyone has to offer. The fact that the majority of staff live on campus also adds to the sense of community because it eradicates an ‘us versus them’ mentality. Do you have any goals or a vision for 2015? Don: Freya and I have spoken at length about getting everyone more active in showing our school spirit. We hope to see an increase in attendances to the major sporting events as well as involvement in Drama, Music and Art at the School. Freya: House spirit is a large part of life at GGS. Inter-House competitions like House Swimming and House Music provide healthy competition and help unify the House. We would love to see this same energy, enthusiasm and pride shown at InterSchool events, like the Derby Day (against Geelong College), Head of the River and APS Athletics. Not only would we like to see support at sporting events, but we would also like to see greater support in areas like Drama and Music as well.
Don: Something that makes GGS unique is its diversity. Thanks to its emphasis on boarding, people come from all over. I think this makes for a genuinely open-minded and tolerant environment.
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“Freya and I have spoken at length about getting everyone more active in showing our school spirit. We hope to see an increase in attendances to the major sporting events as well as involvement in Drama, Music and Art at the School.” Don Ritchie
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PLAY, DISCOVER & EXPLORE
When I heard that the theme for this issue of Light Blue was “creating wonder, curiosity and a desire to learn”, I immediately reasoned that the word “creating” should be replaced with “sustaining” when I considered the children at Bostock House. I believe that young children are naturally curious and have an innate desire to learn. They also have an inherent sense of wonder that leads them to want to know more and how and why things are as they are. Children love to play, explore and discover. They also love to let their imaginations run wild and they are not afraid to make mistakes in their quest to satiate their endless curiosity. All these things are evident in the playground as the children invent games and role play to their heart’s content. While wandering around the grounds at lunchtime or recess one observes entire towns with road networks that would be the envy of our larger cities being created in the sandpit, the Bostock House version
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of Australia’s Got Talent taking place on the outdoor stage or a child morphing into their favourite footballer or cricket player on the front lawn. Play is a pure learning process and a child’s natural curiosity is unmistakeable in the bridge builder in the sandpit, the Lego constructor or the bug watcher in the garden. At Bostock House our goal is to ensure that this sense of curiosity, awe and wonder follows the children into the classroom and is not diminished by the expectations of standardised outcomes and tests. There does not need to be a contradiction between curiosity and a desire to learn and what one traditionally refers to as the 3Rs. In fact, at Bostock House we would argue that a child must have a sound set of academic skills, particularly in literacy and numeracy, if they are going to be able to satisfy their quest for knowledge and curiosity in all other areas as well. Our mission is to provide a learning experience that bestows the necessary academic skills and knowledge and an environment that caters for the individual’s curiosity, one that teaches children how to learn and encourages and inspires a life-long love of learning. The two are not mutually exclusive but interconnected. Our goal is to provide interesting, challenging, child-centred, real-life learning opportunities for each individual while at the same time equipping them with the academic skills that will allow them to make the most of those opportunities. Our role then is not so much to give answers as it is to provide the questions that promote and maintain curiosity and a sense of wonder for our children. We seek to provide a school culture that maintains and builds on our children’s natural instincts. Daryl Moorfoot Head of Bostock House
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WIN WHEN YOU LOSE?
My name is Charlie Nelson and I love Tahitian volcanoes. I would like to explain how I learnt to win, even when I lose. If you know a poem called ‘If—’ by Rudyard Kipling that will be a big help. It is a poem which gives a lot of really amazing advice about how to lead a truly caring and meaningful life.
If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs... We re-wrote the ending in Year 4 and we stuck it in our diaries and it kind of stuck in my head too. It was the 2012 House Athletics. I was in Year 2. I was in Austin and we had high hopes of winning the cup that year as we had really good runners, jumpers and throwers. First it was the running. Austin went really well but Morres were in the lead at the start and I was starting to get a bit down-hearted as we had been trying so hard. I thought that Austin would be winning by now. Then it was the throwing. Austin came second in shot-put and before long we knew we were quite far behind. We were getting destroyed! Then, one of the Year 4 Austin boys who I really looked up to called Darby came over to me and asked: “Charlie are you ok?”
“No”, I replied in a grumpy mood. “I’m not happy cos we’re not winning!” “Charlie, it’s not all about winning. Are you having any fun at all?” Hmmmm. That was a new way of looking at it. It WAS pretty good fun to be out in the fresh air racing. So I sat down and thought long and hard about the thing Darby said. He made me want to be a better person. He was a good leader I reckon. And from that day forward I would often think of what Darby said to me every time I played sport and if I was getting cranky.
And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss ...Then you will be a good sport and a great leader. We know that you CAN still win when you lose. IF you can keep your head. Charlie Nelson (Yr5 Hi) *This is an edited extract of Charlie’s speech at Bostock House’s Year 4 GLOW graduation evening.
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The children decided to create a butterfly house that encapsulated the change a caterpillar undergoes to become a butterfly.
CHANGE AND TRANSFORMATION Every day our ELC children have the opportunity to come together to explore, investigate, inquire and develop skills through learning experiences which help them to create understandings about the world around them. When the children of ELC 4A were asked to consider what was important in their learning this year and what they would like to celebrate, all of their stories and suggestions focused around our Unit of Inquiry ‘How the World Works’, where they investigated the life cycle of a butterfly. For this year’s Celebration of Learning, the children decided to create a butterfly house that encapsulated the change a caterpillar undergoes to become a butterfly. A small vine-leaf caterpillar was the starting point for this captivating journey. As part of the Unit of Inquiry, the children enjoyed discovering, exploring and investigating the natural world. During a morning meeting, a little caterpillar was presented to the class. A discussion began and a suggestion: “let’s look after the caterpillar, then it might turn into a butterfly”. This idea was greeted with much enthusiasm and excitement. The children were invited and encouraged to brainstorm ideas about how they could look after the caterpillar. Over a period of a few days, the children were presented with the opportunity to research and then create an environment to house the caterpillar. This became an observation and data gathering space within the classroom. After a few weeks, the caterpillar began to create a chrysalis. Unfortunately, as the caterpillar was undergoing this transformation, it passed away. The children
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were devastated, but they remained focused on trying to better understand the life cycle process. After some consideration, a Monarch Butterfly already in the chrysalis phase was introduced to the classroom so that the children could continue their observations. The children were encouraged to research an element of the Monarch Butterfly’s life cycle. Initially, the children worked individually and in small groups on pictorial reflections to demonstrate their research findings; sharing ideas in order to further their knowledge and deepen their understandings. In the process of bringing their ideas together the children chose to amalgamate the research in order to write an information book. The children had to sort through the information they had gathered, consider how they would express their knowledge and share this information with the wider school community. Enthralled by their observations, research findings and the writing of their book, the children continued their inquiries into the life cycle of the butterfly; eagerly drawing, painting, bookmaking, constructing, modelling and sculpting with clay all while re-telling their findings and exchanging information about the Monarch Butterfly. Consequently, our Celebration of Learning piece, ‘The Butterfly House’, was the culmination of a five-monthlong investigation. The piece contains the memories, enduring understandings and ultimately all of the learning that the children have experienced and discovered during their time together. Ainslie Burling ELC 4A Teacher
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IN WONDERLAND The script for the 2014 Prep-Year 2 production, In Wonderland, was created by the Prep-Year 2 children. The provocation for the script was a stunning series of illustrations from Lewis Carroll’s tale Alice in Wonderland. The children collectively decided on the overall story, which was then broken into scenes, where extra characters were then added. The children discovered different roles, imagined situations, actions and ideas as the script took shape. More importantly, they were excited about exploring their imagination and took risks in storytelling through character and dramatic action. In performance, the children learned to think, move, speak and act with confidence. In rehearsal they learned how to be focused, innovative and resourceful. They also learned how to apply the elements, skills, processes, styles and techniques of Drama to engage the audience and to create meaning of their world and the imaginary world of Wonderland.
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The set design for In Wonderland was a collaborative process between the Drama and Art departments. In Art classes, children used sections of the Drama script as inspiration for their artwork. The pieces were then selected and used as digital projections for the final performances. Throughout this process, the children acquired language which they then used to describe the real, imagined, visual and tactile world of Wonderland. This learning strengthened their understandings of character and narrative as they utilised art and script to interpret and make sense of the story of Alice in Wonderland. The costumes were also designed and created by the children. This enabled them to develop an understanding of not only costume design, but character, as they formed assumptions about the personality traits and objectives that their character may possess. In the following weeks, they created their costumes with their classroom teachers and parents for the purpose of wearing them in performance. In this way, the children became confident, involved learners with a sense of curiosity and aesthetic knowledge, whilst taking on responsibility for their own learning. Rebecca Bettiol and the Prep-Year 2 Teachers Toorak Campus
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AN ENVIRONMENT FOR EXPLORATION Students are naturally curious. They want to learn about their world for their world is an exciting place, filled with new things to discover and understand. To generate a level of curiosity in students can lead to an enthusiasm and desire to learn. As teachers we have a responsibility to excite and nurture this curiosity, helping students develop important thinking strategies. Powerful learning can come through discovery, creating wonder and enabling a culture that supports the development of life-long learning. Teachers need to intentionally support students as they explore the world which, through the rapid expansion of digital technologies, appears to be getting smaller and smaller. As teachers we are empowered to start students on a journey from curiosity to learning by asking purposeful questions, supplying appropriate resources and creating the right environment for exploration. As a teacher nothing could be more satisfying and rewarding. Tony Inkster Head of Middle School
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MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSIC PROGRAMME
YEAR 6 IMMIGRATION INVESTIGATION
The Music School was very excited about the opportunities and experiences introduced to our students through the Middle School Music Programme held each Monday afternoon. The dimensions of this programme have been significant, with all 280 Middle School students being coached in ensemble music by 30 musical experts across 12 ensembles, including bands, orchestras, guitar ensembles and percussion groups. The programme aimed to achieve the following key objectives:
During Term 3, Year 6 students embarked on an exploration of immigration throughout our nation’s history. As part of this investigation, students were allocated an Asian country firstly to inquire into and then to investigate the history of immigration from that country to Australia. The three key components of immigration that the students were asked to explore were:
• Provide access to ensemble music for all Middle School students • Provide students with the learning and developmental benefits associated with participating in a structured cocurricular music programme • Develop within all students an appreciation and understanding of group rehearsal and performance • Having an enjoyable time making music with peers • Nurturing a desire to learn Our students have gained many musical and personal skills from their participation in the programme. Aspects such as instrument technique, musical literacy, aural skills and rehearsal etiquette have been important. Commitment, teamwork, punctuality and respect for others have also been developed. Many students have participated with enthusiasm and have found this experience enriching, challenging and inspiring. For some students, the opportunity to play an instrument in a music group will be one of the most important experiences of their time at Geelong Grammar School and will continue to be a part of their lives for years to come.
1. The reason for leaving a homeland 2. The journey 3. The impact individuals and groups have had on Australian society since immigrating Students were able to exhibit curiosity through their final presentations which took the form of Multi-Modal Museum Exhibitions, which were extremely well received by visiting parents, students and staff. “I learnt a lot on immigration throughout this unit,” Nadia Andrews (Yr7 Hi) reflected. “It was an opportunity to know more about my family which I simply didn’t know.” The open-ended nature of the unit encouraged students to engage and further inquire into the content through a variety of media. “I learnt about Taiwanese culture and all about Chien Ming Wang’s life story,” Guy Caldwell (Yr7 Ot) said. “I enjoyed the fact that our character liked baseball so we got to do lots of fun things connected with baseball.” The unit nurtured creative and critical thinking skills. “We researched reasons why someone would migrate to Australia,” Florian Watters (Yr7 Hi) explained. “Then we came up with a plan of how to incorporate this information and in the end presented a creative exhibition.” Jye Hearps and Geoff Carlisle Year 6 Class Teachers
Dr Kevin Cameron Co-ordinator of Middle School Curriculum and Instrumental Music
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TWEAKING TIMBERTOP
The Timbertop programme needs to evolve in order to be engaging for the current generation of students. It should not be identical year after year or it would start losing its attraction and inspiration. Today’s young students are different from 30 years ago; they think differently, they are exposed to different influences and respond to situations differently compared to students from yesteryear. The world is different; therefore, the Timbertop programme needs to reflect these changes. No longer can the programme be delivered in exactly the same way because if we do we can’t expect the same levels of engagement and commitment from young students. The conundrum is how to be creative within the programme yet not lose those elements which are unique to Timbertop. How can we develop ways to engage young people but not compromise the Timbertop philosophy? The Running Programme was beautifully re-crafted to engage the competitive spirit that exists in us all. ‘The Struggle’ was born. In Term 2, 3 and 4 the challenge was to run up Mt Timbertop via the Saddle. Each time, students and staff were given only 50 minutes to achieve the ultimate goal; reaching the summit. This was difficult. From the Timbertop Saddle to the
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Summit there were five different stages to reach, with stage six being the summit. Each time ‘The Struggle’ was held the goal was to improve the stage you reach and hopefully, by the end of the year, some runners would actually reach the summit. The over-arching goal was for all students to improve their previous performance. After 50 minutes a siren was sounded and runners had 40 minutes to return to Timbertop the same way they went up. It was brilliant. Our competitive urge was ignited as we all tried to improve. Throughout the year students and staff were heard saying, “I’m a stage three runner” or “I’m going to try and get to the Summit next term”. Next, the ‘Monarch of the Mountain’ was introduced. This was a run from the Timbertop campus up the old fire trail to Forest Creek and then along the famous West Ridge spur to the fire tower on the Summit. Which school would introduce a compulsory run with an elevation gain of 1,200 metres and expect all staff and students to not only participate, but participate well? Timbertop would and it became the most inspiring run we did in 2014. At the Summit, after running for three gruelling hours (or more for me), some students were heard saying that this was the best day of their lives. The bonding, sense of community and the tremendous satisfaction LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL
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The bonding, sense of community and the tremendous satisfaction that comes from doing something that is extraordinary and incredibly difficult is out of this world.
that comes from doing something that is extraordinary and incredibly difficult is out of this world. Teachers from the Academic Programme were just as creative and enthusiastic in teaching in an engaging way that tapped into the innate curiosity of young minds. Teaching at Timbertop obviously lends itself to applying curriculum in our beautiful “backyard”; a thousand acre campus surrounded by 500 square kilometres of National Park. Art classes were regularly found sitting outside sketching the natural landscape. Agriculture and Land Management classes were often shearing and crutching sheep, or weighing and assessing cattle with the Timbertop Farm Manager. However, an engaging Academic Programme which aims to inspire needs to be more than experientially based. To consistently capture the curiosity and imagination of young people every class needs to be embracing and engaging. The list is endless but one example comes from English. At the end of the year, every student gave an ‘Honest Address’. This was a three to four minute speech delivered to other students in their class. It was a heartfelt address that acknowledged each student’s Timbertop journey; the hardships and battles, which are often very private, alongside successes and joys. Many students remarked that they will remember these speeches forever. LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL
In Mathematics, all students methodically recorded all their running times. The Running Department then converted this data into individual effort ratings and then all these effort ratings were combined to give a whole school effort rating after each major run. After collecting this data, students then predicted their running times for some of the longer runs towards the end of the year. Calculations, including altitude gains and losses, were often within seconds of the actual time produced on the day. However, one not-so-mathematically minded student estimated that they would finish a standard three hour run in only one hour. Maybe they had confused their times with John Landy’s (M’48), who used the mountainous terrain to train for the 1956 Olympics whilst teaching at Timbertop. The amazing Timbertop teachers are forever finding inventive and creative ways to continually engage today’s students and this certainly gives me great faith in our future generation who accept challenges, embrace hardship, process difficult situations and come up with positive solutions. Roger Herbert Head of Timbertop
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A NEW BOAT ON THE RIVER Our 1st VIII girls are delighted to have been given a new boat by Helen Sutherland in memory of her late husband John Sutherland (Cu’54). John rowed in the four-seat of the 1st VIII crew that won the 1954 Head of the River. The John Buchanan Sutherland is a brand new, state-of-the-art, Olympic class boat built in Canada by Hudson Boat Works featuring a carbon hull with honeycomb core. John and Helen’s family have been involved in rowing at the School at all levels over many years. Their twin grandchildren Charlotte and Sophie Sutherland (Cl’09) were members of the School’s all-conquering 2008/09 girls’ 1st VIII crews and have gone on to represent Australia at Under-23, World Cup and World Championship level. Charlotte and Sophie are currently training for selection for the 2015 World Rowing Championships in France, followed by the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. While the official naming ceremony will be held later this year, the John Buchanan Sutherland will be rowed in upcoming regattas by our girls’ 1st VIII. The quality of boats available to all girls’ crews has been greatly enhanced by the addition of the John Buchanan Sutherland.
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PADDY BECOMES A SAINT Humbling. Surreal. Honoured. These were the words of Paddy McCartin (Fr’14) after he was taken by St Kilda with Pick 1 in the 2014 AFL Draft; the first time a student from Geelong Grammar School has been selected with the first pick in the draft. The weeks and months preceding the draft were littered with speculation as to Paddy’s future home. From being touted as a likely number 1 pick in July, to slipping as low as 5-6 in a number of ‘phantom drafts’ in the lead-up to November 27, Paddy was never quite sure where he would end up until his name was called by the Saints. “I didn’t know, I just found out now like everyone. It’s been a bit daunting, a big couple of days, but I’m absolutely stoked to get the opportunity,” Paddy said immediately after being drafted.
The AFL Draft saturates the Melbourne media landscape in the weeks prior, with journalists on the lookout for a different angle or point of difference for a player. When it came to Paddy, they didn’t have to look far. Paddy was diagnosed as a type-1 diabetic at the age of nine; monitoring his insulin levels has become a major part of his life ever since. Along with his family, Paddy was determined that his diabetes wouldn’t place any unnecessary limitations on his life. “One of the first things my parents said when I got diagnosed was that it wasn’t going to stop me from doing anything, and that they weren’t going to let it. It hasn’t, so far, and hopefully I can keep that going. I don’t see why I can’t. Having footy there has made me more organised and helped me find that stability.” Paddy joined the School in Year 11 on a Sport Scholarship. During his time representing the Light Blue, he kicked 62 goals at an average of better than four per game. In an interview with 3AW prior to the draft, Paddy spoke of his pride when offered a scholarship by the School and his desire to make good on the opportunity. “Getting a scholarship at a school like Geelong Grammar School, I’ve wanted to be a role model not just at School but in public too,” he said. Paddy joins past students Devon Smith (A’11), Billie Smedts (FB’10), Sam Lloyd (Cu’08) and Easton Wood (Cu’07) on AFL lists in 2015.
“It’s like tenpin bowling when he crashes packs.” Mick Ablett, AFL
“He is a big, imposing, aggressive key forward with a first rate character and work rate. He is 194cm tall, which is one centimetre taller than Nick Riewoldt and Jarryd Roughead. He takes big pack marks and he shows great leadership.” Ameet Bains, St Kilda
“Paddy McCartin is as good as (Jarryd) Roughead was at TAC Cup level, if not better.” Michael Turner, Geelong Falcons
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AN ENQUIRING MIND “Why?” was Tommy Garnett’s favoured response to every situation. His delight in questioning the world and its rules also allowed him to cheerfully upend what seemed to others immutable. Evidence of his enquiring mind – and his upending – is all around us at Geelong Grammar School. In 1961, when he arrived as Headmaster, his job was to lead an established, predominantly boarding school for boys. Or so it was thought. When he left, 12 years later, the School had girls, both day and boarding, in Years 11 and 12 (and the earliest years at Glamorgan) and was progressing towards full co-education. The 1976 amalgamation with The Hermitage and Clyde School happened under Charles Fisher’s watch, but Tommy Garnett had been quietly pushing it along for many years.
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He turned Geelong Grammar School into an unlikely pioneer of coeducation in independent schools on a global scale, giving it a solid foundation for the future and a new, diverse and modern outlook. In this, as in many other ways, he was a reformer who prepared the School well in advance for the demands of the 21st century. Tommy’s visionary thinking and intellectual agility extended across many areas of interest. He was a Classics scholar, cricketer, sportsman, farmer, ornithologist, journalist, essayist, biographer, environmentalist and gardener of note, in addition to having been head of England’s Marlborough College before his years at Geelong Grammar School. In 2016, the 10th anniversary of his death, Geelong Grammar School will be recognising Garnett’s lively and thoughtful contributions to our community with the creation of a scholarship in his name, the T.R. (Tommy) Garnett Scholarship. In addition, two related books are due for publication in that year; a biography of Tommy Garnett by Andrew Lemon (FB‘67), and a history of the School’s early years of co-education by Vicki Steggall (Mendelson, P’74).
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THE T.R. (TOMMY) GARNETT SCHOLARSHIP The T.R. (Tommy) Garnett Scholarship is being created to honour the contribution of Tommy Garnett and his wife Penelope, who steered the School through the challenging years 1961-1973 and whose legacy, most notably in bringing about one of the most significant changes to the School in its history through the introduction of girls, created the modern school of today. The scholarship particularly recognises the contribution that girls have made since 1970. It is hard to imagine what the School would be like today if they hadn’t arrived. The scholarship will be awarded to students who display qualities of general excellence and demonstrate enthusiasm and interest across the School’s academic and wider co-curricular activities – in the spirit of Tommy Garnett himself, whose interests were so diverse and enthusiastically prosecuted. If you would like to know more about the T.R. (Tommy) Garnett Scholarship please contact the Community Relations Office on +61 3 5273 9349.
TOMMY GARNETT – MASTER, GARDENER “T.R. Garnett’s lasting contribution to Geelong, his influence on its institutions, pupils, masters, will not be seen clearly for ten or twenty years or more.” Sir Robert Southey was Chairman of the Geelong Grammar School Council for much of the Garnett era – his words, written in 1973, were prescient but underestimated the time required. Now, more than 40 years later, the full story of Tommy Garnett’s remarkable life is being written by awardwinning historian Andrew Lemon (FB’67), and it will be a revelation. It will give a new perspective to his achievement in repositioning a traditional boys’ school and leading it through the turbulent 1960s and early 1970s. Many Australians came to know T.R. Garnett only through his next career, the one he began in his sixties as creator, with his wife Penelope, of the famous Garden of St Erth at Blackwood, and popular, prolific and profound writer on birds, gardens, the countryside and nature conservation. Few know much about
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his earlier achievements because he did not dwell on them – outstanding scholarship boy at Charterhouse and Cambridge, first-class cricketer, resourceful war-time squadron leader in Bengal and Burma, schoolmaster-farmer, ornithologist, successful head of England’s Marlborough College through the 1950s. That is just part of the story of a long, full and sometimes controversial life. One of his most brilliant Geelong staff members who began with doubts became one of Garnett’s greatest supporters. Peter Westcott wrote that “when they are able to understand historical processes, the boys (and now girls) of the Garnett years will be able to comprehend more fully what Tommy Garnett had to do if their great school was to survive both educationally and financially”. Prophetic words too.
THE INTRODUCTION OF CO-EDUCATION There is a common belief that co-education at Geelong Grammar School began in 1976, following the amalgamation with Clyde School and The Hermitage, but girls had been providing a rich and lively experience of co-education at the school since 1970, when they arrived, somewhat gingerly, as “guests of the school”. What today appears as a success story was, at the time, a step into the unknown. Every student and member of staff found themselves in new territory, responding to new situations. Some changes happened quickly, others were still unresolved a decade later. How did it feel to be part of this early era of co-education? What did the staff really think? How did it change the School? Set against the backdrop of enormous social change in Australia – affecting women in particular – this history will look at the way girls were introduced into the School during the 1970s, what reactions it provoked and what the enduring effects have been. Students of the 1970s are invited to contribute their memories and thoughts to this book via an online questionnaire about the early days of co-education on the Alumni page of the School’s website: www.ggs.vic.edu.au/alumni. There will also be an opportunity to send personal contributions, including photographs, to the School’s Archives.
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INSPIRING EXCEPTIONAL FUTURES
2014 was an exceptional year:
Roman started his speech with a joke:
• The Centre for Creative Education (CCE) is fully funded with $10 million raised via the Exceptional Futures campaign and will be completed by Term 2 this year
• The Toorak Wellbeing Centre project is over halfway to its target
“How many Positive Education teachers does it take to change a light globe? None… because if they’ve done their job properly then the light globe will change itself.”
• Our Positive Education project is underway and gaining momentum
Roman explained what Pos Ed means to him:
• Scholarships and bequests continue to attract strong support
More than $25 million has been donated and pledged during the past three years and I thank all those who have made a contribution to these important projects. This level of giving is a wonderful reflection of the strength of community spirit at GGS. I believe that this spirit is nowhere more evident than in the School’s commitment to the wellbeing of its community through the teaching of Positive Education. The establishment of our Institute of Positive Education has enabled the School to further develop and strengthen Positive Education. Vice Principal, Charlie Scudamore, and Institute Director, Justin Robinson, lead a dedicated team of teachers, psychologists and researchers who create and deliver educational programmes (based on scientific evidence) within the School, around Australia and throughout the world. They teach students valuable life skills with which they can increase their learning capacity and build a successful and happy life. The Institute also provides training, research, curriculum materials and development for educational professionals from other schools and institutions. One of the best ‘alternative’ explanations of Pos Ed that I have heard came from our 2014 Toorak Campus School Captain, Roman Anastasios, speaking to a workshop at last year’s 4th annual Positive Psychology Conference in Melbourne.
ABOVE Donald Robertson and Bill Ranken (M’72) inspect progress of the Centre for Creative Education (CCE)
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“When I was asked to speak in front of all of you, surprisingly the first thing I did was look up ‘what is Positive Education?’, because it was news to me that Positive Education was a big part of our curriculum. Yes, I did know it existed because in Year 5 we did some classes over the last semester on Positive Education. But theoretically I had no idea whatsoever that it was a big part of our School. But as I read on about Positive Education I realised it was not just part of the curriculum, it is in everything I do. Not that you should see that as a criticism of the way our School teaches, it’s the complete opposite. The teachers are teaching Positive Education in the best way possible. Without knowing we are actually using Positive Education skills therefore we do not need to be worrying: Am I positive? Am I flourishing? Is my selfesteem high? Am I taking enough risks? It all just comes naturally and is a part of every school day. Reflecting over my time here at GGS, it has come to me that many Character Strengths have changed the way I react, think and create. The impact that Character Strengths have had on all of the GGS community is absolutely wonderful. Positive Education has an impact on the community as everybody has different top Character Strengths. To think that all of the GGS community has in their mindsets, ‘wow I can do anything if I set my mind to it’, is amazing. I cannot explain how important and of course necessary Positive Education can be to not only create a diverse and different community, but to unite everyone and to create the best out of every individual, resulting in all of us working together constructively. LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL
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Creativity, curiosity and humour (as you all may have witnessed) are my three top Character Strengths that I have identified about myself. I love to think of different and creative ways to complete tasks, especially during our Unit of Inquiry lessons. In addition, I am terribly curious, and I always love to find out information. I feel these Character Strengths are qualities that I can present to others. When things go well in your life, Positive Education helps you enjoy and make the most out of them. When negative or tough times in life kick in, Positive Education is most helpful. It helps us deal with the unexpected. It helps us to deal with disappointment, or loss, which is the true benefit of Positive Education. Positive Education is something that I will value throughout my life and will be also valued by many generations to come. I would like to thank GGS for introducing this into our lives.” I believe what Roman tells us about Pos Ed represents the further development of certain long-established strengths and values of the School. For example, some 60 years ago Dr Kurt Hahn’s views on education helped inspire the establishment of Timbertop: “Face the days that lie ahead with a spirit of adventure, compassion, honesty and confidence. Brave the stormy seas that are bound to confront you, determined to sail your ship onto the quiet waters that lie ahead. Help those whom you may find in trouble and steer clear of the whirlpools of destruction which you will meet on your voyage through life. Be not afraid of who you are, what you are or where you are but cling implicitly to the Truth as taught in the religion of your following. If you do all these things you will be ‘of service’. If you are ’of service’ you will make others happy and you will be happy too.” It seems to me that Kurt Hahn’s ideas from 60 years ago have much in common with the Pos Ed now taught at Timbertop. Another key part of Pos Ed is that it helps teachers and students to address the new challenges faced by young people today. The evidence suggests these challenges are serious. Research on childhood mental health from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne found that one in 12 teens self-harm during their adolescent years. Professor George Patten said:
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“We found that adolescents with high levels of depression and anxiety continued to have high risks for self harm into young adulthood. It’s important to recognise and treat persisting depression and anxiety, as this will continue to be an important part of suicide prevention in young adults.” National statistics on young people from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare include some good news and some worrying numbers for parents. • 93% of 15-24 year olds rated their health as excellent, very good or good • 35% of 12-24 year olds are overweight or obese • 56% are not meeting physical activity guidelines • 95% are not meeting dietary guidelines • 30% drink at risky or high risk levels in the short-term • 19% had used an illicit drug within the last 12 months • 40% of Years 10-12 students have had sexual intercourse This research tells us what many already know from personal experience: the wellbeing challenges faced by young people today are serious and widespread. I believe that initiatives like Pos Ed and our Institute of Positive Education are vital for the wellbeing of our children, for academic and lifelong success. It has been the School’s vision since the beginning of our journey with Positive Psychology to share knowledge and encourage practice of Positive Education. I am delighted that Positive Education is one of the projects we are raising funds for as part of our Exceptional Futures campaign and I hope that many of our supporters will take great pleasure in helping to make the School’s vision for Positive Education possible. Bill Ranken (M’72) Chairman, Geelong Grammar Foundation
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A FORTUNATE LIFE At the ripe old age of 96, Cecil ‘Boz’ Parsons (M’36) looks back on his life with a sense of childlike wonder. “I have lived an extraordinarily fortunate and very fulfilling life,” Boz says. “I’ve been very lucky.” Speaking at the annual Biddlecombe Society Luncheon at the Royal South Yarra Tennis Club last November, Boz shared fascinating stories of his great-grandfather and the early settlement of Victoria’s Western District, evoking many of the family names long associated with Geelong Grammar School, including the Russell family – a pioneer settler of the Geelong region, George Russell established Golf Hill at Shelford (initially as manager of the pastoral Clyde Company), whilst the youngest of his eight children, Janet Biddlecombe, built up a Hereford stud of world renown on the property (our bequest society is named in memory of Janet, one the School’s most generous benefactors). Originally from Colac, Boz received a Bertie Manifold Scholarship to attend the School in 1931, not long after his father had died. “I was a scholarship boy and I felt very indebted to the School and I felt it incumbent on me to do the best I could,” he explained. Boz was a School Prefect in 1936 and went up to Trinity College at The University of Melbourne on a scholarship, graduating in 1940 with a Bachelor of Science. Then the war intervened and Boz served as a bomber pilot, flying Whitleys over Germany and Liberators over Indonesia, before eventually making his way back to the School as a teacher and Head of Manifold House. “I think I learnt the obligation one had to give service to your fellow man, which was one of the great teachings of Sir James Darling. The School was really built on service and there’s no doubt that whatever influence I had in later years was derived from what I had learned in the first place as a boy.” Boz joined 54 Biddlecombe Society members and guests at the annual lunch to pay tribute to the contributions that bequests have made to the life of the School. The Biddlecombe Society has grown to 97 members across Australia and internationally. The Society celebrates the generosity of members past and present. Their bequests continue the heritage of philanthropy at Geelong Grammar School through the support of scholarships, prizes, building projects and just about every aspect of school life. For more information about joining the Biddlecombe Society and remembering the School in your will, please contact Bec Howard on +61 3 5273 9185 or rhoward@ggs.vic.edu.au
ABOVE Biddlecombe Society members who have made a bequest to the Foundation in their will receive their membership badge at the November Lunch in South Yarra.
Boz’s story is featured in our 100 Exceptional Stories book, which is available from the Geelong Grammar School Shop. For more information visit www.ggs.vic.edu.au/100exceptionalstories or contact the shop on +61 3 5275 0180.
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NEW SCHOLARSHIP HONOURS MICHAEL COLLINS PERSSE The Geelong Grammar Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of the Michael Collins Persse Scholarship as part of the Exceptional Futures fundraising campaign. This special scholarship honouring Michael, who is now in his 60th year at Corio, will help students attend the School who would otherwise have been unable to afford to do so. The fundraising committee of Neil Robertson (FB’72), Bill Ranken (M’72) and Sue Felton has enjoyed working with Michael to establish the scholarship in recognition of his special contribution to Geelong Grammar School, which began when he joined the School in 1955. The Foundation has agreed to match every gift ‘dollar for dollar’ to a maximum of $1 million. The scholarship will be launched on Friday 27 March and will be a feature of this year’s Annual Giving programme, providing our community with the opportunity to identify with Michael in this special way. Michael is thrilled with the scholarship and has made a very significant personal commitment to it. “When I was approached about the possibility of a scholarship, I was
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overwhelmed with humility but also joy, because there seems nothing more important (than scholarships) for the future of the School,” he said. “I do want the scholarship to make a difference, now and into the future, and I hope people will support it, each in their own way.” More than $250,000 has already been raised, which means that a student will be selected in 2015 to receive the first Michael Collins Persse Scholarship to enter the School in 2016. However, the more substantial the fund, the more a student (or students) can receive in terms of assistance. “I hope that if the fund grows and it is a success, that it will enable the School to find children who have some spark of thoughtfulness, originality, good minds and good characters,” Michael said. “A great many boys and girls who become citizens of the world, many of them can only manage it with the help of scholarships.” If you would like to know more about the Michael Collins Persse Scholarship please contact the Community Relations Office on +61 3 5273 9349 or Neil Robertson (FB’72) on 0457 924 744.
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OGG PRESIDENT In my role as OGG President, I am invited to attend many events, more than I can allocate time for. Prior to attending those events that I can make, I’m often curious about what will unfold, who I will meet, what I can learn from the event and how I can improve future events that I may schedule myself. Events such as the School’s Speech Day are wonderfully organised, particularly in terms of time management, enlivened by the brilliant speeches by School Captains and guest of honour (this year we were truly blessed by the attendance of one of Australia’s finest actors, Marta Dusseldorp (Cl’90), who dared our students to make a difference), and the maturity and quality of the graduating students. At the ANZAC Day Service, we remember the sacrifices made by many OGGs over the years, some just a few years from leaving GGS, and the devastating losses some families endured. It reminds us that some lessons are hard to learn. Other events, such as the recent 15th annual Tower Lunch, create a different sense of wonder and curiosity; when we mix with different generations of Geelong Grammar School, Clyde and Hermitage families and learn the stories that each can tell.
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The speech by Tim Fairfax (M’64) was truly authentic and set an example of how each of us should aspire to “give back” to the communities we live in, however and whenever we can. I was honoured to be asked to join the Class of ‘64 for their recent 50 Year Reunion (featured on page 42). There were many there that I’d sat next to in class, or had played sport alongside, or had visited their families in those later school years. Listening to their post-GGS achievements and life experiences filled me with wonder. The other lesson I took away from this group was that to create a successful event such as theirs, you need to start planning at least 18 months beforehand. The Class of ‘64 established a strong working group to plan and prepare. This committee also set up a dedicated web page that facilitated the collection of memorabilia (photos, bibliographies, etc.) and created a focal point to keep the peer group fully informed about what was happening. This initiative has created a template for future reunion committees to learn and take advantage of. Well done Class of ‘64! If we maintain our sense of wonder and curiosity, every event and encounter offers an opportunity to learn something new. We just need to be willing to change our mindset, to develop a growth or learning outlook, to take advantage of the future. Peter Chomley (Ge’63) President, Old Geelong Grammarians
BELOW OGG President, Peter Chomley (Ge’63), with Emily and Cam RahlesRahbula (FB’02) at the inaugural Geelong Grammar School & Geelong Grammar Foundation Dinner, which incorporated the launch of 100 Exceptional Stories.
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OGG NEWS
DIARY DATES 1965 TIMBERTOP 50 YEAR REUNION Weekend of 28-29 March OGG TASMANIAN BRANCH FUNCTION – CRESSY Saturday 18 April
WOMEN OF INFLUENCE
1975 40 YEAR REUNION Saturday 18 April
Past students Dr Jackie Fairley (Je’79, pictured below) and Georgie Somerset (Robinson, Cl’84) were recognized in the Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence Awards on Thursday 2 October. Now in its third year, the awards showcase some of the country’s highest achieving women across 10 categories. Chief executive of Starpharma Holdings, Jackie was a winner in the innovation category, whilst Georgie was a winner in the local/regional category for her work as an ambassador for Women in Australian Agribusiness.
OGG NORTH EAST VICTORIA AND RIVERINA BRANCH FUNCTION Saturday 2 May 2015
Jackie has a wealth of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, working in business development and senior management roles at CSL and Faulding (now Hospira) before her 2006 appointment as Chief Executive Officer of Starpharma Holdings, which is a world leader in the development of dendrimer products (a type of synthetic nanoscale polymer). She holds first class honours degrees in Science (pharmacology and pathology) and Veterinary Science from Melbourne University and was a practicing veterinary surgeon prior to joining CSL in 1989. Whilst at CSL she obtained an MBA from the Melbourne Business School where, as Dux of her final year, she was the recipient of the prestigious Clemenger Medal and a number of other academic prizes. Jackie is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She sits on the board of the Melbourne Business School, is an advisor to the Carnegie Innovation Fund, and is a past member of the Federal Government’s Pharmaceutical Industry Working Group and the Federal Ministerial Biotechnology Advisory Council.
OGG ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – CORIO Tuesday 19 May
Georgie is a beef farmer and rural leader with experience in agribusiness, rural tourism and regional development. Actively involved in managing the family owned beef property near Kingaroy in Queensland and the mother of three children, Georgie is also president of the Queensland Rural Regional and Remote Women’s Network, vice president of the National Foundation for Australian Women and is on the board of Children’s Health Queensland and the Queensland Rural Adjustment Authority (QRAA), which administers the Queensland Government’s Primary Industry Productivity Enhancement Scheme. Her experience extends to marketing and strategic planning; establishing her own marketing and PR company, Rural Tourism Australia, and managing an alliance of beef producers, Durong Country Beef. She has held advisory roles with the National Rural Advisory Council (NRAC), Australian Women in Agriculture and the National Council of Women of Australia.
OGG NSW BRANCH COCKTAIL PARTY – SYDNEY Wednesday 6 May
OGG LONDON DINNER Thursday 25 June MANIFOLD HOUSE RE-OPENING AND REUNION DINNER Saturday 22 August OGG WA BRANCH FUNCTION – PERTH Wednesday 2 September 1975 (TERMS 1 & 2) TIMBERTOP 40 YEAR REUNION Saturday 19 September OGG NSW BRANCH PRE-AFL GRAND FINAL DRINKS – SYDNEY Thursday 1 October OGGASIA DINNER – MALAYSIA Saturday 10 October 2005 10 YEAR REUNION Saturday 17 October 1965 50 YEAR REUNION Saturday 7 November TOWER LUNCHEON Saturday 7 November OGG MOTORING EVENT Saturday 7 November 1985 30 YEAR REUNION Saturday 14 November
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OGG SPORT OGG GOLF DAY The annual OGG Golf Day was held on Friday 31 October at the Barwon Heads Golf Club in fantastic weather conditions. Old Geelong Grammarians, Clyde and Hermitage Old Girls joined in the day with Sophie Holloway (Mann, Cl’83) winning the Tommy Garnett Cup for women and Jon Malpas (Fr’97) winning the Boz Parsons Cup for men. Thanks go to Simon O’Brien (A’94) for organising the day and David Duff (Ge’61) from Duff Jewellers, Scott Smith (Fr’94) from 13th Beach Golf Academy and Redman Wines for their support.
OGG MOTORING EVENT This year’s OGG Motoring Event started in Geelong, travelling through Rokewood, Dereel and Buninyong before lunch at Mount Boninyong Homestead, the property of Graeme (M’68) and Celia Burnham (Scott, He’73). From there, cars journeyed through Meredith, Durdidwarrah, Anakie Junction and the foot of the You Yangs to Corio. Over the course, navigators answered questions related to sites along the route. It was great to see such a wide range of beautifully presented cars. First place went to Belinda Jamieson (Cl’86) and Jane MacDougall (Cl’86) in the beautiful 1958 BN6 100/6 Austin Healey, bought new by Belinda’s father Robert Jamieson (M’53) and fully restored by Belinda. Sue (Smith, A’76) and John Davis (A’75), all the way from Tasmania in the 1963 Porsche, took second place. Third place went to Christine and Nicholas Heath (Cu’82) in the 1972 V8 Jensen interceptor. The 2015 event is scheduled for November 7 and will combine motoring and cycling components. For more information contact David Henry (FB’69) via email: dhenry55@optusnet.com.au
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OGG SKI CLUB
FRANK COVILL ROWING CLUB
The OGG Ski Lodge enjoyed the best snow season in many years and was particularly busy as a result, with quite a few OGGs attending as both members and guests. This year AnnaLisa Boulton (Pappas, A’82) joined the committee as Treasurer, replacing Norm Faifer (P’69) after many, many years of faithful service. The lodge is available for summer bookings. For more information contact President, Nicholas Heath (Cu’82), via email: prez@oggslodge.com.au
The Frank Covill Club’s social rowing has continued through summer on the beautiful Barwon River, whilst competitive members have attended various regattas, including the Saltwater Classic and the Melbourne Head. The club welcomes rowers of all standards. For more information contact President, Rob Heath (A’76), via email: fccrower@gmail.com
OLD GEELONG NETBALL The Old Geelong Netball Club had six teams in action in Albert Park Indoor Sports Centre’s 2014 netball competition, with OGS Purple, captained by Liv O’Hare (Fr’11), enjoying another stellar season. One of the highlights of the year was the mid-season cocktail party at Church364 in Richmond, which attracted many of the boys from OGS Football Club. The annual Ladies Lunch at The Royal South Yarra Tennis Club was also a huge success, with exceptional entertainment provided by Angus Robb (Fr’08) and Justin Lewis (Cu’09). For more information about joining the club in 2015 please contact President, Bella Anderson, via email: bella@murrnong.com.au LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL
1 Christine Meek, Frank Covill and Charles Henry (FB’67) at the OGG Motoring Event 2 OGG Golf Day organiser, Simon O’Brien (A’94) 3 OGG Golfers Max Gubbins (M’08), Lawrence Simpson (M’08), Angus Robb (Fr’08) and Tom Kinimonth (M’08) 4 Georgina Reed (He’08), Elizabeth Cameron (Cl’08) and Eleanor Turnbull (Cl’08) at the Netball Club’s Ladies Lunch 5 At the OGG Golf Day were Adrian Bell (Cu’65), Jon Harris (FB’69), Tony Colman (P’65), Ross McKenzie (FB’64) and Boz Parsons 6 Tim Bingley (P’61), Tony Reilly (FB’68) and Colin Macleod (Cu’64) at the OGG Golf Day 7 Susie Sutherland (Finlay, Cl’59), Anna Tucker (Kimpton, Cl’71), Ali Ward, Julie Cole (Baird, He’68) and Ginny Palmer (Carty, He’68) at the OGG Golf Day 8 Rob Smith (M’79), Angus Borthwick (Cu’77) and Hugh Brodie (Fr’77) at the OGG Golf Day 9 Winner of the Golf Day trophies were Sophie Holloway (Mann, Cl’83) and Jon Malpas (Fr’97) Opposite: The winners of the OGG Motoring Event were Belinda Jamieson (Cl’86) and Jane Macdougall (Cl’86) in Belinda’s Austin Healey.
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OGG GATHERINGS CANBERRA Over 50 members of the Geelong Grammar School community attended the OGG ACT Branch Dinner in Canberra on Friday 10 October. Many thanks go to Peter Crowley (Ge’60), President of the OGG ACT Branch, and his committee, Claire Sullivan (Ga’93), Lucy Bordignon (Cl’03) and Chris Gatenby (M’03), for organising a wonderful evening.
ADELAIDE
1 Stephen Meek, Carolyn and Rick Forster (Cu’56) in Canberra 2 Lachlan Scully (A’95), Simon Downing (P’97), Xara Kaye (He’12) and Devansh Tiwari (FB’12) at the Canberra Dinner 3 At the Canberra Dinner were Meridith Crowley, Jeremy Ranicar (M’63), Susan Ryan, Ian Brown (Ge’60), Peter Crowley (Ge’60), Marguerite Ranicar and Lucy Bordignon (Cl’03) 4 James Young (M’86), Ruth Vagnarelli (Hickinbotham, Cl’82) and Tiffany Young in Adelaide 5 Mimi Forwood (Osborne, Cl’61), SA Branch President Bill Seppelt (M’64) and former President Hugh MacLachlan (P’52) 6 Mike Kidd (Cu’86) and some J Unit 1983 girls, Tania Stevens (Fr’86), Belinda Jamieson (Cl’86), Cindy Holzer (Fr’86), Jo Jo McIntyre (Carnegie, Cl’86) and Melissa Rickard (A’86)
A large gathering of OGGs and members of the wider GGS community met for dinner at the Adelaide Club on Friday 31 October. The OGG committee in South Australia do a wonderful job keeping the community engaged – thank you to President, Bill Seppelt (M’64), and Secretary, Ruth Vagnarelli (Hickinbotham, Cl’82).
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OGG TIMBERTOP MORNING
Members of the wider GGS community attended a reception hosted by past GGS parents Jamie and Annabel Montgomery in their Los Angeles home on Tuesday 30 September, followed by a reception at The Cornell Club in New York on Thursday 2 October. Our Principal, Stephen Meek, his wife Christine and Tony Bretherton, Director of Community Relations, attended both functions. Many thanks go to the Montgomerys and to Simon Smith (A’83), Alice Zarate and Richard Southby (FB’56), who organised the reception in New York.
Old Geelong Grammarians took the opportunity to re-visit Timbertop on Sunday 5 October. The Head of Timbertop, Roger Herbert, hosted morning tea in the Dining Hall and spoke to the gathering before Timbertop staff took guided tours of the campus. Given the nature of Timbertop, the School is unable to welcome visitors during term time, so this morning was set aside for OGGs to visit the campus.
OGG BUSINESS LUNCH Around 60 OGGs attended the OGG Business Lunch on Thursday 18 September at Taxi Kitchen in Federation Square to hear guest speaker Adam Lewis, Chairman of Southern Innovation. Adam shared insights into his journey from corporate life at McKinsey & Co. to the world of innovation, product development, commercialisation and global market places. Thanks and congratulations go to OGG Committee member Nina Anderson (Thomas, Cl’93) for organising yet another successful Business Lunch.
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1 Genevieve Avery (Ga’85), Leonora Tyers (He’07) and Ji-Shen Loong (P’07) at the Business Lunch 2 In LA were host Jamie Montgomery, David Harden, Sarah Harden (Vickers-Willis, A’89) and Mark Vickers-Willis (FB’94) 3 In New York were Ashley Yang (EM’12) and Louise Lai (Cl’12) 4 Henry Badgery (Cu’08) and Richard Southby (FB’56) in New York 5 George Raymond (Cu’57) and Frank Oates (Cu’57) at Timbertop
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10 YEAR REUNION
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Many of the 2004 year group reunited in Melbourne for their 10 Year Reunion on Saturday 25 October. Over 90 members of the year group gathered, having travelled from overseas, interstate and all over Victoria. Selwyn Wallace (P’04) came from the USA, Eda Wong (Ga’04), Kin Seng Choo (M’04) and Kuyim Naquiyuddin (Cu’04) from Malaysia, Stephanie de Braux (He’04) from Singapore and Ryo Ishida (FB’04) from Japan. The organising committee of Clementine Lucas (Walker, Cl’04), Whitney McLaren (Hammond, He’04), Daisy Lynch (Ga’04), Jessica Trezise (He’04), Joanna Beecher (Ga’04), Emily Robinson (Ga’04) and Sam Healey (He’04) did a wonderful job bringing the year group back together for a night to remember. 1 Sally Commins (Ga’04) and Will Young (M’04) 2 Whitney McLaren (Hammond, He’04), Steph Calder (Cl’04) and Sarah Teh (Cl’04) 3 Alyce Davis (Moore, Fr’04) and Olivia Griffiths (A’04) 4 Chas Mackinnon (M’04) and Felicity Klopper (Fr’04) 5 Ryo Ishida (FB’04) and Kin Seng Choo (M’04) 6 Roly Mackinnon (P’04), Gus Burns (Fr’04) and James Gubbins (TA’04) 7 Richard Parrish (FB’04), James McEachern (P’04) and Selwyn Wallace (P’04) 8 Daisy Lynch (Ga’04), Natalie Schwerin (Temple, A’04) and Julia Fabretto (Frost, Fr’04)
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The invitation read: ‘See how the future turned out... The future’s not easy to predict. Wherever you find yourself 30 years on, let’s get together and catch up on the story so far.’ And that was what nearly 100 of the 1984 year group did in Melbourne on Saturday 11 October. Many had travelled from interstate and all over Victoria, but others made huge treks from overseas. Yvette Miller (A’84), having just dodged a hurricane in Mexico, came back for the reunion, as did Daniel Tan (Cu’84) and John van Hoboken (Fr’84) from Malaysia, Pad Changkasiri (Cu’84) from Thailand, Paula Townsend (Ga’84) from France and Barry Wong (M’84) from Hong Kong. The main disappointment was that there simply wasn’t the time to get around and see everyone who was there, but many went hoarse trying. 1 Paula Townsend (Ga’84) and Lisa Herbert (A’84) 2 John Parker (P’84), Rosa Coy (Cl’84) and Mark Allen (FB’84) 3 Daniel Tan (Cu’84), Ninian Lewis (P’84) and Pad Changkasiri (Cu’84) 4 Liz Pengelly (Oliphant, A’84) and John Goldsworthy (Hi’84) 5 Jill Dahlenburg (Falkenberg, Cl’84), Juliette Williams (Long, Cl’84) and Karen Murray (John, A’84) 6 Simon Burgess (FB’84), Richard Marles (P’84) and Georgie Cox (Je’84) 7 Rupert Coles (P’84), Charlotte Barber (Ga’84) and Patrick Deasey (Cu’84)
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40 YEAR TIMBERTOP REUNION
Around 40 of the 1974 Timbertop group and two former staff members, Roger More and David Nicholls, returned to Timbertop on the weekend of October 4-5. People travelled from all over Australia to be there. The weekend began with dinner at a local restaurant on Friday night. On Saturday, morning tea was held in the Dining Hall at Timbertop where the current Head of Timbertop, Roger Herbert, spoke of life there today. The group reacquainted themselves with the campus before a barbecue lunch and some climbed Mt Timbertop before dinner in the Dining Hall. It was a fantastic opportunity catch up with old friends, with some squeezing in breakfast in Mansfield on Sunday. Several people took photographs during the weekend and they can be viewed by logging on to the Alumni page of the School’s website: www.ggs.vic.edu.au/alumni 1 Heading to the dam; Stephen Cole (P’76) and Tim Peach (A’76) 2 Nick Rule (FB’76), Richard Sleigh (M’76), Donald Coles (M’76) and Peter Morrison (FB’76) 3 Tim Peach (A’76), Andrew Kay (A’76) and Sam Hayward (FB’76) 4 Simon Ritchie (P’76) and Mike Burgess (P’76) 5 Greg Hodgson (Cu’76), Sam Campbell (M’76) and Andrew Kay (A’76) 6 Charles Parker (A’76), Sam Hayward (FB’76) and Peter Morrison (FB’76) 7 Max Cameron (P’76), Douglas Campbell (P’76), Donald Coles (M’76) and Iain Field (Fr’76) 8 Past staff members David Nicholls and Roger More
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40 YEAR REUNION
Around 60 of the 1974 leavers attended their 40 Year Reunion in Melbourne on Saturday 15 November. As with other reunions, many had travelled great distances to be there, including Sarah Collins (Jaffe, P’74) from the UK, Charlie Chanarat (Cu’74) from Thailand and Graham Lee (FB’74) from Singapore. Several members of the year group had not attended a reunion before. Many photos were taken on the night, including a number by Roger Parish (P’74). The photos can be viewed by logging on to the Alumni page of the School’s website: www.ggs.vic.edu.au/ alumni
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1 Evan Ould (FB’74) and Scott Downey (A’74) 2 The reunion organising committee - Jim Darby (A’74), Claire Ramsay (M’74), Rob de Fegely (FB’74), John Officer (P’74), James Drury (P’74) and Muff Patterson (P’74) 3 Andrew Kirkwood (FB’74), Muff Patterson (P’74), Mary Kerley (A’74) and Genevieve Spittle (A’74) 4 John McDermott (A’74), Robert Hortin (P’74), Jennifer Hortin, James Drury (P’74) and Louise Officer (Thomson, M’74) 5 Margaret Blair (Snell, Cu’74), Phillip Heath (A’74), Kathy Harrison (Cu’74) and Claire Ramsay (M’74) 6 Rod Stevens (Cu’74), Charlie Chanarat (Cu’74) and Graham Lee (FB’74) 7 Dominic Legoe (M’74), Brian Vicars (P’74), Roland Thompson (M’74) and Alex ‘Benno’ Bennett (A’74) 8 Andrew Kirkwood (FB’74), Jim Darby (A’74) and Pennie Macleod (McMillan, A’74)
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50 YEAR REUNION 2
The Class of 1964 held their 50 Year Reunion in Melbourne on October 25-26. On a lovely spring evening, 73 sixty-something year olds came together at South Yarra with high expectations and they were not disappointed. Local attendees were joined by friends from interstate, whilst Hank Renick (Ge’64) came from the USA and Tim Ingram (P’64) from Hong Kong. We were delighted to welcome back into our cohort several classmates from our Glamorgan days, many of whom we hadn’t seen since then. The following day, Andrew Shelton (FB’65) and his wife Rhonda hosted a convivial lunch with partners at their Toorak home. Wives, widows of classmates, and partners all mingled and welcomed Michael Collins Persse into their midst. Lunch rolled into dinner and a great time was had by all. Great credit is due to Owen Mace (FB’64) for organizing a membership database and Andrew Cormack (Cu’63) for developing the image database (now holding hundreds of photos, many from Timbertop in 1961 by Graham Rankin (Ge’62), and other material). Thanks are also due to Andrew Tostevin (FB’64), Tony Walker (FB’64), John Stansfield (M’64), Brett Heath (Cu’64), Sandy Sharp (Cu’64) and Rob Mackie (P’64) for their assistance.
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Robin Hunt (FB’64) 1 Class of 1964 50th Reunion 2 Edward Wajsbrem (FB’63) and Owen Mace (FB’64) 3 Peter Lemon (FB’64) and Ranald McCowan (Ge’64) 4 Steve Whitehead (P’64), Richard Harrision (FB’63) and Jeremy Madin (FB’64) 5 Andrew Tostevin (FB’64) and Colin Macleod (Cu’64) 6 Robin Hunt (FB’64) and Tim Fairfax (M’64) 7 Chris Lang (Cu’64), David Sear (Cu’64) and Graham Wiese (Cu’64)
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TOWER LUNCHEON
Tim Fairfax AC (M’64) was the guest speaker at the 15th annual Tower Luncheon on Saturday 8 November. More than 130 people attended the lunch, which is for Old Geelong Grammarians, Clyde and The Hermitage old girls who left school 50 or more years ago. Tim became a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2014; recognised for his eminent service to business and the community through his advocacy of philanthropy and as a major supporter of the visual arts, higher education and rural development programmes. In 2008, he started the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation, which donates $3.2 million annually, largely to rural charities in his adopted home state of Queensland, where he is the Chancellor of the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
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The Tower Luncheon provides the perfect opportunity for year groups to reunite at Corio. This year, the 1965 leavers will reunite at the Tower Lunch on Saturday 7 November 2015. Should the 1955 or 1945 leavers also wish to reunite, please contact Katie Rafferty (Spry, Ga’84) in the OGG Office to assist with rallying the troops on +61 3 5273 9338 or email: oggs@ggs.vic.edu.au 1 Guest Speaker, Tim Fairfax AC (M’64) 2 Peter Chomley (GE’63), Graham Wiese (Cu’64), Karen Wiese and Tony Walker (FB’64) 3 David Gilder (M’48) and Bill Charles (Ge’37) 4 Marie Jordan (Hill, He’64), Geoff Mann (FB’62) and James Nott (Ge’64) 5 Richard Southby (FB’56), Ivan Saxton (Cu’57) and Hugh MacLachlan (P’52) 6 Angela Jackson (Bors, He’63) and Paddy White (Munro, He’60 ) 7 Richard Webster, Richard Jackson, Angela Jackson (Bors, He’63) and Robyn Webster (Wilkinson, He’59) 8 Going to Chapel 9 Janet Southby, Tony Bretherton, Director of Community Relations, and Richard Southby (FB’56) who had traveled from the USA. 10 Andrew Tostevin (FB’64), John Stansfield (M’64) and Judy Chirnside (Sanders, He’67)
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CLYDE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION OLD GIRLS’ DAY The COGA AGM and annual Old Girls’ Day lunch was held on Sunday 19 October at Caulfield Park Pavilion. About 50 Old Girls attended, including several from the class of 1968, who enjoyed reuniting with our guest speaker, Susan Duncan (Cl’68). Many of those attending had read Susan’s best-selling memoir, Salvation Creek. She related stories from her adventurous years as a travelling journalist, interviewing celebrities, politicians and newsmakers, whilst working alongside legendary media figures such as Kerry Packer and Ita Buttrose provided some excellent anecdotes. Susan also spoke of life in the Pittwater region of Sydney, emphasising the benefits of a supportive community and friendships. A summary of Susan’s talk will be printed in The Cluthan.
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COGA COMMITTEE
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Following nominations at the AGM, Lesley Griffin (Vincent, Cl’60) was welcomed to the COGA Committee for 2015, joining our President, Margie Gillett (Cordner, Cl’71), Vice-President, Fern Henderson (Welsh, Cl’59), Treasurer, Peta Gillespie (Cl’69), Secretary, Trish Young (Cl’75), and fellow committee members Elizabeth Landy (Manifold, Cl’60), Katrina Carr (Moore, Cl’75), Sally Powe (Douglas, Cl’73) and Di Whittakers (Moore, Cl’63). We are also grateful for the continuing support of Archives coordinator Jackie Mackinnon (Kelly, Cl’69), Database co-ordinator Sue Schudmak (Sproat, Cl’64), Jumble Sale co-ordinator Jane Loughnan (Weatherly, Cl’70) and Golf co-ordinator Anna Tucker (Kimpton, Cl’71).
COGA PRIZE FOR ENGLISH Congratulations to Steph Fung (Fr’14), who was the 2014 recipient of the Clyde Old Girls’ Association Prize for English. Steph loves English and hopes to be a writer. She thanked COGA for acknowledging and empowering students whose strength lies with “words rather than numbers or chemistry”.
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DIARY DATES INTER-SCHOOLS GOLF CHALLENGE CUP Monday 13 April, Metropolitan Golf Club Enquiries: Anna Tucker (Kimpton, Cl’71) Email anna@chepstow83.com or Tel 0408 540 252 ANNUAL CLYDE JUMBLE SALE Thursday 25 June Enquiries: Jane Loughnan (Weatherly, Cl’70) Tel 0417 535 862
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1 1968 classmates, Georgina Barraclough (Moran), Susan Duncan, Margie Temple-Smith (Bond) and Sarah Bullen (Lobban) 2 Jackie Mackinnon (Kelly, Cl’69) and Amanda Elliott (Bayles, Cl’69) 3 Jill Wilkinson (Gunn, Cl’68) and Margie Temple-Smith (Bond, Cl’68) 4 Annette Webb (Cl’62) and Annabelle Pobjoy (d’Antoine, Cl’65) 5 Sarah Bullen (Lobban, Cl’68) and Ann Willcock (Thomson, Cl’68) 6 Judith Emerson (Shaw, Cl’57) 7 Sally Salter (Alison Stevenson, Cl’51) LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL
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HERMITAGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION OLD GIRLS’ DAY
HOGA GOLF REPORT
We had a wonderful turnout for our Old Girls’ Day and AGM on September 6 and it was so good that many of the younger year groups were able to join us. Lesley Robinson (Donaldson, He’52) and Jenny Jordan (Gray, He’52) stepped down from the HOGA Committee after 22 years and 17 years of service respectively. Both women will be sorely missed but we thank them for their wonderful service over many years. Our guest speaker, Professor 1 Anne Kelso AO (He’71), was truly inspirational. Anne is the Director of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza. She is also an Honorary Professor at Melbourne University’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology, having spent many years in medical research at the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research in Lausanne, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne and the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Brisbane.
We had a record number of 43 golfers participate in our HOGA Golf Day at Barwon Heads Golf Club on October 20, plus 31 girls who joined us for lunch. Helen Rymill (Jackson, He’65) won the individual honours with a very good score of 40 points, followed by Barb Bruce (Brown, He’55) with 38 points. The team event was won by Sarah Tallent (Calvert, He’72), Wendy Speer (Laidlaw, He’72), Fi Austin (Ritchie, He’72) and Angie Worthy (Campbell, He’72). Suzanne Parry-Okeden (Beggs, He’55) and Pammy Bradshaw (Irvine, He’63) won the NTPs. A highlight of the day was Ann Tyers (Fairley, He’68) reading an extract of her speech from The Hermitage House Valedictory Dinner. This year’s HOGA Golf Day will be held at the Barwon Heads Golf Club on Monday 5 October. Enquiries to Lib Nicholson (Calvert, He’68): 0419 398 067.
1 Lib Nicholson (Calvert, He’68) and Alison Rhodes (Webster, He’72) 2 Prue Cole (He’61) and her mother Rab Cole (Smith, He’35) 3 Sisters Cath Bell (Irvine, He’71) and Pammy Bradshaw (Irvine, He’63) 4 Sisters Janny Molesworth (McIntyre, He’70) and Sue Cauchi (McIntyre, He’69) 5 Corrine Robbins (McHarry, He’53) and Taanya Widdicombe (Wergles, A’81) 6 Bronwen Jacobs (Stanway, He’66), Sue Bugeja (Holdenson, Cl’78) and Jane Kerry (Barlow, He’73)
1955 60 YEAR REUNION Saturday 18 April, Kooyong Tennis Club Enquiries: Judy Laird (Schofield, He’55) Email judithalaird@mac.com or Tel 03 5263 1012
DIARY DATES
1965 50 YEAR REUNION Saturday 10 October Enquiries: Julie Bingley (West, He’65) Email tandjbingley@bigpond.com 1975 40 YEAR REUNION TBC Enquiries: Sue Dunn (Ritchie, He’75) Email sue.dunn@bigpond.net.au
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CO-CURRICULAR COLOURS Geelong Grammar School is dedicated to providing an all-round education and our Senior School offers a rich and diverse range of Co-curricular Activities. Colours for Co-curricular Activities were omitted from The Corian for 2014 and have been listed below to recognise student achievement in Ballet, Debating, Drama, Music, Public Speaking and Shooting. Camilla a’Beckett, Half Colours for Ballet Nick Anastassiou, Half Colours for Drama Jock Arthur, Colours for Shooting Luca Brew, Half Colours for Debating Elliot Brookes, Half Colours for Debating Tony Chen, Half Colours for Chess Tony Chen, Half Colours for Debating Eliza Chomley, Half Colours for Ballet George Coltman, Colours for Drama Callum Cronin, Colours for Music Callum Cronin, Colours for Shooting Rhiannon Cunning, Half Colours for Debating William Devilee, Colours for Drama Andrew Dixson, Colours for Drama Michelle Eddington, Colours for Drama Michelle Eddington, Colours for Music Henry Falkenberg, Colours for Shooting Imogen Francis, Half Colours for Music Isabella Froebel, Colours for Drama Joseph Gibney, Colours for Music Joseph Gibney, Half Colours for Debating Joseph Gibney, Half Colours for Drama Jessica Grills, Colours for Debating Jessica Grills, Colours for Public Speaking Catherine Hackwell, Colours for Music Tom Hermsen, Half Colours for Debating
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Nicolas Holberton, Half Colours for Music Billie Hook, Half Colours for Ballet Billie Hook, Half Colours for Drama Harry Hughson, Half Colours for Music Cora Hurley, Half Colours for Music Coco Hynes, Half Colours for Ballet Pru Illingworth, Colours for Music Davey Jones, Colours for Shooting Mariah Kennedy, Colours for Debating Mariah Kennedy, Colours for Public Speaking Alexandra Kent, Half Colours for Debating Sarisa Leelayouthyotin, Half Colours for Music Chloe Leung, Half Colours for Public Speaking Robbie Liddle, Half Colours for Music Rob Lovell, Colours for Chess Rob Lovell, Half Colours for Music Barton Lowe, Half Colours for Drama Hamish McKendrick, Half Colours for Drama Andrew Nicholas, Half Colours for Drama Erin Nicolson, Colours for Drama William Palmer, Colours for Music Sam Parsons, Colours for Debating Sam Parsons, Colours for Public Speaking Deanna Pascoe, Half Colours for Ballet Parsa Rahimi, Half Colours for Debating Katherine Russell, Colours for Drama Morgan Salt, Colours for Debating Bridget Sharp, Colours for Drama Bridget Sharp, Colours for Music Timothy Sia, Colours for Music Clarrie Smith, Colours for Music Ted Strapp, Half Colours for Debating Erin Strong, Half Colours for Drama Charlie Swindon Macmillan, Half Colours for Debating Levi Tanner, Half Colours for Drama Harrison Tanti, Colours for Music Harry von Bibra, Half Colours for Drama Georgina Winchester, Colours for Music Zoe Yang, Colours for Music Licia Yeo, Half Colours for Music ABOVE Isabelle Froebel (Yr12 Ga) and Harry von Bibra (Yr12 Cu), who starred in the 2014 Senior School production of ‘Liar, Liar’, received Colours for Drama. LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL
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MICHAEL RECEIVES NEW YEAR HONOUR The School’s curator and former Head of History, Michael Collins Persse, has been appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) in the UK’s New Year Honours announced on Wednesday 31 December.
person. He doesn’t promote himself and has had to learn to live with all of the misunderstandings, but he does do a tremendous amount of good, particularly through his Prince’s Trust, which has helped change the lives of so many young people.”
The Royal Victorian Order is given by The Queen to people who have served her or the Monarchy in a personal way, rather than by ministerial recommendation. Michael received his honour for “services to The Prince of Wales”.
Michael admitted a “quiet joy” in being appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order, which was established by Queen Victoria in 1896 to provide “recognition of personal service to the reigning Sovereign”. “I feel at once proud and humble, and deeply happy,” Michael said. “I received the letter from Buckingham Palace on December 9, so the hardest part was keeping it under my hat until December 31, when the New Year Honours were announced. I have been deeply touched by this totally unexpected Honour – as I have by all the kind messages, letters and other tokens of affection that I have been receiving that mean more to me than I could easily say.”
Michael was Head of History when Prince Charles attended Geelong Grammar School in 1966 and was his personal tutor for the subject – upon his return to England, the Prince gained a Distinction in his scholarship-level paper in History and was admitted to Cambridge University, becoming the first heir apparent to gain a university degree. “Teaching him was unique and the point really was to get him into Cambridge on his own merit,” Michael explained. “It was a special relationship from the beginning and has grown into a friendship that I deeply value. He was just 17 years old when he arrived and you can imagine a shy, sensitive, highly intelligent boy being launched to the other side of the world without any family and with the television cameras of the world on him. I was happy to have had the opportunity to be of service, to pass on some of my knowledge and understanding, but it is the same kind of service I have tried to give thousands of other students over the years. However, his was a very unique case because of his position, destiny and special needs.” Michael has maintained a close relationship with the Prince over many years, attending his investiture as Prince of Wales in 1969, his marriage to Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 and his 50th birthday at Buckingham Palace in 1998. “He is a true friend and a terrific
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Michael also noted that he was not the first Geelong Grammar School staff member to become a Member of the Royal Victorian Order. Sir William McKie was Director of Music at Corio from 1934-38 (when he helped plan our Music School), and Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey from 1941-63. It was there that he directed the music for both the wedding of the present Queen, as Princess Elizabeth, in 1947 and her coronation in 1953. Sir William was appointed MVO in 1947 by The Queen’s father, King George VI. “I knew Sir William late in his life, as a friend, and wrote about him for the Australian Dictionary of Biography,” Michael explained. “He told me that he valued even more highly his earlier appointment as MVO than when he was knighted in the Coronation Honours list in 1953.”
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FROM THE CURATOR by MICHAEL COLLINS PERSSE
Instead of Michael’s usual notes on individuals (to be resumed in our next issue), we reprint here from The Corian of 2014 the concluding words of the second of a pair of articles by him about the School – a reflection of the School’s “Corio century” that follows an appreciation of the book 100 Exceptional Stories. Charlie Scudamore suggested that the article “must be given as wide an audience as possible”. Although moving the School from Geelong to Corio in 1914 greatly expanded its offering (as the eight OGGs who had joined its Council between 1906 and 1910 clearly intended), I see more continuity than discontinuity in the character of Geelong Grammar School before and after 1914. This I implied in WellOrdered Liberty, my historical portrait of the School published in 1995, and I here repeat the acrostic sonnet, “Geelong Grammar”, that I wrote for that book; it is still, some 20 years on, what I believe. The first line refers back to a poem by James Lister Cuthbertson, the poet, classics master, and father of rowing in the School, who from 1875 had been chief assistant to John Bracebridge Wilson (Headmaster 1863-95), our principal (if not an originating) founder. My sonnet embraces the branches of the School in Geelong and Melbourne and at Timbertop, all of which come from the Corio century although a preparatory part of the Old School in Geelong flourished for many years nearby, also on a corner of Maude and Moorabool Streets (the building survives as a restaurant). But Corio is at its heart.
Gray school, once rock-like on a wind-swept hill, Expanded far beyond your founders’ dreams – Empire from village grown, but one which still Leaves traces of its childhood self in streams Of influence from the source, wise, limpid, pure: No merely human hand sustains you, but God’s wisdom seen in Christ – a rock more sure. Geelong’s gray wind-swept school, your young self, put Regretfully behind, yet finds, on sites As various as city, plain, and wild Mountain ranges, and in the depths and heights Mingled through all your years, that still the child And youth in you are strong. Your origins Revive: your life perennially begins. This I believe to be true of nearly all the great developments of the Corio century, including the move itself: a venture into the hardly known, as had been the beginnings of the School in the 1850s. It is a nice coincidence that each of these events was led by a clerical headmaster, the only two to have been ordained among the so far eleven heads of GGS, although six have been
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sons of clergy or, in Lister Hannah’s case, a medical missionary. George Vance in 1855, Francis Brown in 1914 (already two years into his headship), helped ensure the Christian foundation of the School; and Brown oversaw the scheme of stained-glass windows and other features of the Chapel of All Saints, the noble gift in 1914 of five Falkiner brothers (OGGs) in which successive generations have thought the thoughts of youth through the silences preceding services and through prayers, sermons, hymns, anthems, and other music. With Corio established under Brown, who retired in 1929, the next striking developments were the great initiatives of the 1930s under James Darling (Headmaster 1930-61): the stirring by one who had been strongly influenced by Christian socialism of the conscience of the School during the Depression, with many good works resulting in the Geelong district; and a fostering of the creative arts. The first was revolutionary at the time. The second revived the love of poetry and song engendered at the Old School by Cuthbertson, but both tempered and extended it. Darling discouraged the hero-worship associated with athleticism, encouraging instead a better balance with the intellectual, artistic, and spiritual heritage of the classical world and the early and medieval Christian church. The foundation of Timbertop – a masterstroke – was possible in 1953 only to GGS: possible not only to Darling’s genius but also because GGS had a long tradition, thanks to Wilson, of Saturday Parties and exploration of the natural world. Some pregnant words by Kurt Hahn and other factors (such as the need to loosen constrictions at Corio caused not least by overcrowded boarding houses) played their part, but that was the key. GGS was the right school for it. And Timbertop is, by the way, a much LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL
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gentler place than is often supposed: its secret is not so much the hikes and absence of conventional school sport, important though they are (like its academic programme), but learning to live together, especially in the close proximity of a dozen others in the living quarters known as Units. About the same time came the beginnings of the “global school”: an outgrowth, in Asia and the Pacific and now far beyond, of the School’s population, not least because it was already (uniquely) an all-Australian one – as it still is, all the more so now for the presence of over 20 Aboriginal or Indigenous scholars. Then there is the emphasis on the individual – even, when necessary, at the temporary expense of the community: a strong trait in Tommy Garnett’s headship (1961-73), in many ways echoing a side of Wilson’s, and finding its expression today in an emphasis on the importance of forgiveness. The fine-tuning – both academic and domestic – led so sensitively by John Lewis (1980-94) before his translation back to Eton as its head – also increased opportunities for each individual, as do the initiatives of Stephen Meek, now with us for a decade and recently reappointed for a further five-year term, after the short but profound incumbencies of Lister Hannah (1995-99) and Nicholas Sampson (2001-04). Even – or should it be especially? – “positive education” I see as a sharpening and defining process: a scientific refining of much that had been taken for granted previously: mutual soundings of the head and heart, with acceptances, occasional corrections, and a recognition that amateurism is no longer good enough, although the Latin root for “amateur”, which is “love”, remains at least as important as ever. In all these ventures, or adventures, it is not too much to say that Geelong Grammar School has been a pioneer in Australia; in more than one of them, a pioneer in the world.
condition; something implicit in the School from its early days. It has proved, I believe, more natural to educate for human wholeness with the wholeness of young humanity present. On a spectrum from complete maleness to complete femaleness (is any human being quite at either extreme?), everybody is somewhere represented – and (ideally) accepted. Geelong Grammar School has long – certainly since the late-19th century – been in many ways like a big family, with all the realism, all the give-and-take, that that implies. After 116 years as an all-male one, that family has been made complete. To that thought I might add admiration for the School’s readiness – not new, but increasing – to explore and activate the inner world, as well as the physical one, embraced by the concept of “wellbeing”. The twin emphases of “positive psychology” and “creativity” do not clash with, or confine, tradition: rather, they enhance an understanding of it. This comes at different stages to different people. The School in 2014 is, I believe, a vibrant community. Not that it wasn’t when I joined the staff in 1955, but I sense the vibrancy in a wider range of pupils now. Wilson, in his small school, held each individual soul to be of ultimate importance (as any Christian must). In the huge school of the mid-20th century, for whose hugeness Darling was himself largely responsible, that second towering figure in our history worried that many boys were missing what the most obviously “bright” ones were getting.
What many would see as the big exception to my thesis of continuity – co-education – I don’t see that way, except superficially. It was a huge (and brave) step to take in 1972 under Tommy Garnett, as were its extension through the whole School under Charles Fisher (1974-78) in 1975 and the amalgamation of three schools in 1976 (brave also for The Hermitage and Clyde to trust in resurrection beyond what must, at the time, have seemed to their communities more like death). I see it as the fulfilling of a long ideal: education for wholeness in the human LIGHT BLUE - GEELONG GRAMMAR SCHOOL
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Are the “bright” ones then over-represented in 100 Exceptional Stories? Most of its subjects were not obviously shining stars at school, though some were and went on to noble service – General Sir John (Shan) Hackett (Cu’28), Sir Rupert (Dick) Hamer (M’34), and Sir David Hay (Cu’35) for instance. Some who were bright at school “peaked early”. More typical, in my knowledge of Old Geelong Grammarians, are lives of dedicated service, unselfseeking, comparatively unsung except perhaps in funeral eulogies, local papers, and Light Blue when we know enough. And that is how it should be: some stars reliably bright, few burnt-out or falling ones, and a milky way of innumerable good lives enriching their families and communities. Generosity of spirit and a gift for friendship are perennially important – and prime fruits of true education. Many kinds of intelligence are now recognised, without any diminution of the importance of what was once almost the only kind rewarded highly (though derided by envious young contemporaries): the academic. Vital to a good society, too, are emotional sensitivity and social intelligence – kindness and human understanding; a keeping alive of the best instincts of the child; innocence in its primal sense, not of ignorance but of inflicting no hurt: doing no evil (Paradise partially regained).
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A fruit of such generosity of spirit that has flowered through the School’s history has been willingness to contribute, often disproportionately, to the welfare of others, including the School itself. From its infancy it has been nurtured by such support of many kinds. Some of the thousands of memorable gifts will, I hope, be gratefully recorded in a book that I intend to write. All have been important; all have contributed to what in recent years has been dubbed “exceptional education”; all have “made a difference” (for good). And generosity works reciprocally: boys and girls in the present School, both individually and collectively, work hard in a variety of ways (including the raising of money) to help worthy causes in several countries, sometimes by going and working on the spot. One of our Year 11 girls in 2013 edited a book on social justice for children and was made a UNICEF Australia Young Ambassador. The word “school” comes from a Greek word used by Aristotle to denote “leisure”. While it is far from a leisured class, as that word is used today, that GGS aims to produce, or does produce, the word at least reminds us that it is the wholeness of life – civilised life – for which a good school should aim, and a good university too: not simply professional or technical training, important though they are. That will be subtly different for each individual – and the differences are vital. At the heart of such preparation for good and generous lives is the kind of learning to know and understand one another, to appreciate and love one another, that is the path to wisdom – and to joy.
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BIRTHS
DEATHS
Paris and Alexander Batters (P’00), a daughter, Beatrice Victoria Room, on 1 January 2015
Charles Athol Parker Adams (1979-83) on 13 January 2015
Edwina née Smith (Fr’99) and Tim Bonney (Fr’97), a son, Henry Lachlan, on 24 March 2011, and a daughter, Zara Grice, on 22 August 2013
Kingsley Anketell Allen (1933-40) on 8 November 2014 Michael John Somerset Austin (1948-56) on 9 January 2015 John Balloch (1937-41) on 29 July 2014
Katherine Young (Ga’98) and Jonathan Chamberlain, a daughter, Rose Emma, on 10 October 2014
Jillian Boldiston née Meares (Clyde 1964-67) on 1 November 2014
Claire Sullivan (Ga’93) and Angus Clelland, a son, Thomas, on 27 August 2014
Blair Peter Catanach (1947-55) on 11 October 2014
Rachael and Ed Crossley (Cu’01), a son, Eli David, on 25 July 2014 Tanya née Laycock (Cl’93) and John Galwey, a daughter, Eliza Alexandra Annie, on 30 August 2014 Sarah née Cole (Cl’95) and Andrew Gaussen (M’95), a daughter, Eloise Polly Amherst, on 10 September 2014 Hannah née Ward (Cl’03) and Sebastian Jeremiah, a daughter, Zara Elizabeth, on 3 October 2014
Peter Reid Cant (1941-42) on 22 October 2013
James Raife Gullett Cowan (1956-68) on 25 December 2014 The Honourable Francis Robert Fisher AO, QC (1934-39) on 8 November 2014 Dr James Stuart Guest AM, OBE, VRD (1932-34) on 20 January 2015 Sir Brian Scott Inglis AC (1937-41) on 24 September 2014 Dr Murray Lane Ingpen (1947-58) on 20 January 2015 Peter Jeffery Kay (1967-72) on 8 November 2013
Sarah and James Legoe (M’97), a daughter, Ella Grace, on 14 November 2014
Robert Hunter Fairbairn Landale OAM (1934-42) on 15 September 2014
Annabelle née Finlay (Cl’96) and James McDonald, a son, George Stephen, on 13 November 2014
Margaret Lees née Tyrwhitt Drake (The Hermitage 1939-44) on 5 March 2014
Eliza Holt (Ga’96) and Jim McKenna, a son, Clancy Holt, on 7 November 2013
John Alastair Douglas Gerald McArthur (1932-44) on 22 November 2014
Rosemary and David Merrin (Cu’93), a son, William Thomas Elliott, on 20 October 2005, a daughter, Sophie Alice, on 13 June 2007, and a son, Rupert David, on 27 September 2009
Gordon Robson McLaurin (1939-41) on 24 August 2014
Eloise née Di Cristoforo (Staff 2008-) and Adrian Nardi, a daughter, Elena, on 16 October 2014 Sari Kimpton (Ga’95) and James Poole, a daughter, Maia Rose, on 14 October 2012
Joy McMillan née Bell (The Hermitage 1925-36) on 19 June 2014 Basja Rinanda Nasution (1972) on 14 May 2010 Alastair Walter Nicholson (1941-43) on 16 September 2014 James Rigby Riley (1927-33) on 19 November 2014 Peter John Sharpe (1964-67) on 27 May 2014
Anna née McGregor (Je’92) and Andrew Robinson, a son, Jock William, on 31 July 2014
Helen Thomson (wife of The Reverend Peter Thomson AM [Staff 1959, 1969-72, 1974-83]) on 27 November 2014
Skye Landy (Cl’94) and Andrew Robinson (Cu’84), a son, Felix, on 12 July 2014
Vu Hoang Vo (2002) on 24 October 2014
Naomi and David Stevens (Fr’93), a son, William James, on 10 September 2014 Kimba née Squire-Wilson (He’93) and Andrew Thomas, a son, Rex Wilson, on 20 June 2014 Georgina Claridge (Fr’95) and Colin Tighe, a daughter, Asher Willow, on 14 April 2014 Claire née Bingley (He’01) and Stuart Timms (A’01), a son, Maximus Albert (Max), on 20 July 2014
Peter Samuel Webster (1956-58) on 12 September 2014
MARRIAGES Angus Coote (FB’94) married Daisy McKenzie-McHarg on 28 February 2014 Jane Darling (A’95) married Michiel Kalkman (Hn’85) on 27 September 2014 Edwina Ingle (Ga’01) married Justin Chalk on 29 November 2014
Alice Cook (He’97) and Richard Watkins (FB’93), a son, Frederick George, on 6 January 2015
Skye Landy (Cl’94) married Andrew Robinson (Cu’84) on 11 September 2014
Joanna née Clarke (Cl’01) and Thomas Youl, a daughter, Alice Zoe, on 14 August 2014
Tanya Laycock (Cl’93) married John Galwey on 9 November 2013 Katherine Swan (Fr’03) married Nicholas Morrissey (P’03) on 21 December 2013 Hannah Ward (Cl’03) married Sebastian Jeremiah on 21 December 2013
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