FOCUS FAIRHOLME COLLEGE
ADVERSITY OCCASIONS CREATIVITY Brendon Burchard
2020
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Contents
02 Dr Linda Evans
From the Principal
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02
Master Plan 04 Flourish 06
COVER: Jenny Wynter, FOG 1995 | Comedian Published by Fairholme College Editors/Writers: Marita Ramia and Helen Lange Layout and Design: Marita Ramia and Sandra van der Stelt Advertising Enquiries Communication Office T 4688 2341 Fairholme College Toowoomba Proudly a College of the Presbyterian Church of Queensland Wirra Wirra Street PO Box 688 Toowoomba Q 4350 T 07 4688 4688 info@fairholme.qld.edu.au www.fairholme.qld.edu.au www.facebook.com/fairholmecollege ABN: 16 917 099 053 Registered Provider (Queensland): Fairholme College Toowoomba CRICOS Provider Code: 03726D
Adversity Occasions Creativity
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Young Australian of the Year
14
Queensland GP of the Year
16
10 Minutes with ...
18
04 Master Plan
12 Women of Strength
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Spring Festival 23
Mothers’ Long Lunch
Goodbyes ... 32
26
Fairholme Old Girls Lunch
34
A Wedding Story ...
36
Sad Passings 38
Fathers’ Long Lunch
28 Formal
Adversity Occasions Creativity Dr Linda Evans | Principal of Fairholme College
Whether we are driven by nostalgia or an itch for something new, whether we are revolutionaries or preservationists, it is the abnormal times that we learn most about ourselves and others. (Albright, 2020) It’s probably inappropriate to say that a few of the best assignments I wrote as an undergraduate were born of adversity. I’m not talking about life-changing or lifethreatening adversity, just the adversity born of having left my run too late and a consequent all-night effort was required if the deadline were to be met. I have a distinct memory of the first time (yes, I fear to say first and not last) I sat in front of my Olivetti electric typewriter at my chocolate brown laminate desk in my shared house in Fuller Street, Lutwyche in Brisbane and burned the midnight 2 Fairholme College
oil to a melting point. Having accepted an emergency shift for the dentist I worked for part-time, then filled in for a game of Netball, I returned home to face the confronting truth of my poor time management and my propensity to believe that I could juggle everything. And whilst this is a practice that I should not be preaching, yes, as a school leader I know that I am not meant to share such honest home truths but there are some redeeming elements to this story, nonetheless. It’s a trite example in the face of 2020 but it’s simply an analogy for the importance of facing adversity and occasioning the creativity that exists in its weave. At the time, my mother’s voice reverberated loudly – an unavoidable echo and pounding conscience-maker. ‘Well you’d better put your head down and get on with it, no one else is going to do it for you.’ I didn’t for a moment
entertain not completing the assignment – somewhere my parents had instilled in me some sense of individual responsibility, additionally, for any Physical Education student at QUT, Shorty Southgate was a formidable force. Furthermore, I did have a draft and notes to work from, I wasn’t starting from scratch – I just hadn’t reached the final draft stage. To be honest – I hadn’t begun it. So, I sat and wrote that assignment for ‘Shorty’ Southgate, my lecturer, from scratch. I presume it was about Human Anatomy since that was is area of expertise, but that aspect has faded into the past and is largely inconsequential. What I can conjure with clarity is the sensation of calm and quiet I felt as I came to a final conclusion in the early dawn – at the time when magpies, kookaburras and butcher birds were heralding the sun’s rising. It was a
revelation to me that I could stay focused and keep going. Whilst not a practice that I have perfected, nor want to, after all, I do value my sleep a great deal, I was reminded – in that moment that if you are committed to finishing that which you have begun, almost anything is possible. Therein – another value from my upbringing, ‘if you say you’re going to do something, then you do it.’ I knew the response that I would have received if I had phoned my parents and confided my predicament. Sympathy would have been sparse; I can hear the disapproving silence that would have filled my ear. You see, they couldn’t fix it for me – fortunately I had been taught that lesson by them, from a very early age – fix it yourself, even if it’s hard; you might be surprised by the outcome.
through varying levels of adversity and so many have risen to new occasions of creativity. Consider the COVID cups for Cross Country and Athletics; the on-line Chapel services and Assemblies that emerged new in response to lockdown; the live streaming events that have become almost passé; processes for health checking have become common practice; bar code check-ins – all of these practices are the new normal. We can look to the Junior School musical being filmed; lessons going on-line; teachers filming min-lessons for the first time; virtual Bible study groups with Mrs Sutton; Boarding House smoko sessions and the ubiquitous Zoom meeting that has overtaken aspects of life but kept us connected when connection has mattered more than ever before.
We could, can and appropriately do continue to wax lyrical about 2020: the COVID year or living in the time of Corona – for good reason. This has been a season of challenge that makes an incomplete assignment become an insignificance. We have all been stretched
Yes, adversity occasions creativity, it draws out our resilience and forces us to imagine, differently, uniquely, thoughtfully. Fix what you can – you might be surprised by the outcome. After all, our 21st century learners, your children, are the ‘future creatives’
(McWilliam, 2020) of the world. This year they have had to learn differently and quickly, they have been deeply engaged in adaptive learning – we all have. Yet, they will take those skills into the brave new world of life beyond COVID and what may well emerge are creative enterprises and creative thinking that would otherwise have laid dormant in our practiced, safe ways of doing and being. Author, Arundhati Roy (2020) captures it eloquently when she says, ‘historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. You see, accomplishments do not happen without obstacles, they simply don’t. ‘We can choose to walk through [this time] dragging the carcasses of our prejudice and hatred, our avarice, our data banks and dead ideas … or we can walk lightly, with little luggage, ready to imagine another world.’ Adversity occasions creativity.
REFERENCES Albright, M. (2020). ‘The Best Response to Disaster is Resilience’. nytimes.com, April 12, 2020 02:00PM McWilliam, E. ‘Creativity is Core Business’. (2020). https://www.ericamcwilliam.com.au/creativity-is-core-business/ McWilliam, E. and Taylor, P. ‘Personally Significant Learning’. (2020). https://www.ericamcwilliam.com.au/personally-significant-learning/ Roy, A. (2020). ‘The Pandemic is a Portal’. Ft.com April 3, 2020 12:30PM
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Stage one Fairholme Master Plan Beginning 2021 PREVIEW: STAGE ONE FAIRHOLME MASTER PLAN COMMENCEMENT: June 2021 COMPLETION: December 2022 Stage one will begin mid-2021 and comes from a review of the College’s current and projected needs, the condition of some Senior School buildings and functionality considerations across the campus. Essentially the first stage allows the College to empty some of the buildings on the north-eastern corner of Fairholme (the corner of Bridge and Fairholme Streets) to make way for Stage 2, and eventually Stage 3. Once completed, the first stage of the Master Plan provides accommodation for Senior Classrooms, Drama Classrooms, Art Classrooms, a new Junior and Middle School Assembly and Multi-Functional Space and the College Reception and Administration Functions.
Fairholme College, which opens out to Wirra Wirra Street. The tartan will feature at the front of the building, along with the traditional blue stone, both of which are unmistakeably Fairholme.
These new pictures from the architects show the concept design for the front of
The three stages of the Master Plan resolve the capital works future of Fairholme for the next ten years.
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They will enable Fairholme to offer contemporary teaching and learning facilities in the Senior School, as well as a new and unified Administrative presence on Wirra Wirra Street at the entrance to the College. For further information visit the website, www.fairholme.qld.edu.au.
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Flourish
Zara Bambling, Laura Craft and Phoebe Meyer-Elks | Head Girls 2020 2020 Head Girls, Zara Bambling (Head Boarder), Laura Craft (Head Girl) and Phoebe Meyer-Elks (Head Day Girl) didn’t let COVID stop them from leaving their mark on Fairholme. The girls produced three editions of their own magazine called Flourish, an idea that originated mid COVID, when they were not able to go ahead with many of the other ideas they had planned for this year.
‘We wanted to make something fun, interesting and different for the Fairholme community to raise spirits and get girls involved, so we thought a magazine would be the perfect option. We encouraged the girls to send in ideas and articles so that we could use flourish as a way for students to make their voices heard and share everyone’s stories,’ said Head Girl Laura Craft. ‘After we got the idea going, we worked really hard to get the first edition out as a surprise before the end of Term 2, and overall, it was really well received. We are hoping the head girls of 2021 will take over now, so that the idea can continue to flourish in the Fairholme community,’ she said. Phoebe Meyer-Elks said it was a comment at leadership webinar that got her thinking how they could better lead the College in the year of a pandemic. ‘Mid-COVID we were attending a webinar aimed at school leaders of girl’s schools and hearing a range of hosts speak on how they were able to be leaders through adversity. I remember one thing really sticking with me. Someone asked us if a year into the future would we be able to look back on what we did with pride. At the time I was kind of just letting the year pass me by, so this really made me stop and reconsider how it was unfolding.’ Zara agrees it was the moment that got them all thinking. 6 Fairholme College
‘Shortly after that, late on a Wednesday afternoon, the three of us had a meeting on the floors of the senior school corridors, brainstorming things that could be something fun and different and that would hopefully positively impact the girls and include them as well,’ says Zara. ‘I’m not entirely sure who thought of it, we may have all kind of thought the same thing at the same moment, but during this meeting, we were chatting with one of our teachers about our ideas and hers and we spotted the Frankie magazine she was carrying. We thought, “Oh my goodness we could do a magazine?” We remembered how much girls enjoy reading those kinds of inspiring mags with stories for all areas of life and I think that was when we decided
that was our plan. That whole week leading up to the release of the first edition of Flourish, we were bouncing off the walls whenever we had a planning session, and staying late at school to get it done as soon as possible.’ The girls sent out their first edition at the end of Term 2, followed by a second in Term 3 and on the morning of their Valedictory Assembly, right before they walked out of the Fairholme gates, the Head Girls handed a freshly printed copy of their third edition to their fellow seniors. Flourish will be taken over by the 2021 Head Girls, Mary-Jane Scanlon (Head Girl), Sophie Walker (Head Day Girl) and Eliza Mack (Head Boarder).
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Adversity Occasions Creativity Margot McKinney | Senior Prefect 1976 Her jewellery is a work of art inspired by her travels, both internationally and around Australia and Margot McKinney has certainly found the creativity in 2020’s adversities. The colourful designer reflects on her own Fairholme journey, and the role it played in her becoming one of the most successful businesswomen in the industry.
Margot McKinney can still remember the small canvas stretchers, the tiny bathroom cubicles and the room where her Fairholme journey began – in Year 1. ‘In fact, I feel certain that I can remember the smell of that room too – and Miss Maynard. She was my Year 1 teacher and she had very bouffant hair. She was very glamorous.’ Margot McKinney also recalls her later years at Fairholme. ‘I have very fond memories. I loved art and history. Mrs Schmidt was an incredible woman and a wonderful teacher. I remember her having the most immaculate clothing and she never wore the same outfit twice!’ Beverley Schmidt’s style may have contributed to the glamour Margot McKinney exudes today, but it was her teaching that had the biggest effect. ‘She was a real stickler for grammar and good English, and there are still moments, to this day, when I hear somebody say something, and I think, ‘Oh! Mrs Schmidt would not approve’, says Margot. ‘Correct English and pronunciation were drummed into me, thanks to Beverley Schmidt.’ The McKinney family name has long been associated with Fairholme – in fact, it began in the early 20s, with Margot’s grandmother, FOG Eileen Connell (1919-1921). ‘Legend has it that my grandfather actually met my grandmother at school – she was in a race at school and he was one of the judges.’ Margot’s aunts, cousins and her sisters, Sally (1978) and Jane (1983), all
attended Fairholme. And it wasn’t just the women of the McKinney family who had ‘tartan ties’. Margot’s father, John, was a Fairholme Kindy boy in 1935-1936 and a College Council member from 1968 to 1975. ‘It was a long association, and a very important part of our lives.’ By the time Margot and her sisters became part of the Fairholme community in the 60s and 70s, the McKinney name was synonymous with Toowoomba, through McKinney’s department store. It all began with Margot’s greatgrandfather, John McKinney, who came out from Ireland in 1884 to find his fortune on the North Queensland goldfields. ‘He boarded a train to Cooktown but it stopped in Toowoomba for longer than he had anticipated, so he thought he would take that opportunity to get a haircut.’ There wasn’t a barber’s
shop to be found anywhere on the streets of Toowoomba. ‘So, he thought, “Well, here’s an opportunity”, and he stayed in Toowoomba and started his own barber shop.’ John McKinney had never cut anyone’s hair before, but he soon learnt. He also learned how to make his own fortune, far from the goldfields. ‘He had 12 chairs, and he was also very forward thinking, selling all the necessities for people heading to the goldfields. At the back of the shop he set up an area where people travelling from the West could shower and change, and then have their hair cut and beards trimmed. It really was like an early club lounge,’ says Margot. As Mr McKinney grew the business, selling beard trimmers, shaving accessories and tobacco, the McKinney brand also grew to become a household FOCUS VOL 1 2020 9
name. ‘It expanded when my Grandfather took on the business. He saw it through the depression, war and the Spanish Flu and it grew again when my Father took it over. When my sisters and I were growing up, McKinney’s was a real department store and we sold everything: dresses, toys, sporting goods, guns, electrical goods, carpet, interior decorations. My grandfather started a skating rink in Duggan Street and my father later turned it into Queensland’s first ever discount electrical warehouse.’ Now, especially in a year of COVID, Margot is realising the importance of the skills she learned from her family. ‘The strength of my father and his father was that they were very dynamic retailers. When they saw an opportunity, they seized upon it; and likewise, when they found something was no longer working, they just moved on from it. I think that’s how a business survives for 136 years.’ Retail has changed dramatically in the past century though, and certainly in Margot’s lifetime. ‘A store has to be more than just a store. In the old days all you had to do was open the doors, have the merchandise on display, and people would come. Nowadays, that isn’t enough. It’s why I have the kitchen in the store here; we invite people in for lunch or morning tea. We’ve created an experience for our customers.’ Enthusiasm sparkles in her eyes when she talks business – as all Margot McKinney ever wanted to do was work in the family business after finishing her Fairholme journey in 1976. ‘I didn’t get enough points to go to university and I don’t think my parents really knew what to do with me. They had great friends in Pasadena, California, so I went from Toowoomba to downtown Los Angeles, and went to university there.’ It was a valuable experience for Margot, one which she took in her stride, and one where she discovered just how far the McKinney name had reached. ‘My father used to wire me money every month. One month the money didn’t arrive and so I rang the bank and made an appointment to see the manager.’ Margot found herself waiting, petrified, in the bank manager’s large office. She was just 17. ‘He asked me where I 10 Fairholme College
was from, and I said, “Australia.” And he replied, “Well I know that. Where abouts?” “Queensland.” He thumped the desk and said, “Hell, honey, I don’t have all afternoon – whereabouts in Queensland?” “I’m from Toowoomba – a small town west of Brisbane.” ‘It turned out he served in the US Air Force during World War II and had been based in Oakey – and he bought his wife’s diamond engagement ring from McKinney’s. Of all the bank managers in downtown Los Angeles, I got the one who bought a ring from my father! It was a great lesson at a very early age that the world is small.’ In the late 1980s, the McKinneys bought Hardy Brothers from Christopher Skase, and Margot became Managing Director at the age of 28. ‘I moved to Sydney, my younger sister Jane moved to Melbourne, and Sally was in Brisbane. We joked that it should’ve been called ‘Hardy Sisters’. It was an incredible business to own. We had a Royal Warrant from the Queen, and we made the Melbourne Cup and the Queen’s Cup. It was incredible.’ Margot still had a deep desire to carve her own niche in the jewellery world. She began designing her own range and put together a small collection. Her goal was to sell to Neiman Marcus – a Dallas-based luxury retailer showcasing exclusive and emerging brands. Margot and her husband, Peter, were travelling for business and Peter took the initiative, speaking to the Neiman Marcus manager about viewing Margot’s jewellery range. ‘She told Peter the whole process
usually takes around six months. Peter responded, “Well that might be so, but we’re only here until tomorrow so could you see it today?” Incredibly, she called in the head buyer and I met with her that afternoon. After a while she said, “I think this will be perfect for about 14 of our 40 stores.” And that’s how it started.’ Margot’s goal became a reality 13 years ago, and in 2018 she became the number two vendor for precious jewellery at Neiman Marcus. Bergdorf Goodman also stocked her collection. ‘It was very difficult to get into Bergdorf Goodman. For five years I just kept coming back until they gave me a small counter. I kept asking for more space and then, just before COVID hit, I got the best real estate in the store – a wall that I’d been asking for over and over again. Then COVID hit and they closed.’ February 2020 was the beginning of what could’ve been one of Margot’s most difficult years. ‘After spending eight months of the year travelling, I had my wings completely clipped. Everything intensified when riots began as a result
of the Black Lives Matter campaign. Nieman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman closed.’ Margot had to find another way to do business. ‘I had the idea to take our retail experience into the homes of our customers. We produced beautiful, high quality books; we wrapped them beautifully and couriered them to our really important customers – and we had an incredible response.’ It was a new way of communicating – and it worked. Margot says she has been well supported locally in 2020. During this tumultuous time, Margot and her sisters were caring for their father, John McKinney, whose wish was to spend his remaining days at home. ‘My sisters and I fulfilled that wish. He needed us, and in a way I’m grateful to COVID for allowing me to be here for that time.’ Mr McKinney’s passing in August this
year brought immense sadness to the family. ‘We carried on though, just as he did through the many sad moments he experienced. My mother died nine years ago and that was very hard on my father – they had worked together every day and travelled together. He dealt with a lot of sadness in his life, but he always picked himself up and kept going. His resilience enabled him to carry the business through adversity.’ Now, Margot’s hope is that the McKinney name will carry on into the future. ‘I am merely a custodian – I just want to nurture it, grow it and make it a business that my parents, looking down, would be proud to see.’ Margot continues to visit the pearl farm in East Arnhem Land where she selects the Australian pearls for the unique jewellery pieces she designs. She also loves talking to her customers, running
the business, and taking calculated risks to further her success – something that can be linked back to Fairholme. ‘I think those 12 years at school are so formative. Fairholme gave me incredible self-confidence. It was a very solid start in life. We had to be very disciplined. If you didn’t fulfil your commitments and do what you were going to do, then you didn’t succeed.’ For today’s Fairholme girls comes this advice from one of Fairholme’s most successful businesswomen:
‘Be aware and look out for opportunities. If it’s there, seize it – and don’t say you’re not ready. Because you’ll never be ready.’
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Women of Strength
Due to ill-health the Hon Julie Bishop was unable to attend the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation’s Women of Strength Luncheon in March 2020. Australian journalist, TV presenter and author, Jessica Rowe, became the guest speaker instead, telling the sell out crowd about her life in the spotlight and as a mother. Fairholme proudly sponsored the event for the 4th year, raising much-needed funds for the Toowoomba Hospital Emergency Department.
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Women of Strength
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Young Australian of the Year Tara McClelland | Fairholme Old Girl 2013 Spend five minutes talking with Tara McClelland and it’s easy to see why this young Fairholme Old Girl has been named the 2021 ACT Young Australian of the Year.
‘It was very unexpected, and an honour to even be nominated, let alone receive this award,’ says Tara, who moved to the ACT only two years ago, after completing a Bachelor of Human Services at QUT. ‘During my second year of University I had told my tutors I was very interested in youth. From there I did my first placement at a Salvation Army youth drop in centre and it was incredible. I knew straight away that’s where I wanted to be, so I worked there until I finished my studies.’ It was then that Tara found a job opportunity working for the Salvation Army in the ACT, which allowed her to work by night and continue volunteering during the day. She now works around the clock. ‘I do strange hours – working at the Youth Centre at night, which allows me to do a lot of activism, and volunteer work during the day. I feel so lucky for the way it has all worked out. Even my paid work doesn’t feel like work. It is the best job in the world.’ Tara admits though there are moments when some of the youth she works with have very challenging stories. ‘Definitely, at times you wonder how these young people remain so positive. And I sometimes question if we’re doing enough. But because of my work, I know the world is trying help. So, it’s not like
you feel like it’s completely helpless. You’re never dragged down for very long.’ Tara says her dedication comes from the values and passions she learnt while at Fairholme College –particularly during her trip to Mizpah Orphanage. ‘I think that cemented my desire to help people. Seeing the children in the orphanage and how happy they were despite the life they were living – I was changed in that moment. We went over there to give to them, but it was what they gave to us that made me come back full of so much love for people and humanity. I knew I wanted to give back from that moment.’ Today, Tara is passionate about mental health and supporting young people through organisations like Headspace and the Canberra Youth Theatre. ‘I find young people very resilient. They have this beautiful outlook, despite their hardships, and they are still positive. I don’t want them to lose that spark – that belief that anything can happen for them.’ She hopes her work with the Canberra Youth Theatre and Headspace will allow them to shine. ‘The Arts sector is such a powerful tool – and making it available to all youth is something I am striving for. I think the Fairholme March Pasts are a
wonderful indication of what happens when everyone gets a chance to shine. Everyone is involved and you’re all part of a team. I was very involved in the Arts at Fairholme. Those skills have really helped me to always have a voice and to stand up for what I believe in.’ In her time at Fairholme, Tara was part of the Senior team that raised $18,000 for Shave for a Cure. In 2013, that was the highest amount ever raised at the College. She was also an Interact Director and Arts Captain for Drama in her Senior year. ‘I feel like Fairholme shapes us into strong independent women. I know my work, my values, what I’m capable of, and that’s thanks to Fairholme. It’s such a solid education and foundation for life, I feel blessed to be so supported by that community.’ Tara will begin using her Young Australian of the Year award as a platform to push forward with her plans to give youth a stronger voice, to lobby politicians to make services more accessible to young people and to have more youth leaders. Oh, and she has one important message for the Fairholme girls today: ‘Even the smallest act of service is so powerful and meaningful. Follow your passion. Be kind. Don’t judge. And always fight for equality and justice.’
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Queensland GP Of The Year Dr Emily Gordon | Fairholme Old Girl 1990 ‘I am eternally grateful to Fairholme for where I am now. I can’t imagine doing anything else – I love being a doctor. But without a Fairholme education, I don’t think it’s where I would be today.’
Dr Emily Gordon (nee Garde; Head Girl 1990) grew up in the small Southern Downs Queensland town of Warwick. Her Mum, Jenny, was the Deputy Head at Warwick’s Scots PGC and her Dad, Graeme Garde, was a well-known vet. Emily admits she was always determined to have a career in health – only she hadn’t quite considered becoming a Doctor. ‘I was by no means the top student in my year level. I was always going to be a nurse – from day dot. Then Mum and Dad sent me to Fairholme – they didn’t have a lot of money so it was a huge sacrifice for them, but it has been the best investment and I can’t thank them enough for it.’ Emily worked hard in her Senior year and she says, thanks to a strong academic cohort, she got the results she needed to study medicine instead of nursing. ‘I went into a six-year undergraduate degree, then headed off to Rockhampton for my internship. I always wanted to be a country doctor. We didn’t come from a farm, but my Dad had, and I felt this strong connection to the country kids from my time as a Boarder at Fairholme. I always knew I wanted to work in the bush.’ After finishing her time in the Beef City, Emily headed to outback Queensland, to complete her GP training in Barcaldine.
‘I loved Barcaldine. Practicing there was about so much more than medicine. It was about being part of people’s lives – and as a GP you become part of their life journey, not just their medical story. I was even lucky enough to work for the Rural Flying Doctor Service doing Women’s Health Clinics in Blackall, Tambo, Julia Creek, Winton, Richmond and Windorah.’ After Barcaldine, Emily found herself in Miles where she met her husband, Murray, who had already completed his time in the bush as a teacher but Emily managed to convince him to spend a few more years out west. ‘He stayed in the bush with me for a bit longer, before we decided to head to the coast, where I worked in a practice at Yandina, before I moved to my current surgery in Peregian Beach. It feels like a small country town here – with the school and a lot of retirees.’ Her instinct to care for people and their life journey led to her being named Queensland’s GP of the Year in 2020. ‘It is incredibly humbling. I feel somewhat overwhelmed and certainly grateful for the acknowledgement, but I don’t think I do anything different from the many GPs out there that love what they do and look after people every day.’
Emily’s passion to care so much for her patients stems from her time at Fairholme. ‘Becoming a Boarder wasn’t easy – it was hard initially and I was homesick. But it was also defining. I learnt so much. Fairholme really did set me up for life as a doctor. One thing is for sure, the Fairholme family spreads far and wide. Everywhere I went there was always a connection from school. As time goes on, I realise more and more how proud I am to be a Fairholme girl.’ Emily also advocates for women and girls locally and internationally and is actively involved in the Zonta Club of Maroochy. Giving back to her community, she says, is also something instilled in her at Fairholme. And if there was one thing she could tell the girls of Fairholme today, it would be … ‘Appreciate how fortunate you are to be at a school that offers you so much and sets you up for life. Take advantage of every opportunity and it will give you a great head start in life.’
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10 Minutes With ... Jenny Wynter | Fairholme Old Girl 1995 Jenny Wynter was a Day Girl and in Stephens House. In 1995 she was Head Girl and Head Day Girl; she was also Stephens House Captain, Interact Club President, Prefect and Dux of Year 12. Jenny received Year 12 Subject Prizes for English, Chemistry and Biological Science, plus the College Drama Trophy, Prizes for Community Service (Rotary Award) and Outstanding Service to the College, and the WR Black Medal for Dux. Today, you’ll find Jenny on stage, fulfilling her passion for the Arts as a Stand-Up Comedian. We caught up with Jenny for a few minutes while she was on the tour with her ‘Funny Mummy’ show in Queensland. What is your best memory of Fairholme? I have so, so many! Riding a motorbike up the aisle of the assembly hall during our school play… I don’t know if many people can lay claim to something like that! In fact, any chance I had to perform at school was a total highlight, including in Mrs Sulewski’s home room in Year 11. She gave me and my bestie Sophie so much creative freedom to take over our Form Classes and perform silly raps and skits and so forth. I really must hand it to her: she was the founder (or perhaps just enabler!) of my first ever regular comedy club. When did you know a career in comedy or on the stage was for you? I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be on the stage. My little sister and I used to make up plays and stage them for our grandmother (who raised us). We made little tickets for her and everything! As I grew, I really wanted to be a serious dramatic actress of the Meryl Streep variety – clearly, I’ve never been one for setting the bar low – but every time I was in a play at Fairholme I was cast in the funny role. Now I know why! It’s where my natural abilities lie! You speak fondly of ‘Mum’ – your grandmother who stepped in to raise you. Can you tell us how that helped shape you?
She was absolutely one of the strongest people I’ve ever known. Now that I have my own children I am absolutely gobsmacked at how she took on two young kids while she was in her sixties, while grieving the loss of her own daughter. She was fierce. And while she was insanely frugal (she was brought up during the Great Depression, after all), she would always be willing to spend on education. I was never allowed to play computer games unless they were deemed educational. It was so frustrating at the time but what do you know? I was excellent at maths and spelling, and to this day am a gun at touch-typing! She was terrified of me pursuing a career in the Arts; she really wanted me to be a lawyer. But before she died, she told me she’d realised that life’s too short not to follow your dreams and that she was proud of me for doing so. Do you find strength today in the fact that you were faced with the difficulty of choosing the career you were passionate about, despite expectations for you to follow an academic career? My favourite poem since high school has always been ‘The Road Less Travelled’ by Robert Frost. I knew that I was going against people’s expectations of me; that part wasn’t hard at first, but certainly as the years went by and I went through the hard yards of trying to carve out a career, I wondered whether I’d let everybody down. I bumped into Mr Klan once while I was photocopying a film script at a printer in Toowoomba; he asked what I’d been doing and I felt so embarrassed, like I was a total failure! I’m so fortunate in that I had some amazing cheerleaders in my life, in my corner encouraging me to keep going, and ultimately what kept me on the path was knowing myself. I knew without a doubt that it would haunt me forever if I never had the courage to at least try to follow my heart.
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing – was there a moment when you wished you hadn’t followed your dream? Yes! I was at Melbourne Fringe Festival performing my one-woman cabaret. The show had gotten great reviews, but nobody was buying tickets. I performed night after night for two, three people. One night there was NOBODY who booked. The staff at the venue were so sweet, they all came and watched it that night, so I’d have an audience and they gave me a standing ovation. But night after night I’d come back, pay the babysitter more than I was making, climb into bed with my darling toddler and cry. I felt like I’d completely ruined my life and my family’s finances. One the final weekend of the festival, my show won the Award for Excellence in Cabaret. It was an amazing honour; it helped give my career a little boost and away I went again! If you could tell your 17-year-old-self one thing as you left Fairholme, what would that have been? That it’s a marathon and not a sprint, and try to slow down and enjoy the journey a bit more, rather than trying to rush towards the next goal. While at first glance it seems admirable to try to squeeze so much into the one lifetime, it’s also a very good way to burn out and to neglect the real things that matter in life: your friendships, family and relationships. Slow down, take your time, and taking the road less travelled is indeed the right choice for you. Even if you have no idea just how rocky and twisted and unexpected it might be! The Funny Mummy show will continue touring in 2021. You can find dates on the website https://www.jennywynter. com/
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Mothers’ Long Lunch Annual Mothers’ Long Lunch Close to 100 Mums came together to laugh with Jenny Wynter (FOG 1995) at the Mothers’ Long Lunch. Past Mums joined current Mums for a beautiful lunch at the Burke & Wills Hotel.
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Mothers’ Long Lunch
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Spring Festival As with many other events and moments in 2020, Fairholme’s annual Spring Fair was adapted to suit the COVID-19 climate. The Spring Fair became the Spring Festival, one day turned into five, and two P&F functions finished off the week. We thank Browns Office Choice once again for their kind sponsorship across the week, and for the plethora of other Fairholme family businesses who stepped up to ensure the Festival went ahead. There may not have been rides filling the carpark, market stalls lining Daisy Culpin Courtyard or models walking the runway for Fashion Week, but there were still plenty of opportunities for the girls and parents to get involved.
The Cake and Bake stall went online with a drive-through option – and thanks go to Fairholme Mum, Bec Cherry, who sifted and mixed and baked her way through hundreds of loaves of bread and croissants and donuts. Boarder Cent Sale Convenor, Kym Wright, outdid herself this year with a record-breaking number of tickets sold. Spring Fair Convenor, Keryn Macdonald, and Sponsorship Convenor, Louise Hamilton, worked tirelessly behind the
scenes to ensure that the girls still got a taste of Spring Fair, with games, hot chips, a sausage sizzle, a chocolate wheel and a coffee van.
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Spring Festival
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Spring Festival
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Fathers’ Long Lunch Annual Fathers’ Long Lunch For the 4th year our Fairholme Dads came together, albeit under strict COVID-safe regulations, to raise money for the Fathers’ Fund, which assists struggling families. It was also an opportunity for the Dads to catch up over a meal for the first time since the start of 2020. Billy Moore spent the afternoon entertaining the men with stories of his football career, before auctioning off a dinner for 6 to his restaurant, Augello’s, on the Sunshine Coast. This year the Dads set a record, raising just over $20,000.
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Fathers’ Long Lunch
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Fairholme Formal 2020
Fairholme College Seniors and their partners celebrated the year of 2020 in style at a Formal Dinner held at Picnic Point on Wednesday evening. The occasion was even more special for Seniors of 2020, since, like Year 12s from all over the world, their year has been punctuated by cancellations, postponements and the modification of events – events that they have looked forward to with great anticipation, for many years. Arrivals were captured on live stream so that family, friends and Fairholme students could experience that moment, vicariously. Whilst dancing was not on the menu this year, a scrumptious three course meal, was. Importantly, there was an opportunity to enjoy one another’s company, ‘frock up’ elegantly and nudge one step closer to life beyond the school gates. We were all grateful that they could access this opportunity.
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Fairholme Formal 2020
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Fairholme Formal 2020
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Fairholme Formal 2020
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Goodbyes... Fairholme farewelled two of its longest serving staff members at the end of 2020. Cathy Mason as teacher of Senior English and Jenny Sutton as Assistant to the Boarding House in Pastoral Care. Their Fairholme journey, however, has included many more roles and positions. ‘Mrs Cathy Mason and Mrs Jenny Sutton have been part of the Fairholme community since 1970 and 1968 respectively, and we cannot imagine Fairholme without them. The Friends of Boarding gifted Jenny with a beautifully framed quotation – it is one that is apt for both Cathy and Jenny … the words of missionary Stephen Grellet: “I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” Cathy and Jenny, we are so grateful for all you have done – and for who you are,’ said Principal, Dr Linda Evans.
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Cathy Mason (nee Allan) • Boarder at Fairholme 1970-1974; Stephens House • Cathy was one of three Allan sisters who came to Fairholme. The others were Sue (1969-1973) and Janet (1972-1976). • Cathy’s daughter Miranda Brown (nee Mason) was a Day Girl at Fairholme 1993-1997. • 1970 – received the 8th Grade Speech & Drama Prize • 1973 – one of the editors of the 1973 student newspaper, ‘Binalong Rag’. • 1974 – Prefect and member of the Boarder Choir; awarded the College Speech & Drama Prize (gift of Mrs Patrea O’Shea) • 1980 – on teaching staff at Fairholme for 1 year – part-time Speech & Drama teacher • 1995-1997 back at Fairholme on teaching staff (part-time) • 1998 to 2020 – full time teaching staff Senior School • 2006-2018 Head of Stephens House. Heads of House positions began officially in 2006, though Cathy’s association with Stephens House goes back to when she was here 1970-1974.
Jenny Sutton (nee Curtis) • Boarder at Fairholme 1968-1972; Black House • Jenny’s mother Daphne Curtis (nee Anderson) also was a Boarder at Fairholme 1945-1947 • Jenny’s daughter Katie Murray (nee Sutton) was a Day Girl at Fairholme 1995-1999. • 1971 – Black House Boarders’ representative; College Choir; school pianist; awarded the Music Prize and the Piggott’s Prize for Citizenship • 1972 – Prefect and Black House Athletics Captain; Black House Boarders’ Representative; College Choir; school pianist; Fiction Librarian • 1988-1994 – Teaching staff parttime – Primary School Christian Education • 1995 – April 2005 – Teaching Staff full-time; (Preschool teacher from August 1996. Jenny was Deputy Head of Fairholme Junior and Director of the Early Childhood Centre from 2004 to April 2005.) • 2009 (Term 4) to 2020 – Assistant to the Boarding House – Pastoral Care • FOGA Toowoomba President – 1993-1999 and 2003-2006
1974 Prefects at Assembly Hall - Cathy Allan 2nd left in middle row.
1971 College Pianists - Jenny Sutton (Curtis) standing 4th from left.
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Fairholme Old Girls Lunch and Staying Connected Earlier this month, a dozen Fairholme Old Girls got together to enjoy a meal, share stories, and connect in a way they hadn’t been able to for many months. Their chatter, as it inevitably always does, returned to their days in the tartan. It was animated, lively, and hopeful for a more connected future. As a Boarder in the 60s and 70s, Ann Whiteman lived away from home during the school term, and on the holidays returned to a land of isolation. She knows the resilience, hope and persistence it takes to remain connected when there is no other option. ‘The very nature of being a Boarder meant I had little contact with my family during school terms, and then, conversely, on holidays I had little to no contact with friends. It helped build in me the resilience I needed to cope with the challenges that we all faced this year,’ Ann reflects. Ann said the Fairholme family has always remained an extension of the connected networks that have remained strong, and that ‘we are all fortunate to still have in our lives’. Similarly, Marie Cameron has used this year to reconnect with friends and family across the world. ‘Before the pandemic, I had never heard of Zoom; now I am quite the expert!’ She says the lockdown across the world has brought her family closer, and she feels more connected than ever before. ‘I have family in Britain who can’t visit each other. My brother over there started a check-in email thread where everyone could say how things were going for them. Over the months we have shared anecdotes, mini-sagas, photos, jokes, and favourite poems. I made sure the Brits were exposed to some traditional Australian poems like
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Pictured: Linda Evans, Jocelyn Mercer, Robyn Blakeley, Shirley Frickman
bush ballads, and even a couple of poems about Toowoomba! There was amazing variety among these poems, and my brother has made two collections of them, which we can all keep in our document folders as mementos of a very strange year.’ For Judy Edwards, a window of four hours on a Sunday afternoon became her favourite time of the week. ‘Every cloud has a silver lining, and for me being able to play golf was just that,’ Judy said. ‘Since both my sons live in Toowoomba, we were able to enjoy the Sunday afternoons together, with the added bonus of my grandson – who was locked out of Boarding school in Brisbane – being able to join us. Sometimes, it is these small moments that keep us going.’ Cathy Heilbronn said that while 2020 has been different, and at times difficult, there had still been moments of hope and times of light. ‘We have all been forced to truly appreciate the things we perhaps
PRESIDENT Mrs Robyn Blakeley (Reardon) VICE-PRESIDENT Ms Marie Cameron SECRETARY Judy Edwards (Bougoure) TREASURER Mrs Lyn Brandon (Taylor) PATRONESS Mrs Jocelyn Mercer (Cossart)
Pictured: Lyn Brandon, Judy Edwards , Marie Cameron
took for granted – hugging our friends, jumping on a plane to see our children, enjoying a coffee in a café – but we are hopeful for a future that embraces the smaller moments of being.’ As Ann says, ‘The moral of 2020 is that, along with its challenges and adversities, nothing lasts forever – except the shared connectedness of the tartan. That is forever.’
Interested in organising a reunion? Stay connected with the Alumni and Old Girls’ Association. Update your details on the Fairholme Website or contact Helen Lange Alumni Officer Helen.Lange@fairholme.qld.edu.au T 4688 4614
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A Wedding Story ... Annabelle Amos | Fairholme Old Girl A worldwide pandemic and hard border closures weren’t going to stop Old Girl Annabelle Amos (from ‘Burrenbah’ Mungindi NSW) marrying her partner Thomas Hudson, in an intimate ceremony in Dubbo, on a spring Saturday afternoon in September.
As the reality of COVID-19 set in, Annabelle Amos was determined her wedding would go ahead. Amidst the panic of a pandemic, she planned, postponed, problem solved and postponed again. But finally on September 19, 2020, Annabelle said ‘I do” to partner of six years, Thomas Hudson. ‘Planning a wedding during a pandemic certainly wasn’t my desired plan!’ Annabelle said. ‘After picking a date, it was such an emotional journey. Following restrictions, riding out those restrictions, changing locations, downsizing our guestlist, and then facing heartbreak when the Queensland Government decided on a hard border closure just days out from our wedding, cancelling was not an option.’ But with Annabelle’s sister Edwina Amos (class of 2013) based in Dalby, and her grandparents, aunty, and uncle, and cousins all on the Queensland side of the border, it meant that they weren’t able to attend the wedding in Dubbo. It also meant many of Annabelle’s Fairholme
friends couldn’t attend either, with many now living in Brisbane. Annabelle was fortunate enough to have her parents, Annette and Les, join her, with her other sister Sarah Amos (class of 2012) her Maid of Honour, while Edwina donned her bridesmaid dress and joined the ceremony via Facebook livestream. Two of her Fairholme friends were able to make the ceremony, Georgie Kahl (nee Stoltenberg), and Emily Tapp, who both made the trip to Dubbo to help celebrate the milestone with Annabelle. During her Fairholme days, Annabelle was a boarder, and Cameron House prefect. Since leaving the College, she has had a successful career as a journalist. Starting at WIN News in Toowoomba under the guidance of another Fairholme Old Girl, Annabelle’s career quickly gathered pace. A new challenge presented itself in the NSW wine country of Orange NSW in 2014. It was here that she met Dubbo boy Tom. He was a media and communications consultant for a business based in Sydney at the time,
so when Annabelle was offered a job working with Sky News as a journalist and Executive Producer in the Sydney office, she jumped at the opportunity. However, the country (and more affordable housing!) was calling them home, so Annabelle and Tom relocated back to Orange, so she could take up a role as Chief of Staff at the WIN News Central West bureau. After two years as the Chief of Staff, the couple moved to Dubbo, where Annabelle made a move to Dubbo Regional Council as the Communications Business Partner. Tom and Annabelle were out walking their dog, Charlie, when Tom decided to get down on one knee and pop the question in March, 2020. ‘It might have not been the day that I had envisaged at the start, but I married the love of my life and was still able to celebrate the day with some of my dearest friends from Fairholme and my family. It just goes to show that the Fairholme spirit is spread far and wide, friends really do become family, and even a pandemic can’t shake our camaraderie.’ FOCUS VOL 1 2020 37
Sad Passings Former College Board Members Two College Board Members have passed away – Mrs Emily (Em) Gardner (1996 to 2003) and Mr Karl Hertle OAM (1976-1979). Mrs Emily (Em) Gardner was a College Board Member, and the wife of the Very Rev Dr Ken Gardner, also a long-serving College Board Member. Mr Karl Hertle OAM was a College Council Member 1976-1979. A well-known Toowoomba builder and Rotarian, he built the College Dining Hall and kitchen building in 1974, and repaired many College buildings after the damage caused by the violent 1976 January hailstorm in January 1976. His wife Fay and daughter Nikki are Fairholme Old Girls.
Mrs Emily (Em) Gardner
Former Staff Members Mrs Jean Hill Jean Hill was the Principal’s Secretary from 1983 to 1989, managing the office of Mr Allan Faragher. Dedicated and very efficient, Mrs Hill was also known for her dignity, tact and sense of humour. She passed away in May 2020, aged 85. Mrs Heather Hudson Heather Hudson was a long-serving staff member at Fairholme, teaching commercial subjects, including Business Principles and Accounting, for 19 years from 1971 to 1990, when she retired. She passed away in October 2020, aged 88. Mrs Patrea O’Shea Patrea O’Shea was at Fairholme for 22 years from 1971 to 1992. She taught Music, and some Speech & Drama and English in the 1970s. She became Head of Music and then Director of the Music Department from 1987 until her retirement. The Patrea O’Shea Performing Arts Building was named for her, as well as the Patrea O’Shea Trophy for Music and later for Captain of Performing Arts. Mrs O’Shea was a cellist and also played piano and pipe organ. Her contribution to the development of Music and the Performing Arts at Fairholme was outstanding, due to her dedication, organisation and unfailing encouragement of students. She established Fairholme’s Orchestra, Folk Group and the College Arts Festival, and conducted many choirs and instrumental groups, with considerable success, at Eisteddfodau in Toowoomba and Brisbane. She also organised numerous memorable music tours. Mrs O’Shea passed away in Brisbane in May 2020, aged 83.
Mrs Jean Hill - Admin staff member 1983-1989
Mrs Heather Hudson - Teacher 1971-1990
1988 Mrs Bev Higgins, Mrs Patrea O’Shea - Director of Music - Mr Allan Faragher, Miss Ann Brownlie - Director of HPE and Sport - Mrs Catherine Ketton Director of Theatre and Communication
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Sad Passings Rev John Thompson Rev John Thompson holds a special place in Fairholme’s history as the College’s first full-time Chaplain from 1986-1990. (Prior to this, he was part-time Chaplain 1981-1985.) John Thompson and his wife Betty lived in one of the Town Houses on campus and were Resident Supervisors in the Boarding House. He was College Counsellor, taught Christian Education classes and led worship services, assemblies and devotions. Rev John Thompson left Fairholme at the end of 1990, accepting a call to parish ministry in Taree, NSW, where he passed away in March 2020, aged 74. Miss Johanna Wills Johanna Wills came to Fairholme in 1984, and taught French, English and Japanese. Johanna’s real passion was French, which she taught until her departure at the end of 2000. She was a fierce advocate for its continued place in the school curriculum. Johanna was also a popular Pastoral Care Group leader for many Powell House students during her 16 years on staff. Johanna Wills was an extraordinarily dedicated and courageous person, especially so after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1993. Johanna lived independently in Toowoomba for many years until the increasing impact of MS made this impossible. She then moved into an aged-care unit at Caloundra, where she passed away in August 2020, aged 72.
Rev John Thompson Chaplain 1981-1990 and Mrs Betty Thompson
Miss Johanna Wills - Teacher 1984-2000
1997 12C Class photo - class teacher - Ms J Wills
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Condolences OLD GIRLS Faye (Fay) Althaus (Winchester)
1942-1943
Eunice Baines (Welke)
1944-1947
Grace Barnes (Meissner)
1937-1938
Beverley Bucknell (Brunton)
1956-1958
Eunice Buder (McLeod)
1952-1953
Marylyn (Lyn) Cessna (Provan)
1952-1964
Jeanette Elliot (Gibson)
1945-1947
Valerie (Val) Fitzgerald (Bimrose)
1957-1963
Beverley Hebdon (Hayden)
1945-1947
Barbara Kahler (Kerridge)
1950-1952
Betty Lane (Bailey)
1945-1948
Belinda Maher (Board)
1956-1968
John McKinney (Kindy Boy)
1935-1936
Anita Morrish (Blanch)
1957-1958
Heather Mullin (Moar)
1943-1944
Dorothy Newton (Hoadley)
1945-1946
Morag Papi (Leslie)
1949-1951
Heather Richardson (Wormwell)
1938-1942
Annette Salter (Lewis)
1955-1956
Beverley-Ann Stockwell
1939-1951
Pam Wessling (Schull)
1963-1966
Brenda Williams (Kaalund)
1937 only
Stay connected with the Alumni and Old Girls’ Association. Update your details on the Fairholme Website or contact Helen Lange Alumni Officer Helen.Lange@fairholme.qld.edu.au T 4688 4614
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