OCA Report

Congratulations to Our OCA Bursary Winners

For over 60 years, the OCA has proudly been awarding scholarships and bursaries to PLC students and this year we are delighted to share with you the 2023 bursary recipients. The Olive Cusack Bursary Isobel Noble (Year 9) The Dr Vera Summers Bursary Jessica Nixon (Year 10) The Heather Barr Memorial Bursary Jaz Shervington (Year 11) Congratulations to these three worthy recipients. We would like to extend our congratulations to each and every one of the accomplished young women who applied. You are all absolute credits to yourselves, your families, and to PLC.

Thank You and Looking Forward to 2023

The enduring success of the OCA is very much a team effort and I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the members of the OCA Committee: Carolyn (Winks) Shephard (Sheedy 1988), Justine Cerini (1988), Natusha Wenn (Petrelis 1995), Jennie Deykin (Eastwood 1982), Jane Anne McLarty (Symington 1964), Devon Cuneo (Nankivell 1965), Liz Langsford (Jones 1983), Leanne Ikin (Hatton 1979), Louise Aakermann (Cullen 1988) and Zoe Burke (2021) for all you have done this year. Mrs Jessamy Mahony (Carroll 1988) OCA President

After rescheduling from May to August due to the COVID-19 restrictions, we were thrilled to welcome hundreds of members of the PLC community to our annual OCA Art Exhibition. This year, we showcased and celebrated 67 established and emerging artists from our community including Old Collegians, present and past parents, and staff members. The event was a huge success thanks to the calibre of our artists and also thanks to the support of our community, sponsors, and volunteers. Special thanks to our featured Artist Samantha Sadik (De Sillery 2005), our curating team of Anne Marie D’Arcy (1988), Philippa Trevena (Clarke 1988) and Narelle Manser-Smith (Manser 1988), our Major Sponsors including Liz Towner (Clarke 1958) and the Towner family of Flametree Wines, Jody Fewster (Bond 1983) of Ray White Cottesloe, Mosman Park, uber-talented jeweller Siobhan Way (1989), and Don Ainsworth from Advans Exhibition Services. Thank you also to our Raffle Prize donors, Lua and Lyle from Henri Living, Penny Sadler (1990) from Penny Sadler Design and Lizzie Marinko (Burt 1991) from Urban Fable. Thank you to OCA Vice President Carolyn (Winks) Shephard (Sheedy 1988) for the months of work in staging and managing this event. We look forward to hosting the next OCA Art Exhibition in June 2023.

Beth Blackwood AM Recognised in Honours List

Beth Blackwood AM was recognised in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours List “for significant service to secondary education, and to youth”. Beth was PLC’s eighth and longest-serving Principal between 1997 and 2015. During this time at PLC, Beth promoted the importance of developing courageous young women and founded many initiatives and programmes, including our very successful Indigenous Scholarship Programme and the International Baccalaureate. Beth responded to the acknowledgment of her award on LinkedIn saying, “I have been blessed with so many opportunities to contribute and am indebted to those who have supported and encouraged me along the way. It has been a pleasure to learn from, and work alongside, so many inspiring leaders, mentors, educators, and students. So many just as worthy of commendation. I have received more ‘nuggets of gold’ than I have given. Thank you for sharing my journey.”

Nina Kennedy Wins Gold

Nina Kennedy (2014) has made a comeback over the past few years, taking great strides to top it all off by taking out first place in pole vault at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August. Nina has excelled in athletics from a young age, with a former pole vault junior world record holder title to her name. The 25-yearold came to the Commonwealth Games this year as the favourite, having won bronze at the World Championships two weeks prior as well as at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Nina has overcome both physical and mental challenges, having placed 12th in the 2020 Olympic Games and has worked hard to come back to career-best form. To the delight of the nation, Nina won gold at the Commonwealth games clearing 4.60m on her second attempt of the height. Nina has overcome both physical and mental challenges, having placed 12th in the 2020 Olympic Games and has worked hard to come back to career-best form. To the delight of the nation, Nina won gold at the Commonwealth games clearing 4.60m on her second attempt of the height.

Olivia De Jonge Radiant in Elvis

Olivia De Jonge (2015) rose to international stardom this year having starred in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis released in June 2022 as Priscilla Presley. Starring alongside Austin Butler and Tom Hanks, the film followed a 20-year period of Elvis Presley’s life, following his rise to fame and his relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Olivia started acting at age 12 and always loved watching films growing up. She was first introduced to Baz Luhrmann’s work at PLC in Years 8 and 9. Studying films such as Moulin Rouge, Romeo and Juliet and Strictly Ballroom, she instantly fell in love with Luhrmann’s storytelling. She has risen to fame, starring in several local and international productions including Australian television series Hiding and her lead role in the 2015 film The Visit. Elvis is the second highestgrossing musical biopic of all time, behind only the Freddie Mercury movie Bohemian Rhapsody.

It was a lightbulb moment that saw Tessa MacKay (McOnie 2008) decide to email Principal, Ms Cate Begbie, with an offer for PLC to become temporary custodians of her largest artwork. Tessa’s hyperreal portrait of Wongatha/Pitjantjatjara/Nyungar actor, Trevor Jamieson, spans across a 290cm x 290cm canvas. It has been exhibited at the State Buildings and PS Art Space Fremantle and also at PLC’s 2021 OCA Art Exhibition. The idea to approach PLC came to her after a number of students emailed her after they saw Tessa’s work and chose it as the focus of their study. This then prompted her to consider the school as a potential place for the work to be on display, instead of returning it to storage. When the email came, Ms Begbie admitted to being incredibly excited and humbled with the offer. The giant painting took two hours to re-stretch and hang in the foyer of the Hazel Day Drama Centre. Tessa commented she could think of no better location than the hallowed grounds of her own school in the company of students. Tessa has fond memories of her roles backstage in Performing Arts and also her subject, Trevor Jamieson, is a dancer and esteemed actor. He has become one of the nation’s foremost Indigenous performers, so the location of this inspired piece in the heart of PLC Performing Arts and adjacent the Dance Studio, could not more perfect. Tessa’s portrait of Trevor is just one of three artworks created for art competitions and is available for acquisition. www.tessamackay.com