PRESBYTERIAN LADIES’ COLLEGE: A COLLEGE OF THE UNITING CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA
2019 Edition One
IN THIS ISSUE 3
Message from the Principal
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Cate Begbie returns to PLC
6 Introducing Student Prefecture 8 2019 Junior School Leaders 9 Richard Wright
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10 Parents @ PLC 12 Meet PLC’s Chaplain 13 Fundamentals, Fitness and Friendship 14 Sharon Anderson leaves a legacy in Service Learning and Pastoral care 16 A Christmas Carol 17 Bonjour, Languages Week! 18 Getting Back to Nature in the Junior School 19 A PLC Boarding Family’s display of mateship on Australia Day 20 Year 6 Students Explore World issues 21 Ningaloo Prepares Girls for Life Beyond the Classroom 22 Year 12 Ball 2019 24 Class of 2018 Academic Achievements
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26 Open Garden Day 28 Speech Night 2018 29 A life inspired by PLC Values 30 Tartan News 34 Old Collegians’ Association 37 Meet the Artist 38 From the Archives 40 Foundation Report 42 Reunions
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46 Obituaries 47 Some Important Dates Cover Image New Principal Cate Begbie gets to know some of our Junior School students.
Message from the Principal How the time has flown by. Having begun my tenure at PLC close to four years ago, it feels like a single day and many years wrapped into the one passage of time. What a privilege it has been to lead this school community; with its rich history, hardworking and capable staff, supportive families and inspiring young women. At my commissioning, I chose the quote from Forrest Witcraft – ‘A hundred years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in or the car I drove. But the world may be a different place because I was important in the life of a child’. At PLC, we have a village of people who are important to our girls, who work together to make a difference. It has been a joy to watch our girls blossom under the stewardship and care given to them while they navigate what can be a very challenging time in their lives. In addition to stewardship and care, we continue to innovate and lead the way with exciting projects such as the PLC Lighthouse, along with expanding our academic offerings with a focus on personalising the learning experience for each student.
Over the past half-decade, there has been a general focus on the need to move away from knowledge acquisition, to instead encompass what some call the Four C’s: communication, creativity, critical thinking and collaboration. In this regard, PLC is well placed, leading the way in finding the right balance between these elements and assisting staff to continue to be learning guides rather than lecturers. While focus areas will come and go (and are necessary to ensure the education schools provide to their students is appropriate within the modern context), being important in the life of a child has remained as the stable ingredient of success in any high-achieving school. Years of meta-data supports the understanding that relationships trump all other factors such as streaming, timetables and class size.
It is my hope that the value placed on student voice during my tenure as Principal at PLC has supported the positive development of relationships and thus the curricula and co-curricular outcomes for all girls at the School. Thank you to our PLC girls, in particular, for their warm embrace throughout my tenure, and to the staff for supporting our girls to be the best versions of themselves.
As New York Times best-selling author Mandy Hale wrote ‘Change can be scary, but you know what’s scarier? Allowing fear to stop you from growing, evolving and progressing’. The future of PLC is in capable hands with the announcement of Cate Begbie as our tenth principal. Cate is a passionate educator who is excited to be returning to PLC to share her gifts and wisdom as our community continues to inspire young women. Dr Kate Hadwen Principal
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Cate Begbie returns to PLC, the school that stole her heart “ I am not moving back to Perth because I want to be a Principal, I’m moving back because I want to be the Principal of PLC.” Happily ensconced in her role as Deputy Principal at St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School in Brisbane, the concept of returning to her old stomping ground in Perth could not have been further from Cate Begbie’s mind in November last year.
Chair of the PLC Council, Claire Poll, said the recruitment process for Ms Begbie’s appointment was extraordinarily rigorous. At the end of the process, it was Ms Begbie’s integrity, empathy and reputation as an educational leader that won the day.
At least, that was the case until she saw the advertisement calling for expressions of interest in the role of Principal of a school that stole her heart a decade earlier.
“She reflects the values of PLC in every way,” Mrs Poll said. “We were very fortunate to have been able to spend some time at St Aidan’s shadowing Cate on one particular day.
“The prospect of coming home and re-connecting with the PLC community in this role is just so exciting for me,” Ms Begbie said. “It is a dream come true. I can’t wait to start contributing once again to PLC and helping to make a positive difference to the educational outcomes and future of the students, living the vision and values of the School and working with the staff to continue to build PLC as one of Australia’s leading girls’ schools.”
“During that time, the respect of her colleagues and the strong relationships she clearly has with the students – she knows most of them by name impressed us beyond doubt.”
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In the eight-and-a-half years since she was PLC’s Deputy Head of Junior School, Ms Begbie has acquired a wealth of leadership experience across the breadth of education from Kindergarten to Year 12.
“It was my experience as Acting Head of Junior School at PLC in 2010 that inspired me to seek out a leadership role of my own,” she said. “While I found it very difficult to leave PLC, it was the right move at the time for me. “I had the privilege of being Head of Junior School at Wesley College in South Perth.
“Working in a co-educational Junior School environment after spending most of my career in girls’ only education was a change that unintentionally served to strengthen my commitment to girls’ education. “I thrived in this environment and the experience challenged some of the perceptions I had developed over time. It also left me deep in thought as to how we encourage in our girls, the same risk-taking and self-belief we often see in boys and young men at school.
PLC Perth Principals Miss Agnes Dalzeil Scorgie (1915-1921*). Miss Elizabeth Rankine Finlayson (1922-1927) Miss Janet Napier Phemister (1928-1933) Dr Vera Ada Summers (1934-1961) Miss Eileen Dunston (1962-1967) Miss Heather Marion Ruth Barr (1968-July 1989) Mrs Hazel Jean Day ( July 1989-July 1997) Mrs Bethlyn Jan Blackwood ( July 1997-September 2015) Dr Kate Margaret Hadwen (September 2015-July 2019) * During 1921, while Miss Scorgie was on extended leave overseas (during which she resigned), Miss Frances ‘Fanny’ Dumaresq was Acting Principal.
“I do believe that in the last ten years of my career in particular, I have developed effective leadership skills that have enabled me to add value to each of the school communities I have worked within. “High performing communities of learners, such as PLC learners, need leaders who espouse outstanding learning and leading attributes. I am acutely aware of the challenges educators face in today’s disruptive world and believe my capacity to be reflective, intuitive, creative, decisive, warm and engaging can assist PLC to respond to inevitable change with a filter that allows its community to always know what it stands for, what it believes in and what it values.
“As a leader, I recognise that there are times when change is necessary, but also times to focus on consolidation and stability.” What is very clear with Ms Begbie is that she not only champions the PLC values – she lives them. “I am a positive person – I love my work and my life, but I take neither for granted,” she said. “The privileged opportunity to become a part of, not just visit, a rural area of India for the last 12 years has allowed me to develop a unique perspective on life that keeps me very grounded.
“I have also seen terrible things that have made me question humanity. The experiences I have had over the years have greatly influenced the person I am. I have a very strong sense of Service.” Ms Begbie said PLC had always been a forward-thinking school focused on preparing girls for the future. Its teachers are incredibly committed. It was one of the first schools in Australia to introduce the individual laptop programme, has an extremely strong service culture and was an early adopter of the International Baccalaureate. “Now, more than ever, the world in front of students presents more uncertainty than ever before. They need a different skill set to previous generations. “They need to be able to think – and to think creatively and critically. They need to problem-solve and be flexible; be resilient and embrace failure. “How can we help them do this? By creating a safe learning environment. Balance our focus on academic achievement and student wellbeing. Role model facing challenges in a positive manner and give the girls experiences outside of the school grounds. “I envision a girls’ school of independent learners, who know how they learn, who are reflective, resilient and well-prepared to meet the challenges of the changing world with confidence and grace.”
Message from the Chair of Council The appointment of Cate Begbie as PLC Perth’s tenth Principal marks the end of an extensive and rigorous recruitment process and the start of an exciting new chapter for our School. Thank you for such an overwhelmingly positive response to Cate’s appointment. Cate’s experience across primary and secondary education, her reputation as a collaborative, compassionate and reflective leader and her deep commitment to education will see her making a significant contribution to our school and our girls. One of the points Cate made in her application for the role strongly resonated with me. Cate told us that she believes that girls should be encouraged to extend themselves beyond their comfort zone, to be brave and to take responsible risks. The concept of taking responsible risks is realistic and pragmatic. As our girls and young women navigate their way through school and life, it is inevitable they will face hurdles and setbacks. As a school, and as parents, it is important we teach our girls to view failure as an opportunity to try again and learn, to focus on personal growth rather than compare oneself to others, and to take responsible risks to open up new prospects and opportunities in our ever-changing world. Together with Council, I look forward to welcoming Cate to the PLC community when she starts in Term 3. Continued on page 12.
“I know what a ‘real’ problem is and I don’t sweat the ‘small stuff’. I know how rich in heart some of the world’s poorest people are. I have seen the greatest of positivity, hope, generosity and kindness from these people.
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INTRODUCING
Student Prefecture Maxine Ford
Gabrielle McDonald
It was with an incredible sense of honour and gratitude that I welcomed this official role of leadership. It’s an amazing feeling to be recognised by the girls you have grown up with. This year, I hope to make them proud and give them the best final year they could dream of and that they deserve.
I feel incredibly privileged to even be given the opportunity to have a position like this and the feeling of being chosen by my peers and teachers was amazing and surreal.
Head Prefect
I was overwhelmed by the passion of girls at PLC when I first started here. Four years later, I am still inspired every day by them through their acts of kindness, jokes and hello’s in the hallways. PLC has instilled in me a sense of belonging which inspires me to give to others. For my final year of leadership and impact within PLC, I want every girl to not only appreciate, but to celebrate the peers around them, realising that together we are stronger than one.
Moonyean le Roux Deputy Prefect
Being selected for a leadership position at PLC has not only been one of my greatest achievements during my schooling life, but also one of the most humbling. I am so grateful for having been gifted this opportunity and incredibly lucky to have an amazing Year group of leaders, supporting me through it. Being a student at PLC has changed me in many ways. I believe it has given me the foundations of what it means to be a truly wellrounded person. It has also provided me with the self-confidence to give everything a go in an environment that I know I will be supported by my peers. One of my main goals is to bring the Year groups closer together. I want to put in place many activities where all Year groups are brought together to build accepting and meaningful relationships. By the end of my time serving as a leader I hope to see girls from all Year groups feeling safe at school and cared for by one another as sisters.
Georgina Kopke Senior Boarder
It feels amazing. I was so overwhelmed with joy and excitement when it was announced and I am so grateful I was chosen. Being at PLC I have become more confident in myself and open to new experiences. PLC helped me become this person by making me feel so welcomed and by offering a range of different opportunities. I want to use my position to encourage all of the boarders to be proud about being a PLC boarder and to feel as if it is their home. I also hope to encourage the day students to go and learn more about the girls in boarding and what it means to be a boarder.
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Arts Captain
Being given so many opportunities at PLC has allowed me to genuinely pursue my interests and broaden my experiences. Because of this, I think I have become a more open-minded and enthusiastic person. I hope to give every girl at the school as many occasions to get involved and engage in a variety of arts activities. I also want to help promote and encourage everyone to pursue the activities that they are really passionate about and give everything a go.
Gabrielle Woolgar Service Captain
I feel that being Service Captain is a real privilege to serve my school and community. I enjoy serving others and I am able to inspire other PLC girls to be of service to others. PLC has provided many opportunities for growth in the Arts, Sports, Academics, Outdoor Education and Leadership. In each of these areas, I have been able to take risks and challenge myself to learn new skills within the safety of the school environment. I believe in leading by example. As Service Captain, I will continue to be involved in service activities within PLC and the community at large. I intend to speak to the girls about their service experiences while encouraging them to share stories and the impact that their service experience had on them.
Georgia Tovich Sports Captain
It made me extremely excited for the year ahead, especially because there are some amazing girls on the Student Council, who I couldn’t wait to work with. I also felt proud that I could promote sport; which is something I love so much and believe is beneficial for all people. PLC has given me countless opportunities, allowing me to grow in academic, sporting and other areas such as debating. The other students and teachers here are who have really made me who I am though, encouraging me to be myself and put myself out there. I plan to lead by example, staying involved in sport by helping out at trainings and attending as many trainings as I can, in a variety of sports. Hopefully by doing this and talking in assembly occasionally, I will be able to inspire other girls to participate in sport competitively and/or just for fun!
Halimah Zaini
Academic Captain It is a privilege to have been elected as Academic Captain and to know that my peers around me have faith in my leadership skills and ability to bring success into our academic year. I am grateful to have such an opportunity and I will do my best to provide support to all the girls around me. Being at PLC has opened my mind in the way I approach challenges. I am ready to take on anything that approaches my horizon. My aim is to create a healthy and happy studying environment that encourages girls to continue to work hard and reap the benefits of their determination at the end of the year.
2019 HOUSE CAPTAINS Alice Warner – Baird
Katherine Nash – Carmichael
Lois Andrew – Ferguson
Saffron Fairweather – McNeil
Tiriei Kamide – Ross
Jessica van Heerden
Junior/Senior School Captain The ‘have a go’ attitude at PLC Perth reflects the openness and friendliness that is inescapable in our school. I feel really lucky to be given the opportunity to potentially give back to our school. I think that going to PLC has helped me to grow in confidence and to put myself forward for things that I would not have previously considered. No matter what you are doing, whether you are an expert or a beginner, you will always have the support of a friend beside you. This makes PLC a place where we can try new things and be prepared to fail because of the unconditional support of those around us. My main goal for this year is to use the Big Sister programme to create stronger connections amongst girls in different Year groups across the Senior School, so that each girl is known and valued for who they are and can build genuine connections with girls in different Year groups. Having connections throughout the entire school is immensely beneficial in developing the strong sense of community that is such an integral part of PLC Perth.
Charlotte Baddeley – Stewart
Dakota Tingwell – Summers
SCHOOL OFFICIALS Deputy Senior Boarder - Wellbeing Georgina Fisher Boarding House Prefect - Sport & Fitness Matilda Dyke Boarding House Prefect - Arts & Activities Danée Bairstow Boarding House Prefect - Service & Environment Holly Dowling Chorale Captain Tabitha Galluccio
Arabella Smeulders Wellbeing Captain
I am so honoured to have been given a leadership position at PLC and to have the responsibility of representing the School through the role of Wellbeing Captain. This position not only allows me to challenge myself and gain my confidence as a student leader but also help to educate others around me. Throughout the upcoming year, I have decided that I would like to create a larger focus on mental health within the Wellbeing sector of the School. By raising awareness about mental health issues and providing helpful information on how students can help themselves and help others, I believe this will be beneficial to their time at PLC and also beyond schooling.
Dance Captain Georgina Dunsdon Debating/Public Speaking Captain Tian Kaelin Drama Captain Paris Kay Drum Major Hunter Smith Environmental Captain Lucie O’Sullivan Orchestra Captain Lucie O’Sullivan Kookaburra Editor Eliza Anderson Kookaburra Editor Molly Haitjema Pipe Major Candace Ethelston Reconciliation Captain Shenielle Rose Reconciliation Captain Daisy Webster Stage Band Captain Ella Pearce Technology Captain Siena Mitchell Civics & Social Justice Captain Lucy Alderson Visual Arts Captain Sarah Hill Vocal Ensemble Captain Samantha Deykin Wind Ensemble Captain Lucy Jarrett
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2019 JUNIOR SCHOOL LEADERS
Emma Ryan Head Prefect
Ruby Bell Head Prefect
Kari Boelen Service Leader
Nalini D’Silva Service Leader
Elise Wright Chapel Leader
Isla Mannolini Chapel Leader
Kiara Stofberg Arts Leader
Shiloh Thomas Arts Leader
Georgia Fleay Baird
Natalie Davis Baird
Anouk Flugge Carmichael
Lou Lou Fiore Hart Carmichael
Abbey Stonier Ferguson
Matilda Burton Ferguson
Amelie-Grace Foster McNeil
Livya Siford McNeil
Felicity Psaltis Stewart
Edith Hellings Stewart
Kaitlyn Sin Summers
Eva Davis Summers
HOUSE LEADERS
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Richard Wright Richard Wright re-joins the PLC community after 13 years away, where he held the positions of Head of Primary at John Wollaston Community School for three years and then ten years as the Head of the Preparatory School at Christ Church Grammar School. At PLC, Richard worked as a Year 5 teacher, Year 6 teacher and then as Deputy Head of the Junior School (2005). We sat down with Richard to find out more about his approach to Junior Schooling. What attracted you to return to PLC? Obviously, PLC is a great school! The Primary Years Programme in the PLC Junior School is an attractive part of what the Junior School is about, and I was also looking for a new challenge in my career.
student. It’s about knowing who they are and what makes them tick and how they learn best. Using this knowledge, you can plan their next steps for learning and the outcomes you want for them. How do you believe you build a positive School culture?
What are your key focus areas?
You look at building trust with stakeholders, so our parents, staff and students. My understanding is that you do that through making sure you have really effective communications systems to build that trust.
My focus is on academic rigour and the joys of childhood.
What changes are you implementing in the Junior School?
Academic rigour is about really making sure that the academic programme provides the students with what they need to have to reach their potential as they progress through the School and ensuring we have high expectations for them alongside that.
I’m currently at a data-gathering stage and seeing what’s happening and where things are at. Then I can really look at making changes where I see the need. This is my 14th year being a Head of a school, so I’ve got an idea of what I think’s effective. I really want to develop a greater understanding of how things work around here and what is really working, and where the opportunities lie.
The joy of childhood is about letting kids be kids. This is just as important as academic rigour. Around the world we’ve seen examples of where sport and musical activities have been taken away from children and, as a result, their academic results actually fall. It is about the development of the whole child. You need the joy of childhood to achieve the academic result. I believe that building a school on childhood happiness is very important as it’s a long journey throughout childhood. So, it’s a balance of high expectations and explicit teaching, with fun and excitement and just enjoying childhood. What do you think teaching and learning looks like in a Junior School? Primary teaching needs to be built on positive relationships between the teacher and students, but also between the students as well. At PLC, we have a personalised approach to teaching and this means building a connection with each
You’ve implemented some changes to the Year 6 Leaders. Can you tell us what sort changes have been made? The roles of the Year 6 leaders were something I pretty much changed straight away. I felt we needed some clarity around what it was and to make those jobs significant. I was focussed on making sure those jobs weren’t just jobs that existed, that they were actually roles that had specific tasks. These changes were implemented following my conversations with the Year 5 students at the end of 2018 and also using things from my own experience and what I have seen work over the years in Primary Schools. I want the Year 6 Leaders to set a fine standard for PLC, to be the leaders and make our PLC community a better place.
Watch the video in Digital Blackwatch
Why is it Important for Junior School students to experience leadership? Dr Hadwen often talks to the PLC Staff Leadership Team about the importance of giving students leadership opportunities to build that confidence in their own skills, so what I’m really looking at is how we provide those opportunities throughout the School. In the Junior School, we have started with a more defined Year 6 Leadership model and I will now look to see what other opportunities we have that will give the students leadership skills through the Junior School years. Leadership opportunities really help students to build confidence within themselves and I think that is whole of School, whole of life, type of process. What do you think is the most important thing Junior School students need to be equipped with to go into Senior School and succeed? The first thing they need is a solid foundation in literacy and numeracy skills. This is the building block and the first position. Students need to be able to engage their high ordered skills and critical thinking skills; their questioning and investigation skills. Really, it’s about having those 21st Century learning skills. At PLC, our students really develop these critical thinking skills with our Inquiry-based learning. It is a great model for teachers to be able to differentiate, to show depth in learning and really make that learning engaging, challenging and relevant. Students also really need to have confidence in themselves and their skills and abilities moving into the Senior School environment.
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PARENTS@
PLC
Michelle Barrett joined PLC Council at the end of 2018 and is Chair of the newly formed council committee, PLC Parents. Michelle is Managing Director of Neds Corner Trading, a farming enterprise based near Munglinup, 650km south east of Perth. She has sat on a number of co-operative and not-for-profit councils and boards and has a background in communications and community development. She has held positions with Curtin University, Esperance Community College, Rural, Remote & Regional Women’s’ Network, The Australian Grains Institute and numerous not-for-profit community groups. In 2017, Michelle became the first female in history to be elected Chair of Co-operative Bulk Handling Advisory Council. Michelle and her husband Kieran have two daughters who board at PLC and Michelle was a PLC boarder herself. We talk to Michelle about her vision for PLC Parents and her passion for community development. How do you think PLC Parents contributes to the PLC community? Community plays such an important role in all of our lives and having a strong school community not only provides support for our daughters during their learning, but also support to ourselves as parents. I am constantly learning from those around me and I really appreciate the support that other parents and staff at PLC willingly give. Roles such as New Parent Liaison, Year Group Representatives, Chinese Parent Liaison and Pastoral Care Co-ordinators, all play an integral role in supporting and welcoming our community members and helping to bring our school community together. What is your vision for PLC Parents? My vision isn’t really important. I feel my role is to help facilitate a collective vision for the PLC parent body. Over the coming months, I am looking forward to fleshing out what some of our long-term goals may be and documenting what is important to our community to ensure that we are all on the same page.
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What is your leadership style? I try to be a democratic leader, building trust, respect and commitment, using the strength of the group rather than just the individual. I am always keen to learn about new perspectives and consider ideas objectively. But I am also conscious that sometimes decisions need to be made and acted on so that the group can progress towards their ultimate goal. I work to mobilise people with enthusiasm and try to ensure there is a shared vision. Developing and communicating this vision can take time, but I believe it is extremely important for the long-term success of any group. What is something that most people don’t know about you? Outside of the corporate ‘Ag’ world in which I operate, I have a great interest in art, design and building. I have been involved with numerous construction projects over the years for both communities and private residences. I also once ran a small company, designing homewares and distributing them across Australia and lived in Brazil for a while. Who is your role model and why? I have a number of role models and mentors who inspire me in regard to their approach to family, work and community. I work in an industry where leadership is often dominated by men. I grew up with brothers, so this has never bothered me too much, but there are times when I have found it important to have female mentors and role models to support me. In the Esperance region where I farm, I am lucky to be surrounded by some amazing role models who hold their own in both business and community. Many of the farmers in the area, including my own parents, arrived as young couples only 30 or 40 years ago and they learnt to manage great risk and seize opportunities to build very successful, world class businesses, underpinned by
strong community values. Their hard work and willingness to work together and share information, has seen the development of an engaged and innovative agricultural community in which women play an equal role. A more public figure who I have great admiration for is Dame Quentin Bryce. She has had an extraordinary career filled with a number of firsts for women, but she also appears to have a wonderful grounded, holistic approach to all that she does. What makes you get out of bed in the morning? Until recently, my alarm was set to wake me so I could drive my youngest daughter 30km along gravel roads to meet the school bus each morning! But now, they are both at boarding school I am having to find new routines. That said, family is still what gets me out of bed every morning. It is the thing I treasure the most. How does the future look for PLC Parents? I am excited by the passion and personal investment our parents have in the educational and personal development of our girls and little boys. To have an engaged community means everyone has the girls’ and our little boys’ best interests at heart. Put simply, the role of PLC Parents is to help support our students and their families.
PLC Parents Welcome Sundowner Over 330 parents and staff enjoyed a glorious summer’s evening at the PLC Parents Welcome Sundowner on Friday 15 February on the PLC Quad. New Chair of PLC Parents, Michelle Barrett, welcomed the crowd and said it was wonderful to see the PLC community at the sundowner to reconnect with friends and welcome new families. “Community plays such an important role in all of our lives and having a strong school community not only provides support for our daughters during their learning journey but also ourselves as parents.” “Parents’ ongoing support of the activities of PLC Parents enables us to continue supporting and strengthening our community, as well as the PLC experience for our daughters” said Michelle.
See the full photo gallery in Digital Blackwatch
PLC Parent Events 2019 Friday May 17 PLC Parents General Meeting Friday 16 August PLC Parents General Meeting Friday 8 November PLC Parents AGM Thursday 22 August Father Daughter Dinner Dance UWA Club Friday 25 October Open Garden Day
Continued from page 5. I extend my sincere thanks to Dr Kate Hadwen for the significant contributions she has made to our school during the last few years. Kate’s passion for girls’ education and her vision to position PLC as a leader in wellbeing education through the PLC Lighthouse and the Lighthouse Learning curriculum is greatly valued and appreciated. We wish Kate the very best in her new role in Sydney from Term 3.
Meet PLC’s Chaplain, Rev Manie Strydom Rev Manie has extensive experience as a school chaplain and in youth ministry, including experience in holistic pastoral care and providing support to youth in need. He is an ordained minister and has led a congregation of over 600 members, along with working in local schools. 1. Who inspires you most? Stories of hope where ordinary human beings do extraordinary things when faced with seemingly impossible odds, inspire me. When I was in Year 10, one of my friends at school became paralysed during a sports event and still finished Year 12 with our class. This really inspired me to move beyond the boundaries I set for myself. It really inspires me to see the PLC staff excel in their roles, as well as the students giving the many challenges a good go. I am so fortunate to be a part of this amazing community. 2. What would you like to achieve at PLC this year? It’s important to me that PLC provides a safe, welcoming space in Chapel services, regardless of religious background, and to provide an opportunity for the girls to engage with an authentic and relevant spirituality. My goal this year is to build strong relationships with the students and staff, as well as encouraging the girls to lead hymns in Chapel and Assembly.
I’m looking forward to facilitating regular small group sessions where the girls are able to ask questions and discuss spiritual matters. 3. What is the best part of your job? I love to spend time with the girls and staff in Chapel and in informal settings. When staff and students invite me into their lives, sharing their stories, struggles and vulnerabilities, I feel so blessed to be in a position where I can help them search for moments of the Divine’s presence.
One of my favourite parts of working at PLC is hearing the bagpipes play, or the girls singing ‘Labore et Honore’. 4. What do you like to do in your spare time? I love spending time in nature, photography and music, as well as spending time with friends and family. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, I go kayaking or mountain biking. If the weather doesn’t permit outside activities, I love to read a good book or watch a movie.
I would also like to acknowledge the time and expertise offered by my fellow Council members, all volunteers, who dedicate significant time to the governance and strategic oversight and direction of our school. While Cate’s recruitment has occupied a lot of Council’s time, Council has continued to oversee many other important initiatives including the delivery of a personalised learning programme for our students and the development of a dedicated Music Centre and a worldclass Science and Innovation Hub. Council also conducted a review of its efficacy and structure during 2018 that culminated in the re-organisation of a number of its committees. A new Risk & Compliance Committee has been formed in recognition of the increased responsibilities in this area. I would like to also take this opportunity to welcome new members of Council and Council Committees. Michelle Barrett joined Council in October 2018, bringing with her a strong and diverse skill set with significant business and board experience. Michelle is also the inaugural Chair of PLC Parents, a new committee that aims to provide assistance to Council in fulfilling its charter from the perspective of the School’s parents. The Committee was formed from the merger of the PLC Parents’ Committee and Parents@PLC. Michelle and her husband Kieran are boarding parents with a farm near Esperance and have two daughters attending PLC. I am also delighted to welcome new Independent members Mr Jon Smeulders and Mr Nathan Blackburne to the Master Plan & Infrastructure Committee and Mrs Fiona Morgan to the Risk & Compliance Committee. I encourage you to view all Council and Committee members’ profiles on the leadership pages of our website. Claire Poll
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Fundamentals, Fitness and Friendship Service Learning at PLC is about fostering meaningful, ongoing relationships with each other and the community. The Sportslink programme, held on Wednesday afternoons during Terms 1 and 4, is proof of this. Sportslink has been running for nine years, after PLC developed a partnership with the Department of Sport and Recreation, the Recreation and Sport Network Inc and local councils. It is a peer-to-peer initiative where young children with disabilities partner up with a PLC Senior School student ‘buddy’ to learn and play sports, as well as develop balance, strength and fundamental movement. In 2018, there were 15 Year 10 and Year 11 PLC girls involved, and nine children from the community, mostly aged between 7 and 15. PLC students had the opportunity to research, plan and teach a range of skills, fitness components and modified team sports. After each session, the girls were able to reflect on the effectiveness of the lesson and plan subsequent sessions, focussing on the needs of their young buddies.
The programme assists in the development of the whole child: socially, cognitively, emotionally and physically by providing a structured environment, where the children practise skills while developing their sense of self-esteem and selfconfidence. These skills are essential for ongoing involvement in physical activity in the community. Head Prefect, Maxi Ford, who participated in the programme in Term 4 said:
“Sportslink was an incredible opportunity to interact with both your peers and community in a fun and active way. It helped me to understand how to organise a team while considering each person’s capabilities and needs.”
“Getting to know your peers is a great thing, but working together to help and benefit someone else is an entirely different achievement. The programme helped me to understand the different capabilities of people, and to appreciate my own.” Health and Physical Education Teacher, Matthew Donaldson, who runs Sportslink with the help of Wellbeing & Service Project Officer, Amy McDonald, said the programme continues to receive positive feedback from the girls, their parents, and community participants.
Sharon Anderson leaves a legacy in Service Learning and Pastoral care Making a difference every day has defined Sharon Anderson’s 16 years in senior roles at PLC Perth and is what she will miss most about working at the School. Mrs Anderson said being able to have a positive impact on the life of students, staff members and parents, has been her personal reward in fulfilling the roles of Middle School English Co-ordinator, Head of Middle School and Head of Senior School at PLC, since 2003. Speaking at Mrs Anderson’s farewell, former PLC Principal, Beth Blackwoods described Mrs Anderson as a heroine of quiet decency, whose achievements had been built over an entire career.
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“Sharon is a gentle soul who persuades rather than insists, encourages rather than criticises, persists rather than be defeated and at the heart of all she does are the people, the students and staff, in her care,” Ms Blackwood said. “I believe she genuinely cares for students as if they were her own daughters. “I well recall a student who was a school refuser. The patience, time, counselling, consultation, persistence and support Sharon extended to that girl and her mother across a number of months, is just one example of the individualised compassion and valuing
of the strengths and frailties each student brings to school, that has been Sharon’s trademark.
“I estimate Sharon has provided such care for approximately 2,000 girls across her time at PLC.” After a career teaching at schools in country Western Australia, Sharon was encouraged to apply for her first job at PLC by a colleague at Gnowangerup District High School, where she was Deputy Principal of Senior School. “He showed me the advertisement for the job and told me this has your name all over it,” Mrs Anderson said. “I thought well I’ve got nothing to lose and I put my hat in the ring.”
“No-one could have been more shocked than I was when I got the call to say I was the preferred candidate. My family was so supportive when we packed up and moved to Perth, with my daughters, Amy, then Year 10 and Katie, then Year 8, joining me at PLC.” “When I started at PLC I worked alongside Roland Leach, who was then the Senior School English Co-ordinator. There used to be an old house where the View Street Car Park is now – it was called Number Eight View St – and I shared the space with first year teacher, Lisa MackIntosh. The rooms in the house were coloured yellow, orange and blue and the two of us co-taught the girls in flexible groups through a fabulous, innovative programme in functional and critical literacy. It was a wonderful period.” It was during her role as Head of Middle School, which began in 2005, that Mrs Anderson really started hitting her straps. “As a deputy, you never knew what your day was going to involve,” she said. “I felt I could have a greater, more positive influence across the School.” In one of her first major endeavours, Mrs Anderson embarked on a 12-month project to launch a formal Service Learning Programme at PLC. “There was a real impetus and need to build our service programme. We appointed our first Service Captain, then referred to as a Principal’s Prefect, and I set about putting in place some really valuable service projects for the girls. “We set up a relationship with a school in Sri Lanka which had been
impacted heavily by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, we connected with Good Samaritan Industries in Canning Vale, where girls worked alongside staff with disabilities to help them sort donated clothing, and we started working with Amana Living where the students were able to help residents.
Ms Blackwood said Mrs Anderson had been the leader of positive psychology at PLC. “The origins of the PLC Lighthouse lie in the ground-breaking lessons learnt by Sharon at Geelong Grammar and her ability to translate those learnings into the pastoral care infrastructure at PLC.
“The following year we appointed a full-time Service Learning Co-ordinator – Tracey Bahen – and I think the programme remains one of the best of any school in WA.”
“But more than this, Sharon role models what we are told are the central tenets for well-being. She walks the talk. She is surrounded by family and friends who reciprocate care and love; she takes time out to walk the beaches, experience silence and take in the stars at night and wears her heart on her sleeve in terms of her purpose - to guide, to lead young people towards this light. Her integrity authenticates the lessons provided.”
Pastoral care has also been a primary focus for Mrs Anderson. “It was very clear that we were starting to see an increase in the incidence of anxiety and depression,” she said. “I remember feeling helpless in a way, and that we felt we were always responding and we needed to be more proactive.” “Beth Blackwood, gave myself and then Head of Senior School, Neesha Flint, the opportunity to attend an intensive Positive Education course at Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, led by the father of positive psychology, Martin Seligman.
“It was an amazing experience. As a result of that course we undertook a review of all of our pastoral care programmes from Kindergarten through to Year 12. We identified gaps and overlaps and we introduced Sparks. The name was chosen because we wanted to ignite the little flame that everybody has inside of them so they have an inner glow.”
Mrs Anderson said she will miss the ‘buzz’ that the girls bring to school and the many friends she has made. “I’ve loved working here – I feel I’ve made a difference and what’s more, I got to have a good laugh everyday as well!” She is not retiring, but feels it is time to embark on a new path. Thank you, Mrs Anderson – we wish you well!
www.plc.wa.edu.au 15
A Christmas Carol The Senior School Drama students performed ‘A Christmas Carol’ in November last year; one of the more sinister plays the school has done. Oliver Craze directed PLC’s captivating portrayal of Charles Dicken’s wellknown novel, A Christmas Carol. Through a series of spectral visions, the miserable Ebenezer Scrooge, played by Nyah Siegmund (Year 11), reviews his life and gets the chance to change its outcome. Vignettes of Scrooge’s early life reveals to Scrooge that joy has little to do with wealth. Ebenezer sets about mending his ways, becoming generous and thoughtful and thereby finding redemption and joy. “We live in a time of constant uncertainty; never knowing what will happen next weighs heavy on our minds. This play helps us to remember that the world isn’t as bad as we make it out to be and that changing for the better is always possible”, said Mr Craze.
See the full photo gallery in Digital Blackwatch
Bonjour, Languages Week! In Term 3, our Junior School girls celebrated Languages Week. It was a fantastic opportunity for them to learn about different cultures around the world through a range of fun, immerse activities, and appreciate the many different languages represented at PLC. Living Flag Day was a highlight of the week where, in place of their usual school uniform, students were invited to dress up in colours that represented a flag from their heritage. The International canteen returned for another year, which gave our girls a chance to sample some delicious international food and introduce their palettes to a whole new range of taste sensations! Students were also treated to cultural presentations from PLC parents, where they discussed the many ways learning different languages can benefit their lives.
A ‘languages-in-action’ video competition and an international singing competition were also held during the week for those girls wishing to showcase their language and performance skills in a unique and creative way. An international-themed disco was held for Years 1 to 6 at lunchtime on Friday, which was a fantastic way to say exciting Au revoir, adiós, Auf Wiedersehen and Sayonara to a funfilled Languages Week!
PLC Biology Teacher inspires a new generation of biologists PLC Biology Teacher, Jane Brandenburg, was one of six teachers chosen for the Protected Areas of the ACT Bush Blitz Programme, an educational and professional development programme helping taxonomic scientists to collect unidentified and un-named species. Jane spent a week in the Australian Capital Territory Bush last year, looking for fish, reptiles, insects and plants. “There were several species located that had not been seen for as much as 30 years. There may have been new species of lichens collected on the trip”, she said. Jane said she was developing lesson plans and other materials, inspired by her foraging to use in her PLC classes.
Bush Blitz has discovered more than 1,600 new species and has added tens of thousands of species records to publicly accessible databases since it started eight years ago. The organisation said there were an estimated 580,000 to 680,000 species in Australia, but three-quarters were yet to be identified. Jane hopes to introduce the Year 7 programme next year.
“I am currently developing an option for Year 7s at PLC to participate in a local blitz”.
www.plc.wa.edu.au 17
A look inside… Finlayson House has been transformed into warm and inviting accommodation for 22 Year 7 boarders. Formerly home to the Music Department, the facelift has been welcomed by our youngest boarders. The interior was designed by current parent and commercial designer Janine Lauder, who was also the mastermind behind the Lighthouse interior.
Watch the video in Digital Blackwatch
Getting Back to Nature in the Junior School
Their sleeping areas provide them with privacy and lots of storage whilst the common areas take advantage of all the nooks by encouraging you to get comfortable and relax with friends. Finlayson House is the Year 7 girls new home away from home!
PLC’s Junior School playground recently went through a major upgrade, motivated by mounting evidence that highlights the positive results adventure and nature-based play can have on children. The 8m-high playground, which has been architecturally designed in conjunction with KidSafe and the first of its kind in WA, boasts multiple levels and spaces to challenge children of varying abilities. Students can choose to walk-the-plank, slide down the curvy slippery slide, fly down the zip-line or relax in one of the many cubby spaces. Head of Junior School, Richard Wright discusses the Junior School’s focus on learning beyond the classroom. “Using the natural environment as an extension of work in the classroom is essential. From a social perspective, adventure-play promotes the development of problem-solving and communication skills and aids with conflict resolution.” Before the project commenced, workshops with various Junior School students took place, allowing for the students’ opinions and thoughts. “Student input was extremely important to us”, PLC Principal, Dr Kate Hadwen explains.
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“The girls’ voted for the play space to have a zip-line, a slide and a fireman’s pole!” Acting Facilities Manager, Mrs Leonie Neervoort described this project as ‘innovative and bold’. “This play space is unlike any other. Working closely with KidSafe, the builders, architects and various experts - every detail has been considered.” One of Mrs Neervoort’s primary concerns was providing enough shade for students. “The way that the timber is placed on specific angles of the playground has allowed for full scope of shade throughout the day.” The new play space is a wonderful addition to the Junior School, with the girls’ taking full advantage of all it has to offer. See the full photo gallery in Digital Blackwatch
A PLC Boarding Family’s display of mateship on Australia Day Earlier this year, Gary and Fiona Norwood, whose daughter, Cheyenne, boards at PLC, joined a large number of WA farmers, donating and delivering over 3,000 bales of hay to their drought-stricken counterparts in New South Wales.
On Australia Day 2019, 50 road trains arrived in Cobar, New South Wales. The 3,000 km trip across the country delivered thousands of bales of hay to more than 300 drought affected farmers, as well as some much-needed moral support.
The hay, which took four days to travel from Western Australia to NSW, was thanks to a group of Western Australian farmers called Farmers Across Borders and a $375,000 NSW Government Donated Fodder Transport subsidy.
“The generosity and support from all of the volunteers, farmers, truck drivers, Jeep Australia and Lions Need for Feed is the ultimate expression of Aussie mateship.”
“The Hay Run was our way of saying we do care, and we do understand”, said Fiona Norwood.
The Norwood family, who live on their farm north of Esperance, volunteered without any hesitation.
If you would like to find out more about this great initiative or would like to donate, go to the Farmers Across Borders website, www.farmersacrossborders.com.au.
Farmers Across Borders was founded in 2014 by Esperance, WA farmers Sam Starcevich and Anne Bell. Ms Starcevich says she was honoured to help out other farmers struggling in need on Australia Day. “We are incredibly proud to lead Western Australia’s largest hay run and deliver to drought affected farmers in NSW on Australia Day,” Ms Starchevich said.
“As a family, we decided to participate in this project for a number of reasons. In 2015 we lost a good friend, crops and infrastructure due to devastating fires. A group called ‘Blaze Aid’, as well as many volunteers, helped with anything that required doing and I’ll never forget the selflessness”, said Gary Norwood.
www.plc.wa.edu.au 19
Year 6 Students Explore World issues Students in Year 6 presented their Personal Projects at the Year 6 Exhibition in Term 4 last year. The Year 6 Personal Projects encourages students to develop an area of personal interest, enabling them to take ownership of their learning and achieve an outcome of their own design. The projects provided students with the opportunity to communicate themselves as learners before transitioning to the Senior School. “Students explored issues and areas of interest within the local community, drawing on the skills, knowledge and understandings gained over the entirety of the primary years’ experience”, said Year 6 Teacher, Caroline Raths. Students chose a topic of interest within the transdisciplinary theme of ‘sharing the planet’ and looked at the relationships between communities and access to equal opportunities.
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“By researching their own topic, the girls learnt about independent inquiry, academic honesty, referencing, note-taking, report writing, collecting data, analysing data and, of course, learnt about different rights and responsibilities that we have in the struggle to share finite resources with people and living things”, said Year 6 teacher, Caroline Raths. The Year 6 Exhibition has been a feature of the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) since 2008. At PLC, students from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 6 undertake the PYP which provides learning opportunities that are authentic, engaging, relevant and challenging and emphasises the development of the whole person - physical, intellectual, emotional and ethical.
Ningaloo Prepares Girls for Life Beyond the Classroom PLC’s remarkable Outdoor Education programme stands out from the rest; guided and influenced by Dr Michael Ungar’s idea of ‘The Risk Taker’s Advantage’, a notion that too much safety with too little risk leaves children unprepared for life. From Years 3 to 10, PLC girls are immersed into various Outdoor Education programmes that are age-specific; designed to provide opportunities for students to challenge themselves, and guide them on a journey to discover and improve essential skills necessary for their age.
to lead for a day. This, combined with discussions centered on leadership and followership, enable students to explore what it means to be a team, both as a leader and a team member.
On a journey of self-discovery, last year’s Year 10 students travelled to Ningaloo in the north-west coastal region of Western Australia.
‘Understanding what it means to be a leader and what it means to be a team member, as well as the capability to be fluid in moving from one to the other, are critical skills required in careers today.’ Director of Outdoor Education, Ms. Ellen Barker explains.
The Year 10 expedition-style programmes are specifically designed to develop the key areas of empathy, resilience and self-efficacy. Students are encouraged to problem-solve and to take ownership of the expedition by the end of the six-day trip. In small teams, students take turns
More than 30 Year 10 girls participated in the programme, discovering the spectacular reef and animal life through kayaking, snorkeling and walking. Students also had the chance to explore the ancient gorges and learn about local history.
Outdoor Education teacher, Brad Allen, considers it extremely important for students to develop their friendships and know how to grow as a team. “The aim of this expedition is for students to gain a deeper understanding of their peers and learn how to progress as a team”, said Brad Allen. Year 11 student, Ashley, found that she developed her friendships through the programme. “At this age, we really rely on friendships and in a place like Ningaloo, where we are all trying new things and being challenged together, you really build up those friendships”.
Watch the video in Digital Blackwatch
Outdoor Education teacher, Brad Allen considers it extremely important for students to develop their friendships and know how to grow as a team.
www.plc.wa.edu.au 21
Year 12 Ball 2019
See the full photo gallery in Digital Blackwatch
Class of 2018 Academic Achievements IBD Students ranked within the TOP 13% in the world
WACE 99ers
IB Score
ATAR
42
99.40
Natasha Bower
Isobel Byars 99.10
Natalie Everett 99.80
Isabelle Lewis
39
97.50
Caoilin Marstrand, IB Diploma Dux 2018
44
99.85
Sacha Winter
39
97.50
WA Subject Awards Sonya Frossine 99.35
Renya Golestani 99.10
SUBJECT EXHIBITION
CERTIFICATE OF MERIT
Food Science and Technology Nikini Kumarasinghe
Alysha Alikhan Selena Ballesteros Ella Barwood Isobel Byars Yiwen Chen Lucy Constantine Aimee Correia Eliza Donaldson Poppy Evans Sonya Frossine Amber Kibblewhite Anna Konowalous Imogen Maher Mila Mary Laura Moore Sarah Pfeiffer Ella Sanders Not for publication Makenzie Thomas Georgina Thorpe Ashlee Wearne Ellie Wilcox Tallulah Williamson Enya Zankharia
SUBJECT CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE Food Science and Technology Chloe Dew Nikini Kumarasinghe
Nikini Kumarasinghe 99.15
Letitia Martin 99.40
Media Production and Analysis Clare Wray Visual Arts Zoë Malone CERTIFICATE OF DISTINCTION
Ping Yap WACE Dux 99.85
International Baccalaureate Students ranked within the TOP 4.5% IN THE WORLD
Natasha Bower 42 points (ATAR Equiv. 99.40)
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Caoilin Marstrand IB Diploma Dux 2018 44 points (ATAR Equiv. 99.85)
Carina Aakermann Lucy Baddeley Grace Bowen Ruby De Marte Chloe Dew Kirsty Douglas Natalie Everett Amanda Goh Renya Golestani Rachel Goodwin Catherine Jones Nikini Kumarasinghe Zoë Malone Letitia Martin Caitlyn McKay Elizabeth McLarty Jacqueline Morley Annabelle Muir Athena Paizes Charlotte Pope Emma Rishworth Darcey Shepherd Saskia Thomas Sarah White Clare Wray Jie Ping Yap Zoe Young
VET QUALIFICATIONS Certificate IV in Business Amy Dunhill Jessica Ezekiel Riley Hutton Isabella McGregor Claudia Padbury Jessica Schonell Ruby Sloan Kristen Smith Grace Usher Alexandra Whiddon Certificate II in Customer Engagement Emma Holloway Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care Siahn Ejai
Individual Achievements Eva Marsh has been awarded the UWA Fogarty Scholarship. Letitia Martin has been offered the John Curtin Undergraduate Scholarship at Curtin University. Saskia Thomas has been awarded the UWA Winthrop Leaders Scholarship. Saskia was also a State Finalist for Youth of the Year for Lions Club Australia.
2018 PLC Academic Acheivements The PLC community congratulates the achievements of our students in 2018.
Combined WACE/IB
Clare Wray has been awarded the Bernie and Marie Prindiville Family Scholarship at the University of Notre Dame.
88.25 Median ATAR
2018 Environment Captain, Sacha Winter, was awarded the 2018 Western Australian Young Waste Achiever.
STATE MEDIAN 81.80
Carina Aakermann, Olivia Dry, Natalie Everett and Ping Yap competed in the Australian Computational and Linguistics Olympiad team after coming first in the State competition.
• 100% of ATAR WACE achieved
Isabelle Lewis was the Runner-up in the Traditional category from the HyperVision Art Exhibition for her painting ‘The Balloons’. Isabelle was also awarded first prize in the inaugural Student category from Mindscapes 2018, organised by the Contemporary Australian Surrealists Movement, for her painting ‘The Failed Expedition’. Emma Wilson and Isadora Rakich were nominated to attend the Pierre de Coubertin Awards. Emma and Isadora were described as having values consistent with the Olympic Movement through participation in sporting activities. The girls met with Olympians and participated in a workshop where they discussed Olympic issues. Our 2018 Academic Captain, Natalie Everett, was a recipient of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh International Award. Mila Mary was the Highly Commended award winner in the 2D category from the St George’s Cathedral Art Awards for her painting ‘Super Normal’. Rasheeka Razvi was successful in her application for a Gap Year in the Defence Forces for 2019. Annabelle Muir made the Western Australian State Debating Squad.
• 71 % of girls 80+ ATAR (guaranteed entry UWA)
WACE
86.40 Median ATAR
7
STUDENTS ACHIEVED AN ATAR OF 99.00+
• 1 Subject Exhibition • 4 Subject Certificates of Excellence
NAPLAN
9.63%
• 27 Certificates of Distinction • 24 Certificates of Merit • One in three girls achieved a WACE award
PLC AVERAGE ABOVE STATE MEAN
YEAR 3 | 11.53%
above state mean
YEAR 5 | 11.85% above state mean
YEAR 7 | 7.97%
above state mean
YEAR 9 | 7.96%
VET
100% OF STUDENTS
Certificate II or higher
above state mean
IB Diploma
35
MEDIAN SCORE
ATAR EQUIVALENT 93.30
99.70
HIGHEST ATAR EQUIVALENT SCORE
TWO STUDENTS
33% STUDENTS ACHIEVED
FOUR STUDENTS
89% STUDENTS
100% STUDENTS
17% STUDENTS ACHIEVED
in the top 4.5% in the world in top 13% in the world awarded the IB Diploma
11% STUDENTS ACHIEVED ATAR equivalent above 99.40
ATAR equivalent above 95.75
above the IB World Average of 29.80 the maximum bonus points in Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay (world average is 7.73%)
www.plc.wa.edu.au 25
Open Garden Day On a bright Spring day in October 2018, PLC hosted the 21st Annual Open Garden Day. Seven generous Peppermint Grove home owners opened their amazing gardens, with three of the gardens being open for the first time. The day saw a beautiful mix of both contemporary and cottage gardens and scattered amongst the gardens were displays of art work from PLC students and the sounds of music from PLC’s Music students. OGD Co-ordinator Donna Jackson, said the day had such a beautiful feel with so many members of the PLC community involved. “Playing in the serene gardens and around the streets of Peppermint Grove were
many musical ensembles, including the iconic PLC Pipe Band.” “Our café visitors were delighted by the beautiful voices of PLC Old Girls, Emma Pettemerides and Laura Rogers,” said Donna. The marketplace was a hive of activity with over 20 local companies and several PLC stall holders, selling products in the market area and outside the Senior School.
See the full photo gallery in Digital Blackwatch
Speech Night 2018
A life inspired by PLC values Old Collegian Dallas Hickman’s life story is a tale of a heroine who has grasped every opportunity presented to her, and then reached for more. In her 82 years, Mrs Hickman (Milbank 1954) has packed more into her life than most, and she attributes her achievements and experiences to the values instilled in her at PLC Perth, under the leadership of former Principal Dr Vera Summers and Deputy Principal Olive Cusack. “They imbued in us a sense of ambition and a desire to reach out and extend our grasp on all we wanted to achieve,” Mrs Hickman said. “To go out and grab every opportunity that came our way, and that is what I did.” Already showing signs of leadership at school – Mrs Hickman was a Prefect and achieved her Leaving certificate with six subjects and one distinction – she trained as a nurse when she graduated.
“It was the dream of my life to be a nurse, just like my Mother and Sister” She underwent her training at Royal Perth Hospital for three years, before having the opportunity to travel to England and Scotland, where she extended her nursing experience. Mrs Hickman added Midwifery to her resume on return to Australia but the desire to extract more from life was still strong. In 1967 during the peak of Australia’s assisted migration scheme, Mrs Hickman sought a new direction and applied for a job with Canberra’s Department of Immigration. On the strength of her French and German learnt at school, and a smattering of Italian, she became a Welfare and Information Officer Shipboard, travelling the high seas and escorting primarily British migrants to live in Australia. She was the only woman among 31 men training for overseas positions. Four years later came the biggest crossroad of her life. As she was preparing to move to Rome, Italy as an Australian Immigration Officer, she was wooed by her one true love – husband John Hickman. The pair had met 13 years earlier, but times had changed and so had their feelings for one another.
“He took me to dinner and across the table, asked me to marry him,” Mrs Hickman said. “I told him I couldn’t because I was going to Rome. He said, “well I’m coming to Canberra every weekend (from his home in Darwin) until you say yes’. It took him three weeks to convince me.” She moved with him to Darwin where Mr Hickman had established a successful business in the fishing and prawning industry. Mr Hickman was also Honorary Consul for Finland, Denmark and Sweden. Just three years later and with a 15-month-old son, Alexander, the young family endured a life-changing experience – Cyclone Tracy. Seeking shelter in an upstairs toilet, their entire house was destroyed. “The sound was like a woman being tortured for eight hours.”
“All was inspired by my amazing education at PLC,” she said.
The couple was happily married for 17 years until pancreatic cancer claimed Mr Hickman’s life just weeks after Mrs Hickman had finished radiotherapy to treat breast cancer. On his deathbed, he dictated to her every nuance of running the family business, and so began Mrs Hickman’s next phase of her life.
“(My old teacher) Miss Barclay was about 92 or 93-years-old and I was 55. I always used to have a big walk with my dog around Cottesloe and I often saw Miss Barclay having a swim near the south groyne.
Her experience at the helm of the Hickman Group of Companies led to her being made a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, where she is a Foundation Fellow. She has been on the Committee of Rosewood Aged Care and Vice-President of the Karrakatta Club. Over the past 28 years she has volunteered for Tourism WA as a ‘West Australian Aussie Welcomer’, a Guide at the Fremantle Roundhouse, a Heritage Guide for the City of Fremantle, a Welcome and Information Officer at the Port of Fremantle, and up until last year, an Ambassador or ‘Gold Coat’ at Perth’s domestic and international airports. She also founded the Cottesloe Book Club in 1984 and the Shakespeare Club the same year.
It was not until many, many years later that she discovered her path could have been extremely different.
“One day we were talking and she turned to me and said ‘I have to tell you something after all of these years. When you were 15 and going for your Junior Certificate you were failing Maths. You got 49.5 per cent and I knew if you did not pass you would not be able to be a nurse. So, I gave you 0.5 per cent for trying’. “I just turned to her and said Miss Barclay you could have altered my entire life.” Every year at Speech Night, the Milbank Book Prize is presented to a Year 12 student selected for doing their very best and trying hard – in recognition of the significant role PLC has played in Mrs Hickman’s life.
www.plc.wa.edu.au 29
TARTAN
NEWS
Bettine Chapman (Birdseye 1950)
Congratulation to Bettine who was awarded a Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia (General Division) for service to the community in the 2019 Australia Day Honours List. Bettine has been a volunteer tour guide at Government House since 1995, the Chair of the Karrakatta Club’s Speaker Committee for 12 years and is an Office Bearer of the Dalkeith/ Nedlands Probus Club. Bettine was a day girl for three years (1946-1948) and is the mother of Angela Paterson (1971), Juliann O’Day (Chapman 1976), and Chantalle Chapman (1992).
Aurelie Yeo (1951)
During the early 1950’s when Aurelie attended PLC, neither art nor music were classified as core subjects, but were extra subjects which held no significance when applying for tertiary courses. Leaving Art, in 1951, for the five students who studied it, was held in a timber shed at the bottom of the School on Friday afternoons. Fortunately, their teacher, Mrs. Hetherington, who was an accomplished West Australian artist not only taught at school but invited them to her home on Saturday afternoons to continue teaching them in her own time. Aurelie believes she topped the state in Leaving Art that year but that was no big deal! The following year, Aurelie had an interview at the Perth Technical College to enquire if she could study any subjects applicable to fine art, as commercial art was the only art course available in Perth. Although she believes another student who was a male was accepted, she was told there was no future for women in art and she should do something else, go to UWA for instance. Aurelie did a year of Science, but then discovered the physiotherapy course had just commenced in Perth, so she
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Felicity Bradshaw (Seale 1955)
Congratulations to Felicity Bradshaw on receiving an Order of Australia (General Division) in the 2019 Australia Day Honours List for significant service to the biological sciences, and to education. Felicity has also written or co-authored 42 scientific publications as well as two children’s books: A Tale of Two Honey Possums (2008) and The Great Lizard Trek (CSIRO 2018). 2010 biology and Junior School students may remember Felicity coming to talk to several classes about the honey possums. A day girl for eight years (1948-1954), Felicity is also the mother of Sarah Owen (1984) and Sophie Sabatier (Owen 1988).
switched to Physiotherapy and after gaining her diploma, worked for three years in hospitals. During her years as a student she held an exhibition in the undercroft at UWA and another one at a small gallery in William Street, Perth. She also regularly visited the Old Men’s Home in Dalkeith where some of the residents would agree to sit for their portraits. Later on, she also had three years of excellent tutorage from Owen Garde and one year from Henry Froudist, and also George Bell, who was a student of Max Meldrum. They have been, by far, her most influential mentors. On passing through Ayers Rock some years later, she was invited to be artist in residence, so the following year she held a solo exhibition at the Mulgara Gallery and also did numerous portraits in pastel, amongst other works in oils. Six times she was invited back to Ayers Rock. Each time it was an amazing experience. In 1987, she visited Antarctica and a year later held a large solo exhibition at the Centenary Hall in Lochee Street, Mosman Park.
Chris Foulkes-Taylor (Morgan 1958)
Chris is still busy tour guiding and loves travelling, especially having daughters living in Hawaii and a son in Canada. Chris enjoys good health and keeps busy with many various activities, including Historical Society, Art Gallery, swimming and Prime Movers.
One day while drawing a portrait at Burswood through a gallery which was holding an art exhibition, she was approached by the Director of a Life Assurance Company who was visiting from Sydney, and invited to do portrait sketches on a Mediterranean cruise that was being organized for their top salesmen. The year following the cruise, she travelled in Italy. She has held twenty-six solo exhibitions, with themes such as The Kimberley Region, The Pilbara, the South West Forest, Central Australia and Water, or the lack of it. Rottnest Island was the theme for seven group exhibitions held on the Island and she continues her fascination with portraiture, doing portrait sketches at the cancer ward at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. She has given drawing, portrait and painting workshops, judged art exhibitions, been guest artist and won numerous awards from 1987 and was overall winner of the 2013 Annual Watercolour Society Exhibition. Aurelie will be exhibiting at this year’s OCA Art Exhibition.
Jenny Fairweather (Yeo 1958)
Jenny spent twelve years at PLC, and is the first to say she made amazing friendships - up to sixteen from her class meet every two months for drinks, and finish the year with a Christmas Party, including husbands who have all become friends.
Gillian Bennet (1958)
When Gillian left school, she trained as a nurse at Princess Margaret and Royal Perth Hospitals, and after graduating, she gained further experience at Sir Charles Gairdner and Repatriation Hospitals in Perth. In 1964, Gillian went to Melbourne to work at Prince Henry’s Hospital on St Kilda Road, now the site of the National Gallery of Victoria. During this time, she met Max Bennett, an engineering student at Melbourne University. They married in 1965 at St Lawrence’s Church in Dalkeith and returned to Melbourne. Gillian continued nursing until the birth of her son, and daughter, and Max completed his MSC and PhD degrees in neuroscience. In 1969, they moved to Sydney so that Max could take up a lectureship at the University of Sydney. Living in Mosman, Balmoral Beach and Taronga Zoo were favourite places to go in the holidays and after school. When her children settled into High School, she went to the University of NSW College of Fine Arts (COFA) for 5 Years to study painting, drawing and print making, and graduated with a B.A. of Visual Art and Post-Graduation Diploma of Professional Art Studies. For seventeen-years, Gillian taught in art schools, art centres, and workshops in NSW, and participated with fellow artists in many expeditions to remote parts of Australia. Her work has twice been selected for the Dobell Drawing Prize Exhibitions at the Art Gallery of NSW, and the Portia Painting at the S.H.Erwin Gallery, Sydney, and is in numerous private and public collections. Max is Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Sydney, where in 2003, he founded and directed The Brain and Mind Research Institute, now known as the Brain and Mind Centre. In 1997, she Illustrated one of his many books, ‘The Idea of Consciousness: Synapses and the Mind’. The Bennet’s have lived in Sydney for 50 years and have twin grandsons.
Jenny’s eight granddaughters and one grandson are fourth generation students at PLC, the last of her grandchildren will finish at PLC in four years’ time. Jenny’s daughter, mother and three sisters also attended PLC. Jenny’s eldest granddaughter, Rosie Burton was married on 1 December 2018 at Eagle Bay. Both Jenny and Rosie celebrated milestone PLC reunions in 2018, Jenny organised the 60-year Reunion, while Rosie attended the 10year Reunion.
Danielle Benda (1984)
Danielle is an Old Collegian from the Class of 1984, and her daughter Ally, is also an Old Collegian from 2011. She is a journalist, editor and broadcaster who has also worked as a senior advisor at the highest levels of government, gaining extensive experience in policy development, communications strategy, stakeholder management, crisis response and issues resolution. Danielle has worked in the media since gaining a cadetship at The West Australian in 1989 and is currently the Content Director for ABC Radio Perth.
Annalisa Oxenburgh (1983)
Annalisa is an Old Collegian from the Class of 1983, and is mother to Eliza and Olivia in Year 8. Annalisa is a performing arts producer and manager, with many years of experience working in Australia and internationally for: the Royal Shakespeare Company (Barbican Centre), Assembly Theatres (Edinburgh) for the Edinburgh Fringe, Stoll Moss Theatres (London), Black Swan Theatre Company (Western Australia), Adelaide Festival Centre, Dainty Consolidated Entertainment and Louise Withers and Associates (Melbourne), Western Australian Academy for Performing Arts (WAAPA, Perth) and most recently, Tura New Music in Perth.
Jennifer Grove (1989)
Jennifer is an Old Collegian from the Class of 1989, and is Mother to Charlotte in Year 7. Jennifer has more than 15 years’ experience working with the CEOs of some of Australia’s largest organisations as a trusted advisor in executive search. She has substantial experience in the health, research, aged and community care, Government, membership and financial services industries, as well as many years working with NFP boards on CEO assignments. Prior to this, she worked as a political journalist and as an adviser to the Federal Attorney General.
www.plc.wa.edu.au 31
TARTAN
NEWS
Emma Pettemerides (1999)
Emma studied at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), where she was awarded the Barbara McCleod Scholarship for most outstanding graduate student, before continuing her opera training at the Sydney Conservatorium and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Emma has performed a wide variety of roles, including Valencienne The Merry Widow and Tytania A Midsummer Night’s Dream and her performance highlight to date is singing for the late Dame Joan Sutherland’s 80th Birthday, in her presence. We had the absolute pleasure of listening to Emma at last year’s Open Garden Day, and in July 2019, Emma returns to the stage in the upcoming West Australian Opera production of Sweeney Todd at his Majesty’s Theatre from 13 July – 20 July 2019. Emma is performing the role of Johanna Barker. Photo by James Rogers from The Merry Widow
Maddie Adams (2008) Aarksara Foo (2008)
Aarksara has been featured on various radio stations and magazine publications. She travels frequently to train and equip vocalists with fresh & inspiring ways to increase and improve their vocal skills. With internationally acclaimed music producers she released her album ‘Made It Through’ (www.aarksaramusic.com). She is regularly commissioned to co-write for other artists and organisations on various projects. She is also the author of ‘U Sing! A Practical Guidebook For Singers’ available in bookstores nationwide (Thailand), as well as Amazon. She is the Founder of ‘U Wonder’- an organisation that organises summits that inspire, empower and equip musicians and songwriters in Asia. She has also released her own tea range ‘T4 Voice™’- a tea specially formulated for those who rely on their voices as their job. Aarksara also recently opened her own singing school, ‘U Sing! Studio’ in the heart of Bangkok City.
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Since leaving PLC, Maddie has completed a Bachelor of Creative Industries (Majoring in Public Relations and Graphic Design) at Edith Cowan University and a Certificate in Event Management for Marketing and Communications at Ashdown Academy, University of London. She has since worked in the education industry in event management and marketing roles, using her experience to organise events and student recruitment across Australia, Asia, Canada and Mauritius. She is now working as Marketing Officer (Public Relations and Publications) at Trinity College in East Perth.
Keisha Ingrilli (2009)
Keisha recently launched a children’s label called Little Miss Keisha for little girls ages 0-7 years. Her label focuses on handmade, smocked and embroidered garments that come in an array of graphic and bright prints that she has designed herself and had screen printed on 100% cotton. Since studying textiles at PLC, Keisha has known that she wanted to be a fashion designer, and her time at school was where she learnt an appreciation for embroidery and making things by hand with love! Keisha recalls that she and her peers were the first year ever of students who were able to study textiles as a TEE subject.
Eliza Reilly (2016)
After graduating from PLC in 2016, Eliza was awarded an Excellence Scholarship to study at Bond University on the Gold Coast. She has spent the last two years completing a Bachelor of Journalism and completed her final exam in December before being offered a job at the Gold Coast Bulletin newspaper on the same day. Eliza decided early on that she wanted to make the most of her time in the Sunshine State. “I decided even before I arrived in Queensland that I wanted to get as much out of the experience as possible, and get as much work experience as I could, because I knew two years was going to fly by”. In her two years at Bond, Eliza completed internships at the Brisbane Lions, the West Coast Eagles, the AFL ABC Gold Coast, Channel 10 News Brisbane and with Women in Media Queensland. In 2018, Eliza was employed as a hospitality host for the Seven Network during the Commonwealth Games, and had the opportunity to attend almost every sport on the event calendar, whilst looking after some high-profile guests. She was also employed as a development officer for AFL Gold Coast
From Kulin, WA to Ohio, USA – Emma Wilson says ‘give it a go’
It has been quite a journey for 2018 graduate and star rower, Emma Wilson. Born in Kulin, Western Australia, Emma attended a small primary school with only 100 students and only two girls in her Year group. Emma spent most of her weekends helping on the family farm and exploring the large, open spaces in Kulin provides. After Emma finished Primary School, she travelled the 290 km journey to PLC, a School that holds a special place for the Wilson family, after Mum, Sara (1981) and older sister, Annabel (2016) boarded at the School. She adjusted, like many of the young girls who leave home to board; but there were teary phone calls home and she missed her mum’s cooking and her favourite meals. With the support and nurturing of the PLC Boarding staff, her independence and confidence grew, not to mention her height! It was not until Year 9 that Emma decided to give rowing a try.
for the duration of her degree, and was tasked with coaching Auskick programs, working at Gold Coast Suns game and working to grow the game of AFL in Queensland. Eliza’s contribution to AFL in Queensland culminated in her being named a finalist for the Emerging Leader award at the Essendon Women’s Network Grand Final lunch in 2018. Although she didn’t take home the award, she got to watch her beloved Eagles win the Grand Final at the MCG, which was arguably even better! In 2018, Eliza was selected by Bond to travel to Japan for the annual Japanese English Model United Nations conference (JEMUN). Working as a video journalist, Eliza was tasked with covering unfolding events in the crisis committee room, which ranged from tigers dying from a rare disease to a global zombie apocalypse. At the conclusion of the conference, she was awarded the video journalist award for providing the best coverage throughout the conference. Eliza has also used her time at Bond to develop her podcasting skills. Last year, one of her university lecturers approached her to be a researcher on her podcast, ‘Lost in Larrimah’, about the
disappearance of Larrimah resident, Paddy Moriarty. The podcast was picked up by the Australian newspaper and went on to win a Walkley award for best radio/audio feature. “Getting to attend the Walkley’s was an amazing experience,” Eliza said. “To be in a room with so many of my industry idols, and then to be part of a Walkley award winning podcast, is something I’ll cherish.” Eliza used her experience on ‘Lost in Larrimah’ to create her own podcast, ‘Behind the White Line’, an interview driven podcast featuring AFL and AFLW players. Eliza has just finished her first month as a sports journalist at the Gold Coast Bulletin. She is thoroughly enjoying her time in the newspaper industry and the opportunity it has given her to develop her craft. She has covered a wide range of sports, from AFL, to surfing, basketball and gridiron. In the future, she hopes work in the football media.
“I had been to Champion Lakes to watch my sister, Annabel, row and it seemed like lots of fun.” Emma’s mum, Sara, expressed to her how important it is to give everything a go. “With all the opportunities and programmes PLC provide, I was keen for Emma to try everything available.” Emma’s decision to ‘give it a go’ turned out to shape the rest of her life. Over four years rowing at PLC, she enjoyed much success, helping win two Head of the River trophies and most recently, being offered a scholarship at the well-known Ohio University in the U.S., which she accepted with pride. Once again, Emma felt it was only right to ‘give it a go’! Head Rowing Coach, David Milne, and Director of PLC IGSSA Sport, Annette Pearce, are a big part of PLC’s rowing successes. David Milne acknowledges that the PLC Rowing programme requires a huge amount of effort.
“It was clear that Emma had the right sense of belief in her ability and the desire to do her best. She has the right mental stamina and power to succeed in the boat, and international scouts could obviously see that!” Emma’s mum, Sara is so proud of her ‘little girl’ and how she has embraced such a big opportunity with open arms. “When I ring Ohio University, I always receive a welcoming voice on the other end of the phone. It doesn’t feel like it’s the other side of the world.”
www.plc.wa.edu.au 33
OLD COLLEGIANS’
ASSOCIATION
Since our last Blackwatch in September, we have been very busy and had quite a few notable events. Annual General Meeting
The AGM took place on Sunday 16 September 2018, and the special business on the agenda was the motion to revise the OCA Constitution. The Secretary, Katrina Burton, ran through each motion and explained the reasons for each proposed change. An Explanatory Memorandum was tabled to help explain the changes. Some are due to legal requirements under the new legislation and others are discretionary. All the motions were passed unanimously. It was also noted that the Committee would be very pleased to hear from OCA members about a preferred time and day for AGM meetings. Office bearers, elected at the 2018 AGM: President - Jennie Deykin Vice President - Jessamy Mahony Secretary - Katrina Burton Treasurer - Justine Cerini If you would like to become involved with the Committee, or would like more information about any of our events or initiatives, please contact Sascha Hill on Sascha.Hill@plc.wa.edu.au
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Valedictory Dinner
The Valedictory Dinner was held in October 2018 to honour the Year 12 girls as they embark on their very exciting journey after exams. The OCA awarded an engraved silver bracelet and a certificate to welcome the Year 12’s into the Old Collegians.
Year 13 Brunch
The Committee attended the Year 13 Brunch in October, which was very successful. We hope to see many of the girls involved with the OCA in future years.
Open Garden Day
Open Garden Day was a great success, with the OCA stand making over $1,400 selling beautiful succulent pots made by the OCA Committee, led by Jessamy Mahony and Jane Metcalf. Many thanks to everyone who helped to make, organise and sell the pots. It was a beautiful day with two of our Old Collegians, Emma Pettemerides (1999) and Laura Rodgers (2015), singing in the café. It was a hot day and they did a great job.
PLC OCA Bursaries
The OCA Committee continue to award three bursaries, two of which are for daughters, or grand-daughters, of Old Collegians. The third is presented to a Year 11 student for Year 12, for their exemplary participation and contribution to PLC. Each bursary is for $5,000 toward 2019 tuition fees. It is with great pleasure that the Old Collegians’ Bursary Committee announce the award recipients for the following three bursaries. • The Olive Cusack Bursary: Elizabeth Dyke, Year 9 • The Dr Vera Summers Bursary: Charlotte Ball, Year 10 • The Heather Barr Memorial Bursary: Samantha Deykin, Year 11. Congratulations to these three recipients, and to all of the girls who applied. The application process is very rigorous, and the OCA Committee members who sat on the interview panels said all applicants were of an extremely high calibre and a great credit to PLC. Further information about the bursaries, and the application and selection process, can be viewed on the PLC website.
2018 Inspiring Woman Recipients
The Inspiring Women Programme endeavours to research, recognise and honour past PLC students who have achieved success in their chosen field, career or an area of personal pursuit, that the OCA, as a committee, deem as being inspirational. It was our great honour and pleasure to announce Jane Humphrys (1992) as the 2018 OCA Inspiring Women’s Recipient. Jane very generously offered to speak at the Principal’s Assembly in Term 4, where she excited students with interesting and insightful stories about her eighteenth years as a fire fighter. Also, thank you to the subcommittee Co-ordinator, Liz Langsford (1983) who introduced Jane at the assembly.
OCA 2019 Calendar Friday 24 May 2019 OCA Art Exhibition Cocktail Party 6.00 pm – 9.00 pm Booking: www.trybooking.com/BBDDN Thursday 25 - 26 May 2019 OCA Art Exhibition 10.00 am – 4.00 pm Thursday 13 June 2019 Tartan Lawyers Legal Breakfast 7.15 am – 9.00 am Clayton Utz Law Firm Booking: www.trybooking.com/BCIQJ Monday 19 August 2019 Founders Day Service & OCA Lunch (50 years since leaving PLC)
If you would like to know more about the OCA Inspiring Women Programme, visit the OCA page on the PLC website: plc.wa.edu.au/connectedcommunity/old-collegians/ocainspiring-women
www.plc.wa.edu.au 35
OLD COLLEGIANS’
ASSOCIATION Other news
The OCA Committee surprised the incoming 2019 Year 12 girls with a morning tea to welcome them to the OCA Year 12 Common Room. The girls are enjoying utilising this special space. At the start of 2019, as part of Welcome Day, the Old Collegians’ Association held a Welcome Lunch for Old Collegians, whose daughters and granddaughters are new to PLC or new to the Senior School this year. The afternoon was a lovely opportunity for the girls’ and their families to meet other new students, and fellow Old Collegians, before the start of Term 1.
PLC OCA Centenary
Planning is underway for the centenary celebration of the PLC OCA in 2020, and we would like to include all Old Collegians from every decade. If you are interested in helping with the planning and set up of the centenary celebration, please contact the Alumni Co-ordinator: Sascha Hill on oca@plc.wa.edu.au. I look forward to your support and attendance at the Old Collegians events in 2019 and beyond. Jennie Deykin (Eastwood 1982) PLC Old Collegians’ Association President Find us on Facebook @PLCOCA
The PLC OCA Art Exhibition back for 2019 The Exhibition will run from 24 to 26 May. The Opening Night Cocktail Party is Friday 24 May, 6.00 pm - 9.00 pm. Tickets are available at: www.trybooking.com/BBDDN Get in early as numbers are limited and it is always a fabulous night. The Exhibition continues over the weekend, Saturday 25 to Sunday 26 May, from 10 am – 4 pm. The OCA look forward to another exciting exhibition. If you have any questions or queries, please contact the PLC OCA Art Exhibition committee via email at artexhibition@plc.wa.edu.au.
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Meet the Artist The art work featured on the 2019 OCA Art Exhibition promotional material is by Old Collegian, Margot Nattrass (Whitaker 1964). We asked Margot some questions, to get to know a little more about the person behind the art. Why do you do what you do?
As a child, I always liked to draw or paint. I also won the Art Prize at PLC so that is probably were I was first rewarded for my creativity. Whilst I am primarily self-taught, self- taught, I have always wanted to challenge my artistic nature, and have enrolled myself in many adult education courses, particularly at Claremont School of Art. In the late 80’s, I worked as a decorative artist, where a lot of my work was shipped to Sydney. I created a lot of painted finishes for display homes, including murals, trompe l’oeil, faux marbling & painted furniture.
What inspired you to expand your artistic horizons? It was my three month “Master Art Class” in India, and training as a
Transpersonal Art Therapist, that I feel most influences my work. In 2004, I had my first solo Exhibition. “Just Women”, painted in India, which represents a return to painting, put on hold to raise my five children. In 2013, my second solo exhibition called “Audacity of Diversity” was a collection of 54 works, created over six-years, and showcased four different styles that had emerged in that time. All these life experiences have influenced my decision to pursue my art in a more committed way. Since then, I have been experimenting and refining a broad range of painting techniques, materials & developing my own process, compatible with acrylic paints.
What style is reflective of you today, and what will we expect at this year’s OCA Art Exhibition? My recent floral work is realist, large scale compositions of contemporary flower arrangements. In each image, I explore the elegance and beauty of nature, and the feminine flowing movement of the petal.
I am also gravitating back to my dribble phase, which involves a process of building up splashes of colour over many different layers. People might think this is an easy process, but each painting is a unique representation, and the more layers, the more interesting textures. I find this a very relaxing and therapeutic style, as you just don’t know what you are creating when you begin. This year, I look forward to submitting a combination of large to medium sized floral and dribble styled art works to the OCA Art Exhibition.
www.plc.wa.edu.au 37
FROM THE
ARCHIVES
A great find Current parent, Gillian Fairweather, presented me with an interesting mystery over the Christmas holidays, when she messaged me to say her daughter, Saffron Fairweather (Year 12), had been with her dad, Peter, on the site when they found an interesting crest had been unearthed in the excavation of the courtyard at Finlayson House. She sent me a photo, thinking it might be an old version of a PLC crest, as it has the burning bush at the very top, the Saltire (St Andrew’s Cross), and the Southern Cross, but we wondered at the significance of the boat at the bottom, and what looks like St Edward’s English Royal Crown in the top quadrant.
Amy and George Egerton-Warburton’s home Darbalong (later Swanbrae), 58 The Esplanade, Peppermint Grove, before it was demolished in 2016.
Not PLC, but with some solid ties to Scotland or Presbyterianism…
Time Travel Tuesday
Of course, there are some readers who will have already recognised this, but it took me an afternoon to work out it’s the Coat of Arms for Scotch College, Melbourne! Paul Mishura, Archivist at Scotch College Melbourne, advises the school has sold these crests, mounted on wooden shields, for decades. But he is as intrigued as I am, to know how it got into the courtyard at Finlayson House. Does anyone know?
Left: The Scotch College Melbourne Coat of Arms unearthed at Finlayson House. Right: Scotch College Melbourne’s Coat of Arms.
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For a recent Time Travel Tuesday Facebook post, I looked back precisely 100 years, to February 1919, and the girls who walked through our gates for the first time. One of them was Dorothy Amy Hall (10). Known as Dora, she was only here for that year, and she had not, until now, been looked at more closely. But young Dora, it turns out, had an unexpectedly fascinating and impressive lineage! The Enrolment Register shows Dora’s guardian was Mrs EgertonWarburton, of Darbalong, Cottesloe. A little digging reveals Mrs EgertonWarburton was Dora’s maternal grandmother Amy, widow of George Grey Egerton-Warbuton. Though they farmed at Yerriminup (spelt Yeriminup today), near Kojonup, their Perth home, Darbalong, was on the Esplanade in Peppermint Grove, often referred to as Cottesloe at the time. Darbalong was the second house from the corner of Keane Street (between Glan-Yr Afon and Cherritta for those familiar with this strip). Sold to another PLC family and renamed Swanbrae after Amy died in
1933, it sold for $9m in 2013, and was demolished in 2016. More digging shows Dora’s father, Leslie Peel Hall, and her mother, Georgia Egerton-Warburton, were married at Yerriminup by the Bishop of Perth, just before Christmas 1900. Leslie was originally a government auditor, but after they married he and Georgia farmed at Perringillup (between Tambellup and Broomehill), where their four children were born; Dorothy was the only girl. Leslie was a loving, caring man who – unusually for the time – diligently nursed his children through their various childhood illnesses. In early 1918 though, he caught their measles and died from pneumonia a few days later, aged just 47. There was extensive coverage of Leslie’s death in the newspapers of the time – partly at the loss of such a fine man but also because he was a great grandson of Sir Robert Peel through his mother, Dorothy nee Peel; also known as Dora, and likely after whom our young Dora was named.
Above Left: Blade shearing on Yerriminup, near Kojonup, c1916. Dora Hall’s uncle, Philip EgertonWarburton, is on the far right. Courtesy State Library of Western Australia, image 090287PD. Above Right: PLC schoolrooms, constructed in 1917. They were demolished in 1972 after the building of the new Senior School - the resultant space becoming what we now know as the Quad. Left: PLC in 1919, when Dora was here, looking north from the drive to (what is now) Scorgie House.
Sir Robert had a stellar political career, was twice Prime Minister of England, Speaker of the House of Commons and, in 1829, established the Civil Police Force in London. These early London policemen were known at first as ‘Peelers’, then ‘Bobbies’, after Sir Robert Peel.
In January 1941, Dora married John Aloysius Roughan, the son of an Irishborn doctor and local magistrate, who died soon after John was born. They farmed in Bindoon, before retiring to Nollamara, where Dora died in 1971, aged 63.
But of more relevance to us as West Australians is, when the Swan River Colonisation Scheme was formed in London in 1828, there were only four people involved; one being Sir Robert’s son Thomas (Leslie’s maternal grandfather), of WA’s historic and ill-fated Peel Settlement! Another tie to that area was Edward Hall, Leslie’s grandfather, who arrived in WA in 1830 and after whom Halls Head is named.
Despite her short attendance here, Dora was the first in a long line of her family to attend PLC. Her cousins Dorothy Swiney (Egerton-Warburton 1926) and Theodosia Ellen Roe (Hassell 1928) came to PLC in 1925, when Dora was in nurse training. In fact, Dorothy’s son, Graham, still has the silver serviette ring she brought to PLC all those years ago!
Of young Dora, she went back to Tambellup and finished her schooling. She trained as a nurse and worked at (what is now) King Edward Memorial Hospital and Tambellup Hospital. Happy in the country, she grew prizewinning vegetables, was crowned Harvest Queen 1927, and came third in the Miss Tambellup competition 1932. In 1936, she was elected President of the Tambellup Younger Set CWA.
We’ve had a daughter, a daughterin-law and four granddaughters (two still here) of Vivienne Stewart (nee Egerton-Warburton) through too Dora’s first cousin once removed, and more distant relations from further up the Egerton-Warburton family tree, in recent years, as well.
Thanks to Volunteers Coralie Gadsdon (staff 1987-2008), as always, for her untiring efforts. Coralie has been diligently demetalling and digitising records, and now has the process down pat! Jane Meneghello (McGibbon), who started volunteering weekly in Archives early this year, and has organised the Drama Collection of posters, programmes and photographs, and is also recording the many beautiful autograph books in our Collection.
Such a lot of PLC and Western Australian history tied to one, tiny, ten-year-old girl! Jane hard at work!
www.plc.wa.edu.au 39
FOUNDATION
REPORT
Our Mission: “To serve as an independent manager and custodian for the provision of sustainable financial support to PLC over the long term” The PLC Foundation Board Members would like to extend their gratitude and thank supporters of the 2018 Annual Giving Programme, donors who continue to meet their commitment to the 2017 Scholarships Fundraising Campaign, and the 140 current families who have donated through Voluntary Contributions. We also acknowledge those donors who wish to remain anonymous. 2018 Annual Giving - Building Fund Total raised $23,805 Mrs Sylvia Brandenburg [Leeke 1951] Mr William Breidahl Mrs Jean Brodie-Hall AM FAILA [Slatyer 1942] Ms Joanne Cruickshank [1977] Mr Ken and Mrs Paula Everett W. Fairweather & Son Pty Ltd Mr Leigh and Mrs Jackie Ferguson Mrs Beverley J Fitzgerald [Bird 1954] Mr David and Mrs Sarah Flanagan Mr Barry and Mrs Helen Green [Novakov 1961] Mrs Jill Hannink [Brownson 1958] Mr Andy Hawley Mrs Lucinda Kerr [Webb 1992] Mrs Julie Larkin [Sedgman 1951]
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Mrs Freda Livingston [Bunce 1949] Mrs Ann Macliver [Bird 1952] Miss Monica McInnes [2002] Ms Suzanne Pelczar Mr Michael and Mrs Alison Purves Mr Graham Reynolds OAM and Mrs Margaret Reynolds Mrs Glenice Shephard Mrs Shirley Wang and Mr Dong Chen
2018 Annual Giving - Scholarship Fund Total raised $74,555 Mr John and Mrs Sandra Andrew [Phillips 1965] Mrs Margaret Atkins OAM [Cusack 1947] Mr Bernard and Mrs Esme Bowen Spinifex Trust Hon Margaret Craig AM [Lynn 1947] Mrs Noreen Craig [Beatty 1939] Ms Joanne Cruickshank [1977] Mrs Beth Duncan [Blair 1946] Mrs Tia Ellison Miss Barbara Finch [1950] Ms Andrea Gillett [1980] Mr and Mrs Mackie Mr Barry Green and Mrs Helen Green [Novakov 1961] Mr Clive and Mrs Jenny Hassell [Mayrhofer 1955] E/Prof Tracey Horton AO and Mr Jonathan Horton
Mrs Mary Igglesden [Cameron 1947] Dr P V Kailis AM OBE Mrs Anne Kyle [Jago 1948] Mrs Tibby Lea [Baron-Hay 1941] Mr Douglas Love [1949] and Judith Love Mrs Beverley Ludlow [Harrison 1956] Mrs Brenda G Mazzucchelli [Sloane 1957] Dr Lindsay E Mollison Mrs Jill Mowson [Harrison 1949] Mrs Jan Muggleton [Fuller 1968] Mr Willy and Mrs Mimi Packer [Clough 1982] Mrs Esme Park [Sutherland 1946] Ms Jenny Rankin Mr Paul and Mrs Sally Rossen [Field 1980] Mr Adam and Mrs Winks Shephard [Sheedy 1988] Mrs Alison Sloper [Thomas 1960] Mrs Margaret Stamper [Monger 1947] Mr Ken and Katherine Tovich Dr Richard and Mrs Elizabeth Vaughan [Overton 1962] Mrs Thelma Webster [Fisher 1947]
2019 PLC Foundation Scholarship students
At the end of 2018, two extraordinary families from our PLC community contacted the Principal to advise that they wished to provide a scholarship to pay the tuition fees for a day girl, from Year 7 through to graduation. They would like the scholarship to be given to a girl whose family, due to financial constraint, could not otherwise send their daughter to PLC. They would like the
Voluntary Contributions 2018 Mr A & Mrs R Argent Mr A & Mrs A Atkins Dr P Bailey & Dr S Sia Mr A & Mrs R Banks Mr M & Mrs S Barnett Mr and Mrs K Barrett Mrs A Beeck Mr C & Mrs E Bolt Mr S & Mrs K Cheir Ms J Chellew Xiao You Wang Mr G Chen & Mrs W Zhou Mr A & Mrs P Cinanni Mr K Cowan Mr O & Mrs F Daramola M J & A M Davies Mr R & Mrs L Daw Ms E De Marte Mr C & Mrs J Dodds Mr D & Mrs A Douglas Mr J Douziech & Mrs E Lacassagne Mr T & Mrs E Dowling Mr G & Mrs J Dunn Mr P Early & Ms S Schmidt Mr A & Mrs P Egan Mr T & Mrs P Ellis Mr J El-Raghy & Miss T Shepherd Mr M & Mrs K Evans
Mr K & Mrs P Everett Peter Fairweather Mr S & Mrs M Fraser Mr B Fry & Dr L Jasson Mr T Gao & Mrs J Li Mr P & Mrs Z Gawan-Taylor Mr A & Mrs R Gianotti Mr R & Mrs T Gibbs Mr A & Mrs J Goody Mr P & Mrs C Grey Mr J & Mrs R Grono Mr M & Dr A Hales Mr A Hamersley Mr B Haynes & Ms S Burford Dr S Hellings & Dr A Clare Mr M Hender Mr S & Mrs F Houston Peter Hung Mr M & Mrs C Hyde Mr J & Mrs C Italiano Mr R & Mrs K Johnston Ms S Jones Mr G & Mrs T Kerr Mr T & Mrs N Kestell Mr J & Mrs H Keys Dr J Khan & Mr R Khan Mr B & Mrs M Kitcher Dr A Koth & Ms C Ofoegbu
recipient to be academically sound, and also have the temperament to benefit from everything the school has to offer. Combined, these two families have had five daughters study at PLC. They felt they would like to do something to signify their gratitude to the School. It has been their experience that girls get the best out of PLC if they (and their parents) try to participate in all of the academic and non-academic programmes on offer. For this reason, they would like the recipient to be someone who would benefit from everything that PLC has to offer. The PLC Foundation would like to sincerely thank these two families for their generous donation, and for giving Emma Wilkinson the gift of a PLC education. Emma believes that because there were so many supportive people, including all of her teachers, she settled in to all of her classes without difficulty. Emma has already attended swimming training every morning before school at Scotch College and has recently joined the Storm netball team. The Foundation would also like to introduce their newest scholarship students, Mieka Garbutt and Olivia Elliott.
Dr C & Mrs M Kuhlmann Dr P & Prof M Kumarasinghe Mr A & Mrs A Langdon Mr W Lao & Mrs I Ip Mr S & Mrs J Lauder Mr G & Mrs A Lewis W H & M Clough Mr G Liu & Ms Y Cao Mr R Lively & Ms J Perrott Michael T Lovegrove Mr O & Mrs M Luxton Mr J & Mrs C Mactier Mr C & Mrs R Malet Mr D & Mrs M McAuliffe Ms J McGillvray Mr D & Mrs V McGinniss Mr B & Mrs S McLarty Mr S & Mrs G Michael Mr L & Mrs J Miels Mr A & Dr K Miethke Mr A Miller & Ms F Argyle Mr D & Mrs J Morton Mr G & Mrs F Norwood Mr K Osling & Ms R Smith Mr P Ostergaard & Ms F Meiklejohn Mr J & Mrs M Paton Mr P & Mrs K Pearcey Mr J & Mrs F Petersen
Mieka says her first week at PLC was hectic, exciting, confusing and fun, because she was in a brand new place, with different routines, and a LOT of stairs. Mieka has already made plenty of friends and is studying French, something she has always wanted to learn. Olivia had an ‘amazing’ start to PLC. She is taking advantage of the Instrumental programme and learning the Flute, and is loving Drama and Dance; and all her teachers! Both Olivia and Mieka travel to school and back with public transport from Kelmscott and Seville Grove. The PLC Foundation is supporting 12 scholarship students in 2019. Three successful PLC Foundation Scholarship 2018 graduates: Sonya Frossine 2018: Graduated from PLC with the “Janet Phemister Prize for WACE Runner-up to Dux”, “John Stewart Prize for Modern History”, “Japanese Prize”, “John Stewart Prize for Literature”, “Heidi Moullin Prize for Media Production and Analysis”, and “Perth Soroptimist
Mr J & Mrs R Philpott Mr N & Mrs C Poll Mr M Popplewell & Ms R Maclean Mr M & Mrs A Purves Mr D & Mrs E Quinlivan Mr R & Mrs A Quinlivan Mr P & Mrs T Robinson Dr R Roden Mr P & Mrs S Rossen Mr A & Mrs S Ryan Mr D & Mrs S Sanderson Dr H I D Peake Mr B & Mrs J Schortinghuis Mr R & Mrs E Scott Dr M & Mrs L Seaburne-May Prof A Siafarikas & Dr K Rüter Dr A & Mrs H Siegmund Dr T Silbert & Ms F Hogg Mr W & Mrs B Sin Mr J & Mrs S Smith Mrs T Sutherland Mr S van Dongen & Ms M Garnett Ms Y Wakefield Mr P & Mrs T Wall Mr G & Mrs K Walter Mr A Weatherall & Mrs V Sheridan Subsea 7 Australia Contracting Mr L Zhao and Mrs X Li
Heather Barr Memorial Prize for Citizenship” 2019: Bachelor of Arts (Japanese and Creative Writing) at Curtin University. Recipient of a Principal’s Recommendation Scholarship. Claire Wray 2018: Graduated from PLC with the “Children, Family and the Community (General) Prize”. 2019: Commencing Bachelor of Secondary Education (hoping to be a Media Teacher). Recipient of “The Bernie & Mary Prindiville Family Scholarship”. Enya Zankharia 2018: Graduated from PLC with the “Samantha Argyle Prize for Citizenship”. 2019: Commencing a Bachelor of Commerce at UWA. The PLC Foundation Incorporated is a not-for-profit organisation and donations of $2 and over are tax deductible. A tax receipt will be issued for all donations.
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REUNIONS
Year 13 Reunion
10 Year Reunion (Class of 2008)
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2019 Reunions 30 Year Reunion (Class of 1989) Date: Saturday 8 June Venue: Guildhall, North Fremantle Contact: Melinda Hayes at melinda.hayes@plc.wa.edu.au Bookings: www.trybooking.com/BBQDC 70 Year Reunion (Class of 1949) Date: Monday 19 August (Founders’ Day) Venue: PLC Contact: Sascha Hill at oca@plc.wa.edu.au
20 Year Reunion (Class of 1998) 40 Year Reunion (Class of 1978)
65 Year Reunion (Class of 1954) Date: Monday 19 August (Founders’ Day) Venue: PLC Contact: Sascha Hill at oca@plc.wa.edu.au 40 Year Reunion (Class of 1979) Date: Saturday 7 September Venue: Freshwater Bay Yacht Club Contact: Leanne Ikin at leanneikin@hotmail.com 60 Year Reunion (Class of 1959) Date: Wednesday 23 October Venue: TBA Contact: Davina Whittall at davinaw@bigpond.net.au 50 Year Reunion (Class of 1969) Date: Friday 22 November Venue: PLC Contact: Colette James at colettesjames51@gmail.com 20 Year Reunion (Class of 1999) Date: Thursday 19 December Venue: Cottesloe Beach Hotel Contact: Georgiana Lilley at georgiana.lilley@gmail.com 10 Year Reunion (Class of 2009) Date: TBA Venue: TBA Contact: Madeleine Watts at maddiewatts@gmail.com For more details on the reunions, please visit the Old Collegians, Reunion section of the website or contact Sascha Hill at oca@plc.wa.edu.au
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REUNIONS
50 Year reunion (Class of 1968) 60 Year Reunion (Class of 1958) Our Reunion started with a school tour, including the PLC Lighthouse and Archives room - all so different from our timber classrooms with canvas shutters. A piper played the School song as we made our way to lunch at the Lighthouse. The atmosphere was amazing, and catching up on old times was so much fun. The Reunion continued next day, with a picnic at Yunderup. I also had 18 to dinner and it was so good to have friends from Melbourne, Sydney, country WA and Vancouver Island to spend time with. It was a very special occassion. The next day we continued on to Dunsborough and Eagle Bay for a three day visit. A great curry night at Inky and Nick Sellheim’s on Monday, a walk and lunch on Tuesday before heading to Thompson’s winery for a tour (Jane Thompson née Stimson - class of 58), was enjoyed by all. We headed back home on Wednesday after a great time catching up with old friends. Jenny Fairweather (Yeo)
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65 Year Reunion (Class of 1953)
70 Year Reunion (Class of 1948) www.plc.wa.edu.au  45
OBITUARIES
Judith Helen Barrett Palmer (Copping 1957)
5 December 1941 – 10 January 2019 Born in Bunbury, Judy was the second daughter of radiologist Dr Donald Copping, and his wife Isabel. They moved to Perth in the late 1940s, to 120 Victoria Avenue, Claremont. Being ten doors from PLC’s Junior Branch, Judy and sisters Susanna McAuliffe (Copping 1956) and Jane Stewart (Copping 1961, dec’d) moved from St Hilda’s and, with their younger sister Mary Copping (1963), all started at Junior Branch in 1950. Judy transferred to ‘Big PLC’ in 1952, and spent ten years in all at PLC. She matriculated in piano, gaining her AMusA, was an official in the Debating and Music Clubs, and a Prefect in her final year. Judy spent her first year after school working as a governess at Mount House Station in the Kimberley. Following in her father’s footsteps, Judy then studied radiography, which also lay the groundwork to her life-long love of photography.
Margaret Anne Wilson (Harris 1958)
29 January 1942 – 1 September 2018 Margaret was the only child of Charles and Augusta Harris, of Dalkeith. In early 1947, she started Kindergarten with Miss (later Dr) Audrey Little (staff 1948-1953) at Park School, on Victoria Avenue. The school was founded in Albany by Miss Margaret Swan (staff 1948-1953) in 1938, and relocated to Claremont in 1940. PLC bought Park School in 1948 and ran it as a satellite Junior School. Margaret stayed when PLC took over Park School, and went on to ‘Big PLC’ in 1954, when the new Junior School was finished and Junior Branch closed. She made many lifelong friends while at Junior Branch, including Cathy Day (Todd 1958). Sadly, Margaret’s mother died in January 1959, only days before Margaret’s 17th birthday. She took over the running of the household, and began a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in physics, at UWA. She then worked at Royal Perth Hospital, managing radioactive medical materials.
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In May 1964 she married Anthony Palmer, and in time, had six children: Jo, Campbell, Tim, Penny, Nick and Kate. From the first to the last she was a loving, supportive mother. Her tendency was to carry on through life’s ups and downs, but losing Campbell (5) in 1976, was devastating. Judy and Anthony travelled extensively through their 25-year marriage – to Canada, Tasmania, South Australia and Tamworth, NSW, before finally settling in Melbourne, prompting many family trips across the Nullabor back to Perth for Christmas. Judy was quite the environmentalist, with rainwater tanks, solar power and a hybrid car before most people had even heard of them, and she never hesitated to sign any of the endless ‘Save the Environment’ petitions her daughter Jo waved under her nose. She had a keen interest in tapestry, crochet and knitting, and loved history, reading, whale-watching, photography, bridge, gardening and golf. She joined Nepean Golf Club in 1994, becoming Vice Captain in 1999, and Captain in 2001.
She adored Antarctica and, conquering her fear of boats, travelled there three times; the last, taking Jo along as her nurse, when no insurance company would cover her due to the medical risk and potential liability. It was a surreal, memorable experience, with Jo seeing to her medical needs as they watched icebergs float past, and walking in huge colonies of 100,000 king penguins. Judy also had a guilty pleasure – watching Home and Away! The last decade of Judy’s life was marked with ill-health and greater challenges than anyone should face, but she did so with enormous courage, grace and resilience. She was tired and, at the end, ready to go. She went peacefully, on her own terms, with her daughters Jo and Penny by her side.
After four years, and after being exposed to as much radiation as most people would be over a lifetime, she resigned and, in 1965, moved to Newcastle, NSW. There she worked as a Scientific Information Officer for BHP, and met Bob Wilson at a quarter-to-six in the evening of Tuesday, 1 February 1966, when he came to tell her a planned tennis night wouldn’t be going ahead due to a power failure. After five minutes Bob was totally smitten. They were engaged ten weeks later, and married in January 1967. They honeymooned in New Zealand and their only child, Don, was born in 1968. Don now lives in Ohio, USA, with his wife, and daughters, Taryn (14) and Jen (11). Marg’s many interests included gardening, observing birds and wildflowers, crochet and embroidery. She was interested in Australian plants, and was a member of the Australian Plants Society NSW for many years.
Cathy Todd (Day 1959), Bob Kronberger (of Melville), Marg Wilson (Harris 1959)
She tutored several local high school students in mathematics, and volunteered at various hospitals and nursing homes. Sadly, Marg contracted and died from cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, aged 76. She is missed by all who knew her, and remembered for her quest for information, her love of company and vibrant conversation, and her passion and lifelong devotion to Bob.
We are greatly saddened to hear of the passing of the following Old Collegians: Lynette Elvin Barnes (Robinson 1946) 4 September 1929 – 18 January 2018
Some important dates MAY MONDAY 13
NAPLAN COMMENCES
WEDNESDAY 15
YEAR 10 EXAMS CONCLUDE
Yvonne Lesley Dingle (Grieve 1958) 24 February 1941 – 26 November 2018
FRIDAY 17
YEAR 11/12 EXAMS CONCLUDE NAPLAN CONCLUDES
Beatrice May Ferguson (Bennie 1936) 9 March 1919 – 8 March 2017
FRIDAY 24
PRINCIPAL’S ASSEMBLY OCA ART EXHIBITION OPENING COCKTAIL PARTY
Anne Norrine ‘Norrie’ Hudson (Birch 1945) 1 April 1928 – 9 August 2018
SATURDAY 25 - SUNDAY 26
OCA ART EXHIBITION
FRIDAY 31
MID-TERM BREAK COMMENCES
Joyce Frances Isbister (Wyatt 1942) 2 February 1925 – 4 May 2016
JUNE
Tascha Grace Dercksen Crossing (2001) 24 November 1983 – 10 September 2018
Jane Elizabeth Moore (Hanson 1964) 27 September 1946 – 28 August 2018 Jean Newton (McFadyen 1940) 23 November 1923 – 27 June 2018 Joan Yvonne Noble (Wallace 1937) 10 July 1920 – 21 June 2015 Julie Anne Orrock (Cockram 1967) 14 July 1950 – 24 August 2018 Diana Louise Levinson (Lester 1940) 1 April 1923 – 20 July 2013 Patricia Olive Murray (Ellershaw 1934) 6 January 1917 – 18 August 2016
MONDAY 3
BOARDERS RETURN MID-TERM BREAK CONCLUDES
FRIDAY 7
PRINCIPAL’S ASSEMBLY
TUESDAY 18
YEAR 7 - 12 INTER-HOUSE ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
FRIDAY 21
PRINCIPAL’S ASSEMBLY
JULY MONDAY 1 – WEDNESDAY 3
JUNIOR SCHOOL PARENT/TEACHER/STUDENT INTERVIEWS
FRIDAY 5
PRINCIPAL’S ASSEMBLY TERM TWO CONCLUDES
SATURDAY 6
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS COMMENCE
Judith Helen Palmer (Copping 1957) 5 December 1940 – 10 January 2019 Jeannette Maree Pennell (Hodges 1949) 31 July 1932 – 1 September 2018 Patricia Anne Pow (Choules 1946) 19 July 1929 – 16 January 2019 Joanne Meg Rees (Close 1959) 3 February 1942 – 23 February 2019 Valerie Searle (Carrington 1940) 14 November 1923 – 17 January 2019 Cynthia Mary Shepherd (Hardie 1948) 1 April 1931 – 11 September 2018 Joy D’Arcy Smith (Evans 1941) 8 December 1924 – 18 July 2018 Maxine Wendy Snell (Reid 1951) 3 August 1934 – 21 September 2018 Patricia Marguerite Sorrell (Robertson 1948) 1 May 1931 – 11 October 2017 Margaret Anne Wilson (Harris 1958) 29 January 1942 – 5 September 2018 Sylvia Wilson (Cruthers 1943) 18 October 1926 – 13 January 2018
Community tour dates If you are looking to experience the unique PLC culture and spirit, we encourage you to join us at one of our Community Tours. A tour of PLC allows you to view our facilities, meet our Principal and staff, see our girls in their learning environment and ask any questions you may have. To enable us to give you the best possible experience on the tours, numbers are limited and bookings preferred. For bookings visit plc.wa.edu.au
Junior School Community Tours commence in the Junior School library at 9.00am and finish at 11.00am. Tuesday 7 May Tuesday 6 August Monday 2 September Thursday 31 October Senior School Community Tours commence in the Auditorium a 9.00am and finish before 12.00pm. Thursday 2 May Tuesday 25 June Thursday 15 August Thursday 26 September Tuesday 7 November Wednesday 27 November
COTTESLOE I MOSMAN PARK Jody Fewster