ALUMNAE

Celebrating Judith Durham AO (Cock, ‘60)

On Wednesday 9 October 2019, our muchrevered alumna Judith Durham AO was inducted into the Honour Roll for the Australian Women in Music Awards. The Australian Women in Music Awards is an inclusive annual event that acknowledges and celebrates the achievements of outstanding women in the Australian music industry. Hosted at the Brisbane Powerhouse, a tram power station that has been repurposed into a performing arts theatre, the evening saw Judith recognised for her significant and lifelong contributions to music.

Judith’s extensive charitable endeavours were also celebrated. She is the National Patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association of Australia, the Injured Nurses Support Group, the Small Miracles Foundation, the Australian Children’s Choir and the Georgina Josephine Foundation. We congratulate Judith on this welldeserved award, as she continues to inspire the next generation of young women to pursue their musical ambitions.

HANNAH COLMAN (‘01) Hannah Colman is the co-founder of Scarf, a social enterprise that combats discrimination barriers to employment in the hospitality industry. After graduating from Ruyton in 2001, Hannah went on to study multimedia at University, while also working in hospitality and volunteering. It was at this time that she witnessed firsthand the struggles and barriers that newly arrived to Austraila young people faced in gaining and securing employment. Faced with a very real social justice issue, Hannah responded by forming a non-profit organisation, Scarf, which provides training, mentoring and real work experience through Scarf Dinners run in partnership with Melbourne’s best restaurants. This allows trainees to gain skills, confidence, paid work experience, and move into longterm employment.

ELLE PAYNE (GRANT, ‘93) Ruyton provided an incredible grounding for me to be the woman I am today. Being surrounded by inspiring, resilient and strong women from a young age, I reflect on my time at Ruyton with such happiness. Prue Gillies, our headmistress, was definitely one of the original girl bosses, and I still make my kids laugh when I sing ‘lazy shirkers wedetest!’ This, in part, motivated me to establish my business, Keep It Personal. It started with a desire for personalised products in Australia, as I was envious of what was available overseas. Over five years later, personalisation is now a huge trend in the Australian market, and it’s been a wonderful ride with great support of ourproducts. Ruyton instilled a sense of resilience and strength, and this has manifested in the success of the business, which my family and I have all worked hard to create. Scarf now helps 40 young people per year from refugee and migrant backgrounds to establish themselves in Australia by gaining employment and fair working conditions. In 2020 the programme will be extended with the addition of Tasting Plates for Women, providing a further 16 places for women from refugee backgrounds. Hannah’s sense of civic duty and entrepreneurial spirit inspires us to continually strive towards our personal best by looking for, and responding to, the very real needs of our local and broadercommunities.

LIBBY BEAR (‘93) Ever since I was young, I have always had a fascination with how the human body works, and I dreamed of becoming a doctor. However, I didn’t believe in myself to gain entry into medicine, so I pursued a Bachelor of Pharmacy after finishing School. I worked in clinical roles as a Pharmacist, in hospitals, and as a Consultant Pharmacist performing medication reviews for GPs. Although I enjoyed working in pharmacy, I was frustrated by the clinical limitations of the profession. It wasn’t until 12 years later at the age of 36, while pregnant with my second child, that I realised I had spent the last 18 years wishing, but never pursuing, my dream to study medicine. I finally made the decision to put my fears aside and do what I had to do, in order to get where I wanted to be. I discovered that I had to undertake another undergraduate degree (as my pharmacy degree was too old) and sit the dreaded GAMSAT entrance exam. So, I went back to university (pregnant and with a toddler at home) and spent four years studying the Bachelor of Biomedical Science, achieving a nearperfect GPA and passing the GAMSAT and Medical School interview. I was accepted into Deakin Medical School in 2016, and I relocated my husband, children and dog to Geelong to study medicine. I have just finished the four-year Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, and I will begin my internship as a qualified doctor in the hospital system in 2020. The journey is long, and I still have another eight or so years to qualify in my area of interest, Intensive Care/Emergency Medicine. However, I have finally achieved my dream of becoming and practising as a doctor. I hope my story inspires other Ruytonians who may have a dream but haven’t had the courage to take the next step. Believe in yourself and go for it! You only have one life, so live it and realise your dreams.

ALUMNAE BABIES

Alexa-Jane (Egan ‘05) and Danny King are pleased to announce the arrival of their daughter, Margot Matheson King, born on 22 August 2019.A future Ruytonian and welcome baby sister to two-year-old brother Darcy, and niece to Krysten Egan-Rae (‘07).

VALE It is with sadness that the Ruyton community notes the passing of the following Old Ruytonian: Louise Evans (‘64) passed away in Albury on 6 October 2019 almost a year after having been diagnosed with cancer. Louise began her education at Ruyton Kindergarten in Kew and then moved on to Primary and Senior School at Ruyton in Selbourne Road. She excelled in swimming and other sports and was appointed Co-Captain of the School in 1964, afterwhich she attended Melbourne University completing an Arts degree and following it with a Librarian diploma. She subsequently moved to Albury and took up a position as Head Librarian at Albury Library. Louise remained in Albury until her death, where she involved herself in community affairs and became a well-known identity in thearea.

In many ways Louise was a woman ahead of her time. Always fiercely independent, she travelled widely: to New Guinea where she worked with Australian Volunteers Abroad, to Indonesia and India where she spent an extended period, and much later on to Russia and Europe. She was always fascinated by different cultures and made sure she immersed herself in them when travelling. She was superbly well-read and always maintained a great interest in the world around her. Louise was a woman of courage and integrity and her many friends will remember her fondly and miss her greatly. Di Evans (‘72)