Issue 2 - September 2014
From the OGA President This year the OGA commenced a project - Notable Past Students of St Margaret’s - in which the profiles and photos of notable past students will be displayed on the OGA and Alumni page of the school’s website. Initially there will be approximately 25 notable past students from a variety of careers and it is planned that other notable past students will be included in the future. On completion of the initial stage, the profiles will be up on the website by the end of September and a launch for the project will occur at the Annual OGA Brunch on Sunday 26 October. We are hoping that as many of the notables as possible will be able to attend and two of the notables - Elspeth Barker and Sarah Leisemann - will be our guest speakers. Please do join us at the brunch to share in this celebration.
statue on Circular Drive and the Barley Sugar Gardens and Godlee Arbour near the chapel. The OGA Annual General Meeting will be held at the school on Tuesday 2 December at 7.15pm. All Old Girls are welcome and some of you may wish to consider joining the OGA committee. Further details are in this newsletter. Please do contact me if you would like further information about the Old Girls’ Association: Email: libbyblack@iinet.net.au or mobile 0430 512 411 Libby Black
Congratulations to the winners of the OGA Overseas Study Scholarships for 2014-2015 who are listed in this newsletter. The scholarships provide funding to assist past students with the costs of studying overseas. Please promote this wonderful opportunity to past students. A lot of chatter and fun occurred over the reunion weekend and on Old Girls’ Day in July. Many who returned to the school were amazed at the wonderful changes and additions to the school’s landscape, seeing for the first time the ‘Inspired to Fly’ bronze
Principal Ros Cur s, Mother Eunice, Sister Gillian, Sister Sandra and Libby Black at the opening of the Year 7 Precinct
Annual Old Girls’ Assocation Brunch Date: Sunday 26 October 2014 Time: 9am to 11.30am Includes: the launch of the OGA Notable Past Students Project with Guest Speakers Elspeth Barker and Sarah Leisemann Venue: The Pavilion Function and Conference Centre, Albion Cost: $45 per person | $35 for university students CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
From the Sisters Mother Eunice and the Sisters have been busy attending functions and events at both St Margaret’s and St Aidan’s schools. They are now residing at the Sisters’ house (Cairnmore) in Petrie Street after sorting through belongings and memorabilia from Community House. In this process they found several prayer books belonging to the Sisters over the years and very kindly, on Old Girls’ Day, offered these to Old Girls as keepsakes and in memory of the Sisters. The OGA was very pleased to have Mother Eunice, Sister Sandra and Sister Gillian attend and participate in the chapel service on Old Girls’ Day. Mother Eunice has also informed the OGA that Sister June Ruth is now residing in aged care accommodation at Symes Groves in Taigum, Brisbane.
Sister Sandra, Mother Eunice and Libby Black in the Chapel on Old Girls’ Day
Prayer books donated by the Sisters on Old Girls’ Day
From the Principal Never before has the school focussed so much on making connections with past students. Working alongside the Old Girls’ Association, the school continues to make connections with our past students through our biannual publication, The Flyer; through our school reunions, where in any one year the school will host seven to ten reunions either at school or interstate or overseas; and, through invitations and attendance to key events at the school including the Professional Women’s Network. I do hope that you enjoy these opportunities and they are of interest to you.
On another note, I would like to thank Old Girls for their support of the school’s inaugural Annual Appeal. It is heartening to know that as a result of the generosity of past students, we will be able to continue to provide a boarding family with some financial support while their daughter is studying at St Margaret’s. Ros Curtis
In July this year we hosted very successful reunions for the years 1954, 1964, 1974, 1984, 1994 and 2004. These followed a lovely celebration of St Margaret's Day on Friday 25 July. At the St Margaret’s Day Service, we farewelled outgoing patron Bev Fox and announced past student Amanda Stein (1986) as the school’s patron for the year. Amanda is very well known through her business, PandaPearls. It was her generosity to St Margaret's and her advocacy role in promoting St Margaret's to the wider community which earned her the title and role of Patr Pa tron on.. Patron.
Principal Ros Cur s with Amanda Stein (1986), 2014/15 Patron of St Margaret’s
Successful OGA Overseas Study Scholarships Congratulations to the following successful candidates for the OGA Overseas Study Scholarships for 2014-2015. Applications for scholarships for 2015-2016 will be available from January to the end of June next year and application forms will be available on the OGA and Alumni page of the school website.
Fiona McDowall (2001-2005) Postgraduate: Masters of Business Administration, London Business School, UK. Two years
Ella Gunn (1997-2003) Postgraduate: Masters of Science in Refugee and Forced Migration, Oxford University, UK. One year
Jessica Parker (2009-2011) Undergraduate: Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Business Management (UQ), Tulane University, New Orleans, USA. One semester
The OGA would like to express our sincere thanks to the past students from the 1964 year group, who met at the school this year for their 50 year reunion, for their kind donation of $500 towards the OGA Overseas Study Scholarship Fund. Grace Mullins (2001-2008) Undergraduate: Bachelor of Law/ Bachelor of Arts (UQ) at Lund University, Sweden. One semester
M ddi Maddison B Bowyer (2004 (2004-2012) 2012) Undergraduate: Bachelor of Engineering (Mechatronics) (UQ) at University of Edinburgh, UK. One semester
From the Director of Development and Community The school values its past students and welcomes their involvement and attendance at reunions, social functions, recitals, choirs, festivals and networking events. We appreciate the interest you have to stay connected with your school and to support other women and students of our school community. News of these events is often only emailed out. If you have not been receiving emails from the school then you may find they have gone into your Junk E-Mail folder or it may mean that we don’t have your correct email address. To help you stay connected we now have online capability for you to update your contact details via the school’s website.
Our final speaker for 2014 is Sally Jenyns (1984) who is a celebrity cook, author and television presenter. Come with a friend or a colleague to our next event on 17 October which will be a breakfast hosted by Clayton Utz in Brisbane’s CBD. These are great opportunities for social and professional networking. Everyone is welcome.
We have celebrated our past students Dr Alex Markwell, Simone Pelly and The Hon. Ashley Dawson-Damer AM as featured guest speakers at our networking events in 2014.
Helen O’Connor
Thanks to all our past students who have supported the school through donations and attending all manner of events offered by the school.Your participation makes them all the richer.
From the Archives
Mooloomburram (also known as The Hall) has been an iconic part of the St Margaret’s landscape since it was acquired by the Sisters in 1918 as extra boarding accommodation for the growing school. The house was originally built in 1886 for Andrew Lang Petrie who was a prominent businessman and politician in Brisbane in the late 19th century. His grandfather, Andrew John Petrie, was one of the early pioneer settlers of Brisbane and his father, John Petrie, was the first Mayor of Brisbane. The property overlooked the Petrie family quarry, and sandstone from the allotment was used by the family’s building company in the construction of buildings such as the Customs House, Parliament House, Donatello, Eldernell and Toorak House. The original stained glass window over the main entrance still shows the name of the house. The glass panels on either side of the door bear a stylised representation of Andrew Lang Petrie’s initials (ALP) and the glass above the interior door of the hallway depicts the Petrie Family crest, a boar’s head. The name comes from the Maroochy Aboriginal dialect combining ‘mooloom’ (shady tree) with ‘burram’ (parrot).
When the fortunes of the Petries and their building company declined in the early 1890s, Mooloomburram was mortgaged and the family moved out in 1894. The house was rented to a succession of tenants until another prominent Queensland family, the Camerons, took up residence in 1910 and renamed the house Avoca. In 1918, the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent acquired the house, along with its ‘pretty little flower gardens and a very nice tennis court’. The rooms and verandas of Mooloomburram were made into dormitories and the basement rooms (known as ‘The Catacombs’), were used as music rooms and laundries. The coach house was transformed into classrooms and the loft above became a gymnasium and library. The early history of Mooloomburram was closely associated with prominent figures in the development and history of Brisbane. St Margaret’s is privileged to have such a beautiful and historic property on its grounds and as part of our daily lives. Bronwyn Perry Archivist
Old Girls’ News St Margaret’s Patron for 2014-2015
Congratulations to past student Amanda Stein (1986) who was announced as the Patron for 2014-2015 at the St Margaret’s Day Service in July. The award recognises outstanding contribution to St Margaret’s. Amanda who owns the business Panda Pearls Australia has been a passionate promoter and generous supporter of the school over many years. She has also raised significant funds for many charities.
Commonwealth Games Champions
Congratulations to three past students for their outstanding achievements at the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this year: Brittany Elmslie (2011): Swimming - 2 Gold Medals in 4x200m Freestyle Relay and 4x100m Freestyle Relay and 1 Bronze Medal in 50m Butterfly. Bronte Barratt (2006): Swimming - 1 Gold Medal 4x200m Freestyle Relay and 2 Bronze Medals in 200m Freestyle and 400m Freestyle. Emma Jackson (2008): Triathalon - 1 Bronze Medal in the Mixed Relay and 5th place in the Women’s event.
International Rowing Success Old Girls Miller Ferris (2013) and Tyler Ferris (2013) have been selected to represent Australia in rowing twice this year. After a week-long selection trial on the Sydney Olympic Rowing Course in Penrith, Miller and Tyler were selected to represent Australia for the first time at the World Junior Rowing Championships in Hamburg, Germany in August. Miller and Tyler follow in the footsteps of Old Girls, Sally Kehoe (2003), Kimberley Brown (2004), Madeleine Edmunds (2009) and Jacinta Edmunds (2011) who have also represented Australia at the World Junior Rowing Championships. Miller and Tyler were also selected to represent their country at The 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China in August, an opportunity that no St Margaret’s rower has had before. Representing their country at any level and any championship is a fantastic achievement, however to make a Youth Olympic Games as part of a three person rowing team (one male sculler plus Miller and Tyler) is a fantastic achievement. Miller and Tyler Ferris receiving the Percentage Cup as Captains of Rowing, on behalf of the school at the 2013 Head of the River
OGA Annual General Meeting The OGA AGM will be held on Tuesday 2 December at 7.15pm at the Independent Learning Centre at the school. Past students are welcome to nominate for an executive position or committee member position. Nominations close on Monday 24 November. Nomination forms can be obtained from OGA Secretary Sally Thomson at sally@saljen.com.au or mobile 0419 029 740 or via the OGA and Alumni page of the school’s website.
Old Cirls’ Career Mentoring In my new role as Head of Pathways and Partnerships at St Margaret’s, one of the biggest joys is organising mentoring breakfasts for current Year 12 students. The aim of these breakfasts is to enlighten students on the careers of their choice via the power of the Old Girls.
Claire Hockin and Alison Black with students at Law Career Breakfast
Old Girls who come to talk are asked to discuss the following: • their school days at St Margaret’s • the reasons they entered their field of choice • their university experience and other experiences since leaving school • their experiences since leaving university or further study • any words of advice. Old Girls Alison Black (2007) and Claire Hockin (2007), who are now both Judges’ Associates in the Supreme Court and District Court respectively, were guest speakers at the law career breakfast this year. They talked about working part-time in law while at university, working in law after graduation, did a role play of a court session, and gave the students insight into what made them successful in an interview. Melissa Allison (2008) came to speak of her career in psychology, discussing her passion for psychology, the personal attributes required for this career choice, her school days, what inspired her to become a psychologist, her experiences at university and the inside knowledge of becoming a psychologist. Career mentoring talks still to come this year are from Dr Eranthi Hettiarachchi (2004), who will discuss her career in medicine, and Amanda Stein (1986), our current St Margaret’s Patron, who will talk about her career in the business world. Old Girls who participated in the mentoring breakfasts last year were: Elise Thomson (2003), who spoke about her career in engineering at BHP, Stephanie Russo (2005) for law, Dr Alex Markwell (1995) for medicine, and Elspeth Barker (2001), owner of graphic design and web agency Plash Creative in Roma, who was the guest speaker (via skype) for the business breakfast.
Elspeth Barker
I would like to thank the Old Girls who have given their time to this worthy cause. If you would like to volunteer your services or the services of another Old Girl for a mentoring breakfast, please contact Marcia Brumpton at St Margaret’s on 3862 0874 or mbrumpton@stmargarets.qld.edu.au. I will certainly look forward to hearing from you.
Baptisms
Marcia Brumpton Head of Pathways and Partnerships
In the Sisters' Chapel with Sister Gillian presiding: Alice Georgina Thiedecke, daughter of Melinda (Gadd 1989) and Brad Thiedecke, baptised 27 April 2014. In the School Chapel with Rev Nicki Colledge presiding: Eloise Elizabeth Burge, daughter of Sophie (Dunn 1998) and William Burge, baptised 25 August 2013. Joe Robert James Welsh and Ella Mae Welsh, son and daughter of Georgia Hume (1988) and Robert Welsh, baptised 23 February 2014. Hayden Harrison Brown, son of Karen (Wright 1998) and Ryan Brown, baptised 13 July 2014.
Great Books to Read
written by St Margaret’s Old Girls Dr Deborah Mills (1977) is the medical director of two travel medicine clinics in Brisbane and one of the pioneers of travel medicine in Australia. She is a regular on radio and has been widely published in both medical and lay press on the subject of travellers’ health. Her book Travelling Well is now in its 18th edition. www.travellingwell.com.au Mills, D.J. Travelling Well (18th Edition 2013). Published by Dr Deborah Mills, Brisbane.
Val Donovan (Adams 1952) is a consultant historian whose book, The Reality of a Dark History, has made a contribution to reconciliation in Queensland by providing knowledge which is important to all Australians. Donovan,V. The Reality of a Dark History: from contact and conflict to cultural recognition, (3rd Edition 2008), Brisbane Arts Queensland (copy available in the school library and now available as an eBook).
Lisa Butler (Foley 1984) is the managing director and founder of The Talea Group, and author of best-selling business networking book Networking Exposed. Lisa helps her corporate clients to enhance their business performance and returns by developing their communication capability. A key driver for Lisa in writing this book came from both her personal and professional interest and success in networking. Book available from www.talea.com.au Butler, L. Networking Exposed: Discover the Secrets of Business Networking (2nd Edition 2008), Paragon Associates, Brisbane.
Obituaries We remember and give thanks for the lives of the following Old Girls who have passed away in the last 12 months. Name
School Surname
Alumni Year (Year 12)
Name
School Surname
Alumni Year (Year 12)
Betty Riches Judith Langlands Armour Vero Henzell Vera McCallum Vera Kershaw Molly Smart Joan Haldon Underwood Molly Kennealy Cecily Matchett Nancy Chesters Gwenda Thomas Jennifer Morcom Andrina Gransden
Stone Armour Richardson Birt Dagg Pitcher Osborn Kennealy Smiles Begrie Kellaway Southern Griffiths
1932 1934 1935 1937 1937 1937 1938 1939 1940 1943 1948 1953 1953
Pam Levy Eunice Orange Betty Terry Janet Turner-Jones Beryl Nielson Lindsay Cochrane Jeanette Judd Robyn Miller Anne Suchowacki Susan Lovell Rhana McLean Lisa Nicholson Sally Morris
Stitt Duncan Vick Turner-Jones Ryan Cochrane Somerville Wark Thorpe MacDonald Jardine Nicholson Morris
1954 1955 1961 1961 1966 1967 1968 1969 1969 1970 1973 1987 2004
We also give thanks for the life of Mrs Margaret Kugelman who was St Margaret’s Principal from 1978 to 1982.
Old Cirls’ Day