Honouring our past students

As we commemorate 125 years of St Margaret’s, it is only fitting we honour the diverse accomplishments of our past students. Late last year we commenced work on our 125 Notable Old Girls project, building on an endeavour initiated by the Old Girls’ Association in 2014 to celebrate St Margaret’s Old Girls. Throughout the course of our anniversary year, we are adding 100 more past students to the esteemed group, celebrating the lives and careers of our alumni who are and always will be inspirational role models to the current and future generations of our St Margaret’s students. Many profiles of our 125 Notable past students have been published on the school’s 125th anniversary website. We have also highlighted a handful of these high-achieving women here with excerpts of their profiles and you can read more about their personal and professional journeys online.

Susan Lorette Dunn - At St Margaret’s 1978 - 1981

BMus, Voice (Performance and Teaching), Graduate Diploma of Music (Opera) Susan Dunn is an Australian soprano and current Artist Teacher of Opera Studies at The Shepherd School of Music, Rice University in Houston, Texas. While maintaining her teaching career, she regularly performs with leading orchestras and at renowned summer music festivals throughout North America and Europe. Since leaving St Margaret’s, Susan graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Voice and a Post Graduate Diploma of Opera. She pursued an opera career, which took her to London, the USA, Israel and throughout Australia, and has worked with companies including Opera Australia, Sydney Theatre Company, Opera Queensland and the Queensland Ballet. Susan has been a winner of major grants and musical awards. As a State and Commonwealth winner of the ABC Instrumental and Vocal Competition she had the opportunity to appear with Australia’s major orchestras. She was also the recipient of the prestigious Winston Churchill Fellowship Award, which led her to New York City, where she met her future husband, conductor Larry Rachleff. Susan held positions as Lecturer at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and the Queensland University of Technology, where she also devised programs in music theatre skills. She has premiered Australian vocal works in concert both nationally and internationally. Composers David Heuser, St Margaret’s Old Girl and Notable Betty Beath, Stephen Lalor, David Hush and Paul Keelan have written for her.

Phoebe Young - At St Margaret’s 1995-1999

BA, LLB, GradDipLegalPrac Phoebe Young (nee Stuart) is a lawyer, writer, keynote speaker and mum of two. She attended St Margaret’s from 1995 and in 1999 became Prefect and Boarding Captain. Following school she spent a year travelling and working in Spain and England, before returning to Brisbane to attend university. During her first semester of tertiary study, Phoebe suffered a rare and near-fatal illness which resulted in the loss of both her legs below the knee, her left hand at the wrist and much of her vision. After multiple surgeries and a gruelling stay in hospital, she determinedly learned to walk on prosthetic legs, navigate the world with low vision, regain her independence and eventually returned to her university studies. Phoebe graduated with degrees in Arts and Laws with Honours, before spending two years as an associate to The Honourable Justice Ann Lyons of the Supreme Court of Queensland. She was admitted as a solicitor to the Legal Profession and has since dedicated her career to working and advocating for our community’s most vulnerable people in not-for-profit legal centres and government departments. She is also an Ambassador to the Queensland Eye Institute.

Jenny Stevens - At St Margaret’s 1969-1973

DipTeach, Bed, BSpEd, Med, DipAud MAudSA (CCP) Jenny Stevens (nee Bowman) is the CEO/Clinical Director at Attune Hearing. Commencing with two to three clinics, Jenny has grown a national organisation with 65+ clinics servicing the medical community across five states. Attune is the largest national, private, full-service hearing and balance company dedicated to delivering the most accurate hearing/ vestibular/cochlear implant evaluations/ services and the most appropriate treatments for all ages. To de-risk Attune for shareholders, and to ensure “true” diagnostic audiological services to the medical community for the future in an increasing hostile retail hearing industry, Jenny was instrumental in the sale of Attune in 2020 for $55 m + +. In guaranteeing Attune’s future, Jenny has accepted the role of Attune Director and will continue Attune’s evolution in servicing the Australian medical community. Jenny has worked as a Clinical Audiologist for over 25 years, holding senior management roles in both the private and public health industry. She was acknowledged for her contribution to the hearing industry and Attune, with a nomination for Telstra Business Woman of the Year in 2013. In 2016, Jenny established a software company Otohub, which gives service accessibility to all patients, especially those in regional and remote areas. In July 2019, Otohub was sold for $10m euro, with Jenny retaining exclusivity in the Australian market for Attune and the Australian medical community. As an advocate for quality improvement, patient care and innovation, she has held and holds representative positions on Clinical Councils for both Audiology Australia and general medical practice and works with the medical community to achieve better outcomes for people with hearing, tinnitus and balance-related disorders. Prior to audiology, Jenny was a physical education teacher. While teaching in high and primary schools she recognised the lack of physical education for children with special needs. Jenny was the pioneer in introducing physical education to Special School children in Queensland, and it was through her forward thinking and significant efforts that a framework was built which is still in existence today. This is a life achievement of which Jenny is immensely proud. Jenny has worked extensively on a number of fundraising committees for children with special needs and was a founding committee member of the Sony Camp Brisbane – Children with Disabilities through the Sony Foundation, Sydney.

Louise McDonald - At St Margaret’s 1919-1922

BSc, DipEd Louise McDonald (nee Crooks) was school captain, dux and president of the Literary and Debating Society at St Margaret’s in 1922. After graduating, she studied science at The University of Queensland, a quite remarkable feat as a woman in the mid 1920s. She worked as a student demonstrator in biology at the university. She taught science at St Margaret’s from 1926 to 1938 and at Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School in 1939. That same year she studied a Diploma of Education. In 1940 she commenced as a science teacher at Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School before assuming the position of secondmistress and, in 1952, she took on the role of headmistress. During her tenure at Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School, Louise also introduced Houses - a new structure for co-curricular competitions. The science laboratories would undergo a major refurbishment in 2003 at which time they were named in her honour. Louise was an active member in the Association of Heads of Independent Girls’ Schools in Australia, serving as treasurer (1955-58) and as president (1969-71). She also served on the council of Women’s College, The University of Queensland, between 1951 and 1971. Retiring in 1970, she was elected a fellow of the Australian College of Education and made a life member of St Margaret’s Old Girls’ Association. Acknowledgements: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ mcdonald-louise-warden-15068 St Margaret’s has a long, proud tradition in the sporting arena and many alumni have enjoyed success with stellar sporting careers as elite, professional athletes including names such as Denise Spencer, Sue Pavish, Bronte Barratt OAM, Sally Kehoe, Emma Jackson and Maddie and Jacinta Edmunds. You can read more about the achievement of these women online also. Throughout the year we have shared the stories of many of these women on our social media platforms which has generated much interest from our community in the diverse pathways our Notables have paved. Anyone wishing to nominate a St Margaret’s Old Girl for the 125 Notable Old Girls project can still do so by emailing the nominees name, alumni year and any other relevant information to 125years@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.