CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS COMMENCE
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CENTENARY BOOK LAUNCH
he School was a hive of activity on Saturday 20 February as more than 200 staff, students, Old Girls and distinguished guests flocked to the Chapel gardens for the first official event of St Mary’s 100th birthday celebrations, the launch of the School’s Centenary book, A Place to Grow.
editorial colleagues: “Our Centenary book, A Place to Grow, is not simply a timeline of St Mary’s history. It captures the essence of St Mary’s, which was and continues to be built on community, service and Anglican faith. It truly acknowledges the thousands of students, staff and families who have shaped the School’s spirit and culture.”
Guests perused stalls adorned with a variety of tempting Centenary-themed items, including stunning silver bangles, scented candles, skipping ropes and cuddly ‘Tom’ teddy bears, before they excitedly filed into the Lady Wardle Performing Arts Centre for the main event, a Q&A with respected Western Australian historian and A Place to Grow author, Richard Offen.
Guided by thoughtful questions from Old Girl and journalist, Karalee Katsambanis (Tilvern ’90), who donned her eye-catching leavers jumper for the occasion, the author regaled the audience with a variety of intriguing facts and entertaining tales that he had unearthed while writing A Place to Grow.
Principal, Mrs Judith Tudball, welcomed attendees and commended the efforts of Richard and his team of
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Following the Q&A, guests returned to the Chapel gardens to enjoy afternoon tea and exchange their favourite memories of St Mary’s.
2021 BISHOP RILEY MEMORIAL LECTURE
ore than 700 people gathered in Hearn Hall on 23 June for the 2021 Bishop Riley Memorial Lecture, which was generously sponsored by the St Mary’s Foundation and headlined by 2019 Australian of the Year and Star of Courage recipient, Dr Craig Challen SC OAM, one of six cave divers who helped evacuate 13 members of a junior boys soccer team, who became trapped inside Thailand’s Tham Luang Nang Non cave in 2018.
14 FIDELITER centenary celebrations
St Mary’s Centenary Composer-in-Residence, Paul Jarman, set the tone for the event by conducting the Senior School Orchestra and Choir in a moving rendition of his commissioned orchestral item, The Cave of the Sleeping Lady, which was inspired by the 2018 cave rescue. Following the musical performance, Dr Challen had the already fascinated audience in the palm of his hand as he stepped them through every facet of the delicate rescue operation and shared the lessons he learned from that life-changing experience.
