Dear Old Scholars

I am honoured to be the 28th President of the GHS & St Hilda's Old Scholars Association. On behalf of the OSA, I wish to thank Jane Barker (1986) for her dedication and leadership over the past few years in her role as President and for her nine years on the OSA Committee.

As a member of the OSA Committee, and with my daughter at the school, I am constantly reminded of how fortunate we are to be a part of such a strong school and OSA community. Over the next few years, the OSA Committee will continue to work hard to maintain the strength of the OSA, and to connect with as many of you as possible, whether in person or online.

At the AGM on Tuesday 8 October we welcomed our current committee members:

Executive Committee

Amanda Burt (Coad, 1989) – President

Yolande Dick (1986) - Vice President

Victoria Parker (2016) - Vice President

Alexandra Rogers (1986) – Treasurer

Ella Morison (2016) – Secretary

General Committee

Treffina Dowland (Lidbury, 1983)

Jill Binning (Mansel, 1960)

Samantha Newall (Hamersley, 1993)

Joey Seymour (Ladyman, 1991)

Alice Hamilton (2015)

Bianca Dawson (2015)

Scarlet Roxby (2016)

Pam Casellas (Greenway, 1970) and

Sophie Rowney (2016)

Thank you to retiring Committee Members: Julie Hasson (1987) and Katrina Chalmers (Black, 1985) for their wonderful contributions to the OSA over several years.

Thank you also to the incoming Co-opted Committee Members: Jane Barker (1986), Anu van Hattem (Palmoja, 1975), Katrina Chalmers (Black, 1985), Kylie Jones (Morrison, 1988), Chloe Egan Martinez (2018), Verity Burges (2001), Flora Davies (2021), Cindy Kempton (1986), and Alison Muir (1990).

This year we welcome Jo Swain, Dean of Student Wellbeing, and Teresa Richards, Junior School Art Teacher as Honorary Old Scholars to the OSA after twenty years teaching the students of St Hilda's.

Congratulations to Jemima Noble (Year 10, Blackwood) who was awarded the 2025 Ammonite Scholarship for Years 11 and 12.

The OSA Art Exhibition (24 - 27 October) is approaching fast! We look forward to seeing you over the weekend.  Please see more details about the exhibition below, including how to purchase tickets to the opening night and how to sign-up to assist the committee. Thank you to Samantha Newall (Hamersley, 1993) and Treffina Dowland (Lidbury, 1983) for their efforts in organising this wonderful OSA event.

I enjoyed the annual St Hilda’s Day service at St George's Cathedral on Friday 11 October where our new Chaplain, Father Philip Schonken, delivered the Sermon. The service was attended by a number of Old Scholars and their daughters. We look forward to the Year 12 Graduation and Valedictory celebrations this Friday where the Year 12 Students will receive their OSA ammonite pendants and OSA Certificates. Old Scholar Glynis Traill Nash (1987) will be the Keynote Speaker. You will enjoy reading about Glynis' Career in Colour in this edition.

If you are visiting the Esperance Show on Friday 18 or Saturday 19 October please visit our OSA Alumni Coordinator, Lizzie Warburton, at the St Hilda’s stand (A4). Lizzie would love to see as many Old Scholars as possible.

As always, we would love to hear from you. Please send us your news via oldscholars@sthildas.wa.edu.au, and if you need to update your contact details you can do so at the link below:

Best wishes

Dr Amanda Burt (Coad, 1989)
President of the GHS & St Hilda's Old Scholars Association

We look forward to welcoming as many Old Scholars as possible to these events throughout the year. OSA Networking Events will be published nearer the time.

OSA ART EXHIBITION

Thursday 24 October
Time: 6.00pm - 8.00pm (Opening Night)

Venue: Joy Shepherd Performing Arts Centre, Bay View Campus

Exhibition Open Times
Friday 25 October 3.00pm - 8.00pm

Saturday 26 October 10.00am - 4.00pm (Exhibition)

Sunday 27 October 10.00am - 3.00pm (Exhibition)
Venue: Joy Shepherd Performing Arts Centre Foyer

OSA CHRISTMAS CHAPEL SERVICE AND DRINKS
Monday 25 November
Time: 5.00pm - 7.00pm
Venue: Chapel followed by refreshments on the Heritage Centre veranda, St Hilda's Bay View Campus

OSA CROCHET Term 4

2nd Wednesday of each month term-time

Venue:  The OSA Sitting Room, Heritage Centre, Bay View Campus

Beginners are most welcome.

Enquiries to Treffina Dowland 0413 948 255

Please note that the OSA COUNTRY LUNCH and OSA GOLF SOCIAL DAY will be rescheduled for dates in 2025. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Please join us on the Opening Night of the 2024 OSA Art Exhibition for a wonderful evening celebrating the artists and the unveiling of their works. This extraordinary event extends over three levels of the stunning Joy Shepherd Performing Arts Centre and this year showcases new works from 29 established and emerging artists. The works range from paintings, mixed media to sculpture, weaving and ceramics. Talented St Hilda’s musicians will provide live classical music throughout the evening.

Date: THURSDAY 24 OCTOBER
Time:    6.00pm - 8.00pm
Where:  St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls, The Joy Shepherd Performing Arts Centre

Tickets are $60pp and include beautiful Vasse Felix wines and canapés.

Weekend Opening Hours

The exhibition is open to the public all weekend.

FRIDAY 25 OCTOBER  3.00pm-8.00pm

SATURDAY 26 OCTOBER  10.00am-4.00pm

SUNDAY 27 OCTOBER  10.00am-3.00pm

Exhibiting artists include:

Belinda Jeanes, Chrissie Hogan, Cy Rocchi, David Green, Ella Holme, Emilie Maguin, Emma Dodds,

Emma Lipscombe, Francesca Gnagnarella, Gail Dell, Hana Fry, Jacqui Armstrong, Jasmine Raisbeck,

Jen Mellor, Jina Lee, Kathryn Haug, Kristie Rowe, Laura Newbury, Lindy Hall, Melissa Boughey,

Mikaela Castledine, Narelle Higson, Pippin Drysdale, Rebecca Koerting, Roslyn Hamdorf, Simon Greetham,

Tania Spencer (Artist in Residence), Teresa Fernandez and Waldemar Kolbusz.

We are proud to have three old scholars exhibiting: Pippin Drysdale (Carew-Reid, 1961), Cy Rocchi (1986) and Emma Lipscombe (Maxwell, 1992).

Artist in Residence

Visit over the weekend to see our Artist in Residence, Tania Spencer, in action as she creates one of her stunning wire sculptures. Tania has recently participated in the Indian Ocean Craft Triennial with her highly regarded ‘Ghosts of the Wheatbelt’ exhibition. She was also a much loved exhibitor in this year’s ’ Sculptures by the Sea’ Cottesloe event.

Bay Café

Whilst visiting the exhibition over the weekend pop into our new Bay Café for refreshments and delicious morning and afternoon tea from 10am - 2pm.

A percentage of all sales from the exhibition will go towards future OSA Scholarships.

Follow us on Instagram: @sthildas_osaart

VOLUNTEERS WANTED TO HELP AT THE ART EXHIBITION

This event is a highlight of the OSA Calendar and a key fundraising event but it is also a great opportunity to view and purchase original works of art, and to catch up with your friends in the stunning setting of the Joy Shepherd Performing Arts Centre.  If you have a few hours to spare from Thursday 24 to Sunday 27 October, please sign up to one of the many roles that are listed on the sign up sheet below. Many hands will make light work and it is great fun.

Outgoing OSA President Jane Barker presented our special OSA Ammonite pins to 34 students (2 were absent); 32 to Year 7 students, and 1 to a Year 8 student and 1 to a Year 10 student.  We also welcomed 60 family members to join the OSA Committee for a light breakfast in the Heritage Centre before crossing to the Great Court to watch the Pin Presentation Assembly.

There is something very special about celebrating the intergenerational connections at St Hilda's and we are always so pleased when the family is also there to celebrate.

Adrian, Rosalind-Ruth Phelps (Rowell, 1961) and Rosie Phelps.

Samantha Newall (Hamersley, 1993), Sally Hamersley (Craig, 1966) and Matilda Newall.

Joy Shepherd OAM (Honorary Old Scholar and former Principal), Andrea Black (Shepherd, 1990), Charlotte Black and the Very Rev Dr John Shepherd AM.

As always, many thanks to the OSA Committee for organising these events and for continuing our traditions.  The OSA Pin Presentation is a relatively new tradition that was introduced five years ago to recognise the daughters, granddaughters and great granddaughters of St Hilda's Old Scholars.

Thank you to Old Scholars, families and friends who attended the OSA Fundraiser Movie "Runt" on Sunday 6 October.  Thank you also to those Old Scholars who contributed to the delicious morning tea.

Nearly 100 tickets were sold and the OSA laid on a beautiful morning tea. Those who attended were treated to the most incredible spread of cakes and slices, and all profits will go towards OSA scholarship funds.

Many thanks to Treffina Dowland (Lidbury, 1983) for organising the event and a team of helpers including Jane Barker (1986) who organised the morning tea and raffle.

At the end of last week the school visited the city for the annual St Hilda’s Day services at St George's Cathedral (Thursday for Junior School and Friday for Senior School), a tradition we have honoured since 1931 and one which many of our old scholars remember fondly. We were welcomed by The Very Reverend Chris Chataway, Dean of Perth, and the Sermon was delivered by St Hilda's Chaplain, Father Philip Schonken, and the service finished with our School Hymn accompanied by our wonderful School choir.

It is always a spectacle to see St Hilda's blue on display in the city and to gather together for prayers, hymns of praise, communion and blessings.

Our congratulations to Jemima Noble (Year 10) who is the 2025 recipient of the OSA Ammonite Scholarship.

Many daughters of old scholars applied for the OSA Ammonite Scholarship this year and the Scholarship Committee was very impressed by all of the applicants.

Jemima is the great granddaughter of Osra Wisbey (Honorary Old Scholar), granddaughter of Mrs Susan Gillett (1966), daughter of Dr Melissa Gillett (1990) and sister of the outgoing 2024 Head Prefect, Matilda Noble.

The Class of 1984 returned to St Hilda's for their 40 Year Reunion on Friday 20 September, the last day of Term 3.

Forty Old Scholars reunited for drinks at the Heritage Centre and a tour of the Bay View campus by Kellie Hasluck, Director of School Development.  The group then continued their reminiscing at the Claremont Hotel. It was a wonderful collection of mostly familiar faces and some who have not been back to St Hilda's in a while.

Thank you to Sascha Hill (Lidbury) and Fiona Webster (Black) for organising the reunion.

We are very honoured to have Glynis Traill Nash return to St Hilda's as the keynote speaker at the 2024 Graduation Assembly.

For the past 20 years, Glynis has been a fixture on front rows of fashion events across Australia and has travelled the world in the pursuit of stories around the industry. One of Australia’s most respected and experienced fashion writers and commentators, Glynis took a circuitous route to get to this point after leaving St Hilda’s in 1987.

Missing out on a spot in the musical theatre course at WAAPA, she undertook an Arts degree at UWA, majoring in French and English. That said, most of her time was spent in the Dolphin Theatre with the University Dramatic Society. As her degree ended, she landed a job in the Publications Unit at the university, which unwittingly kickstarted a career in publishing.

Left: Glynis at the Prada Show, Milan 2019

Right: 1987 House Officials

L-R: Tania Blain, Joanna Chalmers, Sophie Rosser, Georgiana Gardner, Trena Page, Gretchen Boughton, Mrs Button, Dr Constable, Lisa Daffen, Kelly Shepherd, Glynis Traill-Nash , Alexandra Wilders, Amanda Becker, Haidi Jenkins.

Moving to London in her mid-20s, she continued working in magazines, soon finding her feet as a freelance sub-editor, which she always considered her day job while singing jazz in clubs by night. While in London, she took a one-woman jazz comedy-cabaret to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and worked on a jazz opera with acclaimed British playwright Caryl Churchill.

During her time at the newspaper, her breadth of writing expanded to include business, sustainability, Indigenous fashion and socio-politics through the fashion lens, which was a welcome addition to staying across microtrends and hem lengths. Travel has always been an added bonus in her line of work. In a bid to keep her French up to scratch - which she started studying at St Hilda’s with Madame Putigny- she would often go to Paris to cover the haute couture shows, then stay on for a holiday to immerse herself in the language and vast patisserie offerings.

With Carla Zampatti 2015

With Jean Paul Gautier 2014

With Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson 2019

But along with the more obvious fashion destinations such as London, Milan and New York, she has also travelled to places including Dallas, Hong Kong, Copenhagen, Berlin and the Pilbara. She has increasingly been called upon as a speaker and facilitator for fashion industry events, including the Business Summit of the Melbourne Fashion Festival and for the National Gallery of Victoria..

As anyone working in media will tell you, nothing is certain aside from budget cuts and increased workload. In 2022, Glynis was made redundant in another round of cost-cutting measures at News Corp. She swiftly set up as a freelance fashion writer, commentator and consultant, and did what any self-respecting media person does when out of a job: start a podcast.

Today, she writes across numerous publications, including the Australian Financial Review , AFR Magazine , Marie Claire , Australian Women’s Weekly , Harpers Bazaar and is the Australian correspondent for global industry bible Business of Fashion .

Left: Podcast recording with Trinny Woodall and producer Grethen Miller.

Although music has taken a back seat for the past 10 years, Glynis always kept a hand in with occasional jazz gigs on the side. But earlier this year, she brought her two worlds together with a fashion-themed cabaret titled In These Shoes , which made its debut at the Perth International Cabaret Festival, and recently finished a sell-out season at the Sydney Fringe Festival. Along with juggling copy deadlines, she is currently up to her eyeballs in admin applying for festivals around Australia in 2025 and will be returning to Perth for Fringe World in January. She is also hoping to take the show to the Edinburgh Fringe—only 27 years after she last performed there. It’s never too late.

Class of 1975 - 50 Year Reunion

Date:
Time:

Venue:

Friday 14 March 2025

4.00pm - 6.00pm   A glass of bubbles in the Heritage Centre, Bay View Campus & School Tour

6.00pm - 11.00pm Party at 38 The Esplanade, Peppermint Grove WA 6011

To book your place click on the link below.

Date:

Time:

Venue:

Time:

Venue:

Contact:

Saturday 26 October 2024

3.30pm - Tour of the School

St Hilda's, Bay View Campus, Heritage Centre

5.00pm Drinks & Reunion

Mosman Park Bowling Club

Jacqueline Rowell and Amy McKerracher

Date:

Times:

19 October 2024

10.30am Morning Tea in the Heritage Centre

11.00am  Service in the Whitby Chapel

11.30am  Class Photo

11.45am  Tour of School

12.30pm  Lunch in the Heritage Centre

Valerie Lapinski (James) and Cynda Van Der Stryf (Joel)

Date:
Time:

Venue:

Thursday 7 November 2024

10.00am Morning Tea in Heritage Centre, Bay View Campus

Lunch at Mosman Park Golf Club

Gill Johnston (Forbes)

If you wish to organise a reunion for your year group next year we would love to hear from you and help you to begin to plan this special event.  We will support you in your planning and in reaching out to your year group.  We will be in contact with Year Representatives shortly, but if you would like to contact us at any time, please email oldscholars@sthildas.wa.edu.au .

St Hilda's is thrilled to announce that we have won the Alumni or Community Engagement Campaign Award at the Educate Plus Australasia Conference in September, for our outstanding work on the Heritage Centre!

Through generous donations and through the diligent recording and collecting of our school archives and items, dating back to 1896, St Hilda’s has a curated an impressive heritage collection. This collection is now proudly housed in our beautiful Heritage Centre, where it will be stored, preserved, and cherished by our whole community for generations to come.

Huge congratulations to Kellie Hasluck, Director of School Development, and Sandra Naude, the Guardian of St Hilda’s Legacy (both pictured accepting the award), and Pam Casellas (Greenway, 1970) for bringing this vision to life.

If you haven’t visited the Heritage Centre yet, contact Sandra Naude to arrange a time – we would love to share this piece of St Hilda’s history with you!

1931 The first St Hilda's Day including a picnic at Perth's Zoo.

Colonel le Souef showing a python to a group of students including - Valery Sinclair (1942), Mary Bennett (1939), Joy Biddles (1933), Molly Brockman (1936), Mary Wallace (1934), Clair Jones (1939), P Ellershaw (1935).

Colonel Ernest Albert Le Souef was an Australian zoologist whose father had been the founder and director of the Melbourne Zoological Gardens.  Colonel Le Souef established and was the director of the Perth Zoological Gardens from its foundation in 1897 until 1935.

Colonel Le Souef was also the grandfather of Old Scholar Mrs Karen Sagenschneider (1963, Le Souef).

1934 St Hilda's Day. Visit from Parkerville Children's Home on 17th November.

Old Girls' High Tea in the Boarders' dining room (The Gallery) on evening of St. Hilda's Day on 13 November, 1960.

The Boarders' Dining Room is now the Gallery of the new Heritage Centre in Hope Nicholas House.

1981 St Hilda's Day.

1981 St Hilda's Day - Principal Mrs June Jones, Archbishop Peter Carnley with Mrs Catherine Cameron (HOS)

2011 St Hilda's Day at St George's Cathedral

2012 St Hilda's Day at St George's Cathedral

2014

2021

2022

Siew-Kim Khoo 1988 - Prayer Book and Hymn Book

Sue Crocker (former staff member) - Photographs

Gill Johnston (1964) - Photographs and slides

Pia Prior (Martin, 2004) and her mother, Susan Nayler - Interschool athletics video at Perry Lakes video 1968 to 1971

If you wish to help, please do pop into the Heritage Centre for coffee and help identify photographs.

My email Sandra.naude@sthildas.wa.edu.au

Many thanks to all our contributors.

Sandra Naude

The Guardian of St Hilda's Legacy

We have been approached by a Class of 2020 undergraduate who is coming to the end of a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences (Physiology and Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing), and she is now undertaking GAMSAT.  She is looking for a 2 day placement as a receptionist or similar work in a medical or dental clinic.

If you feel that you could offer this highly organised, personable and efficient old scholar a position in your clinic, or you would like to know more or to continue the conversation, please contact oldscholars@sthildas.wa.edu.au

Emily Tsokos Purtill kindly returned to St Hilda's last year as one of our Old Scholar mentors at the 2023 Career Expo to talk about her career as a writer.

Our congratulations to Emily who has now launched her book, ' Matia ', published by UWA, and it is available to buy as a paperback in bookshops.

It is a moving multi-generational story of Greek-Australian women and their daughters across continents and time; a unique matrilineal novel of family, love, food and art.

If you would like to know more please click on the link below:

On Friday 18 and Saturday 19 October St Hilda's will be visiting the Esperance Show for two days to meet with new families and old scholars.

Laurence Du Buisson (Head of Admissions) and Lizzie Warburton (Alumni Coordinator and Community  Engagement Coordinator) will be manning a stand on site A4 (indoor area), and would love to see any old scholar families who might be in the area and to bring you up to date on what is happening at St Hilda's first hand.

Please do drop us a line if you would like to get in touch before we leave on Thursday 17 October. oldscholars@sthildas.wa.edu.au

We are looking ahead to 2025 and there is the possibility of St Hilda's reunions being organised during March - April 2025.

If you know of old scholars who are currently in London or Paris, even on a temporary basis such as studying, please let us know.  We are looking to create an opportunity for our school community to connect over a croissant or a sausage roll in France and the UK.

Please do drop us a line if you would like to be involved or you can let us know of others that we can reach out to at oldscholars@sthildas.wa.edu.au.

If you are an Old Scholar looking for some work, part-time, voluntary or paid, please contact oldscholars@sthildas.wa.edu.au .

To keep abreast of all job opportunities, please visit the website here or scan the QR code.

And finally, we are striving to create a valuable network of Old Scholars through LinkedIn . If you have not already done so, we would appreciate you adding St Hilda's as your place of education and join the Alumni section to extend our Old Scholar community.

To read previous editions of the OSA Connections Newsletters click on the link below. Or forward to anyone who would like to receive a copy.