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Class of 2017: Five Year Reunion

The Girton Grammar Class of 2017 and those who would have graduated in 2017 are warmly invited to The National in Bendigo to attend their Five Year Reunion for a night of friendship and fun. Date: Saturday 3rd September, 2022 Time: 6:00pm til late Venue: The National, Courtyard (entry via the Bar) Tickets: $30 Nibbles provided, drinks available at bar prices Booking Details: https://www.trybooking.com/CAKEM
Class of 1980, 1981 and 1982: Forty Year Reunion

The Girton Grammar Class of 1980, 1981 and 1982 and those who would have graduated in these years are warmly invited to their Forty Year Reunion at the Brougham Arms in Bendigo for a night of friendship and fun. Date: Saturday 17th September, 2022 Time: 6:00pm til late Venue: The Brougham Arms Hotel Cost: $30 Nibbles provided, drinks are available at bar prices Booking Details: https://www.trybooking.com/CAKFO The OGA will host a casual school tour from under the Peppercorn Tree at 4pm on the same day for those interested in a walk down memory lane. *Please note that these reunions will run simultaneously in the same private function room.
Class of 1970, 1971 and 1972: Fifty Year Reunion

The Girton Grammar Class of 1970, 1971 and 1972 along with those who would have graduated in these years, are warmly invited to attend a reunion morning tea at Girton Grammar School. The day will include a preview of Girton House and a school tour followed by lunch at The Wine Bank. Join the morning tea at 10.45am under the Monkey Puzzle tree (105 MacKenzie Street), followed by an optional school tour at 11.30am, or simply attend the lunch at 12.30pm at The Wine Bank On View. The tour will involve about 45 minutes of walking. Lunch will be ordered from the menu and pay on the day. Date: Friday 21st October, 2022 When and Where: 10:45am Complimentary Morning Tea under the Monkey Puzzle Tree, Girton Grammar School 12.30pm Lunch at The Wine Bank Cost: Pay on the day Register attendance via *Please note that the reunions will run simultaneously with a combined morning tea and tour. The group will then be seated in their relevant year at separate tables during lunch.
Class of 1960, 1961 and 1962: Sixty Year Reunion

The Girton Grammar Class of 1960, 1961 and 1962 along with those who would have graduated in these years, are warmly invited to attend a reunion morning tea at Girton Grammar School. The day will include a preview of Girton House and a school tour followed by lunch at The Wine Bank. Join the morning tea at 10.45am at Girton House (105 MacKenzie Street), followed by a school tour at 11.30am, or simply attend the lunch at 12.30pm at The Wine Bank On View. The tour will involve about 45 minutes of walking. Lunch will be ordered from the menu and pay on the day. Date: Friday 4th November, 2022 Time: 10:45am When and Where: 10:45am Complimentary Morning Tea under the Monkey Puzzle Tree, Girton Grammar School 12.30pm Lunch at The Wine Bank Cost: Pay on the day Register attendance via: *Please note that the reunions will run simultaneously with a combined morning tea and tour. The group will then be seated in their relevant year at separate tables during lunch.

Once a Girtonian, Always a Girtonian
Edward and his wife Susannah and two boys Teddy and Clancy It is not unusual for Old Girtonians to credit their time at school, or particular teachers, with shaping who they have become personally or professionally. Edward Smelt attended Girton from Year 3 and graduated in Year 12 (Riley) in 2003. He generously and fondly acknowledges both the school and many teachers for continuing to shape him nearly twenty years later. He credits the leadership and support of the staff that helped set him on the fulfilling and interesting course he has chartered since graduating. Edward commenced at Girton in its second year of becoming a Grammar school after the collapse of Girton College. He describes his time at the school as one of “growing up together”. He believes he was shaped by the strong sense of community and service created in the formative years of the new school. Edward says that many of Girton’s early years’ leaders and teachers significantly influenced his leadership interest and style. “Mr Clayton Jones (Headmaster), Mr Roger Oates (Senior Master), and Mr Dennis Garoni (Head of Junior School) instilled in me the importance of hard work, discipline, integrity, and service to the broader community. “Mr Jones always reminded us that ‘to whom much has been given, much is expected’. This idea of giving back to our community has always stayed with me. “Mr Peter Kendrick, as my House Tutor, was very upbeat, always supportive and had a great sense of humour. Mrs Betty Jenkin supported me in writing school speeches and gave me the confidence to excel in English after focusing more on the maths and sciences. Mrs Marijke Horvath’s Duke of Edinburgh and outdoor education programs encouraged a love of the outdoors and adventure. “My time at Girton encouraged me to take on new challenges and embrace opportunities. My ten years at the school set the foundations for what I have been able to achieve since,” Edward said. Edward is an engineer who loves problem solving. He studied Civil Engineering at the University of Melbourne (2004-2007), including living at Queen’s College for three years. He then returned to complete a Master of Business Administration (2014-2016), which included a term studying at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 2015. Edwards’s profession has led to a range of roles, including designing bridges as a graduate with GHD; project engineer with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (Victorian Government) constructing bridges and culverts across regional Victoria; and a design risk manager on the Regional Rail Link project to support additional rail services to country Victoria. He then completed a stint as the Transport Sector Lead and Principal Engineer at Infrastructure Victoria, which produced the first 30-year Infrastructure Strategy for Victoria In 2019, Edward moved to Darwin to experience the opportunities of the Territory lifestyle and be close to his wife’s family. “I am now a Senior Director with the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics (Northern Territory Government), leading the Transport Assets and Program Development Unit. “My job entails the planning for the upgrade and sealing of many outback roads, including the Central Arnhem Road, Tanami Road and Port Keats Road. Only 30% of the Northern Territory Government roads are sealed. “Being the NT, my role also includes asset management of aerodromes, bus stops, barge landings, boat ramps and more,” Edward said. Edward believes that representing and giving back to the community has been instilled in him since his school days. As a result, last year, he put his hand up for the local government elections and was elected to the City of Darwin Council on a platform of making Darwin the ‘Outdoor Capital of Australia’. “As part of my election platform, I focused on grassroots issues like great infrastructure, clean and safe public places and cooling and greening our neighbourhoods. I enjoy solving problems and working hard with others to make a better community,” he said. Edward and his wife Susannah Ritchie have four sons Teddy, Clancy and twin boys Henry and Frank who were born earlier this month. Edward and Susannah will raise their children in an old, elevated home in Nightcliff that survived Cyclone Tracy in 1974. Adding to his responsibilities as husband, father, engineer and Councillor, Edward has returned to playing club cricket with the Nightcliff Cricket Club and, in 2020, joined the Berry Springs Volunteer Bushfire Brigade. Perhaps, all the Girton co-curricular requirements and involvement in community service while at school have influenced this Old Girtonian in seeking a fulfilling life with a focus on giving back to his community. Edward and his son in fire fighting gear from the Berry Springs Volunteer Bushfire Brigade Edward at his inauguration

Old Girtonian Rubbing Shoulders with Royals
A recent shout-out to Old Girtonians to garner possible interest in sponsorship of Speech Night prizes unearthed a delightful re-acquaintance with Professor Julie Brown, a 1981 Girton graduate. As the recipient of a scholarship that enabled her to complete her education at Girton, and now as a Professor of Music at Royal Holloway, University of London, Julie understands intimately the power of giving. Julie commenced at Girton in 1974 while in Year 5. It was a time when the entire Junior School operated out of the school hall, which was divided by moveable partitions to accommodate different year levels, and underwear checks were conducted to ensure girls were wearing regulation brown or white knickers. Despite a strict uniform code, Julie describes Girton as an ecosystem of support and care. “I greatly respected my French teacher Betty Jenkin who taught French. “Betty was an excellent teacher of grammar and literature and an excellent teacher-mentor overall who started to pass me detective books by Georges Simenon under the table. “As I was the first in my immediate (non-bookish) family to finish school, Betty became an inspiration and mentor, and later a friend whom I would visit whenever I returned to Bendigo. She and her husband Andrew in turn stayed with me in Southampton after their Jane Austen tour of Hampshire and beyond around 1997-8. Julie Brown, Head Prefect 1981 “I’ve long felt that French was one of the most useful things I learned at school. I’ve used it while travelling, in my research, at conferences, and as the language of communication with my partner’s mother, who has little English but was a professional translator from Czech to French and vice versa,” said Julie, who still reads French today as part of her research, having put down a 1909 issue of early cinema ‘trade paper’ Ciné-Journal to respond to questions for this article. Julie fondly recalls two other special people at Girton who distinctly shaped her life. “Diana Cohn who was the Headmaster’s secretary took a special interest in me. Very musical herself, Diana took me under her wing and became a lifelong friend. We regularly played assembly hymns on two pianos, with Diana always encouraging me to improvise a bit. “Diana also largely taught me to drive! I was devastated by the news of her passing two years ago.” Headmaster Mr Robert Bickerdike, whose son Murray was in Julie’s class was someone that she looked up to. Though at the time Girton was not academically renowned, under the headship of Mr Bickerdike Julie says the school was in very good hands, embodying the values that it encouraged in its students. “Girton welcomed students who were in various ways different, sometimes on some sort of scholarship. “I entered secondary school on a major scholarship, but after my father died, I was going to have to leave the school. Mr Bickerdike must have persuaded the college council to come up with a full scholarship to enable me to stay. Being a truck driver’s daughter, I probably wouldn’t have found the community of nurturers who made my future possible without that time at Girton. Julie at Emmanuel College Cambridge, 1994 “When I was a Research Fellow in Cambridge, (1992-95) I was very pleased to welcome Mr Bickerdike as my guest at a wine tasting evening at Emmanuel College, where we had great fun spitting into the spittoon ludicrously expensive wine pulled up from the considerable college wine cellar. What a journey!” As a Professor of Music, it comes as little surprise that in her final year at Girton, Julie studied English, General Maths, French, Music A (performance), Music B (history). After graduating from Girton, Julie studied for a Bachelor of Music at Melbourne University, majoring in piano. With great humility, she acknowledges that she won the Allans Award for best final year pianist that was awarded at Melbourne University, travelling on an academic scholarship to study at King’s College London (University of London) for a Master of Music (in Music Theory and Analysis) and PhD (on Arnold Schoenberg’s threshold song cycle ‘The Book of the Hanging Gardens’). When asked whether she thought she would end up where she is now, Julie is emphatic. “It wouldn’t have crossed my mind that I could become a university professor of Music. “My VCE year was small, one class of about 20 students, and was not academically distinguished. I seem to recall that less than half of us qualified for any further education. “I also had no idea that I would end up staying abroad. I initially assumed I would return to Australia, marry, have children, etc. however life throws you curveballs, opportunities arise, and suitable jobs where you’d quite like to be don’t come up at opportune times. “The world of Music academe is fairly small, and so particular jobs come up at particular, sometimes inconvenient times! “My approach to life is to try to make the best decision I can at any given time, but then simply make the best of whatever decision I’ve taken. Every so often I look back and wonder about the road not taken. What if I HAD converted to Law? What if I HAD accepted that scholarship at Princeton in the United States and done my PhD there? What if I HAD taken one or another job that came up in Australia many years ago? Interesting late-night musings, but I don’t regret anything. I’m someone who tries to look ahead.” “At the beginning of 1999 I moved to London and Royal Holloway, originally a women’s college but still part of the University of London. There I’ve progressed through academic promotions to Professor of Music, and recently served a term as Head of Department. In the UK, Head of Department terms are typically 3 years, followed by a period of ‘research leave’ to catch up. “As an academic, I do three main things: lecturing/teaching/mentoring students; research (lots of research, writing, conference presentations, publishing, and contributing to the wider professional research field); and academic administration and management (in the UK we have much more of this than in the US, or continental Europe). “I started out as a specialist of early twentieth-century concert music, but these days teach mainly media and screen music, which is where my research is now focussed.” Julie has published two single-authored research books about Schoenberg and Bartók, served as contributing editor of three further books (one of which, about Western Music and Race won a prize from the American Musicological Society), published many articles and book chapters, and also spent a great deal of time reconstituting original accompaniments for silent films. One such recreation had its only live performance since 1924 at the British Silent Film Festival. Another appears as an ‘extra’ on the British Film Institute DVD/BluRay of The Epic of Everest, a 1924 film of the expedition to Mount Everest during which Mallory and Irvine famously failed to reach the summit and died. Professional accomplishments aside, Julie’s private life is rich beyond measure and reads like a fairy-tale from the vantage point of faraway Australia. “My partner Štepán, with whom I have been for nearly twenty years, is from Brno, Czech Republic, about 1.5 hours by train from Vienna and Bratislava and 2.5 hours from Prague. “We are fortunate to have a lovely apartment close to the ‘old town’ of Brno, and (pre-pandemic) freely split our lives between UK (term time) and Brno (term breaks and summer). “I’ve done a fair amount of travelling, though mainly to speak at conferences and other universities. Once the marking of student work is done, term breaks are always filled with research obligations.” Apart from Cambridge and Southampton for three years each, Julie has lived in London for most of her time in the UK. In 2013 she tried living close to Royal Holloway by renting a flat at nearby Cumberland Lodge. Julie at Cumberland Lodge, 2013 “Cumberland Lodge is a stately home in the middle of Windsor Park and our stay there turned into an amazing life experience. “We lived within the grounds, but next to the Lodge itself, in what was probably a converted barn or carriage house. I still had the pleasure each night after work of driving into Windsor Park, having the huge wooden gates open automatically for my car, parking next to the stately home, then walking down the cobbled path to my stairwell – all while looking out over the park. “Beautifully kept sandy bridge paths with hand-painted signs were dotted throughout the park, and pink crenelated buildings signalled that the Head of some Crown Estate department lived within. It was all a bit like playing a bit part in Downton Abbey. “Prince Andrew was the nearest neighbour in Royal Lodge – Budgie the helicopter came and went regularly during Ascot season – which proves that you can’t have everything. Still, I wouldn’t have missed those 5 ½ years for anything.” Having fallen in love with Windsor Great Park, Julie has recently moved from London into a house in Old Windsor, which is a few minutes bicycle ride into Windsor itself. “Until recently, the Duke of Edinburgh occasionally drove past on a little horse and carriage, and Prince Andrew is still regularly to be seen driving his 4-wheel drive en route to or from Royal Lodge and Windsor Castle. He’s a tad grounded these days, of course. “I’ve twice spotted the Queen wearing a cardie and headscarf as a private citizen at the Windsor Horse Show, which she hosts in the ‘home park’ of the castle. “And then there was Harry’s wedding, though admittedly on that occasion we mainly saw a few horse rears from the back of a crowd. And of course Anne, the Princess Royal, has long been Chancellor of the University of London, so one occasionally attends events over which she presides. “Anyone would think I’m a royalist, which I’m not really. My place of work just happens to be a short walk from Windsor Park, and I now live close to my place of work! You can’t really help bumping into Royals or Royal events because so many of them live around here. “Personally, I feel very much a ‘citizen of the world’ –either that, or ‘thrice homeless’, as Gustav Mahler once described himself. I prefer the former. “I’m Australian, but now also British and little bit Czech, though I feel mainly Australian. “In each country I’m an outsider – including in Australia today. I try not to think in these terms, but rather to think of the interesting life experiences I’ve had, and of the privileged perspective that being an outsider affords,” Julie said. Julie on Prado in Windsor Great Park, 2021 Julie editing proofs in her apartment near Brno, 2004 Julie presenting at the British Silent Film Festival, 2011 Julie and her partner Štepán, 2012

A Boy, a Book and a Fulbright Scholarship
Paul with the biography of Roden Cutler, V.C. book today When Girton students make the short trip across the stage on Speech Night, sometimes it is the beginning of a much bigger journey. For Dr Paul Hubbard, who graduated in 1999 (Riley), it was a book prize that he received on Speech Night at the end of year 11 that set him on a career path that has led him to great success. Paul received the biography of Roden Cutler, V.C. by Colleen McCullough. The book tells the story of Sir Roden Cutler, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for conspicuous and sustained gallantry during a period of 18 days in the Middle East campaign of 1941. “I was intrigued by Sir Roden’s appointment at a young age to Australia’s High Commission in Colombo. This opened up the idea for me of public service – and particularly advancing Australia’s interests in the world. “I didn’t end up becoming a diplomat, but I’ve had the opportunity to work to advance our national interests at successive G20 summits at Hamburg, Buenos Aires and Osaka,” Paul explains. As a strong academic student, Paul was probably always destined to undertake further studies after school but perhaps the sense of community he experienced at Girton also influenced his future. When asked about his favourite teacher, Paul says it is hard to pin down any one teacher. “John McMillan was undoubtedly up there. He took his maths students as he found them and encouraged us to apply effort regardless of how far along we were in the curriculum. “He impressed upon his students that it’s always worth applying effort and that ‘coasting’ is not an option. “I remember a real sense of community at Girton. For example, I was never taught in a classroom by Mrs Jenkin or Mrs MacCulloch – I wasn’t even in their House – but they still paid attention to what I was doing and provided encouragement, advice and mentorship along the way” he said. Paul studied Specialist Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, English, and French in the VCE and has rarely stopped studying since graduation. After completing an Arts/Law degree at the University of Tasmania in 2005, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in the United States. He completed a Master of Arts in International Relations from Syracuse University in 2008 (forty years after President Biden graduated from there). After joining the Treasury department, Paul turned to economics and completed a graduate Diploma of Economics, followed by an Economics PhD from the Australian National University. “I am currently living in Canberra and working as an Assistant Secretary on the Deregulation Taskforce at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. “I make sure that regulations achieve their purpose in ways that remain up to date and fit for purpose, without imposing unnecessary costs on business. “This builds on an earlier work on Dr Ken Henry’s tax review when I worked at Treasury. In addition to my G20 work, I’ve also worked for the government as an economic analyst on China,” Paul explains. After Year 12, Paul took a year off to travel in Europe. He obtained a working holiday visa in the UK and worked for a while as a temp in the administration of Cambridge University, where his ties to Girton came full circle. “I worked in a beautiful building called Senate House, which is right next to King’s College. It is in the heart of Cambridge – and an hour’s stroll to Girton College – the first residential tertiary institution for women in the United Kingdom” Paul reflects. Mrs Aherne and Mrs Millward named the Bendigo school after the progressive Cambridge college for women. Study and work are not the only things to have kept Paul busy since leaving Girton. “I’ve kept up many of my musical interests and sang for five years in the Tasmania University Musical Society. “I have played violin in the Maruki Community Orchestra here in Canberra for the last 14 years, and I am now married with five children (and a chihuahua). “Although we are Canberra-based, we have lived in the United States and China (twice). “Travel becomes a harder logistical challenge as you get older – and it’s currently an impossibility due to covid – but it’s such a privilege and opportunity to be able to learn about the world and the diversity of people in it first-hand.” Dr Paul Hubbard was the keynote speaker at the 2021 VCE Conference. He has a number of published scholarly articles, and his PhD thesis is titled “The Nature and Performance of China’s State-Owned Enterprises” ANU (July 2019). Paul visiting the White House, Washington DC, USA in 2007 Paul at an economics conference in Xiamen, China, in 2015 Paul at the 2021 Girton VCE Conference

30 Year Reunion: Classes of 90, 91 & 92
It was a blast from the past for the classes of 90, 91 & 92 at their 30 Year reunion on Saturday 11th June. Memories were shared of learning to type on an electric typewriter, lifelong friends and pranks in the Boarding House, teachers who held a special place in their former students’ hearts, dear school friends who are no longer with us, the move across to the St Aidans campus, the devastating news that the school was closing and that one time where all the school chairs mysteriously ended up on the oval overnight. Thank you to alumni who travelled near and far to reconnect with old friends.

OGA Careers Event 2022
Year 12 students enjoyed a Careers event hosted by the OGA on Wednesday 25th May. Three Old Girtonians returned to their grassroots to share their professional and life experiences since leaving Girton with our Year 12 students. Students heard from a Clinical Embryologist, an Employment Lawyer and a local farmer and former AFL player. Audrey Scott (Jenkin, 2011) had always envisioned herself working in maternal/foetal health and initially pursued doing this through an obstetrician/paediatric route. However it was a couple of years later, when Audrey switched to the highly specialised field of Clinical Embryology, that she truly found her passion. Audrey enthralled our Year 12 students with her videos of what she sees through the microscope in the world of Artificial Reproductive Technology. Dean Armstrong (Jones, 2011) was a Senior Prefect and was equal Dux in his final year at school. Dean noted that his VCE results did not come easily to him and that it was an incredible amount of hard work and study. This drive and determination has led him to a wonderful career in employment law, where Dean has represented employers and high net worth individuals in a variety of employment law matters, including general protection and unfair dismissal claims and industrial bargaining. Dean reflected on his time during his VCE years and had some advice for our Year 12 students on the importance of finding the balance between study and life. Our third speaker was Andrew Collins (Aherne, 2006), who immediately after school was drafted into the Richmond Football Club. Andrew had a dream start as a professional athlete, being named the Tiger’s best on ground several times and receiving votes for the Brownlow Medal. After Andrew moved to Carlton in 2010, Andrew spoke about how repeated injuries led him to finish his career with the AFL three years later. Andrew shared with our Year 12 students how life’s hard lessons have the reward of building resilience and opening doors to new opportunities. Andrew returned home where he has found a second passion working alongside his parents and wife in farming. Andrew and his family have a busy and successful business in Bridgewater farming wheat, barley, canola and sheep. It was an informative and fun afternoon, where our students enjoyed hearing from alumni and gaining some insights into what their future may look like. The OGA is very grateful for the time that the three speakers gave to our Year 12 students.

Class of 2001 and 2002 Reunions
It was an absolute blast at the 20 Year Reunion on Saturday 7th May for the classes of 2001 and 2002. Memories were shared of Mr Jones’ Milky Way challenge, last day pranks in the Year 12 Common Room and the infamous canteen cookies. It was especially delightful to see the founding Head of Millward, Mr John McMillan reconnect with the inaugural House Captain of Millward House, Erin Colley.

Class of 2010 and 2012 Ten Year Reunions
We caught up with the Classes of 2010 and 2012 over the weekend for their 10 Year reunions at the Brougham Arms. This fascinating group of Alumni have embarked on all types of careers from a GP, a teacher, a social worker and a project manager to a mechanic, a financial planner, a geologist and a member of the Navy.