Term 3 2024 Update at Pymble - 17 October
News From the Pymble Alumni Team

News From the Pymble Alumni Team

Welcome to the Term 3 edition of the Jacaranda Post.

I hope that those of you with children in Year 12 are in good spirits as the HSC exams begin at Pymble, and at schools all over NSW, this week and that everyone is enjoying the warmer weather.  

Term 3 at Pymble always means Garden Party and this year we were gifted with a perfect spring day to celebrate all things Pymble. The sun was shining, there was a lovely cool breeze and the College was festooned with scarlet, navy and white as far as the eye could see. Record numbers of students, parents, alumni and friends delighted in the delicious food, indulgent treats, the hair raising rides and the wonderful Pymble spirit. Huge thanks to all of our wonderful alumni who worked on the stalls, donated goods and gift and came to enjoy the day. It was wonderful to re-connect with so many of you and catch up on your news and also to raise much needed funds for our charities, the Sony and Barbara May Foundations, the College’s Boarding Scholarship program and our very own ESU. 

This term is a short one and Jacaranda Day will be celebrated next month again, followed by the Speech Days for Junior and Senior Schools which will bring the school year and 2024 at Pymble to a close. 

I am wishing you and your families many more sunny days ahead.

All’ Ultimo Lavoro. 

Mrs Katrina Corcoran (Hum, 1987)
Alumni Relations Manager
ESU President Update

ESU President Update

The Ex-Students’ Union Committee has been very productive and busy over the last few months. On 28 July, we continued the wonderful tradition of celebrating Commemoration Day in the College Chapel. The Ex-Students’ Choir performed beautifully and Dr Rowena Mobbs (Newcombe, 1998) delivered an inspiring talk during the service. All of our guests then joined together for a delicious morning tea to reflect on the service and chat.

On 13 September, the Committee presented gifts welcoming our current Year 12 cohort to the Ex-Students’ Union. Amy Graham (2017) presented to the students and shared insights from her journey beyond school. We wish all Year 12 students good luck in their Higher School Certificate examinations and more importantly, in life beyond school. We look forward to having you as part of our ever-expanding cohort and benefiting from the network that we offer. 

Since July, the Ex-Students’ Union Committee has run three consultation sessions with members regarding potential changes to our structure and constitution. We welcome the input that we have received so far and look forward to sharing more information on this in the coming months. If you are interested, keep an eye out for any communications, emails, or Facebook posts. 

On Saturday 21 September, on a glorious spring day, the iconic Ex-Students’ Union Chicken Sandwich and Champagne Stall continued to delight Garden Party attendees. The stall looked so beautiful, and it was wonderful to connect with so many of the broader College Community. Thank you to all who volunteered to serve on the day. 

If you are interested in joining the Ex-Students’ Union Committee, we welcome new members and have plenty of ideas and work to go around. Please feel free to reach out to myself or other committee members. 

Rowena Ditzell: rowena.ditzell@gmail.com 

Amy Graham: Amygraham114@gmail.com 

Victoria Muller: markandvicmuller@hotmail.com 

Rowena Ditzell (1986)
ESU President
General News

General News

Vivienne Jones (1988) They/Them

I work as an ESL instructor (English as a Second Language) at the University of Calgary. I got my M.Ed. in TESL (teaching English as a second language) from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, and then moved to Calgary in 2009 with my spouse, who was doing a PhD. I started working at the UofC and I’ve been there ever since. In 2015, our child was at the University daycare, and I had the idea of getting some of our more advanced ESL students to visit the kids and read storybooks to them. The program is now in its tenth year, and we have expanded to include the upper two levels of ESL students. This reading program is all about decolonising English. Our students don’t have to fold themselves into a different culture – they use English as a tool for their own success. By reading to the children at the daycare, they bring different accents and rhythms and become role models of English in an inclusive way.

My idea of inclusiveness is not just that we invite people into our comfortable spaces, but that we open ourselves up to the people around us. This program connects the ESL students in Continuing Education (who are there Monday-Friday for 13 weeks) with the children at the daycare (who are all children of students, most of whom are in graduate degrees) with the Education library resources & librarians.

I have lived in eight countries, and worked in as many fields. I have been a lab assistant, an editor and author, an award-winning cartoonist, and a freelance musician. I have worked in law, copyright, business and science. However, it wasn’t until I worked as a teaching assistant in Japan that I discovered my calling. For the last two decades, I have been a language instructor, using my experience with cultural displacement and neurodivergence to help create safe and inclusive spaces for learning.

 

Teegan Wattam (2017)

We love to watch our alumni changing the world in their own special way.

Teegan Wattam (2017), a proud Larrakia and Wadjigan woman and AIE scholarship student, has certainly been making her mark.

Teegan was the first First Nations student to receive a Bachelor of Health Science/Master of Speech and Language Therapy at Charles Darwin University.

Since then she was the keynote speaker at the Discovering Indigenous Greatness in Education’ (DiGI Ed Talks) conference hosted by Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School and was awarded Youth of the Year at the Darwin NAIDOC week awards in 2024.

Congratulations Teegan!

Bronte Charles (2018)

It is so special to see Pymble alumni connecting with current students.
Earlier this term, Bronte Charles (2018), proud Bundjalung Mununjali woman and Go Foundation Scholar, returned to Pymble as the guest speaker at our NAIDOC assembly.
Bronte, who completed a Bachelor of Marketing and Media from Macquarie University and is currently working as a digital producer and journalist for NITV and SBS Australia, generously shared her experiences of school and beyond with our students.
The Pymble and Milingimbi school students who were lucky enough to attend the recent Garma Festival in East Arnhem Land also had a chance to learn about journalism from Bronte, and were even interviewed for NITV!
From the Archives

From the Archives

Spring is in the air and what a wonderful day we had for the 2024 Pymble Garden Party recently! The College gardens were in full bloom, the skies were blue, and the sun was shining for what turned out to be another wonderful day. How many of you were able to come this year to this exciting annual event on the College calendar?

It was my first Garden Party as the Archivist here at Pymble so that was exciting. I took the opportunity to have a lounge room of sorts on the beautiful and historic colonnade for the occasion. It was called the ‘Archive Hive’, with flowers from the Pymble garden on display and some catered nibblies for visitors to enjoy. Here, I had the pleasure of meeting a number of you and hearing your Pymble stories while we sat and chatted. I enjoyed recording by hand all of the wonderful stories you shared on the day, which will now become part of the College Archives. Pymble is an ever-evolving place with a live and continuing chronicle and your stories and memories are so important to discover and record. Dr Sarah Loch (Director of the Pymble Institute, the College’s centre for innovation and research) was also there enjoying recording your stories too. We both wore replica Pymble hats from 1918 to mark the occasion as a homage to times past.

The ’Archive Hive’ also featured a group of dedicated student volunteers who are completing their Duke of Edinburgh Awards with the College Archives. The girls were on hand to hand out the Scavenger Hunt activity that they had made to young visitors, for them to discover some of the College’s history. The kids who completed this task were rewarded for their efforts with a sweet treat of lollies!

Let’s take a look back at the Garden Party throughout time and see where it all began …

The tradition of the College Garden Party dates back to two very successful occasions. That is – the Grand Fete held on 19 September 1925 and the Maypole Fair on 7 May 1938. From 1956, Garden Party became a regular event on the College calendar.

The Grand Fete was recorded as a ‘spectacular affair’. The first Fete was held to raise funds for the first swimming pool, which was opened early the following year. Reported in The Sun and The Sydney Morning Herald of the day, the event was on a grand scale. Picture the scene of the opening procession led by 600 Boy Scouts with flags aloft, decorated cars and a guard of honour of students in white lining their path extending the length of the College oval. Side shows and entertainment with fortune tellers, a conjuror, paper tearing, juggling, fancy goods and produce stalls and a guessing competition (to estimate the weight of a sheep, safely penned) were all part of the day. Visitor parking was managed by a representative from the NRMA.

The gymnasium located on the lower level of the Colonnade building was transformed into The Palais de Danse. Decorated with gum saplings, it was a popular destination and perhaps took its name from the Palais de Danse dance hall at St Ives at the time. The event raised 750 pounds, a significant contribution to the estimated cost of the pool at 1,460 pounds.

The Garden Party as we know it today was initially dubbed as ‘American teas’ as they were seen as a very fashionable way to raise money along the lines of ‘bring and buy’. This image of prestige was preferred over other terms coined at the time such as ‘fetes’ as they were regarded as vulgar as they centred around entertainment rather than the notion of giving.

 

Over the years, proceeds from the Garden Party were directed to capital works, either the general building fund or special funds for specific work such as the Chapel, amphitheatre, Ingleholme Swimming Pool and the Conde Library. Usually the entire profits were directed to such projects. Special purposes for the funds included the organ fund, audiovisual equipment for the library (1973), renovation of the Colonnade classrooms, musical instruments, new chairs for the school hall, landscaping the courtyard, computer equipment etc.

The Garden Party funds have now moved to being directed towards helping others beyond our Pymble community. The 2024 funds are in support of the Barbara May Foundation and the Barbara May Foundation.

Name & Object of Garden Party

The notice for the 1961 Garden Party states:

‘Our prime object is to bring together all past and present members and friends of the School. Ex-students will find this a good opportunity for meeting with one another and with new families.

Members of the public are cordially invited.

The second object is to provide entertainment for guests and an opportunity to augment the Building Fund.

The School will be open for inspection and for special Form activities.

Stalls will be held on the principles of an American Tea. Friends are asked to bring gifts for as wide a variety of stalls as possible.’

Afternoon tea was included in the admission price and from the note one can assume the Garden Party took place in the afternoon.


The Pymble Garden Party has been held onsite annually since 1956, with only a few exceptions of it not taking place due to bad weather and the COVID-19 pandemic (the Garden Parties in 1960 and 1962 were held at Ingleholme). From 1956 to 1987, the Garden Party was held in the first or second week of October. When the 4-term school year was introduced in 1988, the date moved to the second Saturday in September. The exception to this was in the year 2000 when the Garden Party was held on 14 October – school terms dates had been changed for the Olympics.

The annual Garden Party has become a wonderful College tradition that remains with every Pymble student well beyond their years at the school. I imagine many of you have fond memories of the Garden Party! Feel free to drop me a line and share your stories of life at Pymble, whether it be Garden Party-related or your life and times at Pymble … your experiences are all part of the story of Pymble Ladies’ College and I love to hear them. My email address is: kmurray@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au

Kate Murray
College Archivist
Where are they now?

Where are they now?

Clarissa Auffermann (2009)

Thanks to Facebook, I saw our 15-year reunion invitation which seemed to be a perfect opportunity to reconnect with Pymble girls. Having loosely been in touch with a few friends from back then, I have, though, never made it to a Pymble reunion in Sydney since our graduation as living overseas and scheduling made it difficult. This year, the timing was perfect. We had an afternoon filled with laugher, shared memories and we all felt this bond which has never faded. Fifteen years – a mix of “we mostly still look the same” and “nothing much has changed” paired with we have greatly developed, girls had travelled the world, worked overseas, while some bought houses, were married and had kids. I later walked around the Pymble grounds, a trip down memory lane, while admiring the astonishing new buildings on the beautifully developed campus. Immediate gratitude and pride accompanied me.

I became part of the Boarding family at Pymble in 2007, when I was in Year 9 after having begged my parents to enrol me at Pymble. My mother, Dina Waldthausen, and sisters, Johanna, Helene and Pauline Auffermann, spoke highly of their time at Pymble. I longed for the same opportunity because school being described as enjoyable was something I had not experienced until then. Coming from Germany where education was incomparable to Pymble, I tried to make the best of the ample of opportunities during my time on campus. The music, sports, community service and hikes linked to Duke of Edinburgh were things I loved at Pymble, and I still do.

Having had the opportunity to learn at Pymble certainly shaped me in my teenage years and still accompanies me in my current daily life as a primary school teacher; Pymble was to me the source of inspiration to educate others. After graduating from Pymble in 2009, I volunteered with Antipodeans in Peru teaching at a rural primary school near Cusco. This eye-opening experience further encouraged me to become an educator as I came to realise how fundamental education is. I then studied at the University of Education in Heidelberg, Germany and received a scholarship to learn and teach in Bandung, Indonesia. I am now pursuing a career in education encouraging students to be curious, take risks and strive for their highest. I love seeing them grow and take on challenges whilst sharing knowledge and guiding them in their personal development.

In recent years, I completed a sabbatical, during which I taught at an NGO in Varanasi, India, the internationally renowned Green School in Bali, Indonesia and worked in school development in Hanoi, Vietnam while specifically looking at their leadership and school values. I am now based in Zürich working at a bilingual international school teaching grades 3 and 4.

I am extremely thankful for the great role models that my Pymble teachers set for me and try to teach by their example.

Ex-student Book Launch – Saturday 26 October

Ex-student Book Launch – Saturday 26 October

Rebecca Fung (1995) Children’s Book Author

Pymble was a really important place for me to explore my interest in reading and my creativity. Several years ago I donated a signed copy of my first book, Princess Hayley’s Comet, to the Pymble Ladies’ College library.

My latest book is called Septopus and all are welcome to attend the upcoming book launch:

Event: Book launch of a children’s book, Septopus by Rebecca Fung.

Location: Book Face, St Ives Shopping Village Shopping Centre

Date and time: Saturday 26 October 2024, 11am

About the book: Septopus is about an octopus who has seven tentacles where other octopuses have eight. Stanley the septopus faces challenges growing up and being accepted in the world – his parents worry too much about him, his siblings bully him, and clothes don’t fit him – and that’s just the start of it. Sports, family, friendship, action and humour! Suitable for kids 8-14 years.

Themes include: Diversity, sea life, friendship, family, heroism, ecology

At the launch: Book signing, free shark pen for anyone who buys a book, refreshments, opportunities to meet author, opportunity to buy other books by author

RSVP: Not essential but highly encouraged. Please RSVP owltitude@outlook.com

Purchasing the book: The book will be available at the launch. You can also order the book by emailing owltitude@outlook.com Any orders made before the launch date will not incur a delivery fee (Australia only)

Further information about the author: Rebecca Fung grew up in the St Ives area and went to school locally. She has written numerous short stories and has had 2 previous chapter books published, Princess Hayley’s Comet and A Very Special Moon Mission. She is involved in the Author Pen Pals program which encourages children’s literacy and connects schools with Australian authors.

What other school students are saying about Septopus:

‘I really like it because it is very original’ – Olivia, aged 13

‘When I was reading, I didn’t want to stop. I would rate this a 5 out of 5!’ – Chansie, aged 9

‘The parents are overprotective and paranoid, but I love how Stanley just wants to be himself.’ – Elisa G, aged 11

‘Brilliant! Fantastic! Septacular!’ – Lois, aged 9

 

 

Reunion Updates

Reunion Updates

1954 – 70 Year Reunion

After a lovely Commemoration Day service in the War Memorial Chapel, the Class of 1954 gathered together to celebrate their 70-year reunion.

The day provided a special opportunity to reconnect with the College and fellow classmates

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1979 – 45 Year Reunion

A keen group of around 45 of us from the year of ’79 gathered at Cammeray Golf Club on Saturday 17 August for our 45th reunion. As had become tradition, a large group of boarders had met up the night before, so were in fine form for our lunch! We started the event by going around a circle giving an update on our lives – the highs and lows – before enjoying delicious platters of food and catching up with old friends. It was a huge success, and we look forward to the next one in five years!

Margaret (Waring), Anna (Gissing) and Rachael (Blomfield)

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1984 – 40 Year Reunion

On Saturday, 21 September, 56 members of Pymble’s 1984 cohort gathered for a memorable reunion dinner at the Oaks Hotel in Neutral Bay. Some travelled from across regional NSW and even interstate to join what became a fabulous evening filled with laughter, great company, and heartfelt reconnections. We raised our glasses to absent friends and enjoyed trivia games that tested our knowledge of music, school memories, and general trivia from 1984. Stories of our school days flowed, reminding us all of cherished times. By all accounts, the night was an overwhelming success, enjoyed by everyone present.

Fiona Dalton (1984)

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1999 – 25 Year Reunion

The Class of 99 gathered on Saturday evening 12 October at the Manly Pavilion Hotel. People travelled from across the state and also other states to attend.

We had a fabulous night reconnecting, many laughs and memories shared.

We are all looking forward to our 30 years next reunion!

Laura Roberts (1999)

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2004 – 20 Year Reunion

Our class of 2004 enjoyed a lovely afternoon celebrating our 20 year reunion, held at the College on 7 September. It was so nice to reconnect with old school friends, and reminisce over our shared high school experience, as well as catching up on what everyone has been up to since leaving school. A huge thank you to everyone who could make it, especially those who travelled internationally and interstate. Our lovely Head Girl, Sam Mooney, shared a few memories from our time at school, with the festivities continuing on at the Greengate in Killara. Look forward to seeing everyone again at the next reunion, if not prior!

Amy Dampney (2004)

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Melbourne Reunion

We loved catching up with Pymble alumni at our Melbourne Reunion. It was wonderful to catch up on life updates and share memories of College days over a delicious afternoon tea and glass of bubbles.

Thank you to everyone who joined us!

Back row: Diane Jago (1962), Christine Robertson (1959), Sarah Maloof (1999), Liz Whiteway (1980), Katrina Corcoran (1987) (Alumni Relations Manager), Penny Baker (1968), Sally Totman (1993), Dimity Pollard (1972)

Front row: Kerry Lovering (1949), June Reid (1946), June Spiers (1951)

Newcastle/Hunter Valley/Port Stephens Reunions 2024

Newcastle/Hunter Valley/Port Stephens Reunions 2024

If you are an alumni living in the Newcastle, Hunter Valley and Port Stephens regions, please join us at either or both of two special reunions at Stanley Park, Fullerton Cove.

Date 1 Midweek Lunch

Date Wednesday 20 November 2024

Time  12.00pm to 3.00pm

Venue Stanley Park, 77 Fullerton Road Fullerton Cove 2318

RSVP https://www.trybooking.com/CVVTG

Date 2 Weekend Afternoon Tea

Date Sunday 24 November 2024

Time  2.00pm to 4.00pm

Venue Stanley Park, 77 Fullerton Road Fullerton Cove 2318

RSVP https://www.trybooking.com/CVVTV

An enormous thank you to Jill Taylor (1973) for organising these events. If you have any questions, Jill can be contacted at jilltaylor1212@gmail.com.

Births, engagements, marriages and vale notices

Births, engagements, marriages and vale notices

Vale

Phillipa Holloway (Goninan, 1960) 1943 – 2021

Phillipa (or Pippa/Pip as she was known) lived for many years in Wotton, United Kingdom, and was a well-known and popular member of its community. Pippa started life in Australia and, as a young woman spent time travelling and working in Israel, Italy and England. It was after returning to Australia to settle down that a match-making friend suggested she start a pen-pal correspondence with someone he had met at the Natural History Museum in London. This person was Jeremy Holloway, who worked for the museum as a researcher into moths. After eventually meeting in person, Pippa and Jeremy decided to get married. They set up home in England, living at first in Dorking then moving to Wotton.

Pippa started work with a computer software company in Dorking. This experience proved to be invaluable, as over the years she also became increasingly involved in helping Jeremy publish his extensive research into the moths of Borneo. The research publication ran to 18 volumes, all of which Pippa helped to type, index and prepare. As well as helping with this aspect of Jeremy’s work Pippa was in addition a popular member of the international research community thanks to her sociability.

Pippa took an active part in local life. She enjoyed playing tennis and walking with friends. She was a member of NADFAS (now known as The Arts Society), for which she was a regional secretary and, thanks to her great love of music, she sang regularly with the Dorking Choral Society.  Pippa was a fluent Italian speaker and for a while led Dorking U3A’s Italian language group. Both she and Jeremy loved gardening and, as a result, Pippa became knowledgeable about many different types of plants.

Pippa was also involved with local events. She helped at the Wotton Flower Show and every year manned the raffle ticket stall for Wotton’s Fete, selling an enormous number of tickets both before and on the day.

Pippa died unexpectedly in 2021 when Covid restrictions were still in place. A memorial event was held for her on 5 April 2023, which would have been her 80th birthday. This brought together many of the people she had met throughout her life. At the end of the event a Wollemi pine, an Australian tree, was planted in her memory. This type of pine was discovered in 1994 in the Wollemi National Park in Australia’s Blue Mountains and close to land belonging to Phillipa’s family. It was identified as a member of the Monkey Puzzle family and had only ever been found as a fossil in the Cretaceous period. It is therefore now regarded as a living fossil.

Pippa’s charm, sense of humour and generosity of spirit are much missed.

Janet Harrison (Henderson, 1945)

Janet Litchfield Harrison (Henderson) attended PLC Pymble for seven years completing her education in 1945. She then attended the University of Sydney studying science and in particular geology. Jane, as she was more commonly known, met her husband John while studying the same course. They married in 1953 and travelled to Canada to begin a new life and career. In the next six years they had their children Ross and Fiona Young (Harrison, 1974). Upon returning to Australia, Jane’s family lived in Adelaide then Sydney. Jane travelled extensively living in various countries of Southeast Asia, New Zealand and finally the Philippines on account of John’s occupation as a geologist. In the 1980s John and Jane retired to live on one hundred acres just south of Casino, NSW. After John passed away in 1989, Jane became thoroughly involved in a variety of organisations helping to raise funds for local charities and the needs of others. Sadly, Jane lost her house and all her worldly goods in the fires of October 2019 in the northern rivers NSW area. Subsequently, Jane lived the final years of her life in Casino. She still had fond memories of her time at Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Pymble and the friendships she maintained all her life.

Margaret Mary McKenzie (McKee, 1947)

A Bega girl who was born on 20 September 1929, Margaret Mary McKenzie passed away peacefully on 16 August 2024, at the age of 94 with family by her side.

Margaret was a talented swimmer during her time as a boarder at Pymble, where she earned her Bronze Cross and other awards. After completing her education, she began her nursing career at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. It was at this time that she met Alexander McKenzie, who had just returned from the war and was attending Sydney University. They married on 1 August 1953 and settled in Wollongong before building their family home in Cronulla.

Together, they raised five children—Meg, Robin, Bruce, Cathy, and Ross—and enjoyed the company of six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Margaret was a skilled homemaker who took great joy in gardening and sewing, creating a warm haven for her loved ones. Her beautiful garden became a gathering place for family and friends.

Margaret’s Scottish heritage was a significant part of her identity, with the MacLeod tartan prominently featured in their home. In 1985, she joined the Women’s Auxiliary of Sydney Legacy, affectionately known as the “Blue Belles,” where she formed lasting friendships.

An avid reader and crossword enthusiast, Margaret was known for her kindness, charity to others, and love of celebrations. Her family will forever treasure her belief that “One cannot have too large a party,” a quote by Jane Austen that she truly lived by. Margaret was fortunate to remain in her own home, surrounded by family until the end.

Gabriella Robbins (Moses, 1996) 11 July 1978 – 13 May 2024

It is with the deepest sadness that we announce the passing of our dear friend and fellow alumni, Gabriella Moses, who lost her courageous battle with cancer at the age of 45. Gab leaves behind her three beloved children—Rex (15), Leni (13), and Harvey (11)—who were the core of her life and her motivation to keep fighting.

Gab attended Pymble Ladies’ College from Kindergarten through to Year 12, and her presence left an indelible mark on our school community. She was not only an exceptional athlete, excelling in swimming, hockey, and athletics, but also a wonderful friend, who embodied humility, kindness, and generosity. Her dedication to sport saw her represent the school in numerous events, and later, she proudly represented Australia in Surf Life Saving, demonstrating her incredible talent and determination.

Beyond her sporting achievements, Gab was an artist of remarkable talent, and she possessed a deep love for the ocean, nature, and the beauty of the world around her.

More than anything, Gab was a friend to everyone. There wasn’t a single girl in her year who didn’t love her.

In honor of her memory, we are exploring ways to celebrate Gab’s legacy within the school community.

Rest in peace, dearest Gab.

Reunions and Events

Reunions and Events

For further information about the reunions below please visit our website – https://www.pymblelc.nsw.edu.au/community-and-events/events/#/reunion

Saturday 19 October – 1994 – 30 Year Reunion (The Union Hotel North Sydney)

Saturday 19 October – 2014 – 10 Year Reunion (So-Cal, Neutral Bay)

Saturday 26 October – 1964 – 60 Year Reunion (Jenny Hooper’s home)

Saturday 9 November – 1974 – 50 Year Reunion (David Macfarlane Centre)

Saturday 9 November – Toowoomba Reunion

Saturday 16 November – 2003 – 20 Year Reunion (David Macfarlane Centre)

Monday 18 November – ESU AGM (David Macfarlane Centre)

Saturday 30 November – 1989 – 35 Year Reunion (400, North Sydney)

Ex-student Tour

Ex-student Tour

Are you interested in visiting your old school grounds for a walk down memory lane? Every term we hold our much-loved Ex-student Tours where our former students tour the campus, share some funny stories along the way and admire how much the College has grown and changed since they left.

If you would like to join one of our Ex-student Tours in 2024, we are hosting tours at 10.30am on the following dates:

  • Tuesday 24 September
  • Thursday 28 November

Please email our Alumni Relations Manager, Katrina Corcoran (1987), kcorcoran@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au to save your spot.

From the Principal

From the Principal

Hello, from your Pymble family. We hope that wherever you are in the world, you and your loved ones are safe and well.

If you were among the thousands of visitors to our campus or the army of volunteers working with us on Saturday 21 September, please accept our heartfelt thanks for making Garden Party 2024 such a resounding success. We are delighted that the combined efforts of our Alumni, students, staff and families helped raise $20,000 to donate to the Barbara May Foundation and $60,000 to fund our annual Sony Camp for children with special needs. Special shout-out to our Boarding families and supporters who generated an additional $17,000 to put towards Boarding scholarships at Pymble. These are all wonderful achievements, made even more special by the tangible feeling of belonging to something much bigger than self and pride in being a member of our remarkable College community

Farewell to our Class of 2024

It’s also that time of year when we farewell our Year 12 students with a series of traditional events that you will most likely remember from your own time at Pymble. Our much-loved Final Assembly, Back to the Beginning Assembly (for girls who commenced in Kindy), Final Chapel Service, Boarders’ Farewell, Speech Day, Valedictory Dinner and the more recent addition of Honouring Ceremonies allow us to celebrate each student for their unique contribution to life at Pymble.

Our Class of 2024 has been exemplary in leading the student body according to our College values and their own special blend of inclusive and supportive leadership – not to mention their love of a good ‘Roar in 2024’. Excitingly, the cohort has done remarkably well in all subjects with performance or major work components. Across Drama, Dance, Music, Textiles and Design, and Design and Technology, 48 of the 86 students studying these subjects have already received a nomination (or two!) for the NSW showcase or exhibition for their exemplary work. That’s 58 nominations in total, which is a fantastic collective result before the HSC examinations even begin.

It is with great pride that I also share with you our Speech Day major prize recipients:

Isabel Aveling and Juliette Harris – joint winners of The School Prize
Anna Ward – The Marden Prize
Alicia Ge – Dux of the School (The Sir Robert Gillespie Memorial Prize)

These three prizes may only go to a handful of students, but there is something incredibly special about watching the entire cohort give a fabulously rowdy standing ovation to the winners. It gives me goosebumps every time to see our students support and celebrate their peers with such unconditional love, respect and pride.

We are here for you, always

Please remember the College is always here to support and celebrate you, too. In his Speech Day address, our Chair of the Board, Chris Fydler OAM, reminded our soon-to-be graduates of some of the many initiatives we have introduced over the years to benefit you in your adult life.

Along with organising local and global reunions, the College offers graduates gap year placement; casual work in our co-curricular programs, Out of School Hours Care centre, and the IT HUB; and opportunities to grow your profile and portfolio of research work through our Pymble Institute projects, publications and conferences.

We also welcome back graduates as mentors for students in our Socrates research program and as speakers at various College events and information sessions.

Of course, our flagship program is our Alumni Mentoring and Networking Event, which continues to evolve to best support you at key stages of your career – starting out, mid-point, and at Board entry level. Next year’s event is on Thursday 22 May 2025 – please keep an eye out for more details and callouts for mentors and mentees coming to your inbox soon!

In addition, the College is working hard to further increase the profile of Pymble internationally by developing connections with universities, academic partners, sporting clubs and associations in the United Kingdom and USA. Our aim is to ensure a Pymble education is valued for excellence, all over the world, and provide more pathways for students and graduates to study overseas, play sport at elite level, and establish global careers. Exciting times for all.

In 2025, we will be turning our sights towards you, our Alumni, to explore in more depth how the College can best serve your needs. We are deeply grateful for the ESU Committee members for their time and encouragement of this project and look forward to hearing thoughts, opinions and ideas from as many of you as possible.

Signing off with all best wishes, until we meet again.

Dr Kate Hadwen
Principal
Commemoration Day 2024

Commemoration Day 2024

In Term 3, we welcomed members of our community on campus for our Commemoration Day chapel service to celebrate the dedication of the College, which took place on 31 July 1919.
The special event was all the more enjoyable due to the contributions of guest speaker Dr Rowena Mobbs (Newcombe, 1998) and the Ex-Students’ Union (ESU) choir who performed beautifully.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this event, including many of our alumni.
Spotlight on TAS at Pymble

Spotlight on TAS at Pymble

Sarah Atkinson (2023)

When Sarah Atkinson graduated from Pymble in 2022, she had no idea that she’d be back the very next year working as a coding assistant in the College’s IT department.

To read more about Sarah’s passion for technology and her desire to give back, visit https://bit.ly/47p9dsT

Can you help at the Year 10 Future You Festival?

Can you help at the Year 10 Future You Festival?

Alumni needed for the Year 10 Future You Festival – Thursday 28th November 2024 

The Futures Team at the College are looking for alumni in a range of career situations to speak to small groups of about ten Year 10 students about what you do, how you got there and what you did at school.  

What advice do you have for current 16-year-olds?  

What would they say to your 16-year-old self? 

We would need you to arrive between 10.20 – 10.30am on the day please.  

There are 2 sessions from 10.40 – 11.40am and 11.40 – 12.45pm. Ideally it would be wonderful if you could attend both sessions. However, if you can only stay for one, we would be very grateful.  

We need about 12 people for each session. 

Please email your interest to futures@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au 

Thank you!

 

Careers at Pymble

Careers at Pymble

Are you interested in working at Pymble and want to learn more about how we value diversity?       

Click here to hear our staff and College leaders share how valuing a diversity of backgrounds and embracing inclusion are central to our culture at Pymble.       

For more information or to apply for one of our current job opportunities, click here to head to our dedicated Careers website.  

 

Follow us on Instagram!

Follow us on Instagram!

Calling all Pymble alumni! We’re on Instagram so if you haven’t already, follow us at @pymblelcalumni to stay up to date with all the latest news and events.

 

Pymbulletin

Pymbulletin

Pymbulletin is our magazine-style publication covering student, staff and College news, initiatives, events and achievements.

 

Illuminate

Illuminate

Pymble Ladies’ College publishes its research and innovation journal twice a year that features a diverse range of articles written by staff members and guest writers. You can read the latest edition of the College’s research publication, Illuminate: Research and Innovation, Edition 10 2024 below: