Farewell Year 12

Hello, from your Pymble family.

Once again, it’s the time of year when we farewell our Year 12 students at our traditional Final Assembly, Chapel Service, Speech Day, and Boarding and Valedictory Dinners before they sit for their HSC examinations. Our Class of 2023 has reached a significant milestone in their lives, one you will no doubt remember from your own time here. Congratulations to the cohort and all our Speech Day prize recipients, including:

The School Prize – Abigail Ballhausen and Wynter O’Regan
The Marden Prize – Jessie Xie
Dux of the School – Sophia Gao and Angie Wang

One of the less-formal traditions I have come to love at Pymble is the prefect ‘theme’ for each year, selected by our Year 12 student leaders at the start of Term 1. Each cohort’s theme reflects the way they hope to interact with and unite the entire student body as leaders of the College, and this year’s was a perfect choice.

“You’ve got a friend in me” was inspired by the Toy Story movies, and perfectly captures the spirit of friendship, support and guardianship our Class of 2023 demonstrated during their time at Pymble. We give thanks for the unique gifts and talents each student has brought and will continue to bring to our community. We also give thanks to parents for giving their daughters the gift of a Pymble education and the sense of belonging to our Pymble family, whose care for you continues long after your last lesson or exam on campus.

As Pymble alumni, your wellbeing and progress through life continues to matter to us, and has prompted a range of post-school initiatives, including ongoing access to the Benestar online coaching and support service, career networking opportunities such as our Alumni Networking Event, and career mentoring programs such as PymConnect and the Alumni Mentor Group. And it goes without saying that we continue to take child protection in all its forms seriously. Should you ever have concerns about a Pymble student’s care, safety or wellbeing, whether that’s in a current or a historical context, please do not hesitate to contact me directly and in confidence via khadwen@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au. Your concerns will be treated in confidence and given prompt attention.

The following link outlines further details about our Complaints Policy, which exists to serve all members of our Pymble family.

Being of service to others is a big part of life at Pymble, and this year was our self-declared year of Pymble Gives Back initiatives, some of which have revolved around supporting newly arrived refugee children from Afghanistan.

This Saturday night, the College will host our inaugural Pymble Foundation Ball to raise funds to support future generations of Pymble students. One of the three focus areas of the Pymble Foundation is to provide means-tested bursaries for deserving students who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford the gift of a Pymble education, along with supporting our master plan program of building and upgrading facilities and additional programs for our girls. Our aim is to provide three new bursaries for refugees from Afghanistan to commence at Pymble in 2024; this is in addition to the one currently supporting a student who was displaced from her home in Ukraine during the current war with Russia.

Finally, a huge thank you to our alumni who joined us at our annual Commemoration Day Service on Sunday 30 July. It’s always a joy to connect with alumni from different eras in the life of Pymble, and a special thank you to Helen Jarvis (Fisher 1989) for speaking about the joy of giving to back, a topic close to our hearts. Thank you also to all those who supported our Garden Party on September 16 as a guest or contributor – it was such a glorious day of community in every sense of the word.

Our next significant College event – another tradition many of you will remember well – is our Jacaranda Day Service on Tuesday 14 November, when we come together to reaffirm and celebrate our commitment to being of service to others. This commitment to giving, like our glorious jacaranda tree in full bloom, is one of the many joys of our community. If you’d love to sit on Gloucester Lawn once again and join us in celebrating our truly beautiful Pymble family, just let us know in an email to kcorcoran@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au.

We hope to see you soon.

Dr Kate Hadwen
Principal

News From the Pymble Alumni Team

We are now in Term 4 and my best wishes are with our alumni with children sitting their final exams. The last term of the year is also a very busy one for the College and we have many events and reunions planned. If you are interested in attending any of these events please refer to our website or contact me at kcorcoran@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au

This Saturday 14 October, the Pymble Foundation will host the inaugural Gala Ball at the Art Gallery of NSW. We are looking forward to celebrating with those of you attending this stunning venue as part of the Pymble Foundation’s ongoing philanthropy program, supporting students through the Bursary Program (means-tested scholarships) or Building Fund. These initiatives help us bring our vision for the future of our learning environments to life and enable Pymble to remain a world leader in educating girls and young women. This will be a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with fellow ex-students and old friends and celebrate all things Pymble.

For those that cannot attend the Ball, you can support the Pymble Foundation by bidding in our Silent Auction or buying a ticket in the Raffle. There are some incredible prizes to be won and all funds raised will support the Pymble Foundation’s investment in people, places and programs.

2024 REUNIONS

We are looking for convenors and helpers who are willing to assist coordinating their reunion (with a large amount of help from the College):

2019 – 5 Year Reunion – convenors found

2014 – 10 Year Reunion – convenor found, helpers needed

2009 – 15 Year Reunion – convenor found, helpers needed

2004 – 20 Year Reunion – convenor found

1999 – 25 Year Reunion

1994 – 30 Year Reunion – convenor found, helpers needed

1989 – 35 Year Reunion

1984 – 40 Year Reunion – convenors found, date set: Saturday 21 September 2024

1979 – 45 Year Reunion

1974 – 50 Year Reunion – convenors found

1969 – 55 Year Reunion – convenor found, helpers needed

1964 – 60 Year Reunion – convenors and helpers found

1959 – 65 Year Reunion – convenor found, helpers needed

1954 – 70 Year Reunion – convenor found, date set: Sunday 28 July 2024

Calling all Ex-Pymble Students in Newcastle and the Hunter Region

We’ve had an offer from an ex-student to start up a Newcastle/Hunter region chapter of our Alumni.  There are many of you from this beautiful region. 

If you would like to join us, with a view to meeting up for coffee/lunch and chats (maybe even some charity projects?), please contact Jill Taylor (1973) at  jilltaylor1212@gmail.com or if you are on Facebook, click the link, or search and request to join the private group called  Pymble Ladies College Alumni – Newcastle/Hunter chapter.

We do try our best to keep across the news and success of ex-Pymble girls but if you have any stories or updates you would like to submit to this newsletter and share with your alumni, we welcome you to do so. If you have any questions or would like to contribute, please contact me at kcorcoran@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au or on +61 2 9855 7304.  

All’ Ultimo Lavoro. 

Mrs Katrina Corcoran (Hum,1987)

Alumni Relations Manager

ESU President Update

Another busy term has flown by and once again we’re in sight of the end of the year.  And once again the annual Garden Party was a particular highlight of Term 3.  The biggest event on the College calendar, our Garden Party enables all parts of our Pymble community to come together to connect, have fun and raise money for some worthy causes.  This year, funds from the Garden Party will benefit The Smith Family, and Dignity, who empower those at risk of experiencing homelessness.

We always hope for sunshine on Garden Party day and that was certainly delivered this year – in fact the weather was unseasonably hot, resulting in some competition for the shady spots on our beautiful Gloucester Quadrangle lawn.  The Ex-Students’ Union (ESU) ran our traditional Chicken & Champagne stall, offering chicken sandwiches, cheese platters, strawberries & cream and a cold glass of bubbles.  The stall was well received, and looked fantastic – the result of a true team effort.  Thank you to all of the ESU Committee who contributed, and to all of our ex-students who spend time volunteering on the stall throughout the day.  A very special thank you goes to three ladies in particular – to Lou Kellaway (Sutton, 1988), and Victoria Muller (Murray, 1992) for their hard work in preparing and putting the stall together; and to Cecelia Hutchinson, who volunteers her time every year as our RSA-qualified champagne server.

Whilst we ended the term with the Garden Party, at the start of the term in July we held our Commemoration Day service, which commemorates the dedication of the College in 1919. We were blessed with another beautiful (if not quite as hot) day, and we enjoyed a lovely service together.  Helen Jarvis (Fisher, 1989) as our guest speaker talked about the significant benefits of volunteering, in keeping with the Pymble Gives Back theme for this year, and we enjoyed an impressive musical performance from Annabelle Kim (2018).

We were joined on Commemoration Day by our 1953 leavers who were celebrating their 70 year reunion.  It was a pleasure to be able to meet them as they enjoyed reconnecting with each other and being back at the College.  Just as our school song refers to the ‘unending chain’ of Pymble girls, we also welcomed our newest ESU members this term with our 2023 leavers coming to the end of their school journey – congratulations on all you have achieved, and we wish you all the best for your HSC exams.

As we head into the final term of the year, our focus will start to turn to planning for 2024.  New committee members are always welcome, so if you are interested in finding out more about the ESU Committee or any of our events, please don’t hesitate to get in contact at pymble.exstudents@gmail.com.

Mrs Fiona Walmsley (McGeachie, 1996).

ESU President

Reunion Updates

Saturday 29 July – 1968 – 55 Year Reunion

On Saturday 29 July in glorious sunshine,  23 of our year turned up on Marden lawn. 55 years had flown by. What hilarious memories some of us shared of our time at Pymble! We ate, we drank, we reminisced!   

We are thankful that we attended Pymble, thankful for the friendships we have that lasted the distance and thankful that we lived to see this day! 

The day was over, we said goodbye to each other and the school after wandering around the always beautiful school grounds.  God willing, we will see each other and those who were unable to attend this reunion in five years time. 

By Suse King

Sunday 30 July – 1953 – 70 Year Reunion 

On a glorious sunny Sunday afternoon, following the annual Commemoration Day Service, eleven 1953 leavers celebrated their 70 year reunion with a lovely lunch in one of the classrooms on the Colonnade.  Thank you to Meg Darling (Henderson) for helping to plan the lovely get together.  We hope to see them back at the College soon.

Sunday 27 August – Melbourne Reunion

Thank you to our Pymble alumni who brought a fabulous energy to our Melbourne Reunion.

The Pymble connection is a strong and special one, and it was wonderful to see so many of our ex-students come along to catch up!

Saturday 2 September – 1963 – 60 Year Reunion 

What a wonderful afternoon was had by all at the 1963 School Leavers  at their 60 Year Reunion on Saturday, 2nd September at the College.  A great roll up of 44 ex students of the 72 who sat for the Leaving Certificate in 1963, who enjoyed a few hours of reminiscences, much talk and even more laughter plus some lovely food and beverages organised by the Alumni Relations Manager, Katrina Corcoran. A special occasion that we will all remember until next time.

By Carolyn McMurray

Saturday 9 September – 1965 Reunion Lunch 

We all had a marvellous time, and happiness and affection obvious throughout the afternoon. We all joined in singing, happy birthday to one another plus the school song. Thank you once more for all your help and perseverance particularly during the last week when things got a bit tricky at times. The table of memorabilia was very well received, and we all enjoyed perusing one another’s items.

By Suzanne Sherwood

Saturday 9 September – 2013 – 10 Year Reunion (The London Hotel, Paddington)

The class of 2013 enjoyed a warm spring afternoon catch-up at The London Hotel in Paddington on Saturday 9th September. It was a wonderful opportunity to reminisce fondly on our Pymble days and share stories from the past decade, and we all felt grateful that we could gather together, particularly in light of the preceding COVID-19 years. The event was organised by Samantha Bear and Charlotte Armstrong, and around 70 graduates attended. We had come from far and wide to attend the reunion, with several girls making the trip to Sydney from interstate. It was hard to believe that it had been ten years since we had finished Year 12, but (and as clichéd as this sounds) it felt as though no time had passed at all. Reflecting upon the conversations shared with many of the girls, a common theme that emerged was that so many of us had now started to work out what we wanted in life – many were succeeding in the careers they had chosen to pursue immediately after school, but the number of career changes was simultaneously a testament to our adaptability, resilience, creativity, and passion – all skills that Pymble helped to foster. We would like to thank everyone who made the effort to attend our ten-year reunion – we hope you had a fabulous time, and we very much hope it isn’t too long before we can all catch up again!

By Samantha Bear

Saturday 23 September – 1958 – 65 Year Reunion

Seventeen members from the class of 1958 celebrated their 65-year reunion at a most enjoyable lunch in the College’s David Macfarlane Centre on September 23. The ranks may have thinned and prevalent white hair on our heads did delay recognition of old friends for a second or two, but there was a lot to catch up on and  plenty of talking and laughter.  The beauty and excellent facilities of the College continue to impress.

By Janet Halliday

Calling all Ex-Pymble Students in Newcastle and the Hunter Region

We’ve had an offer from an ex-student to start up a Newcastle/Hunter region chapter of our Alumni.  There are many of you from this beautiful region. 

If you would like to join us, with a view to meeting up for coffee/lunch and chats (maybe even some charity projects?), please contact Jill Taylor (1973) at  jilltaylor1212@gmail.com or if you are on Facebook, click the link, or search and request to join the private group called  Pymble Ladies College Alumni – Newcastle/Hunter chapter.

By Jill Taylor

Ex-student Tour

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

If you would like to join our next Ex-student Tour, we are hosting one on Monday 6 November at 10.30am. Please email our Alumni Relations Manager, Katrina Corcoran (1987), kcorcoran@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au to save your spot.

Where are they now?

Dr Larissa Burke (Miles, 1999)

As a current parent to Isabelle (Year 8 Boarder), an ex-student and one of four generations of old girls on both sides of the family, there are a number of strong ties to Pymble and many fond memories to share.

I grew up in Rouchel, near Scone in the Upper Hunter valley, on a cattle property. This connection to the land drew me back to living and working as a GP there (as well as meeting my now husband Michael who happened to be living in Scone when we met!). We have four busy and energetic children – Isabelle (13), Patrick (11), Clementine (9) and Lachlan (7).

I was lucky enough to complete my final two years of schooling at Pymble where I was able to experience the very best in academic excellence, sporting opportunities – particularly cross country, hockey and athletics and musical involvement with piano, accompanying, musicals and organ. It was also an action-packed time getting to know a friendly and fun boarding family and many lovely day girls.

One of the most unique experiences was learning to play the pipe organ in the chapel at school and playing for several boarders chapel services!

There are many Pymble family connections as both my mother and father’s side of the family went to Pymble (in fact this is how they met!) On my dad’s side, my grandmother Marion Miles (née Campbell) and two aunts were at Pymble. On mum’s side, my grandmother Jacqueline Judell was a biochemist and the head librarian for 20+ years at Pymble and is remembered by many for her amazing knowledge of all things relating to research, science, the arts, culture and keeping things orderly in the library!

My mum, Gillian Miles (née Judell, 1977) was at Pymble from Years One to 12 and was Goodlet Head Prefect, a talented athlete and a high achiever. These days she is a music teacher of cello and piano and has been working with children in the Upper Hunter for 30+ years.

My sisters, Sarah and Tamara also went to Pymble, and now my daughter, Isabelle Burke is a current boarder in Year 8 and really enjoying her time at the College.

After school, I commenced a Bachelor of Medicine at Newcastle University, which was an amazing chance to study a fabulous course and become a doctor. There were several opportunities to complete study placements overseas during the degree and I spent time in India researching tuberculosis and in England at a renal medicine unit.

My intern and residency years were completed at Royal North Shore Hospital and then I had a move north to Tamworth for a year in acute care which included emergency, intensive care and anaesthetics training. This set me up for a really good grounding prior to moving to Scone.

In Scone I completed my General Practice training and to this day I still work there (it’s now been 16 years!)

These days I’m a practice owner and registrar supervisor and the Hospital Staff Council representative. It’s a busy practice with many sub-specialty GPs and while rural medicine is a challenging job I find the challenge rewarding. We also look after patients at our local hospital, both in emergency and on the ward as well as working in theatre in anaesthetics.

Medicine is an exciting career and full of opportunities to specialise in whatever you are passionate about. Rural general practice has not always been easy but it is certainly an area where you can make a really positive impact in your local community.

Commemoration Day 2023

Commemoration Day marks the Dedication of Pymble Ladies’ College which took place on 31 July 1919.

Each year, the Ex-students’ Union (ESU) host a Commemoration Day Chapel Service followed by a morning tea to mark this occasion.

Thank you to the members of our community who joined us for the service on Sunday and a very special thank you to the ESU choir who sang beautifully during the service.

Reunions and Events

Upcoming 2023 Reunions

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

Saturday 14 October – 1993 – 30 Year Reunion (Greengate Hotel)

Saturday 21 October – 1998 – 35 Year Reunion (The Treehouse, North Sydney)

Friday 27 October – 2008 – 15 Year Reunion (Greenwood, North Sydney)

Saturday 4 November – 1973 – 50 Year Reunion (Pymble Ladies’ College)

Saturday 18 November – 1971 – 50+2 Year Reunion (Pymble Ladies’ College)

Monday 20 November – ESU AGM (Pymble Ladies’ College)

Saturday 25 November – 1998 – 25 Year Reunion (Pymble Ladies’ College)

Saturday 9 December – 1978 – 45 Year Reunion (Pymble Ladies’ College)

Mothers, Grandmothers and Great Grandmothers Morning Tea

In August we held our annual Mothers, Grandmothers and Great-Grandmothers Morning tea, a special event where we celebrate families who have attended Pymble for multiple generations.

Thank you to the students, mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers who joined us for this occasion. Whilst we may now have all living generations, it is lovely to celebrate 3^rd, 4^th and even 5^th generations of Pymble women with a current student at the College.  It was great to see so many happy memories being shared as new friendships were forged.

Alumni visit HSC Chinese Continuer students

It can be so helpful to connect with people who have travelled a pathway before you, so our Year 11 Chinese Continuers class were excited to welcome three of our alumni – Anya Robertson (2020), Rosie Le (2022) and Helen Zhao (2022) – who shared their experiences studying the HSC Chinese courses.

The ex-students discussed their motivations for studying Chinese, the challenges they faced during the course and valuable strategies they used to overcome obstacles and achieve success in the HSC examination.

The advice given by these former students deeply resonated with the Year 11 students, sparking inspiration and providing them with a new-found determination to continue to take risks as they master the Chinese language, encouraging them to pursue further adventures in their language journey.

Thank you Anya, Rosie and Helen for taking the time to share your experiences with our students.

Follow us on Instagram!

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

Births, engagements, marriages and vale notices

BIRTHS

Briony Clark (McIntosh, 2001) and husband Matthew are delighted to announce the birth of their daughter, Mimi Florence Billie, born 12 April 2023 in Vicenza, Italy. A sister for Betty.  Proud grandmother Sue McIntosh (Turnbull, 1972) was able to be there at the time.

Olivia Aberle (Black, 2009) and her husband Nathan welcomed their first child Halle Emma Aberle on 26 July 2023. “We are absolutely smitten with our new addition”.

It is with great love and pride that Michael and Camellia Cratt (Yildirim, 2007) announce the birth of their son Marcus Ali Cratt on 7 July 2023, who although came into this world early and in quite a rush, was born a healthy 3.04kg and 50cm.

Vale

Robyn Atherton (Love, 1946)  25/4/46 – 8/2/23

Robyn was an incredible mother and daughter, a wonderful friend, and an amazing individual.

After many fun years at PLC, Robyn trained at Sydney Teacher’s College to become a primary teacher.

Robyn spent the majority of her early years as a primary school teacher in various schools in NSW, Victoria, and Queensland.  Robyn and her husband Michael moved to Camden in the 1970s as owners of the local newsagency.  It was in Camden where she raised her 2 children. Running a small business like this was challenging, especially with 2 small children, yet Robyn made it work.  After moving back to Sydney she spent many years as a Kindergarten Teacher and Assistant around the North Shore area.

She really enjoyed being a teacher and helping kids learn and grow. Sadly she was forced to give up teaching when Covid struck.  Robyn was all about family and friends. She was very proud of her 2 children and her 5 grandchildren.

Gone too soon.  We love her and miss her very much.

Sue Haaf (Atherton, 1992) – daughter

Pymbulletin

The Ex-Students’ section of Pymbulletin reports on the achievements of Pymble alumni, news items and engagements, weddings, births and vale notices.

The Magazine

We are excited to share a digital copy of The Magazine 2021 with you. This is our yearly school magazine, compiled with the help of our students, providing an overview of the events, activities and achievements of our girls from Kindergarten to Year 12.

Look out over in the coming weeks for the opportunity to order a hard copy version. Happy reading!

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, below or by clicking here.

Edition 7 includes many insightful pieces spanning across a wide range of topics, providing insight into current issues in Pymble’s classrooms and staff rooms.

Highlights from this edition include:

• Journeys of curriculum innovation in Geography education with articles from Ray Howells (focus on agriculture) and Liam Hume and Deb Owens (focus on interdisciplinary learning); all of whom are members of our Geography, Business and Economics team;
• Mapping a college-wide approach to internal teacher accreditation and reward by Kerryl Howarth, Director of Professional Learning;
• Starting a kindness revolution through research and student leadership by Kate Brown, Head of Junior School;
• Looking at local history through a First Nations perspective by Ryan Stewart, History and Aboriginal Studies teacher and PhD candidate;
• Other articles including research into HSC teaching strategies, research cultures in schools and teachers’ experience in global mentoring programs.

This is Pymble College – Celebrating 105 years

The Heart of our College

Since 1916, Pymble has been educating girls, shaping them to be influential and compassionate women. 
 
As we continue exciting new chapters at the College, we walk on grounds that hold treasured moments in time, in the footsteps of those that came before us. 
 
April marks the anniversary of a milestone for our college. On 27 April 1956, our beloved Chapel, officially named the War Memorial Chapel, was opened. The opening address was given by moderator general, the Right Reverend FW Rolland. 
 
A culmination of fund-raising efforts dating back to 1929, the Chapel has become central to college life hosting numerous occasions, including chapel services, celebrations of learning and graduations. 
 
The Chapel’s original windows were pale amber rippled glass, referred to as Cathedral glass, in a leaded diamond pattern. Over the years these have been replaced by coloured stain glass with commemorative, dedication and themed subjects. 

A fascinating Pymble project

As a current member of the graduating year 12 class of 2023, I became increasingly curious about those students before me who had tackled the challenges of their time period and grown into young women in the Pymble Ladies’ College environment. As such, I began to research the components of Pymble Ladies’ College that influenced every girl during 1923 and 1973.

Pymble Ladies’ College in 1923, a school for 202 students and home to another 98 was an environment that encouraged education for young women, offering opportunities to extend themselves. There were areas for arts, such as the divine performance of The Merchant of Venice, and opportunities to adventure into agriculture with the school’s very own cow. Under Miss Nancy Jobson’s guidance, the school began expanding the facilities for all students, offering further opportunities for all girls to partake in an activity they love. The environment around the girls was vastly different to our experiences today, with fields covering the suburb of Pymble and horses being the main mode of transportation. A loaf of bread cost approximately three cents whilst a litre of petrol was only five cents.

In 1973 Pymble Ladies’ College jumped to 1200 day girls being enrolled and 179 boarders living on campus. The environment continued to encourage every student and staff member to develop themselves and partake in challenges that would push them further. In 1973, this was introduced through a staff and student cricket game, encouraging the students to prove their abilities beyond the classroom. The Duke of Edinburgh award became a bigger endeavor in the community, pushing students to develop their skills in multiple areas and to challenge themselves to stay organised and consistent. The playground and classrooms saw a number of expansions, with more classrooms being built as the number of students expanded greatly. The playground continued to house the giant stride and the lifeboat, an area full of keen students who spent their whole lunchtime swinging around. Miss Jeanette Buckham spent her time encouraging students to try their best in all areas, promoting an environment of hard work and connection. The broader Pymble community saw rises in prices, with a loaf of bread now totaling 21 cents and petrol becoming 9 cents per litre, with a greater number of students now arriving to school by car.

Now, in 2023, Pymble Ladies’ College has more than 2000 students enrolled, with approximately 120 boarders living on campus. There are exciting events that happen throughout the year to offer the students chances to extend and challenge themselves to get involved in areas outside of their comfort zones and build upon themselves. The boarders and their histories are greatly celebrated, with boarder’s week being solely dedicated to unraveling their stories. The school is home to all areas of arts, with productions such as A Chorus Line being found in Pymble’s own theatre, the GMCPA. Dr Hadwen, the current principal of the college, fuels an environment of passion and determination to create a future world full of equality and opportunity through the expansion of the number of classrooms and the facilities found around the school. In the Pymble community, the price of a loaf of bread has risen to $3.06, whilst the price of petrol continues to change every day at around $1.06 per litre. As the environment at Pymble Ladies’ College and beyond the gates changes throughout the decades, the class of 2023 is presented with new and different opportunities, though continue to hold the determination and desires of those who entered the school gates a century before them. As such, they will take their strides and leap into their future in which they will hold the support from all the alumni before them.

Becca Peters
Year 12 2023

Pymble Memory Boxes

Thanks to the initiative of ex-student Sophie Rothery (2018), the Archive is creating memory boxes. The concept is to provide a collection of items which may provide/trigger joy and recollections for ex-students suffering from dementia.

“A school such as Pymble Ladies’ College, holds such a presence in the hearts of so many ex-students, as our ex-students (teachers and community) become older, we are able to support them and engage them with college life with these memory boxes”

The box contents are a collection from the relevant alumni decade including items such as: a Black Watch Tartan tam-o’-shanter replica, reproduction of a prospectus, a collection of images of grounds in the era, class and sport photos, a fabric school badge, colouring-in sheets of a stain glass window in the Chapel with coloured pencils, a coloured game of jacks, magazine excerpts and soft crafted or pressed flowers. We hope to add items for carers such as QR codes which when scanned play the school song and other media and a variety of materials to engage the senses.

If you would like to create some small items to include in the boxes such as crochet jacaranda flowers or cross stitch samplers, please contact the Archivist Enid O’Carroll for patterns, wool or other supplies.

If you have an ex-student in your family who might enjoy a memory box, please also contact the Archivist at eocarroll@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au..

Mrs Enid O’Carroll
Archivist

Careers at Pymble

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

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

 https://youtu.be/FD_ULllriUA  

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

emPOWER Lunch with Dr Catherine Yang (1994)

Pymble’s emPOWER lunches aim to do just that – empower our students by giving them opportunities to meet professionals from various industries and career paths to learn more about their post-school options.

We love welcoming our Alumni back on campus to connect with our students, so to celebrate the recent Dental Health Week, Pymble Alumni and dentist Dr Catherine Yang (1994) joined students from Years 9 to 12 for an emPOWER lunch session to talk about a career in dentistry. Catherine was one of the first certified Invisalign Go dentists in Australia, and in 2022 became a published author with the release of her first book ‘Step on Fear’.

Thank you, Catherine, for answering our student’s dentistry questions and encouraging them to step on their fear!

Bid now in our Silent Auction!

We are delighted to announce that our Silent Auction in support of the Pymble Foundation is open for bidding now.

If you cannot attend the Gala Ball, this is a wonderful opportunity to support the Pymble Foundation AND win some incredible prizes, including

• A personal 45-minute, one-on-one training session by Ian Thorpe AM in the Pymble Ladies’ College pool. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for any aspiring young swimmer!
• A five-night holiday at Elements of Byron in beautiful Byron Bay. Escape the daily grind at this stunning resort offering beach front access and world-class amenities.
• A Sydney FC 2023/2024 Home Game experience for four people at your choice of the women’s or men’s game. This incredible experience includes general admission tickets, pitch-side seats of the A-League team warm up, and viewing players walking out from the Tunnel Club.

The Silent Auction will close at 10.15pm on Saturday night.

Place your bid here. Good luck and happy bidding!