Celebrating a year of togetherness

A warm hello from a much quieter campus than usual! Our girls have departed for the year, after having celebrated their achievements at Speech Days, final Chapel Services and Celebrations of Learning. We have also gathered with our wider community to ring in the festive season at our College Christmas Celebration on Gloucester Lawn – another traditional marker of the end of the school year at Pymble. On each occasion we have taken the time to acknowledge our gratitude for a year of togetherness.

We were blessed with a four terms of face-to-face learning on our main campus and at Vision Valley, along with an almost-pre-pandemic calendar of College events. It was a joy to welcome Pymble alumni to Foundation Day, Jacaranda Day, careers and networking evenings, the launch of our new Data Science course, and our magnificent Garden Party after a three-year hiatus.

Our Speech Day video has become the highly anticipated release of the year – please enjoy this snapshot of some of the many highlights of 2022.

Best of all, we welcomed many of you back onto our beautiful campus for reunions and tours, and we travelled to regional areas in Australia to connect with past, present and future Pymble families. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to join your reunions in London, New York and Los Angeles during my enrichment leave earlier in the year. Thank you for gifting me your time and company, and for continuing to show how much you value your Pymble connections by attending these special events.

My hope is that you will continue to be involved in the life of the College next year through the many opportunities available. In particular, I’m thinking of our College-wide program, Pymble Gives Back. In 2023, we will be encouraging our students, staff and wider community to focus on intentionally and meaningfully using our individual gifts and talents, along with our collective power, to be of service to others.

The program will launch in the first week of Term 1, with a collection of much-needed items to support the work of the Wayside Chapel, Dignity and The Smith Family. We are also in the process of gathering information about organisations or groups our girls can be of service to throughout the year. If you have an association with a charitable organisation that could benefit from the assistance of our ‘kindness army’ of student volunteers, please contact our Alumni Relations Manager, Mrs Katrina Corcoran (Hum, 1987) via kcorcoran@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au.

It gives me such joy to think of all the ways we can mobilise our ready-made kindness army of past and present students, along with staff and families, to help change the world for people experiencing great hardship and challenge in their lives. Thank you for thinking about how you can be part of our Pymble Gives Back program in 2023.

Signing off with best wishes for a safe and merry Christmas, together with your loved ones, and this heart-warming message from our girls.

Dr Kate Hadwen
Principal

News From the Pymble Alumni Team

It’s hard to believe that we are at the end of another year already. It has been wonderful to see the girls at school every day without the worry of looming lockdowns and to see our Pymble alumni back in full swing reuniting in year groups and making up for all that lost time in lockdown.

2023 promises to be even busier with our 15 year group reunions as well as interstate year group events in Canberra on Saturday 18 March and our Melbourne reunion in August. We are also in the midst of planning our international reunions so if you are living abroad, or have plans to travel overseas next year and are keen to catch up with long-lost Pymble classmates, do keep an eye on your inbox for those dates as they are finalised.

Back on home soil, we will be hosting our KPMG Alumni Networking Event again in May as well as our annual Mothers and Grandmothers Morning Tea to celebrate those ex-student mothers and grandmothers with a student currently attending the College. Of course, our ex-students tours every term are always a sell out and a fun addition to any upcoming reunions.

In exciting news, we are delighted to announce the inaugural Alumni Awards to be held in November 2023. These awards will honour our ex-students’ achievements and contributions in academia, community service, politics and sport. We will be in touch next year with more details.

While we try our best to keep up to date with the news and success of ex-Pymble girls, 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.

I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and look forward to seeing more of you in 2023.

All’ Ultimo Lavoro.

Mrs Katrina Corcoran (Hum, 1987)

Alumni Relations Manager

ESU President Update

I am delighted to be taking over as Pymble Ex-Students Union President in 2023. To introduce myself, my name is Fiona Walmsley (McGeachie, 1996). I am a mum of two – Grace (Year 9 2023), and Ben (Year 5 Knox 2023) and work in sustainability, currently as the General Manager of Climate & Environment for Woolworths Group. I am passionate about fostering the links in our ‘unending chain’ of Pymble students and keeping our incredible Pymble alumni connected with the College and with each other.

I must acknowledge the wonderful work of the previous committee and especially of outgoing president Zoe Wang (Moore 1994). Even through the significant challenges of the pandemic, they have continued to ensure the connection with the alumni community through a series of important initiatives including our Ex-Students’ Assistance Program provided by Benestar which provides wellbeing support, and of course our Passion Projects, with our alumni dance group now up and running.

It gives me great pleasure to introduce our fabulous committee for 2023:

Victoria Muller – Vice President

Susan O’Sillivan – Secretary

Sachini Senevirante – Treasurer

Ordinary Committee Members – Natalie Brandon, Rowena Ditzell, Amy Graham, Louise Kellaway, Brigitte Liew, Zoe Wang

I am looking forward to working with the committee and with the College in 2023 to build upon the wonderful work that has been done over the past few years and continuing to build the connections in our wonderful Pymble community.

Mrs Fiona Walmsley (McGeachie, 1996).

ESU President

Katherine Seymour (2016)

Katherine Seymour (2016) has recently featured in Forbes magazine discussing her PhD research (University of Sydney) into novel assisted reproductive technology in agriculture. She began as a PhD candidate this year, whilst continuing to work as one of the coaches of the Pymble Cattle Team, which she has done for the past four years.

Reunion Updates

Saturday 14 May – 1960 – 60 Year Reunion

Our reunion was finally held on Saturday 14 May, 2022 – so it became our 60 + 2 Year Reunion! It was a memorable day, as this event had been postponed three times since 2020 as a result of COVID restrictions which affected so many other reunions. Katrina Corcoran, the Alumni Relations Manager, had been constantly manoeuvring us all around with new dates and I want to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for all her support and kindness through what has been for her a very trying couple of years.

Our reunion was held in the David MacFarlane Centre on what was a beautiful day, it was warm and sunny; quite an achievement as the weather before and after this date had been wet and chilly! We were indeed blessed! Many girls sadly had to pull out due to COVID not only with them but family members. The Centre itself had been beautifully set up by the College, the catering was excellent and much appreciated by everyone. The 29 girls who attended from our 1960 year were delighted to see each other again, renewing old friendships and catching up with current friends. While we were sorry that so many girls could not make it, there was a feeling that our next reunion, i.e. our 65^th, could be organised for three years’ time in 2025.

Written by Bronwyn Harvey (nee Lamy) and Barbara Fieldhouse (nee Dickson)

Saturday 24 September – 2006 – 15.5 Year Reunion

On Saturday 24 September at the David Macfarlane Centre, we held the 2006 15+1 school reunion. Rescheduled due to COVID in 2021. We had a lovely group come to the College, with some returning for the first time since leaving school. The atmosphere was very enjoyable and we all connected through our Pymble memories. A big thank you to Pymble for hosting such a special afternoon.

Sunday 8 October – Toowoomba Reunion

Nine Pymble Ex-students from the Darling Downs region of Southern Queensland gathered for lunch at Cafe Valetta in Toowoomba on Saturday 8^th October 2022 and were joined by two ladies who travelled up from Brisbane for the event.

Pam Strange (Kirk, 1952)
Robin Fulcher (Kirk, 1958)
Joan Kohler (Hindmarsh, 1944)
Debbie MacRae (Tweedy, 1969)
Rosalie Kierle (Kierle, 1957)
Helen Gibson (Colton, 1963)
Caroline Freyburg (Andrews, 1967)
Robin Baker (Duncan, 1964)
Jocelyn Doran (French, 1958)
Christine Brabrook (Mactier, 1954)
Jan Knight (Kirk, 1955)

By Helen Gibson (Colton, 1963)

Saturday 15 October – 2017 – 5 Year Reunion

The graduating class of 2017 came together for their 5-year reunion at ‘The Loft’ in Barangaroo. With a great turn out, we all caught up on recent travel adventures, university studies, entering the corporate world for the first time, some marriages and the first baby! We enjoyed reminiscing on school experiences and how many have stayed connected with the Pymble community. What a great atmosphere it was, hearing all about the different paths and industries everyone has embarked upon. It’s wonderful to see the relationships that continue to blossom after leaving the College. We missed the girls who couldn’t make it but hope to see them soon!

By Amy Graham

Saturday 22 October – 2001 – 20+2 Year Reunion

The class of 2001 celebrated 21 years since their PLC school days and it was a fantastic night with a great turn out.

By Fiona Tyler and Angela Pearce (Gorick)

Saturday 17 September – 1997 – 25 Year Reunion

On Saturday 17 September the Class of ’97 celebrated twenty five years. We were so excited to have 80 girls join in the celebrations at Cabana Bar in Sydney for a night of beautiful canapés and drinks. We were very lucky to enjoy a gorgeous Sydney spring evening with lots to share and catch up on since our last reunion five years ago. Girls travelled from far and wide with many having moved to regional and country areas in the last few years. We had girls travelling from all over NSW, flying in from around Australia and an even a special trip from Singapore just for the night was made. While many of us still remain in close contact and see each other regularly it was a truly special night to see so many of us from school together again with lifelong friendships proving to be as strong as ever.

By Stephany Burton and Francesa Reynolds

Friday 21 October – 1967 – 55 Year Reunion

We had a great gathering of 60 1967 Leavers on Friday 21st October at lunchtime at Killara Golf Club. Everyone made a huge effort to get there through rain, floods, covid, illness, flight delays, traffic etc – so well done to the 26 from Interstate and Regional NSW. It was a really happy and relaxed gathering with Meredith Birse composing a great song for us accompanied by ukulele players & singers! Quite a few went on to the Greengate afterwards so it turned out to be a very long but fun-filled day! Till we all reunite again in 2027!
By Sue Macdonald (Sevier), Joc Chadwick (Parkhill), Di Fisk (Reid)

Saturday 22 October – 1970 – 50+2 Year Reunion

Such a terrific night with just so much fun ! A pleasure to get these “old girls” together once more!

By Jo, Pam, Catherine, Janet and Jenny

Saturday 5 November – 1987 – 35 Year Reunion

It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces from the Class of 1987 at the 35 Year Reunion Cocktail Party. Thanks to all who came back on campus for a fun afternoon of reminiscing and catching up!

Saturday 5 November – 1982 – 40 Year Reunion

The Class of 1982 had a lovely afternoon celebrating their 40 Year Reunion on the Chapel Lawn, something they weren’t allowed to step on when they were at school, so it felt even more special.

Saturday 5 November – 1992 – 30 Year Reunion

On Saturday 5th November, around 85 1992 leavers celebrated their 30 year reunion at the Oaks Hotel. It was such a fabulous night, full of laughs and non-stop conversations, but never enough time to catchup with everyone! A couple of girls came from the US and NZ and with around 20+ boarders joining us, it was such a special night. Gina turned up in the senior summer uniform, and Mel, our head prefect, was on task getting everyone into the group photo!! It was such a lovely feeling in the room, where we all just enjoy each other’s company and with many girls still in close contact, I know many will be looking forward to another catch up in 5 years. Best. Reunion. Ever!

Thanks year of 1992 for making the night so special!

By Annabelle Ashwin

Saturday 26 November – 1981 – 40+1 Year Reunion

On Saturday 26 November 2022, under lovely sunny skies, the Class of 1981 gathered together at the David Macfarlane Centre for their 40 year reunion. Our day started with an informative tour of the School and its wonderful facilities followed by a cocktail style luncheon which stretched into the late afternoon. It was a wonderful celebration of friendship and fun accompanied by a huge amount of laughter. We are all looking forward to meeting again at our 50 year reunion.

By Kristin Siebel (Gissing)

Saturday 12 November – 1957 – 65 Year Reunion

We had a wonderful day on Saturday 12 November. Robina Scott came all the way from the UK, Rosalie Keirle popped down from Toowoomba. Many of the boarders were caught up in the flood crisis but Ros Chick was there to represent them supported by Cate Moxham and Liz LaForrest.

The College looked amazing, the rain had stopped and everything was colourful and bright including the Jacaranda tree in full flower. We were able to gather forty of us so there was much laughter and celebration of renewing old friendships, plus catching up on times past. A great day was had by all.

By Margaret Scott

Saturday 19 November – 2002 – 20 year reunion

An excited bunch of more than 60 ladies from the Class of 2002 gathered at the DMC on Saturday 19 November to mark 20 years since graduating from the College.

Stories were shared over canapes, trivia tested our memories and photos and memorabilia from the day helped us reminisce. It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to catch-up again with old friends and also tour the school and fantastic new facilities.

Money raised from ticket sales went to support the work of the Te Kworo Foundation, assisting children and women in Uganda through education and maternal health https://te-kworofoundation.org

Thank you to all involved, including the College Alumni Office.

By Georgia Lovell

Saturday 3 December – 1977 – 45 Year Reunion

We had an absolute blue bird day for the Class of 1977 reunion at the College. It brought back lots of memories for all of us standing under the trees in the dabbled sunlight sharing memories and the journey we have each taken since leaving school as the breeze rustled the tress and the birds serenaded us. There was no shortage of conversation and laughter.

We took a moment to remember Deidre Ashelford (Burgess) who passed away in July 2020 from a progressive degenerative condition. Christina Franks (Hodgson), a close friend of Deidre’s had planned to speak about Deirdre at the reunion but unfortunately couldn’t attend at the last moment due to COVID. Cathie Knox stepped in and brought to life Deidre’s contribution to theatre production over many years.

Gillian Miles (Judell) took a moment to tell us about the side of Mrs Judell our librarian at Pymble which we knew nothing about. She spoke at least four languages French, German, Russian and English and travelled widely throughout Europe. Could being our school librarian just have been a cover?! It did leave us wondering…

It was great fun and left us thinking about our 50 year school reunion!

By Christine Bartlett

Support for our Alumni

PymConnect is our online mentoring platform, designed to link our Pymble alumni, parents and carers to facilitate mentoring opportunities that help create a culture of shared learning, and enhance personal and professional growth. 

Since the launch of PymConnect last year we have received an enthusiastic response from our community. We currently have 177 mentors and 159 mentees making connections and building a sense of belonging.

The past 18 months have been extraordinary with lockdowns and restrictions impacting the lives of everyone – including our current Year 12 students. As they prepare to complete their HSC studies and embark on their next life journey, this is a time where connections and support are important. In preparation for our newest graduates joining PymConnect, we would like to invite you to participate in this program as a mentor.

A special thanks to those of you who have signed up to join the program following our last invitation.

To express your interest or to ask us a question, please feel free to reach out to us at pymconnect@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au or phone +61 2 9855 7799.

Benestar is a confidential wellbeing support service, thanks to the generosity of our Ex-Students’ Union (ESU).

You will always be a Pymble girl and we want you to know that the Pymble family continues to care about your wellbeing, even after you leave the College. This program gives you easy access to wellbeing support when times are tough or whenever you feel like you need a helping hand.

Our Ex-Students’ Assistance Program (EAP) is provided by Benestar under the MyCoach personal and confidential coaching program. MyCoach offers a team of professional coaches trained to assist you with everything from mental health to relationships to exercise and sleep, in face-to-face sessions or over the phone.

Ex-students who access the service will be offered up to three funded one-hour coaching sessions. To access the service, you can call the numbers below and inform them you are a Pymble ex-student:

Australia: 1300 360 364

New Zealand: 0800 360 364

International: +61 2 8295 2292

Benestar also has a wide range of tools, blog posts, podcasts and learning modules available on the BeneHub at www.benestar.com or via the Benestar app. To register for access to the information, simply visit www.benestar.com and go to the BeneHub Login and enter the ID: PLCA and the Token: PLCA01.

All sessions are confidential and neither the College nor the ESU Committee will be provided with the names of ex-students accessing the service.

We know that many of you will already have good existing relationships with your local GP. In the event that you need mental health support, you may prefer to talk to your GP about a plan which enables you to access Medicare funding for six to ten counselling sessions with a Medicare-approved mental health professional. Please know that the EAP offers an alternative path for support, however, should not replace the clinical care provided by your GP and other health professionals.

Curiosities from the Archive

The Archive holds three small display boxes which hold snake fangs, possibly used as a teaching aid in days long past.

When the fangs were found, they had been stored poorly, and the fangs were dislodged from their correct labelled positions. The College Archivist worked with Conservation and Herpetology staff from the Australian Museum to identify the specimens and replace them in their original positions.

The Archivist carefully glued the fangs with archival quality adhesive to their correct positions. A new acrylic window, cut by our Technology and Applied Science staff, was fitted in place of the broken panel. They are now on display in the Heritage Centre Museum.

The Archive holds a number of teaching aids from the past including wooden puzzles, a large cardboard slide rule, a cosmographic atlas, hanging wall charts of NSW and charts for dental care. The fangs however, are in a class of their own, a curiosity of the Archive.

Written by Enid O’Carroll, College Archivist

Reunions and Events

Upcoming 2023 Reunions

1956 – 65+2 Year Reunion – Saturday 4 March 2023

1983 – 40 Year Reunion – Saturday 25 March 2023

1953 – 70 Year Reunion – Sunday 29 July 2023

1963 – 60 Year Reunion – Saturday 2 September 2023

1958 – 65 Year Reunion – Saturday 23 September 2023

1973 – 50 Year Reunion – Saturday 4 November 2023

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

VALE: Robin Caroline Hodges (Bunyan, 1949)

Robin Caroline Hodges was the youngest child of John Gordon, and Mabel Agnes Bunyan of Woodlands, Holbrook, born on the 8^th July 1931 at the old Holbrook Hospital. Growing up on the family farm with siblings John, Bub and Betty, Robin went away to school at an early age, firstly to Woodstock and then the Presbyterian Ladies College (PLC) Sydney.

A family story goes that at the age of 15, Robin convinced her father she was needed during shearing and after 12 months away, never returned to complete her schooling. Nevertheless, she made lifelong friends at boarding school, her nickname was Bunny, and she loved the reunions.

Robin worked on the family farm, loved her animals especially her horses and relished contact with community through the Presbyterian/United Church, the Agricultural Shows, playing polocrosse, establishing Pony Club, taking part in local concerts, attending community balls, square dancing and fund raising for the establishment of the local swimming pool.

Robin met her future husband Gresham at a welcome-to- the- district party held at his parent’s – Caleb and Grace’s property, Upper Wantagong. Gresham and Robin were married in 1957 and in the early years of their marriage lived and farmed at Upper Wantagong. Caleb ran a stud of Blairgowrie Galloways and Gresham, Argyle Herefords.

During this time, Marylou was born in 1958, Duncan in 1959 and Rachel, 1963. The young family moved from Upper Wantagong to Binginwarri when Robin inherited land from her Uncle William Bunyan. Here they operated a mixed farming enterprise of cattle, sheep, and cropping.

Robin is described by her daughters Marylou and Rachel and son Duncan as “our rock”. Gresham died from melanoma in January 1974 when the children were in their early teens; Rachel only 11, Duncan 14 and Marylou 15.

As a sole parent, Robin continued the farm for another eight years to avoid uprooting the children, and waited until Rachel finished school. She provided a steady ship during their adolescent years including Pony Club for the girls on Saturday and the Motorcycle Club for Duncan on Sundays.

“We were a close family and built up a strong sense of trust,” they said.

Robin took on many administrative roles with Pony Club as well as the Tumbarumba Camp and was bestowed with life membership of both Holbrook and the Zone Pony Club.

Robin encouraged Marylou, Duncan, and Rachel to take advantage of opportunities that came their way – to be independent, think outside the box, and make the most of life in a positive way. She followed this advice, and travelled overseas to the UK, the USA, Canada, and New Zealand. Robin enjoyed company, she was warm and genuine in her interest and always up for a chat. She had the uncanny knack of striking up conversations with strangers and being informed of all sorts of random information.

Her family believe Robin was a woman of tremendous strength and faith, non-judgmental, welcoming and had a way of building trust. She had a special interest in helping young families with baby sitting and her focus and interest was about young people. She assisted with the Show Society’s Miss Showgirl Competition and took on the role of Peter Rabbit at the Early Childhood Centre as well as helping at the Holbrook Public School.

Her community work and interests included Crafty Hands and Meals on Wheels. She loved chocolate, meringues, porridge with cream and brown sugar, whiskey, bubbles, the smell of cut grass, haymaking, baby animals, dogs, cats, and her horses Nelly, Jerry, Chinook, and Fury. She wore bright colours – purple, red, pink, and green, she had a favourite purple hat, and her favourite outing was meeting with friends.

Robin had a quirky sense of humour; loved musicals and knew all the words to songs in Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Mama Mia, and White Christmas; she enjoyed happy shows – Paddington Bear, Ice Age and Madagascar. No violence!

She had a great love and pride in her family – Marylou, Rachel, Duncan and his wife Joanne, their children Gresham and Caleb and great grandchild Zac.

A memorial for Robin Caroline Hodges was held at the Knox Church, Holbrook, at 11am on Friday 12^th August with refreshments at the RSL CLUB.

Robin passed away on 9^th July 2022 at the age of 91 years and 1 day.

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.

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!

This is Pymble College – Celebrating 105 years

Pymbulletin

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

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

Vision Valley

In December 2020 Pymble purchased the beautiful Vision Valley campus in Arcadia. The site is set on 100 acres of native bushland and backs on to the spectacular Berowra Valley National Park; it’s located north-west of the Sydney CBD and is around 45 minutes from the main Pymble campus.

When this second College campus opened, I was working as the Pymble Enrolments Manager Years 7-12 but the thought of a tree-change and the chance to work as the Operations Manager on a new venture in the great outdoors was too enticing to pass up.

For those alumni who remember Camp Knox, Vision Valley is a similar set-up. We specialise in adventurous Outdoor Education and Experiential learning programs for Pymble and other schools. Since opening the gates in January 2021, we have welcomed over 12,000 students to the campus.

The campus has four lodges with quad share bunk bed accommodation, a main function centre with dining room, auditorium and classrooms, an outdoor stage and amphitheatre, and a central campsite as well as bush camping sites for solo expeditions.

There is a small dam for canoeing and raft building, natural abseiling and rock-climbing sites, a high ropes course, archery, two pools and a waterslide, mountain bike trails and more.

The Outdoor Education programs are designed to allow students to extend themselves alongside their peers, build their resilience and courage, while working as a team and honing their leadership skills. We have a team of specialist outdoor educators guiding them along the way as they jump off 12 metre towers, scale up and down cliff faces or work as a team to solve the challenges of the initiatives course.

But the highlight of Vision Valley is our flagship program the Year 9 Residential Program (RP) where Pymble girls ‘board’ at Vision Valley for four weeks. We ran two highly successful pilot programs in 2022 – the first was in August and the 56 Pymble students shared this trailblazing program with 40 boys from St Ignatius College Riverview. The second program in October was for Pymble students only.

The four-week RP is a tech-free (yep – no mobile phones or devices!) blend of off-site overnight expeditions, Vision Valley outdoor ed activities and life skills training (think how to change a tyre or wield a power tool, forage for bush tucker or try permaculture gardening), academic learning, and the firm favourite which is rest and relaxation – lots of downtime in the great outdoors, time for the girls to be with friends, make new friends, write letters home, reflect and recharge. The RP culminates in The Great Return – a five-day hike from the Valley back to Pymble. Students map out the route, devise their meal plans and manage the packing so supplies are shared. At the end, parent, teachers and friends are waiting on Gloucester Lawn to welcome them back after this life-changing journey. There are happy tears aplenty!

2023 will see three back-to-back Residential Programs in Semester 1 – the first is for Pymble students only and the next two are co-educational programs with Riverview. We will also roll out our new Holiday Camp programs for Pymble Junior School students and their siblings. In addition, we have designed curriculum excursions with practical and fun outdoor lessons which complement the NESA K-6 curriculum.

The small and mighty Vision Valley team has worked hard over the past two years to create an environment where students will thrive and flourish outside the classroom. The scope of works is massive – from maintenance and extensive landscaping, to planning for the future – bespoke outdoor classrooms and camp shelters will be built in 2023 and the lodges will be upgraded over the next few years. The site offers enormous possibilities, and we are dreaming big in the experiential learning space.

To learn more about Vision Valley visit our website.

Rebecca Pearce (Scobie 1988)

Class of 2022 HSC Booklet

The Class of 2022 HSC Booklet features an overview of the outstanding academic and curricular achievements of our students, personal stories of success and insight into what some of our girls have in store for their future post-Pymble.

To read the booklet, please click here.

Archie’s Cafe opens and Summer House Plaque unveiled

In late October this year a new food outlet was opened at the College. Located near the Centenary Carpark and named for our first College dog, Archie’s Cafe has quickly become a popular destination with students, staff and parents.

In November, the site of the Summer House which used to stand close by was recognised with a plaque to acknowledge the Vicars family’s long involvement with Pymble. The original plaque from the Summer House was also restored and fixed to the new structure. The plaque is dedicated to Noreen Vicars with its beautiful inscription reading:

Noreen Vicars
1911-1986

“Light, laughter
and love of life”

Heritage display at Garden Party

Happily we were able to gather together again for Garden Party in 2022. The Heritage Archive was on show in one of the Colonnade classrooms. A corner was created to capture a classroom c1916, with blackboard and easel, wall charts, teachers’ desk and slates. The popular photo booth was also back with fun pictures using props such as the tam-o’-shanter, vintage tennis rackets and blazer replicas.

A slide show of class photos through the decades and pictures of the colonnade classrooms from the past used for art classes and sewing captured attention. The scavenger hunt and activity book created by Duke of Edinburgh Archive volunteers proved popular with younger visitors.

A display of small treasures from the Archives included:

The glass perfume bottle, embossed with ‘Yardley Perfume 1770’, which was discovered during work on Agriculture Plot in September, 2020. The bottle appears to be from c.1915.
Belonging to one of Pymble Ladies’ College principals, a memo book was once the cherished possession of Principal Dorothy Knox. From a front page declaring this item “Her book!” to the meticulously scribed names and addresses of alumni and staff met at Pymble Ladies’ College events, this memo book is a clear reflection of Miss Knox’s eye for detail and interest in the Pymble community that extended far beyond her time as principal.
The school pocket, donated by one of Pymble Ladies’ College’s founding students, is inscribed with the years 1916, 1917, and 1918. The navy wool with gold thread embroidered crest and lettering has held up well over the last 100 plus years.
At the end of the school year, students who have shown excellence in various aspects of their study are often rewarded with a prize that reflects their area of success. The pocket-sized bible, awarded to Heather Field for scripture in 1925, is testament to the endurance of this prize-giving tradition at Pymble Ladies’ College, and the long-held practice of acknowledging and celebrating student achievement.