TheWesleyanWESLEY COLLEGE FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT AND JOURNAL 2016

WESLEY COLLEGE STUDENTS 2016

Gracie Adam, Arslan Ahmed, Gyan Ainkaran, AngusAirth, Wessley Armstrong, Adelaide Bailey, Lily Baker,Ayu Barry, Joseph Barry-Marron, Caitlyn Bellis, HarryBellman, Timothy Berney-Gibson, Isabella Bouckley,Rowan Bray, Verenna Brown, Jessica Buchanan,Audrey Burns, Lydia Cadell, Nicola Cadman, IsobelCahill, Jack Caldwell, Alison Campbell, Luther Canute,William Carson Graham, Nishtha Chadha, LawrenceChan, Lauren Chapman, Sophie Clark, Kiley Coffee,Christopher Cole, Georgina Cook, Susanna Cottam,Emma Crossing, Theodore Cruthers, Louis Cummings,Edmund Delves, Jay Deshpande, Sarah Dupere,Katherine Ehalt, David Eydus, Olivia Fairbank, ConnorFarnell, George Fell, Hugh Finlay, Michaela Finlay, BilliFitzSimons, Juliette Fleming, Will Flockhart, TaliaFranger, Alexander Frazis, Madeline Frerer, HamishFuller, Katie Fuller, Grace Gavin, Lizette Gazca,Nicholas Ghee, Samantha Gleich, Charlotte Glover,Hugh Gottlieb, Seiya Grant, Lucy Gray, Lucy Grech,Christopher Green, Michael Gribble, Gabriella Gunson,Elyssa Haley, Christopher Hanbury-Brown, KarlHarbers, William Haskell, Amelia Hellicar-Foster,Patrick Hendy, Alice Hibbard, Gemma Hill, Lucy Hogg,Faye Holder, Rachel Howdyshell, Miranda Hutchesson,Madison James, Giorgi Jardine, Ryan Jeffreson,Nicholas Jobson, Joshua Joseph, Jessica Kanji, JamesKilby, Joshua King, Charlotte Kinsella, Lucy Knowles-

McCreanor, Rio Kurihara, Angus Lattimore, HannahLewis, Robert Liddle, Martis Lirman, Lucy Lomax,Celeste Luisi, Alexander Macdonald, Pascale Mann,Benson McClelland, Alexander McDonald, HughMcLaren, Ethan Miller, Sarah Moore, Jonathon Moore,Bonnie Moorfield, Maggie Mowle, AndrewMunchenberg, Alexander Murphy, Hunter Murray,James Nadin, Jessica Negus, Alistair Northam,Gabrielle Nottle, Robert O’Hara, Myra Opdyke,Sebastian Parsons, Rohan Patel, Alishka Patel,Maddison Pearce, Sophie Petersen Tym, SophiePeterson, Florence Potter, Harry Potter, Jack Redman,Sabrina Reuber, Melanie Ridley, Zali Rochow, HannahRoss-Smith, Dylan Ruba, Jack Rudd, Sasha Ruggiero,Noelani Schulmeyer, Matthew Sellwood, SamanthaShannon, Siobhan Shaw, Harry Skacel, Alysha Skerritt,Thomas Smith, Edward Spiller, Nicholas Starr, AndrewSue, Hai Hui (Stepahie) Tan, Liam Taylor, YarlaluThomas, Alexandra Thomson, Elena Torano, Luke vanden Honert, Luke Vandenberg, Sophie Verheul, MatildaWalker, Madalyn Walker, Adelaide Wallace, TullyWallace-Smith, Sophia Wang, Edith Warne, EmmaWeal, Millicia West, Archibald Weston, AllisonWhalley, Lauren White, Brittany Wilcock, KatieWilliams, Alexander Wilton-Reeves, Peter Xu, PeirongYang, Jerry Yu, Michael Zawal

FRESHERS fr 2016

Sarah Allworth, Simone Barakat, David Barclay,Andrew Barron, Rosie Burt-Morris, Andrew Cameron,Georgia Campbell, Michael Chau, Ella Connor, LucyCottier, Madison Crane, Rafael Cuginotti de Oliveira,Sarah Dixon, Alexander Eden, Mia Evans-Liauw,Francesca Farrell, Emma Fessey, Kate Fischer, SarahFitzgerald, Louis FitzSimons, Jack Gibson, AlexanderGrant, Joshua Haertsch-Doust, Saskia Hartog, MegHaynes, Isabella Hazelton, Ella Hide, Matthew Hinds,

Lucy Holden, Anna Holt, Alex Honner, DylanJohnston, Matthew Jolly, Liam Key, Charles King,William Lawless, Stuart Loxton, Aimee Macdonald,David Macintyre, Amelia McIntosh, Charlie Meller,Thomas Pavitt, Anil Rajanathan, Jules Rankin, WilliamRidley, Kiel Rochow, Emily Rogers, Jordan Romeo,Benjamin Rowse, Lillian Scarborough, AustinSorenson, Joshua Stewart, Nicholas Thyne, VincentUmbers, Hugh Westmacott, Thomas Willson

RETURNING STUDENTS fr 2015

Elizabeth Baker, David Barlow, Hugh Bates, MontyBeale, Ella Beer, Holly Boston, Julia Bradley, KacyBrennan, Katherine Bull, Henry Chan, TimothyChisholm, Madeleine Cooper, Sally Cottam, SeanCross, Jola Cumming, Siobhan Deacon, SamuelDocking, Harrison Dormer, Gabrielle Fleming,Cameron Gundy, Kate Hewett, Megan Hood, OliverHowse, Ashleigh James, Sophie Jobson, Imran Joseph,Joseph Kershaw, Annalise Lance, Amelia Laumberg,Sophie Leitch, Kirk Lewis, Madeleine Lofthouse,

Maxwell Mann, Anabel Marino, Juliette Maurer, OliverMaxwell, Tessa Maye, Lexie McCullagh, ClaudiaMezrani, Toomas Mirlieb, Joshua Mulligan, StuartNelson, Georgia O’Grady, Robert Palmer, Victoria Pan,Kirsten Parkin, Alanna Pearsall, Jack Racklyeft, MarcRigter, John Robles, Harriet Scriven, Benjamin Spoor,Joshua Steward, Olivia Sweeney, Felicity Taylor,Kimberly Whalley, Bruce Wilson, Naomi Young, Philip Zhu

RETURNING STUDENTS fr 2014

1THE WESLEYAN

The first 9 residents of Wesley College, pictured with the Master, Reverend Fletcher in 1917.Please join us as we celebrate the Centenary of Wesley College in 2017. A full list of events can be found on the inside back cover of this Wesleyan.

2 DECEMBER 2016

Professor Sir Philip Baxter, vice-chancellor of the University ofNew South Wales from 1953 to1969, was an enthusiast forscientific and technical education.On one occasion he had a dig atyoung women attendinguniversity, suggesting that manywere there mainly to find ahusband. He said a lot of youngpeople going to university to doArts and similar courses would bebetter off going to work. He added,as a backhander, that societyprobably benefited from gettingthe best genes together, and heconceded that brilliant anddedicated students, who would goon to do honours and such like,were of value, but less so for therest. I was upset by what he said,being a dedicated but far frombrilliant student. My father toldme not to worry about Sir Philip.“He’s a bit of a stirrer, you know,”he said.

But leaving aside Sir Philip’scynicism, Wesley College hasbrought the best of the besttogether, in a convivial andunforced way. In our 2013 edition,we carried the story of Wesleycouple Ian and AmandaMylchreest (both fr 1975), whomet in the Lower Purser. JimFitzSimons (fr 1976) whom wecover in this edition, was in collegefor less than an hour when he metDeborah Edwards (fr 1976), andthey are together to this day. EricGibbings (fr 1973) met JudithWerner (fr 1974) at Wesley andthey were married while stillundergraduates on the steps ofLower Purser by the Master, theRev Norman Webb. Their son,Taimus Werner-Gibbings (fr 2000)was present in 2002 when hisparents dropped his brother off onhis first day at Wesley and a friendpointed to another fresher, “a verybeautiful girl running round thefront lawn in white shorts and apink top”. He and that girl, Libby

FROM THE EDITORMALCOLM BROWN (fr 1965)

Nash, were married in 2006 by theMaster, the Rev David Russell, andlater moved back to Wesley whereTaimus was on staff. When theirfirst child, Cesc, was born, Taimussaid he could not think of a more“Wesley” child than this.

The personal connections areobviously not restricted tomatrimonial outcomes. Apart fromlifelong friendships formed atWesley, siblings tend to come tothe college, and children andgrandchildren, including theoffspring of those who met atWesley. We have a profile of theHiatt family, which started whenLester Hiatt (fr 1952) enteredWesley, followed by youngerbrother Geoff (fr 1955). Geoff ’sson James came to Wesley in 1985and his granddaughter, AlexandraThompson, came this year. PeterBeaumont (fr 1980) and his sisterJenny (fr 1983) have sent theirchildren to Wesley. Jane Glover(nee Bryson, fr 1984) sent herdaughter, Charlotte, this year. AlexGrant (fr 2015) and Seiya Grant(fr 2016) are the children of thelate Vanessa Grant (nee Kingsford,fr 1979). The FitzSimons family’sconnection started with DavidFitzSimons who trod the hallowedground for the first time in 1966.He was the first of, at last count,13 FitzSimons who have been to

Wesley, including his daughter,Kate (fr 1998) who was at Wesleywith the man she was to marry,Chris Effeney (fr 2000).

One might say that Wesley neverleaves a family. GeorginaCampbell (fr 2015), daughter ofGillian Cull (fr 1979) of Olympicrowing fame, is the great, greatgranddaughter of Fred Cull, thevisionary and founder of Wesley.The college is 100 years old nextyear, younger than other collegesat Sydney University, andobviously well behind the Oxfordand Cambridge establishments,but it is creating its own history.We have tried to add a few thingsthat are not so nostalgia andfamily-orientated, including anentertaining piece by HughWhalan (fr 2003), who attendedone of those ancient college,Magdalen College, Oxford, if onlyin his gap year to teach childrensport. Forever after, on his robustaccount of himself, he has lived inthe fast lane.

Sadly, we record the passing ofthree Wesleyans, dentist TonyLucas (fr 1943), Fiona Cowley (fr 77) and the world-renownedbusinessman, David Johnson (fr 1952).

Malcolm Brown (fr 1965)

Malcolm Brown with latest grandchild, Benjamin.

3THE WESLEYAN

CONTENTSANNUAL REPORTMaster’s Report 4

Wesley in 2016 5

Chair of Council’s Report 6

Chair of Foundation’s Message 7

Wesley Old Cols’ Association Report 8

Foundation Medal Recipients 10

Formal Dinners 2016 12

The Cull Fellowship 13

Financials 14

Wesley College Foundation Members 16

Donors 17

Scholarships and Awards 18

Profiles of Scholarship Recipients 20

Official Opening – The Bruce Pryor Wing 22

WESLEY COLLEGE FOUNDATION JOURNALThe Hiatt Family 24

The FitzSimons Family 28

The Werner-Gibbings Family 30

The Cull Family 24

The Kingsford Family 37

The Beaumont and Whalley Families 40

Jane Glover (fr 1984) 43

Hugh Whalan (fr 2003) 45

Vale David Johnson(fr 1952) 48

Vale Tony Lucas (fr 1943) 50

Vale Fiona Cowley (fr 1978) 52

Senior Student’s Report 55

Rawson Report 56

Rosebowl Report 58

Palladian 60

OSE 2015 report 62

Wes-Stock 64

Save the Date 65

THE WESLEYAN

foundation@wesleycollege-usyd.edu.au(Subject: attn. 2016 Editors)ABN 79 497 010 262

EDITOR

Malcolm Brown (fr 1965)dugeh_style@hotmail.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Kiri Dumont – DevelopmentManager

Bronwen Downie – Director of Programs

Bruce Pryor (fr 1956)

Margot Saville (fr 1979)

STUDENT EDITOR

Meg Haynes

STUDENT CONTRIBUTORS

Bruce WilsonJohn RoblesElla BeerHarriet ScrivenOliver HowseGeorgia O’GradyJulia Bradley

GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT

Graham WyeSydney Design Studio Pty LtdPh: 02 9452 1967

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6

hijinks of a late night raid onWesley in late November of 1917,as part of an initiation of the newCollege on campus. Sixty menfrom ‘the combined forces’ wereeffective in gaining entry ‘throughan upstairs fanlight’. All mencaptured, signed a pledge to‘uphold the traditions of the colleges’,which is printed here as part ofthis report. To that end, thefriendly rivalry that commencedwith that raid continues amongstthe College community withstrongly held stories and legendsaround similar events.

The media focus on colleges thisyear has been difficult for allcollegians, naturally causingquestions to be asked and concernto be expressed. Our currentcollegians are all solid andrespectful young people who havebeen selected from a large numberof applicants for their outstandingpersonal achievements in theiracademic or co curricular pursuitsand their ability to understand ourvalues of respect, inclusivenessand integrity. In fact, the mediareports were most shocking to ournew freshers, who felt welcomedand embraced by Wesley andcharacterised their experience assafe and inclusive, having the timeof their lives, which was at oddswith what was being portrayed inthe media. Our policies put inplace mechanisms to addressany concerns raised and thesewill always be enacted upon in atimely manner, should anybehaviour occur that does notreflect our values. Living in anactive adult community alwayshas its challenges, with somany young people from adiverse set of backgroundsjoining us to live cohesivelyunder one roof.

You may be interested toknow the work done behindthe scenes in developing ourleadership model forstudents. Over the past twoyears, the Council has

As I write this reflection on the year,we have just begun our centenarycelebrations, with a chapel servicelast Friday, commemorating thelaying of the Wesley FoundationStone, 100 years ago. It was aspecial service, with guests, Rev.Prof. Andrew Dutney, ImmediatePast President of Uniting Churchin Australia and Past Chaplain ofWesley, providing the address andOld Collegian Rev. Ian Diamondproviding the prayers for theCollege. It was a gorgeous hotSydney afternoon to then mark theoccasion, under the fig trees, onthe front lawn with afternoon teaand a glass of champagne, a fittingstart to our centenary year.

As we have begun our preparationsfor 2017, it has reminded me justhow important stories are in ourWesley lives and how similar thestories are from one generation toanother. In 1917, the Rev M ScottFletcher, the first Master, wasjoined by the first nine studentshere at Wesley. As we approach ourcentenary, many have begunsharing memories and informationwith us, including a wonderfuldocument that came to light viathe Principal of St Andrew’sCollege, entitled “Military Forces ofSt Paul’s and St Andrew’s OfficialReport of Operations carried out bythe Combined Forces against WesleyCollege”. The report details the

invested significantly in staff, toinclude a Director of Students, aDirector of Programs and Directorof Operations, as well as adedicated Academic Dean (P/T) tosupport the work of the Chaplainand Master in delivering a highquality offering of leadership,mentoring and pastoral care. Ourtraining and leadershipdevelopment has begun to drawmore on our Old Col communityand the depth of our connectionshere to further enhance theopportunities and experiences thatcan be gained for our currentcollegians. We also work with anumber of external providers toprovide workshops to our studentsin the areas of harassment anddiscrimination, bullying, sexualharassment, workplace, health andsafety (WH&S) training andMental Health First Aid (MHFA)and First Aid accreditation. Istrongly believe that we have theopportunity to make a significantdifference in the lives of the youngpeople who spend time with us,enabling them to seek out answersand explore their independence ina safe environment, while gainingleadership skills and witnessingpositive role modelling.

Our centenary year will be wellmarked by our Old Col communitywith celebration and remembrancemoments of lives well lived withinthe walls of this very special place.I look forward to sharing thesetimes with you.

Lisa J SutherlandMaster2016

MASTER’S REPORT

4

5T H E W E S L E Y A N

STAFFMasterLisa J Sutherland BA (Syd) DipEd (Syd) M.Ed Admin (UNE)

Has “general superintendence”over the College and isresponsible for the overall well-being, good order and conductof the College

ChaplainRev Barbara Oldmeadow BA,M.Div, Dip.TPC, Cert. IV TAA

Director of StudentsJonathan Row BEng

Director of ProgramsBronwen Watson B.Ed. (Syd),MSc (Coach Psyc)

Director of OperationsJames Slann

Academic DeanDr James WardBEng.(Aeronautical) (Syd),MEd (Syd) PhD, MechatronicEngineering (UNSW)

Finance ManagerElizabeth Chowdury

Finance AssistantNhan Tran

Masters PALucy Griffin BA Social Studiesapplied in Social Care

Development ManagerKiri Dumont, B.Com

Marketing andCommunications ManagerPatricia Apostolakis BA Comms& Intl Studies

Registrar/AdministrationMary Calabro

MaintenanceTony Davy

Health and Wellness MentorMiles Downie BExSSc. MExerSc

Palladian MentorRichard Daley BMus

Centenary AuthorSam Roberts

TST Cleaning ServicesJeanette Youkhanna

Catering ManagerChartwell, Mr Mark Speechley

COUNCIL MEMBERSMr Peter Andrews

Mrs Emily Antonio

Mr Peter Beaumont

Dr Larry Cornell

Mr Maurice Patrick Cunningham

Mrs Jane Glover

Rev. Haloti T Kailahi

Ms Sophie Leitch

Mr Robert (Bob) Lorschy

Rev Kath Merrifield

Mrs Deborah Page AM (Chair)

Lisa Sutherland

Bruce Wilson (Senior Student)

FOUNDATIONCOMMITTEEMEMBERSMs Susie Carlon

Mr Larry Cornell

Ms Kiri Dumont – Secretary

Mr Jim FitzSimons – until Sept 16

Mrs Kimberley Holden – Chair

Ms Louise Mitchell

Mr Garry Scarborough

Mrs Lisa Sutherland – Master

Mr David Lyons

Mr Ty Van der Linden

WESLEY IN 2016

STUDENT CLUBREPRESENTATIVES2016Bruce Wilson, Senior Student

Sophie Leitch, Secretary

Oliver Maxwell, Treasurer

Cameron Gundy, Social Secretary

Stuart Nelson, Harriet ScrivenLogistics

John Robles, Palladian

Georgia O’Grady, Rosebowl

Oliver Howse, Rawson

Lexie McCullagh, Kirk Lewis,Domestic Secretaries

Georgia Campbell, Second YearRepresentative

Harrison Dormer, Julia Bradley,Intercol Representatives

Wessley Armstrong, Jess NegusFirst Year Reps

6 DECEMBER 2016

STRATEGY Over the last five years we havebeen strategically focussed on therenewal of the College – in terms ofthe physical fabric of the College;financial sustainability; thestudent community culture andbehaviours; and improvedconnection with our OldCollegians. We have beensuccessful in each of theseendeavours, and this places theCollege in a sound position as welook forward.

Council has recently approved thestrategic framework for thedevelopment and growth of theCollege over the next five years.Our 2021 Strategic Plan builds onthe firm foundations of ourheritage, but resets our vision andstrategic imperatives to ensure wenot only continue to provide aprivileged group of University ofSydney students the opportunity tolive in a safe, diverse and inclusivecommunity; but that we do sohaving regard to the rapidlychanging nature of the academicenvironment; society’sexpectations of behaviour anddiversity; and a strong desire tosubstantially increase the level ofscholarship support to worthy butdisadvantaged students.

Our purpose is to give a diversegroup of students the opportunityto live in a supported, vibrantcommunity that fosters learningand personal growth in anenvironment that allows its studentsto flourish, excel and fulfill theirpotential. We seek to engender inour students a warmth of character,self confidence, strong values andrespect for others that will guidethem to make a difference andcontribute meaningfully to societyin the future.

Our aim is to achieve pre-eminence as a leading and mostrespected university college inAustralia; and to ensure Old Colsare proud of Wesley, remainconnected and supportive

throughout their lifetime.

The 2021 Strategic Planacknowledges the significant rolethe Uniting Church plays as amajor stakeholder; is consistentwith the values and ethos of theChurch; and values the importantrole the Church plays in ourhistory and our governance.

TRANSPARENCYOur latest voluntary TransparencyReport in respect of the 2015Academic year was publishedduring the year and I commend itto you as a comprehensive reportof Wesley College in 2015. TheReport is available on our website(or request a copy).

During 2016, together with otherAustralian university colleges, wewere the subject of adverse media.Much of what was reported inrespect to Wesley was taken out ofcontext and sensationalised, asvarious interest groups seek to usethe residential colleges as a meansto put pressure on the Universitysector to address wider campusissues.

Our community of young men andwomen is largely self-governing,and founded on clear expectationsaround respect, integrity andinclusiveness. We commit toproviding a safe environmentwhere our adult students candiscover life, within clearboundaries established by theCouncil. We have an extensiverange of policies, which Councilmonitors and reviews regularlywith input from the student body.Over recent years we haveenhanced the calibre and size ofthe management resources, andtheir role is to support, nurtureand discipline when boundariesare breached.

The regular, and increasing,attacks on the residential collegesimpacts not only our own, but alsothe University’s reputation. It isimportant that there is an avenuefor the public to understand more

Deborah Page AM

objectively the nature of life at thecolleges, and to this end theUniversity is providing asignificant funding contribution toa comprehensive independentreview to be conducted byElizabeth Broderick, the formerSex DiscriminationCommissioner. Council hasapproved Wesley’s participation inthis review, which commencedrecently and is expected to becompleted around October 2017.

PROPERTYOur second major building projectin three years, the redevelopmentof E Wing was completed onschedule in early 2016 ready forthe first Semester. This projectaddressed fire safety risks anddelivered additional capacity andamenity; better linkage betweenPurser, E Wing and CallaghanWings; and a new light and airyatrium providing a new casuallounge area for students.

Council was delighted to hold aceremony in October where theredeveloped wing was officiallynamed the Bruce Pryor Wing, inhonour of one of the College’sstrongest supporters. Bruce has agreat passion for our beautifulbuildings, having also been thearchitect of New Wing many yearsago.

CHAIR OF COUNCIL’S REPORT

Kimberley Holden

7THE WESLEYAN

WESLEYAN FOUNDATIONREPORTINTRODUCTIONWe have had a big year at theWesley College Foundation. Wewished a fond farewell to ourformer Chair Jim FitzSimons (fr1976) and welcomed newFoundation members Suzie Carlon(fr 1982), Larry Cornell (fr 1968),Louise Mitchell (fr 1979) and TyVan der Linden (fr 2008). Ourdonations increased 80% thanksin large part to a generous bequestfrom Old Col Russell Baxter and anew scholarship, The Greg andBeverley Alt FoundationScholarship. We had somewonderful events including afabulous 80’s and 60’s reunionswhich were superbly organised bySuzie Carlon with help from Kiriand Larry. We are finalising astrategic plan for the Foundationand have begun work planning theCentenary Scholarship Drive.Most importantly, we havereinvigorated the Old ColsAssociation under the leadershipof Suzie Carlon, its’ new President.

2016 FINANCIALSThe Foundation’s financial resultswere strong despite weak marketsand lower investment returns. Webegan the year with $3.146m innet assets. We received donations

of $527,027 (up from $294,443last year); earned $160,594 fromour investments (down from$219,327 last year); and awarded$227,965 in scholarships (up from$220,488 last year). We finishedthe year with $3.5m in net assets.

EVENTS AND THEOLD COL’SASSOCIATIONOne of the most importantoutcomes of our planning has beenthe realisation that we have tobreathe life into the Old ColsAssociation – to re-engage andreconnect with all our Old Cols,separately from the work of theFoundation. With her work withthe College and the Foundationover the past few years, SuzieCarlon has proven to be inspiring,organised, efficient and hardworking. She is a perfect person tohead up the reprised Old ColAssociation.

We held several functions duringthe year that were a fabuloussuccess. The Eighties reunion sawa 50% increase in attendance andwas a wonderful night on the frontlawn followed by a band in thecourtyard. The Sixties reunion(which had had to be cancelled last

year due to low numbers) saw astaggering 60 people have a terrificnight in the new college atrium.

FUNDRAISINGPLANNING ANDEXECUTION One question that we have beenconsidering this year, is how muchin net assets does the Foundationrequire to make a meaningfulcontribution to supporting studentsin financial need and helping withthe upkeep of Wesley’s historicbuildings. The original goal of theFoundation under its first Chair

Going forward our property focuswill be the refurbishment of furtherbathrooms throughout the College,and the renewal of New Wing.

COUNCIL In April Council welcomed RevHaloti Kailahi, who was appointedby the Uniting Church Synod.Peter Andrews retired fromCouncil in August after manyyears of distinguished and diligentservice, including as Chair of

Council. Among his manysignificant contributions, Peterwas instrumental in modernisingthe governance structure of theCollege; overseeing thedevelopment and implementationof the Property Strategy; andbringing rigour to the College’smanagement and compliancepractices. His wise counsel andcommitment to the College andthe College staff will be sorelymissed. I thank everyone who has

served on Council over the lastyear for their effort andcontribution.

We look forward to celebrating theCollege’s Centenary in 2017. Wehave many events planned in whatwill be a very special year for theCollege, and we look forward tosharing these celebrations with asmany Old Collegians as possible.

With kind regardsDeborah Page AM (Bullock fr 1977)

8 DECEMBER 2016

WESLEY OLD COLS’ASSOCIATIONWelcome to the newly reformedand revitalised Wesley Old Col’sAssociation.

As Old Col’s we all have a littleshared history, we have enjoyed theopportunities that come withbelonging to a community such asWesley and we have made life-longfriends during our time there.Wesley has a strong history ofenriching the lives of the studentsit brings together from all walks oflife. The Old Col’s Associationaims to celebrate that history.

We want to reconnect and reuniteOld Col’s with each other and withthe college. We want to keep youinformed of what is happening inthe college community andmprovide you with opportunitiesto engage with the college and thestudents in a meaningful way. Wewill be continuing and improvingour Old Col Reunion program, we

will be hosting and supportingother dinners and events relevantto different interest and agegroups. We also want to celebratethe achievements of our manytalented Old Cols.

2017 is the 100 year anniversaryof Wesley College. In order torelaunch the Old Col’s Associationand to celebrate the history andpeople of Wesley, we will be invitingall Old Cols and families back toCollege on Sunday February 122017 for an Open House andGarden Party. Come and see howgreat the college looks today,reminisce in the dining hall, seeyour old room, enjoy refreshmentson the lawn and reconnect withsome old college friends.

We’d love to hear from you, we’dlove to know what you want fromthe association and we’d love yourhelp reconnecting with Old Cols.You can link to our Old Col

Facebook page and college websitefor more information on eventsand happenings at the college.Update contact details bycontacting Kiri at Wesley.

If you are interested in beinginvolved with the association,maybe as a champion for your yeargroup, please contact me.

We are grateful to Wesley Collegeand the Foundation for theirsupport of the Old Col’sAssociation and in particular toKiri Dumont who providesorganisational and administrativesupport. If you have any questionsplease contact Kiri or myself.

I look forward to seeing you atWesley in February (invitationenclosed).

Yours Sincerely,

Suzie CarlonChair, Wesley Old Col’s Association

John Colvin, was $10m. We believethat a target of $8m is possiblymore achievable. With our currentnet assets of $3m, this meansraising $1m per year in newdonations for the next five years.We need a plan to reach this hightarget and the fundraising sub-committee is already hard at workon achieving this.

Our aim is to actively promotefundraising in a well-organised,respectful and grateful manner.We will split our activities into thepromotion of general giving (one offdonations, regular/annual giving,bequests) and the establishment of

a Centenary Scholarship Drive. Itis hoped that the Fundraising sub-committee can make a realdifference in helping theFoundation meet its 5 year goal.

PEOPLEWe are lucky to have recentlyrecruited the enthusiastic andtalented David Lyons (fr 1999).He joins other new recruits Suzie,Larry, Louise and Ty; andfoundation veteran GarryScarborough (fr 1974). We have ahard-working team who are lookingforward to the challenges ahead.

I would like to thank the

Foundation committee as well asthe Master and Kiri for theirongoing support. A huge thankyou also to our retiring Chair whohas worked tirelessly for over 8years. He was a much loved andadmired chairman and we are verygrateful to him for hiscommitment and contribution.

Finally a very big thank you to allour generous donors. You makesuch a difference in the lives of ourstudents. It is gratefullyacknowledged and hugelyappreciated!

Kimberley Holden (fr 1983)Chair, Wesley College Foundation

To Contact Suzie or Kiri Dumont:E: oca@wesleycollege-usyd.edu.au • M: Western Avenue, The University of Sydney, NSW • P: 02 9565 3179Links:Old Cols Facebook page: facebook.com/wesley.colsWesley College website – Old Cols Association: wesleycollege-usyd.edu.au/old-collegians/old-cols-association/

9THE WESLEYAN

Photos from the 80s reunion and the Celebration lunch in November – for photos from all our events, please refer to the website atwesleycollege-usyd.edu.au/events

WESLEY COLLEGEFOUNDATION MEDAL

GILL CAMPBELL

(NEE CULL) fr 79Gillian “Gill” Campbell, great-granddaughter of Wesley College’sfounder, Fred Cull, entered Wesleyin 1979 to do a Bachelor ofEducation degree. Coming frominland New South Wales, Gill hadnot rowed before but she took it upanyway and the rest is history. HerWesley rowing coach, MarkCampbell, who rowed for the state,was to become her husband. Markand Gill joined the LeichhardtRowing Club. Graduating withHonours, Gill became a teacher atthe Pymble Ladies’ College (PLC)and kept rowing, competing innational and in worldchampionships, and found a placein double sculls in the BarcelonaOlympics in 1992. The principal ofPLC took advantage of an Olympianin her midst and asked her to starta rowing program at the school.

Gill took up schoolgirl rowing witha vengeance. With the enthusiasticsupport of husband Mark, shecoached PLC to 12 straight wins atthe NSW Schoolgirls Head of theRiver, and medals at 13 consecutiveNational Championships. Theschool produced a number of girlswho rowed for Australia. One ofher prodigies, Tess Gerrand, rowedin the London Olympics. Another,Genevieve Horton, became JuniorWorld Champion in the pairs in2013, won a bronze medal in theWorld Rowing Under 23Championships and competed inthe Rio Olympics. The fivechildren Mark and Gill broughtinto the world had little chance ofgetting away from the influence ofrowing. The eldest, Georgia, cameto Wesley last year to studyAgricultural Science and joined theSydney University Rowing Club.

10 DECEMBER 2016

RAYMOND ISONfr 71 AND VICE MASTER87–89Raymond Ison came to WesleyCollege from Bathurst in 1971 todo Agricultural Science and wasconfronted immediately by achallenge to his world view. Therewere, he said later, “conservative,entrenched, patriarchal structuresof undergraduate college life”which, over time, struck him aswrong. He did not begin collegelife with an activist, radical modelin the form of the Master, NormanWebb, and his wife June, and itwas “touch-and-go” whether thetransformation Webb sought toinduce would really take hold.Since that time, Norman Webb hasgone but Raymond, now into hissixties, has continued on hiscritical analyses of entrenchedworld views. “Situations likeobesity, river management andhuman-induced climate changeare characterised by themainstream propensity to think insimple, linear cause and effectways and to imagine that suchcomplex issues are ‘solvable’ like amaths problem,” Raymond told uslast year. Through his academicpursuits he has sought to makesuch situations improvable bythinking and acting systemically.

Raymond graduated inAgricultural Science but hisprofessional journey has taken himto many parts of the world where“systemic organisational failure” isrife, such as in Indonesia,Tanzania, Malaysia, Thailand andthe Philippines. But entrenchedideas hold sway even in countriessuch as Australia and the UK evenwhen these ideas have gone waybeyond their used-by date. Hisresearch was to take him into new

dimensions, in which he evolved“systems” thinking that tendedtowards the “holistic” rather thanthe “linear” approach to problem-solving. He applied his ideas in hisacademic appointments, includingHawkesbury Agricultural College,Sydney University – during whichtime he spent two years as vice-master of Wesley College – theOpen University in the UnitedKingdom, which engaged him in1994 and has had his services formore than 22 years, and MonashUniversity. He has been Presidentof the International Society for theSystems Science and is a scholarwith widespread internationalrecognition in his field.The Wesley College Foundation thanksCathy Humphreys who accepted themedal on behalf of Ray Ison.

TAANI TAUFA

DEDICATED COLLEGE

CHEF 1978–2004Taani Taufu came from Tonga,which has had a special place inthe hearts of AustralianMethodists, and in particular toNewington College, where for acentury and a half their brawnyRugby players have lifted theschool out of the doldrums. Wesley

2016 RECIPIENTS

11THE WESLEYAN

is the alma mater of the great king,Taufu’ahau Tupou 1V, who gracedour halls from 1937 to 1940. Sonow it has come to Tanni, a big,good-natured bear of a man,maybe a Rugby player in his youth,though no pretentions to royalty.As a chef, looking after thestudents at Wesley for more than aquarter-century from 1978, he hasfound a place in the hearts of allWesleyans. But Taani’s influencewent beyond the meals. He broughtsomething of Tonga with him.

The Tongan connection spilledover in other ways, as whenstudents went, at Taani’sinvitation, to Tongan events, suchas a Tongan harbour cruise, aTongan Thanksgiving where theTongan singers excelledthemselves, or even a visit toTonga itself. One Wesleyan, TimDawson, said in the Wesleyan in2005: “He is an enthusiastic, light-hearted and good-humoured man,who laughs like a child though hecould crush you like an ant. He hasalways been a positive influenceon Wesley and has such a goodrapport with people because heloves the students and is not afraidto let them know. Over the years,Tanni has become the essence of

what the college is truly about. It’speople like him who make thecollege feel like a home away fromhome.”

GREG URWIN fr 64Gregory Lawrence Urwin was adiplomat from his student days.When one student made a radicalspeech to the Wesley CollegeStudent Club, advocatingabandonment of fresher-bashingand total equality throughout thecollege, and was slapped down,Greg reached out to thedisgruntled student next morningand congratulated him on awonderful speech. Greg joined theDepartment of Foreign Affairs andwent on to distinguish himself inthe Pacific region for almost 30years. He became, in the words ofProfessor Ted Wolfers, “a trulytrailblazing pioneer amongAustralian diplomats in focusingon the Pacific Islands”.  In 1977Greg went to establish Australia’sfirst Diplomatic Mission in Samoaand was the first Acting HighCommissioner. At the end of thatassignment the SamoanGovernment asked if Greg mightstay as their first Secretary ofForeign Affairs. Greg went on to

Cathy Humphries, Taani Taufa, Gill Campbell and Penny Urwin

become Head of Mission inVanuatu and Fiji and deputy Headof Mission in New Zealand.

Greg was engaged on Australia’sbehalf at meetings of the PacificIslands Forum, then in 2004, withthe backing of Prime MinisterJohn Howard, became Secretary-General of the Forum itself andtook several initiatives. Whenstable government in the SolomonIslands was teetering, Greggarnered sufficient support withinthe region to establish a RegionalMission to the Solomon Islands,which paved the way for a return tostability and public order. Therehad been some consternationabout a non-Pacific Islander takingon the role, but none when Gregwas reappointed in 2007. Sadly,the second term was cut short byGreg’s premature death in 2008.The turnout at memorial servicesfor him in Canberra, Suva andApia was a measure of his respect,as were his posthumous awards,including the Cross of theSolomon Islands and Membershipof the Order of Australia.

The Wesley College Foundationthanks Penny Urwin, wife of Greg, foraccepting this posthumous award.

12 DECEMBER 2016

WESLEY COLLEGE FORMALDINNERS 2016SEMESTER ONE7 March Graeme Kelleher AO – Ocean Elder and Old Col

14 March Tyrone Carlin – Deputy VC, Registrar, University of Sydney

21 March Academic and Scholarships Dinner

4 April OSE Dinner and Exhibition

11 April Nat Heath – AIME

2 May Michelle Bullock – Reserve Bank of Australia, Assistant Governor

23 May Costa Georgiadis – TV personality and gardening guru

30 May Reconciliation Dinner – Leah Anderson, Uni of Sydney Senate & Prof Shane Houston DeputyVC, Indigenous Education

SEMESTER TWO1 August The Master, Lisa Sutherland

3 August Van Huynh, Vietnam OSE

8 August Introducing the new Director of Students – Jonathan Row

15 August The ‘Sleep Doctor’ – Dr Carmel Harrington

5 September Foundation Medal Dinner

12 September How to be an Author – Catriona Menzies-Pike

19 September Energy, Economics & Engineering – Dr Gordon Weiss

10 October Wesley Women in Leadership – Belinda Gibson and Justice Julie Ward

17 October The Business of Big Business – Karen Moses

24 October Wesley Career Networking & Mentors

26 October Valete – Farewell to our departing 3rd year students

Current college students enjoying hearing Old Col stories at the Foundation Medal Dinner 2016

13THE WESLEYAN

THE CULL FELLOWSHIP

WESLEY COLLEGE FOUNDATION

THE PURPOSE OF THE CULL FELLOWSHIP IS TO THANK AND RECOGNISE WESLEY MAJOR DONORSAND BEQUESTORS IN THEIR LIFE TIME.

The Cull Fellowship has been named in honour, of Fred and Ada Cull to express the gratitude and admirationthat the present members of the Wesley College community feel towards the Culls. The value of Fred and AdaCull’s contribution to Wesley in today’s terms would be over 20 million dollars.

PLEASE LET US THANK YOU NOW FOR GIVING BACK TO WESLEY

THE CULL FELLOWS*Luke Albrecht, Dennis Ahlburg, Laurie Allen, Greg Alt, J. Russell Baxter, Charles Birch, Cathy Bray, AllanBromley, John H.C. Colvin, Don Cull, Lyn Edwards, Stephen Fairfax, David Greatorex AO, Albert Harris,Kimberley and Angus Holden, Arthur McGeoch, Colin Mort, Bruce Pryor, Robert Rankin, Frank Simpson,Jennifer Turnbull, Amanda Wilkins, Lee Ming Tee, Deborah Edwards, James FitzSimons

* As at 31 October 2016

The Cull Fellowship has our wholehearted support.We wish you every success in this new venture.

– With kind regards, Alison and Don Cull.

1 John Lindsay Allen Scholarship 5.0

2 Dennis Ahlberg Scholarship 10.1

3 Colvin Family Scholarship 5.0

4 Linden Edwards Scholarship 6.1

5 Indigenous Scholarships 2.3

6 Indigenous Scholarships Endowment Fund 354.3

7 Scolarest Scholarships 21.3

8 Sporting Scholarships 0.1

9 Student Bond Donations 2.7

10 Rev N Webb Scholarship 1.0

11 Rev B Wyllie Scholarship 13.2

12 Other Scholarship Donations 40.0

13 Donations Raising the Roof appeal 448.9

14 Building Fund 61.6

13

12

14

1 2 3 4 5

6

78

911

10

14 DECEMBER 2016

STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOMEFOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2015

2015 2014

$ $

REVENUE

Donations for scholarshipsand general building fund 527,027 294,443

Donations to Raising the Roof appeal 444,856 493,402

Interest revenue 12,997 14,453

Other investment revenue 164,595 204,874

Other revenue 11,577

Total Revenue 1,161,052 1,007,172

EXPENSES

Awards and prizes 8,350

Building contributions to Wesley College 520,000 460,000

Scholarships 236,859 213,138

Investment management fees 28,575 24,563

Fundraising & other expenses 21,738 17,540

Total Expenses 807,172 723,591

Surplus (Deficit) for the year 353,880 283,581

Other Comprehensive IncomeNet change in fair value ofavailable-for-sale financial assets (42,050) 34,581

Total ComprehensiveIncome/(Loss) for the year 311,830 317,839

FOUNDATION DONATIONS 2015 ‘$000s

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITIONAS AT 31 DECEMBER 2015

2015 2014

$ $

ASSETS

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents 17,246 12,356

Other receivables 625,947 425,154

Total current assets 643,193 437,510

Non-current assets

Other non-current assets 2,868,131 2,714,968

Total Non Current Assets 2,868,131 2,714,968

Total assets 3.511.324 3,152,478

Liabilities

Other payables 11,028 6,062

Total current liabilities 11,028 6,062

Total liabilities 11,028 6,062

Net assets 3,500,296 3,146,416

Equity

Revaluation reserve 300,236 342,286

Accumulated surplus 3,200,060 2,804,130

Total Equity 3,500,296 3,146,416

WESLEY COLLEGE FOUNDATION

FINANCIALS

15THE WESLEYAN

WESLEY COLLEGE FOUNDATIONSCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED IN 2015 ($’000S)

’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15

$2,500,000

$3,000,000

$4,000,000

$3,500,000

$2,000,000

$1,500,000

$1,000,000

$500,000

FOUNDATION TOTAL EQUITY ($’000s)

The Foundation was established by the College Council in1989 to raise funds to support the College.

WESLEY COLLEGE FOUNDATION

1 Prof. D A Ahlberg Scholarship 5.0

2 John Lindsay Allen Scholarship 4.0

3 Dr A Bromley Scholarship 10.0

4 Cultural Scholarships 3.0

5 Linden Edwards Scholarship 6.0

6 David Greatorex Scholarships 40.0

7 Indigenous Scholarship Endowment Fund 9.0

8 Indigenous Scholarship Fund 43.4

9 Jessie Hope Paterson Scholarship 8.9

10 Master’s Discretionary Scholarship 9.0

11 Scolarest Scholarships 21.3

12 Joint Sporting Schols (with USyd Sport) 22.1

13 Rev N Webb Scholarships 17.8

14 Rev B Wyllie Scholarships 17.8

15 Awards and Prizes 10.8

115

13

12

11

10

145

7

8

23

4

6

9

16 DECEMBER 2016

Bronze(Total donations over $5000 or one donation per year for the past three years)

Cary James • Graham Spoor • Merrilee Robb • Mathew Hocking • Peter Barnard OAMHarry Bell • Jennifer Turnbull • Michele Windsor Cherry • Jock McCormack • Timothy Hewitt

Geoffrey Hiatt • Amanda Hempel • Lisa J Sutherland • Milton Osborne • Bill Ford AMJamie Middleton • Angus Richards • Tony Shannon • David Wade • Larry CornellJohn Peate • Gordon Clowes • Richard Barnard • Jock McIlwain • Rowan DarkeDavid Anstice • Sundar & Jenny Ramamurthy • Marni Clayton • Jennifer MorisonAlexander Clayton • Ian Edwards • Anne Hatton • John Heffernan • Ian HuntleyIan & Nina Lansdown • Jock McCormack • Alison McCutcheon • Adrienne MoreyKaren Moses • Tess Russo • Jennifer Whalley • Eriks Velins • James Pendlebury

Roy Mason • Peter Hales • Malcolm Gerrard • John Francis • Tim Driscoll • Andrew Craig

Gold(Total donations between $50,000 and $99,999)

Anne Bromley • Estate of Dr Tony Shannon • John Colvin • Cathy Bray • Doug WilkinsDon and Alison Cull • Deborah Edwards • James FitzSimons

Platinum(Total donations over $100,000)

Mr LEE Ming Tee • David Greatorex AO • Russell Baxter • Gregory Alt • Dr Graham HenryKimberley Holden • Robert Rankin • Anonymous

Silver(Total donations between $10,000 and $49,999)

Peter Beaumont • Chartwells • John Dauth AO LVO • Keith Taylor • Dennis AhlburgLaurie Allen • John Walmsley • David FitzSimons • Robert Batterham • David O’Halloran

Peter Purcell • Michael Tsui • Dr Phillip Smith • Peter FitzSimons AM • Simon FordRosemary Mezrani • Carlisle Procter • Helen Dunstan • Harold Lai • Belinda GibsonDeborah Page AM • Howard Spark • Alanna Horan • Merilyn Alt • Ian Warner RFDDerek Silby • Tony & Gretta Lucas • Reginald Barrett • Neil Gibson & Suzie Carlon

John Holden

Foundation Members:

Due to an amended Wesley College Foundation Trust Deed, accepted by the Foundation Committee on 18 October 2014,a donor (Foundation Member) is defined as any person who has either:

1. Donated a total of at least $5000 since the establishment of the Foundation or

2. Made regular contributions in the last 3 consecutive accounting periods. Accounting periods run Jan – Dec. The current past three periods are 2013, 2014, 2015.

WESLEY COLLEGEFOUNDATION MEMBERS*AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2015

17THE WESLEYAN

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR DONORSDONATIONS RECEIVED JANUARY TO DECEMBER 2015

OLD COLLEGIANS BY DECADE AND SUPPORTERS

1940sRussell BaxterHarry BellIan DunlopAlan KellettJames MackieEric MarshmanJames PendleburyGeoff PetersonWilliam Pryor AOJohn Walmsley

1950sDavid Greatorex AOJohn FrancisMalcolm GerrardGeoffrey HiattCharles Kerr AMHarold LaiRoy MasonWilliam MoultonRobert NicolMilton OsborneCarlisle ProcterBruce and Jenny PryorAngus RichardsEriks Velins

1960sDennis AhlburgNeil AlexanderGregory AltReginald BarrettJohn ColvinAndrew CraigAndrew CurrieRay FergusonPeter FloydDavid GibbPeter HalesPeter HoneyAlanna HoranPeter LawrenceMing LeeTalbot Lovering

Jill MatthewsWilliam MorganMerrilee RobbHoward SparkMichael SweetenForest WaddellGeorge Zdenkowski

1970sLaurie AllenMerilyn AltPaul BaileyGill CampbellTimothy DriscollLyn EdwardsDeborah EdwardsIan EdwardsJames FitzSimonsBelinda GibsonBruce GibsonJohn HeffernanBrian HemmingsLouise HughesAnthony KornerEric & Colette LucasJill MatthewsGerry MarkezinisJock McCormackDeborah Page AMRobert QuickendenMichael TsuiJennifer Turnbull

1980sPeter BeaumontJanet DuttonPeter FitzSimons AMAnne HattonKimberley HoldenLani HoustonBronwyn OpferkuchRobert RankinDerek SilbyLisa SutherlandJennifer WhalleyMichele Windsor Cherry

2010sSarah AllworthDavid BarclayAndrew BarronRosie Burt-MorrisCharlie Calver Andrew CameronGeorgia CampbellZoe CarterSam CoatesElla ConnorSally CottamLucy CottierRafael Cuginotti deOliveiraSarah DixonAlexander EdenDaniel ErgasFrancesca FarrellEmma FesseyKate FischerSarah FitzgeraldLouis FitzSimonsKirsten FordJack GibsonWilliam GrahamAlexander GrantSaskia HartogMeg HaynesIsabella HazeltonElla HideMatthew HindsLucy HoldenAnna HoltAlex HonnerSophie Jobson Dylan JohnstonMichael JonesLiam KeyCharles KingWilliam LawlessJock Mac Smith Aimee MacdonaldDavid MacintyreSionna Maple

Rory McDougallAmelia McIntoshCharlie MellerAnna MurrieJessica NuttThomas PavittDominique PurdueDominique PurdueAnil RajanathanJules RankinWilliam RidleyAlexander RobertsonKiel RochowEmily RogersBenjamin RowseBenjamin RowseLillian Scarborough Austin SorensonJoseph StagemanDana StewartJoshua StewartKatie Stewart Alexander SullivanJesse TauntonImogen ThomsonNicholas ThyneVincent UmbersHugh WestmacottJack WestonOliver WetzlarSarah WhiteThomas WillsonBryce Winchester Matilda WitherdinHelen Zhang

SUPPORTERSJune LignieresPatricia OliverLorraine PountneyChartwells

18 DECEMBER 2016

College Awards Terms RecipientBennett ($400 for best result in Medical Science & Pharmacy) Michael Chau

Robson Bryant ($750 for the best UAI of student entering first year of Michael Gribbleundergraduate study)

Chapman ($400 for best result in Health Sciences, Allied Health& Nursing) Sarah Allworth

Dawson (“Captain Edward Dawson Scholarship”) Ben Rowse($750 for most outstanding overall result for 2014)

Dwyer ($400 for best result in Commerce, Economics, Philip ZhuAgricultural Economics)

Eisenklam ($400 for best result in Engineering & Architecture) Mia Evans Liauw

Grainger ($400 for best result in Science (including Psychology) Ben Rowse

Harrington ($400 for best result in Veterinary Science & Agricultural Science) Sam Coggins

John Irvine Hunter ($1,500 for best pass of student entering final year of Ben Rowseundergraduate study)

Kippax ($400 for best result in Law) Sophie Leitch

Robson (“Reginald Robson”) ($400 for best result in Languages, Humanities, Katherine BullMusic & Visual Arts)

COLLEGE AWARDSSoup Bowl Awarded at Valete 2015 for contribution to social services James Honner

Collegian of the Year Awarded at Valete 2015 for contribution to College throughparticipation in all aspects of College life Cameron Gundy

Hamilton Mott Awarded at Valete 2015 for characterand corporate contribution to College Jake FitzSimons

SCHOLARSHIPSMASTERS DISCRETIONARY SCHOLARSHIPS IN 2016Through the support of the College Council, the Scholarship Committee identified four additional students who would beworthy recipients of some form of financial need. Susanna Cottam, Melanie Ridley, Jessica Buchanan, AlexandraThompson, Gabrielle Fleming, William Ridley and Siobhan Deacon each received a $3000 MastersDiscretionary scholarship in 2016.

Prof Dennis A. Ahlburg Scholarship Established by 1969 Old Collegian Dennis Ahlburg. The Dennis A. AhlburgScholarship is for a student enrolled in the Faculty of Economics and Business who has demonstrated excellence in, and apassion for, the study of Economics. The award is to the value of $5,000 per annum and will be reviewed each year. Theaward is taken as a discount off College fees – Juliette Fleming (fr 2016).Assoc. Prof. Allan Bromley Scholarship In memory of the late associate Professor Allan Bromley, Old Collegian fr1964. The Bromley Scholarship is for a student of high academic potential who (like Allan Bromley) is the first person intheir family to attend university. The scholarship is to the value of $5,000, and will be taken as a discount against collegefees – Katie Williams (fr 2016).David Greatorex Scholarships – The Greatorex Scholarships (up to 4 at any one time) were established by Old CollegianProfessor David Greatorex AO ( fr. 1953 ) in 2002. The scholarship is open to all students who are entering Wesley Collegefor the first time. The holder of the award must show a general all-round ability in the area of their academic results,sporting and cultural life and their community service. The successful applicant must also establish a financial need tohold the scholarship. This will be understood to mean that “but for the scholarship” the student would not be able to attendWesley College. The award is to the value of $10,000 each year for up to 4 years – Lucy Lomax and Hugh Finlay (fr2016); Emma Fessey (fr 2015); Ella Beer (fr 2014).Rev Norman Webb Scholarship – Established by the College Council to honour the memory of the Rev Norman Webb, aformer Master of the College 1965-1978. The Webb scholarship is to assist a student with a fine academic potential whowould find it difficult to attend Wesley College or the University without financial assistance. The Scholarship is to thevalue $8,930 first year and $8,900 ongoing each year for up to three years and is received as a rebate on College fees.– Angus Airth (fr 2016); Kate Hewett (fr 2014).

2016 WESLEY COLLEGESCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS

19THE WESLEYAN

Rev Bertram Wyllie Scholarship – Established by the College Council to honour the memory of the Rev Bertram Wyllie, aformerMaster of the College 1942-1964. The Wyllie Scholarship is given to assist a student with fine academic potentialwho would find it difficult to attend College or the University without financial assistance. The Scholarship is to the valueof $8,900 for up to three years and is received as a rebate on College fees – Alexander Eden (fr 2015).Wesley College Cultural Scholarship – The Award is for well rounded artists or performers who have demonstratedoutstanding ability in their chosen cultural pursuit and will provide leadership to the College cultural life. The Award isopen to current residents of the College and to any applicants who have proven ability and leadership in cultural affairs.The value of the Cultural Scholarship is $3,000 – David Barlow.

Wesley College Indigenous Endowment Scholarship – Jola Cumming (fr 2014) and Michaela Finlay (fr 2016).

John Lindsay Allen Award – Established by Mr Laurie Allen fr 1970 in memory of his father. This scholarship isawarded to a student in their 2nd, 3rd, 4th or post graduate year. The student must be from a remote, regional or ruralarea of Australia, and who, but for the scholarship, would be unable to attend Wesley College. Preference is also given to astudent studying German. The award is to the value of $4000 a year – Vincent Umbers (fr 2015).

Linden Edwards Scholarship – a scholarship established by Ms Deborah Edwards fr 1976 and the Edwards family inmemory of her sister Linden Edwards ( fr 1974) who was an Old Collegian and College Councillor. The scholarship of aminimum $5000 a year is awarded preferably to a country student. This year this scholarship is $6,600 – FenellaMilling (fr 2016).

Chartwells Scholarship (formerly Scolarest) – Chartwells have kindly donated two half scholarships for studentswishing to live at Wesley. Scholarships were awarded to a first year student and a returning student who, but for thescholarship, would be unable to attend Wesley College – Gyan Ainkaran and Emily Rogers ($5500 each) and AlexHonner ($11000).

Greg and Beverley Alt Foundation Scholarship – The Greg and Beverley Alt Foundation Scholarship was establishedin 2015 by Old Collegian Greg Alt and his wife Beverley to support students from rural or regional Australia to attend theUniversity of Sydney. In 2016 the scholarship is to be awarded to a student from rural or regional Australian requiringfinancial assistance. This will be understood to mean that “but for the scholarship” the student would not be able to attendWesley College. The scholarship is to the value of half College fees, offered for up to four years and taken as a discountagainst College fees. The scholarship is to be awarded for the first time in 2016 to Nicholas Starr to the value of $11500.

Sydney University Sport and Wesley College Joint Sporting Scholarships – Male and Female sporting scholarshipsare offered for students of outstanding sporting ability:

Sport Name SU Sports CollegeCricket Joseph Kershaw 2,500 2,500Rugby William Ridley 2,000 2,000

Why did you choose WesleyCollege over the other colleges?

I chose Wesley College for itsculture and inclusive atmosphere.During Open Day of 2015 myfamily and I visited a number ofcolleges. From the minute I walkedthrough the door of Wesley Iimmediately felt that this was thecollege for me. I felt welcome andvalued and it felt like home to me.I am glad to say that feeling wascorrect, and Wesley has indeedbecome my home away from home.

How have you contributed toWesley College in your time here?

I have attended all college events Iwas able to attend, although not asmany as I would have liked as manyevents clashed with my two jobs. Ihave made a lot of friendships andhave always looked out for fellowcollegians. I have always offered ahelping hand and contributed asmuch as I could behind the sceneswith clean-ups, working the bar forcollege parties and giving back inwhatever way I can.

I am pleased to say that as of nextyear I am able to give more back toWesley in the position of RA andthat is something I am very muchlooking forward to.

What are your plans beyondgraduation and what career do yousee yourself doing with your degree?

At this stage I am unsure where mydegree will take me. I am currentlymajoring in Transport Engineeringand will continue that into next yearwhich I am hoping will add someinsight into the transport industryas to where I could see myself in acareer. I have many interests andplans but since I am only 18 amhappy to see where these take me.For the moment I am happy to beliving my dream of attendingSydney Uni and living at WesleyCollege and I am looking forwardto achieving big things in 2017.

20 DECEMBER 2016

NICHOLAS STARR (fr 2016) What scholarship are youcurrently on?

The Greg and Beverly AltFoundation Scholarship

Where are you from?

Taree, NSW

What degree do you study?

I was originally studying aBachelor of Science/Bachelor ofEducation, however transferred toa Bachelor of Civil Engineering(Honours) in Semester 2.

When do you hope to graduate?

2020

Can you give a brief explanationon what this scholarship is andwhy it is important to you?

This scholarship pays for half ofmy fees to Wesley College for fouryears. This incredible generosity

PROFILE OF SCHOLARSHIPRECIPIENTS

has allowed me to attend SydneyUniversity, whilst living on campusat Wesley College, which wasotherwise outside of my financialcapabilities.

How has this scholarship andWesley College helped you?

As mentioned above, without thisscholarship I could not haveattended Sydney University orWesley College. Accommodationin Sydney was simply notaffordable for me. Even with thefinancial assistance of thisscholarship, for which I amincredibly grateful, I have had towork two jobs to maintain livingexpenses. Being a member of alongstanding college like Wesleyhas been an incredible experience.It has given me security, a sense ofbelonging and a chance to makelifelong friends. I have beenfortunate to have access to thesupport of the chaplain, RA’s andthe Master while at Wesley, whichhave all been of great help.

Nick receiving his scholarship from Greg Alt.

21THE WESLEYAN

ELLA BEER (fr 2014)What scholarship are youcurrently on?

I currently hold the DavidGreatorex Scholarship.

Where are you from?

I am from Kurrajong, a tiny townabout 40 minutes northwest ofPenrith.

What degree do you study?

I study a Bachelor of Arts in Mediaand Communications.

When do you hope to graduate?

I hope to graduate at the end of2018.

Can you give a brief explanationon what this scholarship is andwhy it is important to you?

The Greatorex scholarship isawarded to a student whodemonstrates abilities in a widerange of areas from academics,sports, arts and community service.This scholarship has been extremelyimportant to me, as without it Iwould definitely not have beenable to live at Wesley and become apart of this wonderful community.Receiving this scholarship hasgiven me the confidence andsupport I need to further pursuemy interests and skills within thecollege environment.

How has this scholarship andWesley College helped you?

Within the walls of Wesley I havemet some of the strongest, mostcourageous and most selflesspeople I will ever meet. They havetaught me that it is ok to beunapologetic about who you are,and that you must always stay trueto yourself. Wesley (and theGreatorex scholarship) has givenme the perfect environment toexplore every element of who I amand who I want to be.

Why did you choose WesleyCollege over the other colleges?

I chose Wesley College as I felt thatit was the college that celebratedthe individual the most out of all ofthe colleges. When I first walked into Wesley I instantly felt relaxed,as I saw that it was home to a verydiverse group of people from alldifferent backgrounds with alldifferent skillsets. I chose Wesleyas I saw that there was noexpectation to excel at anyparticular thing, but rather anemphasis on becoming the bestversion of yourself that you canpossibly be.

How have you contributed toWesley College in your time here?

I have been involved in dance atWesley since my fresher year, and

To support the Wesley CollegeFoundation Scholarshipprogram, please return theaccompanying form to theCollege or download a formfrom the website atwesleycollege-usyd.edu.au.Each year the scholarshipprogram receives applicationsfor financial assistance frommore students than the programcan support – please help usgive more students a WesleyCollege experience.

Ella and fellow Greatorex scholarship recipients receiving their scholarships from Wesley College Foundation Chair, Kimberley Holden

was the dance captain for 2016. Iwas also a part of the OSE team for2015-2016. In previous years Ihave also been involved with choirand the college play.

What are your plans beyondgraduation and what career doyou see yourself doing with yourdegree?

I am still deliberating over whichpath I wish to take; however I amcurrently really interested inworking in radio. I enjoy workingwith music and sound and I hopeto potentially one day become aradio producer. I may also pursuefurther study opportunities after Icomplete my undergraduatedegree.

22 DECEMBER 2016

OFFICIAL OPENING – THE BRUCE PRYOR WINGOn 26 September 2016, theCollege officially opened the BrucePryor Wing, representing the newstudent accommodation betweenthe main building and the PurserWing. The area was previouslyknown as E-Wing, however, thanksto the magnificent redevelopment,the new area is unrecognisable. In2016, xx students were the firststudents to enjoy this modern andspacious accommodation.

At the official opening, the Collegewas pleased to welcome BrucePryor (fr 56) and his wife Jenny,back to Wesley to celebrate thenaming of the floor in Bruce’shonour. Also in attendance werearchitects from PMDL whodesigned the space, buildersMidson Construction, plusrepresentatives of UnitingFinancial Services, Councilmembers, staff and many OldCollegians.

Bruce Pryor thanked the Collegefor this recognition and provided ahistory of the wonderful builtenvironment that encompassesWesley College. A transcript of hisspeech is below for those unable toattend the official opening.

* * *

* Today I would like to share with youmy appreciation of the building ofWesley College over the years andthose Architects who have beenresponsible for successive stages fromthe initial 18 rooms in 1917, to the120 in my first year, and now to atotal of some 280.

* In 1915 the Architect Byera Hadleywon a limited competition betweensix Architects to design our originalbuilding, and subsequent additionalstages, in the so called Edwardian

Gothic Revival Style, fashionable atthat time.

* In 1941, during the 2nd World War,Alan H. Dwyer –Hadley’s Associate –designed the Cecil Purser Wing –initially to house Air Force trainees.

* In 1961 the Sydney Architects,Brewster Murray and Partners, wereresponsible for the design of theBertram Wyllie Wing.

* Then in the mid 1960s the firmFowell, Mansfield and Maclurcandesigned the extension to the CollegeChapel, and then in 1968, wascommissioned to design a New Wingat the Womens’ College end of theCentral wing. I had previously joinedthat firm on my return from workingoverseas and, on it becoming knownthat I was an old Collegian, I wasimmediately appointed to be theProject Architect.

This New Wing contained 40 roomsincluding suites for Tutors on theground floor, and was completed intime for the start of Lent Term in1969, which coincidentally, was thedate for the first intake of some 43women students to the College.

Many years later, and after I hadretired, I recommended the College,

Bruce and Jenny Pryor with the Master

23THE WESLEYAN

not to my old firm, but to the partnersof the architectural practice PMDLArchitecture and Design, all of whomhad worked with me many yearsearlier.

After the appointment of LisaSutherland as the Master at Wesleyin 2009, the College Councilapproved the commissioning ofPMDL to design the total renovationof the old Fountain Court, to open outfrom the Dining Hall and to becomean outdoor centre for Collegeactivities, as well as a moreappropriate link between the OldWing and Wyllie Wing.

In 2012, after a successfulfundraising appeal by the CollegeFoundation, the next majorcommission for PMDL was the highlyinnovative design and construction ofthe Lee Floor which added some 42student rooms, and has proved to be a

great success for both the College andthe students.

* Today we are here to celebrate thethird major project by this very samesuccessful team of Architects andBuilders.The site of this New Wing,above the Kitchen and constrained bythe high bank at the St. Pauls Collegeboundary, could hardly have beenmore restricted and difficult.Thekitchen had to be kept operational,and the limited builder’s access, shedsand parking, had to be carefully co-ordinated with the essential kitchensupplies. The success of this projecthas been due, not only to its cleverdesign and planning, once again bythe PMDL Architects - WarrenMarsh and Thom Silvius, but to theorganisational input and co-operation from the Builders, MidsonConstructions, under their ProjectManager, Michael Danieluk, andSite managersAdam Keys and John

The Master with PMDL architects and Midson Construction

Price, and I am pleased that all theseimportant contributors to this NewWing are here with us today.

An integral part of this project is theAtrium where we are now, which wasonce the Palm Court where hungrystudents queued for breakfast and forlunch, and the successful enclosure,and the multi-purpose uses of thisspace are self evident.

*May I now express my thanks andcongratulations to all those who havecontributed to the success of this latestaddition to Wesley College, not onlyon behalf of us all here today, but alsoon behalf of the potential 2,800future students who may well occupythis Wing over the next 100 years ormore,........and, finally, I would like toexpress my sincere thanks to theCollege for this recognition andhonour which has been bestowed onme in the naming of this new wing.

Bruce Pryor (fr 1956)

24 DECEMBER 2016

THE BRILLIANT HIATTSDENTISTRY,MEDICINE, ANTHROPOLOGY, ACCOUNTING,RURALSCIENCE...THEY DID THE LOT

Lester “Les” Hiatt, (fr 1952),forerunner of another brilliantfamily now has a third generationat Wesley College, had so muchintelligence that, in common withothers falling into that category, ittook him some time to decide onhis direction in life. Les started hissecondary schooling at the selectiveHurlstone Agricultural HighSchool in 1946, where he did justabout everything it is possible todo. He was captain of the 1st Gradecricket and Rugby teams, schoolcaptain and dux, and for goodmeasure a good boxer. He thenenrolled in Dentistry at SydneyUniversity and entered Wesley.

Les and his younger brotherGeoffrey (fr 1955) grew up on asemi-rural block at Gilgandra,western New South Wales, where

their father, Jim, was a flour millmanager. They had a brother, Ron,who enrolled at Sydney Universityin 1956 to do Pharmacy but leftmid-year to become a patrol officerin Papua New Guinea. Ron was tospend the rest of his working lifethere, accepting Prime MinisterMichael Somare’s invitation in 1975to remain as an adviser after thecountry achieved independence.

But Les’s direction changed. In hisfirst year at Wesley, he met Laksiri“Laki” Jayasuriya (fr 1951) fromCeylon, who had enrolled to studyPsychology and Anthropology andwas to win the University Medal.Laki, also destined for aprofessorship, inspired Les to suchan extent that he started study foran Arts degree, majoring inAnthropology. He graduated in

Dentistry in 1956 and thefollowing year went to Bourke, infar western New South Wales, topractise dentistry. According to hisson, Dr Alfred Hiatt, his aim instarting practise was to save enoughmoney to finish his Arts degree.There, he met Betty Meehan, whohad gone to Bathurst Teachers’College and then returned toBourke, which was her hometown,to teach in primary school.

Les graduated in Arts 1958 andreceived a research scholarship atthe Australian National University.For his PhD research, he and Bettyset off for Maningrida, in centralArnhem Land, to study the AnbarraGidjingarli society. Les gained ateaching position at the Universityof Sydney and moved up to becomea reader and then a professor. Hisobituarist, Harry Allen, said: “LesHiatt was at his best in philosophicaland moral explorations of Australiananthropology, exemplified inArguments about Aborigines:Australia and Evolution of SocialAnthropology. These explorationscontinued one of Les’s centralinterests, the fluidity and flexibilityof Aboriginal social and territorialarrangements.”

Les and Betty’s marriage ended inthe early 1960s but they remainedclose friends. Les married JudithBarbour in the Wesley Collegechapel some years later but thatmarriage did not last and he thenmarried Margaret Clunies-Ross.From that marriage, Les had twochildren, Alfred and Christina.

Geoff Hiatt, who had done hisschooling at Fort Street HighSchool, followed Les in 1954 intoDentistry at Sydney University andcompleted his first year. But Les,who thought Dentistry was toonarrow a field, advised Geoff toswitch to Medicine because it hada much wider professional scope.

Lester Hiatt

25THE WESLEYAN

Geoff followed that advice and hissecond year at university in 1955,switched to Medicine. Les used hisinfluence to get Geoff into Wesley.

Geoff, speaking to The Wesleyan,said: "Life at Wesley was reallygood, chiefly because of thecompany there. Unlike mybrothers, I was no sportsman, sothe best I could do was to representthe college in rifle shooting."Following his stint as head fresherin his first year, where hesupervised tea and coffee makingand telephone rosters, Geoff spenthis time at Wesley amicably,graduated and went to the RoyalNorth Shore Hospital as a residentmedical officer. In 1961, he wentto London to do a postgraduatecourse in Medicine at the WestLondon Hospital, Hammersmith.After finishing the course, he tookup residence in London Houseand worked as a Medical Registrarat Edgeware General Hospital incentral London.

“As the winter of 1962approached, I wrote to my oldWesleyan friend, Rod Scotton, andasked if there was a place inGrafton practice for me,” Geoffsaid. Rod, who was one of fourbrothers who had been to Wesley,offered him a place. “On my way toGrafton I married FrancesSandilands, a nurse from my

North Shore days. I joined theGrafton Private Clinic a week afterthe marriage.” The clinic was agroup practice of seven men,comprising a surgeon, andspecialist anaesthetist, James Rae(fr 1946) who had been to Wesley.There were five GPs and Geoffreplaced one of them. The practicegrew to 13 over the years, with theaddition of a physician and anobstetrician and four more GPs.

Geoff and Fran had four children:Kathryn born in 1965, James(1966), Robert (1968) and Alicia(1972). James enrolled inAgricultural Science at SydneyUniversity and entered Wesley in1985, after which he representedthe college in athletics and Rugby.He graduated in 1989, but likeother restless Hiatts changeddirection and undertook abusiness course at the Universityof New England, from which hegraduated in 1966 as a Bachelor ofFinancial Administration. Afterstints working as a charteredaccountant in Canberra andSydney, James returned toGrafton, where he took upemployment with Big RiverTimbers, a national company withheadquarters in Grafton. Hemarried Bree Adams and they havefour children, one of whom,Joshua, aged 15, is attendingMcCauley Catholic College inGrafton. According to Geoff,Joshua is showing strong interestin becoming a Wesleyan”.

Les Hiatt, after resettling inEngland, died there in early 2008.His son, Alfred Hiatt, who hadgrown up in inner Sydney, not farfrom Wesley, obtained a BA degreeat the University of Sydney in1991-94, graduating with FirstClass Honours, and did a PhD atCambridge. His doctoral work,somewhat more esoteric than thatof his father, was on forgeddocuments and their reception infifteenth-century England. His workgave rise to a book, The Making ofMedieval Forgeries (British Libraryand University of Toronto Press),published in 2004. Alfred startedas a Junior Research Fellow atTrinity College, Cambridge, then

became a lecturer at the Universityof Leeds, and in 2009 joined theDepartment of English at QueenMary University of London as aReader in English Literature.

Geoff ’s son Robert graduated as aBachelor of FinancialAdministration from theUniversity of New England andthen decided to do a coursethrough the Solicitors’ AdmissionBoard to become a lawyer. He nowhas a legal practice in PortMacquarie. Geoff ’s granddaughter,Alexandra Thomson (fr 2016),daughter of Kathryn, also had abrilliant school record. She wasvice-captain of McCauley CatholicCollege at Grafton and receivedawards for Christian Leadership,Academic Excellence and theMcCauley Medal, recognising hercontribution to the College for sixyears. Doing well in the HSC lastyear, she enrolled at SydneyUniversity this year to do ArtsCommerce and entered Wesley.Her interests include dance andthe Sydney Swans. And there arelikely to be more Hiatts to follow.Robert’s son, Harry, 16, has shownan interest in Medicine andbecoming a Wesleyan.

Malcolm Brown (fr 1965)

Geoffrey Hiatt

James Hiatt

26 DECEMBER 2016

A PERFECT MATCHTHE FITZSIMONS FAMILY AND WESLEY COLLEGE. THIRTEEN AT WESLEY AND STILL GOING

The FitzSimons family, startingwith David FitzSimons whoarrived at Wesley in 1966, weredestined to have rather an impacton Wesley, in just about every fieldof endeavour. To date, 13members of the family across twogenerations have been there andthe number is likely to grow. Theycame from English Irish heritage.A grandfather had fought in theBoer War. The family patriarch,Peter FitzSimons, had served at ElAlamein, New Guinea and inPacific Islands, and the matriarch,Helen FitzSimons (nee Booth) had

served as a physiotherapist in AliceSprings, Darwin and Lae (all thisgiving a leg-up for their son, Peter,who turned out some books onWorld War II among his manywritings). After the war the couple,who were both graduates fromSydney University, went into theorchard industry near Gosford andbought land at Peats Ridge wheretheir six children were to grow upin a healthy environment,preparing them physically amongother things for life at boardingschool in Sydney and for theuniversity life that was to follow.

David FitzSimons (fr 1966) was atthe vanguard of the FitzSimonspush into Wesley when it was stillan all-male college, and he reallywas a good model: one of those“designer freshers” so welcomed bya university college, good at sport,with plenty of intellect and anoutgoing, engaging personality.Wesley and the FitzSimons, itmight be said, were made for eachother. Several of them were to meettheir life’s love at Wesley, whetherit be a marriage partner, a sport ora career.

David went to Knox GrammarSchool (as did the other boys),then entered Wesley in 1966 tostudy Engineering. He took readilyto college life, participated instudent antics and participatedvery successfully in sport, at onepoint winning the Intercoll 110metres hurdles in record time.David took an AFS studentexchange scholarship to theUnited States and returned withoutstanding gridiron skills whichhardly detracted from hiscontribution to Wesley Rugby. Hemet Merrie Garland who also wenton AFS scholarship from theWomen’s College, and was tospend a lot of time with her. In1970, he became Senior Student,graduated in Engineering, marriedMerrie in 1971 and started hiscareer with the CommonwealthDepartment of Works. His careerflourished. Daughter Kate wasborn in 1980 and son Eliot in1981. David went on to aflourishing career in big-timeconstruction and consulting and,remaining in contact with Wesley,was to serve on its foundation. Hewas followed at Wesley by hisbrothers Andrew (fr 1971), James“Jim” (fr 1976), sister Patricia“Trish” (fr 1978) and brother Peter(fr 1980). The one FitzSimonssibling who did not go to Wesley,

Trish and Peter FitzSimons Senior, May 1983

27THE WESLEYAN

Catherine “Cathy”, opted to go toNewcastle University and becamea teacher.

Andrew FitzSimons (fr 1971)visited Wesley for the first time in1961 when his cousin, FredMurray-Walker was there. Thecollege and the universityappeared to a boy of tender yearsto be, in his words, “beautiful andmysterious”. When David enrolled,it was fairly clear that Andrewwould also become part of thisbeautiful, mysterious world.Finishing at Knox in 1969,Andrew went jackarooing and tunafishing for more than a year and in1971 appeared on campus to“grow my brain”, as he expressed it.He entered Wesley, enrolled inArts, majoring in the Philosophy ofEducation, and took readily tocollege life. He was mightilyimpressed by the calibre of thestudents around him and by “thestrength and beauty” of thewomen. He told The Wesleyan:“The next three years sit in mymemory as a golden period ofpersonal growth; inter-colcompetitions [particularly rowing],fierce political debates [anti-Vietnam moratorium protests,anti-Springbok protests],bushwalking trips, the Safari caféon King Street when we could notstand the food any more. A Wesley‘tribe’ attended the first NimbinFestival, a focus on ‘alternative’almost everything has continuedever since.”

Andrew moved out of college in1974, to share a house in Glebeand finished his degree. The strongfriendships he made at Wesley

remained a “cornerstone” of hispersonal and professional life. In1977 he caught up with the thenformer Master, the Rev NormanWebb, and shared accommodationwith him in London. Andrew’sbrother, Jim, introduced him to LizCunninghame, whom Jim had gotto know because Liz’s mother wasgodmother to a fresher in Jim’syear. Andrew and Liz hit it off verywell and were to become husbandand wife. Andrew became ateacher and for the last 12 yearshas been principal of Dapto HighSchool “Forty odd years [after I leftWesley] my son Ruben, followed bymy daughter Veda enrolled,”Andrew said. “I was engulfed withfond memories and an intense andyet unexpected pleasure; they werestrolling Purser or sitting on thefront lawn, thrashing Andrews andthumping the table in applause.Things were different, things werethe same. Things like ParentWeekends have all providedopportunities to re-engage withspaces, people, issues.” Andrewdoes think that there should bemore attention at college to theglobal issue of ecologicalsustainability and he thinkscollege should make more of aneffort to embrace cultural diversity.

Jim FitzSimons (fr 1976) arrivedat Wesley and was directed to hisroom in Upper Purser. “I wasunpacking, talking to my brotherAndrew and his girlfriend who hadcome to visit,” he said. “A visionappeared through the door of theroom opposite, which turned outto be Deborah Edwards.” Jim’sappreciation of Deborah grew andshe was to become his wife.“Wesley was a fantastic time forme,” he said. “I enjoyed thecamaraderie and the chance toparticipate in many new things”.Jim participated in the sevenRawson Cup sports. He was teamcaptain in swimming, athleticsand rugby and even learnt to row.He took part in a Wesley play andparticipated in the dunking of notone, but two, Wesley Masters intothe turtle pool. The Webb duckingwas out of affection and respect,after Webb’s final address to the

students - at a time when hiscontract had been terminated bythe College Council and thestudents made a stand to try tohave him retained.

The other Master dunked was theRev Jim Udy, Webb’s successor,who had been appointed bycouncil to try to bring some moremoderate behaviour into thecollege. “Our fight with himstarted on the first day when hetried to stop the kegs coming intocollege for the fresher orientation,”Jim said. Jim FitzSimonsgraduated BA in 1978 and LLB in1980 and went on to pursue acareer which would see himbecome a top-rankinginternational lawyer. DeborahEdwards graduated in 1981 withFirst Class Honours in Fine Arts,and has recently retired as SeniorCurator of Australian Art at theNSW Art Gallery where she iscurrently a consulting curator,working on a major show on JohnOlsen whilst completing her PhD.Deborah and Jim, who married in1988, had a son, Niall, born in1990, and a daughter, Freya,1994. Jim was to re-engage withthe college in a major way, proudas he is of his children and niecesand nephews, chairing the WesleyCollege Foundation, helping tooversee the Raising the RoofAppeal and restructuring theFoundation.

Trish FitzSimons (fr 1978) mighthave followed sister, Cathy, toNewcastle University but she hadher heart set on Sydney University

Andrew FitzSimons

Jim FitzSimons and Deborah Edwards

28 DECEMBER 2016

and Wesley College and herparents agreed to support her tillshe got a Teachers’ CollegeScholarship to enable her tocomplete her Honours degree inArts. In common with many youngwomen of her era, Trish hadfeminist ideas. They were to bereinforced at Wesley, but in aricher and more comprehensiveway. “There were a lot of highlyintelligent and academicallyfocused women established in theWesley that I came to,” Trish toldThe Wesleyan. “Julie Ward,Belinda Gibson, Penny Pether andLinden Edwards leap to my mindin this regard. I describe those twoyears at Wesley as the time of mylife where I had more time forconversation and formingfriendships and wide reading, aswell as for being a serious student,than at any other time in my life. Imade friends in those first gloriousdays of Wesley when everyone wasopen to find ‘their people’ amongstthe new cohort that have sustainedme ever since.”

Trish participated fully in collegelife and took up rowing. Shemoved out after two years andshared a house in Chippendale.After completing her Honoursyear, Trish travelled Europe for ayear to decide what she might dowith the rest of her life. “Likeothers in my clan, I realised talkingwas somehow what I most lovedand came back with a vagueimpulse towards journalism,documentary, film, television or

radio. “It was Sydney Universitythat helped focus this into a careerthat has engaged me ever since.The year 1985 was the centenaryof the first women graduates andJim Dale of the Sydney UniTelevision Service was determinedthat it would be marked in someway,” she said. “I first volunteeredas a researcher on this project, andended up producing and directing(with Mitzi Goldman) my firstdocumentary: Snakes and Ladders:A Film about Women, Education andHistory (ABC TV and Channel 4)1987 as a result.”

Snakes and Ladders led Trish to theAustralian Film and TelevisionSchool where she did a degree infilm-making, from which she wentto a job at Griffith University. In1988, she became a partner of ahigh school teacher, Gary Reilly,and together they brought Andrewand Isabelle into the world. Thecouple married in 2005 and Trishthereby became stepmother ofGary’s son, Jack. Trish, who hasacquired a DCA (doctorate ofcreative arts), is now an associateprofessor and deputy director ofthe Griffith Film School. Therewas a thread, Trish said, thatstarted in Wesley with her in-depthconversations contact with suchhighly talented women, thedevelopment or her feminism, thedefining film and the career thatfollowed. It all, it might be said,started at Wesley.

Peter FitzSimons had no real ideain 1980 when he entered Wesleyto do an Arts degree that he wouldbecome an international Rugbyplayer, a best-selling author, amember of the Sydney UniversitySenate, pro-vice chancellor of theuniversity and chair of theAustralian Republican Movement.There might have been somesuggestion from the mere size ofthe man that he might be good inthe physical arena. In fact hisnickname when he started was“Fresher Mountain”. Theuniversity Rugby boffinsrecognised that, even if Peter didnot. As he recounts in an article hewrote for The Wesleyan 2008edition, he was dragged to training

at the University No 2 oval to trainwith the Sydney University Colts.

Peter was a natural for the WesleyCollege XV, which with the likes ofa sometime Australian UniversitiesRugby representative PeterBeaumont in the side, made agood fist of the Rawson Cup. Hewas asked to write a report on theRugby triumphs for the 1981Wesley College Journal and as hestated in the article, it became “myfirst bit of published work”. Itplanted the seed, which was tobloom when he became ajournalist with Fairfax Media andhe took to book writing. And ofcourse the Rugby took off, as heembarked on a career with theNSW Waratahs and the AustralianWallabies, for whom he appearedin eight tests. Peter went into themedia and became a best-sellingauthor and professional raconteurof some note. He married and hadthree children, Jake, Louis andBilli.

There was little doubt the nextgeneration of FitzSimons wouldattend Wesley. David sent hisdaughter Kate to Wesley. Andrewsent Ruben and Veda, Jim sentNiall and Freya, and Peter sentJake, Louis and Billi.

Kate FitzSimons (fr 1998), went toAbbotsleigh and entered Wesley in1998 to do a degree in Science.Her comment to her mother afterher first few weeks in Wesley was:“Mum, it’s like I have come home!”Kate excelled in sport. Kate hadknown Chris Effeney (fr 2000)before he entered Wesley andfurther enjoyed his company whenthey were in college. Kate wenttravelling with Chris in Europe. In2002, she enrolled at NewcastleUniversity to do Medicine andgraduated in 2007 with adistinction. She practisedMedicine from that time, and inFebruary this year completed hertraining to become ananaesthetist. She married Chris in2008 and gave birth to Matilda in2011 and Oliver (2014), with athird child due next year. Chris is aprincipal in a physiotherapypractice.

Trish FitzSimons

29THE WESLEYAN

Ruben FitzSimons (fr 2012)finished at Bomaderry High asschool captain and dux, enrolled atSydney University to do acombined degree in engineeringand commerce and entered Wesleyand eventually became logisticssecretary on the house committee.During the last long vacation hetook an internship and worked atvarious robotics factories in South-East Asia. His sister VedaFitzSimons (fr 2013) was likeRuben school captain and dux ofBomaderry High. In the summerof 2014/15 she and Jim’s daughterFreya each received one ofWesley’s OSE scholarships andtook internships in non-government organisations inCambodia. During their trip theyvisited some of Wesley’s sponsoredorganisations and taught someEnglish classes. She was involvedin soccer, choir and dance and lastyear served as secretary of theHouse Committee.

Niall Edwards-FitzSimons (fr2009), went to North Sydney Boys’High School and after a gap yearworking and backpacking inEurope, he entered Wesley to do aBA in Media and Communicationsand study Music. He playedbasketball, sang in a Palladian Cupwinning choir and became aresidential assistant. He gained hisBA in 2013 and in 2014graduated with First ClassHonours in Music. He is planning

to enrol at Sydney University nextyear to do a PhD and in themeantime has learnt Indonesian,been backpacking and is workingas a teacher’s aide in autismsupport. He told The Wesleyan: “Ilove my 4th floor Wiley family”.Freya Edwards-FitzSimons (fr2013) went to Queenwood Schoolfor Girls in Mosman. Like Niall,she had a gap year working andbackpacking in Europe andentered Wesley to do InternationalStudies. She became a Wesleychorister and went on to train oneof the choirs last year. She playedbasketball, danced and became a

residential assistant. This year, shetook up a Geneva Short ExchangeStudy scholarship to study Frenchin Geneva. She expects to do anHonours year in 2017. Hercomment to The Wesleyan? “Livingat Wesley made me realise whyadults said uni was the best yearsof their lives.”

Jake FitzSimons (fr 2013) enrolledat Sydney University to do an Artsdegree and entered Wesley. In2015, his final year, he wonWesley’s Socrates Cup for beingthe best orator, and the HamiltonMott Scholarship for hisengagement in college life. Peter’syounger son Louis FitzSimons (fr2015) started at Wesley last year todo an Arts degree and took readilyto acting, appearing in the collegeplay for two years. Billi FitzSimons(2016) entered Wesley this year todo an Arts degree and at the timeof writing had made the Wesleybasketball team. There will be moreFitzSimons graduations, and ProVice-Chancellor Peter will probablybe there for those occasions. Petersaid: “When I graduate students inthe Great Hall, I am usually carefulto mention that I only ever gotpasses for my courses, and thatmuch of what I learnt at Uni wasoutside the lecture halls. And mostof that was at Wesley.”

Malcolm Brown (fr 1965)Niall and Freya Edwards-FitzSimons

Ruben and Veda FitzSimons

30 DECEMBER 2016

“THE BEST TIME OF OUR LIVES”

HOW THE WERNER-GIBBINGS TRADITION FLOURISHED AT WESLEY

When Eric Gibbings (fr 1973)walked through the sandstonegates of Wesley in December1972, with feelings of “trepidationand hope”, there might have beena descending comet, a portent ofsignificant events. Gough Whitlamswept into power, inauguratingone of the most dramatic andaction-packed government regimesin Australia’s history and it was thebeginning of a Wesley network oflove and marriage, which would gointo generations and produce acollege councillor and vice-master.

Eric grew up on a farm at Blightyin the Riverina, and attendedYanco Agricultural High School,before deciding to study Scienceand applying for Wesley. He wasinterviewed by the Master, the RevNorman Webb, who accepted him.In 1973 Eric found himself“amongst the most diverse,intelligent, amusing, athletic,supportive, sparkling young adults(term used advisedly) that I haveever known or imagined”. Anotherfresher was Eric’s cousin, RichardMoore (fr 1973) from Deniliquin,who was to go on to graduate inLaw. In 1974, Richard introducedhim to Judith Werner (fr 1974)who had come from Canberra.

Judith came to Sydney to studyDentistry because there was nosuch course available at theAustralian National University.She was intent on Wesley becauseshe would “never would haveconsidered” going to a single-sexcollege. Initially disorientated in abig city, she adjusted and in Julywent to a formal dinner at StJohn’s College with “the mostinteresting, eclectic, long-hairedand yet I will say it again, gorgeoussecond-year engineering studentfrom the country”, Eric Gibbings.

Richard Moore wrote about themeeting in the Wesley CollegeJournal in 1974: “In between themotion and the act fell the Jude”.

Eric said: “The thing about Wesleyis that relationships are on fast-forward. Living under the one roofday-in and day-out means thatthey prosper or fizzle out but slow-moving or drawn-out affairs theyare not”. In this instance, Eric atthe age of 19 and Judith 18,married on the steps of the PurserWing on 7 December 1974.Norman Webb, officiating, was“no doubt secretly congratulatinghimself on another successfuloutcome of the social experiment”,Eric said. According to Judith,everyone else, taking into accountthe age of bride and groom and theyears they still had to study,regarded the event with“bewilderment and concern”.

Eric and Judith set up in a tinyterraced house in Camperdown,taking advantage of the FederalLabor Government’s TertiaryEducation Allowance. Eric neededanother two years to complete hisdegree and Judith another four.Eric graduated and did his DipEd,and Judith graduated withHonours. They went to Britain for

a 12-month working holiday andreturned to settle in Deniliquin,where they had two sons, Taimus(fr 2000) and Keagan (fr 2002).The family moved to WaggaWagga where Judith practiseddentistry. There was anothermove, to Canberra, where Judithestablished a dental practice andEric taught Physics in the schoolsystem. Eric and Judith neverforgot Wesley, and encouragedtheir sons to go there. Theythemselves returned to Sydney,where Judith became a lecturer inthe Faculty of Dentistry at SydneyUniversity and Eric continued as ateacher. Judith was invited to jointhe Wesley College Council andspent several years there, under theregime of the Rev David Russell.

Eric’s sister, Beth (fr 1976)followed him to Wesley. So didEric’s brother, Alan (fr 1981).Beth, coming from DeniliquinHigh School, enrolled in Medicinebut found that it did not “feed mysoul”. She diverted her attention toscreen printing, philosophy classeson feminism, and helping toproduce magazines and theatreshows. Of Wesley, she said: “I lovedthe diversity of the people theMaster, Norman Webb, attractedto the place. I enjoyed the

Eric and Judith

31THE WESLEYAN

conversations he set up on aSunday night in his residence.” Shemoved out of Wesley, sharinghouses with other old collegians,gave up Medicine, went to artschool, got a job with NSW Healthand did a lot of work with refugeesand migrants. In the early 1990sshe moved with her partner, TimCadman, to Tasmania.

In Tasmania Beth and Tim built ahouse and worked withinternational campaigners to saveTasmania’s forest and have theGreat Western Tiers declared aWorld Heritage Area. Beth raneducation courses for rural nursesin Tasmania. She and Tim had ason, Tristan. After a return to NewSouth Wales, Beth taught doctorshow to use the media. She alsoconducted health educationcampaigns through the ethnicmedia and coordinated the SIEV Xmemorial project, a memorial inthe ACT to victims of thecatastrophic sinking of a refugeeboat. Tim and Beth then moved toBellingen on the far north coastwhere Tim joined the staff ofGriffith University and Beth,completing a degree incriminology, exhibited art.

Growing up in Deniliquin, WaggaWagga and Canberra TaimusWerner-Gibbings would lookthrough the Wesley Collegeyearbooks for 1973 and ‘74. Tohim they were “collages ofdisconnected, stream-of-consciousness articles, the topicsand descriptions of same generallyon the rapid side of ‘racy’, leavenedwith lewd photos and jokes so ‘in’

you had to be in a black hole tocomprehend.” But he had seensome intelligible humour. “Iremember laughing for minutes onend at the nicknaming genius ofwhoever decided to call AlVertigan in Dad’s only Rawson-sport winning soccer team ‘LaNagitrev’,” he said. When thefamily occasionally visited Glebe,Eric and Judith showed their sonsWesley and said “That is it, boys,that’s where we met … the besttime of our lives”.

Taimus was diagnosed in Year 12with type-1 diabetes, but he gotreasonable results in the HigherSchool Certificate and applied forspecial consideration, in view ofthat handicap, when he applied forArts-Law at the university. Thehandicap got him over the line, hesaid, because the results in hisHSC alone would not have doneso. When interviewed for Wesleyby the Master, Dr John Evans, inNovember 1999, although Taimushad “made him absolutely aware ofthe extraordinary familyconnection – mum, dad, aunty,uncle – with the college, I was notconvinced that I had totally lit himup …That said, Evo was harder toignite than damp broccoli.”

Taimus had to wait till January2000 before a letter arrived fromWesley. “The sun was shiningthrough the windows. It was theafternoon. Dad and Keagan werethere and Dad was very nervous –and very relieved when I told himwith studied nonchalance that Iwas in. That told me how muchDad wanted me to go to thecollege, because he knew howmuch I’d love it.” Taimus enteredWesley in 2000, stating later: “Mydesire to attend Sydney Universitywas entirely secondary to mydesire to attend Wesley College.”

Initially, Taimus felt “overmatched”at Wesley, and with “the stingingawareness that whatever-size fishI’d been swimming withpreviously, I was now in an insular,glorious pond swimming amongstmonsters”. He nevertheless rose tothe occasion, played cricket,though regularly getting the

guernsey as 12th man, acted inWesley plays and was electedstudent representative to theCollege Council. “It was a bit of adisappointment, to be sure, that allthe gorgeous fresher girls seemedto think that all the Senior blokeswere much more interesting thanus fresher guys – or maybe just me– but such was life, and life wasgood,” he said. “I had never livedin that sort of environment before– it was totally alien to me – but itgave me so much.”

At the end of 2000, Taimusshowed his 16-year-old cousin,New Zealander Kate Evans (fr2002), the college journal. Kate,who was the daughter of Eric’ssister, Sue, said later: “I thought –that sounds ridiculous, andamazing, I want to be part of it.” In2002, Taimus was present whenhis Eric and Judith dropped hisbrother Keagan off to begin hisfirst year at Wesley. “A friendpointed out to me a very beautifulgirl running round the front lawnin white shorts and a pink top,”Taimus said. “I decided she wasout of my league and turned myattention to paying out Keagan forturning up in purple sunglasses,heel-less leather sandals, a whitepleather jacket and tight, blue jeans.”

For six months Taimus did not talkto Libby Nash (fr 2002), who hadbeen in the white shorts and pinktop. “When I did, it was becauseshe talked to me,” he said. “Libbywalked past my room on seniorbalconies randomly one Juneafternoon and asked if I wantedanything from Kmart. I didn’tLibby and Taimus

Eric and Judith today

32 DECEMBER 2016

want anything from Kmart, as ithappened, but was happy to sharesome sushi with her a week laterwhen she offered me some for noreason. By the end of the year, wehad won the Rawson andRosebowl again, and Libby and Iwere together properly.”

Libby had grown up on a propertynear Coonabarabran in the state’snorth-west. She attended an all-girlboarding school, Wenona College,in Sydney and when it came togoing to Sydney University tostudy Radiotherapy, she decidedon Wesley because she wanted co-education. “Wesley was a meltingpot of people from all differentbackgrounds whose friendshipschallenged and shaped mymindset and opened my eyes tonew opportunity,” she said. Sherowed for the college, playedsoftball and competed in theIntercoll high-jump, shot put andsoftball. And she met Taimus.

Keagan Werner-Gibbings enteredWesley to study Engineering andCommerce. As with Taimus, heknew a lot about the place. “Manyof my childhood memories werepunctuated by a perpetualenthusiasm and nostalgia thatgreeted the reminiscences atfamily reunions when Wesleybecame the topic,” he said. Keaganwas at Wesley for more than twoyears and “loved every moment” ofit. He was to represent the collegein athletics and social Rugby andto act in a play, A ClockworkOrange directed by his olderbrother. Leaving Wesley in 2004,Keagan completed his degrees andmade “a brief foray into the

corporate world”, spending a yearon the bond trading floor atCitigroup global markets.

Kate Evans, the cousin Taimushad shown round Wesley, enrolledthere in 2003 to do anArts/Communications degree.“College was already gettingexpensive for my parents’ means,”she said. “But I begged them tosend me and tried to make it ascheap as possible by sharing aroom my first two years andgetting an RA position in my third.I had a wonderful and intensethree years, and as wild a time asI’d hoped for when I daydreamedabout university in a small-town. Iwas known as ‘Kiwi’ andrepresented Wesley in hockey,soccer, diving and athletics, sangin the college cappella choir,performed in soirees, played late-night table tennis and climbeduniversity roofs, orchestrated nuderuns, enjoyed Walkabout and crazycollege parties, largely ignored theoccasional misogynistic incidents,edited the 2005 college journal,became an Australian citizen andwon a scholarship to do my mediainternship in Cambodia at thePhnom Penh Post.”

In 2005, Judith Werner-Gibbings’niece, Emma Morgan, enteredWesley to do a Liberal Studiesdegree. “I took the opportunity toutilise my musical skills in thePalladian Cup,” Emma said. “Wewere the only college in theUniversity of Sydney fortunateenough to have enough talentedtrombonists to perform atrombone quarter for the concert.The capacity of Wesley College toenable all students to participatein their areas of speciality is aunique one.” Emma’s musicaldiversion started “a niggling in theback of my mind”, suggesting toher that somehow she should takemusic further. With the support offellow freshers, she completed her8 Grade AMEB examination,successfully auditioned for theSydney Conservatorium of Music,completed a Bachelor of Musicdegree with Honours and becamea music teacher. At the time ofwriting she was at Loreto

Normanhurst. It was only forWesley, she said, that she would bewhere she was today, “enrichingthe musical lives of our futuregenerations”.

Both Taimus and his beloved, LibbyNash, finished their degrees in 2004and Taimus asked Libby to marryhim at the end of that year on topof the Eiffel Tower. Libby beganworking in the Prince of Wales’radiation therapy department in2005 and Taimus took a graduaterole with the Department ofTransport and Regional Servicesin Canberra. Some months later,Taimus returned to Sydney tobecome a compliance investigatorwith the Office of the PrivacyCommissioner and a WesleyCollege Councillor.

In November, 2006, David Russellofficiated at Taimus and Libby’swedding on her parents’ propertyoutside Coonabarabran. “It wasthe best night – a lot of love in themarquee – and the primary reasonfor a lot of the vibe was our friendsfrom Wesley College,” Taimus said.Libby added: “We entered themarquee not to clapping but, in trueWesley tradition, to the sound ofhundreds of spoons banging on thetable.” In 2007, the couple went onan 18-month working holiday toBritain. Shortly before they weredue to return Taimus was askedabout the possibility of his becominga vice-master at Wesley. DuanMarch (fr 2000) and Cate Bailey(fr 2002) had spent three years atWesley with Cate in the role ofDeputy Vice-master (Dean ofStudent Services), and were movingon. Taimus was to take Cate’s job.

Emma Morgan (right)

Taimus’ graduation

33THE WESLEYAN

Kate Evans, graduated in 2007with a triple major in Arts (Mediaand Communications) and adistinction average. She went towork for a newspaper inArgentina, then did a Masters ofInternational Affairs at theAustralian National University,where she got a High Distinction.She got a news cadetship with theABC, worked for news and currentaffairs in Canberra for three years,then moved to Indonesia to workas a video-journalist in sciencecommunications travelling theworld’s tropical forests andcovering UN climate conferences

In 2007, Keagan returned toSydney University to do a four-yearcourse in Medicine. There, he metLiesl Ischia, who had alreadydistinguished herself as anAustralian springboard championrepresenting Australia at theCommonwealth Games inManchester. Having completed ascience degree, Liesl had opted,like Keagan, to study Medicine.The two got on well and enteredWesley together as post-graduatestudents. They left for a while tofind a place to live in the innerwest. They were to marry in 2012.Having worked in numerousplaces as doctors, they were at thetime of writing living in Melbourne,with a baby son, Frederick, who itmight be said already has the markof Wesley on him.

In December, 2008, Taimusbecame Deputy Vice-Master,(Dean of Student Services) at

Wesley and moved into the collegewith Libby, who found work as aradiation therapist at St Georgeand Prince of Wales Hospitals. In2009 Keagan and Liesl, not happywith the digs they had found in theinner west, moved into Wesley andoccupied a unit in the New Wing,just above where Taimus andLibby were living.

Taimus was promoted to Vice-Master (Dean of Student Servicesand Dean Academic Services,Director of the Overseas StudentProgram). Not surprisingly he sawthe college in an entirely differentperspective. He was watchingthem “have the same fun, make thesame mistakes”, as he had, butnow he had to intervene wherenecessary and remonstrate ifnecessary. He had a chance tobetter himself in cricket. Becausehe was doing a graduate diplomain Legal Practice, he was classifiedas a student and could play in theIntercolcompetition. Heplayed for Wesley in2009, and this timehe was not the 12thman, and this timeWesley won.

In October 2009,Taimus and Libby’sfirst child, Cesc, wasborn. “I don’t knowwhether in historythere was a moreWesley child than hewas,” Taimus said.“His grandparents

met at Wesley, his parents met atWesley and he spent the first twoyears of his life at Wesley.” In2011, a second child, Henson, wasborn, also coming home in a cribto Wesley. In 2012, with their sonsin tow, Taimus and Libby movedto Canberra. Libby got a job atCanberra Hospital and Taimuswent into the public service,serving in numerous capacities,including as a policy advisor forthe Federal Environment Ministerand media advisor to the ShadowAssisstant Treasurer. At the time ofwriting he was a Labor candidatefor the ACT Legislative Assembly.

Taimus said: “I’m conscious thatmy 00’, 01’, 02’ yearbooks mightnot make sense to Cesc andHenson. The jokes I think arefunnier, the writing is cruder andmore self-satisfied, quality hasbeen overtaken by quantityperhaps. Of course, I could bewrong, and the significance ofWesley in the Werner-Gibbingsnarrative – the fact that it is theheart upon which all else depends– might dawn earlier on one ofthem, probably the older one, thatit did upon me. If for no otherreason than it is the first homethey ever had. But come what may,if we walk or drive down WesternAvenue on a sentimental tour, pastUniversity Oval No 1, I’ll tell them,‘That’s Wesley College, boys, that’swhere we met’. And if one of themasks, ‘What was it like?’ I’ll say thesame thing my parents said to me,and mean it completely, like them,‘It was the best time of our lives’.”

Malcolm Brown (fr 1965)

Libby, Jill Kilby and Alice Williams

Cesc with Ed, Jeff and Ethan, 2011

34 DECEMBER 2016

HOW THE CULL TRADITIONCONTINUES THROUGH THEAGESINTERVIEWS WITH GILL CAMPBELL NEE CULL (fr 1979) AND GEORGIA CAMPBELL (fr 2015)

The Cull family’s connection withWesley College began in effect on2 December 1916 when thecollege’s great benefactor,Frederick Cull, an English-bornbusinessman with deep Christianconviction, laid the foundationstone of the college chapel. Theremight be a commemoration thisyear. And after a century, the Cullconnection is still strong. Thelatest to pass through being Fred’sgreat great-granddaughter, GeorgiaCampbell (fr 2015). Everywhere,there is evidence of Fred Cull’scontribution over decades, fromthe chapel, where Fred put in theinitial money, to a racing eight andthe Cecil Pursar Wing, which hepaid for and for which he laid thefoundation stone shortly before hisdeath in 1942. And hisdescendants have done him proud.

There was no direct Cullinvolvement with the college fornearly four decades after Fred’sdeath, but then it all came withrather a rush.

Fred’s great granddaughter, Gillian“Gill” Cull (fr 1979), grew up inGunnedah in the state’s north-westand went to Ascham as a boarder.She enrolled at Sydney Universityin 1979 to do a Bachelor ofEducation degree and enteredWesley. Going to a residentialcollege seemed “the natural thingto do”, she told The Wesleyan. But itwas only when she got talking tothe Master, the Rev James Udy,that she realised the significanceof the Cull connection.

Another member of the Cull familyrealised the significance of theconnection straight away. Gill said

her great-aunt, Isobel Cull, had leftAustralia, on the first Qantas flightto the UK, in a convertedLancaster bomber. She neverreturned, that is, until she learnedthat Gill was a student at Wesleywhereupon she did return andtook up residence at Wesley forsome months. During this timeshe took great interest in thecollege and even donated a boatfor the women’s crew, named the“Ada Cull”. “She very much likedthe idea of the Fred Cull and theAda Cull sharing the same river,”Gill said.

For Gill, the Wesley experiencedetermined her future. “My firstimpression of Wesley has been alasting one – the great diversity ofthe students and theirbackgrounds was immediatelyobvious,” she said. “I think this is

as true today as it was then and Ifirmly believe it is one of the greatstrengths of the Wesleycommunity.” Then she discoveredrowing – for her a momentousevent. She had not done it before,but neither had the 30 or so girlswho signed up with her. But therewas one advantage. The seniorrowers had recruited a veterinarystudent, Mark Campbell, to coach.Mark had rowed for SydneyUniversity and for New SouthWales. He was given honorarymembership of the Wesley HouseCommittee. For Gill, meeting himwas also momentous.

Mark displayed “optimism andenthusiasm” from the outset and,to put it mildly, did rather a goodjob. “I can happily report that inour time of college rowing theWesley girls remained

The Wesley crew in 1979: Penny Zwar (coxswain), Vanessa Kingsford, Anne Tunley, GillCull and Robyn Sutherland (Vanessa and Penny are now sadly both deceased).

35THE WESLEYAN

undefeated!” Gill said. “Rowingbecame a passion. Somethingabout the sport appealed to meform the very start. The challengeof learning and mastering acompletely new skill in a newenvironment was one which Ireadily embraced.”

Gill rowed throughout herundergraduate years, in theIntercoll Regattas and for SydneyUniversity in the IntervarsityGames. When she graduated, withHonours, in 1983, she joined thestaff of Pymble Ladies’ College(PLC) as a teacher and also joinedthe Leichhardt Rowing Club,which opened the way for rowingin interclub races. In 1986, shemarried Mark in the WesleyCollege Chapel. She also competedin the National RowingChampionships, where she wasplaced third in the women’s singleand double sculls. She moved fromthere to international competition,and sculled with a former worldchampion, Adair Ferguson, inworld championships.Unsuccessful in finding a place inthe 1988 Seoul Olympics team,she tried for a place, along withsculling partner Jenny Luff, in theBarcelona Olympic team in 1992and was successful.

After the Barcelona Olympics, theprincipal of PLC, Gillian Moore,asked Gill to start a rowingprogram at the school. “My initialpassion had really now become acareer and one which has beenincredibly fulfilling,” Gill said.“Not only have I been able tocontinue to work in teaching, I hadthe greatest classroom of all! Fromthe beginnings of 10 students theprogram has expanded to anenrolment of over 120 on a regularbasis. We established a long-termrelationship with LeichhardtRowing Club where the Collegestill rows today.

“Schoolgirl rowing in NSW soonbecame firmly established andcontinued to grow with PLC at theforefront. Throughout this timeMark was the greatest supporterand ultimately became the coachof many successful eights and

National Champions.” The PLCrecord included 12 straight wins atthe NSW Schoolgirls’ Head of theriver, and medals at 13consecutive NationalChampionships. The schoolproduced a number of girls whorowed for Australia and some girlswere recruited by colleges in theUnited States to row. The mostnotable of Gill’s prodigies, TessGerrand, who rowed in theWomen’s eight at the LondonOlympics. Another, GenevieveHorton, was selected for thedouble sculls in this year’sOlympics.

“We have also had manyopportunities to travel bothdomestically and internationallywith rowing,” Gill said. “We havetaken students to Nationals inevery state of Australia and also toWomen’s Henley in the UK,regattas in New Zealand and toCanada and the US forcompetition. For ourselves we havetravelled to Europe and the UKand most recently to Turkey wherewe rowed in the 100th yearcelebrations at Gallipoli. That wascertainly a once in a lifetimeexperience and definitely ahighlight for us!”

Gill and Mark had five children, allof whom have taken up rowing.Georgia, the eldest, enrolled atSydney University in 2014 to doAgricultural Science and joinedthe Sydney University RowingClub. She lived at home during thefirst year but missed the boardingschool atmosphere and to Gill’sdelight applied for a position atWesley. An excited Gill believed itwould be a great environment forher to study and work. “I feltconfident that she would becomeimmersed in college life andcontinue to expand her horizons instudy, sport and work,” Gill said.

“The added benefit for Mark and Ihas been the reconnection withmany former students from our erawho also have children at college.These include Vanessa’s children,Alex and Seiya, Neil Gibson andSuzie Carlon’s son, Jack Gibson,Peter FitzSimons’ son Louis andMargie Thompson’s son, AndrewBarron. We are now able to enjoycollege for the second time withmany of our uni friends. It isfantastic to be back at Wesley andto hear of the dreams, endeavoursand successes of the currentstudent body. There is no doubtthat Wesley has remained unique

Gill Campbell

36 DECEMBER 2016

in its ability to embrace diversityand bring out the best in people.”This year Mark coached theWesley crew, which included thedaughters of two members of theoriginal fresher crew, Seiya Grant,who is the daughter of the lateVanessa Grant (nee Kingsford, fr1979), and Georgia.

Georgia, who went to PLC, did notregret for one minute enteringWesley. “The people I met weresuch amazing, genuine people,”she said. “I was also aware of therural influence throughout thecollege, and as I am studying foran Agricultural Science degree Ifelt it would be a great place toexpose myself to newopportunities and networks.Wesley has allowed me to competein rowing, hockey, soccer andathletics at both a competitive andenjoyable level and has enabled meto continue with my music as well,through involvement in the collegechoir that competes in thePalladian [an intercoll culturalcompetition]. My involvement inthese areas at school made me feelI could contribute to Wesley, andgive back to the community thathad supported me so much.”

Georgia said Wesley had had anenormous impact on her studies.“It has exposed me to new ideas,opinions and people who arehelping me shape the way Iapproach my university degree,”she said. “The support from thecollege is amazing, and thenetworking opportunities providedhave led me to meet some trulyinspiring people. I have been ableto talk to people involved indifferent areas of the agriculturalindustry, as well as students fromdifferent backgrounds that are alsopursuing an agricultural baseddegree. This has provided manycontacts and networks that I knowwill help me later on in life as Idevelop my own career.” Throughher agricultural networks, Georgiawas selected to speak at theAustralia Women in Agriculture inAlice Springs. She also took part inthe New Colombo Plan, where shefound herself placed in theSolomon Islands.

“I have also been extremelyfortunate to be placed inleadership roles within Wesley,”she said. “I was elected SecondYear Representative for my year, aswell as co-captain of both rowingand soccer. This increasinginvolvement throughout thecollege has helped me get to knowpeople in different year groups, aswell as challenge myself in newways. I have really enjoyed thecompetitiveness of the Rosebowlsports, and plan on stayinginvolved in as many sports aspossible throughout my final yearat Wesley. Being involved in HouseCommittee has also made merealize how much of the college iscontrolled and influenced by thestudents, which I think is a reallyimportant part of the collegesystem. It challenges the studentsto really step up and make changesfor themselves and not based onwhat they are told to do.”

Georgia works in the Faculty ofAgriculture as a StudentAmbassador, involvingparticipation in Open Days andworkshops for high schoolstudents. She has also followed hermother into coaching rowing atPLC. “Like my mum, one of mypassions lies in schoolgirl rowingcoaching and living at Wesley hasallowed me to do this more andmore, as I am now living muchcloser to the school’s boatshed Iam involved in their Junior andIntermediate program, as well asthe adaptive program that theschool provides for girls withspecial needs. It has been anincredible experience to beinvolved in their rowing program,which is a very special one.Rowing coaching is something Iwould like to pursue beyond acasual level and I am very glad thatcoming to Wesley has allowed meto continue this and commit moretime to my coaching. “

Upon graduation, Georgia hopesto embark on a career in theagriculture industry, working inexport and in consumer-producerrelations. “This desire has beendeveloped throughout my time atWesley, as prior to coming to

college I really did not have a clearidea of what I wanted to do at all,”she said. “The people I have metand opportunities I have beengiven have helped motivate meand build my interest in variousareas of the industry.” She alsowishes to continue as a rowingcoach. “Now that I am older I ambeginning to realise the impact mymother had on so many people’slives, and it was simply throughbeing their sports coach,” she said.“I am starting to understand theinfluence that being a good rolemodel can have on peoplethroughout their entire lives, and Iwould love to be that role modelfor someone. My goal is to one daysee someone, in the Olympics,whose rowing career started withme. My inspiration and role modelis my mum, who has never givenup on anyone she has coached,and who has created a legacy that Ican only hope to live up to.”

In the meantime, Gill is involvedin the rowing program at TheScots College, where she is lookingafter the Junior Development areaof the program. “Having workedthere one season I am lookingforward to a greater involvementand the opportunity to coach againas well as mentor some youngercoaches,” she said. “However it istrue that the greatest rewards aremore than simply medals andresults of races. The life skillswhich are learned throughinvolvement in any activity at ahigh level far outweigh the rewardof success in competition.Naturally I am biased and believethat rowing provides the very bestplatform for this learning – timemanagement, team cohesion,cooperation, resilience, mentaltoughness, self reliance.”

It seems, we might confidentlystate, that Fred Cull’s investmentin Wesley College paid dividends.He had not only “given somethingback” to the country which hadallowed him to flourish, but heestablished a haven where his owndistant offspring might find theirfeet and prosper.

Malcolm Brown (fr 1965)

37THE WESLEYAN

WESLEYAN FALLS,WESLEYAN SIBLINGS TAKETHE BATONTHE STORY OF WESLEY’S KINGSFORD CLAN

In this, yet another Wesley familystory, we return to Vanessa Grant(nee Kingsford fr 1979), who diedtragically from birth complicationsin July, 1997, and who was subjectof an article in The Wesleyan in2007. As we said then, sheenrolled at Sydney University in1979 to do an Arts degree andentered Wesley. Taking up rowing,she found herself in a crew behindfuture Olympian Gill Cull. Vanessaalso played hockey, tennis andsoftball. Graduating, she went onto teach English in France, butyielded to a craving to return to thehome of her childhood, in Kenya,where she married a farmer,Hamish Grant, and settled withhim in the Rift Valley. Vanessa hadtwo children, Alexander, born in1994, and a daughter, Seiya(1997). But her interests went waybeyond family. She was concerned

about education in Kenya,particularly for children withintellectual handicap, and for girls.She understood the link betweenpoverty and education and knewthat many African girls in regionalareas left school at an early age tohelp at home and were oftenforced into an early marriage.

The Kingsford family had a longKenyan connection. Vanessa’sfather, David Kingsford, was bornin Kenya and went to boardingschool in England. He took adegree in Agriculture at Britain’sWye College, returned to Kenya,served for a time with the KenyaRegiment, then became a farmmanager. Vanessa’ mother,Margaret did a degree in Frenchand English at Trinity College,Dublin, then took up a position atLimuru girls’ school in Kenya. She

married David and the couple,running one of the top sheep farmsin Kenya, brought six children intothe world: Richard, (born 1958),Vanessa (1960), Nicola (1962),Deborah (1965), Felicity (1968)and Jessica (1969). David andMargaret visited Australia toattend a sheep-breeders’conference, were highly impressedby the country and thought itmight be appropriate to settle here.Life in Kenya had been full andrewarding, but independence forKenya had brought in manychanges. Arriving in Australia in1971, they settled at Taralga, nearGoulburn in the southerntablelands. They resumed a life offarming and started a businessbuying run-down settler stonecottages and restoring them.Margaret also returned toteaching.

The Kingsfords sent Richard toThe King’s School, Parramatta. Hethen enrolled in a Science degreeat Sydney University and enteredSt Paul’s College in 1977. Richardgraduated, did a DipEd, followedby a PhD in Zoology, on theecology of the Australian WoodDuck. He married, had threechildren and became Professor ofEnvironmental Science in theSchool of Biological, Earth andEnvironmental Sciences at theUniversity of New South Wales.

The five Kingsford girls, not to beoutdone, went to Tara AnglicanSchool in Sydney and all went onto outstanding careers of theirown. Nicola “Nicky” Kingsford (fr1981), enrolled at SydneyUniversity to do a Bachelor ofScience degree and enteredWesley, where she stayed twoJess Kingsford

38 DECEMBER 2016

years. She then went to theUniversity of New South Wales todo an Honours course andreturned to Sydney University todo her PhD in microbiology,completing it in 1995. Followingthat was a move to Scotland, whereNicky settled in Edinburgh, wentback to research and married abusinessman, Alistair Darling.Nicky had three children: Tom,presently a student at Oxford, andRory and Rachel, both still atschool in Edinburgh. Rocked likeeveryone else was by Vanessa’sdeath, Nicky contributed to theVanessa Grant Trust by speakingat schools and clubs, organisingand overseeing fund-raising inAustralia. She set up strong linkswith schools throughout the UnitedKingdom and has continued withthis work to this day.

Deborah “Deb” Kingsford (fr 1984)enrolled at the university to doFine Arts and English and enteredWesley, where she played hockeyfor Wesley, played the piano andsang, and was fresherrepresentative in college affairs.Graduating, she became an artistand a writer/producer within the

film and television industry.Attending a short-film festivalwhere one of her films was shown,she met Canadian-born Rob Kane,a technical director and producerfor a video production company.They married and Deb becamestepmother to Niki and Virginia.She also had a daughter of herown, Tess. In 1997, Deb produceda number of short films for theVanessa Grant Trust. She and Robmoved to “Tanjenong”, at Taralga,the farm which Deb’s parents hadowned, and established a numberof holiday cottages and a“bushwalking retreat”. They alsoestablished a gallery for localartists, where Deborah, working inceramic and acrylics, sold some ofher works.

Felicity Kingsford (fr 1987), wholike Vanessa had been headboarder at Tara, undertook an Artsdegree. She thoroughly enjoyed herthree years at Wesley,“participating fully in all thatcollege life had to offer”, as she putit, and represented Wesley inhockey. In 1990, with her degree,she moved into a share-house withtwo ex-Wesley students and started

her DipEd for primary schoolteaching. On a trip to Kenya toattend Vanessa’s wedding, shediscovered a position was open foran art teacher at PembrokePreparatory School, two hours’drive north of Nairobi. “I jumpedat the opportunity,” Felicity toldThe Wesleyan. “But first I had to goback to Australia to finish Dip Ed.I went to Kenya in January 1991and worked at Pembroke until July1994. To this day I consider thoseyears as some of my best in myteaching career. It was an amazingthree-and-a-half years full of manywonderful experiences.”

Returning to Australia, Felicityapplied for a position as Artteacher at Trinity Boys PreparatorySchool in Strathfield, where shebegan work in 1995. WhenVanessa died, she travelled back toKenya to look after Vanessa’schildren and remained there forfive months before moving toMelbourne, where she set up herown mobile art school. Travellingfrom school to school teaching artafter-hours over a period of fiveyears, she achieved extraordinaryresults in early childhood art. She

From left to right. Felicity, Deb, David, Nick, Jess, Rich

39THE WESLEYAN

also married a much-travelledbusinessman, Allan Eldridge. Thecouple had two children, Hannah,born in 2003, and Liam, born2005. When Liam was born,Felicity took a break fromteaching. She resumed work as arelief teacher in 2013 and in 2015took up the position of visual artsteacher at Brunswick South WestPrimary. School.

Jessica “Jess” Kingsford (fr 1989)also undertook an Arts degree andentered Wesley where she playedhockey for three years for Wesley.She also played hockey for SydneyUniversity. Jess became involvedwith the Sydney UniversityDramatic Society, where shediscovered a love of theatre. Shemajored in English Literature andgraduated with Honours in 1992before doing a Graduate Diplomain Theatre Directing at theVictorian College of the Arts. Jessspent eight years working as atheatre director, mostly inMelbourne, though she had a briefstint in London where she workedwith the renowned playwright anddirector Howard Barker. Jess wasawarded the Ewa Cjazor MemorialAward for emerging femaledirectors. She was also nominatedfor a Green Room Award fordirecting, and became an associatedirector of the Melbourne TheatreCompany.

Jess was becoming more and moreinterested in what she called “thescience of the mind” and startedreading extensively aboutpsychology. In 2006, she married aveterinary surgeon, LawrenceBaker, with whom she went on tohave two children: Asher, now 10,and Lilah, eight. She andLawrence settled in the BlueMountains where he set up twoveterinary clinics and Jess decidedon a new career path, as a researchpsychologist. At the time of writingwas coming to the end of her PhDin Psychology at SydneyUniversity, focusing her attentionon the relationship betweenidentity and morality.

Following Vanessa’s death, theVanessa Grant Trust was

established to support a school forintellectually handicappedchildren in Kenya. Hamish Grantdonated the land and the school,named the Vanessa Grant School,which was officially opened on 28June 2001. Vanessa’s other dream,of a secondary school for girls, alsocame to fruition, in the form of theVanessa Grant Girls’ School. Theschool has now helped many girlsto make their way in life wherepreviously their prospects weregrim. The trust, it might be added,is still there to take donations,which can be made through theRotary Australia WorldCommunity Services (RAWCS).

Hamish Grant continued life inKenya but his children becameglobetrotters. His son Alexander,after dong his early schooling atPembroke House in Kenya, went toEton in 2007 for his secondaryschooling. Seiya, after also doingher early schooling at PembrokeHouse, started her secondaryschooling at Kings College,Canterbury, in 2009. Hamish toldhis children if they wished to cometo Australia for their universitystudies – which Vanesa would haveliked – it was up to them. Thechildren took that up. Alexanderenrolled at Sydney

University to study AgriculturalScience and entered Wesley lastyear. Seiya enrolled at SydneyUniversity to study Commerce andLiberal Arts and entered Wesleythis year. The College has probablynot seen the last of the Kingsfordclan. Nicky and Deb havedaughters who hope to come toWesley, Jessica and Felicity need alittle more time to think that farahead.

Malcolm Brown (fr 1965)

Deb Kingsford

Felicity Kingsford

40 DECEMBER 2016

A RUGBY RUSH, A HOST OFRELLIES AND A FUNDINGBOOSTHOW PETER BEAUMONT LED THE WAY AND THE FAMILYFOLLOWED

The Beaumont-Whalleyconnection with Wesley started in1980 when Peter Beaumont,coming from Kyogle on the NSWnorth coast, enrolled at SydneyUniversity to do a degree inScience. A Rugby League player athigh school, Peter was soon to beexposed to the world of Rugby.And what a fortuitous turn ofevents that was! He also enteredWesley, which turned out to beequally fortuitous. He knew aboutWesley because a former studentat Kyogle High School had blazedthe way. Also, another Kyogle Highstudent, Erica Morrison, had beena year ahead of him at school, wasalready there.

Speaking to The Wesleyan, Petersaid his being there at all wasbecause his parents, coughed upthe $58 a week – a sizeable sum inthose days – to keep him there for

for Wesley and Sydney University,gained a Rugby Blue and in1983/84 toured Great Britain withthe Australian Universities Rugbyteam. He graduated in 1984 withFirst Class Honours in Science andstarted his PhD but joined achemical company, from which hewas lured into the banking system.He married a trainee nurse atWestmead Hospital, Alison Kidd,in the Wesley chapel in 1987, thewedding performed by a memberof the Senior Common Room, theReverend David Gill. From there,Peter embarked on a highlysuccessful banking career that tookhim to the United States and theUnited Kingdom, returning in2004 when he and Alison decidedtheir two children should beeducated in Australia.

Peter was followed to Wesley in1983 by his sister, JennyBeaumont, who became known as“little Beauie”. Not being able to fillbig brother’s place on the Rugbyfield, she found plenty of otherdiversions, one being participationin the college play, another singingin the choir. (At least, she said, tillshe and her friend Dimity Hodge(fr 1984) were “tossed out” forexcessive laughing). The “FresherWalkabout” tradition continued,where freshers were takenblindfolded to remote areas andleft to find their own ways back. (It was no comfort to her to learnlater that the place selected for herwas in the area where serial killerIvan Milat was operating. And wemight also add that the ‘FresherWalkabout’ tradition has beenstopped).

Jenny participated in the college

three years. His father Ray, deputyprincipal at Kyogle High School,and mother, Connie, a primaryschool teacher, obviously thoughtit was worth it. Peter said: “I onlyhave warm, fond memories of mythree years at Wesley. I regardedWesley as my home-away-from-home – which explained mycompetitive spirit on the Rugbypitch and the occasional late nightkitchen raid to make midnightcheese toasties. I recall there was asizeable group at Wesley in theearly 80s who had country highschool origins and shared mypassion for sport, the outdoors andthe occasional party. That said, theCollege was quite an eclectic body.There were many cliques that I didnot relate to, however this wasnever a problem - resident conflictrarely, if ever, arose.”

Peter Beaumont starred in Rugby

Peter Beaumont, Stephen Porges and Erica Morrison

41THE WESLEYAN

work scheme, where studentscould earn extra money by doingchores around Wesley, includingcleaning of bathrooms after Wesleyformals and informals. She waselected to the House Committee,spent time working on collegejournals and otherwise “countlesshours with friends doing nothingin particular”. “The range ofpeople was great, and at timessurprising, from small countrytowns to the Sydney’s north shoreand of course Canberra,” she said.“Inevitably there were those thatyou had nothing to do with andthose you got to know really well.....you lived near them, ate late-night Cordobes pizza with them,did the same course, danced at ‘thestand’ or played games at theMaster’s residence on Sundaynights. Whatever, eventually youfound your place and your peopleand it made College a wonderfulplace to live. The tricky thingabout living at Wesley is that it canbe all too easy to forget why youare really there.”

Jenny met David Whalley, a newly-graduated dentist who had been atSt Andrew’s College for two years,and they married. Graduating inPrimary Education, Jenny joinedthe NSW Department ofEducation and taught in schools inSydney, then at Minto and Karuah,

had a family and then worked forDavid in his dental practice at TheJunction in Newcastle.

In 2010, Peter and Alison had twochildren, William and Rebecca (fr2010). Both enrolled at SydneyUniversity. William did a degree inEducation and Rebecca, opting todo Veterinary Science, enteredWesley. She could easily have livedwith her parents on Sydney’s northshore but Peter was keen for her togo to the college. “And I’m so glad Idid!,” Rebecca said. “My VeterinaryScience degree had a fairly smallcohort, with all of us attending thesame classes, all together, at thesame time. Were it not for college,my social circle and experienceswould have been limited to onlythis one small universe. Instead, atWesley I made hard and fastfriends with a great group ofpeople from all walks of life,studying a wide range of degrees,with a wide range of interests andequally varied personalities.

“I was never particularly sporty, orartistic, and I did not compete forWesley during my three yearsthere, but I was always keen tosupport my friends in their relativefields! In particular I rememberattending the first Palladian dancecompetition, held at Manning bar,where college pride, and drinks,flowed readily. In first year myroom was the smallest in the nownon-existant “E-Wing” (andpossibly the smallest in the whole

building!), and many of my closestfriends shared these halls with me.As we moved up into second andthird years we were split up a bitfurther, but this just mean morecasual hang-outs camped out onthe floor of Lower Cal or doinglaps around the New Wing stairs.My good friend Mal Wood had thepleasure of being my next doorneighbour and then flatmate forthe entire duration of our time atWesley – and even followinggraduation she can’t get rid of me!We had hard times also. Soon aftercollege one of our fellowWesleyans, Luke Ehrenspergerpassed away. In such a difficulttime it was nice to see all the gangrally back together and supporteach other, with a heartfeltmemorial service held at Wesleychapel a few months later.”

Jenny’s daughter, KimberlyWhalley (fr 2014) enrolled atSydney University to doBiomedical Engineering/MedicalScience. She told The Wesleyan shehad had no knowledge ofuniversity colleges when she leftschool and only chose SydneyUniversity because of the uniquedouble degree which she wished topursue. “Somewhere along theway, my mum suggested I go toWesley as she had and I didn’treally think twice about it afterbeing accepted into Sydney Uni,”she said. “I arrived a very verytimid fresher, being one of the very

Jenny in Upper Cal room in 1985

Kimberly Whalley, Amelia Laumberg and Kate Hewitt, 3rd years, Fesher OWeek 2016

42 DECEMBER 2016

few people that knew absolutely noone in our unusually large cohort.However, with time and the help ofthe many bonding opportunitiespresented through the studentsclub, I settled in fairly quickly.

“Now, after two-and-a-half years, Ican look back at my time andappreciate the wonderfulopportunity that was joining the2014 fresher year. This year I havebeen a resident advisor, which hasbeen a very rewarding experienceand made the Wesley family thatmuch more special to me. Theoverwhelming mutual respect andsupport shown by all collegians isevident whatever we’re doing.Some of my happiest memories atWesley have been watching Wescompete in intercoll sports andcultural competitions, supportingmany of my close friends. This wasmade even more enjoyable thisyear, with my sister, who possessesmuch more sporting and musical

talent than me, participating inmany of these events. I’m a bitanxious to be heading out into the‘real world’ next year, but I’mconfident that the life-long friendsand experiences I’ve had at Wesleywill help along the way.”

Kimberly’s sister, Allison “Alli”Whalley (fr 2016) said she hadbeen sitting at her computer fillingout application forms for collegesat the University of New SouthWales when Big Sister looked overher shoulder and said: “What areyou doing? Come to Wesley!”. Allisaid: “I’d not thought of that. Mydecision to just press cancel,change all my UAC preferencesand listen to her did seem rathermindless and impulsive at thetime. Now, I can’t imagine notbeing a part of the big Wesleyfamily that we have here. Evenwhen I did join my big tough thirdyear RA sister here in O-week, as asilly fresher (sic), I had no idea just

how attached I would grow to thisplace. What I’d heard from her,Mum, Peter and Rebecca had onlypainted a very basic picture of theWesley experience.

Kimberly said that leaving Wesleywould be “a very bitter sweetexperience”. “Wesley has becomesuch an integral part of my life.Her mother Jenny said she hadbeen sitting with Kimberly in thecollege chapel during a Parents’Weekend Soirée listening to Alliperform with other students. “Ithought what privilege to have thisplace as part of our history,” shesaid. “How fortunate we are tohave begun the association withWesley College.”

Peter Beaumont, who started thewhole family experience, is nowchief executive officer of an ASX-listed company, DirectMoney PtyLtd. Wanting to give somethingmaterial back to the college, hevolunteered to chair the “Raisingthe Roof ” fundraising appeal in2013 to add 42 news rooms to thePurser Wing. The appeal wassuccessful, raising $1.9 million,the new rooms were built andoccupied. Peter became a collegecouncillor in 2014, and profiled inthat year’s edition of The Wesleyan,said: “Most of the important thingsabout Wesley, its spirit,cameraderie and ‘safety net’,remain unchanged. A trulywonderful place.”

Malcolm Brown (fr 1965)

Mallory Wood and Rebecca Beaumont, Valete 2012Alli playing at Old Cols event 2016

Diane Loo, Xingzhou Liulu, Megan Yap and Rebecca Beaumont, Valete 2011

43THE WESLEYAN

FROM SPILT LASAGNE TOCOLLEGE COUNCILLORTHE ASSURED PROGRESS OF JANE GLOVER, NEE BRYSON (fr 1984)

Jane Bryson (fr 1984) was just alittle nervous when she enteredWesley, half-way through her thirdyear at university, so much so thatwhen she collected her lasagneand salad at her very firstlunchtime, the entire contents onthe plate slid off at the doorway tothe dining room and splatteredspectacularly. But there werefriendly eyes to meet her and in avery short time a group of betterestablished students, includingMichele Windsor, Dimity Hodge(fr 1984) and Jenny Beaumont (fr1983), invited her into their midst.Such was consciousness ofseniority and age in the collegewhere a mere 12 months meantsuch a difference in status, thegroup was known as the “OldChooks”. But that did not worryJane and she quickly started toenjoy the benefits of college lifeand became so committed toWesley that more than 10 yearsago she became a member of theWesley College Council.

Jane, both of whose parents, Johnand Edwina, had been to SydneyUniversity, was the eldest of fourgirls. She did her secondaryschooling at Ku-ring-gai HighSchool and Barker College, then in1982 enrolled at SydneyUniversity to do an Arts degree.Initially, Jane lived at her northshore home and commuted toSydney University. But in theLinguistics Department she met aWesleyan, Louise Ravelli, andElenie Poulos, who went to SanctaSophia, who spoke to Janeinspirationally about college life.Speaking to The Wesleyan, Janesaid: “They opened my eyes to theopportunities presented by livingand studying in college, thefriendships that could be made,the potential to learn so much

incessantly especially after 9 pm(cheaper rates) and was rarelypicked up.” But Jane progressed toa room in Upper Purser, where herneighbours included Liz Warden,Chris Robertson, Simon Rigby,Sebastian Hempel and SundarRamamurthy. She enjoyed all thecorridor parties, formals andinformals in college and later on,some 21st parties and travels withcollege friends.

Jane initially majored inPsychology but becamedisillusioned (“All about rats andstats, she said), and switched herattention to Linguistics and underthe charismatic Professor MichaelHalliday. She was with an intensebut friendly group of studentswithin the course, she said, andprogressed to an Honours year.But the Wesley experience wasinvaluable. “The experience of

about self and others within aclose community and thetantalising chance to move awayfrom home and be moreindependent.”

The youngest in Jane’s family,Helen, was born when Jane wasdoing her first year at university.John and Edwina, naturallydevoting a lot of their time to thebaby, were “very taken aback”,Jane said, when in 1983 sheannounced that she wascontemplating leaving home andattending a co-ed college. “Theyweren’t mentally prepared for theireldest child to leave home,” Janesaid. But Jane, who had workedpart-time since Year 10, atWoollies and then DymocksBooksellers, had the money to paythe fees and she applied for a placeat Wesley. During her interview bythe Master, the Rev Dr JohnWhitehead, she mentioned thatAnne Balcomb (fr 1980), formerlya medical student at Wesley andthe college’s first female seniorstudent, was her second cousin.For good measure, she told himthat she had been involved inactivities of the Presbyterian andUniting Churches for many yearsand that she would continue herreligious commitment in college. Ifthey were selling points, then theyworked, because Jane, to her greatdelight, received an offer of aplace.

Jane had a mixed experience ofcollege at first. Her room in LowerCallaghan was pretty, with lead-lined windows, but haddisadvantages. “The neighbourwas John Chong (where are younow?) who loved his music playedat top volume pretty much all thetime,” Jane said. “The room wasalso near the telephone which rang

Charlotte Glover

44 DECEMBER 2016

living alongside so manyinteresting students from allfaculties of the university helpedme decide that a career in HumanResources Management would bethe way to go after graduation,” shesaid. As she left the college, shewas suffer some pangs of guilt. Shehad presented herself to DrWhitehead as a fully-involvedchurch member but during herundergraduate years rarely set footinside the chapel.

After graduation, Jane did morestudy and work experience, thenworked in graduate recruitmentand generalist Human Resourcesroles in professional services firms.In 1988, after a year in the NSWPublic service, she started with theleading Sydney law firm, MallesonStephen Jaques in Sydney.Following that, she worked inLondon for the law firm,Linklaters. Then she joinedanother Sydney law firm, Freehills,and came across John Colvin fr1969, who was a partner of thefirm, leader of the firm’sWorkplace Relations Departmentand was to become the Chair ofthe Wesley College Foundation.

In 1992, Jane married StuartGlover, whom she had knownsince school days, in the PymbleUniting Church. They becameproud parents of Charlotte (born

1996) and Isabelle (1998). In2006, Jane returned to work atSydney University, as a studentadviser in the university’s CareersCentre. It was then that Wesleymailed out a request for people tonominate as college councillors.The college had a preference forsomeone who had been to Wesley,or a member of the UnitingChurch, or an employee of theuniversity. Jane met all thesecriteria and she applied, keen tomake amends for her earlierbroken promise to Rev DrWhitehead. Jane took up aposition on the council in 2006and at the time of writing was still

a councillor. “I have derivedparticular satisfaction from seeingthe evolution of the role of theMaster, the introduction of aseparate role of college chaplain,the upgrades and additions to thecollege premises,” she said. “I havealso derived satisfaction from mywork on the ScholarshipsCommittee.” Jane is now currentlyworking for CareerTrackersIndigenous Internship Program.

Jane’s parents, seeing thebeneficial effects on Jane, werequite persuaded that college lifewas a good thing and supportedJane’s sisters, Rosemary andHelen, when they wanted to go tocollege. Both girls attended acollege at the Australian NationalUniversity. This year, Jane’s eldestdaughter, Charlotte, has enrolledat Sydney University to studyHealth Science/Nursing and hasentered Wesley. Charlotte hadcompleted school at PymbleLadies College in 2014 and thenworked in 2015 as a Teacher’sAssistant at Mary Erskine schoolin Edinburgh, Scotland. She was,Jane said, “very happy andfortunate to be starting as a fresherin 2016 amongst a magnificentcohort of 150 students enjoying acollege greatly improved inamenity and organisation – underthe extremely capable leadershipof the Master, Lisa Sutherland andher team.”

Malcolm Brown (fr 1965)

Guests at Michele Windsor’s 21st in fancy dress

Jane and Loiuse Ravelli on the front lawn

45THE WESLEYAN

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE(EVEN IF THE VIETNAMESE COPS WERE UNIMPRESSED)HUGH WHALAN (fr 2003)

I’d never ridden a motorbike. Iliked it. There are four of us onbikes, and after battling traffic outof Ho Chi Minh for 45 minutes, wehave made it out into spaciousmulti-lane highways. We aretraveling as fast as our 50 ccmotorcycles are able to take us,which is to say, not that fast… butfaster than the heavily laden trucksthat are dominating the road at themoment. The high-pitched whineof the motors drowns out almostall other noise as we head towardsthe Cambodian border.

Although we can see the outline ofthe city in the distance behind us,it already feels like we are veryrural. The landscape is filled withrice paddies being worked byfarmers in straw woven conicalhats. Each rice paddy is separatedby a dirt embankment which alsoserves as a road, allowing bicyclesladen with goods and theoccasional complaining farmanimal, to travel up and downthem. Ducks float in the ricepaddies, frequently bending theirnecks to nibble on floating insectsor a tasty underwater morsel.

After a few hours, the initial thrillof being on an open road turnsinto a determination to get to ourdestination. We have just turnedoff the highway onto a dirt road. Iam burning through fuel fasterthan the other guys and instead ofheading back to the last gas stationwe saw, I am going to hide the bikeunder some brush beside the road.We will only be gone for a shorttime. The road seems prettyisolated so there is little chance ofit being found.

A few hours later, when we returnto bike’s location, we find out howwrong this assumption is.Apparently a lot of people havefound the bike. In fact, it looks likea large group of Vietnamese

policemen are milling around it.They wave us over as we approach.

‘Yes, that is my motorcycle’ I tellthem, pointing at motorcycle.‘What seems to be the problem?’Trying to make it sound like it isperfectly normal to hide your bikeby the side of the road.

The Vietnamese policemen huddlefor a minute and then the leaderwalks over to us ‘You give us yourpassport now’ he demands inbroken English.

On an isolated part of theVietnamese/Cambodian border inthe quickly diminishing light, thisis absolutely the last thing I wantto do. We are in the middle ofnowhere, and giving them ourpassports means that we will haveto do what they want. I havewatched enough horror movies toknow what happens to haplesstourists in situations like this.

‘We don’t have them. We left them inHo Chi Minh’ I tell the police officer.

‘You give us your passport now’ he

repeats, his voice becoming a littlemore threatening. He stepsforward to punctuate his point.

‘I told you, we don’t have ….’ I startto say as my friend interrupts me,diving into his backpack toproduce his passport. ‘Here it is’ heproclaims. ‘Here is my passport’.He smiles, as if this is going tomake everything better. I want tothrow him in front of an oncomingtruck.

‘You come with us now’ says theleader with a wave of his hand.There are four of us, and ten ofthem. Running doesn’t seem like agood idea, and now that they haveone of our passports, they own us.I glare at my friend, gather mymotorcycle from the side of theroad, and ride off into the darkunknown with policemen allaround us.

After 20 minutes of travel along adusty road we end up at what lookslike a border patrol station. We areescorted into a room thatresembles a shed. As we all look

Hugh on OSE

46 DECEMBER 2016

around, it becomes clear this isactually where they keep thetargets from shooting practice.

To make matters worse, we arestruggling to communicate withour captors. We don’t speak muchVietnamese, and asking to go tothe toilet is not proving very useful.

Eventually, we pull out a languagebook and get them to work throughthe possible reasons we are beingheld.

‘Speeding?’ No.

‘Traveling in unauthorized areas?’No.

‘Leaving the motorbike behind?’ No.

‘Drugs?’ The policeman pauses.Not a yes, but not a no.

‘Wait? You can’t be serious.Drugs??’ That is an automaticdeath sentence in Vietnam. ‘Youthink we are trafficking drugsacross the border??’

The wheels in my mind startingchurning. The absolute absence ofevidence or motive probably doesn’tpose any problems in Vietnam.Jesus. I am going to rot in aVietnamese prison. Or worse. Die.

One of my friends starts to cry.

Of course, as I say this to thepolicemen who is helping us withthe translation book, heunderstands none of it. He smiles,and then turns and leaves.

We have no idea how long we willbe here, and only an indication ofwhy we are being held. We do theonly thing we can. Hunker downand wait. We haven’t beenthreatened yet – unless you includebeing put in the room with thebullet ridden targets – so runningdoesn’t seem to be necessary. Notyet anyway.

This happened to three collegefriends and myself during theWesley funded Overseas StudyProgram in 2002/03. It was anexperience that was both terrifyingand thrilling, and obviously, we gotout in one piece (they turned usloose in the middle of the nightwith no explanation). Yet,experiences such as this one gaveme an appreciation of the life

changing nature oftravel that havestayed with me tothis day.

Since I left college,I’ve started threeenergy andfinancingcompanies inAfrica that servecustomers whoearn $1-$6 per day.My currentcompany employsnearly 300 peopleand has receivedover $13 millionAUD in investment. In 2015, I wasnamed a Young Global Leader bythe World Economic Forum, andthat same year, delivered a keynotepresentation with Jack Ma(Chairman, Alibaba Group) andPaul Polman (CEO Unilever) at theCOP 21 Climate Conference inParis. I have frequently lectured onentrepreneurship and socialenterprise at universities such asCornell and Columbia, and havereceived coverage from New YorkTimes, CNN, Forbes and FastCompany, L’Express amongothers.

Let me take a step back for amoment to give you some context.I was born in Nowra to JeffWhalan and Yvonne O’Neill, bothof whom were in the Navy. Mumgrew up in a small country town,and had received a scholarship tohigh school, and then another toUniversity where she was one ofthe first women to do Law/Asianstudies. She went on to becomeone of the firstfemale lawyers inthe Navy. Dad hadleft home at 15 togo to Navalboarding school.When they met,Dad was a supplyofficer.

Life in the Navy istough on families,and soon after Iwas born, myparents moved toCanberra to jointhe public service. I

went to a local primary school andthen Canberra Grammar for highschool. I went on exchange in year10 to Meitoku Gijuku high schoolin Japan for a term, where I joinedthe sumo club and was exposed tothe Japanese work ethic(mandatory study periods everynight) which instilled a disciplinein me that has been valuable tothis day.

After graduating from year 12, Itook a gap year and spent a yearteaching sport to kids at MagdalenCollege School in Oxford. Imoonlit during the nights andworked at a bar, and over thesummer I spent 3 months inUganda teaching English andGeography. This was my firstexperience in Africa, and althoughI was expecting kids with bloatedbellies, what I saw was a verdantcountry with generous and warmpeople. While others saw a poorcountry, I saw opportunity. It wasthe start of a passionate interest inthe continent, which I have

Hugh being lifted by Sumo wrestlers

Hugh with Ugandan students

47THE WESLEYAN

maintained to this day.

These are the experiences Ibrought with me to College. WhenI joined Wesley, the place was on awhite-hot winning streak. Wesleyhad won the Rawson andRosebowl, and fully expected towin both in my first year (2003). Ican safely say that that first yearwas one of the best of my life. Iknew very few people in Sydneywhen I arrived, and college did anamazing job of bonding peopletogether from differentbackgrounds. The college parties,the comraderie, the sports andcultural events, even the randomsocial outings that ended up atIstanbul, the Grose or Zanzibar –all were a huge amount of fun.During the fresher cruise in O-Week my room got turned into abeach, with sand, a little pool andeven a live turtle. It took me weeksto get rid of all that sand.

Unfortunately for us, that year welost both the Rawson and theRosebowl. I was a part of thesoccer team that lost for the firsttime in recent memory and Iremember the seniors on the teamcrying. It mattered deeply to win.One of the seniors had the Rawsontattooed on himself.

But life went on, and by secondyear the usual antics were aliveand well. My friends and I formeda rivalry with another wing of thecollege. We were above FresherAlley and we called ourselves theViking, and the Stack area calledthemselves the Knights. We, of

course, thoughtthis washilarious androutinelystaged raids oneach other.That year, weeven managedto temporarilyget a barsanctioned bythe College andoperating inthe Crypt Baron a weeklybasis. It didn’t last.

In my first year I was FresherSecretary, and in my second year Iwas intercollegiate Rep. In mythird year I ran for Senior Studentand was elected. It was a fantasticleadership experience. The mosteffective leaders I saw at collegewere those that led from the front –the ones for example, picking upthe rubbish the morning after theparty. When you go the extra milefor your people, others will go theextra mile for you. College workedbetter when this happened.

The other thing that college taughtme about leadership is theimportance of relationships inproductive teams. People are muchmore collaborative when you havemade an effort to get to knowthem, and at college this lessonwas well and truly compounded bythe fact you lived with everyone.Investing in relationships helpedme dissolve disagreements morequickly and more effectively. These

lessons have helped considerablyin the business world.

I had three great years at Wesley,but was definitely ready to leave bythe time that third year was up. Imoved into a share house we called‘The Loft’ on King St opposite theMarlborough Hotel. It was greatfun. There were 4 of us, andtogether, we learned to look afterourselves outside of an institution.

In my final year of undergrad, Iapplied for exchange at CornellUniversity, in Ithaca, NY. I waslucky to get in. I didn’t really havethe grades, but the programmanager had done such a good jobtelling no one to apply unless theirmarks were exemplary that only Ihad applied (and only because Idisregarded her advice). Going onexchange was a life changingexperience. I was exposed to atolerance for business related risk-taking and entrepreneurship in away that I never was before.

Once my semester was over Ipromised myself I would make itback. I did get back 7 months laterto work for an environmentalfinance startup. The startup wasbased in Ithaca. So while I hatedthe weather (it regularly gets downto –25 celsius in winter), I was veryhappy to get back to the US. InIthaca, I met my wife, who was anAustralian doing Climate Researchat Cornell at the time. We gotmarried, and had a son, ArcherWhalan, in 2011.

A few years ago we moved down toBrooklyn which is where we are now.

Hugh Whalan (fr 2003)

The Loft Boys and lady

48 DECEMBER 2016

It is the saddest thing that whenthe Wesleyan publishes theexploits of some of its finestgraduates, like David Johnson,former chairman of the CampbellSoup Company in the UnitedStates, that we have to follow witha valete. But David, who achievedso much in corporate life, andcredited Wesley with some of thelessons he applied through his life,lost a long battle with heartdisease. It started when hesuffering his first heart attack in2010, hardly helped by a stroke hesuffered last year, and ended whenhe died on 19 June this year, atDoyelstown, Pennsylvania. Atribute to him was published in theWall Street Journal, whichdescribed him as “a relentlesslyupbeat CEO credited withboosting profits at both Campbelland Gerber Products Co, a makerof baby foods …he was known forinsisting on rigorous measurementof performance”. Denise Morrison,president and CEO of CampbellSoup, said: We are deeplysaddened by David’s passing. Hewas an outstanding andcharismatic leader. David’spassion for Campbell was alwayson display during his two tenuresat the helm, and he made a lastingimpression on many people.”

David Willis Johnson was born on7 August 1932, only child of afarmer, Alfred Johnson and hiswife Eileen (nee Burt). David grewup on the farm near Tumut, ridinghorseback to and from a one-teacher primary school. Initiallysent to Canberra Grammar, he wassent to Newington College in1947. There, he excelled as asportsman and scholar, becamesenior house prefect, and enrolledat Sydney University to do aBachelor of Economics degree andbecome a teacher. He enteredWesley College in 1952. Again,David starred on the sporting field,

VALE DAVID JOHNSON (fr 1952)

playing Rugby and rowing for thecollege – the Eight winning theIntercoll regatta – and he rowed forSydney University, winning arowing blue. He was so strong, oneof his closest friends, Barry Wren(fr 1950), said, that he could walkup the stairs at Wesley Collegedoing handstands only. The SeniorStudent at Wesley in 1953, Davidgraduated as a Bachelor ofEconomics in 1954 and received aDiploma of Education in 1955.But the world of business wasbeckoning – to put his intellect andskills to practical use rather thanjust teaching it – and he went thecorporate way.

A good man, it is said, can neverbe kept down, and David, whostarted with the Ford MotorCompany in Geelong, won aRotary Foundation scholarship tothe University of Chicago where hegained his MBA. In 1959, hejoined Colgate-PalmoliveInternational in Australia as atrainee executive. In March, 1966,David married English-born SylviaWells in the Wesley Collegechapel, with Barry Wren David’sbest man. In 1967 David becameSouth African divisional chairmanof the company. His three sons,David, Justin and Harley, were allborn in Johannesburg. In 1973,David took up an appointment aspresident of a pharmaceuticalscompany, Warner Lambert Parke-Davis Asia, operating out of HongKong. In 1976 David became hearof Warner-Lambert PersonalProducts Division. In 1979, Davidbecame president and chiefexecutive officer of the bakingcompany, Entenmanns Inc, andcontinued in those roles when itwas acquired by General Foods in1982. With David at the helm,Entenmanns quadrupled its sales.In 1987, David was namedchairman, president and chiefexecutive of the Gerber Products

Company, and under his rule,Gerber Products profits grew atmore than 50 percent a year.

In 1990 he became president andchief executive of the CampbellSoup Company, which was tobecome the crowning glory of hiscareer. The company had beenunderperforming and neededsomeone to turn it around. Daviddid that. In his first year, he closedplants and sold off businesses withsales totaling $US600 million. Thecompany shed 11,000 workers.Elected chairman of Campbell in1993. Then he went about buyingand expanding, always in the rightdirection. One of Campbell’sacquisitions was Arnotts, valued atbetween $7 and $8 billion. Thevalue of Campbell Soup tripledand the yearly return oninvestment to shareholdersaveraged 23 percent. Interviewedby The Wesleyan in 2010, Davidsaid: “I used to talk to my keyexecutives and tell them they wereperforming on the high trapeze.You will perform double and triplesomersaults. The testing time iswhen they take away the nets.”David made no mistakes. BarryWren told the Wesleyan: “Davidsaid that whatever you do, alwayshave a global approach. He did notlook at what you were doinglocally. He looked at what you weredoing globally. That is why he tookArnotts over. He said, ‘What canwe do for the rest of the world? Notjust Australia’.”

David retired for the first time in1997, in doing so being namedDirector of the Year by the USNational Association of CorporateDirectors. He received an honoraryDoctor of Science degree from theUniversity of Sydney. He wasalways going to be hard to replace.David’s successor, like hispredecessor, got into difficulties.David was recalled in 2000 to sortout some problems and stayed on

49THE WESLEYAN

till 2001. When he finallyretired, he received the title ofChairman and DirectorEmeritus. In retirement, whileremaining on the board ofColgate-Palmolive, Davidvisited both the North andSouth Poles and climbedMount Kilimanjaro inTanzania. He retained a homein Sydney, made return visitsand came to Wesley. In 2007David, who had been best manat the wedding of Barry Wrenand his wife Loloma in 1957,made a special trip to bepresent for the golden weddinganniversary. David told TheWesleyan in 2010: “I have aband of brothers (and sisters, Iam not sure, I can only speakabout what I know) with whomto share my life,” he said. “Itwent beyond academicchallenge. It covered ambitionand doubt, the explosion ofthoughts as well as feelings, thesharing of possible secrets ofsuccess … Wesley made merealise that ‘together we areunbeatable’.”

David’s funeral was held atCoffs Harbour on 6 July. He issurvived by Sylvia, his sons anddaughters-in-law and fivegrandchildren. Barry Wren toldthe Wesleyan: “I shall miss himvery much. He made aprofound impression on all whoknew him.”

Malcolm Brown (fr 1965)

50 DECEMBER 2016

Tony Lucas was not a famousman. You will not find him on theInternet. But he was famousamongst his friends.

It is difficult to capture what madehim unique, but those who knewhim had no doubt about it. Manymen share his enthusiasm andbonhomie, though few couldmatch the energy with which hepursued his interests. Perhapswhat set him apart was his gift forfriendship. He was not a modern-day networker, for whomfriendship is a convenient road tosuccess. He loved people, and noparty was too big. My diligentmother each year updated a list ofhis friends’ birthdays,anniversaries and children, so hecould make his calls each evening.If he did not call a friend on a bigoccasion, there was somethingseriously wrong. And he had morepeople to call, than anyone I haveever known.

Many of his friends he metthrough his dental practice in OldCanterbury Road at HurlstonePark, where he practised from1951 until he finally retired in2001, so there was a wide cross-section from the polyglot westernsuburbs of Sydney. He would fillyour mouth with instruments,then talk about family, friends orhis latest doings, all the while

asking questions, answering themhimself, and then turning to thenext topic. He was ideally suited todentistry, and he certainlydistracted you from whatever waswrong with your teeth.

He made lifelong friends amongsthis dental assistants and otherprofessional colleagues, who attestto his care for his patients, histechnical skill and his consequentsuccess. As a child, I never ceasedto be amazed both by his dexterity(not quite the right word, as he wasleft-handed but almost completelyambidextrous) and by the thingshe could fix with a piece of wire orduct tape.

Tony loved the beach and thebush. His father had been abushman, a drover and then astock inspector, and for most of hischildhood the family lived in EastMaitland. He had a wonderfulstock of tales about his childhood,including being expelled fromSunday school for putting agushing firehose through thechurch window. He even showedme the window, with great relish!

Because his father had regularemployment the family did notsuffer as much as others during theGreat Depression of the 1930s, butTony would not have gone toUniversity or to Wesley in 1943without winning a scholarship.

Times were hard,and he knew it,and I think inpart that explainswhy he tried tomake the most oflife. His twinbrother Arthur,who also went onto Wesley, wasthe academic starat Maitland BoysHigh. Tony had astrong practicalbent to hisintelligence, andalthough he readfor pleasure, he

was an active man, not anintellectual.

Another seminal event was thedeath of his elder brother Ken,whose RAF Wellington was shotdown over Syracuse during theinvasion of Sicily in 1943.

At the end of the war, a flood ofservicemen returned to Wesley tocomplete their degrees. Tony saidthe Master, Bertram Wiley, had hishands full dealing with these men,who had years of war servicebehind them, and differentexpectations of life in College. Itsays something of Tony that someof them, such as Bruce Holcombeand Roger Lakeman, became hisclosest friends. It was also typicalof him that when I was in turnaccepted by Wesley, he took me outto meet the "Ram" who had by thenbeen long retired as Master, andwho was very touched by thegesture.

After leaving Wesley at the end of1946 Tony became a Master at theSydney Grammar School boardinghouse and for a few years ademonstrator at the DentalHospital. It was at this period thathe met a young dental student,Gretta Erby, who he married in1951.

A planned trip around the worldhad to be postponed when Grettabecame pregnant, but after 3children had arrived, in 1959 thecouple left Sydney and a thriving

VALE TONY LUCAS (fr 1943)

51THE WESLEYAN

dental practice (and the children,who went to live with their "scotty"Auntie Pat in Lismore for 9months). It must be said the tripwas not entirely a success, as Tonycontracted gout from too muchhigh living, and the older childrenbarely remembered them on theirreturn, and the youngest,Elizabeth not at all.

In 1960 Tony found a wonderfulFederation house on thewaterfront in Drummoyne Bay,which had been divided intoprotected tenancies. A few monthswith 3 noisy children asneighbours soon drove out thetenants, and many happy years offixing house and garden then

followed. Tony’s friendship had aprice, as all manner of friends weredragooned into working bees,balanced by barbecues, sailing,tennis and good cheer.

He had also in the 50s developed aliking for skiing, and country lifein the Monaro. He became anenthusiastic member of theGeebung Ski club, where he mademany friends. He also took upfishing, and camping in the highcountry, and this led him to buy awonderful tract of bushland, with4 kilometres frontage to theThredbo river. At the same time hecould have bought Crackenbackfarm for a song. He rejected it astoo public. Years later I asked himwhy he didn’t buy both. His replywas characteristic. He didn’t likeowing money!

In these early years dentists werescarce on the Monaro, and Iremember that he thought itunremarkable that he would go offskiing with a portable drill andinstruments in his bag, so he couldtreat some poor suffering skiinstructor. He could never do toomuch for his friends, and theywere grateful for it. Later he set upa full surgery in a shed on thefarm, and would regularly do mycheck-ups there, after a hard day’sskiing. He had immense stamina,

and skied well into his 80s.

He also tried his hand at flyingaircraft, windsurfing and hang-gliding, to mention but a few of hisactivities. Gretta was grateful thathe didn’t stick with them past hisfifties! He worked hard on thefarm, and there were often friendsthere helping build a shed or thehighly eccentric blacksmith’sworkshop.

Tony had very fond memories ofWesley, and he encouraged hischildren, nieces and nephews, andlater his grandchildren to apply forCollege. He always enjoyedmaking surprise visits to see whatwe were up to. He worked hard atkeeping in touch with his oldfriends from College.

When Wesley admitted womenTony wholeheartedly supportedthe decision, though he did pointout that there were Old Collegianswho would withdraw their support.Likewise he was open in hisfriendship for people of every raceand sexual orientation. It simplywasn’t an issue for him, and it wasactually a shock for us toencounter prejudice when wemoved into the wider world.

Those who knew him will notforget him, and he leaves behindhim a store of wonderfulmemories.

Ric Lucas (fr 1971)Tony Lucas with wife Gretta

Tony Lucas with Ric Lucas

52 DECEMBER 2016

Fellow Wesleyans will rememberthe gift of Fiona’s elegant andgraceful presence, whether it was achance meeting in the corridor ordining hall, lounging on the frontlawn, on the netball court, or evenwhen making her case on theHouse Committee. They will alsoremember that blend of gentlekindness and warmth, humourand determination, that was to bethe hallmark of her life.

Known as “Foss” or “Fozzy” (akaFossil), Fiona arrived as a fresherin 1978 from Katoomba HighSchool, following her sisterAmanda. Fortunately for Wesley,her aura of poise and composuredissolved on the netball court toreveal a highly talented andcompetitive sports star who ledWesley to victory over Women’sCollege, and later represented theUniversity and NSW. Tall and

VALE FIONA COWLEY (fr 1978) – A TIME OF GIFTS

athletic, she was also an excellentswimmer and rowed for Wesley.

Her natural ability to articulateideas and present reasonedarguments made her a vibrant andeffective member of the HouseCommittee, on which she served asSecretary with the Senior StudentSeth Grant, Treasurer Jenny Nixon,Omnia Marzouk, Vanessa Kingsford,Nea Harrison and others in 1980.Whether it was addressingimportant questions at the Sundaynight House Committee meeting,such as “what did you do thisweekend?”, or devising ways tooutwit Dr Udy, or organise the ModsInformal, Fiona was a key figure ina year of happy college life.

Raucous laughter and singingfrom the Purser wing stairway wasa signature of the infamous UpperPurser Mothers’ Club, founded byFiona, Mary Jane St VincentWelch, Robyn Scrivener, SueHibbard, Carol Conacher, MeganBud and Merran Worsley.

Fiona pursued her lifelong passionfor English at University, majoringin it and Italian for her BA, followedby the Diploma of Education. Herskills in Italian and love forEuropean literature served her wellwhen in 1981 she enjoyed thefreedom and youthful joy ofbackpacking across Europe,Scandinavia, Britain and New York.That being the year of the RoyalWedding, she was often mistakenin London by people waving andshouting “Lady Di, Lady Di”. Shewas a natural beauty.

Upon returning to Australia, Fionabegan a teaching career dedicatedto High School students in some ofthe most challenging areas inSydney’s western suburbs. Startingin Fairfield High and thennineteen years at Jamison Highshe finished her career as HeadTeacher at Bidwill High School(Chifley College) in Mt. Druitt

53THE WESLEYAN

where she gained the greatestrewards in her teaching career. Asan active member of the Teacher’sFederation she extended hercontributions to service ineducation making many lifelongfriends in the process. Fiona wasrespected and loved by herstudents and colleagues, and livedto see them dedicate a readingroom called “Cowley’s Cave”. Herinspired commitment to teachingwas a source of great pride to herfriends and family.

Fiona married school friend DaleKirkwood in 1989 and togetherhad two sons, Edmund in 1991

and Harrison in 1994. Their homein Glenbrook was always filledwith family and friends. The “funaunty” to her nieces and nephews,their house felt like a party inprogress with Fiona bringinglaughter to all who knew her.

Fiona’s love of travel continuedthroughout her life, travelling toMexico, India and the US. In 2012she attended a stump speech givenby Barack Obama and foundherself on every evening newschannel after being seated directlyto the left of the president – laughingand smiling of course! In 2014 shemade a last trip to Turkey with her

fellow teachers and attended theAnzac ceremony at Gallipoli.

Fiona’s cancer diagnosis in 2014was a great blow to everyone whoknew her and even then sheconducted herself with grace andconcern for those whom she lovedand cared about. She never onceasked ‘why me’ throughout thatbattle, rather ‘why not me’, themeasure of a person who wascapable of integrity whilst beingcompassionate and funny.

In her all too short life, Fiona gaveeverything to her family, friendsand students. She easily inspireddevotion and was someone thatpeople loved to be around. Shewas always kind and her goodopinion mattered to those whoknew her. She died on October 4,2015 and her funeral wasattended by hundreds of people,many of whom had known hersince her time at Katoomba HighSchool and Wesley College.Bidwell High declared she was "apassionate and iron-willed teacher,leader and colleague” and that “theentire Bidwill community will missher but will continue to learn, read,share ideas and laugh together inher honour."

Fiona is survived by Dale, Edmund(fresher 2010) and Harrison, hermother Dawn, her sister Amandaand brother David, nieces andnephews and her many friendswho were better for having knownthis lovely woman.

Seth Grant (fr 1977)

54 DECEMBER 2016

55THE WESLEYAN

SENIOR STUDENT’S REPORTThe 2016 college year presenteditself as a fresh start for a newStudents Club, House Committeeand college as whole. 2016 saw thehighly anticipated arrival of 150fresh new faces, a stellar Oweek,outstanding Rawson, Rosebowland Palladian victories and awealth of social and charitableevents.

This year saw the college maintainits success in the intercollegiatecompetitions with victories in theRosebowl Basketball, RawsonSoccer, Palladian solo drama andPalladian small choir. It isimpossible for me to acknowledgethe undying efforts of everyoneinvolved and all those thatachieved success this year, butwith that being said, I will do mybest in a few short paragraphs.

Sport this year was a roaringsuccess. All the captains for bothmen and women’s sport wereoutstanding in their effortsorganising their teams andtraining, and ensuring thesportsmanship of Wesley Collegewas of the highest quality. RawsonSoccer heightened the sportingsuccess, securing three winsagainst the other colleges andensuring an outright win for theteam. Their captain, JackRacklyeft, was a standout,conditioning the boys into a well-rounded and tight nit team thatwere extremely resilient in all theirperformances. Additionally, theRosebowl Baskketball teamensured a second victory for thecollege. Unparalleledperformances from the team leadby their three year veteran KateHewett ensured a basketball whitewash, with star contributions alsofrom Georgia O’Grady and RosieBurt-Morris. Aside from these twohighlights, all sportingperformances this year wereworthy of celebration, and it is acredit to the tremendous sportingability of everyone at the college.

Palladian performances in 2016

were equally as successful as sport,courtesy of the undying supportand commitment of the collegePalladian Captain, John Robles.Firstly, Charlie Meller was in fineform and his acting abilities sawhim take out first place in the solodrama competition with the helpof his captain Harriet Scriven. Thetalent of many of our students wasevident as well when the small choirplaced first in the intercollegiategroup vocal competition. I mustcommend the tireless work of allinvolved but especially MaddoLofthouse, whose efforts did notgo unnoticed in preparing such anexquisite piece.

2016 was a significant year for theStudents’ Club as well. The HouseCommittee have strived tocontinually shape the Students’Club into a more structuredincorporation. Changes this yearsaw the restructuring of the AGMand other constitutionalamendments to ensure theprofessionalism of the Students’Club operations. Following onfrom last year, financialmanagement was also built onwith the assistance of the Masterand the College Council.

Although Wesley has continued toimpress, this year also saw thecollege feature in the media,

causing a significant impact on thecollege. Many of the students,myself included, found thesituation very difficult; beingwrongly portrayed from ourperspective gave many conflictingopinions about Wesley and theculture that existed within thecollege. Although a trying time, thestudents themselves wereincredibly cooperative andunderstanding and have beenoutstanding in their response toactively change aspects of thecollege and make it an inclusiveplace that everyone can call home.

In conclusion, I believe the futurefor Wesley is extremely positivewith the college and its communitycontinuing to grow stronger aseach day goes by. However, there isstill a need for forward thinking,active change to occur and theefforts of everyone to continuallyimprove the community andculture that exists at Wesley. Nextyear Georgia Campbell takescharge as Senior Student and Icouldn’t think of anyone better forthe job. 2016 has been a wonderfulbut rollercoaster of a year and Ilook forward to seeing WesleyCollege, the Students’ Club and itsstudents flourish in the future.

Bruce Wilson (fr 2014)

56 DECEMBER 2016

RAWSON REPORTThe 2016 Wesley RawsonCampaign has seen a number ofencouraging results that havemade it a year of great success.

The year kicked off for 2016 withcricket. The squad moved intocollege early for a one-weektraining camp before thecompetition in week 2 of semester.Captained by Joe Kershaw, theboys started their campaign in atough match up against StAndrews, narrowly going downdespite some strong efforts fromthe bowlers. Match 2 against StPauls saw a similar result with thebowlers putting on a fantasticshow (J.Joseph 4/20, J.Gibson2/28). Despite this the boys wentdown through strong St Paulsbatting. Match 3 saw Wesley settleinto their groove and take it to StJohns in a match that won’t beforgotten. Man of the match andCaptain, Joe Kershaw, stepped upfor his team, scoring a century(107) and taking Wesley throughthe full 50 overs (8/260). Thebowlers once again stepped upwhen they were needed andtoppled the St Johns batsman,defeating them 10/115. Highlightscame from J. Kershaw (2/15) andJ. Joseph (3/37). Commendationsgo to Joshua Joseph (fresher) forhis strong bowling performance,taking 7 wickets in two matches.Cricket was a great way to kick offthe Rawson campaign,congratulations to the whole squadfor another great year.

Rawson Rowing was again heldout at SIRC with a good turnoutfrom the Wesley spectators. Aftermonths of training, it all camedown to a 2km slog against themain rivals – St Pauls and StAndrews. The boys were fast out ofthe blocks with stroke Matt Hindssetting a healthy stroke rate towork off. Through the first 500mWesley sat in front by half a boatlength and were looking goodgoing into the 1000m mark. Theintensity of the first half of the raceproved too difficult to maintain asWesley gradually fell behind thescholarship fuelled St Andrews

boat. With a good fresher and 2ndyear base for the coming 2017season, the Rawson Rowing squadwill be ready to compete for anelusive Rowing VD.

Captained by Toomas Mirlieb(swimming) and Sean Cross(diving), the Rawson Swimmingteam took to the pool in theirspeedos aiming to improve onprevious years results. ToomasMirlieb led the squad from thefront with a 1st place in theDivision 1 50m Butterfly. Strongswims from Hamish Fuller (3rd &5th in the 50m backstroke and50m Freestyle respectively) putWesley in a competitive positionthroughout the night. Fresher SebParsons took to the diving board,executing highly difficult diveswith great precision, securinghimself 4th place narrowly behinda 3rd place St Andrews diver. Thestrong team cohesion and workethic displayed by the entire squadshould be commended, and welook forward to watching the teamprogress in coming years.

The highly anticipated RawsonRugby campaign kicked off nextunder the strong leadership ofSean Cross and Ollie Maxwell. Theboys put in everything they couldin a tough match against StAndrews, however were unable toclinch the win in what was one ofthe most physical games inRawson history. The Wesley matchup against St Pauls providedfantastic rugby and could havegone to either team. Strongrunning from Harry Potter andstrength in the forwards fromThomas Pavitt saw them bothcross the line with Potterconverting 2/2. Unfortunately forthe Wesley boys, the final score didnot reflect the determination theyshowed throughout the match (14-24 to Pauls). The final matchagainst St Johns saw Wesley trulyassert their superior skill andphysical dominance, comfortablywinning 32-5 (T. Pavitt 2, A.McDonald 1, A Weston 1, S.Docking 1, O. Maxwell 1, S. Cross1 conversion). The boys finished

3rd place in a campaign theyshould be very proud of.

The Rawson Soccer campaignprovided Wesley with the first hardearned Victory Dinner of 2016.The boys showed incredibledetermination, beginning theirtraining in semester one andrunning a training camp duringthe holidays. The first game wasagainst the toughest of this yearsopponents, St Pauls. They were nomatch for the boot of SS BruceWilson who knocked in twoincredible goals. A penalty fromCaptain Jack Racklyeft gave the boysthe first win of their campaign (3-2).Game 2 against St Johns wassurprisingly slow to start, with bothsides having good chances at goal.The game was taken to golden goaland once again SS Wilson steppedup to place Wesley as the team tobeat (1-0). Game 3 was the finalstep in securing the boys anoutright VD. Screamers from LukeVandenberg and Ollie Maxwell sawWesley take the victory (2-1).

Rawson basketball was a difficultteam to pull together this year withmuch of last years squad no longerat Wesley. However, through theorganisation of Captain AndrewCameron, Wesley was able to fielda competitive team that tested thelikes of St Pauls. Super star athleteand Wesley Sportsman of the Year-Rowan Bray showed off his immenseskill and mad hops, proving himselfas Wesley’s MVP. The boys showedgreat dedication throughout theircampaign and should becongratulated for their effort.

Rawson Tennis was next up andthe squad showed great promise.Led by Henry Chan and coachedby top seed Kacy Brennan, theboys went into the competitionaiming to be highly competitiveand improve on results fromprevious years. The boys were ableto do this, putting up greatperformances against St Andrewsand St Pauls. The final matchagainst St Johns was a greatconfidence booster- every matchbeing won in straight sets, andsecuring Wesley 3rd place overall.

57THE WESLEYAN

Athletics

Jack CaldwellAlex MacDonaldJoseph KershawEthan MillerHarry PotterLuke VanderbergRowan BrayGeorge Fell Ben Rowse Jack RacklyeftThomas PavittMonty BealeRobert O’Hara Michael ZawalAnil RajanathanAngus LattimoreMatthew JollyJerry YuGyan AinkaranSean CrossNick Jobson Thomas WilsonPhillip ZhuWilliam Ridley Henry ChanRaf De OliveiraRobert PalmerOliver Howse

Basketball

Austin SorensonAlistair NorthamTom PavittWilliam HaskellAlex McDonaldMadison CraneMichael ZawalMatthew JollyRowan BrayHunter MurrayKiel RochowAndrew Cameron (c)

Cricket

Harry Skacel Alex GrantVincent UmbersJack GibsonJoshua Joseph Luther Canute Connor FarnellJack RacklyeftJosh StewartBen RowseAnil Rajanathan Joseph Kershaw (c)

Diving

Sean CrossSeb Parsons

Rowing

Imran Joseph (c)Phil ZhuAustin SorensonOliver HowseTom WillsonAlistair NorthamMatt HindsJosh DoustAndrew CameronMichael Chau (cox)

Rugby

Ethan MillerJames KilbyConnor FarnellCharlie KingAlex MacDonaldSean CrossArchie WestonThomas PavittSam DockingOllie RidgeThomas Willson

Jack RuddDavid MacintyreImran JosephWilliam RidleyKiel RochowOliver MaxwellJosh DoustAngus LattimoreMichael GribbleHarry PotterAndrew SueHarry Skacel

Soccer

Jack Racklyeft (c)Bruce WilsonAndrew CameronMaddy CraneGyan AnkeranMatt JollyHunter MurrayHarry BellmanOli MaxwellAnil RajanathanJack CladwellLiam O’NeilHarrison DormerJerry YuKarl Harbers

Luke VanDenburgHenry ChanJoe KershawRowan BrayNick Gee

Swimming

Toomas Mirlieb (c)Hamish FullerLouis CummingsRob O’HaraAndrew CameronJohn RoblesNick JobsonArchie WestonHunter MurrayHugh Finlay

Tennis

Kacy BrennanHenry ChanGyan AinkaranRob O’HaraBruce WilsonVince UmbersWilliam LawlessJames KilbyJack CaldwellSebastian Parsons

RAWSON TEAMS

Under the leadership of VinceUmbers in 2017, Wesley shouldsee the tennis team continue toimprove and challenge the St Paulsand St Andrews outfits.

Athletics was the final sport on thecalendar for the year. Anincredible fresher intake this yearsaw the team stacked withpotential. Stand out performancesfrom Anil Rajanathan, GeorgeFell, Rowan Bray and Michael

Zawal put Wesley in a greatposition as the night unfolded. StPauls and St Andrews were toostrong, however, through sheer gritand determination, the squad wasable to push past the 4th place ofprevious years and gain clear 3rdplace ahead of St Johns.

Holding the position of RawsonCaptain for 2016 has been a greathonour. Giving back to the Wesleycommunity and working with a

wide variety of sportsman hasbeen the highlight of my final yearat Wesley College. Thank you to allthe sporting captains and teammembers for the time and effortyou put into ensuring you and therest of your team was well preparedto represent this amazing college.Thank you also to the dedicatedsupporters of the Wesleycommunity who were at everysport, screaming the Wesley songand spurring on every athlete.

58 DECEMBER 2016

ROSEBOWL REPORTAs the first sport of the year, it wassuch a pleasure to captain theNetball team in 2016. Always oneof the most atmospheric events onthe Rosebowl Calendar, the Wesleycrowd filled Sydney UniversitySports and Aquatic Centre yetagain this year to see the standoutshooting of Rosie Burt-Morris andthe mid-court pace of MimiMcIntosh and Lucy Gray. The girlsdefeated Womens and Sancta andwere narrowly defeated by St Johnsto finish third overall.

The second sport on the RosebowlCalendar, the Rosebowl Rowerstrained tirelessly leading up to theregatta. Led by Captain EmmaFessey, who rowed stroke, theirhard work was rewarded, beatingthree colleges to come secondoverall, and achieving one of ourbest results in Rosebowl this year!

Rosebowl Swimming wascaptained by Harriet Scriven, and

as usual, drew large Wesley crowdscoming to see feats of athleticismin the swimming pool, courageousskill on the diving boards and thealways entertaining B-relay team.A huge congratulations to AyuBarry for winning the 50mbackstroke, helping the girls tofourth place overall.

The last sport of Semester One,hockey was hotly anticipated thisyear, with Sophie Jobsoncaptaining one of our strongestteams, winning the annual Wesleygirls v Wesley boys practice matchwith ease. Special mentions mustgo out to fresher Georgina Cookfor her outstanding play, LexieMcCullagh for her excellent workin goalie and Belle Hazelton, whoscored three goals throughout thecompetition. The girls defeatedWomens and Sancta, drew with StAndrews who ended up winningthe VD, and lost to Johns by onlyone point. An amazing effort girls!

The first Semester Two sport,Rosebowl Soccer was one of thelongest running sports this year,with the girls beginning trainingmonths before the games underthe inspiring leadership of co-captains Meg Haynes and GeorgiaCampbell. With new coaches andweeks of hard work, the teamachieved the best result in threeyears, beating Johns 4-0 andbattling out three extremely closematches to finish fourth overall.

For the last five years, Basketballhas been one of the sports Wesleygirls have excelled at, winning theRosebowl competition in 2013and 2014 and being defeated byonly one point last year. This year,they did not disappoint, winningevery game by over 20 points andultimately winning the VD.Standout players included freshersLauren White and Alysha Skerritt,and of course captain Kate Hewettwho proved herself yet again as a

59THE WESLEYAN

AthleticsAmelia Laumberg (c)Emily Rogers (c)Jess NegusGeorgia CampbellMeg HaynesSiobhan ShawAyu BarryGeorgina CookAdelaide WallaceAlanna PearsallAmelia McIntoshStephanie TanKim WhalleyRosie Burt-MorrisHannah Ross-SmithLydia CadellSally CottamBasketballKate Hewett (c)Georgia O’Grady

Rosie Burt-MorrisKate FischerLauren WhiteBilli FitzsimonsNicola CadmanAlli WhalleyAlysha SkerrittSophie VerheulKatie WilliamsLucy GrayManagers – AmeliaLaumberg & MadiCooperCoach – Eleni ZervosLauren WhiteSally CottamSaskia HartogElyssa HaleyLucy GrayRowingEmma Fessey

Georgia CampbellSaskia HartogFlo PotterAmelia Hellicar-FosterElla ConnorZali RochowAlice HibbardMeg HaynesSeiya Grant (cox)SoccerCharlotte Glover Ella Connor Ella Hide Georgia Campbell Georgia O’Grady Georgina Cook Isobel Cahill Jola CummingKate Fisher (GoalKeeper)

Kirsten Parkin Lexie McCullagh Lucy LomaxMeg Haynes Michaela Finlay Nicola CadmanSaskia Hartog Siobhan ShawSophie Petersen Tym Hannah LewisSwimmingHarriet Scriven (c)Sophie JobsonKirsten ParkinAimee McDonaldEmily RogersSarah AllworthBelle HazletonKatie WilliamsAyu BarryLily Baker

Isobel CahillDivingGeorgia O’GradyMadi CooperMaddison PearceJessica NegusTennisKirsten ParkinLizzie BakerGeorgia O’GradyLucy GraySiobhan ShawGeorgina CookLydia CadellEmma CrosingSeiya GrantFelicity Taylor

ROSEBOWL TEAMS

Rosebowl Hero, winning theintercollegiate award for excellencein Basketball for the second yearrunning. Congratulations Ballers!!!

Tennis was next up on theRosebowl calendar, and the sunnyreturn to Physics Road grass courtsthis year was highly enjoyed byplayers and Ralph’s-coffee-totingspectators alike. Led by captainKirsten Parkin, the team consistedof several seasoned seniors andlots of Fresher talent. Specialmention must go to EmmaCrossing and internationallyranked Shiv Shaw for theiroutstanding contributions, playing

in positions one and two andremaining undefeated in doublesthroughout the competition. Theteam performed extremely well andafter several nail biting days ofcompetition, finished fourth overall.

As the last sport on the Rosebowlcalendar, the Athletics Gala was ahighly enjoyable evening forathletes and spectators alike.Captain Amelia Laumbergassembled an impressive team ofrunners, jumpers and throwers,and special congratulations mustme made to Ayu Barry for winningthe 200m. The girls finishedfourth overall.

After a fantastic year of RosebowlSport, Georgia Campbell, whocompeted in Rowing, Athleticsand Hockey, and who captainedSoccer, was unanimously awardedWesley College Sportswoman ofthe year, congratulations Georgia!A final congratulations must bemade to every Wesley womancompeting in Rosebowl Sport thisyear, and especially to all thespectators who supported,motivated and celebrated ourathletes. It has been such anhonour to be Rosebowl Captainand I wish Emily Rogers the bestof luck captaining WesleyRosebowl Sport in 2017!

60 DECEMBER 2016

PALLADIAN REPORT2016 was a fantastic year forWesley Palladian. In first semesterCharlie Meller brought home a 1stplace as the lovable alcoholic priest‘Father Donnally’ from TheMarriage of Bette and Boo byChristopher Durang. In theadjudication results, it was notedthat his timeless impression ofbacon sizzling in a pan was whatreally sealed the deal for thejudges. In second semester Wesleyalso took 1st place in EnsembleVocal with an eight person choirarranged and directed by MaddoLofthouse and Richard Daley.Their performance of NorthernLights by Ola Gjeilo stunned theaudience and judges to silence andwas a noted favorite of thePalladian calendar from theIntercol audience.

As always the Palladian DebatingWeekend was filled with dramaand heated intellectual clashes.After an undefeated run over theentire weekend, Wesley lost to StPaul’s College resulting in a 3 waytie between St Andrews, Wesley,and Pauls. After a review from theUniversity of Sydney Union it wasfound that there was also a tie inspeaker-scores, an event sostatistically improbable thatWayne himself was reportedly seenshaking his head in disbelief. Thusafter another hard fought round ofdebates, Wesley ultimately tookhome 3rd place, bringing a much

needed point boost to thePalladian campaign.

Wesley was also able to take 3rd inthe Art competition this yearunder the theme of ‘Champagne’.A team of collaborators captainedby esteemed artist GeorgiaO’Grady created an immersive andinteractive art piece entitled ‘TheVenue’ in which the userexperienced sensory deprivation,save for the sounds of a fancysoiree in the distant background.The piece was noted to strike astark contrast to the fourteendrawings and paintings ofchampagne glasses submitted bythe rest of the PalladianIntercollegiate community, andthus it compelled and moved thejudges.

The Wesley Drama Society blewaway Parent’s Weekend audienceswith performances of The CompleteWorks of William ShakespeareAbridged by Adam Long, DanielSinger, and Jess Winfield. The castperformed every single one ofShakespeare’s works in someshape or form, be that Othellosummarized in a rap battle, TitusAndronicus as a cooking show, orthe History Plays as a footy match.Directed by Harriet Scriven andRichard Daley, the play utilizedimprov and audience participationto its advantage and it wasridiculous and amazing, Palladianat its best.

Wesley continued its tradition ofhaving the most supporters atevery Palladian event, with crowdsswamping every audience in black,blue, and white. A massivecongratulations goes out toeveryone who contributed to eachPalladian entry this year be itcheering from the audience,behind the scenes, or performingon stage. Having a Harry Potterthemed Palladian Victory Dinnerto celebrate our 1st places in SoloDrama and Ensemble Vocal wasreally the most magical night ofthe year. The performing artsthrived this year and I know theywill continue to thrive with thevast talent, dedication, and drivethat Wesleyans bring to the collegeevery year.

61THE WESLEYAN

Oration

Jessica NegusSamuel CogginsJohn Robles (c)

Solo Vocal

Audrey BurnsMaddo LofthouseMaddo Lofthouse (c)

Solo Instrumental

Carson GrahamTasman FellBen Spoor (c)

Solo Drama

Jessica NegusCharlie MellerHarriet Scriven (c)

Big Dance

Ella Beer (c)Audrey BurnsAlishka PatelEmily RogersJuliette MaurerMaddy FrererMatt JollySophie ClarkKiel RochowBenson McClellandAngus LattimoreAustin SorensonJohn RoblesAshleigh James

Harriet ScrivenRob O’HaraAnil RajanathanKatherine BullEdie WarneJess NuttCharlotte KinsellaAmelia LaumbergMaggie MowleSophie LeitchGeorgia O’GradyAlly CampbellGavin UptonVerne BrownJack GibsonBrittany WilcockStuart NelsonMia EvansWill LawlessSarah FitzgeraldIndia UrwinPhilip ZhuCharlie DonaldOliver HowseHenry ChanJulia BradleyAlex ThomsonLucy HoldenNaomi Young

Small Dance

Ella BeerAudrey BurnsAlishka PatelJuliette MaurerSophie Clark

Anil RajanathanKatherine BullVerenna BrownBrittany WilcockIndia UrwinAlex Thomson

Debating

Sophie Leitch (c)Stuart Nelson (c)Francesca FarrellTim Berney-GibsonPatrick HendyMatt Jolly

Big Choir:Maddo Lofthouse (c)John RoblesGabby NottleAmelia LaumbergGeorgia CampbellEdie WarneLuther CanuteJessica NegusJuliette MaurerGeorgia O’GradyJerry YuVince UmbersKatie FullerAudrey BurnsJack RedmanAlly CampbellPatrick HendyMyra OpdykeMichael ZawalGyan AinkaranHenry Chan

Maggie MowleAlex McDonaldPascale MannMia EvansMaddy Frerer

Small Choir

Ally CampbellGabby NottleGeorgia CampbellJuliette MaurerMichael ZawalLuther CanuteAlex McDonaldMichael Zawal

Art

HappinessArslan Ahmed

The VenueJohn RoblesMaddo LofthouseAmelia LaumbergGeorgia O’Grady (c)

Group Instrumental

Jazz TrioDavid Barlow (c)Alex WiltonMichael Zawal

KazootZootJess NegusDavid BarlowJohn Robles

Group Drama

Special Allied ForcesHarriet Scriven (c)Charlie MellerSophie LeitchJohn RoblesAngus Airth

Good Cop, Drunk CopWessley ArmstrongSammie ShannonLouis FitzsimmonsJessica Negus

Soiree Participants

Vince UmbersKatie FullerGemma HillChristopher ColeGabby NottleGyan AinkaranLouis CummingsLauren ChapmanZali RochowAlli WhalleyTully WallaceJerry YuCharlotte GloverBella BouckleyAlex McDonaldPatrick HendyAlli WhalleyMaddo LofthouseCameron GundyGavin Upton

PALLADIAN

62 DECEMBER 2016

OSE 2015 REPORTThe 2015/16 OSE team consistedof 2nd year students Ella Beer,John Robles, Amelia Laumberg,Sam Docking and Annalise Lance.The tour leader was Old Col EllenLaughton. The Director ofPrograms, Bronwen Downie alsoattended the Vietnam leg of thetour.

The group was selected in April2015, and throughout theremainder of the year raised animpressive $20,000 to supportsustainable aid initiatives inCambodia and Vietnam. The2015 OSE was Wesley’s 23rd yearof contributing to initiatives inSouth East Asia. An experiencethat provides students withsometimes challenging culturalexposure, an opportunity tocontribute to sustainable aidprograms, and perhaps of mostvalue, the opportunity to take awaypersonal insights that willinfluence their future impact onthe world.

In Cambodia, the OSE team werebased in Phnom Penh and workedwith the Street ChildrenAssistance Development Program(SCADP). SCADP providesopportunities for street livingchildren to access basic educationin the hope that this will assist inbreaking poverty cycles. InVietnam, OSE supported the BlueDragon Children’s Foundation,who assist in the rescue andrehabilitation of trafficked childsex workers and street living kidsin Hanoi and Hue. The group alsosupported Haven Home, a smallresidential facility in Hue wheredisadvantage rural kids can accesshigh quality schooling, andStarfish Education projects inDaNang and Hoi An. Starfishsupports young Vietnamesestudents from impoverishedbackground to access tertiaryeducation by providing a tuitionand living allowance, therebyallowing these students to beactivists in breaking the povertycycle. Starfish support these young

people to attain qualifications thatwill enable them to move awayfrom difficult backgrounds andsupport their families andcommunities.

Following the month long ‘Phase1’of OSE, the students separatedand carried out a month longindividual placement relevant totheir University degrees. Annalisecompleted work with the WoolcockInstitute, an Australian basedresearch organization working inVietnam to combat and preventthe spread of Tuberculosis.Annalise was able to assist withresearch on the current strategiesemployed in Vietnam to combatMDR-TB, and examined theexperimental protocols for thepilot project, assisted staff inperforming ECGs for studyparticipants, and observed testingfor tuberculosis. She also observedthe local health clinic, gaining anunderstanding of the challengesassociated with Tuberculosiscontrol in rural Vietnam.

Amelia returned to Cambodia towork with SCADP, who Wesley hassupported over the past 10 years.Amelia taught English classes andprovided education materials forstudents in Phnom Penh and PreyVeng Provinces. Amelia taughtclasses for 3yr olds to 18 yr oldsand now feels a part of the SCADP

community. Amelia will bereturning as Tour Leader for theOSE in 2017.

Sam worked with Projects Abroad,a volunteer organisation that runsa variety of charity programsthroughout Cambodia. Samassisted with conducting non-invasive testing such as checkingskin integrity, temperature, bloodtesting and Multistix urine tests inrural communities. Another mainpart of Sam’s project was toprovide education to ruralcommunities on how to maintaingood health, and how to usemedication for leprosy and skindisorders. Highlights of Sams’placement included observing atrachoma operation that restoredsight to an 80yr old, helping tomanage a 70-year-old man’sdiabetes, and improving a 4-year-old’s drop foot to the point wherehe was able to attend school.

John worked as a Webdevelopment intern at OpenDevelopment Cambodia (ODC).ODC is an NGO that provides thepublic with up-to-date, accurateinformation about Cambodia andits economic and socialdevelopment. Its open dataapproach guarantees materialsand information are available to allusers for free use and download.John assisted ODC to

63THE WESLEYAN

transitionfrom their old website toa new platform called OpenDevelopment Mekong that wouldallow the same free sharing of up-to-date data but in many othercountries in the Mekong regionsuch as Laos, Myanmar, Thailand,and Vietnam.

Ella completed an internship withY&R in Ho Chi Minh, a full serviceadvertising agency, which pridesitself on “resisting the usual”. Ellawrote briefs for campaigns andconducted in-depth marketingresearch for clients includingEmirates, Colgate and Ansell, andcontributed to the development ofthe company’s new social mediapolicy. Ella learnt about theimportance of locally-driveninsights in ad campaigns, andlearnt to remove pre-conceptionsand outsider experiences of culturesto help produce relevant content.

ELLA BEER OSESPEECH ATANNUAL DINNERI’m sure you all know somebodywho has travelled in South EastAsia. Maybe you have yourself.Hence, I don’t feel the need tostand in front of you tonight andgive you a detailed recount ofeverything we did and saw. I’msure you’ve seen it all before onInstagram. I’m sure you’ve evenseen people post pictures ofchildren in orphanages, laughingand playing. I’m sure you’ve read

their captions along the lines of,“…blown away by these children’sunconditional happiness even inthe face of such adversity.” While itmight sound cheesy, things likethis demonstrate that there issomething great to be learnedwhen travelling in South East Asia.The greatest thing I learned duringOSE is that poverty isn’t alwayswhat we think it is.

Poverty is not, by definition,pictures of malnourished childrensipping from the water bottles ofwhite aid workers. Poverty is notalways best solved by sellingsausage sizzles at school lunch toraise money for Africanorphanages. This may seem bold,but it is not our responsibility todefine what poverty is, and it iscertainly not solely ourresponsibility to fix it.

Poverty is not as simple as nothaving enough food to eat or a roofover your head. The cause ofpoverty isn’t always as simple asnations simply never havingenough money. Poverty issystemic. During our two weeks inCambodia I saw the consequencesof a corrupt government that keepsan extremely tight grip on thenation’s wealth. I saw gatedcommunities with 3 storymansions, megamalls and casinos,and on the opposite side of thesame un-tarred road ridden withpotholes, I saw beggars missinglimbs from land mine explosions.

Poverty is also culturally-bound.

During our time in Vietnam, whichhas developed rapidly over the lastdecade, I learnt that while themajority of people might have aplace to live and enough food to eat,practices that we take for grantedsuch as brushing our teeth and goingto school were not as commonplace.

The ethos of OSE is about teachingus the real meaning of our privilege– privilege does not afford us theright to assume power andrighteousness. Often, it is theopposite. In fact, being in a positionof privilege requires us to take a stepback and realise that our way ofdoing things and of fixing problemsis deeply rooted in our own culture,and our own ideas of what is rightand what is wrong. During OSE Ilearnt that our way of doing thingshere in the western world is simplynot always the best way. Ourresponsibility as representatives ofthe college was not to offer ourskills, as they were not always useful.Rather, it was our opportunity toobserve and to learn.

OSE lead me to radically rethinkthe way that I viewed charity anddevelopment projects. Each of theorganisations we support workshard to maintain a focus onculturally-specific problems. StreetChildren’s Assistance andDevelopment Program, or SCADP,in Phnom Penh, Cambodia,provides education and housing toorphans, street children orchildren from disadvantagedfamilies. Blue Dragon in Ha Noi,Vietnam, is an all-encompassingorganisation that tackles problemsincluding youth homelessness andhuman trafficking to improveopportunities for many youngVietnamese people. Haven Homein Hue, Vietnam, provides safehousing for children fromdisadvantaged rural areas ofVietnam, allowing them tocomplete school and pursueuniversity. And finally, StarfishEducation Project findssponsorship for disadvantagedstudents so that they are able tocomplete university.

OSE fundraising is about puttingthe power of change back into the

64 DECEMBER 2016

WES-STOCK A HIT ATWESLEYWesley’s annual Wes-stock charityevent was back in 2016. With aline-up of local artists, includingWesley’s own Fresher band, theevent promised to be bigger andbetter.

The third edition of the eventfocused on raising funds for LittleWindmills: The Country KidsCharity, which is dedicated to thethe betterment of sick, injured anddisadvantaged rural kids.Windmills are a non-for-profitorganisation who alleviate thefinancial burden on rural familieswhen their children are faced withillness. This includes covering thecost of medical expenses, traveland accommodation if a child fallssick.

Wesley holds many close ties withrural communities and bysponsoring a rural charity we wereable to uphold this relationship.With many students at Wesleycoming from regional or ruralbackgrounds this charity wassupported widely by the college.While Wesley College holds strongrelations with Overseas Charitiesthrough the Overseas Study

Experience, event organisersdecided to choose a charity thatwas closer to home. Throughextensive research LittleWindmills proved to be a worthycause for students to support.

The night that unfolded includedsome incredible tunes fromtalented musicians, all in thename of this good cause. Thebands that performed were localSydney artists who all jumped atthe opportunity to play for acharity event. The night includedexclusive performances by Sydneybands BORNEO, Plantface, JustKidding and Small Voices.

A highlight of the night wasWesley’s very own Fresher band,featuring Luther Canute, EdieWarne, Jerry Yu, Michael Zawal,Rohan Patel, Gyan Ainkaran,Lawrence Chan and Alex Wilton.Not only did the band set the tonefor the night with their chilled outacoustic vibe, but they showcasedthe talent that Wesley has to offer.

Overall $6000 was raised at theevent and 330 tickets were sold.This tremendous effort can be

attributed to the Wes-stockCommittee who brought together awonderful evening for all involved.Special thanks go to SocialSecretary Cam Gundy and SecondYear Organisers; Will Lawless,Jack Gibson, Georgia Campbell,Matt Hinds, Emma Fessey andAustin Sorenson.

The hope for next year’s Wes-stockis that it can raise even moremoney for the chosen charity.Incoming Social Secretary for2017, Will Lawless, hopes thatnext year’s event will continue theculture of giving and charity atWesley College. “When you’re atWesley it’s easy to becomeinundated by your surroundingsand forget that there are someseriously disadvantaged peoplewithin the community that needour help,” Lawless said.

Wesley has the financial andintellectual resources to make areal difference. Let’s hope thatWes-stock 2017 raises moremoney and continues a culture ofgiving at Wesley.

hands of the people that know best– the people of these nations andthe workers at these organisations.It is not up to us to decide what ismost beneficial for their countryand their people, it’s up to them. Icannot pretend that at 19 yearsold, having lived in Sydney all mylife, that I know all the answers.We put our trust in people like Jackat SCADP, Kim at Blue Dragon,and Van at Starfish, to use theirexperience and their localknowledge to determine what isbest for these children and howbest to use our money. Their goalis simple- to give children thechoice to carve out their own little

spot in the world in whateverfashion they may choose.

It is important to realise that ourmoney can’t fix everything. Ourpresence in these countriesdefinitely cannot fix everything.But we can inspire change in smallways. Making these types of cross-cultural connections is a steptowards a world of greaterunderstanding. OSE taught methat our greatest responsibility aspeople of privilege is to simplywalk the world with kindness, to beopen to learning; to hearing otherpeople’s stories, and keeping theirstories with us wherever we maygo. (Ella Beer, OSE 2015).

12 February 2017 Open Day – 1-5pm All Old Collegians

March 2017 Salvete Freshers

3 April 2017 Academic and Scholarship Dinner By invitation

25 April 2017 Anzac Day Service acknowledging all Old Cols and families who have served in the armed forces

All Old Collegians and current students

1 May 2017 Foundation Medal Dinner – Centenary Medallists All Old Collegians

Early May 2017 Brandied Strawberries Dinner By invitation

End May 2017 Council Centenary Dinner Current Councillors

Last week of June 2017 London Centenary Reunion All Old Collegians

Early July 2017 USA Centenary Reunion All Old Collegians

3 October 2017 Senior Students dinner All previous senior students

7 October 2017 Centenary Ball including the launch of the Centenary Book

All Wesley Old Cols, current students, parents and friends

10 November 2017 Celebration Lunch All Old Collegians in 1972 and before

December 2017 Centenary Major Donor Dinner By invitation

To register your interest in any of these events, please contact Wesley College at foundation@wesleycollege-usyd.edu.au

Please visit the website for regular updates at wesleycollege-usyd.edu.au/centenary

DATE EVENT ATTENDEES

In 2017, Wesley College will celebrate 100 years! Throughout the year, events will be organised to bring together

the Wesley community in various ways.

SAVE THE DATE!