Sydney High School Old Girls' Union in Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia | High School

Sydney High School Old Girls' Union

Locality: Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia

Address: PO Box 44 2010 Surry Hills, NSW, Australia

Website: sydneygirl-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/community/old-girls.html

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24.01.2022 Well done to Professor Raina MacIntyre! She is one of the worlds leading emerging infectious disease experts and head of the Biosecurity Program at the Kirby Institute, UNSW. She is also an Old Girl from SGHS. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication in your medical research and advice on COVID-19. https://www.smh.com.au//lunch-with-raina-macintyre-cautiou

24.01.2022 Sydney Girls High old girl (and 1974 vice-captain) Diana Platers new novel, Whale Rock, has been awarded Gold for Popular Literary Fiction in the Global Ebook Awards. Diana, a journalist and former Travel Editor with Australian Associated Press, was inspired by a whale engraving, a significant example of Aboriginal art, between Bondi and Tamarama. Its a place of solace for Shannon, Colin, Rafael and the other characters in the book, who must confront their pasts when a worker plunges to his death on the building site opposite Shannons Tamarama caf. Whale Rock is available at Amazon, Smashwords, the MoshShop, Apple Books and other sites. More information: Diana Plater Author or www.dianaplater.com

24.01.2022 Thank you to Cathy Morrison who sent us a couple of photos of the Governors Centre progress as it gets close to completion, at least on the outside. Looks great, doesnt it!

23.01.2022 Congratulations to Christina Li, who was awarded the Bessie Mitchell Memorial Prize for Dux of the School 2019, during the Dux Assembly and SRC Induction last Friday 21 February. The Class of 2019 achieved fantastic results overall and we commend them on their hard work! The OGU was also proud to present the Maxine Hosking Memorial Prize for Outstanding Performance in English to Renee Giang. Well done Renee! Further congratulations to the other prize recipients:... Principals Award for Outstanding Achievement at the HSC: Yi Tong Huang, Sabrina McKindlay, Leah Meng, and Susanna Pang. Prize for Latin: Christina Li and Catherine Nguyen Congratulations also to guest speaker, Jacinta Wong from the Class of 2015, who was presented with the Devotion to School 2019 award for her continued support of SGHS and role on the OGU Committee. Our president, Fiona McDonald, represented the OGU at the assembly. Each year, the OGU is very proud to support many of the prizes commending our students achievements. We wish all the students and the incoming SRC the best of luck for the year ahead!

20.01.2022 President Fiona McDonald and members of The Old Girls Union of Sydney High School expresses its deep sympathy to Mr George Harvison and his family on the passing of his wife Jeannette Harvison. Jeannette served as President of the OGU, time and again, during the 1990s and, since leaving school in 1949, attended every OGU Annual Reunion Dinner or Luncheon until November 2019. She was much loved and the OGU benefited greatly from her strong leadership.

19.01.2022 HSC starts today! Good luck to all the year 12 students! The OGU wishes you all the best for your studies!

18.01.2022 Last Chance to make a Tax-Deductible Donation for the Governors Centre before the End of Financial Year! If you would like to make a donation, please visit the link below: http://www.sghs.nsw.edu.au/Payment.html A message from our SGHS Principal, Ms Andrea Connell... "Dear members of the Sydney Girls High School Community The Governors Centre, of which you are aware, is a facility designed to further enhance the learning outcomes for students of both Sydney Girls and Sydney Boys High Schools. It has been a long journey to reach the building stage and now with great anticipation, we await the magnificent facility which will educate the next generation of girls proudly wearing the brown and gold, enhancing the quality education established throughout history which has led to our reputation as one of the top schools in NSW and Australia. Many people have generously donated to the schools building fund over recent years or contributed valuable skills to the projects development. This is one part of the invaluable partnership between a school, families and alumni that form its community, and for which we are very grateful. Now in the year of construction, you may wish to consider a legacy donation to the building fund. Such a gift will help us complete the build to the high specification standard and leave you appreciating the lasting impact that you or your family has had. The final fundraising efforts will provide for landscaping, purchase of technical equipment for the theatre, furniture and equipment for the conference centre as well as back of house spaces such as the Green Room and Box Office. As we are near the end of the financial year, you may consider this an opportune time to donate. Tax deductible donations can be made via http://www.sghs.nsw.edu.au/Payment.html or alternatively, a cheque marked Sydney Girls High School Building Fund and sent to the school. We hope that you will come to The Governors Centre in the near future. The completion date is the end of November 2020 anticipating opening in the new year 2021, marking 100 years on this site."

18.01.2022 Congratulations again to Angelina Arora (Class of 2019) for being named the Australian Geographic Young Conservationist of the year for her invention of a plastic alternative using prawn shells and a protein found in spider webs. She was interviewed yesterday on ABC RN. See link below. https://www.abc.net.au//sydney-teenager-invents-p/11661248

18.01.2022 Another book about an ex SGHS student and high achiever. This one is about Florence McKenzie (nee Wallace). Read on to discover her story.

17.01.2022 The OGU sends our sincere condolences to the family of Ian Curlewis, who died on 19th August 2020. Ian was the grandson of Ethel Turner and brother to Philippa Poole, who wrote The Diaries of Ethel Turner." Ian was also the Chairman of Outward Bound Australia (1986-91). https://www.outwardbound.org.au/l/vale-ian-adrian-curlewis/

17.01.2022 The SHSOGU is proud to honour Dr Agnes Bennett as one of our Distinguished Old Girls. For her achievements in medicine and contributions to the wider community, the OGU council have voted to include her on the Honour Board. The new pedestrian bridge over Anzac Parade, next to the Moore Park light rail station and SGHS, was opened on 13 December 2019 and is named after Dr Bennett. https://sydneylightrail.transport.nsw.gov.au//new-pedestri Please continue reading for more in...formation about Dr Bennett. Thank you to our archivists for compiling this short bio. AGNES BENNETT (1888 1890) CLASS OF 1890 1894: BSc (Hons) in Geology and Biology, the first woman to graduate with honours in Science at Sydney University 1899: MB ChM College of Medicine for Women, University of Edinburgh. Refused permission to sit for the royal College of Surgeons exams; selected as Resident Medical Officer at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, but Governors refused to confirm appointment; took position as Resident Medical Officer at Larbert Mental Hospital near Edinburgh. 1901: Set up private practice in Darlinghurst Rd, Sydney, but failed due to prejudice against women doctors 1904: Junior Medical Officer at Hospital for the Insane, Callan Park 1905: Bought medical practice in Wellington, NZ 1908: Appointed Medical Superintendent at St Helens Maternity Hospital, Wellington, the first state maternity hospital in the world 1911: Completed MD at Edinburgh University 1915: Army Captain, first female commissioned officer in the British Army. Involved in the evacuation of Gallipoli 1916 1917: Commanding Officer of a Scottish Womens Field Hospital on the Serbian front. Awarded the Order of St Sava 3rd class and the Cross of Honour of the Serbian Red Cross. 1917 1918: Medical Officer on troopships, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow and Southampton army hospital before returning to Wellington 1936: Retired as Medical Superintendent of St Helens Hospitals 1938 1939: Worked for Flying Doctor Service at Burketown, Queensland. Initiated the formation of the Womens War Service Auxiliary in NZ 1940 1942 : Worked with the Womens Voluntary Services in the UK 1947 : At 75, flew to Chatham Is in Antarctica to replace the seriously ill medical officer. 1948: Awarded the OBE 1960: Died on 27 November at the age of 88. During her life she championed equality for women e.g. founded the Wellington branch of International Federation of University Women References Australian Dictionary of Biography Australian Women Fact File, Jessie Street National Womens Library Daily Mirror 8 January 1981 Women to the Front by Heather Sheard and Ruth Lee

16.01.2022 Hi Everyone! Please join us online for our 2020 OGU Virtual Annual Luncheon, on Saturday 14th November 2020 at 12:00 to 2:00 pm. Whilst we are unfortunately unable to meet in person this year, we are excited to see you across the computer screen! We have a great line-up of activities, and please feel free to enjoy your lunch in the comfort of your own home! ... This year, our event is free, although donations to the OGU are welcome! Please register by 7th November via the Trybooking link: https://www.trybooking.com/BLHGW You can register your friends as well, however you will need an email address for them. Donations are only available from the person making the booking. Details for joining the event will be sent in the week prior to our Virtual Luncheon. We will be using Zoom for the event. Our event will include an update from the school, and the new Governor's Centre, plus the opportunity to catch-up with friends in breakout rooms. But more details to come soon! Please check our Facebook event page for more updates: https://www.facebook.com/events/1515477548642123/ Thanks! Looking forward to seeing you there!

14.01.2022 Congratulations to the Class of 2020 for finishing their HSC Exams this week! We hope you all are getting some time to relax, recharge and celebrate with friends too! :) This is also another friendly reminder that the OGU Virtual Annual Luncheon is this Saturday, 12-2pm. If you haven't already, please register via this link (preferably before Friday midnight): https://www.trybooking.com/BLHGW... Thanks everyone!

14.01.2022 REMINDER: Our OGU Virtual Annual Reunion Luncheon is on TOMORROW, 12-2pm! Please register today via this link if you haven't done so already https://www.trybooking.com/BLHGW... Thanks everyone! We're very excited to see you at our event! :)

13.01.2022 Join the SGHS Old Girls Union (OGU) in 2020! For any past students or Yr 12 graduates who are not already a member of the OGU, please visit this new membership link to join: https://www.trybooking.com/BIJOY A reminder to Yr 12 leavers, you get a significant discount for life membership if you join within 1 year of graduation. :) ... Looking forward to seeing many new and familiar faces in 2020! :)

13.01.2022 REMINDER: Annual Reunion Luncheon Bookings close TODAY at 11:59pm. If you havent already bought your tickets, please do so ASAP! Thanks! Hope to see you there :) https://www.facebook.com/events/2303373303256580/

12.01.2022 SGHS OGU Healthcare Careers Night! Hi Everyone! We are excited to announce that we will be hosting our first online Healthcare Careers Night on Monday 30th November, 6-8pm! Open to all SGHS students, both past and present, with an interest in studying/working within healthcare. We have a fantastic panel of Old Girls from a range of health disciplines who are keen to share their insights.... Our speakers include: Linda Xu - General Physician and Geriatrician Rachel Pilowsky - Speech Pathologist Jacqueline Ho - ENT Surgery Jennifer Peake - Dietetics Antonia Carroll - Neurologist Rebecca Singer - Paediatrics Following our speaker presentations, you will have the opportunity to ask more questions in small focus group in separate breakout rooms. Each focus group will be led by a speaker and/or current uni student in that field. Focus group topics include: Medicine, Dentistry, Psychology, Physiotherapy, Speech Pathology and Dietetics. Please see our FB event page for more info and updates: https://www.facebook.com/events/369302037663201 To access this FB event, you may need to be a member of our Medical OGU Network Facebook group. If you are interested, please join us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1014595748998795 Please let us know if you have any questions! Thanks everyone! Looking forward to seeing you there!

12.01.2022 The SHSOGU are saddened to hear of the passing of one of our own, long-standing committee member Margery Whitehead OAM, last Thursday 20th February. She was 92. Margerys family wanted us to let you know the details of her funeral arrangements and they are: 1pm - funeral service at the Lugar Brae Uniting Church, Waverley (cnr Leichhardt Street and Lugar Brae Avenue) 3pm - service at the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park Crematorium, Matraville... 4-6:30 pm - friends are invited to join the family at Kensington Park Community Centre where reflections on Margerys life would be welcomed to be expressed and shared with those attending. A tribute to Margery can be found on the SMH Obituary webpage, via this link below: https://tributes.smh.com.au//128375/margery-lola-whitehead/

11.01.2022 SGHS celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Laying of the Foundation Stone! 100 years ago on March 12 1920 the Foundation Stone for the New High School for Girls at Moore Park was laid by the Minister for Education, Mr AGF James. It had taken the Minister 3 years to overcome the opposition from those that wanted the site to remain as parkland following the Zoo moving across the harbor to Taronga in 1916 Better that 1000 children should use the site daily than that a few ...should use it casually. Mr James considered that the 330 girls attending the School then housed in Elizabeth St (on the site now occupied by David Jones) were taught in the worst building in Australia, some were taught in the cellars The School would approach as nearly as possible to the ideals of modern educationists, the material side of it would be so equipped as to omit no aid to the development of the mental and spiritual. It would accommodate 500 girls in 24 classrooms with a Library and Science Rooms and a spacious Assembly Hall . And all for 35,300 pounds ($70,600) funded by the sale of the Elizabeth St site! - From NSW Public School Teachers Federation Journal 23 March 1920 Today the Foundation Stone can be seen at the main entrance to the School. The foresight shown a century ago has allowed the School to be extended to incorporate the changes in subjects, learning and technology of the 21st century. The latest state of the art addition, the Governors Centre is now rising out of the ground and promises to be as life changing for the girls when it opens in 2021 as the New School at Moore Park was a century earlier when the girls moved from Elizabeth St in July 1921.

11.01.2022 Sydney High School Old Girls Union are very saddened to hear of the tragic and violent death of Najma Carroll (class of 2004), which was reported in the news late last week. We want to extend our sincere condolences to Najmas family and friends for the loss of a daughter, sibling and friend taken too early. We hope that the person responsible for this terrible crime can be found and brought to justice. One of her classmates remembers Najmas intelligence, dry sense of humour and kind nature. May she rest in peace.

11.01.2022 Congratulations to Katherine Allen (Class of 2015) for a spectacular performance in HMS Pinafore! :) Some members of our OGU committee had the pleasure of watching the show at the Hayes Theatre last weekend. Not only was the singing amazing (of course), but the plot was funny, witty and bound to make you have a good laugh! If you havent seen this fantastic show yet, you can still book tickets online: Performances are on: ... Mon 6:30 pm Tues-Sat 7:30 pm Wed 1:00 pm Sat 2:00 pm until 14th December https://hayestheatre.com.au/event/h-m-s-pinafore/

09.01.2022 Please dont forget to buy your tickets to our Annual Reunion Luncheon! Bookings close this Friday 25th October! https://www.facebook.com/events/2303373303256580/

09.01.2022 Interesting article from State Library of NSW about ex-SGHS student Zora Cross.

08.01.2022 Dont forget to vote to help us win a ServiceNSW community grant. Voting closes 15 August. https://joannafishman1.wixsite.com/the-governors-centre

08.01.2022 If you havent read this already, check out this SMH article on cultural diversity written by Old Girl, A/Prof Dimitria Groutsis. Well done Dimitria! https://www.smh.com.au//we-need-to-develop-a-more-nuanced-

06.01.2022 Interesting viewpoint of ex-student, Fanny Austin, from 1958.

06.01.2022 Congratulations to the new SGHS Class of 2020 prefects inducted today at the Foundation Day Assembly. All the best for a great year ahead. Also, great to see that work has commenced on the Governors Centre!

05.01.2022 SGHS Alumni. Are you a Heffron resident or do you know someone who is? VOTE NOW to help us secure a $70,000 grant to fit out the theatre at The Governors Centre. Heres how to vote: https://joannafishman1.wixsite.com/the-governors-centre

05.01.2022 All Old Girls are warmly invited to the SGHS Foundation Day Assembly, incorporating the 2020 Prefect Induction Ceremony on Wednesday 16th October 2019, 9:30am in the MPH. Following the Assembly, all guests are invited to a morning tea in the Campbell Hall. Please RSVP: [email protected]

04.01.2022 Due to Covid-19, the Girls of 1962 had to cancel their reunion lunch this year so we are preparing a booklet for the 62ers, where we can virtually catch up wit...h each other and find out what we have all been doing since leaving school. We are seeking contributions from girls from SGHS who were in the group who sat the Leaving Certificate in 1962. Please email [email protected] if you would like to be included and we can send you the details See more

04.01.2022 Celebrating Womens History Month. Heres an article about old girl Louise Mack.

04.01.2022 We're excited to bring you our OGU Virtual Annual Reunion Luncheon next Saturday 14th Nov, 12-2pm! Please don't forget to register via this link before the event: https://www.trybooking.com/BLHGW We will be hearing from the Senior Prefect from the Class of 2020, watching a video showcasing talents of the students this year, and a sneak-preview into the new Governors' Centre! ... Please remember to BYO lunch this year, but we hope you can join us across the screen as we celebrate achievements and catch up with friends this year. Thanks everyone! :)

04.01.2022 Today marks 150 years since Ethel Turners birth! Her classic book, Seven Little Australians, first published in 1894, occupies a unique position in the histo...ry of Australian childrens literature. For over a century, the book has remained in print and has been translated into numerous languages. Our Story Time: Australian Childrens Literature exhibition features a first edition of the book, Swedish, Japanese and Chinese translations, a glimpse of the original manuscript and ephemera relating to TV and theatre adaptations. Read more in a special anniversary blog post where, Exhibition Curator, Grace Blakeley-Carroll, tells us why Seven Little Australians was her childhood favourite: https://bit.ly/2sO7PkK #StoryTimeNLA #OnThisDay

03.01.2022 Calling on alumni to please share to help us win a $70K grant in support of the new Governors Centre theatre and building. We need all Heffron votes to place their vote by 15 August. https://mycommunityproject.service.nsw.gov.au/project

03.01.2022 A new biography of past Old Girl, Dr Hazel Claire Weekes, "The Woman Who Cracked the Anxiety Code: the Extraordinary Life of Dr Claire Weekes" by Judith Hoare, will be available soon, from October 1. Claire Weekes attended SGHS from 1917-21. Also a University of Sydney medical graduate, Claire Weekes was a pioneer in anxiety treatment. An edited extract of her biography was recently published in the Sydney Morning Herald, Good Weekend, on Sep 21st. You can read the article here: https://www.smh.com.au//face-accept-float-let-time-pass-cl Fantastic recognition of one our esteemed Old Girls!

03.01.2022 Thank you very much to everyone who attended our first OGU Virtual Annual Reunion Luncheon! We were excited that this new online format allowed us to reach Old Girls across Australia and the world! We were very pleased to hear all your kind words and loved seeing you connect with past friends and new ones too! It was fantastic to see a showcase of the new Governors' Centre! Thank you to Fiona for her film-maker skills :) We hope to see the Governors' Centre in action someti...me soon! Thank you very much to the generosity of our SGHS community. Some furnishings (and a piano) are yet to be completed, so donations are still being accepted for the Governors' Centre. If you would like to make a donation, please visit this link: https://sydneygirl-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/donations.html Thank you very much again to our OGU committee members for their hard work in making this event possible! Special thank you to Fiona, Juliet and Jacinta, as well as Linda and Gaenor for their Archives presentation! We will be sending you all a survey in the coming weeks and we would love to hear your feedback! Hope we can see you all next year too! :)

03.01.2022 Congratulations to Katherine Allen (Class of 2015), who will be starring as Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore, presented by the Hayes Theatre. Performances will run from 8th November: Mon 6:30 pm Tues-Sat 7:30 pm Wed 1:00 pm... Sat 2:00 pm Please check out their website for more info and to book your tickets. https://hayestheatre.com.au/event/h-m-s-pinafore/ Some of the OGU committee are attending the performance on Saturday 16th November at 2pm. If any other Old Girls would like to join us, please book on the link above soon as seats are limited. Thanks!

03.01.2022 We are excited to hear that "The Shelf Life of Zora Cross" has been shortlisted for the 2020 Australian History Prize. This is a biography of ex-student Zora Cross who was a poet and journalist in the early twentieth century.

03.01.2022 REQUEST FOR HELP: This year has been challenging for many organisations and the OGU is no exception. Our Association Rules made it difficult for us to meet virtually or within the social distancing guidelines, especially during the lockdown period. Hence, we are taking this opportunity to review the Rules of Association so we can be more flexible in the future. To assist us with this, we are looking for an Administrative lawyer with a little free time who can review the changes we would like to make to ensure the wording is legally correct. If you have the expertise and can help, please send us a private message, or email us at [email protected].

02.01.2022 This year SGHS is presenting a showcase of project work from HSC students in a combined program which highlights the creative talents across Music, Textiles and Visual Arts. The annual SGHS Art Show will be incorporated with this program including works from Year 711. We would be delighted if you could support this initiative. The program launches Monday 5 August and concludes with the HSC Music Concert on Wednesday 7 August. Please see further details in the Festival flyer attached.

01.01.2022 Hi Everyone! This is a friendly reminder that our Virtual Annual Luncheon will be held next Saturday, 14th November. Attendance is free! Please register via this link by 7th November: https://www.trybooking.com/BLHGW... We will have updates from the school, a sneak-peak into the new Governors' Centre as well as the opportunity for you to catch-up with friends and other Old Girls in break-out rooms. More updates will be posted in our event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1515477548642123 Thanks everyone! We look forward to seeing you on Zoom then! :)

01.01.2022 On behalf of the OGU, we hope all the SGHS students and staff are keeping safe and well. Following the latest COVID-19 case at the school, we hope our school community can continue to show its resilience and support each other in promoting safe teaching and learning environments. We wish the year 12 students all the best in their preparations for their upcoming Trial exams. This is an understandably very important time of the year for them, and we understand that disruptions may be difficult. As part of the OGU community, we would like to show our support and encouragement. To any current students or Old Girls, please feel free to reach out to us. Thanks everyone!