Remarkable Women Series
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Mentone Girls’ Grammar School presents Remarkable Women Series Featuring special guest Kate Ceberano Remarkable Women Series Mentone Girls’ Grammar School 11 Mentone Parade, Mentone VIC 3194 www.mentonegirls.vic.edu.au [email protected] P +61 3 9581 1249 Mentone Girls. Remarkable Women. Welcome Remarkable Women Inductees Welcome to the inaugural event in the new Remarkable Women Series Since the first day of class in 1899 when just five Mentone Girls took their place brought to you by Mentone Girls’ Grammar School. This Series is designed to in history, to today’s thriving community of over 6,000 students and ‘Old Girls’, inspire our students and our community through the achievements of others. we have held fast to the philosophy of the founding Simpson sisters, “to be bold, to do one’s best and to never give in”. At each event, we will induct a small number of ‘Remarkable Women’; pioneering alumnae who have been nominated by our community in Over the years, we have seen major changes from buildings and uniforms recognition of their exceptional contribution to their field of endeavour. to community attitudes and the social change that comes with each new generation. But with a strong sense of purpose we have been able to stand We thank Principal, Fran Reddan for her leadership and vision and for the test of time. In our history as a school, a history that spans two world encouraging all young women to be remarkable. We thank you for your wars, Australia’s Federation, women’s right to vote, the new millennium participation and support of our School and we hope you enjoy this and extraordinary advances in science and technology, we have remained wonderful evening. committed to our mission, to provide the best possible education for young women, our remarkable women. Succeeding generations of Principals, staff, parents, students and School Council leaders have been responsible for the success of the School today Special Guest and we honour them for their passion and commitment. Together they have We are thrilled to welcome a truly outstanding Australian, award winning contributed so much to the social fabric of our School and it is upon their singer-songwriter, Kate Ceberano, who will bring her unique and extraordinary shoulders that we stand together as a community. talents to headline our inaugural ‘Remarkable Women’ event. Whether it is her soulful voice, her charismatic nature or exotic looks, Kate has become There is certainly something very special about Mentone Girls’ Grammar a legend of the Australian entertainment industry over the past 25 years. School. It is a place of friendship, of support, of creativity and inspiration. It is Noted for her powerful vocal style, this incredible artist has won almost every a place of learning and wonder. It is a place like no other and the future is entertainment award in Australia. She has released five Platinum albums, five bright indeed. Gold albums, selling in excess of 1 million albums in Australia alone. She has Tonight, we induct our founders, the Simpson Sisters together with performed numerous tours, acted in feature films and hosted a number of television shows. three outstanding Old Girls as our inaugural ‘Remarkable Women’. These women represent a community of pioneers, of women who We congratulate Kate on her work and achievements as a pioneer in her field. We thank her for being such an important role model to young women embody our School Mission to “aspire to excellence, to make a today, and for accepting our invitation to headline this event. difference and to rise boldly to the challenges of their times”. Each of these women has contributed so much, not only to our School, but to their own field of endeavour, and we are incredibly Master of Ceremonies proud that they truly are ‘Mentone Girls. Remarkable Women.’ We are also delighted to welcome back one of our own Remarkable Women, the very talented actor, director, writer, filmmaker, and Mentone Old Girl, Katrina Mathers (1987). Best known for her character of ‘Sandra Sultry’ for Channel 10’s ‘The Wedge’, she has written and performed in a host of other TV shows and films including ‘Flipside’ on the ABC and the Moosehead Award Melbourne International Comedy Festival show ‘Footy Chicks’. A prolific filmmaker, Katrina has made over a dozen award winning short films and is regularly employed as a creative producer, consultant or director for television and branded content. Katrina’s most recent short animation ‘Nullarbor’ won Best Animation at the Melbourne and Sydney Film Festivals and AACTA (AFI) Awards, as well as a host of international awards. ‘Nullarbor’ was also released theatrically across the USA and Europe as a ‘Highly The Simpson Sisters Margaret McLorinan Nicole Provis Commended’ short in the official Academy Award Oscar nominees package for 2012. Katrina has worked for a range of organisations and established the corporate production company Longshot.TV; 3D animation studio The Lampshade Collective; and is currently developing Micromovie.TV, an online resource for emerging short filmmakers. Annette Kellerman 2 3 Simpson Sisters Margaret McLorinan (1901) We honour the Simpson family and in particular Effie Simpson We honour Margaret McLorinan as a Remarkable Woman for and her three sisters, Minnie, Ethel and Daisy as Remarkable her exceptional professional ability, her kindness to patients, Women, whose passion and dedication to the education of girls, her outstanding ability as a surgeon and administrator, and her have made an indelible impact on the School they founded and inspirational work as a pioneer in her field. generations of remarkable young women. Margaret McLorinan, known affectionately as Peg, was always ahead of her time. A local advertisement notified that the Mentone High School for Girls would Born in 1887, she graduated from the Simpsons’ School at age 14 and open on 1 February 1899. qualified for Matriculation at the University of Melbourne to study Medicine at Mrs Sarah Simpson was considered to be the driving force behind this family just 15. She was one of the first women to be admitted to the Royal Australian decision to start a school, having worked as a teacher herself for many years. College of Surgeons and pioneered the delivery of health care for women by As young women, Sarah and her sister Fanny emigrated to the colony of women in the early 1900s. Victoria in 1863. Sarah ended up teaching in Ballarat where she married Dr McLorinan, opened rooms for private patients in Melbourne where she fellow Irish immigrant, William Hamilton Simpson at the age of 33. Unlike was simply known as “Dr Peggy”. Before long, Queen Victoria Hospital many of her generation she refused to give up work, instead she coupled was opened, where she remained on staff for 21 years and became one teaching with her new role as wife and mother. Her children, Mary (Minnie), Melbourne’s most distinguished surgeons. In addition, Margaret was President Euphemia (Effie), a son who died in infancy, Ethel and Daisy were all born of the Honorary Medical Staff, member of the committee of management, within ten years. The girls attended a fee-paying school in Ballarat where and was the driving force and founder of the Obstetrics Department – where academic excellence was encouraged. Effie was by far the most successful of she delivered 200 babies in her first year. the Simpson girls. She passed the Matriculation Examination for the University of Melbourne in 1894 aged 15. By the end of 1898, the two eldest daughters, During this time, she was also appointed honorary surgeon at the Women’s Minnie and Effie had completed their education. Having studied many Hospital in Melbourne. She was known throughout Victoria for her strength of different subjects over and above those at University, at just 19, Effie was character, professional ability and personal charm. She was loved by all her more highly educated than most other young women of her age. patients. She was unfailingly kind to them, a trait which she carried all through her schooldays, being known as someone who was always kind to the other students, With four daughters aged from 13 to 21, the Simpson family decided to particularly those who were not as gifted as she was. Her selfless devotion to her move from Ballarat to establish a school for the daughters of the business work and her patients continued throughout her life. During the war years, when and professional people who took residence in the increasingly fashionable there was a lack of doctors, Margaret simply doubled her workload. bayside suburb of Mentone. They purchased a substantial brick home called ‘Cobbalanna’ for their new venture. “I knew Margaret in schooldays. We were both born in 1887. In later life I became her patient. I cannot speak too highly of this remarkable woman. Minnie and Effie were to run the school, while Daisy and Ethel would become its It was a grief to me when I heard of her illness in 1932.” first pupils. Effie assumed the role of Principal, which she maintained until 1906, – From ‘Schooldays with the Simpsons 1899 – 1906’ by Fairlie Taylor. while Minnie took care of the household affairs of the new boarding students. Daisy and Ethel later became accomplished teachers in their own right. Effie was In 1932, at the age of just 45, a stroke took the young life of the incredible quiet, calm, efficient and intelligent. Her Principal’s Reports each year indicated Dr Margaret McLorinan. that she had a clear philosophy of education and expected excellence from In 2002, Margaret was officially recognised for helping shape the nation both students and teachers. She encouraged her staff to instil vitality and interest and was included in the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.