Vale, Dr Joan Addinsall

It is with sadness that we share with our college community that one of our former Principals, Dr Joan Addinsall has passed away.

Dr Addinsall was principal at Cheltenham Secondary College from 1982 (then Cheltenham High) until she retired from the Education Department at the beginning of 1990.  

Dr Addinsall worked in the Education Department for 42 years, commencing her teaching career as an apprentice (student teacher) at the age of 16 at Nhill State School (Primary School). The following year, Dr Addinsall attended Ballarat Teacher’s College for her one year of training and received a Secondary Studentship to Melbourne University to undertake an Arts Degree and studied to become a secondary teacher of History and English.

Upon graduating from Melbourne University, Dr Addinsall taught at a number of schools including; Ballarat Girls’ Secondary College, Mordialloc-Chelsea High School, MacRobertson Girls’ High School, Springvale High School, Highett High School, Mentone Girls’ High School, Malvern Girls’ High School (including a term as Acting Principal), Moorabbin High School and finally Cheltenham. 

In her last report in the 1989 Southern Cross (school magazine), she is quoted as saying “If we are wise, we will never stop learning from our experiences, our reading, our viewing and from our contacts with other people”, important words that still ring true today.

We thank Dr Addinsall for her dedicated service to the Education Department, the students she taught, the teachers she lead and the schools she positively impacted.