Kilbreda Authors
The Library has a growing display of books written by past pupils and past/current teachers. If possible we purchase one copy for display purposes and another for lending out. This means that students and staff can access the books while a copy is retained for future archives.
The variety of publications makes for an impressive collection. Some you can still buy from shops while others are now out of print, although you could still find them in public libraries or via second hand online dealers.
Below in no particular order of importance (for they are all important!) are some past pupils and their works.
Dr Clare Rhoden
Class of 1973
Dr Clare Rhoden was nominated as a Past Pupil of Distinction in 2021.
Clare's five titles in our Library’s collection range from Young Adult historical and dystopian fiction through to an erudite survey of Australian Great War narratives shelved in the non-fiction collection.
For more details on Clare, you can visit her website HERE.
Jennifer Isaacs AM
Year of Completion 1960
Jennifer Issacs AM was inducted as a Past Pupil of Distinction in 2021.
An excerpt from her website (which you can see HERE) states - “An Australian writer and art consultant who is well known for the role she has played in educating policy makers and the general public through her seminal books on Aboriginal Culture. Jennifer is a prominent arts manager consultant and keynote speaker.”
The Library has brought together in one collection all of the non-fiction books relating to our First Nations people, and we are very grateful to have been gifted several volumes by Jenny of titles which we were lacking. This includes a beautiful copy of "Tiwi: Art, History, Culture" from a limited edition of 25 copies.
Kim McGrath
Class of 1979
Kim McGrath was nominated as a Past Pupil of Distinction in 2021.
Kim is Research Director at the Bracks Timor-Leste Governance Project, which provides policy advice to the Timor-Leste government.
Kim's book 'Crossing The Line : Australia's Secret History in the Timor Sea' is a recent purchase by the Library as we were looking at both past pupils' publications as well as updating our resources on Timor Leste (East Timor).
As many of you may know, Kilbreda has had a special relationship with Timor Leste for many years now and at the end of each year (COVID-19 ones excepted of course) students have gone there to explore and contribute instead of going to 'Schoolies Weeks'.
It is fifty years since Australia unilaterally issued petroleum exploration permits in the Timor Sea. For fifty years the Australian government has schemed to assert the integrity of those permits. Australia did nothing to stop Indonesia's devastating occupation of East Timor, when - on our doorstep - 120,000 lives were lost from a population of 650,000. Instead, our government colluded with the Indonesian government in pursuit of our Timor Sea oil agenda. With access to never-before-seen classified documents, Kim McGrath tells the story of Australia and Timor's secret history. With many explosive revelations, she shows how access to resources has been a key factor in how Australia has responded to Timor, right up to the UN hearings scheduled for conclusion in September 2017. It is time, she argues, for Australia to reconsider our ruthless determination to claim oil and gas wealth in the Timor Sea that does not belong to us.
- 'Crossing The Line : Australia's Secret History in the Timor Sea'
Dr Christy Collins
Class of 1995
'Christy has worked in the Netherlands and Australia in roles in research, higher education and academic publishing. Her novella 'The End of Seeing' won the Viva La Novella Prize 2015 and is published by Seizure. She has recently completed a PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Tasmania and was a 2017 Asialink resident in Sapporo, Japan' (accessed 22/11/2021 https://affirmpress.com.au/publishing/christy-collins/.)
We have copies of both 'The price of two sparrows' (2021) and 'The End of Seeing' (2015).
Natalie Holbery
Class of 1992
Natalie Holbery was inducted as a Past Pupil of Distinction in 2021.
Natalie is Head of Nurse Education, University College London Hospitals (UCLH).
Natalie edited 'Emergency Nursing at a Glance' with Paul Newcombe, which was published on 21 March 2016. Shealso edited 'Facilitating Learning in Practice: a research based approach to challenges and solutions' with Dawn A. Morley and Kathy Wilson, which was published 18 June 2019.
Vikki Petraitis
Class of 1983
Vikki is a Writer, Presenter, Teacher and Podcaster! You can see more on her website HERE. Most recently, she was nominated as a Past Pupil of Distinction 2021.
Vikki’s true crime books are very popular with our readers – especially 'The Dog Squad' (animals are always a popular read with our students!) "Brilliant and heroic, the police dogs and handlers of the Dog Squad put themselves on the front line every day to fight crime and keep citizens safe. These stories of the Victoria Police Dog Squads' courage in the face of danger give a rare insight into the high-octane world of police dog work, and into the bond that exists between a police dog and its handler. Handlers share stories of training some of the best and brightest canine cadets, then taking them out onto the job - where dogged pursuits save lives."
Professor Judith Kinnear
Class of 1956
Professor Judith Kinnear was inducted as a Past Pupil of Distinction in 2017.
Wikipedia cites Judith as “an Australian academic, a geneticist, and was the first woman to head a New Zealand university.”
I am sure that we are missing many published authors – and we would love to add to our collection to display and celebrate the great diversity of our past pupils and their achievements.
If you are a published author/past pupil, please reach out to us at library@kilbreda.vic.edu.au
Angus Pearson
Library Coordinator