Mr Tony Sheumack

Tony Sheumack’s involvement with Girton College began when he joined the school as Head of Mathematics, which saw him and his wife Pam assume leadership of the Boarding Houses for local and international students. Deeply embedded in the Girton College community, Tony’s family had to make a fateful choice when the closure was announced – move their home, their employment and their children’s schooling, or work with the Friends of Girton to forge the next chapter. The passion of like-minded families and staff convinced Tony and his family to fight on.

As Deputy Head, the most significant challenges Tony faced included gaining registration for the rundown facilities and figuring out how to provide a full range of curriculum offerings for the Senior School students despite the extremely limited resources. These challenges, like so many others, were solved by the founders working through all the options as a dedicated team, leveraging their respective skills and talents. In Tony’s case, these were his strong organisational skills and love of a challenge. 

Tony often reflects on the tumultuous time of the transition from Girton College to Girton Grammar. He marvels at the belief of families who made the enormous leap of faith to support the new venture, and he recalls that the fledgling school borrowed from everywhere, buoyed by the generosity of the community. One example was an auction held at the former Girton College site, which Tony attended alongside fellow founder Richard Trigg. For a modest sum, they were able to acquire many items that would prove essential to the new school – including the entire school library – thanks to the benevolence of the other schools in attendance, who refrained from bidding against them.

Tony is proud to have played a role in the success story of Girton, and his experience forging a new era for the school gave him the opportunity to become the Head of Beaconhills College in Melbourne. Now enjoying semi-retirement on acreage on the Mornington Peninsula, Tony is kept busy by volunteer work, travel, and his work on a number of boards that support schools, including chairing the board of Anglicare Victoria. Tony’s advice for anyone fighting for a cause they are passionate about: “Build a team of like-minded people and see every hurdle as just another challenge to solve”.