Mrs Jan Thomas

After a career as a graphic designer in Melbourne and London, Jan Thomas’s life took a different turn when she and her husband Frank made the move to Bendigo after purchasing a local dental surgery. By 1992, three of Jan’s four children were attending Girton College and she had recently been appointed to the school council along with fellow parent John Higgs. While aware of the school’s significant financial challenges through her role on the council, Jan and her fellow council members were not privy to the advanced discussions already taking place within the Anglican Diocese. As a result, Jan was deeply shocked to learn about the decision to close the school, on the same morning the news made the front page of the Bendigo Advertiser. After speaking with John in the school car park, the pair committed to fighting the closure and called together several parents for a meeting at Jan’s house, conveniently situated across the road from Girton College. The fight to save Girton had begun!

Jan recalls the talented group gathered around her dining table – distinguished by their diverse skill set, unwavering will to succeed and indomitable spirit of tenacity. Their mission was to continue to provide an independent schooling alternative for Bendigo and, above all, do what was right for the children, their families and the local community. The series of steps required to keep the school open was extensive, and every one of them a challenge – from deciding on the school’s location, attracting students and staff, and seeking government funding, through to figuring out how to operate a canteen. Jan fondly remembers the support that came from near and far – from the invaluable guidance provided by SCECGS Redlands in Sydney, to the Friends of Girton who came every day with food, skills and kindness. She attributes Girton’s eventual success to the immense dedication of the entire school community – those “brilliant, hardworking and kind people” who surrounded the project. 

Following her work with Girton, Jan took up a position as the Director of Development at Woodleigh School on the Mornington Peninsula – the start of a formal career in secondary and tertiary education spanning 25 years. After high-profile roles with the Redlands Foundation, the University of Sydney’s St Johns College, the University of Western Sydney and the University of Melbourne, Jan started her own consulting business. That meeting around her dining table paved the way to a fulfilling career raising investment funds that have empowered hundreds of students and researchers to achieve their goals and change the world for the better.

These days, Jan is living in Mount Martha, semi-retired and renovating her new house. She enjoys spending time with her son and daughters, their partners, and the 14 children in the family, ranging from ages 2 to 18. In addition to serving on the board of the National Stroke Foundation, she keeps busy travelling, learning to play golf, gardening, painting, cooking, walking, entertaining and thoroughly enjoying life.