PRESIDENT'S REPORT

It is with great pleasure that your committee is able to present our 2026 Thistlelonian magazine, a tradition since Thistlelonians was founded in 1994, and I hope you enjoy reading of the activities of the past and present life and times of McKinnon Secondary College through the journeys of those who have been proud to have been part of the story which commenced in 1954 as McKinnon High School. We are delighted to be able to honour those from the Class of 1959 - The Originals - to the soon to graduate Class of 2026.

In that time Thistlelonians has raised a substantial amount of money, through reunions and donations, which is all channelled back into the college enabling student awards, purchase of equipment and sponsorship towards student activities.

The support of College Council and the staff at McKinnon allow us to be an integral part of the college community without which we could not function. I am delighted to represent Thistlelonians on College Council where the decisions on the future direction of McKinnon are presented, researched, discussed, and implemented.

The enormous growth of McKinnon now sees an enormous school community with 3,186 students, 334 staff, and very proudly, 49 Thistlelonians amongst the staff.

Last year we welcomed some new faces onto our committee, bringing along some fresh and enthusiastic ideas, namely, Jessica (Long) Dixon (Class of 1998) and Romy Greenberg (Class of 2019).

GRAND REUNION 2025

The Grand Reunion on Saturday 27th October saw the Classes of 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1995, 2005, 2015 and 2020 - for their first reunion.

Earlier that day, College Principal, Michael Kan, hosted the now traditional Principal's Afternoon Tea and welcomed back the Class of 1975 who were celebrating 50 years since graduation and the Class of 1960 - celebrating 65 years since graduation.

A wonderful wind group of senior students, along with some staff performed and were greatly appreciated.

You can view these celebrations further into this edition.

Click on the image to enlarge

GRAND REUNION 2026

Saturday 17th October at McKinnon Road Campus will see the return of the Classes of 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, and 2016.

Click here for the Grand Reunion 2026 invitation.

Please reply and advise others to update their details via our website.

Assistant Principal, Lachlan Noble, is welcoming back the Classes of 1961 who celebrate 65 years since leaving McKinnon and the Class of 1976 - 50 years after leaving McKinnon, for a special afternoon tea earlier on Grand Reunion day Saturday 17th October. Invitations being sent in early September.

Please contact us if you did not receive your invitation.

Assistant Principal, Lachlan Noble and I were able to taste-test the offerings of the Year 11 Food Tech class recently, and a selection of these will be served at the Principal's Afternoon Tea on 17th October.

The Year 11 Food Tech class is taught by Rochelle Travitz (Class of 1999).

Well done to all the students for their skill and creativity.

Click on the image to enlarge

SPECIAL THANKS

Without the input and dedication of our wonderful group of volunteers, we would not be able to provide these services and I would like to thank those who give of their time and expertise in keeping Thistlelonians operating in a most efficient manner.

Those who work on the front desk at reunions and the catering and bar helpers who are all crucial for a smooth and exciting time.
Michael Kan, the Principal Team, teaching, admin, facilities and IT staff whose support throughout the year is invaluable.
The college Media Team headed by Andrew Krause, for their attention to our various social media accounts and photographing all our activities during the year.
Chelsea Stanley, Digital Communications, for her wonderful work in putting this magazine together and maintaining our Facebook and Linkedin postings. This work is vital to our communications and keeping you all in touch with the happenings at McKinnon and the highlighting special Thistlelonians and their achievements.

Thank you to all who have donated money towards our Thistlelonian Awards and our uniform display in the MERC building which is always being supplemented by donations of bygone memorabilia from past eras at McKinnon - note: mothballs have now been replaced by other devices which are more user-friendly in a school environment.

A special mention to Jenny Cooke's work in maintaining the displays which creates much interest from students keen to check out uniforms and items from previous generations of McKinnon students.

Once again we must thank Roger Danne for his skill in running our liquid refreshment needs.

The work of Thistlelonians would be impossible without the dedication and enthusiasm of committee members, Jenny Cooke, Pam Dickfos, Andrew Newton, Jessica Dixon and Romy Greenberg who all look to the wonderful work of our Thistlelonian Administrator, Melanie Lynch, for our thoughts and ideas in keeping past and present students and staff involved with their school. Thanks for your efforts as we progress into our 33rd year.

With his pending retirement, we thank Principal, Michael Kan for his support and encouragement over his 17 years at McKinnon and wish him a safe and happy retirement and we are sure he will keep a close eye on our activities.

Thanks for your support and enjoy the reading as we look forward to another fantastic year. Keep a lookout on our social media accounts for all the latest news.

Geoff Woolnough

President