Alumni

Living in Community

With all the uncertainty that this year has brought, the School has been very eager to reach out to members of the alumni community with messages of support and encouragement. After all, it is our community that makes The Friends’ School so special. With this in mind, over the past few months, Board Members, Alumni Reps, Staff, Students and Volunteers have been calling and writing to those in our alumni community who may be more vulnerable or at risk as a result of COVID-19. 

Students loved chatting with members of the community, often learning something new about the School’s history during the calls that they made. These calls and cards are a simple way of checking in with our community and letting them know we are thinking of them.

Year 11 IB students also sent cards to staff at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne, who are under a lot of strain with a large number of doctors and nurses unable to work due to COVID-19 diagnoses. The students hope that these messages of support will give the staff at the hospital encouragement during such a difficult time.

There is still more to do and we will continue reaching out to our community in the coming months. 

“To the Friends School Community

Thursday 3rd September was a disappointing day in Melbourne.  After several consecutive days of reported COVID-19 cases falling, we were suddenly advised of a spike back above 100 new cases.  I had been managing to keep my spirits up reasonably well since we entered Stage 4 lockdown, but these figures brought me undone.  For the first time since this crisis began, I was on the verge of tears.   Then a wonderful gift arrived in the mail – a lovely, handwritten card from Hayley in Year 11, telling me that we are in your thoughts.  The tears came then, not because of despair but because the ethos of caring still reigns supreme at Friends. Thank you Hayley and to everyone involved in this beautiful gesture.  You give me hope and trust in our ability to get through this challenge.

My best wishes

Meryl Taylor (1962)”

The beautiful Daffodil-themed cards were created by students at the school from Morris and Clemes.

The Mary Stanfield Public Speaking Prize

Each year, the School holds the annual public speaking competition for Year 10 students, the Mary Stanfield Public Speaking Competition. 

Mary Stanfield was a stalwart of The Friends’ School; she gave devoted and loyal service during her 36 years as a teacher at the School (from 1927 – 1963). Mary was a teacher of English and a lover of Drama and she was instrumental in the introduction of literary evenings that were held every Friday during the winter term at the School. Mary was affectionately known to generations of Friends’ Students as “Stanna” and was known (during her time as Senior Mistress) to give the new girl prefects a little talk that included the phrase “you must be above reproach”.

Mary donated an honour board to the School in 1956 for the then Year 11 "Lecturettes". The Mary Stanfield Prize continues to this day as a prestigious prize at Friends’ for Year 10 speakers. The honour board hangs in the stairwell of North Block (at the High School campus).

You can read all about the speakers of this years' Mary Stanfield competition here. 

Jade Mitchell (1995)

“Lockdown in Victoria is affecting everyone – many feel trapped and isolated. I have been trying to explore new things and not worry about an end date for the virus to be gone as it may be around for a while. The virus has made the world aware of immunocompromised and vulnerable people.  I know first hand what it is like to be on a ventilator in ICU and would not wish it on anyone.” Jade Mitchell, Class of 1995

At the School’s invitation, Jade shares with us her time at Friends’ and living with a respiratory condition through the COVID-19 pandemic. You can read her full story here.

How your dollar spent locally enriches your community so much

By Tony Ibbott, Alumni member and Principal Consultant at WLF Accounting & Advisory.

The impact of the Coronavirus crisis on the Tasmanian economy will be felt for a long time to come. However, we can all contribute to the recovery starting from today by “Supporting local first”, according to the Tasmanian Small Business Council in a recent information paper.

You can read the full story here.

Friends’ around the world

Friends’ Alumni community members are encouraged to connect in your part of the world.

British Columbia and Washington State

Roger Stilwell, Class of 1956

United Kingdom

Alex Given, Class of 2009

Germany

Tess Fink (Lohe), Class of 1999

Would you like to start a Friends’ Regional Club? Get in touch and tell us where you are and a bit about yourself and your connection to the School.

The Friends’ School LinkedIn

The Friends’ School is now developing its LinkedIn community. If you are a former student and you haven’t already done so, we would be grateful if you could add The Friends’ School to the education section of your profile to better take advantage of the alumni functionality within LinkedIn. If you have previously entered the School in ‘free text’ you will need to replace this by selecting from the drop-down box in order to register on the School’s page as alumni.

The School will be using LinkedIn to network with alumni and their families, former staff and volunteers across the globe.

Visit The Friends’ School LinkedIn page here.

Quick Updates

Glenn ARMSTRONG (1959) I joined Friends' in Class 1 in 1948 and finished at the end of 1959. On reflection, a wonderful period of my life. After a period in the Public Service Tasmania I went to Canberra for a stint as a Director of The Department of Social Security. For the next 30 years I have been self-employed and residing on a small country property next to the town of Gawler, 40km from Adelaide and adjacent to the Barossa Valley. 

Ruby BLAKEWAY (2012) I have just finished my Master of Applied Psychology at Murdoch University and am about to start my internship year so that I can be registered as a fully qualified psychologist. I'm hoping to become a school psychologist with the Department of Education in Western Australia.

Christina BUCKEMULLER (2002) I was an exchange student in 2001 and I'm very happy that I still receive the Focus newspaper. I'm still in love with Australia and since my time in Tassie I've been to Australia twice; in 2003 just for a holiday and in 2008 for an exchange semester at Griffith on the Gold Coast.

Georgina BUTORAC (2011) I travelled for a year after school and found myself at Monash soon after. I completed a degree in Veterinary Bioscience and moved home to Tasmania. I then studied a Masters Of Marine and Antarctic Science and worked as a Host Ranger with the Tasmanian Parks & Wildlife Service. Craving more of a home-life (I really wanted a dog), I migrated into the Discovery Ranger role. I’m now working as the Communications Officer at NRM South (South Hobart) – my dog comes to work with me.

Greer CARLAND (1995) completed her oenology degree at Adelaide University in 2000, and after a few years working in Chile, France and the USA, and a short stint in WA, she returned to Tasmania in 2004. She worked at Winemaking Tasmania for 12 years, leaving in 2016 to focus on making the family wines at Laurel Bank and to start her own label, Quiet Mutiny.

Michael FARMER (1976) Retired from his career as a Medical Lab Technologist after working in Hobart, Geelong, Saudia Arabia and Brisbane. As at 2020 living on the Gold Coast with his wife Janette with whom he has 6 sons, 2 daughters and 3 grandchildren.

Frederick (Fred) FULLERTON (1959) I left for England when I was twenty. I am a practising artist, and have been a finalist in the Archibald, Glover, Wynne and won a place in the Moran Prize. I also won the Purity and National Trust Art Prize although I am not so sure about the judgement of a great deal of the art prizes. I have taught at the Polytechnic, was a tutor at UTAS and a lecturer in the Sozosha College of Design in Osaka Japan. I have a portrait in the UTAS Fine Art Collection. I have painted in Japan and have even painted where Hokusai painted Mt Fuji. At the moment I am doing how to paint videos.

Colette HARMSEN (1993) trained as a veterinarian (BVSc. Hons.) at the University of Queensland after her years at Friends'. Following five years in private veterinary practice, she joined the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, where she worked for many years, focusing on the health of captive and wild devils. Other conservation experience includes five months on Macquarie Island studying the reproductive physiology of elephant seals, and five months at sea aboard the Sea Shepherd ships MV Sam Simon and MV Bob Barker. Colette is a keen environmentalist and promotes habitat preservation as a key wildlife protection strategy. Her long-held commitment to the conservation of the natural environment informs her current concern about proposed logging of old-growth and native forest in the Tarkine, North West Tasmania.

Ruth OETTLE (2000) After leaving Friends’ Ruth Oettle went to school in France for twelve months, as a Rotary exchange student. She lived in Champagnole, in the Jura. After Ruth returned to Tasmania she completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Economics at UTAS. After working five jobs for one year, she moved to Sweden, to attend Lund University, as the only Australian in a two-year MSc programme in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science. Living in Europe again enabled frequent local travel and lifelong friendships. During a recent trip to Sweden, Ruth and classmate Ella Meumann attended the wedding of Stina Ekblad, a Friends’ 1999 exchange student. In 2009 Ruth returned to Australia, to Canberra. Here she worked with Questacon, taking science to regional Australia, and then accepted a graduate position at Treasury, working on the budget and subsequently social policy (primarily the Aged Pension).  After four years, she moved to the Department of Communications and the Arts, to work on broadband policy and management of the electromagnetic spectrum. Now she has a position in the Office of Australia’s Chief Scientist, where her love of science, communication and creativity are all utilised.

Louise SONNINO (1961) wrote to us recently for a new Friends’ rugby jumper when riding with her horse, Shooting Star. Louise lives in Arcadia in the beautiful Hawkesbury River country, New South Wales.

Rugby jumpers are available to purchase from shop@friends.tas.edu.au or call Cristie Potter on 6238 2328.

Elaine WATSON (1944) Since March 2020 Elaine has left independent living in a unit at Lauderdale to be a resident in a nursing home (Ningana) at Sorell - a new way of life where all needs are catered for in a kindly, caring manner. We have chair exercises, hairdressing, podiatry, beauty therapy, massage, spa bath, church service weekly, shopping, singing, family visits, craft and craft classes, cooking, animal care and visits. Also a piano I can play any time, a library, TV, a computer, an exercise bike, armchair travel and medical supervision. A mix of folk live here of various physical, mental and emotional abilities.

Henry YE (2002) After I finished school, I pursued my actuarial career and became a fellow of the Institute of Actuaries (FIAA). I have been dedicated to pricing in the Insurance industry and I am currently leading a team of data scientists in the AI/Big data area. 

Stay Connected

Email: stayconnected@friends.tas.edu.au

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About the Friends’ Alumni Community

The Friends’ Alumni Community encompasses alumni and their families, former staff and volunteers, and friends of the School – wherever they are in the world. Membership is automatic – there is no application or membership fee. Alumni Community Representatives volunteer their time to foster meaningful connections amongst the alumni community and with the School. To learn more about the Alumni Community, and current Representatives, visit Alumni Community on our website.

Old Scholars’ Memorial Grant for Year 11 Tuition 2021

Applications now open

This Grant is open to existing Year 10 Friends’ students continuing on to Year 11 who have a family connection with a Friends’ old scholar (not limited to parents). There is one grant of $4,000 towards Clemes fees in Term 1 for a student who is academically sound, an active participant in the life of the school and strong in service. 

Students and families with an old scholar parent have already been notified directly. Families of Year 10 students with broader old scholar family connections (grandparents, aunts, uncles etc) interested in applying can follow this link to our website. 

For enquiries please email Paul Goodluck.