Teacher Update

Julie Harrington

(taught at Sacré Cœur​  1969 - 1990)

When I arrived in Melbourne many years ago, the Principal of another well-known girls' college seemed taken aback when I informed her that I had accepted a position at Sacré Cœur. "How will you manage with all those nuns?" she wondered. I managed very happily, thank you, and I have never regretted my choice.

Although much time has passed since I left Sacré Cœur (I taught English, Latin and Spanish at Burke Road from 1969-1990), I have vivid memories of my time there: the constantly beautiful gardens; the elegant chapel and front parlour; the ancient rickety lift; the SMP full of student energy at lunchtime; the nuns changing to ever more modern habits; Lily, the imposing Russian cook, dominating the boarders' kitchen; the school expanding physically upwards and outwards.

In the years since Sacré Cœur, I have had a number of interesting and challenging adventures in education: for study, an MA in Applied Linguistics at Melbourne University and a doctorate in Education at Monash; for work, Research Fellow in Applied Linguistics at Melbourne; teaching at both Melbourne and Monash, the latter for over 20 years until I retired two years ago. I relished the opportunities I had throughout those years to teach in the Education Faculty postgraduate programs and especially to supervise numerous research projects, Masters and PhD theses, working closely with my students to advise and encourage them. As part of my work I also taught for Monash in South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.

Travelling with my husband to the US, Canada, Cuba and Mexico to visit family and friends has been an ongoing happy pursuit, with other enjoyable trips to Europe, China, Japan and South America, as well as to near and far-flung parts of Australia. We are always planning our next trip!

Being a volunteer English as a Second Language teacher to migrant and refugee students at a high school in the Dandenong region has reminded me of the pleasures and pitfalls of learning another language, while also indulging in my love for reading (hard copy books, of course) and cryptic crosswords, and attending concerts, plays, films and exhibitions much more frequently these days.

One of the great enjoyments of retirement is spending more time with family, including three delightful grandchildren, friends and former colleagues, among whom are the 'Sac Sisters Lunch Gang', who meet every few months for a meal, laughter and lively conversation. With such past and present experiences, I am indeed a happy woman.

Pictured above "Sac sisters"  L - R:

Elaine Tarran Winkelmann, Heather Bisby,

Julie Harrington, Helen Lowell and Virginia Kennedy