The Ode

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

It is tradition in schools to celebrate Anzac day, not as a glorification of war but as a celebration of remembrance and gratitude, showing respect for, and honouring, those men and women who have represented Australia in many theatres of war. Their sacrifice, and in some cases, their ultimate sacrifice, is symbolic of the freedoms we now enjoy as Australians.

It is right that we, at least once a year, stop, reflect, and remember the Anzacs and give thanks.

During our annual Anzac Assembly Service held on Monday of this week, our School welcomed Australian Defence Force Commander Jeannine March-Gough, to provide the keynote address. Jeannine is the Commanding Officer of the Joint Health Unit Victoria and Tasmania. She spoke of the value of the ANZAC spirit, true Australian mateship and also reminded students of the role of women in the war efforts, particularly the strength, fortitude and capacity of Australian nurses.

Research undertaken by our School Archivist, Ms Melissa Campbell, reveals St Catherine’s Old Girl, Noel Warner (Ferguson ’35) joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service, trained in the Royal Naval Meteorological Service and served in London throughout the blitz and Battle of Britain. Later, she was commissioned and served with the Royal Navy in North and South Africa. Noel was a Boarders’ Prefect in 1934 and became Blair House Captain and Captain of School in 1936.

At this time, we also remember St Catherine’s Old Girl, Jennifer Walker (’35) who died serving her country on the 2/3rd Australian Hospital Ship, HMAS Centaur, when it was torpedoed from a Japanese submarine off the coast of Queensland on May 14, 1943. Of the 332 persons on board, only 64 survived. The Centaur’s wreck was only discovered on 20 December, 2009, located off the tip of Moreton Island, Queensland’s south-east coast. Jennifer was the youngest of the group of nurses who served on the Centaur. A plaque in our School Clocktower honours Old Girls who gave their life for their country.

Each year, St Catherine’s School Captains are invited to lay a wreath at the Annual Anzac Commemorative Service for Nurses, honouring Victorian nurses at the Nurses Memorial Centre on St Kilda Road.

Our Year 3 Barbreck girls again made poppies to form a wreath used in the Junior School Assembly this week. The poppy is not exclusively associated with Anzac Day but also Remembrance Day, which marks the end of World War One. After the conflict, poppies began to appear on the war-ravaged and barren battlefields of France and Flanders, where fallen soldiers lay. Therefore, the red poppy became a symbol of sacrifice; appearing in the fields as if fed by the blood of the fallen.

Some may question why, in Australia, do we, as a nation, dedicate a multitude of dawn services across the country to the memory of a military disaster at Gallipoli in 1915? Simply put, in the history of Australia, Gallipoli represents a first test in nationhood and the first test of the Australian values and ideals on the world stage. This all took place more than 100 years ago.

The landing at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915 created the Anzac Legend. This legend was that a group of ordinary Australians took on the enemy under great difficulties, fought magnificently, endured where others might not have, and showed great human qualities. They did not win this battle strategically but they set a standard and an example which others then could live up to. From 1916, the first celebration of Anzac Day, the character of these young soldiers representing Australia became legendary. It is this character, informed by their example of determination, mateship, courage, endurance and irreverent humour, which has become the standard upon which many Australian actions in both war and peace have been modelled.

Those who served in the Gallipoli campaign, which lasted from 25 April until 20 December 1915, won our hearts, our grief, our pride and respect, and have become a symbolic reminder of all who have served ever since; we will remember them.

Lest we forget.

The Spirit of ANZAC in our Students

As we reflected on the meaning of the Anzac during our Assembly, Year 8 student Emilia Searby, a participant in St Catherine’s Writers’ Club, shared her stirring poem, specifically composed for the Anzac Service. Emilia’s full poem is provided below:

The last dance, a kiss goodbye,

A war forcing men and women to leave their family behind.

Tears of sadness, tears of pain,

A wife’s world suddenly turned grey.

A lingering hand waving farewell,

From a child who does not quite understand the world.

A puff of smoke emitting from the train,

The send offs finished and the volunteers now on their way.

Hands flying from the window, touching familiarity for the last time,

Calls and cries echoing after the train’s silence, letting the hope and sorrow fly.

Stems of crimson, vibrant among the grass,

Flowers representing so much more than the past.

Towering high, crouching low,

These poppies are the soldiers, on land and on boat.

Swaying gently, shaking with vigour.

The wind travels briskly from the train station to here.

Sounds of gunfire, sounds of still,

War and flowers never being more unreal.

A shadow passes, the sun is gone,

The battle will become harsher and continue to rage on.

A stranger walks, nearing the field,

He has been here before, before there were army places to fill.

No sparks of colour, no flowering growth,

The field was green and had no evidence of hope.

He comes closer, the poppies more brilliant,

They create memories of train stations.

Touching a flower, holding its hand,

Man and poppy are the ones who can only understand.

Hearts broken, dreams shattered,

Standing tall, the stranger has truly risen.

The poppies now a prism of hope and the beings he ran onto the battlefield with.

Broadway comes to St Catherine’s!

Last night, together with many of our School community, I enjoyed attending the Opening Night of our Senior School Musical, Crazy For You. After the curtain call and the excitement of the audience still a buzz, my conversations with parents, grandparents, family friends and staff, it was clearly evident all impressed by the musical talents, choreography, and acting abilities of our Senior School girls and the St Kevin’s students. Not to mention the touch of comedy and its timely delivery giving the show a sense of humour and fun.

Over the past four months, the cast and stage crew have committed enormous time and energy into the development of this production. I am sure the girls involved will carry forward fond memories of the joy of performance and friendships formed across year levels.

This year, the musical has involved over 80 girls as members of the chorus, backstage crew and sound & lighting technicians. Students in Art Club have also enjoyed the opportunity to build props and paint sets for this School production.

I take this opportunity to acknowledge all students in their performances but highlight, in particular, our Year 12 students whose depth of talent and skill on stage was evident this evening. Many of the Year 12 girls have engaged wholeheartedly in the opportunities provided by the Performing Arts Department over the course of their time at St Catherine’s with their expertise and experience showing through this evening. Congratulations to Demi Markakis for her remarkable role as the lead performer, in addition to Phoebe Hamilton, Caroline Pick, Tess Horton, Isabelle Binsted, Annabelle Motteram,  XaSha Chua-Huggins, Annabel Pryce and Maria Wu. I also acknowledge Isabelle Gough who has been our lighting operator for a number of productions, Natalie Chan is our composed and consistent force on the sound desk and Sarah Steven as our ever reliable stage manager.

A musical brings a community together and I thank all the staff who have worked tirelessly to provide this opportunity for our St Catherine’s girls. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the work of staff members: Mr James Brown as Director,  Mr Tim Collins as Musical Director, Ms Kathryn White as Choreographer, Mrs Caroline Morrison as Costume Manager, Mr Leigh Olsson as Conductor and Mrs Andy Dowell as the Vocal Coach. The Visual Arts Department have also played a significant role behind the scenes in the set design and production.

At St Catherine’s, we are committed to Arts Education – it has a very important role to play in a good education of students and adds to the joy and sense of achievement of a school learning experience. Similar to participating in a sport, involvement in a musical requires a high level of commitment to cast members; builds a sense of belonging and develops self-confidence through rehearsal and performance.

I also thank the Music and Drama Auxiliaries for their contribution to supporting our Performing Arts events with refreshments. My best wishes to all students and staff involved in the final two performances on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.