“It’s a funny world we live in really, where what passport you own determines whether you will live or die. Someone really has to change that”. Moira Kelly

Congratulations to PFA President, Annie McAllister and the 2018 PFA Committee for their brilliant hosting of our nineteenth Ruth Langley Luncheon last Friday. The Luncheon was established to honour Ruth Langley’s headship at St Catherine’s School from 1902 – 1933. Her exemplary leadership has been an inspiration to generations of St Catherine’s girls.

The very moving address given by Moira Kelly AO provided a fascinating insight into the achievements of this remarkable humanitarian aid worker. Moira is a no nonsense, down to earth, big-hearted woman with a fine sense of humour. She has devoted her life to causes that simply ‘make the world a better place’.

I shared my reflections of Moira’s speech with the Senior School students at our Assembly this week and I hope Moira will accept my invitation to come to speak to our students to give them an opportunity to be inspired by the realisation that just one person can make a significant difference to the lives of many.

At the age of seven, Moira was inspired by watching a video of Mother Theresa. In fact, she bounded home from school one afternoon and announced to her stunned mother that one day, she too would work with the renowned nun from Calcutta. When she was 18, Moira did indeed work with Mother Theresa and so commenced the inspirational journey of a girl from Melbourne who has become an extraordinary humanitarian, Australian and citizen of the world. For the next 14 years, Moira worked in the soup kitchens of Johannesburg, with crack addicted babies in the Bronx in New York, in Romanian orphanages, refugee camps in war torn Bosnia and with sick children and the people of Albania.

Moira is renowned for galvanising an army of medical professionals from Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital to perform 26 lifesaving operations, and the eventual separation of con-joined Bangladeshi twins Trishna and Krishna. She has worked in some of the most dangerous locations across the globe, and her talk provided just a glimpse of her fearless approach to getting the job done. Moira’s conviction to help unwell children living in impoverished countries without access to medical aid is courageous and inspiring and deserves immense praise.

During Assembly, I encouraged our students to believe in their own capacity to make a difference to the lives of others. Each of us comes into the world with gifts designed to make the world a better place for ourselves and for others. I implored the girls to watch what happens when they ask: What can I give to life, rather than to ask what can I get from life?

Anthropologist, Margaret Mead suggested that to truly measure the success of life, we must look at ‘the contributions an individual makes to her or his fellow human beings”. If this is correct, then Moira’s contribution as an individual is nothing short of extraordinary.

A Toast to Barbreck: Wednesday 20 June

St Catherine’s community members, Old Girls, teachers, current and past Barbreck parents are invited to attend the final Toast to Barbreck on the evening of Wednesday 20 June. The evening will commence with a guided tour of the new Junior School building at 6.00pm, followed by the celebratory Toast to Barbreck from 6.30pm – 7.30pm.

It is nearly 70 years since students first entered the halls of Barbreck. Many parents will recall walking their daughter to her first day of School in the Barbreck building and the warmth of the morning welcome from Miss Anne Smith or Mrs Alana Moor. Old Girls treasure their fond memories of graduating to Year 6 with the much anticipated opportunity to sit on the Red Steps during Assembly, the joy of playing in the old tram or swinging on play equipment under the shade of the pine trees reaching over the back fence. All are welcome to bid a final farewell to this much loved building before the decommissioning and demolition commences just five days later!

RSVP for both the guided tour of the new building and for the Toast to Barbreck is essential.