St Catherine's School

Nil Magnum Nisi Bonum Project

Our School motto is ‘Nil Magnum Nisi Bonum’ which means that ‘nothing is great unless it is good’. The Nil Magnum Nisi Bonum (NMNB) project embraces the motto and recognises some of the amazing achievements of past students of the School. The list includes women from Academia, the Arts, Philanthropy, Medicine, Law, Business, Entrepreneurship and Sport.

In 2006, the 110^th Anniversary of the School, St Catherine’s Old Girls’ Association (SCOGA) thought it was important to highlight the achievements of some of the past students. A group of SCOGA committee members formed a sub committee and began searching into the history of many past students and selected 25 to be honoured in the first phase. Together with the School, the first 25 profiles were produced and launched in November 2010.

The members of SCOGA look forward to adding to the list in the coming years.

Natalie Bloom

BA Vis Comm(RMIT)

Natalie Hamersfeld (Bloom '88) is the creator and owner of the international cosmetics company and brand portfolio, Bloom Cosmetics, Bloom Organics and b collection by bloom. After completing a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communications from RMIT University (1991), Natalie started Bloom Cosmetics in 1993 at the age of 22 and has since become a well recognised Australian business success story.

Bloom encompasses a range of over 350 products, including colour cosmetics, skincare and a certified Organic skincare range, stocked Australia wide at Myer, David Jones, and exported to over 15 different countries. In 2008 Natalie opened Bloom's first flagship store in Chapel Street, Melbourne.

Natalie is the recipient of numerous awards that recognise her vision, entrepreneurship and leadership flair. Most recently she was the 2009 Winner of Instyle Women of Style Beauty Award and a finalist in 2007 Veuve Clicquot Award.

She lives in Melbourne with her husband and three children.

Her Honour Judge Jane Campton

LLB(Melb)

Jane Campton ('70) was one of a family of six girls who all attended St Catherine's School. Her ambition at school was to be a journalist and to write a deep and meaningful novel. Life, however, had other plans for Jane.

She graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1975 and practised as a barrister before being appointed as a County Court Judge in 2002. In between, she lived in Switzerland and London for a period and worked for the High Commission for Refugees and the World Health Organisation. In addition, Jane is an accredited Mediator, a member of the Victorian Women Lawyers' Association and has been awarded the Victorian Supreme Court Prize in Law Contract.

Jane is married with two daughters and enjoys travelling and skiing. She is passionate about the environment and appreciates wine and Aboriginal art.

Carolyn Creswell

Carolyn Creswell (Tennent '91) started her company, Carman's, 18 years ago and has grown the small business from a part-time job hand-making muesli for a few Melbourne cafe's, to a multinational Australian brand which proudly exports to 26 countries.

In 2009 and 2010, Carman's was named one of BRW's 100 fastest growing companies. Carolyn also achieved recognition for her business acumen, being named the 2007 Ernst and Young Australian Young Entrepreneur of the Year, a finalist in the 2008 Telstra Business Women's Awards, the 2008 Veuve Clicquot Awards and the 2009 Instyle Women of Style Awards.

Carolyn recently joined the boards of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, as well as the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation.

Carolyn is married with four young children; a dearly loved aspect of her life. According to Carolyn, her pride in the business, the staff she has acquired and the fun environment they have created, are the main reasons behind the success of Carman's today.

Margaret Darling AM

Margaret Darling (Anderson '39) is recognised for her service to the Australian war effort during World War II and for her lifetime of work in heritage building conservation. After graduating from St Catherine's School, Margaret studied architecture at RMIT before embarking on a period of service with the Women's Royal Australian Navy Service. From 1943 to 1945 she was stationed at Frumel, an allied cryptographic unit based in Melbourne, where she worked on decrypting Japanese code as well as receiving messages from the coastwatchers in Papua New Guinea. Margaret attained the rank of 3rd officer during her two years of military service.

Following the war, Margaret married her husband Gordon Darling and had four children. It was then that she developed her interest in heritage building conservation, working as a volunteer with the National Trust Women's Committee where she organised a retail outlet for the Trust and was involved in producing several publications. From 1966 to 1990, Margaret was a member of the Council of the National Trust, and was President of the Council between 1980 to 1983. Having a special love for gardens, Margaret served on the Como and Ripponlea Garden Committees and developed a country garden at Woomargama Station in 1965. From 1990 to 1999 Margaret was Chairman of the Australian Garden History Society.

Margaret was honoured for her work in heritage building conservation in 1991, when she became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).

In her spare time, Margaret enjoys travelling, gardening and listening to music.

Susan Davis

MB BS(Monash), FRACP, PhD(Monash)

Professor Susan Davis ('74) is a leading international researcher in the field of women's health and menopausal medicine. She is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Principal Research Fellow and, since 2005, has been the Professor of Women's Health in the Department of Medicine at the Alfred Hospital Campus of Monash University.

She was a founder of the Jean Hailes Foundation and was Director of Research of the Foundation from 1997 until 2005, held the Monash-Jean Hailes Chair of Women's Health 2003-2005, and between 2003 and 2007 was the lead Investigator for the NHMRC Centre of Clinical Research Excellence for the Study of Women's Health. She is the past president of the Australasian Menopause Society.

Throughout her career, Susan has been an invited lecturer at over 100 international conferences, presented more than 20 distinguished international plenary lectures and has published over 230 peer reviewed journals in the research area of menopausal medicine, with a particular focus on the consequences of sex steroid depletion and sex steroid therapy in women. Her research spans basic, clinical and population health research to progress the understanding of the roles of oestrogens and androgens in the modulations of breast cancer, cardiovascular function, body composition and fat metabolism, cognitive function and mood, sexual function and bone and cartilage health. She has achieved national and international recognition through a number of international research awards, and in 2009, received the Australasian Menopause Society Award for contribution to menopausal medicine, the Distinguished Alumni Award of Monash University and the Alfred Medical Research and Education Precinct Research Award.

Outside of work Susan enjoys spending time with her husband, her four children and three step children.

The Honourable Justice Linda Dessau AM

LLB (Hons)(Melb)

The Honourable Justice Linda Dessau ('69) became a Judge of the Family Court of Australia in 1995 after a distinguished career in law. Prior to being appointed Judge she was a magistrate in the Children's Court, Coroner's Court and Melbourne Magistrates' Court, and formerly a barrister at the Victorian Bar, and Senior Crown Counsel in Hong Kong.

She has had long-standing involvement in various community organisations, boards, and councils including school, hospital, opera and football organisations. She was the founding chair of the Essendon Women's Network, and was appointed to the AFL Commission in 2008.

In 2010 Justice Dessau became a member of the Order of Australia, one of Australia's highest Awards. She was honoured for services to the judiciary, in particular for her contribution to family law policy and practice and to the community.

Elizabeth Drake

Dip di Merito (Accademia Musicale Chigiana di Siena), GradDip New Music Technology (La Trobe)

Elizabeth Drake ('61) is an award-winning composer and sound artist for theatre, film, dance and radio. She is actively involved in composing and performing music for theatre, dance and film as well as live performance. Elizabeth is interested in the theatrical performance of music. She has won numerous awards for her compositions and performances.

Elizabeth Drake trained as a classical pianist and studied in Melbourne, Siena and London.

On her return to Melbourne, she composed the music for many film, theatre and dance productions and has produced her own music theatre works. She has collaborated extensively with Jenny Kemp and co-directed Call of the Wild as part of the Spoleto Festival in Melbourne. Elizabeth has worked with Sandra Parker and Margie Medlin on the Danceworks' production, In the Heart of the Eye, which was made into an award winning film.

Her feature film credits include Road to Nhill and Japanese Story written by Alison Tilson and directed by Sue Brooks.

Her score for Japanese Story won the AFI Award for Best Original Music Score for a Feature Film, the Film Critics Circle Award for Best Music Score and the APRA-AGSC Award for Best Feature Film Score.

She won the Green Room Award for composition for the new Australian theatre work, Cargo, with Sarah Cathcart and Kerreen Ely-Harper, produced by Malthouse Theatre.

Most recently she has formed a piano duo with Caroline Almonte, Two Pianos, of which she is the Artistic Director. In 2010 they have performed at the Perth International Arts Festival, the Adelaide Railway Station and the Newcastle Conservatorium.

When Elizabeth is not spending time in her studio composing or playing the piano, she spends time in her garden or cooking up a storm to entertain guests.

Harriet Edquist

BA, MA(Monash), PhD(RMIT), HonFAIA

Harriet Edquist (’65) is an academic and historian with over 25 years experience in teaching and researching Australian, particularly Victorian, Architecture, Art and Design. Harriet graduated with a BA and MA in Classics from Monash University and a PhD in Architectural History.

From 2001 to 2007, she was Head of the School of Architecture and Design at RMIT University and from 2004 - 2005 President of the Society of Architectural Historians Australia and New Zealand. In 2007 she became the Foundation Director of the RMIT Design Archives. Harriet was appointed Honorary Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects in 2006 for her services to architectural education and history.

Harriet has authored or edited nine books and numerous book chapters, journal articles and conference papers on topics within her areas of expertise.

Prior to 1987 she was a lecturer in the Department of Fine Arts, University of Melbourne where she specialised in Renaissance and Modern Art History.

In 1987, Harriet joined RMIT as editor of Transition Discourse on Architecture, and a year later was appointed lecturer in Architectural History. She is now a Professor of Architectural History in the School of Architecture + Design, RMIT University.

Harriet finds it difficult to separate work from leisure, but at home, she sews to relax.

Penne Hackforth-Jones

Graduate of NIDA

A graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), Penne Hackforth-Jones' ('66) career in film and television has spanned 30 years. She made her film debut opposite Sam Neill and Jack Thompson in 1979's The Journalist and has gone on to work with some of the country's best - including PJ Hogan, Toni Collette and Bruce Beresford - in films such as Muriel's Wedding, Paradise Road, Diana and Me and Black and White. In 1990, Penne received an AFI nomination for her performance opposite Warren Mitchell and Ruth Cracknell in Kokoda Crescent. She has also starred in the highly anticipated release, Mao's Last Dancer, and in The Tree which opened at The Cannes Film Festival, 2010.

In 1979, Penne's role as Jessica Johnson in the pioneering Cash and Company earned her both Australian Film and Television and Penguin (Television Society of Australia) Awards for Best Actress. She has appeared in countless other television dramas, including the Australian classics Homicide, Matlock, A Country Practice, Mother and Son, Rafferty's Rules and GP and most recently Chandon Pictures and 30 Seconds.

Penne's writing credits include Barbara Baynton: Between Two Worlds, a biography of her great-grandmother, who was unique among Australian women writers at the turn of the last century.

Lauren Hewitt

BSc(Monash), MHumNutr(Deakin)

Lauren Hewitt ('96) is one of Australia's most recognisable female 100m and 200m runners. She represented Australia at three Olympic Games, six world championships and three Commonwealth Games over a 12 year professional athletics career, where she amassed 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 3 Bronze medals and 12 Australian titles.

Lauren completed a Bachelor of Science at Monash University in 2005. This provided an introduction to the theory behind the practices she had adopted in looking after her own fitness and nutrition as a professional athlete. She has further developed her technical expertise in nutrition and is now a Registered Nutritionist with the Nutrition Society of Australia and has a Masters of Human Nutrition from Deakin University.

As a practising nutritionist, Lauren is involved in many avenues to help people of all ages improve their health. She is the founder of the 'Growing Up With Good Nutrition' program, runs her own practice, is a consultant to corporations about work life balance and provides content on healthy eating for the St Kilda Football Club Saints in Schools program.

In addition, Lauren continues to be involved with a number of charitable and non-government organisations. She has been the Patron of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation Breast Cancer Committee since 2007, and is a King and Amy O'Malley Trust scholar – developing approaches for individuals and families to make informed and ethical lifestyle choices. She is also a regular contributor to radio and print media in the nutrition and sports fields.

Toni Joel

Toni Joel (Silver '82) is a successful business woman who has been inducted into the Australian Business Women's Network Hall of Fame.

Initially, Toni owned and operated a fashion accessory company called Gypsy Rose, before together, with Nikki Horovitz, creating, Tonic, an innovative Australian Made personal care product range. Beginning 18 years ago, Tonic products are sold in many Australian outlets, including Sussan and Peter Alexander and in international retailers including Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, Selfridges in London and Le Bon Marche in Paris. Following her great grandfather, Sol Green's strong philanthropic lead, Toni started an annual coat collection appeal in 2003 called Off Your Back. Many collection points were set up and the donated coats were then distributed by the St Kilda Crisis Centre. In its first year they collected 6,500 coats and, since then 30,000 coats have been given to those in need. Toni also works to support The Jewish Museum, Mercy Care and Jewish Care.

Married with two sons, Toni takes a keen interest in race horses inspired by her great grandfather, Sol Green. His horse, Comedy King, won the Melbourne Cup in 1910. Toni had a runner in the 2010 Melbourne Cup and hopes to have a winner in the future.

Merran Kelsall

BCom (Hons) (Melb), FCA, MBA (Melb)

Merran Kelsall ('71) has established a successful business career. She has a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) and an MBA and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and Australian Institute of Company Directors. She has spent over 20 years as a Chartered Accountant in professional practice, including almost 10 years as a partner. She now works as an independent director and has considerable experience in highly regulated industries, which include financial services, health and utilities.

Merran has a particular interest in aligning performance management with corporate strategy and enjoys executive coaching. She also serves as Chairman of the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board and of Public Transport Ombudsman Ltd. She is also a Director of Melbourne Water Corporation and RACV Ltd, and a former member of the Council of Trustees at the National Gallery of Victoria.

Merran loves spending time with her three children, partner and friends. She enjoys going to the theatre, walking and pottering in her garden.

Susie Nilsson

BSc(Hons)(Melb), PhD(Melb)

Associate Professor Susie Nilsson (Begg '86) is an Australian Research Council Future Fellow and Head of the Niche Laboratory within CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering. She worked at Australian Stem Cell Centre for five years before moving to CSIRO.

Associate Professor Nilsson's research interests are devoted to understanding the hemapoietic stem cell niche and mechanisms that regulate hemapoietic stem cells. Her work has long-term impact on how hemopoietic stem cell research is conducted and direct implications in the treatment of blood diseases.

She is the author of 52 publications, including 37 in the past 10 years and during this time, she has been invited to submit seven peer-reviewed reviews and six book chapters.

In the past decade she been awarded six patents, all of which are at various stages from provisional applications to national phase. Her contributions have led to 14 plenary invitations, 10 speaker invitations and 19 invitations to speak post-abstract submissions at national and international meetings.

Susie is a member of Experimental Hematology and the International Society for Stem Cell Research. She is an Associate Editor for Experimental Hematology, has been Chair and a member of the Emerging Leaders Task Force, a member of the Scientific Organising Committee and the nominating committee of the International Society of Experimental Hematology.

Outside of work Susie loves being a mum and takes great pleasure in renovating houses, cooking and getting outdoors on bike rides.

Sunday Reed

Lelda Sunday Reed (Baillieu '22) attended St Catherine's School when she was fifteen years old from 1920-1922.

She studied painting at the Bell-Shore School from 1932 to 1934 and in 1932 Sunday married John Reed. Together they bought a run down dairy farm and named it Heide after the nearby town of Heidelberg.

Heide became a haven for progressive modernist artists, writers and poets. The Reeds' friendship and ever generous hospitality supported the now famous artists such as Sidney Nolan, Charles Blackman, Joy Hester and Albert Tucker. This recognition and encouragement of artistic talent underwrote the beginnings of the modern art movement in Australia.

The Reeds led an unconventional lifestyle at Heide. Sunday's love of food and fresh ingredients resulted in her creation of the now famous Kitchen and Heart gardens. Sunday was also mother to Sweeney their adopted son.

Sunday and John Reed were two of Australia's most significant art collectors and benefactors donating the Ned Kelly series, painted by Sidney Nolan at Heide, to the National Gallery of Australia.

In 1967 the Reeds built a modernist house nearby the old farm house and named it Heide II which they later sold to the Victorian Government together with a significant proportion of their art collection. It was officially opened to the public as The Heide Park and Art Gallery in 1981, the year of Sunday's and John's death.

Jill Reichstein OAM

BA(Hons)(Monash)

Jill Reichstein ('67) has for over 30 years made a significant contribution towards the growth of social change philanthropy in Australia.

In the 1970s she helped establish the first women's refuge in Victoria and went on to develop community-based childcare for the City of Brunswick. She was coordinator for the Victorian Cooperative of Children's Services for Ethnic Groups and is now working with a wide range of community groups on funding and organisational development.

Chair of the Reichstein Foundation since 1987, Jill has been active in developing strategic partnerships and alliances towards growing progressive philanthropy as well as mentoring and resourcing new donors seeking to clarify their own philanthropic direction. By building its funding networks and donor partnerships, the Reichstein Foundation has been able to greatly increase the scope and effectiveness of its grants and projects.

Jill has been involved in a number of Indigenous community organisations. She was on the Board of the Koorie Heritage Trust for 21 years and is currently a member of the Indigenous Affinity Group of Philanthropy Australia.

She is also active on several other boards including the Community Support Fund Community Advisory Council, Pilotlight Australia Board, the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Board, Trust for Young Australians, and Royal Melbourne Hospital Ethics Committee. She is a Past President of Philanthropy Australia, serving on its board for 10 years.

In 2000, Jill was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to philanthropy.

Jill unwinds by swimming and practising yoga. She also enjoys her garden and travelling.

Susan Richardson

BCom(Hon)(Melb), PhD(La Trobe), FASSA

Professor Susan Richardson ('63) is one of Australia's prominent academics in the research field of labour economics. Sue is Principal Research Fellow at Flinders University's National Institute of Labour Studies (NILS) and is a member of the Minimum Wage Panel of Fair Work Australia. She also leads a Thematic Foresighting Cluster advising the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council and is a member of an independent expert group advising the development of an Australian Government Climate Future Report.

From 2000 to 2008, Sue was the Director of NILS, following three decades on the staff of the School of Economics at the University of Adelaide, where she was also a member of the University Council and Chair of the Academic Board. While being an academic all her life, Sue has been able to combine this with many advisory and policy positions. She was a Commissioner of the Industry Commission from 1993 to 1996 and the Essential Services Commission of SA from 2004 to 2009. In 1994, she was elected a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, and in 2004, its President. Sue has also been on the boards of companies in the fields of venture capital and high pressure natural gas pipelines, and the Australian Centre for Child Protection and has been a member of policy committees advising the South Australian and Commonwealth Governments on issues such as technological change, energy policy, skill needs, population and immigration.

Sue's primary research interests in inequality and the functioning of the labour market, has seen her attend Cambridge University, Columbia University and the Australian National University as a visiting scholar. She has also authored and co-authored numerous books, book chapters and refereed journal articles, and was co-editor of the Economic Record, Australia's principal economics journal.

To unwind, Sue goes to sea, including a yearly tradition of taking four to five weeks in summer to go sailing. She also enjoys a range of physical activities from Taekwondo to running to cycling to work.

Sue loves spending time with her husband, son and extended family and catching up with her three sisters. She thoroughly enjoys intellectual life, lively discussions with friends and quiet time in the bush, garden and on the beach.

Amanda Robertson

MBBS MS(Melb), FRACS

Amanda Robertson ('79) was School Captain in her final year at St Catherine's. After leaving school she studied Medicine at the University of Melbourne and then trained at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. A Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Amanda spent three years in England for post-fellowship training in liver, vascular and transplant surgery. Amanda is a General and Renal Transplant surgeon at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, a Renal Transplant surgeon at the Royal Children's Hospital, and also runs her own private practice.

For a number of years, Amanda has been a member of many medical teams which have assisted in disaster areas, including West Timor and in 2006, she led a medical team following the massive earthquake into Pakistan.

Amanda works full time and more, but tries to relax with cooking, gardening and seeing friends.

Olivia Sayers

Olivia Sayers ('04) started at St Catherine's in four year old kindergarten in 1991. Overcoming her fear of water, Olivia began swimming competitively aged 8 and in the same year won her first Gold Medal at Special Olympics. She holds the record for the most Victorian Primary School's Association (VPSSA) medals won by a St Catherine's student.

To date, Olivia has been selected to represent Australia on four occasions. The first in 2006 at the World Down Syndrome Swimming Championships in Ireland. Her most successful meet to date was at the 4th World Down Syndrome Swimming Championships in Portugal in 2008 where she won five Gold medals, one Silver and one Bronze medal, set four World Records and was The Runner Up Swimmer of the Meet.

Olivia has set a total of 15 Swimming World Records. The three most recent recorded in Taiwan in October 2010.

When Olivia is not in the pool she enjoys playing basketball and tennis, ballet, movies, being a ski instructor and going out to dinner.

Flip Shelton

BA(RMIT), GradDip(Deakin)

Flip (Lucile) Shelton ('83) is a self confessed "jill of all trades" having forged a successful career as a published author and writer, presenter, broadcaster and business woman.

Since beginning her career as a publicist, Flip has become a public figure, having written and presented segments about food, fitness and travel for radio, television and print media. Over the past fifteen years, Flip has appeared on Channel 7's Sunrise, Channel 10's Good Morning Australia and various other commercial television programs; presented radio segments on 3AW, Gold FM, MTR1377, 5AA, 4BC, 6PR and Triple M; and has written columns for the Herald Sun.

Flip has published six children's books since 2007, a sell-out cookbook GREEN - Modern Vegetarian Meals and a second cookbook Veg In. In 2003, Flip launched Flip Shelton's Natural Muesli, and has grown her range to include three blends of premium muesli, a gluten free muesli and a five-grain porridge.

Aside from work, Flip balances her passion for health and fitness by spending time with her husband and son. She has completed four Ironman events and the Melbourne Marathon.

Lady Southey AC

Lady Marigold Merlyn Baillieu Southey (Myer '45) is the younger daughter of the late Sidney and Dame Merlyn Myer. She was educated at St Catherine's School and The University of Melbourne.

Lady Southey was a director of the Myer Family Companies for over 40 years. She is the immediate past President of The Myer Foundation but now a Governor. She was President of Philanthropy Australia and President of St Catherine's School Foundation.

She is a Life Member of The Australian Ballet and the Nuffield Farming Scholars' Association supporting farming scholarships for women. She is also a supporter of Birds Australia sponsoring "HANZAB" The Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds.

Lady Southey was awarded an AM in 1999 for her service to the community in the support of health care, medical research and the arts. On 1 January 2001 she was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Victoria.

Her work in the community has been extensive over many years, however, it is her work as a Red Cross Ambulance driver which is most dear to her. For 30 years she regularly transported polio patients to and from the Fairfield and Austin Hospitals.

In 2006, she was made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC). She retired as Lieutenant Governor of Victoria in April 2006.

Lady Southey is a devoted mother and grandmother and enjoys spending time with her extended family.

Melinda Truesdale

MBBS(Monash), FACEM, GradDipHlthServMt(Monash)

After completing her primary and secondary school years at St Catherine's School, Melinda Truesdale ('81) began her medical degree at Monash University and graduated in 1988. Melinda began her training at The Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH), with the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and became an emergency physician.

Her work as a consultant specialist began at Southern Health and she also has worked in Alberta, Canada. She returned to RMH in 2003 and soon completed postgraduate studies in Health Service Management. During the next few years she was seconded as Acting Director to North East Health Wangaratta Hospital and also as the Director of Emergency Department Royal Women's Hospital, as well as, maintaining her clinical work at RMH. She became Deputy Director of Emergency Services at RMH in 2007 and Director in 2008.

Melinda has had a strong involvement in the College's activities and has Chaired several subcommittees, organised conferences and has been involved with the accreditation of both Emergency Departments and Trauma Services in Australasia. She lectures at both Monash University and the University of Melbourne.

Melinda has been fortunate to have travelled to every continent and has obtained a Level 1 Ski Instructor Certificate and private pilot's licence.

Jo Wainer AM

BA(Hons)(Melb), MA(LaTrobe), FFin(FSIA), PhD(Monash)

Dr Jo Wainer (Richardson '63) is an international leader in understanding the implications of gender, particularly as it manifests in women's health, the way women and men practise medicine, the impact on the medical workforce and the creation of medical knowledge.

She began this work locally in 1995, building on many years of experience in women's health, and extended it to the international arena from 1998 onwards. Jo joined Monash University as an academic in the Medical Faculty in 1995 where she led the development of understanding about the needs of female rural doctors.

In 1973, she worked with her late husband, a medical practitioner, to set up Australia's first openly operating abortion clinic in Victoria. She has spent 40 years contributing to the public debate, and organising and lobbying for repeal of laws that made abortion a crime, culminating in the removal of abortion from the Victorian Crimes Act in 2008. In that time Jo became a feminist hero for her bravery in the face of years of threats to her life and those of her family.

Jo was awarded the Amnesty Victoria 'Woman of the Decade' award for the 1970s for her work to secure women's reproductive rights. Other awards include her appointment in 2002 to the Pioneer Women's Hall of Fame in Alice Springs and her 2002 appointment to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.

In 2010, Jo became a member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her service to the community as an academic and researcher in women's reproductive rights.

Jo enjoys time in the bush and at the beach, reading, spending time with her dog and sailing. Precious time is also spent with her family, including her daughter, step children and grandchildren.

Judith Williams

FIR. Judith Williams (Best '39) is a pioneer in radiography. In 1963, she was awarded Fellowship of the Australian Institute of Radiography for her research paper Planning for the Changing Face of Radiography which took some eighteen months to complete.

She trained at the Melbourne Radiological Clinic and the Melbourne Technical College (now RMIT) attaining the status of Senior Radiographer until 1949. For the next four years, she was a Senior Radiographer at the X-ray department of University College, London, UK.

On her return to Australia, Judith established the X-ray department at the Footscray and District Hospital (now the Western General Hospital) and was there until 1957, after which she went back to London and worked in a private radiological practice in Wimpole Street, London, until 1961. Returning to Melbourne, Judith worked at Peter McCallum Cancer Institute until retiring in 1988 to continue looking after her invalid husband. For 16 of the 27 years working at Peter McCallum Cancer Institute, Judith was Charge Radiographer.

A career highlight was receiving the Philip Stanford Prize for her presentation of her paper called Radiography of the Nasopharynx in a Radiotherapy Establishment at the Australian Institute of Radiography conference in Tasmania, in 1969.

Judith brought balance to her early working life through playing Hockey and was part of the Victorian State Hockey team from 1947 to 1948. Judith has travelled the world extensively and enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Her Honour Judge Wendy Wilmoth

BA LLB LLM (Melb)

Judge Wendy Wilmoth ('67) was appointed Magistrate in February 1988 sitting at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court, Children's Court and other jurisdictions of the Victorian Magistracy. She was appointed Deputy State Coroner in 1990, serving until 1993. Wendy went on to serve from 1996 to 1999 as Supervising Magistrate of the Victorian Crimes Compensation Tribunal. In 2003 she was appointed as a Judge of the County Court of Victoria.

Prior to becoming a Magistrate, Wendy was Lecturer in Charge of the Legal Studies course in the Department of Business Studies at Melbourne College of Advanced Education in 1979. In May 1985, she was appointed as a legal member and chairman of the Commonwealth Social Security Appeals Tribunal, hearing appeals on entitlements under the Social Security Act, and making recommendations to the Department of Social Security.

Away from court Wendy enjoys reading, gardening, the occasional bushwalk, and time with her family.

Margaret Woodlock

Margaret McLean (Woodlock '56) was Captain of the School in 1956, receiving awards for Sport, Music and Service to the School she was also selected to represent Australia in Shot Put at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, was Victorian Champion 1956 -1962, Australian Champion 1957 -1962 and was Gold Medallist at the World Masters Games 2000.

Continuing her athletics career while studying Physical Education at the University of Melbourne she was awarded a University Full Blue for Athletics in 1957. Upon graduation she was appointed Head of Physical Education at MCEGGS in Australia and at Heathfield School in the UK. Her professional life continued as Development Director at Toorak College in Victoria and then Manager of the National Water Sports Centre for Melbourne's 1996 Olympic Bid. She ran her own Professional Major Events business receiving the Premier Award for the Best Victorian Community Event in 2000.

In conjunction with her professional life Margaret has given 60 years of voluntary service to Australian, English and Canadian organisations including 56 years with the Australian Guiding Movement as a guide, Certificate Trainer and member of the State Council, and 20 years with the Red Cross. She was also a serving member of the Victorian Olympians Club Executive Committe and Director of the Strolling Players Youth Performing Arts Group. Margaret has been honoured by Girl Guides Australia, the Red Cross and the American Biographical Institute, International Directory of Distinguished Leadership Award for outstanding service to Youth, Sport and Recreation, and by St Catherine's in 1995, with the creation of the Margaret Woodlock Award for Outstanding Sporting Achievements.

In her retirement Margaret is a photographer of coastal landscapes, a volunteer Sports First Aider at events and enjoys her family and all their endeavours.