SCOGA Celebrates Remarkable Old Girls – Her Honour Judge Carolene Gwynn

Our School motto, ‘Nil Magnum Nisi Bonum’ meaning, ‘nothing is great unless it is good’ is upheld by many of our exceptional Old Girls.

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.

Nil Magnum Nisi Bonum Project

In 2006, the 110th Anniversary of the School, St Catherine’s Old Girls’ Association (SCOGA) highlighted the achievements of some of our alumnae. SCOGA 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 the Nil Magnum Nisi Bonum Project was launched in November 2010. In 2013, a further 10 woman were profiled, another 15 in 2015, and a further 10 in 2021. A total of 60 women have been profiled to date.

Over the course of the coming weeks we will share and celebrate the 10 new Old Girls profiled in 2021. To read all our NMNB Project profiles click here.

Her Honour Judge Carolene Gwynn
BA, LLB (Monash)

Carolene Gwynn (’87) came to realise that her calling was to the law while a boarder at St Catherine’s School. She completed degrees in Arts and Law at Monash University and was particularly drawn to the area of criminal law, practising as a solicitor in a criminal law firm after university.

Carolene gained extensive experience as an advocate in criminal law and in the Children’s Court while working at Victoria Legal Aid, followed by 14 years at the Bar. As a barrister she was able to practise in all aspects of criminal law as defence and prosecuting counsel.

Considering it an important part of her practice to play a role in educating and mentoring those coming into the profession, Carolene has been involved in teaching law students and new readers at the Bar the skills they need as they begin their careers. On four occasions she travelled to Papua New Guinea to teach courtroom advocacy skills to law students and has been to Vanuatu to teach those same skills. Carolene has also served as a member of the Victorian Bar Council and the Criminal Bar Association.

Carolene was appointed as a Magistrate in March 2015. She sat at the Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court, including the Family Violence Court Division, and the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court. She also served on Magistrates’ Court committees concerned with criminal law, sex offences, the Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal and the education of magistrates. In May 2017 she was appointed as a Judge of the County Court of Victoria.

Carolene enjoys the theatre, cooking and a good walk.

St Catherine's Old Girls' Association