Somerville House Birthday Lunch 2022
The annual School's Birthday Lunch hosted by the OGA was held following Commemoration Day on Saturday 8th October. This year we celebrated the School's 123rd Birthday and the OGA’s 121st. 120 guests from across the Somerville House family came and represented Old Girls, current and past parents, members of the School's Leadership Team, The Foundation, and friends of Somerville House, and enjoyed delicious food and carefully chosen wines from Wine Direct (a Bursary sponsor). In fact we had 80 years of Old Girls from the 1940s through to 2020s with our oldest Old Girl Charline Speedy (Class of 1948), who came with her family Leandra Miscamble and Jenafer Hall, and youngest Old Girl Alice Coutel (Class of 2020), who came with her mother Sarah Fryer (Class of 1991) and grandmother Rosemary Fryer.
The lunch honoured Barbara Duhig (Willers, Class of 1955) with Old Girls' Association Life Membership for her 40 years of continuous service to the OGA on its Management Committee (as both Treasurer and Committee Member) from 1982. As you can appreciate, over 40 years has involved countless hours of volunteering for the OGA, School and fellow Old Girls. After President Kate Golder presented her with flowers, Barbara recounted the many friendships made with Committee Members of all ages and eras.
Barbara recalled one of her favourite times on the OGA Committee was in 1987, with their “best dressed protest in Brisbane” regarding the opposition to the sale of the School. She said we sat on the steps of Cumbooquepa after the meeting where Isabel Bauer (Bloomer, Class of 1955) divulged information that “fell off the back of a truck” about what was planned, and with fellow Committee Members said, “this just cannot happen and we must do something about this!”. At the lunch were Jenny Marks (Warnham, Class of 1955) and Eloise Harris (Scott, Class of 1958), other members of that legendary Committee, whose actions allow us to enjoy the School in this amazing location today.
A short video presentation by Elizabeth Lewis (Class of 2004), the inaugural recipient of the Isabel Bauer OGA Bursary was shown and highlighted how she had used the $5,000 Bursary to hybridize her career from international opera singer to composer. Elizabeth co-wrote and starred in the chamber opera “The Nurses of Vung Tau” that honoured the contribution of Australia’s wartime nurses in Vietnam, and based upon Elizabeth's interviews with these remarkable women.
Mt Isa midwife Tahnee Flood (Class of 2002) was announced as the recipient of the 2022 Bursary. Tahnee was in Brisbane for her 20 year reunion and attended the lunch (with her infant son) to accept the Bursary. The funds will allow her to enrol and complete an internationally recognised Lactation Consultancy postgraduate degree through Griffith University in 2023. Once completed, Tahnee will be the most qualified lactation consultant within an 800km radius of her home base. Having attended Somerville House as a boarder and after short stints in metropolitan environments during her career and early motherhood, Tahnee is acutely aware of the lack of support and services in regional and remote areas, and especially those for new mothers. The OGA Committee is delighted Tahnee will provide a material impact to regional and remote women with her future qualification.
The OGA raffled over $4,500 worth of generously donated prizes that included the Grand Raffle Prize from Cameron Robinson (Bruce Robinson Diamonds and A Genius with Gems), of an 18ct white and yellow gold quartz and diamond necklace. Cameron Robinson is one of the sponsors of the Isabel Bauer OGA Bursary. All funds raised on the day are for this important OGA endeavour.
Principal Kim Kiepe provided an update of the Fewings Building refurbishment and reopening, plus the sporting fields development at Rocklea - Somerfields. Everyone was delighted by the Fewings outcome and how the former Senior School Building/A Block has been reinvigorated. Following the lunch, attendees were treated to a tour of the School to view some of these magnificent buildings for themselves.
The OGA Committee looks forward to inviting Old Girls to the Birthday Lunch in 2023 on Saturday 7th October. Add this excellent event to your OGA calendar and come to both Commemoration Day and the Birthday Lunch. See you in 2023!
Please enjoy a selection of photos from the day below. The complete gallery is available HERE. In order to view the gallery you will need to login to the OGA portal.
