Old Geelong Grammarians

On 17 August, Chris Gatenby (M'02) was sworn-in as Tasmania’s newest Senator, filling the vacancy left by the resignation of Wendy Askew.

Chris is a seventh generation Tasmanian who grew up on a farm at Blackwood Creek, and said he was “deeply honoured” by the appointment.

“For a boy from Blackwood Creek, the privilege of representing Tasmanians in Canberra is a responsibility I will never take for granted”.

Bookings are open for the 50 Year Timbertop Reunion!

OGGs who attended Timbertop in Terms 2/3 of 1976 are invited to this special occasion. Registrations close on Thursday 10 September.

Follow this link for more details and to book: https://loom.ly/_ZAfxWA

Helen Garner (Ford, The Hermitage ’60) won the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction in November for her collected diaries, How to End a Story: Collected Diaries 1978–1998 (Text Publishing, 2025). It is the first time a collection of diaries has won the prestigious award, which is worth $100,000.

“I never dreamt my book would win a prize of any kind because it seemed to fall between the cracks of the types of books people consider prizeworthy,” Helen said.

Chair of judges, Robbie Millen, described How to End a Story as “a remarkable, addictive book”, revealing it was the judges’ unanimous choice. “Garner takes the diary form, mixing the intimate, the intellectual and the everyday, to new heights,” he said. “Garner is a brilliant observer and listener – every page has a surprising, sharp or amusing thought. Her collected diaries will surely be mentioned alongside The Diary of Virginia Woolf.”

Helen received the inaugural Melbourne Prize for Literature in 2006, won the Windham Campbell Prize for non-fiction in 2016 and was honoured with the Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature in 2019. Her books include Monkey Grip (McPhee Gribble, 1977), The Children’s Bach (McPhee Gribble, 1984), The First Stone (Picador, 1995), The Spare Room (Text, 2008), This House of Grief (Text, 2014), and The Season (Text, 2024). More recently, she co-authored The Mushroom Tapes: Conversations on a Triple Murder Trial (Text, 2025) about the Erin Patterson murder trial with Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein.

Helen initially published her diaries in three volumes: Yellow Notebook: Diaries Volume I 1978–1987 (2019), One Day I'll Remember This: Diaries 1987–1995 (2020) and How To End A Story: Diaries 1995–1998 (2021). The collected diaries, now published together, span 20 years and offer remarkable insights into the author’s writing process and her personal life. “In a sense I never expected anyone else would read it, let alone it would become a book people would consider for a prize,” she said.

Stephen Minas (Glamorgan '93) and Christian Lohberger (FB '94) recently completed their respective terms as chair and vice-chair of the United Nations Climate Technology Centre & Network (CTCN) Advisory Board. Working under the Paris Agreement and hosted by the UN Environment Programme, the CTCN provides climate technology support to developing countries. Stephen represented Greece and Christian represented Papua New Guinea. This may possibly be the first time that two OGGs have co-led a UN body.

To read more News of OGGs, view photos of past events, and find more information on upcoming events, check your inbox for the August edition of the OGG Update eNewsletter.

This year marks 50 years since the current incarnation of Fraser House.

Fraser House has had two distinct chapters in history. The first commenced with the creation of a ‘Junior House’ in 1963 for the Year 7 students, who had previously shared the senior boarding houses. Within the year, a new building was constructed on the edge of Biddlecombe Field to accommodate them.

In 1967 the name Fraser House was bestowed, in honour of Douglas Fraser (staff 1931 to 1963), Housemaster of Junior School from 1945 to 1961. Fraser House as a separate Year 7 House ended in 1972, when Year 7 physically moved into Middle School.

The human entity of Fraser House (as opposed to the building, which maintained its name throughout) was revived in 1976 in response to the growth in the day student population occasioned by the amalgamation with The Hermitage. Under these circumstances a second Day House was needed to supplement Allen House.

In 1996 the Fraser House building was extensively modernised, landscaped, and ceremonially rededicated. The renovations included improved academic facilities as well as music practice rooms and broader computer facilities.

Despite an article in the 1997 edition of The Corian being less than flattering about the physical appearance of Fraser House, it praised the students and culture within its walls: ‘While Fraser traditionally dominates in many areas within the School, it could be said that it maintains an unenviable “toilet block” reputation due to its unfortunate location and appearance. However, its inhabitants well know that what really counts are its foundations, built firmly on a strong, immutable sense of community, something which one cannot ignore within the walls of Fraser House’.

📸:
1. The Fraser House site (1962)
2. The building of Fraser House (1963-1964)
3. Year 7 students in Fraser House (1968)
4. Fraser House from Biddlecombe Avenue (1967)
5. The 1976 Fraser House students
6. Fraser House (2012)

OGGs are invited to attend the inaugural OGG Choral Reunion Gala on Saturday 5 September at the Chapel of All Saints, Corio campus.

Celebrating the rich choral tradition of GGS, this special event will bring together former choristers and the current Chamber Choir for a collaborative performance. Developed in partnership with Tom Healey (Hon.OGG and former Head of Music) and the School's Music Department, the Gala promises to be a wonderful opportunity to revisit cherished repertoire and celebrate generations of music-making at GGS.

Tickets for this event have been wildly popular, but the Chapel has limited seating, so book now to avoid disappointment:
https://loom.ly/oJ0zUjI

Geelong Grammar School Principal, Rebecca Cody, and OGG Hong Kong Branch President, Roland Wu (P’93) warmly invite members of the light blue community to a Principal’s Reception in Hong Kong on Monday 7 September.

Connect over drinks and canapes with fellow Old Geelong Grammarians, past and current parents, and current staff.

Bookings are essential by Wednesday 26 August, so visit the event page on the OGG website for more information and to register your attendance: https://loom.ly/G-gzi_w

Former Geelong Grammar School rugby players gathered in Melbourne on Wednesday 5 August to reflect on the rich heritage of rugby at GGS and its enduring influence on generations of players.

Organised by the Ted Matson Club (the GGS Rugby Support Group) and GGS, this dinner not only provided the 1996 teams with the opportunity to reminisce on their extraordinary chapter in the School’s rugby history but also to haggle with other players over which era of GGS rugby really was the best. We understand this conversation went late into the night (early morning) and there was no agreed outcome.

Thank you to the many Captains and exceptional players who attended this inaugural Rugby Generations Dinner.

This Saturday, the 2006 peer group will come back together to celebrate two decades since finishing school.

That's 20 years since Nokia flip phones and iPods dominated the tech world, Facebook and YouTube were in their infancy, and MySpace Top Friends ruled social networking.

So pull out those low-rise jeans, slip on your Dunlop Volleys, and crank up "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" to get ready for a night of reminiscing.

On Tuesday 4 August, the enduring legacy and connection between The Hermitage School and The Hermitage House was celebrated with a very special tree planting ceremony.

The defining symbol of Geelong Church of England Girls' Grammar School (The Hermitage) was the English oak, introduced by the first Headmistress, Miss Elsie Morres, to represent strength, wisdom and independence. When The Hermitage amalgamated with Geelong Grammar School in 1976, an acorn from the original Pakington Street oak was planted at Corio. Sadly, this historic tree recently succumbed to the elements.

To honour this shared legacy and mark the 50th anniversary of the amalgamation, The Hermitage Old Girls' Association (HOGA) generously gifted a native Corymbia citriodora 'Scentuous' (Lemon-Scented Gum), chosen for its strength and longevity.

HOGA President Elizabeth Bennett (McDonald, The Hermitage '66), Principal Rebecca Cody and The Hermitage House Captain Lucy Barlow each delivered moving reflections on The Hermitage legacy. They then officially planted the tree outside The Hermitage House to enthusiastic cheers from HOGA members and The Hermitage House staff and students.

Following the ceremony, HOGA members joined students for lunch in Jennings Hall overlooking the newly planted gum tree. Before heading to class, Year 10 students, along with new Year 11 and 12 students, were presented with a copy of The Hermitage book, Proud to be Women.

This resilient gum tree will stand as a living symbol of the enduring bond between HOGA, The Hermitage House and the wider GGS community.