Kambala Old Girls

Step into 1963!

This is the 5th Year class page from a special memory book produced in 1963 for Principal Fifi Hawthorne. The book’s dedication hoped to bring her "happy memories of 1963"—and looking at these faces and names, it’s safe to say it did exactly that. 📜✨

We wish all Archives Happy this week from the Laurie White Archive! 📜✨

Established in 1987 by the Kambala Old Girls (KOG), our archives are a true treasure trove of Kambala history, celebrating generations of strong, amazing women. From vintage school uniforms and historic photographs to the first handwritten School Annual from 1895, these pieces tell the story of the ever-evolving nature of education for Kambala students and staff.

In 2018, the room was named to honour Laurie White 48, an incredible woman who truly understood the value of preserving our past while building for the future.

Today, we celebrate the unique stories, achievements, and cultural identity of the remarkable women who connect Kambala generations from 1887 to the present day.

🌟 If you attended Kambala, and are a grandmother, mother, aunt, godmother, sister, cousin, close friend of any current Kambala students, we'd love you to join us for KOGs 2026 Generations Morning Tea!

This year it will be held specially on Kambala's 139th Foundation Day 🎓

It's such an important and memorable event for the girls, who absolutely love sharing their school world with their KOG relations. Spaces are limited, so please book early so your family doesn't miss out on this beautiful annual tradition! 🎟️✨

📅 When: Friday 24 July 2026 | 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
📍 Where: Kambala's Harbour View Rooms, Hampshire House (above carpark), Tivoli Avenue
🧁 What: Complimentary Morning Tea
🎟️ BOOK IN NOW AT: https://events.humanitix.com/2026-kog-generations-morning-tea, OR AT LINK IN INSTA BIO
🚫 Bookings close Sunday 28 June - so book now if you're coming!

We can’t wait to welcome this wonderful network of KOG relatives back on campus. Hope to see you there! ❤️👇

🎨✨ What an incredible evening!

Last Wednesday, we welcomed a record-breaking 60 Kambala Old Girls and friends of the KOG community for our 2026 Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes Tour & Drinks!

A massive thank you to KOG President Amanda (Baird) Kirton ’88 for hosting such a wonderful event. We were also so grateful to our brilliant Art Gallery Guides, Patricia and Mandy, and to our very own Drew Bickford (Head of Kambala's Art and Design and 2nd-time Archibald finalist!) for sharing the fascinating inspiration behind his piece RackaRacka (attack!)

A highlight of the evening was touring alongside Shaun Christie-David, the "Angel of Newtown" and founder of Plate It Forward, standing beside his finalist portrait.

We're already looking forward to planning KOG's 2027 Archie Event. 🥂🖼️

From Ancient Country to new horizons! 🌏✈️

KOG is incredibly proud to celebrate UTS student and proud Yolngu Yawuru-Kidja woman, .bkrprs Kayla Baker-Peris '18, who is spending a year in Japan through the prestigious New Colombo Plan Scholarship Program! 🇯🇵✨

Not only is Kayla building deep cultural connections abroad, but she is also representing UTS: University of Technology Sydney UTS on the global stage as the 2026 First Nations Fellow. 🌟

"My whole life experience has pretty much boiled down to intercultural communication and intersectionality. The New Colombo Plan program touches on that intersectionality and creates opportunities to communicate with people from other backgrounds."

During her time in Japan, Kayla will be undertaking:
📚 An intensive language program
🎎 A cultural subject credited toward her UTS degree
💼 A professional internship to build global career links

Most importantly, Kayla wants to inspire other Indigenous students at UTS to step out and experience the world. As she sincerely puts it: “Being a young Indigenous person in Australia, there are a lot of opportunities in the world, and we should always grab them with both hands.” 🙌🏽🖤💛❤️

Join us in wishing Kayla the absolute best on this incredible journey!

Learn more about Kayla’s inspiring story at https://lnkd.in/gDCECpiE

✨ FROM THE ARCHIVES ✨

Take a step back in time to circa 1955 on the steps of the iconic Watt Building! 🏫

We are incredibly grateful to Juanita (Townshend) Lovett, who left Kambala in 1957, for generously donating these wonderful snapshots of school life. 💛✨

Swipe through to see these treasures:

📸 Image 1:
Left to right: Diana Brook (standing) and Juanita Townshend (sitting).

📸 Image 2:
Girls on the steps of the Watt Building, Senior School, circa 1955

Do these names or faces bring back memories? Drop a comment below if you recognise a familiar face or want to share your own memories of the Watt Building steps! 👇

✨ OLD GIRL SPOTLIGHT | Celebrating Drishti (Nanwani) Tolani '09 ✨

Kambala Old Girls is proud to celebrate the literary achievements of alumna Drishti (Nanwani) Tolani 09.

After a decade in the classroom, Drishti has channeled her teaching expertise into a publishing career built on a strong belief that every child deserves to see themselves in a book. 🌟

Her diverse catalogue spans multiple genres, including the My Little Dharma cultural series, the Potter the Pomeranian social-emotional books, her debut YA novel Enchanted Incognito, and her popular South Asian wedding planners.

Take a look at https://drishtinanwani.com/ or link in insta bio.

Drishti’s impactful storytelling recently earned her features in both Indian Link and Desi Australia cultural newspapers.

We're eagerly awaiting her two upcoming titles: Desi Girl in a Gora World and The Energy Never Dies.

We're proud of Drishti’s success, her creativity, and her dedication to representation in literature! 💛💙

Photos: Drishti with her amazing book collection plus reading with 'Loki', her gorgeous inspiration for the Potter the Pomeranian illustrations!

🪩 Kambala Alumni Spotlight: A Mother-Daughter Success Story!

We're incredibly proud to celebrate a truly special, cross-generational Kambala connection: .gogo Margot Bain, Class of 1976 and her daughter Georgie Lewin, Class of 2002!

Georgie's an accomplished TV producer and Co-Founder of One Stone Pictures, and creator of a new magical animated children’s series. She's worked on notable shows like Gruen Transfer, Hungry Beast and You Can't Ask That, and recently attended the Screen Forever 40 Conference with gorgeous Bebe T, plus her mother & ultimate creative partner, Margot. Together, this dynamic duo is bringing The Magical Adventures of Grandma Gogo to life! 💖

Margot is the author behind the original Grandma Gogo books, and Georgie is leveraging her extensive media background to steer the project through television development. Backed by Screen NSW development funding, the conference marked a pivotal moment for both Kambala Old Girls as they pitch, partner, and shape the future of this beloved children’s project.

For Georgie and Margot, the conference perfectly highlighted the power of collaboration:
✨ From Book to Screen: They shared the Grandma Gogo journey with top industry creators and networks, proving that a great story can seamlessly bridge traditional publishing and TV.
✨ The Ultimate Throughline: They were inspired by Minister for the Arts Tony Burke’s reminder to create Australian stories that resonate locally first—knowing that when a story connects deeply at home, it will find its way globally.

It's so inspiring to see these two generations of Kambala Old Girls combining their talents to forge exciting new pathways in Australian storytelling. We can't wait to see The Magical Adventures of Grandma Gogo hit our screens! 🚀

Tivoli, circa 1925

In 1913, Kambala School relocated to the grand, 19th-century 'Tivoli' estate overlooking Sydney Harbour. By the time photographer E.A. Bradford captured this image around 1925, the mansion’s sprawling verandas had become the ultimate spot for boarders and day students to study, chat, and unwind.

From the crisp white drop-waist dresses to the classic wicker-chair casualness, Bradford perfectly framed a moment of peacetime optimism and schoolgirl camaraderie in the roaring twenties.

Do you love exploring local history? Let us know what details you spot in the frame! 🧐👇

Preserving Our History: The 2026 KOG | Archive Oral History Series 🏛️✨

Across three weeks in Term 2, the .sydney community celebrated our rich heritage through the 2026 KOG | Archive Oral History Series. By recording the first-hand accounts of our Old Girls, this project ensures the unique traditions, spirit, and history of Kambala are preserved for future generations.

We extend our warmest gratitude to our esteemed alumni who generously volunteered their time, reflections, and personal memories for the school’s Archive:

✨ Carolyn (Coombes) Williams ’62 & Janet (Lipman) Robilliard ’72
✨ Elaine (Nicolson) Budd ’65 & Jenny (Nicolson) Greenwood ’74
✨ Thea (Carruthers) McKeown ’58
✨ Dr Diane Speed ’60 & Sue (Litchfield) Monckton ’54
✨ Annette (Primrose) Small ’55
✨ Margie (Rawlings) Merriman ’53
✨ Sue (McCathie) Kelly ’54
✨ Julie (Kelly) Reid ’77
✨ Donna (Kelly) Kelly-Smith ’78

This series was a collaboration between KOG, Kambala’s archivist, Laura Carmichael, Year 10 history teachers Helen Scevity and Kuba Cieslak, and our fantastic Year 10 history students, who all helped bring our alumni stories to life with their well researched panel questions.

Your collective voices and dedication have beautifully enriched our school archive and reminded us of the enduring bond that unites the Kambala community. Thank you for keeping our history alive! 💛🖤

A special thanks to Dylan Crawford, Visual Content Creator at Kambala for kindly recording these oral histories.