In this new section of the newsletter, Old Girl’s have the opportunity to share updates with their peers, to celebrate the milestones including births, marriages, significant educational achievements, awards, and honours, as well as celebrate the lives of those who have passed.

If you have news to share please email OGA&Alumni@stmargarets.qld.edu.au or complete this online form

2020

Etienne Steven

From the 2019 St Margaret's school musical "The Addams Family" to The Voice Australia, the incredible journey of Etienne Steven (’20) continues to inspire! At just 19, she's pursuing her music studies at Griffith University Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane, while teaching music and voice to aspiring young singers. Her exceptional talent shone on the first episode of The Voice Australia, on Sunday 6 August, 2023, on Channel 7. Show your support and follow her journey on Instagram @etiennesteven or ttps://thevoice-australia.com/.

2013

Lousia Sondergeld

It was truly special to be a part of a day filled with love, laughter, and memories. St Margaret’s was a wonderful learning environment where we were challenged to lead, reminded to give back and empowered to excel. I felt inspired by the many stories I heard, reminiscing on the young girls we once were and marvelling at the incredible women we’ve all become. There is a great spirit that imbues each Maggie’s girl – achievement and success are tempered by qualities of compassion, perseverance, and the confidence that we are women destined to make a difference. When our days at St Margaret’s came to an end, we gained friends for a lifetime – but we also remembered teachers who gave so much of themselves to us, coaches who taught us to win or lose with equal grace, and a school community where no sacrifice seemed too great.  

1980

Lisa Wilson and Tracey Whitten

All Old Girls from the Class of 1980 are invited to a cocktail party to celebrate our collective 60th birthdays.

Let’s have a laugh at those funky fashions of the 80s and 90s, and those hilarious hairstyles that required so much hairspray; it probably contributed to global warming. Share stories of where this crazy world has taken us over the years, and most of all, raise a glass to the beautiful and lasting friendships we made during our years at St.Margaret’s.

When:           Saturday, 7th October, 2023

Time:            6:00pm

Where:         Bridge Bar, Friday’s at Riverside, Eagle St, Brisbane

Cost:            $60 per person (includes finger food and drink on arrival)

RSVP:           No later than 7th September, 2023

As this will be the last private reunion organised by Lisa (Henderson) and myself (Tracey Brown), we would really love to see as many of you as possible. We have thoroughly enjoyed our catch up lunches over the years, with each one bringing new faces from our school days. And who can forget events like The Regatta Hotel, where husbands came looking for their wives late into the night, or our 50th Birthday at the Breakfast Creek Hotel where so many of you came to laugh the afternoon away.

If you would like to attend, please contact the Development and Community Office via OGA&Alumni@stmargarets.qld.edu.au or call (07) 3862 0768.  The team will share our personal contact details with you, so you can RSVP.

1983

Helen Campbell

It was a crisp winter afternoon as we walked excitedly, but with butterflies, through the gates off Petrie Street and down the path to Circular Drive.  We were greeted with the evocative and brilliant tunes from Mr King and his band of talented musicians and a glass of bubbles to calm the nerves.   The school and its panoramic views of the city looked magnificent.  We were off to a great start!

Then came the shrieks of delight as old friends started to arrive.  It was like no time had passed (certainly not 40 years) as we greeted familiar and not so familiar faces. Thank you to Ms Gorrie for her lovely welcoming speech and to the Development and Community Office for their wonderful organising efforts.It was, very soon, time to separate the groups, to go to the individual areas for the reunions. The talking and chatter never ceased!  

Ms Surtees had beautifully displayed photos from the archives around our room, which was a wonderful way to reconnect as we all gazed at images of our younger faces.  Thank you for your hard work, Ms Surtees!

Delicious and very generous catering followed, including beverages and lots and lots more talking. Our 40th Reunion numbers were around 46 women, which was a really great size for catching up with most of the women.  It was fascinating to hear stories and ask questions and find out what 40 years had offered our cohort. 

Thank you to Ms Curtis and the OGA for welcoming us back to the hallowed grounds of our much-loved school, St Margaret’s. It was a wonderful and very happy event, and we now look ahead to our next reunion for 50 years!

1973

Deb Rae

The Class of 1973 School Reunion was a wonderful afternoon.  All ladies who attended were busy chatting, catching up on everyone’s life from school days to now.  It was lovely to see so many familiar faces – some haven’t changed a bit, maybe a wrinkle here or two, but we all looked like we were 17 again!!  St Margaret’s looked after us beautifully, the canapes were delicious, and the company was tremendous – a perfect way to spend a wonderful afternoon.

1963

Anne Clarke

Wonderful to catch up with so many at the luncheon. The two days were so enjoyable as evidenced by the late depatures on both days. Looking forward to catching up next year.

Margaret Young

The reunion was great and I must reiterate that I did nothing other than have long interesting chats with Anne and Margie who were very enthusiastic about the day.

It really was an enjoyable weekend. We realised that a lot of us hardly knew each other. School had consisted of two groups: boarders and day girls further split into "academic "and "commercial" and those were gaps it was interesting to bridge. We found we came from similar areas and shared mutual acquaintances. Our lives had panned out differently from expected; we shared the same emotions as young women and did not realise it in each other. We talked about things such as The Voice, modern attitudes as opposed to those we grew up with, the standard of education then and now, the accessibility of knowledge today compared to much of which we were totally unaware. We also talked about fun things we'd done and seen. Post WW2 was a great time to have been born.

I was amazed by the facilities the school has acquired and got the impression that the ethos remains as it was when the SSA was in charge. It must offer great opportunities to the girls who are fortunate enough to be there.

I was also amazed to attend a chapel service where all the celebrants were female. To see Pam Hynd nee Prentice an ordained priest was wonderful and for all the others present if they were too. To the best of my knowledge this is still not common practice in all Christian churches. Pam was my Physics boff. She doesn't remember it but I do. She also has an interesting tale to tell about; after producing three sons, she managed to acquire a daughter.  

1953

Helen Meredith

My sister Mary Wrench was there (during WWII)–I think she started in 1943. And Patricia Adams too, about the same time. They were close friends – our families came from Childers. My father who was in the army had moved us south onto our uncle’s property in NSW for the duration of the war and we were studying through the Qld Correspondence School. I remember that Mary sat her scholarship exam alone, I think in the local church hall! I recall there was much to do, getting her uniform etc organised before she headed north to St Margaret’s. I found a letter she had written to Dad during the war, relating the expulsion of two of the boarders who had waited until lights out in the dorm before creeping out to meet two American soldiers and enjoy a night on the town. Someone dobbed them in and they were immediately expelled and sent home. Drama! Clearly, it was a very challenging time to be running a boarding school, with the threat of a Japanese invasion, bombs falling on Northern Australia, food rationing, staffing issues and thousands of troops moving through Brisbane, the command centre for the Pacific War. Massive disruption. Covid reminds us that every generation has its challenges – ours was a polio epidemic.”