It was a windy winter day as we welcomed our Old Girls back to school for our annual Reunion Weekend on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 July. We saw over 450 Old Girls walk through the school gates with smiles and cheers, as they hugged and kissed their fellow classmates. From the 60 Year lunch on Saturday to last drinks for the 30 Year cohort, it was a weekend of reminiscing and sharing life stories.

The weekend began with a long lunch for our 60 Year Milestone Reunion celebration in the Boarders Dining Hall, where many of our guests had dined as teenagers. After a two-course meal, many of the ladies enjoyed a school tour lead by our current boarding students. They were amazed at the development of world class facilities and state of the art learning spaces. From 2pm, ladies from other milestone reunion groups began to enter the gates and were greeted by girls in their Panamas welcoming them back. From the wonderful sounds of our school Stage Band to the music of the decades at each milestone event, it was a weekend of happiness and renewed friendships.

The festivities continued on Sunday, with the Old Girls Day Chapel Service and Morning Tea, celebrated by over 130 guests including an Old Girl from the Class of 1948. The weekend concluded with the annual VIP 60+ Reunion Lunch, with over 100 Old Girls in attendance.  

A special thank you to the Reunion Coordinators and St Margaret’s volunteers who worked tirelessly to gather contact details and engage with their cohort. Without the help of these amazing ladies, our weekend would not have been the success it was. Thank you to those ladies who made the effort to travel and took the time to celebrate the years gone by. We look forward to keeping in touch and seeing more of you again next year.

A special thank you goes to school archivist Mary Surtees for putting together the displays with images from each year, and our team of volunteers who played a huge role in securing up to date contact details for our past students. We would also like to thank everyone who generously donated to the St Margaret’s Foundation Panama Fund, collectively raising close to $5,000 towards needs-based bursaries. These bursaries provide the opportunity of a St Margaret’s education to some girls who otherwise would not have the chance.

Next year, we will again host milestone reunion celebrations for the Classes of 2015, 2005, 1995, 1985, 1975, 1965. Once again, the VIP 60+ year luncheon will also be held on the final day of the Reunion Weekend. Dates for the reunions are yet to be announced but please keep an eye out for news about this soon.

Please contact the Development and Community Office via developmentandcommunity@stmargarets.qld.edu.au  or by calling  (07) 3862 0768 to update your contact details to ensure you are included in Reunion Weekend communications.

While we do our best to describe in words the feeling of joy for so many of our Old Girls coming together for the first time in a long time, this is best captured in the photos. You can view these online via this link: https://paststudents.stmargarets.qld.edu.au/galleries/view

Per Volar Sunata

Virginia Cordingley

Development and Community Engagement Coordinator