St Kilda Road Campus

Our SKR theme for 2022, ‘reconnection and restoration,’ was alive and well as we welcomed our community back on campus for the first time in over twelve months to celebrate International Women’s Day.  Over 250 members of our campus community – staff, families, alumni, friends, and students relished the opportunity to share breakfast in the Rose Garden before moving to Adamson Hall to hear from our keynote speaker, The Honourable Nicola Roxon.

Starting her career as an industrial lawyer, Nicola went on to become Australia’s first female Attorney-General (2011-2013), Minister for Health and Ageing (2007-2011), and Labor Member for Gellibrand (1998-2013).

During her time in Parliament, Nicola was surrounded by powerful, resilient women, including Penny Wong and Australia’s first female Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. Although strong female representation in Parliament at the time, Nicola shared her challenges as the first female cabinet minister with a young child.  She recalled when her request for parental leave to attend her daughter’s first day of Prep was denied by the Parliamentarian Whip as not a ‘good enough reason’ to miss Parliament.  Although a senior male colleague stepped in on her behalf, and her request was eventually granted, it was evident to Nicola at this time that women still had a long way to go.

Nicola is renowned and highly respected for her battle with the tobacco industry to change the packaging of cigarettes.  Her strong advocacy produced an outcome that has now been adopted in 27 countries worldwide. Nicola’s lifelong commitment to women’s equality has included working on pay equity, sexual harassment, and discrimination cases and encouraging stronger female representation in all walks of life. As Nicola explained, these ongoing struggles cannot be waged, or indeed won, by women alone, nor on just one day a year.  Nicola recognised the importance of men as partners in the quest for gender equality, clearly emphasising the vital role they play in supporting women in raising awareness against bias and taking action by calling out inequality in our world.

In closing, Nicola encouraged every person in the room to intentionally seek out the small things they could do each day to make a meaningful difference in their lives and the lives of the women around them, as it is these collective efforts that will help to forge the positive change required for a more just and harmonious world.

From esteemed politician to successful businesswomen, it was indeed a privilege to have The Honourable Nicola Roxon share her experiences and insights from her distinguished career with our community this year.

Kim Bence, Head of Campus

Here are some snapshots of students and staff from our IWD Breakfast.

Glen Waverley Campus

The Glen Waverley Campus had the privilege of welcoming Professor Margaret Hellard AM to speak at our IWD Breakfast, where close to 100 students, parents and staff gathered in the Coates Pavilion.  Professor Hellard is a Deputy Director at the Burnet Institute, Head of Hepatitis Services in the Infectious Diseases Unit at the Alfred Hospital and an Adjunct Professor of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology at Monash University and University of Melbourne. With the theme of #BreakTheBias, Professor Hellard spoke broadly about a career in the Sciences being an option for all, and the many and varied opportunities available for women with an interest in science.

It was great to hear Professor Hellard talk about current research and treatments for diseases such as HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis and her real-world experience having to navigate the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the late 1980s and early 1990s, where there was no effective treatment and a great deal of stigma around the disease.  She recounted harrowing moments of losing patients during this time period. Today, these patients have a much more promising outlook thanks to the commitment of scientists and their pursuit of more effective medications and treatments.

Professor Hellard also spoke about ‘chance’ and ‘privilege’. By chance, we were born into a place and time where war, famine and extreme poverty are not part of our daily lives. Indeed, we were born into a place of privilege, having shelter, food and most importantly, access to education. The strongest message of the morning was to value education, as so many around the world do not have access to this privilege. Her message was clear – be curious and always educate yourself.

It was an inspiring morning, filled with practical ways we can use both chance and privilege to improve our circumstances and outcomes for others and will no doubt, encourage many young women to seriously consider science as a potential and rewarding career path.

Sheriden Vella, Head of Campus

Here are some snapshots of students and staff from our IWD Breakfast.

Elsternwick Campus

In celebration of International Women’s Day, we were thrilled to welcome Wesley College Principal, Nick Evans, and close to 100 parents, staff and students from our close-knit community to the Elsternwick campus.

Following breakfast on the Ding Family Courtyard that was supported by our Year 8 String Quartet, and a long-awaited chance to catch-up, we moved to Fitchett Hall to hear from our guest speaker, filmmaker and current Wesley College Elsternwick parent, Anna Kaplan.

Anna produces social issue documentary projects, working with award-winning directors to bring powerful stories to the screen.  Her credits include the critically acclaimed That Sugar Film, 2040 and the soon to be released, Regenerate Australia.

Anna’s passion is screen-based storytelling that informs, inspires and activates audiences. She spoke about the power of voice and the impact an individual can have by using their voice to initiate change, no matter how difficult the situation.

As someone used to presenting or sharing the message of others through film, Anna’s honest reflection about the challenges she faced in developing and finding her own voice resonated with us all.  This was a powerful and timely message, with the College’s strategic priority around student agency.

Hosted by Year 9 leaders, James Gibbs and Sethuni Weekasekera, and interviewed by Arianna Coleman in Year 6 and Lachie Rhodes in Year 4, Anna shared the strength and impact of the women who have inspired her throughout the years.

Her final message to our students was simple, ‘Make the most of the many, many opportunities that you are so fortunate to have as part of a Wesley College experience’.

Here are some snapshots of students and staff from our IWD event.