Lion magazine

Issue 153 - September 2024

In our last issue of Lion, we honoured the 49 members of our community who have competed in the modern Olympic Games. Here, we celebrate and share the achievements of our four most recent OW Olympians who have just returned from Paris 2024. We also share the excitement of our youngest students as they participated in their own Mini Olympics, with some lucky enough to meet an Olympian and see and touch a real Olympic medal! Find out what’s been happening at the College, OWCA and the Foundation over the past few months and see what's coming up!

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Issue 152 - June 2024

As we head towards the summer Olympic Games in Paris, this issue of Lion magazine pays homage to the incredibly rich history of Old Wesley Collegians who have competed in the world’s foremost multi-sport arena. We share stories and photos from the recent Founders’ Day Lunch – the biggest on record, which featured a panel of OW Olympians, including our most decorated athlete, swimmer Michael Klim OAM (OW1994), and we celebrate the growing success of our boarding program, Learning in Residence. Find out what’s been happening at the College, OWCA and the Foundation over the past few months and see what's coming up!

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Issue 151 - March 2024

This special, online edition of Lion magazine focuses on the development of Wesley College's new strategic plan. Read about the work being done to shape the future of Wesley College and see a video taken at our strategic planning day, capturing the passion and commitment shared by so many across our school community.

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Issue 150 - December 2023

In this issue of Lion magazine, our 150th edition, we celebrate the extraordinary achievement of three dual APS premiership victories for 2023 – both our Girls’ and Boys’ teams have taken out the cup for Tennis, for Cross Country and for Athletics. And we also won the premiership for Boys’ Basketball. OWs share their memories of the people who made a difference during their time at Wesley. The PYPX receives an AI-powered boost from 'Wesmigo' and we discover the many doorways to growth alongside our students. Find out what’s been happening at the College, OWCA and the Foundation over the past few months and see what's coming up!

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Issue 149 - September 2023

In this issue of Lion magazine, we commemorate Robert Grieve VC (OW1904) and the bravery he showed at the June 1917 Battle of Mesen/Messines. Our feature 'Drugs and alcohol education... It takes a village' delves into Wesley's wellbeing program and drug and alcohol educator Paul Dillon's myth-busting and safety-focused series of seminars for students, teachers and parents. A new book, Joe Pawsey and the Founding of Australian Radio Astronomy, details the remarkable achievements of Joseph Pawsey (OW1923). Find out what’s been happening at the College, OWCA and the Foundation over the past few months and see what's coming up!

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Issue 148 - June 2023

In this issue of Lion magazine, we’re looking at some big moments in the life of our school, present and past. Our feature 'On the Runway' plots the development and world premiere of Stuart Greenbaum's (OW1984) composition for Wesley at the St Kilda Road Campus Music Festival. Our past Captains and Senior Prefects look back across the decades since they graduated from Wesley, and we uncover the wreckage of the Montevideo Maru and our Wesley connection. Find out what’s been happening at the College, OWCA and the Foundation over the past few months and see what's coming up!

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Issue 147 - April 2023

In this online issue of Lion magazine, we discuss ChatGPT and how we see generative AI tools impacting education now and in the future. We share in the joy of dual, back-to-back premiership wins for Wesley Tennis, meet members of singing sensation, the Ten Tenors and celebrate the achievements of our Class of 2022. Find out what’s been happening at the College, OWCA and the Foundation over the past few months and see what's coming up!  Read online.

Issue 146 - December 2022

In this issue of Lion magazine, we celebrate the historic victory of our Boys’ Athletics Team, who secured the APS title for the first time since 1947.  We acknowledge the Class of 2022, discovering the many faces of achievement, learn more about former Prime Minister Harold Holt (OW1926) through a new biography and share the passions of our PYPX students. Find out what has been happening at the College, OWCA and the Foundation over the past few months and see what’s coming up now that events and reunions are back! Read online or download a PDF.

Issue 145 - August 2022

In this issue of Lion magazine, we celebrate the Wesley College Melbourne Reconciliation Action Plan and reflect on our engagement with Indigenous Australia. We introduce the new-look campus and new curriculum at Clunes and highlight the mentorship role played by environmental designer and artist Alex Goad (OW2008) and President of the College Council and astrophysicist, Rachel Webster AO, which has opened up the world of science to a new generation. Find out what has been happening at the College, OWCA and the Foundation over the past few months and see what’s coming up now that events and reunions are back! Read online or download a PDF.

Issue 144 - April 2022

The first edition of Lion for 2022 celebrates the return to a ‘normal’ campus life and the first uninterrupted Term for two years. In this issue, we acknowledge the ‘Class of 2021’s’ history-making results and introduce ROAR, our new College-wide approach to wellbeing.  We share our International Women’s Day celebrations and showcase Wesley students past and present taking the performing arts world by storm.  Find out what has been happening at the College, OWCA and the Foundation over the past few months and see what’s coming up now that events and reunions are back! Read online or download a PDF.

Issue 143 - December 2021

This final 2021 edition of Lion celebrates many things; 50 years of the St Kilda Road Big Band; inspiring our science students with female role models; and the launch of the new Rennie Coutts STEM scholarship for girls. Audrey Mims (OW2018) shares her confidence-building experiences of campaigning for gender equality and launching programs to support victim-survivors of sexual violence. Find out what’s been happening at Wesley, at the OWCA and the Foundation in the past few months. Read online or download a PDF.

Issue 142 - August 2021

Learning about positive relationships is surely an essential life skill, as our features on Australian of the Year, Grace Tame, and an inventive new approach at the Early Childhood Learning Centre uncover. Our feature on 'New metrics of success' asks if those and other life skills should be formally recognised as a part of any student’s list of accomplishments at school. Finally, read more about our marvellous Marg Mollina, our retiring Head Coach of Netball. Read online or download a PDF.

Issue 141 - April 2021

This edition of Lion celebrates authentic leadership in its many guises. Sheriden Vella writes about what inspires her in her new role as Head of Campus at Glen Waverley. Three very different women – Professor Sharon Lewin, Kate Dempsey (OW2012) and Jessica Macpherson OAM – each share their stories and their thoughts on how we might choose to challenge in our feature on last month’s International Women’s Day breakfasts. Indigenous Wesley alumnus Alena Landers (OW2020) breaks new ground in the art world and at university, showing others what’s possible in their lives. As we celebrate 150 years of rowing at Wesley, we recognise the remarkable wins on the water this season and the strength of our rowing program. In his Principal’s Lines, Nick Evans reflects on our need to listen with empathy and compassion and outlines the measures and initiatives the College has put in place to begin to ensure Wesley College is a safe and inclusive community for all. Read online or download a PDF.

Issue 140 - December 2020

In this issue, Principal Nick Evans examines why it’s important to dare to think for yourself, we show the many ways the Wesley community found the positives in tempestuous times and how people just like us adapted to change in earlier days, and we say farewell to Richard Brenker after 40 years of service to Wesley. Read online or download a PDF.

Issue 139 - August 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen Australia and the world change and adapt. It has certainly seen Wesley students, parents, teachers and alumni adapt to many rapid changes in our lives, including a rapid pivot to teaching and learning in virtual classrooms. Lion is no exception: for the first time in the magazine’s 58-year history, we’re publishing a web-based edition so you can read it on your favourite device. Find out what’s been happening at Wesley, for the OWCA and for the Foundation in the past few months. Read the magazine.

Issue 138 - April 2020

In this issue, we look at the attributes of successful students, explore the Wesley STEM programs that are equipping students with tools to tackle future challenges, and celebrate 20 years of experiential learning at Clunes. Download the magazine

Issue 137 - December 2019

This issue celebrates the opening of The Drennen Centre at our Glen Waverley Campus, a spectacular multipurpose facility named in honour of former Principal Dr Helen Drennen AM. To read this story download the magazine.

Issue 136 - August 2019

This edition of Lion celebrates a special moment for Wesley College - the arrival of our 17th Principal, Mr Nicholas Evans (OW1985). To read this story download the magazine.

Issue 135 - April 2019

In this issue we look at Elsternwick's history as we celebrate 30 years since the campus became part of Wesley. To read this story download the magazine.

Issue 134 - December 2018

The lead story features outgoing Principal Dr Helen Drennen, as we say farewell to Wesley's first female principal. To read this story download the magazine.

Issue 133 - August 2018

This issue features the late principal, David Prest, who spearheaded the introduction of coeducation to Wesley in 1978.  To read this story download the magazine.

Issue 132 - April 2018

In this issue we look back at the 40 years since Wesley went through the transition of being an eminent boys school to becoming the country’s largest coeducational school by the last decade of the old century. To read this story download the magazine.

Issue 131 - December 2017

Our feature stories include One hundred years since the awarding of the Victoria Cross to Captain Robert ‘Bob’ Grieve (OW1905), as well as a look back at the rebirth of the Glen Waverley Campus since the 2016 fire.  To read these stories download the magazine.

Issue 130 - August 2017

In this issue we feature Kim Beazley's Samuel Alexander lecture 'An insider's appraisal of Trumps America', as well as our students trip to Space Camp. To read these stories download the magazine.

Issue 129 - April 2017

The 1,500 plus guests at last year’s 150th Anniversary Dinner were treated to an unexpected appearance by Wesley’s first pupil, Freddie Binks, at the beginning of the evening. To read this story download the magazine.