News of OGG - August 2022
Friday, 19 August 2022
Bill Hasker (Cu'58) and Sarah Benson (Je'91)



Many thanks to Tanya Bishop (A'79) for sending through this photo of Sarah and Bill catching up at a surgical conference in Mackay earlier this month. Sarah is the Executive General Manager of General Surgeons Australia, while Bill ran a private surgical practice in Mackay for many years. We love to see OGG from across generations meeting and reminiscing about their shared beginnings at GGS.

Michael Hickinbotham (P’80) 



Michael, Managing Director of the Hickinbotham Group, received the Australian housing industry’s highest honour, the Housing Industry Association’s (HIA) 2022 Sir Phillip Lynch Award of Excellence earlier this year. The Phillip Lynch Award recognises outstanding individuals who have made innovative and valuable contributions to the housing industry and demonstrate unfailing integrity and an exemplary attitude of excellence. In presenting Michael with his award, HIA Managing Director, Graham Wolfe, recognised Michael’s “significant innovation and leadership within the industry” on policy and regulatory reforms. “Over three generations, the Hickinbotham Group has sought to create neighbourhoods where Australian communities can thrive. It is a privilege to support families on their path to home ownership, particularly as we acknowledge that the past two years have been challenging for many Australians.”

“Over three generations, the Hickinbotham Group has sought to create neighbourhoods where Australian communities can thrive. It is a privilege to support families on their path to home ownership, particularly as we acknowledge that the past two years have been challenging for many Australians,” Michael said.

Harley Manifold (M'00)



Harley has been named as a finalist in both The Darling Portrait Prize (artwork below) at the National Portrait Gallery and the John Leslie Landscape Prize (artwork above) at Gippsland Art Gallery. This is the first time Harley has had pieces selected as finalists for these particular prizes. Coincidentally, the Darling Portrait Prize is named in honour of GGS Past Parent, Gordon Darling AC CMG. You can view Harley's work in greater detail here.



James Crawley (P’05) 



James' debut documentary feature film, Volcano Man, premiered earlier this month at the Melbourne International Film Festival. James' father, Richard, documented virtually everything - big and small - from James' childhood and, following the death of James' mother, he began filming himself with a view to making a film about grief.

Richard's film didn't eventuate - "I couldn't stand back and be objective with the footage," Richard said - but James used his father's footage to create Volcano Man. 

"It's love. It's grief. It's loss. It's remarkable," the ABC's Brian Nankervis said of Volcano Man. The film has been showcased across Victoria as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival, and can be rented via the MIFF Play website until August 28.

James Connell (M’05) and Phoebe Macleod (Connell, Cl’03) 













James and Phoebe started their own medical clinic, Heyday Medical, in honour of their mother Helen Connell (Clyde’71) following her battle with pancreatic cancer in 2020, in which they were able to incorporate a cannabis-centred treatment plan to give all-important respite and quality of life alongside her intensive chemotherapy treatment. Heyday's mission is to use their significant expertise in the field of prescription plant medicines to "empower doctors to deliver healthcare differently." James, in the role of Medical Officer, has a strong desire to craft the best quality cannabis medicines for his patients while making cannabis medicines more accessible to patients across Australia. Phoebe, who holds a Bachelor of Laws and Science, is Heyday's Managing Director and "is enjoying challenging the unique views, claims, laws and stigmas that surround this medicinal plant."  

Medicinal cannabis has been at the forefront of the news cycle in Australia recently, with 41-year-old Lauren Jackson crediting the treatment with improving her quality of life following her retirement due to chronic knee pain in 2016, to the point where she has been able to make a return to the court (and the Australian team) in 2022. 

Jock Landale (M’09) 



After a promising debut season in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs, Jock got a taste of what sets the NBA’s trade and free agency period apart from virtually every other sport in the world. On June 30, Jock was traded from the Spurs to the Atlanta Hawks as part of a deal that sent San Antonio’s all-star point guard Dejounte Murray to Atlanta. Notably, neither Jock nor Atlanta mentioned the other party in their customary social media posts following the trade, which is often a strong sign that the other shoe is still to drop. On July 4, Jock was traded by Atlanta to the Phoenix Suns – owners of the best regular season record in the NBA last season – for what was effectively salary cap relief for the Hawks. “This is doing great things for my jersey collection,” Jock joked on Instagram following the first trade. 

Jane Perrignon (EM’17), Fred Roper (M’17), Sophie Ward (Cl’20) and Star Rose Miller (He’21) 



This year’s Henley Regatta, contested on the River Thames across six days in June-July, played host to a record-breaking 419 crews from across the globe; among them, competing in front of thousands of spectators, were four Old Geelong Grammarians. Jane Perrignon (EM’17), Fred Roper (M’17) and Sophie Ward (Cl’20) represented the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) in the Student Women’s 4+, Student Men’s 4+ and Student Women’s 8+ respectively, while Star Rose Miller (He’21) represented the Sydney Rowing Club in the Club Women’s 8+ division. Jane, Sophie and Star Rose each reached the quarter finals in their event, while Fred’s crew finished second in the final of the Prince Albert Challenge Cup. Fred and the UC Berkeley Student Men’s 4+ progressed through three heats – including a narrow victory against PAC-12 collegiate rival the University of Washington – to reach the final against Oxford Brookes University over the gruelling 2,100m course. The UC Berkeley crew led at the halfway point of the race but were gradually overhauled by the Oxford Brookes University; the final margin was one length. 

Prudence Illingworth (A'14), Zoe Marshall (He'16) and Georgie Winchester (He'14)



The Retreat Hotel in Brunswick will have a distinctive Geelong Grammar School flavour on Wednesday 5 October when Georgie (vocals for Turpentine Babycino), Zoe (solo artist Mozë),  Prudence (solo artist Prudns) and a special, surprise guest (who boarded in The Hermitage, we are led to believe) are performing a free show at the venue. For more information, visit https://retreathotelbrunswick.com.au/gigs/2022/10/5/turpentine-babycino  

Lucy Parks (Fr’18) 



Staying with music, and Lucy (performing under the name LJ Parks) is set to release their debut EP Straits in September. LJ’s debut single, “The Stove”, was released in July and the second single, “Hobart”, will be released this Friday, 26 August. "Hobart", prior to its release as a single, was shortlisted twice in the Australian Songwriters contest and voted into the Top 10 entries of the National Campus Music Competition 2021. LJ is based in Hobart and is in the final semester of an Honours degree in Music at the University of Tasmania. 

Mia Gross (Fr’19) 



After her best season on the track in years, an illness suffered on the eve of Australia’s Commonwealth Games relay team camp in May looked set to derail Mia’s Comm Games dream. Named as a reserve after only being cleared to resume running at the beginning of July, Mia was elevated to the squad of six for the Women’s 4x100m relay after the Games had begun following an injury to one of her teammates. Still, even at that point, Mia required two members of the team to be unavailable to find her way into the team for the heat on Friday 4 August. Always one to think and act positively, Mia was elevated to the four on the morning of the heats in the best possible circumstances – two members of the 4x100m team reaching the finals of their individual events and opted for extra rest – and was part of the Australian team which progressed to the final after finishing third in their heat. Mia’s place in the team for the final was taken by 200m finalist Ella Connolly and Australia were overhauled in the last 10 metres by Jamaica to finish a game fourth.  

Zoe Walters (Ga’20) 



Zoe made her professional stage debut as Mavis Moreton in the Queensland Theatre Company’s production of The Sunshine Club at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) from July 9-30. Set in Brisbane in 1946, the musical centres around Frank Doyle, an Aboriginal serviceman who has come home from World War 2 to find that although the wider world may have changed, attitudes back home are just the same. Filled with a defiant energy and ambition for a better life, Frank starts The Sunshine Club, a place where black and white can meet and, most importantly, dance. “It’s a beautiful musical about racial equality and interracial love post World War 2, written and directed by the wonderful Wesley Enoch,” Zoe explained. “It’s been just as fun and eye opening as it has been hectic and stressful.” Zoe was Captain of Drama at GGS and received the Juan José Garcia Prize for Drama. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting) at QUT and featured in the Off Country documentary, which was re-edited as a 4-part TV series and broadcast on SBS in July.