Objects of Substance- Head Girls Honour Board

From one girl for a two-year appointment to three girls with a one-year appointment! In 1979, the honour board lists Anna Joughin, Katrina Heer, and Jennifer O’Donnell as Head Girls. This is the only time the School has had three Head Girls. On seeing the board, Anna Booys (nee Joughin) said, “I remember really noticing the board… in 2019 at our 40 th (!) reunion. Katrina and Jenny were both there… I think the fact that we were there together made it memorable for me. It was a real delight to be back in the presence of those two lovely women…” Katrina Walker (nee Heer) remembers all three girls called to the Principal’s, Mrs Judith Hancock, office where she told them how they balanced each other’s skills. Jennifer was also School Sports Captain and Head Boarder. Anna “felt lucky to have them as part of the HG team” and remembers that Katrina and Jennifer “were good at seeing opportunities for ‘doing something good’…” Serving the School was uppermost in all three girls’ minds.

1979 Head Girls: Jennifer O’Donnell, Anna Joughin and Katrina Heer.

It appears that Mrs Hancock was a good judge of character and abilities as these Head Girls received, between them at the 1979 Speech Day, the coveted Ida Woolcock Challenge Cup, the Principal’s Prize for Service, the DE Catt Memorial Prize for Service in the Boarding House, prize for Geography, prize for Modern History, were involved in a range of service groups, and represented the School in multiple music groups, debating, and sporting teams including cross country, softball, ballgames, netball, athletics, and judo. Just as with the oversight of our early Head Girls not being recorded, mistakes can be easily made when creating these prestigious and public boards. One example is often spotted by the Year 7s when being introduced to the School history in the Annie Mackay Room by the Humanities Faculty.