In 2024, the School received an extraordinary bequest of $4,931,420.90, the largest in its 132-year history, gifted through the entirety of Meredith and Diana Creightmore's estate.  

Meredith and Diana attended MGGS during the DJ Ross period, having moved from Perth to Melbourne after the loss of their father.

Though their time at the School was brief, their connection remained lifelong. Diana served as Vice Captain of the School in 1954 leading the Student Executive Council (SEC), was Social Services Committee Secretary and chaired the Library Committee. Meredith was also on the SEC, serving as Athletics Captain, Secretary of the Athletics Club and a member of the 1954 Magazine Committee. Meredith was an enthusiastic member of the second baseball team and Hockey team. Additionally, on leaving the School, Meredith was awarded a Commonwealth Government scholarship. Both were deeply involved in sport and drama, and their passion for MGGS endured well beyond graduation.

The School has a lot of memorabilia donated by the twins – including photographs of some sporting activities and drama productions, other drama programs and Diana’s school blazer.

The twins were also the great-nieces of Vida Goldstein, a pioneering feminist and political trailblazer who championed women’s rights in early 20th-century Australia. Meredith proudly spoke of Vida’s legacy, noting her influence on social reform and the advancement of women and children.  

Throughout their lives, Diana and Meredith remained close companions, pursuing careers in hospitality and public service (Diana at the Windsor Hotel and Meredith with the Department of Defence), and regularly attending School and Old Grammarians Society events. Their generous bequest reflects not only their deep affection for MGGS but also their shared values of education, equality and community.  

The School will formally honour their gift, ensuring that the Creightmore twins’ legacy continues to inspire future generations of Grammarians. We are forever grateful for their kindness, vision and enduring love for Melbourne Girls Grammar.

Bequests

The Nisi Dominus Society was established to acknowledge and thank individuals who confirm a gift in their Will to Melbourne Girls Grammar. The School recognises the following individuals for their kindness and celebrates their lasting legacies in support of future generations of Grammarians. The following gifts were received this year:  

Estate of Meredith and Diana Creightmore

Kate Curwen-Walker

Estate of Patricia Holdenson OAM

Estate of Irene Kinsman

Jeanette Webster

Gifts That Inspire

Cynthia Rowe

Cynthia Rowe (1955) passed away on 6 April 2025. Melbourne Girls Grammar takes enormous pride in announcing a new and very generous perpetual scholarship in her name: The Cynthia Rowe French Scholarship.

Cynthia Rowe (Leigh Jones, 1956) had a long and rich association with the School, with generations of the Rowe family having enjoyed their education at Melbourne Girls Grammar. Cynthia Rowe attended MGGS from 1949 to 1956, and her daughter Belinda Rowe (1979) attended MGGS from 1968 to 1979. This Scholarship is designed specifically to nurture a Grammarian in the study of the French language to honour Cynthia’s lifelong love of language that began early, nurtured by her parents, Arthur Leigh and Mildred Louise Jones (Coad, 1926). Cynthia studied a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne, majoring in French and English. Her passion led her to become a devoted French and English teacher, inspiring generations of students. Her passion for the French language started at MGGS, where Miss Davis one of her French teachers inspired her. Cynthia was awarded a  Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française  by the French Ministry of Education.

The Cynthia Rowe French Scholarship provides financial support to cover a major part of the costs associated with tuition at the School over four consecutive years (Years 9 to 12). This perpetual scholarship has been created to support girls of high intellectual aptitude who can demonstrate academic excellence and a specific interest for French language and culture, but who would not ordinarily have the opportunity to study at an independent school. The Scholarship is to commence from January 2027.

Patricia Holdenson OAM

Patricia (Pat) Holdenson OAM (Tulloch) was born on 2 December 1927 and passed away on 13 November 2024. Pat was in the graduating Class of 1944.

We are delighted to announce a new award, The Patricia Holdenson OAM Award for School Community Service. The award is to recognise a Year 7 student who has contributed to the School's community service program, has displayed the School values of compassion, integrity, self-discipline and courage, and inspired others to join in service.

At Speech Night in November, we welcomed Pat's daughter Anna Butlinski to present the first award to Year 7 Grammarian, Ruby.

If you are interested in leaving a bequest, please contact the Marketing and Community Engagement Office, by email via donate@mggs.vic.edu.au or phone (+61 3) 9862 9200.