Marriages & Engagements

Annabelle (Belle) Thompson (2011) married Hugo Denton at the Royal Botanic Gardens on 2 February 2024. Four Old Grammarians Lilly Dungey, Samantha (Sammy) Lynch, Katherine Holyoake (all 2011) and Edwina Buxton (2010) joined Belle on her special day as her bridesmaids.    

Asta Cameron (2010) married Tom Browne (brother of Annabelle (2006) and Camilla (2012), and son of Felicity (Sholl, 1978) Browne) on 19 April 2024 at The Peak, Lorne.

Gabrielle Burns (2013) married her partner Matt on 2 July 2023. The wedding took place in northern mainland Greece in a small village the family have been visiting for 20 years. Over 100 guests joined Gabby and Matt (who have been together since 2012) to celebrate.  

Lily Langford (2014) got engaged to her partner Hugo Tribe in August, 2023. Lily and Hugo will be married at Lily's family property in Holbrook, NSW in November 2024.  

Serena Zheng (Cheung, 2015) married Leon Zheng on 15 October 2023 at Tatra Receptions in Mount Dandenong. Serena is currently working at MGGS as a Music Teacher and Programs Specialist.  

Births

Rebekah McDonald (Hooper, 2008) welcomed baby Georgia with husband Richard in September 2023. Georgia is a younger sister for William (3 years old) and Charlotte (2 years old).  

Camilla Loughnan (Aurel-Smith, 2006) and husband Tom welcomed baby boy Edward (Ted) Campbell Loughnan on 8 February 2024. Ted, a Cats supporter and the first child for Mill and Tom, weighed a healthy 3.43 kg and measured 50 cm at birth.  

Browne sisters, Camilla and Annabelle, mentioned above also both gave birth in 2023. Annabelle Browne (2006) welcomed baby Matilda (Tillie) Hazel Hume on 15 June 2023 with partner Stephen. Tillie is a little sister to Grace (3 years old). Camilla Browne (2012) gave birth to Charles (Charlie) Philip Horwill on 3 July 2023. Charlie is the first child for Camilla and her partner Rhys.  

Paris Thomson (2008) and husband Nick Kenyon welcomed baby Orlando in February 2024. Orlando is the first child for Pairs and Nick who were married in January, 2022.

Announcements & Achievements

Joy Chellew (Crow, 1940) celebrated her 99^th birthday on 22 February 2024! Joy shares a photo (below) from her granddaughter Jessica’s recent wedding.

Elizabeth McCarthy (Jess, 1978) MA has generously shared her fourth book Abide With Me: The HMAS Voyage Tragedy with the MGGS Library. Elizabeth attended MGGS in the 1970s and went on to study visual art at Prahran College, graduating with a diploma in 1981. After further studies at the National Gallery School in Melbourne, she graduated in 1983 with a postgraduate diploma in Fine Art and was awarded the National Gallery Victoria Acquisitive Prize. Between 1988 and 2005 she lived in far west New South Wales, teaching art at TAFE colleges and outreach centres in Indigenous communities. She has been selected in three national acquisitive drawing awards. She was the inaugural winner of the Far West Award for Excellence in Visual Arts in 2003. She continued her studies at Charles Sturt University, in Wagga Wagga, graduating with a Master of Arts degree in 2003. She now lives in Geelong with her two sons and has penned four titles including John Jess, Seeker of Justice, The Power of Nature and The Shape of a Life.

Dr Buzz McCarthy (1964) provides an update for her peers. Buzz divides her time between summers in her Tuscan farmhouse and winters in an ancient Nobleman's house, which she restored fully during Covid, in a small town on the Adriatic Coast: the perfect answer to post-Brexit living in Europe. Surrounded by vines and olives, mountains and the sea, she has embraced the cuisine and culture in Italy for 36 years, the last five full-time. She still travels frequently, recently to the Silk Road and Egypt, but equally loves an ordinary village life peppered with wonderful festivals. She enjoys cooking and entertaining and welcomes frequent visits from friends and family.

Vale

Acknowledging, celebrating and paying tribute to the women who make up our Melbourne Girls Grammar community is important to us. Graduates of Melbourne Girls Grammar and other community members have gone on to do incredible things with their lives.

If you'd like to pass on an obituary for an Old Grammarian or past staff member for IE, please email community@mggs.vic.edu.au.

Meredith Creightmore (1954) 10 April 1936 - 23 February 2024

Diana Creightmore (1954) 10 April 1936 - 15 April 2024

Jillian Pappas (Dunn, 1964) 13 January 1948 - 23 March 2024

Margaret Ullin (Baker, 1962) 20 February 1946 - 28 November 2023

Lauraine Hamilton (Davis, 1948) 21 February 1930 - 19 May 2022

Pamela Johnson (Barry, 1956) 21 July 1938 - 2 June 2024

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Meredith and Diana Creightmore (1954)

Diana and Meredith Creightmore, twins and lifelong companions, always valued their years at MGGS. Diana was Vice Captain of the School in 1954, their final year, while Meredith was Athletics Captain and both enjoyed all aspects of school life, particularly sport and dramatic productions. Following different careers, Diana in hospitality at the Windsor Hotel  and Meredith in the Department of Defence, they remained close all their lives and were regular visitors at many School and OG functions over the years.
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Margaret Jean Ullin (Baker, 1962)

Marg was a very committed Old Grammarian – always attending functions with her great friend Jillian Gengoult-Smith (Callaway, 1962).

She was the mainstay of her year level, always working hard to ensure a good Reunion and, in the early days, often organising a venue or her home for the event. Image of Margaret and Jillian below.

Pamela Jane Johnson (Barry, 1956)

Pamela was an intelligent, determined, forthright, and compassionate woman. The first thing Pam would tell people about herself was that she was a theatre nurse. She loved the operating theatre from the moment she stepped into it, she described it as fascinating and stimulating, and it loved her - with one referee calling her "an obliging, versatile theatre sister, extremely forthright in manner - able to handle staff firmly and with authority." Her work took her from Melbourne to Britain and Canada, before marriage took her to Sydney, Pakistan and Vietnam. On returning to Australia, Pam followed her civic inclinations, standing for election three times with the Australian Democrats.

Known to her childhood local vet as someone who was always willing to adopt a new cat or dog, she was an animal lover to the end, never forgetting the names of her beloved animal friends. She also was a book lover and enjoyed life as long as she had Heyer, murder mysteries, and the ABC News. Pam greatly valued the education she reveived at Merton Hall, remembered the staff with fondness and was proud of being a Library Prefect. She would say that confidence is something Merton Hall helped to foster in her. Pam continued learning, completing her Bachelor of Nursing (Postregistration) at Deakin University in 1997, graduating thirty-three years after being certified as a State Registered Nurse, and more than a decade after she ceased paid work to have a family.

Pamela died on 2 June 2024 after a sudden illness and will be greatly missed by her daughter Susi, her friends and family.

Jillian Mary Pappas (Dunn, 1964)

It is with great sadness that we reflect on the life of our beloved Jill Pappas, who passed away after a fierce battle with cancer in March. Throughout her life Jill was an important member of the Melbourne Girls Grammar community, and her contributions to the school have made a lasting impact. Following in her mother’s (Marceline Dixon, 1932) footsteps, Jill attended MCEGGS from kindergarten through to matriculation (1952 to 1964).

Her earliest public role as School ambassador was in Prep, when she was photographed planting a tree in celebration of the School’s jubilee (photo below). While at school she received a Junior Government scholarship and was first violin in the Orchestra. She also took on the role of editor of a school publication called the ‘Brick’. After matriculation she was one of a small number of women to study economics and politics at Monash University, where she met husband George. She then moved to Boston, USA and worked under Prof. Paul Samuelson when he won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 1970.

Jill moved back to Australia with her family in 1977 and from then was based in Melbourne. Her four daughters attended MGGS between 1988 and 1997, during which time Jill was a member of the Performing Arts Auxiliary, a reflection of her passion for music and theatre. Jill joined the Merton Hall Foundation Board in 2001 and served as Chair between 2004 and 2010. In this role she was instrumental in raising funds for many legacy projects, including the building of the Artemis Centre and the music facilities. The Pappas Family music room was named in honour of her family's generosity and contribution to the school.

In service of the school community, Jill was a member of the School Council from 2004 to 2010. She also joined the board of the Royal District Nursing Service (now Bolton Clarke) in 2000, serving as chair from 2006 until 2008, and later spent time on the board of the Lyceum Club. Jill was a lover of opera, a poet, and a passionate gardener. She championed women’s education and social justice. Jill is sorely missed by her many, many friends and her loving family, especially her husband George, daughters Zoe, Cathy, Tay and Ellie, their husbands, and her twelve grandchildren.

Written by her daughter, Tay.

At her request and in acknowledgement of her strong ties to the school, Jill was farewelled in a private ceremony at the Chapel of St Luke. The Pappas family would like to thank Reverend Ross and the MGGS community for their love and support during this difficult time.

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