By Sam Kohler

The first-years at St. Hildas, or “freshers,” have been settling in for about 7 weeks now. They’ve made friends, submitted their first uni assignments, and gotten around a multitude of college events. So I thought this would be a perfect time to ask them some questions about what they love about Hilda’s, things that are hard, and some things that they never expected after being about two months in. As a strong believer of saving the best for last, let’s start with what they’re finding challenging so far. 

Life at St. Hilda’s is undeniably full to the brim with activities to get around – a reality that can be hard for some students. Not because they’re not enjoyable but almost the opposite. The jam-packed calendar of the College makes us want to do it all, even when it’s not possible. As a result many experience FOMO. Freshers noted that balancing the sheer amount of activities provided at Hilda’s with uni workload, connecting with friends, and taking time for yourself could be a real struggle in the first few weeks while they were still adjusting to their new home. Being far away from home can also be a real struggle for many students at college. Moving to a new city or country, as most Hildarians do to come here, can leave many feeling homesick or like they’re constantly playing catch-up as they navigate a new culture. Overall, coming into a completely new and sometimes overwhelming environment like a residential college is not always easy. But, students do not have to handle these struggles alone. 

It’s really supportive. I’ve been surprised by how much wellbeing support we actually have.

– Anonymous Fresher

When asked about how they handle these situations, the freshers interviewed all spoke to how helpful the in-depth well-being (pastoral) care at college is. From senior resident advisors (SRAs) who check in with students regularly, to the administrative team at College who provide academic, personal development, and mental-health support to students, Hilda’s ensures that students feel supported.

Freshers noted that these support systems have alleviated some of the challenges of adapting to their new home. Special note was made to the academic support provided to students to help them stay on top of workload and provide any extra assistance they might need. The extent of these support systems is surprising to many first-years, but consistently appreciated and valued by the students here at Hilda’s. 

Another aspect that surprised first-years upon arriving at College was how welcoming everyone was. Freshers were shocked at how inclusive the Hilda’s environment was and how much everyone got involved in the student life here. While the extensive Hilda’s calendar can be overwhelming at times, many also mentioned how much they appreciated the variety of activities and opportunities at College. But perhaps the best part of College, the freshers found, is the number of people that you can surround yourself with. Living in such an active, welcoming, and friendly community makes making friends easy, and feeling lonely nearly impossible. 

While most of our first-years are also first years in University – either having taken a gap year or coming straight from school – some are second years at uni looking for a different experience compared to their first year. One of the Freshers surveyed lived in another type of student accommodation during her first year of university. Coming to College looking for a safer environment that made making friends easier, she says that she is much happier now that she is at Hilda’s. From safety concerns, to loneliness, to ease of free washing and not needing to cook, St. Hilda’s has made life much easier and more enjoyable.

It’s hard to make friends in other [types of] accommodations. I didn’t see my roommates for months at a time. I knew they were alive because I heard them cooking in the kitchen but I had no idea how they were doing.

– Anonymous Fresher 

The first-years also gave advice to anyone looking to come to Hilda’s. Chief among them was not being afraid to come in alone and say yes to everything. Most who come to Hilda’s don’t know anyone at the College, with many not knowing anyone in all of Melbourne. While this can be scary, the freshers made it clear that this is not an issue, and may even be a good thing. As everyone who comes into college is looking to make new friends and connections, not knowing anyone beforehand very quickly becomes a non-issue and can even help you integrate with your cohort. As long as you try to say yes to as much as possible, are friendly to your fellow Hildarians, and put yourself out there to the best of your ability, you will do great here. 

So our freshers are doing great! They’ve settled into their new home, overcome some challenges, and are taking advantage of every opportunity they can. And when they feel they need help, they know exactly where to find it. All-in-all it’s been a great start to the year and I’m excited to see how these amazing freshers help this College grow! 

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By Sam Kohler

In the middle of each semester, Hilda’s students scramble to entertain themselves and escape uni life during mid-semester break. For many who live nearby, this can mean a brief trip home to see friends and family. But, for many others, this means becoming a tourist in our new home, going on camping trips, visiting the home towns of new friends, and movie marathons in the common rooms. As an international student, I know this mid-sem scramble very well and have explored every possible option of how to spend my time. And I can genuinely say that they are all amazing in their own way. 

One of my favorite options during the mid-semester break is what I like to call ‘The Escape’. From road trips, to hiking in the bush, to hopping on a plane, the escape can take many forms. In my first semester at College, after knowing a mate for only a couple of weeks, he invited me to his home in Hobart, Tasmania, and I’m eternally grateful that he did. I met his family, explored a new part of the country, and went on a beautiful hike through the Tasmanian bush. The following mid-sem, two of my other friends invited me to their homes, one in Geelong and one to a vacation home in Rye. The generosity of people here at Hilda’s, who welcome you into their homes, lives, and families is what makes this place so great. And it is how we form our own chosen families.

It’s been a while since I’ve been home; I’ve still not got a plane ticket back. But my friends’ families have welcomed me into their homes like I’m a long lost child. Not only that but I know I’ve got a home to come back to right here, at Hilda’s.

– Abby Heazlewood

Many Hildarians, however, stay at College for the holidays, and take advantage of the activities going on at college. For example, to celebrate Easter, some of our lovely SRA’s at College set up an easter egg hunt on Easter Sunday for anyone who wanted to participate. All across the Hilda’s grounds students ran around, searching intently, for little chocolate eggs that had been hidden college wide. On top of fun little events like this, a group of students were hard at work this mid-sem break doing an intensive week of rehearsals and preparations for the ICAC musical. And yet another group of students, led by our recreation convenors, journeyed to The Grampians for a camping trip. 

“Hilda’s rec trip ‘26 was a blast! Around 30 students headed to the Grampians for 4 days of hiking, camping, and chatting around the fire. After climbing up to 3 different lookout points, including 17kms of Mt Rosea, we are officially exhausted, but rejuvenated and ready for uni!”

 – Claudia Cole

It is important to note that mid-semester break can be a time of intense homesickness, especially for international students and those of us who can’t go home for the week. Luckily, our student club has an International Representative on the General Committee who does their best to keep all of us who are far from home entertained. For example, this year our representative organised a trip to the Queen Victoria Night Market where people could get food and bond with their international friends. 

However, despite all of these wonderful planned outings and activities, I would argue that some of the most fun activities over the mid-sem are the unplanned interactions that happen at a much quieter college. The spontaneous movie marathons, the late night games of table tennis that last for four hours, or the random game of pool in order to stay sane while catching up on a mountain of uni work. 

So no need to stress, at Hilda’s we’ve got your mid-semester breaks covered. Whether your new lifelong friends invite you to childhood homes, you go and sleep under the stars in the bush, or you stay at college, enjoy the quiet, and explore the city you now call home – you’ll never be bored. Take it from me, an international student who’s always looking for more activities to stay busy and explore, the people and environment at Hilda’s could not make it any easier. 

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Welcome to the first quarterly alumni newsletter of 2026.

As always, when reading this edition, we invite you to consider whether you have any news you would like to share with us that you think would be of interest to the wider Hilda’s community. If the answer is yes, please get in touch and let us know what you think should be featured this year.

This quarter’s issue includes:
Young alumni lawn bowls

IWD Luncheon

Geelong Reunion

An alumni profile

And more!

As always, we encourage you to pass the St Hilda’s details onto any friends who you think may not be on our mailing list and encourage them to get in touch with us so that we can update their details. 

From all of us here at St Hilda’s College, we hope you enjoy reading the Q1 newsletter and Happy Easter to those in the community who are celebrating this coming weekend.

The post St Hilda’s Newsletter – Q1 2026 appeared first on St Hilda's College.

Thank you as always to all the students and staff members who contributed to the publication. Physical copies of The Chronicle for 2025 are currently on their way to students who moved out of St Hilda’s at the end of last year – returners received their copies a few weeks ago.

For everyone else, please enjoy reading the digital copy below.

The post The Chronicle 2025 appeared first on St Hilda's College.

We invite you to read our new five year strategy, Shaping Our Future 2026-2031.

This strategic document outlines the College’s vision, values, mission, strategic priorities and goals as we look ahead to the next five years of our journey.

The post Shaping Our Future 2026-2031 appeared first on St Hilda's College.

Welcome to the final quarterly alumni newsletter of 2025.

As always, when reading this edition, we invite you to consider whether you have any news you would like to share with us that you think would be of interest to the wider Hilda’s community. If the answer is yes, please get in touch and let us know what you think should be featured in 2026.

This quarter’s issue includes:
Sneak peak of the history book

Alumni profile and book review

Founders & Benefactors

2026 save the dates

And more!

As always, we encourage you to pass the St Hilda’s details onto any friends who you think may not be on our mailing list and encourage them to get in touch with us so that we can update their details. 

From all of us here at St Hilda’s College, we hope you enjoy reading the Q4 newsletter.

The post St Hilda’s Newsletter – Q4 2025 appeared first on St Hilda's College.

As our students use SWOTVAC to get ready for the final assessments and exams for the academic year, here’s your chance to see what they and the wider St Hilda’s community were up to throughout Quarter 3.

When reading this edition, we invite you to reflect if you have any news you would like to share with us that you think would be of interest to the wider Hilda’s community. If yes, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and let us know what you think should be featured in future issues.

This quarter’s issue includes:
Gold Leaf Dinner
Alumni profiles
Industry showcase event
Current student news
And more!

As always, we encourage you to pass the St Hilda’s details onto any friends who you think may not be on our mailing list and encourage them to get in touch with us so that we can update their details. 

From all of us here at St Hilda’s College, we hope you enjoy reading the Q3 newsletter.

The post St Hilda’s Newsletter – Q3 2025 appeared first on St Hilda's College.

We’d like to introduce you to your new look alumni newsletter, Hilda’s News. 

We want your alumni newsletter to speak more directly to you so if you or someone you know from your time at St Hilda’s has something worth sharing, please get in touch with us and let us know what you think should be in future issues. 

This issue includes:

• An alumni feature
• Tributes to those we have lost in recent months
• An insight from current Principal, James Hardiman about the culture of the modern college
• Upcoming save the dates for reunions and young alumni events
• And more

As always, we encourage you to pass the St Hilda’s details onto any friends who you think may not be on our mailing list and encourage them to get in touch with us so that we can update their details. 

From all of us here at St Hilda’s College, we hope you enjoy reading the Q2 newsletter.

The Community Engagement Team

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Saturday 3 May 2025

Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you, James, for welcoming me here today. It’s a great honour to present the Marjorie Smart Oration and I thank St Hilda’s board member Dr Lynne Williams for the opportunity.

I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we meet on today, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nations, and pay my respects to their Elders past and present. I extend that respect to all First Nations peoples here today.

I also acknowledge that I am the descendant of settlers. My grandmother, my mother and I were born on Ngarrindjeri Country on the banks of the Murray River at Mannum in South Australia and that is where the ashes of my mother are now scattered.
I was fascinated to read the brief bio of Marjorie Smart which James provided to me in preparation for this oration. While my career does not compare with Marjorie’s, there are some parallel themes in our early lives. We both had parents of faith, who valued community service and education. That modelling had a deep impact on the trajectory of our lives.

Unlike Marjorie, my family wasn’t wealthy, educated or connected. I suspect like some of you, I was a ‘first in family’ and a country kid (or at least a regional kid).

I was taught about service to others at my parents’ knee – literally. That there were others who didn’t have what we had: a loving, stable family; food in the fridge; a car with petrol. Some of my earliest memories are of my parents’ generosity. My mum would take food to an Aboriginal family who lived nearby. She explained to me that not every child came back from school to a home cooked meal, because their mum and dad weren’t able to provide that for them. Another early memory is of my dad, driving the community bus from our small town to Adelaide so that other people could go to the market or visit the library. He did that every couple of weeks, year in, year out. Those formative memories laid down a pattern of serving others that has stayed with me.

Like Marjorie, my parents also valued education, and my love of learning comes from them. They didn’t have the opportunity of university, or even 6 years of high school, but they were avid life-long learners. They nurtured my curiosity. They made many sacrifices so that I and my siblings could get the education that they couldn’t. So, from an early age a good life entwined service to others and continued learning about the world around me. I think it is something that Marjorie would agree with.

Despite this love of learning, starting university was daunting. It took me a while to find my place and my people. I didn’t have the incredible college experience that you have here at St Hilda’s. My early months at university were overwhelming, although I did love being immersed in books and ideas. It took me two attempts at Law School to finish my first law degree – 7 years between when I started at Melbourne University and finishing my degree at UNSW (picking up an honours Arts degree in between). I found the study of law uncomfortable at first – although now, in a twist I would never have predicted, I have 3 law degrees!

So, with that background, I wanted to share some thoughts with you about the place we find ourselves today and, in response, encourage you to pursue service as you shape your futures, and that of the society of which you are a part.

Although it took a while, I eventually qualified as a lawyer, and my entire professional life has been spent, in one way or another, in the law. I do this as an inheritor and servant of a collective endeavour that dates to Magna Carta in 1215, from which flows the basic rights and freedoms of the common law. More recently, this has come to be referred to as “the rule of law”, which underpins our society today.

Let me unpack that a bit.

Legal scholar Prof Martin Krygier says the purpose of the role of law is to limit the possibility of exercising arbitrarily power. It does this by demanding – among other things – that no one is above the law (from the Magna Carta), that you – your personal body – cannot be subject to the arbitrary power of the state (habeus corpus – you should ‘have your body’), that people can defend themselves against legal charges, that laws much be known and knowable (transparency), that citizens should chose who makes the laws which govern them, and that the transfer of power from one government to another be done peacefully. These are just some of elements of the rule of law.

In Australia, these principles operate – for the most part – every day in unremarkable ways. If you are arrested, the police must – and will – bring you before a magistrate within a matter of hours to explain why your liberty has been curtailed, and the magistrate will decide whether you should be detained. You will then hear the case against you and mount a defence, all in open court, and a decision will be made by an independent judge.

And of course, we are having this conversation today, on election day. We are fortunate in Australia to have a strong democratic culture and high degrees of trust in our election outcomes. As Dr Judith Brett reminds us in her book, From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage, from the beginning, Australia has pioneered methods to encourage everyone to vote – with the shameful exception of our First Nations peoples – the silent ballot, voting on the weekend, an independent electoral commission that runs elections and sets electorate boundaries and of course, compulsory voting. If today sees a change in government, or if it doesn’t, the transition will occur smoothly and peacefully, with a concession speech by the loser and the bureaucracy moving seamlessly to work with the new government.

So – let’s return to service.

My career in the law has been a varied and fascinating one. And entirely unpredictable to my 20-year-old self.

My first introduction to law and lawyers was in my gap year, when I worked as a junior receptionist at a large law firm. It was an eye-opening experience, and I made life-long friends and had a glimpse of the way that the law could shape society. After (finally) graduating as a lawyer, I worked in a large law firm – an environment which I initially found alienating. But over time, I came to value the collegiality and intellectual stimulation of legal practice. Importantly, I also found ways to incorporate my values of public service and social justice into the fabric of the firm. I did pro bono work and eventually managed the pro bono work of the office. I led the firm’s thinking in corporate social responsibility, setting up a charitable foundation and a volunteering programme.

This experience set me up for my next move – as General Counsel at World Vision Australia. Another incredible learning opportunity, and another set of close colleagues. I also realised that leadership was more important to me and more my “happy place”, rather than legal practice. With the management and leadership skills I learned at WVA, I took my first CEO job at Justice Connect. JC.

Now, in my role as the regulator of the Victorian legal profession, my purpose is to promote public trust and confidence in lawyers, by ensuring they are ethical and professional in their dealings with clients. This includes complaint handling, investigation and prosecution of misconduct, licensing of lawyers and overseeing their management of trust accounts. This is all crucial to the rule of law – the public must be confident that their lawyers will do the right thing.

In my role I also support the rule of law by funding access to justice, helping to ensure that legal help is available to everyone, even if they can’t afford to pay, and is accessible in a way that they can understand.

As I look back over my career as a lawyer, I can see that I am a part of the collective effort of a society to maintain the rule of law, and where service to others is valued because we are free and equal under law. Whatever career you choose, by serving others you build on the same collective project.

Understanding this – and its importance – is vital to responding to the challenges we face as a society. These are challenges that you will be grappling with as you finish your studies and enter into the workforce and to adulthood.

I am a Gen Xer – I can recite most of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and U2 is unashamedly the soundtrack of my life. I made mix tapes on cassette off the radio for my first boyfriend, and I waited by the fixed line phone for him to call.

I also lived through what we saw as the triumph of the rule of law and democracy over the tyranny of totalitarianism. Communism fell and democracy flourished, even briefly in parts of the Middle East during the Arab Spring. Political philosopher, Francis Fukuyama infamously declared that we had seen “the end of history” – meaning that the historical human struggle to find the optimal means of structuring society had been decided in favour of Western liberal democracy.

But now, we are at a moment where, around the world, we see democratic institutions, including the rule of law, under challenge and strain.

In Australia over the last several decades, including post-pandemic, trust in our institutions has begun to shift. Royal commissions into the banking system, Robodebt, abuse of people living with disability, and institutional child sexual abuse showed that too many institutions were not living up to their mandates to protect and serve. And the trauma of the pandemic has left a mark. Intolerance and anger seem to be rising, testing the integrity of our institutions. This is now a global phenomenon, amplified by the super-spreading capabilities of algorithms, artificial intelligence, and social media.
And of course, in the beacon of democracy, the United States, we have this fortnight seen judges arrested for their interpretation of the law and the rulings they make in their courtrooms.

In the US, Republican pollster Frank Lutz recently predicted a ‘dealignment’ from traditional political, intellectual and economic allegiances. Luntz said he was finding unprecedented hostility in his focus groups with conservative voters because, in his words:

And it is all happening at a time when, according to the World Justice Report’s rule of law index, limits on government power declined in 59% of countries last year. Given what is at stake, how should we respond to what feels like an existential test?

This is a big question to ponder over lunch! Many people are discussing it and some of the answers are obvious and important – to do more to help people understand and celebrate the importance of our civic inheritance of a stable, functional democracy and the triumph of both our multi-cultural society and our extraordinary First Nations peoples. To rein in the worst excesses of our digital lives and make sure that the potential of AI is used for the public good, not the enrichment of a tiny minority. To reaffirm and defend the principles of the rule of law, that no power should be uncurtailed and that might is not right. These are all important and necessary.

But I want to close by returning to where I started – to Marjorie and to me, to all of you, and to the concept of service.

I think there is another reason that the challenges to the rule of law that I’ve outlined are unhealthy for us as a country. Anger and cynicism, selfishness and the pursuit of power and wealth for its own sake nurture an inward focus. One of the powerful things about service to others is that, by definition, we look outwards. It shifts the focus away from us. It rebalances us and helps us see where we fit in the world. It also delivers that great joy of engaging with people and the community.

As we wrestle with massive issues like climate change and global instability, it’s even more important that we focus on issues outside our patch.

Some of you may be studying law – I hope that you will think about the role that you can play in upholding the rule of law and pursuing access to justice. For those of you who are pursuing other careers, I encourage you to do this in a way that puts service and integrity front and centre.

In closing I want to leave you with an intriguing finding from our friends in the sciences. I recently heard about neuroscience research that shows when someone tells a story and you listen, their neural synapses and yours are firing in the same parts of the brain and the story you hear becomes part of your own story. The researchers concluded that we are biologically wired to respond to stories. Think about that – simply by being curious, by listening to the stories of others, and sharing our stories in return, we can come closer together. I’ve talked about some big topics this afternoon, but perhaps thinking about generosity and open heartedness to people around us can give us some different tools, different neural pathways to try and solve these big problems.

Thank you.

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It’s been a busy start to the year and we have plenty to share in the world of St Hilda’s. The Q1 2025 newsletter includes overview of key events that have taken place, including:

• Welcome Saturday
• International Women’s Day
• The Communitas Society Inaugural Luncheon

Plus, we have alumni news, student club news and more. And, you can access the 2024 Chronicle through this quarter’s newsletter as well!

As always, we encourage you to pass the St Hilda’s details onto any friends who you think may not be on our mailing list and encourage them to get in touch with us so that we can update their details. 

From all of us here at St Hilda’s College, we hope you enjoy reading the Q1 newsletter.

The Community Engagement Team

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