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One person is Penny Maggs (Fletcher 1965) a joint School Captain with Helen Easterman (Campbell) and the inaugural President of the Old Girls’ Union. This was at the instigation of the incoming Headmistress, Miss. W. A. Wetherall. Before this the School’s Headmistress was the automatic President. Miss Wetherall asked Penny to take the position which she did for 12 months and then remained on the committee for many years.

When Penny joined the Old Girls Union had a strong group of local women from the 1940, 1950 and the 1960s who ran events to support and raise money for the school. I acknowledge the work by many other Old Girls especially Jaquie Fogarty (Abbott 1964) in Tamworth and the Sydney Chapter of the Old Girls Union ran by Mary England (Melville 1943). Both ladies put many decades of work into keeping the Old Girls Union going and representing the Old Girls.

In later years the younger members joined the Old Girls Union so it continued until Calrossy became a co-ed school and there was the need to accommodate boys. Reflecting on that time, Penny recalls the enduring friendships, she still meets up with Helen and they think back on the school days and their time at Calrossy.

Penny’s connection to Calrossy has remained strong.

“I continued personal ties with the school as I was the eldest of four sisters who attended from 1961 to 1972, and after leaving school I remained in Tamworth, so I visited the school often, watching its changes.”

“In later years my friend’s son attended William Cowper so I visited and watched the continuing changes.”

Now, almost six decade since she graduated, Penny is looking forward to another major milestone her 60 year reunion with the Class of 1965 and 1963 school leavers also joining the celebrations.

“It’s hard to believe it has been that long, “ she says.

“But when we come together, it feels like yesterday. We laugh, we remember the teachers and the traditions, and we honour those who are no longer with us.”

The transition from the OCU to the broader Calrossy Alumni in 2019 is a continuation of the spirit of the school’s graduates.

“It’s about community whether it’s all girls, or now a full alumni of women and men who’ve shared in the Calrossy journey. The names change but the heart stays the same,” Penny shares.

Many Old Girls helped lay the foundation for the thriving alumni network Calrossy enjoys today. The connections rekindle at reunions, the mentorships formed across generations and the proud voices of past students who return, time and again, to the school that helped shape them.

As she prepares to unite with her classmates and reminisce about life at Calrossy in the 1960’s Penny reflects with gratitude.

“The friendships, the memories they don’t fade.”