St Ann's will host about 65 nostalgic students of 1982. Pictured is the opening of the refurbished building in 2006, with then MP David Hawker, Emmanuel College principal Philip Morison and Member for South West Coast Denis Napthine.
GRASSHOPPERS will descend on Warrnambool this weekend for a reunion of students of the former St Ann’s College.
About 65 of the 80 people in the 1982 year 11 class, which has become part of Emmanuel College, will arrive from throughout Australia and overseas for the get-together.
One of the reunion organisers, Marcelle Borland, of Adelaide, said St Ann’s girls had been nicknamed “grasshoppers” because they wore green uniforms.
Ms Borland said a Facebook page called Grasshoppers started by Loredana D’Amico, a former St Ann’s student who now lives in Italy, to keep in touch with her former classmates, had been one of the catalysts that prompted the reunion.
Some classmates had met up with Ms D’Amico in Italy after communicating on Facebook and the page later generated a flurry of contacts and goodwill to bring the reunion about.
Ms Borland said the gathering initially began from an idea to catch up with renowned artist Kathryn Ryan, a former student and now resident of Dubai, when she was in Australia this month for exhibitions of her work in Melbourne, Sydney and Sale.
Ms Ryan’s works, described as interpretations of nature, have been short-listed for several major art awards including the Wynne Prize and many have drawn inspiration from landscapes in Warrnambool and surrounding districts.
The idea of a catch-up spread far and wide and, when Ms D’Amico said she was unable to attend, her former classmates pitched in to meet her travel costs so she could join in the fun.
“She was totally overwhelmed,” Ms Borland said of Ms D’Amico’s reaction.
Ms Borland said other former classmates were coming from Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia as well as throughout Victoria.
“It will be huge,” she said.
Ms Borland said St Ann’s year 11 level had comprised three classes, each of which had about 25 students.
The reunion will start with a tour of the former St Ann’s College, presently Emmanuel’s junior college, from 1pm on Saturday, October 27 at the Ardlie Street entrance, followed by a dinner at Images Restaurant that evening.
A recovery session will be held at Lake Pertobe on the afternoon of Sunday, October 28.