14 February 2024

By Mrs Annette Carter, College Historian

The 40^th anniversary of Radford College’s Dedication Service was on the 11^th of February at 3:00pm. It was on this day, in 1984, that Radford College students and staff along with parents and other stakeholders joined each other outside the library to officially open and dedicate the school.

Among the official guests were The Right Honourable Sir Ninian Stephen, Governor-General of Australia and the Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn, The Right Reverend Owen Dowling. It was a warm Saturday, and students were dressed in full summer uniform. The Official Party was seated on the stage and other visitors sought shelter under the marquee and the shade of nearby trees.

On the arrival of the Official Party, the National Anthem was played before the assembled crowd heard addresses by the Governor-General, the Principal J.A. (Jock) Mackinnon, and Dr T.B. Millar. After the plaque unveiling, visitors were invited to inspect the school and enjoy afternoon tea in the Science laboratories.

T.B. Millar’s speech at the Dedication Service reflects what we continue to strive for, 40 years on:

“We dedicate Radford to the objective of ensuring, so far as possible, that its students are cultured and compassionate human beings, grounding in Christian teachings and traditions, and who at the conclusion of their school careers are well prepared for tertiary education, for employment, and for living.”

A highlight during the first week of Term 1, was the unveiling of the brand-new bush stairs between the Browning Early Learning Centre and the Mulford Junior School.

This project, that was completed over the summer holidays, was the brainchild of Radford College's Facilities Manager, Mr Craig Webber. The idea behind the stairs was to make the trip between the ELC and Junior School easier on the younger students.

The stair risers are shorter, and the treads are longer, to enable the little ones to take a few steps between stairs. It is also designed to make the trip fun, with lots of peepholes along the way to look through and turn the trip up and down the stairs into a game.

Ms Karen Mahar, Acting Deputy Principal, Head of Junior School, says the Early Years staff are enthusiastic about an additional space for Perceptual Motor Programs.

The stairs will be utilised on Tuesday and Thursday mornings when the Pre-Kindergarten children have their PE lessons, as well as by Year 1 students to access the PE garden as an additional play space during break times.

The stairs also provide a connection between the ELC and Junior School and will support our students in their transition from PK to Kindergarten.

“The Bush Stairs don’t just connect the physical structures of the Radford College Junior School, they promote educational pathways that foster a seamless transition of growth for our early childhood learners," says Mrs Jo O'Brien, Assistant Head of Junior School Learning and Teaching.

Radford College prides itself on its reputation for sustainability. These stairs are made from hardwood sleepers and concrete framework and was built to last for at least 30 years. Over time the sleepers will fade due to exposure to the elements and blend in with the school's beautiful bushland surroundings.

Radford siblings, Reuben and Lilla Gillman-Wells' performance at Friday's Whole School Commencement Assembly was a highlight for this musical duo.

"It was a thrill and as soon as we got into the song, it felt amazing," says Reuben. "I think most people enjoyed it, and it fit into the occasion as well as we’d hoped. We also both felt very honoured to have the opportunity. Overall, it was a great experience and will probably be the biggest performance we do for a while yet."

Reuben, Year 10 and Lilla, Year 9, first started piano lessons when they were 10 years old. A year later they added guitar to their musical repertoire, but it would be a while before they started performing together.
Their first proper performance was at a Radford College assembly last year when they performed ‘Lovely’ by Billie Eilish. Louis Thai, Year 10, accompanied them on violin. After that they've performed in various places and settings.

We asked them a few questions about performing together as brother and sister.

Is there a different dynamic at play when you perform with a sibling rather than a fellow student?
Yes of course. The dynamic can be better and worse at times. We think that we know each other and our capabilities really well, to the point where we can immediately tell if a song is working for one another or not. Rehearsals are easier because you can just do them at home, you can also give feedback easier, and surprisingly we don’t fight all that often either.


How do you decide on what to perform? Is your taste in music very similar?
We take suggestions from everyone, and we’re always giving new things a go. Usually, we decide based on what we can do well, and what the audience would like to hear. Our music taste does overlap enough for us to pretty easily agree on genres and types of songs to perform, but we definitely both have to like and agree to do the songs in order for us to do them well.

Do either of you plan to pursue a career in music after school? Lilla definitely has ideas for the music world in her career, things like opera and musical theatre, as well as possibly voice acting and singing roles. I have less of a plan for the future, though I will always like doing gigs and am currently writing my own songs. I also enjoy musical theatre and that could be something I do later on.

Water Polo

During the first weekend of February the ACT Water Polo Club Championships were held at the Oasis Regional Aquatic Centre in Wagga Wagga. The combined team of Radford College and the Nordek Water Polo Club, travelled to Wagga Wagga to compete for the Girls U16 Division.
The girls were victorious and won the U16 Girls Club Championship. Well done!
The team included the following Radford College students: Molly Jones (Banksia, Year 9), Stella Layton (Jarrah, Year 9), Carys Hodgkinson (Acacia, Year 9), Kate Kristiansen (Huon, Year 9), Svara Kelkar (Houn, Year 9) and Emma Henry (Karri, Year 10). The team is coached by a Radford Collegian, Kate Daly (class of 2021).

Radford Rowers Shine at NSW Rowing Championships

Over the past weekend, our Radford rowing program showcased its talent and dedication at the highly anticipated NSW Rowing Championships. The event was held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre (SIRC) in Penrith. This prestigious event is renowned for its competitiveness and draws participants from schools, clubs, and sports institutes nationwide.

Representing Radford with pride, over 40 rowers and coxes from our Year 8-12 squads took to the water, delivering superb performances throughout the championships.

We are thrilled to announce that our efforts resulted in a remarkable medal haul for Radford College. Our achievements include a bronze medal in the U16 Boys Single Scull (Charlie Knight, Banksia Year 10) and another Bronze in the Senior School Boys Coxed Quad (Hamish Gaden, Karri, Hamish McKee, Jarrah, Angus Scott, Acacia, Rohan White, Kurrajong and Izzy Faris, Karri.) All team members are Year 12.

The Radford rowers won a silver medal in the U16 Boys Double (Charlie Knight, Banksia Year 10 and Hugo Ryan, Huon Year 10), and an outstanding Gold in the U19 Boys Double (Connor Malouf, Houn Year 12 and Angus Scott, Acacia Year 12).

Notably, Radford emerged as the top-ranked ACT school at the regatta, placing an impressive 7th overall among all competing schools and securing the 24th position out of 70 clubs/schools on the overall medal tally.

As we celebrate these achievements, we eagerly look forward to the upcoming weekend, where almost the entire rowing program will be competing in the Rowing ACT Age Championships and ACT Head of the Lake on Lake Burley Griffin.

Upcoming School Sport ACT Team Trials

Baseball (18&U Boys and Girls)

Tennis (18&U Boys and Girls)

Important - Radford students who choose to trial for SSACT teams are to follow the registration process for the respective sport trials. Majority of SSACT trials are conducted after school hours, however IF the trial does take place during the school day, it is the responsibility of the parent / guardian to notify the College of their child’s absence.

The Radford Parents & Friends Association would like to invite you to join them for their first event of the year, the Welcome Back Barbeque and Colour Run on 16 February 2024 from 17:00pm - 18:30pm on the J.A. Mackinnon Oval.

The event is open to new and existing Radford families and promises to be a night to remember.
Come and enjoy a free sausage sizzle, drink and ice-cream and young and old can partake in the colour run. Be sure to wear old or white clothing.

To keep up to date with P&F events throughout the year, please follow Radford P&F on Facebook and Instagram.

The Radford Collegians are excited to host the Radford College long lunch on Saturday, 15 June 2024.

The guest speaker for the event is Steven Bradbury, OAM, an Australian former short skate speed skater and four-time Olympian. He won the 1,000m event at the 2002 Winter Olympics after all of his opponents were involved in a last-corner pile-up. He was the first athlete from Australia and also the Southern Hemisphere to win a Winter Olympic gold medal, and was also part of the short track relay team who won Australia's first Winter Olympic medal, a bronze in 1994.

Steven Bradbury’s talks cover an array of topics, including collaboration, teamwork, overcoming adversity, inspirational business and leadership goal setting, and being your best.

Early bird tickets are available to purchase here until 30 March 2024 at $80 per person, $640 for a table of 8, or $800 for a table of 10. The price of the ticket includes canapés, drinks and lunch.

For a sneak peek of what to expect, click here.

The Radford P&F Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday, 7 March at the R.A. Young Hall from 6pm.

All parents are invited to attend and can join the committee by completing this Nomination Form.

Click on the following links for more information on the Agenda and the Notice of AGM.

Celebrate 40 Years of Radford College with us at the Radford College Gala Ball. Tickets are available now.

This year we look forward to bringing together past and present members of the Radford College community to honour our history and celebrate our achievements.

This event is a fantastic way for Radford parents and friends to strengthen and grow their connections within the school.

Please advise of any dietary requirements when purchasing your tickets. If booking individual tickets, please specify your seating preference (year group or collegian).

This year will feature entertainment from the ‘Capital Club Band’ plus other special guests.

We look forward to celebrating this momentous occasion with you while we dance the night away!

For more information, send an email to radfordcollegegalaball@gmail.com