Congratulations to the 2021 Alumnae Award Winners

Old Girls of MLC School help to make the world a better place. Their contributions across many fields of endeavour benefit society as a whole.

Introduced in 2020, the MLC School Alumnae Awards recognise and celebrate Old Girls who are prepared to think differently; have courage and conviction; and lead with passion. These extraordinary women provide a fine example for our current students and showcase the impact MLC School women make on society.

Nominations are received from Old Girls and community members each year, and winners are determined by the Principal in consultation with the President of the Old Girls’ Union.

On Friday 30 April 2021 recipients, their families and friends, members of the Council and Executive and MLC School Old Girls gathered at the Back to College and Alumnae Awards Dinner to celebrate the success of each of these remarkable women.

The 2021 Alumnae Award recipients are:

Sandra Bates AM (Ross, 1955)
Alumnae Award for Cultural Contribution
Sandra Bates was the Governing and Artistic Director of the Ensemble Theatre, Australia’s longest, continuously running professional theatre company, for 30 years from 1986 to 2017. Under her stewardship, the Ensemble grew to one of the worlds most respected playhouses. She is renowned as the longest serving Artistic Director in Australia.

Evangelyn Carr (1951)
Alumnae Award for Social Welfare and Impact
Evangelyn Carr was the Matron of the Tresillian Family Care Centres for over 20 years.  During that time she was part of the team that initiated research leading to recognition of, and assistance for, women suffering from post-natal depression.

Rosalind Coulson (1955)
Alumnae Award for Professional Achievement
Ros Coulson is a pharmaceutical expert who became a world leader in drug development, information sciences and pharmacovigilance – the science relating to the detection, assessment, monitoring, and prevention of the adverse effects of pharmaceutical products, a system still playing an important role being used to track the effects of COVID vaccinations in the UK today.

Cathy Craigie (1976)
Alumnae Award for Cultural Contribution
Cathy Craigie is a Gamilaroi and Anaiwon woman from Northern NSW. She is passionate about Aboriginal capacity building and community development and has worked in Aboriginal Affairs for over 30 years. Cathy says she has never been ambitious for herself. ‘The work I’ve done and continue to do has a purpose, and that’s communicating with and educating Aboriginal as well as non-Aboriginal people to make our lives better.’

Anne Empson (1978)
Alumnae Award for Contribution to MLC School
Anne Empson joined the MLC School Old Girls’ Union and later was a member of the School’s Foundation Board. For 40 years, from 1991 to 2020, Anne was a member of the MLC School Council, initially as the Old Girls’ Union representative and more recently in her role as the Schools Relationship Manager for NSW/ACT Synod of the Uniting Church where she works to strengthen the relationship between the church and its schools and to support the Councils that run the schools on behalf of the church.

Alison Mirams (Hocking, 1991)
Alumnae Award for Professional Achievement
Alison Mirams is a prominent female executive in an industry renowned for a lack of diversity. At the age of 32 years, she became the first woman, and the youngest person worldwide, to be appointed to the role of Director at Multiplex. She is driving positive change in the construction industry by directly influencing the gender diversity ratio at Roberts Co., by growing the female talent pool through sponsoring university women in engineering and by promoting and mentoring women in construction

Cecilia Ngu (2012)
Young Alumnae Award for Social Welfare and Impact
Cecilia Ngu has always had a passion for social justice. She works to address the under-representation of diverse women in the legal sector by facilitating access to quality mentoring, networking and other initiatives to support diverse women entering and progressing in the NSW legal sector; and through her day job as a solicitor to facilitate social and affordable housing projects.

Cassandra Spies (Brown, 1991)
Alumnae Award for Professional Achievement
Managing Director, Cassandra (Cass) Spies co-founded and built Australia’s leading female-led frozen treat manufacturer Twisted Healthy Treats. Together with her all-women management team, Cass has built an authentic Australian brand that is ever expanding.

Emily Sun (2009)
Young Alumnae Award for International Achievement and Cultural Contribution
Violinist Emily Sun is known internationally for her compelling and captivating interpretations of both new and classic repertoire. She has performed recitals in some of the world’s major concert venues and is a multi-international prize winner. She is currently working at the Royal College of Music in London.

Dr Sylvia Walton AO (Collis, 1957)
Alumnae Award for Professional Achievement
Dr Sylvia Walton AO is a passionate educator and an outstanding educational leader who has been highly awarded for her distinguished contribution to Australian education across all levels. In 2003, Sylvia was awarded the second highest award in Australia, Order of Australia (AO), in recognition of her leadership and education at the secondary and tertiary levels.

Each of those in attendance spoke of the way that MLC School shaped their lives and about their lasting friendships from their days here.

For further information about each Alumnae Award winner, please click here. For photos from the event, please visit our Facebook page.

I would encourage as many of you as possible to mark the Back to College and Alumnae Awards Dinner in your diary for next year, it is a very special occasion.

– Lisa Moloney
Principal