From our 2025 student leaders

This article is adapted from the 2025 student leaders’ address at the Leadership Assembly this week.

HARRY: Welcome back to Term 4! We hope everyone had a restful holiday and a brilliant time on OLE week; we can’t wait to hear about all your adventures, challenges overcome and memories you made. We feel incredibly honoured and privileged to have the opportunity to lead the college alongside Izzy and Banjo and the rest of the year’s student leadership team and are keen to harness the prospect to lead the college into 2025.

I remember when I first visited the campus on a tour back in 2018. My sister had been offered a place for year 5, but I was still on the waitlist for year 7. I was absolutely taken aback at the sheer beauty of the campus. Everyone was so friendly, and compared to my school back home in Fiji, the facilities here were spectacular. I remember being in absolute awe; watching the firsts basketball boys’ scrimmage inside the PCC and hearing some killer jazz solos from a stage band rehearsal in the orchestra room, briefly observing practicals as I peered in through the windows of the science block, and hearing how much fun everyone was having in Hoskins for drama. So, when I received a second round offer for enrolment, I felt incredibly grateful. I was so excited to be given the chance to be part of this school that I promised myself not to squander it. I literally signed myself up for EVERYTHING that the school had to offer and didn’t look back.

As an anxious 12-year-old boy who just moved countries to pursue a fresh start and having not known anyone at the outset, I felt out of my depth. However, on the first day of orientation it was the words of the College Captains that genuinely resonated with me. They said, “What you get out of Oxley is what you put into it.” I can honestly say that pushing myself outside my comfort zone to try new things was the best way for me to meet new friends, become more confident and to become part of the Oxley community. The student leaders at the time were instrumental in making me feel at home in an unfamiliar environment and inspired me to be my best. As your college captains, we hope to be able to provide you the same guidance and inspiration that was afforded to me, so that one day you will do the same for the next cohort of students.

CLEM: And while Harry crossed an ocean to be here, I, just as eagerly, strolled through my front gate.

But regardless of our arrivals, we both entered a community where Oxleyans both big and small, from near and far, stand together unified by college culture in which one is encouraged to get involved and aspire to achieve.

Harry and I have just returned from Outback, a rite of passage for collegians. We left the College driveway bright and early; but a broken air conditioner, a nasty kangaroo encounter and 14 long days later, we returned to that same driveway. If you were to apply a critical lense to the trip, our destination was exactly where we left – but it symbolises something greater, that it’s all about the journey. Outback tests you on every level, for each attendee it could’ve been a mental journey, emotional journey or just merely a physical journey but nonetheless we were on this journey together, accumulating to represent our whole school life. School isn’t just about that one-day you graduate or final exam you sit, it is 13 formative years punctuated with emotions, memories, hardships and triumphs that’s led Harry and I up here today.

Amongst the chaos of the trip, we got a chance to chat about the upcoming year, our ambitions and values. And as we set off to Uluru, presented with both responsibility and possibility, it became easy to think big; Whilst we set our sights high, it’s important to recognize the smaller more foundational factors that allow us to achieve. It’s the friendships we form, spirit that drives us, the kindness we show and moments when we choose to lift each other up that define our success as a collective. Valuing approachability as a leadership team; we want to make it clear that we are here to support you. We are committed to making the school a place of student voice and vision, hoping our team can be the vehicle through which those dreams are both heard and valued.

HARRY: With a focus on Oxley’s values of courage, kindness, wisdom, we aim to really nurture a culture of teamwork and having each other’s backs, with spirit, excellence and unity at the forefront of our vision. With an emphasis on authenticity, enthusiasm, and creativity, we hope to encourage you all to have a presence within the school, and to showcase what it is that you have to offer, that will help bring the school’s values to life. Oxley is a wonderful place to learn so don’t be content to look on from the sidelines as we encourage you to get involved and truly find what motivates you.

CLEM: A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way” we are privileged and proud to stand here today representing year 12 2025.

To our fellow leaders, we are excited and eager to start this journey together. Each of you bring unique strengths and a commitment to make a difference, and I know that united, we can achieve something meaningful this year. We hope you can trust in us as we truly believe in the potential, we share as a whole.

HARRY: To the wider Oxley and Pin Oak community, thank you for this opportunity. We promise to do our best, to serve, to listen, and to make the college a place where everyone feels valued and inspired.

Clem H & Harry K, College Captains 2025

Not the right site: residents protest Plasrefine

The Plasrefine plastic plant to be built only a few hundred metres from schools and residential areas has gained the attention of the Bowral community with multiple protests being held for up to 10 hours a day. At the public meeting on Monday, many people spoke on behalf of our community to change the minds of the state government around Plasrefine.

Many speakers on behalf of our community raised points such as “there is no right site for a plastic plant that emits particles and violates organic compounds.” Although this is the wrong area, it is unreasonable to say there is no right area as this can be used further against the people fighting to stop the government going through with it. This will allow the government to say that if there is no right place then it does not matter where they put it since it is needed either way.

It is ridiculous to put something that could cause so much damage to people’s health so close to the residential areas.

The protest consisted of over 100 speakers and was held in Bowral with many Wingecarribee Shire Council members speaking against the state government and saying how it is ridiculous to put something that could cause so much damage to people’s health so close to the residential areas and the water way that flow into Sydney’s water supplies. More than 13,000 chemicals have been identified to be associated with plastics and the state government is assuring us that there will not be a leak into our environment and that they are aware of how close it is to schools and housing areas and how they will ensure that there will be no malfunctions in their systems to keep the harmful chemicals contained.

The proposed plastic recycling plant to be built near Moss Vale. 📷 Wingecarribee Shire Council

Out the front of the town centre in Bowral was hundreds of people chanting “not the right site” until the doors opened, holding signs and having the media pay attention to what they were saying after months of trying to get their attention. More awareness on this topic should be raised as you don’t want to be drinking chemicals in your water or being afraid of going outside.

Sienna W, Year 10

Rites of Passage

On October 11 Year 9 embarked on Rites of Passage, a 9-day trip venturing across Sydney. The 1-and-a-half-hour bus ride to Glebe began this journey. Once we arrived at The Village Hostel Glebe, we split into our groups for the scavenger hunt which would set the mood for this terrific adventure. The scavenger hunt took us all over Sydney, from busy and popular places like Luna Park to moments of tranquillity in the Chinese Gardens of Friendship. We discovered these places taking in the busy city life as we explored different modes of public transport, such as light rail, trains, ferries and buses. The final place we had to reach on the scavenger hunt was the restaurant we were eating at in China Town where we reencountered the other groups and talked about the day’s events over dinner. After dinner we made our way to Junkyard Beats where we listened to music being played on rubbish bins and with plastic bags and got to try playing music on different recycled instruments. After the day’s busy events we were ready to go back to the Hostel. We received our rooms and prepared ourselves for the adventures that tomorrow would bring.

Our second day began with journaling about yesterday’s experience over Nutella toast before we set off on a walk from Coogee to Bondi. Though the weather wasn’t perfect, we made the most of this experience enjoying the view of the coastline that you can’t get in Bowral. After a long walk we were rewarded with free time, which involved double scoops at Ben & Jerry’s. We took a long ferry ride to Parramatta where we had dinner at Bondi Pizza and watched an incredible performance of Shrek the Musical. This day ended past midnight with some very tired students, so everyone was glad to be back at the hostel.

The next day brought its fair share of excitement with a trip to the beautiful Royal Botanical Gardens where we spent an hour. Our next activity was watching a Sydney Kings game which excited the entire year group. After watching the Sydney Kings beat the Cairns Taipans 99 – 76, we walked to Wentworth Common to enjoy a dinner in a park. After the late arrival back at the youth hostel the night before we were all ready to go to sleep.

Day 4 was our first day at a workshop. The workshop I attended was the Mathew Talbot Hostel which is a men’s hostel for homeless men. We spent the first part of the workshop with a tour and the one of the managers talked to us about what they do there. We then went to fold and sort sheets, blankets and pillowcases to donate to the homeless people. After this eye-opening experience, we met with the rest of the year group and went to the Jewish Museum where we met a survivor of the Holocaust, and she talked to us about her experience which captivated Year 9. We were then shown around the museum by knowledgeful volunteers and were told more stories. After this enlightening day we headed to Macquarie Centre to have a student’s choice dinner and returned to the hostel to get ready for the next day.

Day 5’s workshop for me was Our Big Kitchen. In this we did things like shape cookie dough, decorate them and package them as well as make bread and peel potatoes. After this the year group split into two groups, one went to UNSW sport centre and the other went to the Museum of Human Disease. My experience at UNSW Sports Centre was really fun with lots of different activities for us to do. The day finished with bowling and arcade games at Strike EQ.

On Wednesday, I attended the languages workshop where we ate at a French café, browsed in a Japanese bookshop and took photos in a Korean photo booth. The group split again for the second activity with half going to Heffron Park and the other half going to the Museum of Human Disease. In the Museum of Human Disease, we saw a presentation about medicines and diseases and then got to look around the museum. We finished this busy day with dinner at City Extra and a walk across the Harbour Bridge to the ice-cream shop on the other side.

On Thursday, we visited Cockatoo Island for a tour of its history and a tour of the Sydney Cricket Ground. We also went to the Sydney Swans HQ and saw where they trained and kicked a ball around on their field in the middle of the HQ. For the dinner that day we went to Spice Alley and were exposed to all kinds of different cultures through their food. We finished the night with a trip to the cinemas to watch Twisters. We returned to the Youth Hostel to prepare for our last full day tomorrow.

On our last full day included our final workshop. I went to the Burwood Local Court where we witnessed many court cases in action. The year group then split again to go to different universities. At UTS we learned about starting a business and heard from different entrepreneurs. We got a tour of all the UTS startup buildings in their various locations. Our final activity would be the Sydney Harbour cruise where we saw incredible views of the harbour and danced inside. Even though it rained, we still had a great time.

Overall, the Rites of Passage experience was excellent. We were exposed to all kinds of experiences like independently navigating public transport, different cultures, and helping homeless people. Rites of Passage was an enlightening adventure and something that has taught Year 9 invaluable life lessons and something that we will never forget.

Emilie S & Annalise W, Year 9

Outback

While everyone’s holidays were getting started, Year 11 were getting ready for their two-week trip to Uluru. Going into the trip, I think everyone can say that we all had our expectations, and they were definitely exceeded. This trip tested our patience and social batteries to say the least.

Our first three days were spent getting to Broken Hill. Our first stop was Warrumbungle National Park, and on the first day a tire was blown. This is where the adventure started. At camp, the boys all began cutting their hair and speeches were read by five students whose parents also went on the trip. For all of us listening, this was very cool to see how much the trip has changed over the years.

Day 2 was our first hike, and the views were amazing. It was definitely a warmup for all the ones to come. We drove to Cobar on Day 2. Many card games, singing and more filled the buses. When we arrived at camp and set up the tents, the ground was rock hard and red. The further west we got the more it felt like our Outback, as grass slowly turned into red dirt. We spent hours among hours on the buses, sitting next to people we wouldn’t usually and looking out the window, it was kilometres of nothing.

Broken Hill is Mr Bevan’s favourite place on Outback; we later found out it was because every street is named after a chemical. Our first reflection was in Broken Hill at sunset up on a hill. This was the first time I think a lot of us realised the once in a lifetime opportunity this trip was.

We then reached South Australia. Port Augusta was the first camp where everyone had the afternoon to chill and do whatever we wanted. The next morning was our first 4am wakeup. We got to our jobs and spent two hours sleeping on the bus, then arrived at the Salt Lake for sunrise. It was something I don’t think any of us had ever seen and was very memorable. We had a pleasant surprise today: we learned that in Coober Pedy, we would be staying underground. We went pooling for opals and had a tour of the museum.

Coober Pedy was our last stop in South Australia, before we crossed the Northern Territory border. The next stop was Kings Canon. The campsite was in a park and there were many activities to do. It was also the first time we saw all the students back from the Round Square Colombia trip. Hearing their stories were something very different but exciting.

The next day was the most anticipated: Uluru. We spent the night at the sunset near the rock and took many photos. The next day was an early start with two walks ahead of us. The first walk was the Olgas, the views of the rocks were something none of us had ever seen. Later, we all walked around Uluru, it was very hot and flat but interesting to see the different arts and the old path that people used to climb to get to the top. That night, Mr Bevan had a surprise for us, and we all watch the NRL grand finale.

The next day we went back into South Australia stopping at Coober Pedy for another night, then Wilpena Pound for two nights. In Wilpena Pound, we had a tour of the homestead from Fraser’s grandparents and listened to a talk about the area and its indigenous history.

This was officially the home stretch! Next location was Copi Hollow. We stayed at a very nice place on the water with grass. It had been a week and a half since we had seen a large portion of grass. We all swam in the lake, and it was a very nice way to end the trip. The last stop was Hay, and we had a visit to the wool shed, where we watched a shearer shear a sheep then organise the wool. The last night, we all had time to reflect on the river and later reflected as a group with the teachers about the trip.

This trip was something our year group will never forget, and it was a once in a lifetime trip. Thank you to all the teachers!

Annabelle B, Year 12 2025

Sneak peek into Mamma Mia rehearsals

What have the cast and crew of Mamma Mia got to say about being a part of the 2024 Senior Production?

“It’s just… so much fun.” – Liam H, Year 10

“I loved forming connections with other year groups.” – Molly E, Year 9

“We are all having a lot of fun working on this iconic production. I think it is something about the sense of joy in the lyrics, everyone shows up with spirit and enthusiasm which is so encouraging to witness after so many rehearsals. These kids are unreal!” – Mrs Pascoe

“It’s been one of the best experiences of my school life. What I have learned from this will stay with me.” – Ava R, Year 12 2025

Chiara- “I feel that I have gained confidence and I loved being able to dance and have fun with everyone throughout the show. I’m so excited to see it all come together for the performances.” – Chiara S, Year 12 2025

“I loved the comradery of everyone in the cast.” – Ollie R, Year 10

Oxley’s performance run of Mamma Mia opens Tuesday 26 November at 7pm. See you there!

Arkie F, Captain of Drama 2025

The Style Section: Spring 2025

Spring Ready-to-Wear collections are being released ahead of the 2025 seasons. We have welcomed the classic spring colour palate as well as new trends which have taken over the runway.

In other exciting news, recently the Victoria Secret Fashion Show made a dramatic return from its disappearance after the 2018 show. This show returned in the heart of New York city bringing back some of the most popular ‘VS Angels’ from past seasons. Reintroducing the iconic wings were models such as Adriana Lima, Kate Moss, Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid, and Tyra Banks, sharing the stage with artists such as Cher, Tyla and Lisa.

At this time Julien Dossena was displaying her 2025 Spring collection with Rabanne in Paris. This collection saw the intricate use of layering and the exciting use of colour and metallics. The incredible mix of material saw blends of colours and textures whilst keeping the same palette throughout the entire collection maintaining the spring look. Colours of spring such as light blue, green, and purple were worn with silver and gold giving spring a Rabanne touch. Dossena’s love for experimentation on the runway is particularly noticed through 3 of the purses that were on display in Paris, inspired by Rabanne’s original 1969 bags, replaced with modern materials. One of the bags is designed with 18-carat gold made by Arthus Bertrand and has officially been named the world’s most expensive bag.

The modern oversized look is very much still trending on the runway, not only seen in Rabanne but also Loewe’s Spring-Summer 2025 runway collection. “Voluminous lightness” is how the Loewe Paris show is being described. The season brought incredible use of shape to the runway, the use of petticoats and other structured boning, often visible throughout dresses, coats and skirts. Jonathen Anderson shows the blend of modern art and fashion in creating beautiful springtime dresses.

Juliette J, Year 12 2025

What is the Bayeux Tapestry?

The Bayeux Tapestry is an artefact made in 1070CE that displays the events that occurred during the Battle of Hastings. This battle was considered the final showdown between Harold Godwinsen, King of England, and Duke William of Normandy, since conflict had been created with these two leaders for many years. However, the Normans defeated Harold and Duke William became King on Christmas Day, 1066CE.

The Bayeux Tapestry was created by unknown artists, but due to the high-quality needlework, it is suggested that Anglo-Saxon embroiderers created the piece of work. Being 70 metres long in length, it is a woven decorative fabric, featuring range of blue, red, pink, orange and brown pigments. It was embroidered in wool thread on linen cloth. The artefact itself was made only four years after the Battle of Hastings, meaning it is an authentic primary source to those studying medieval history.

The tapestry was specially made to furnish the Bishop Ode’s newly built cathedral in 1077CE. It was used as a decoration, but also to show and tell the story of events regarding the Battle of Hastings. It is in the Normans’ viewpoint, who were the ‘winners’ in the battle. Since the artefact is in this perspective, it is not biased in its information as a valuable source.

The most famous scene from the Bayeux Tapestry: Harold is struck in the face with an arrow, effectively ending the Battle of Hastings. 📷 Bayeux Museum

Now, in the present day, the Bayeux Tapestry is on display in the Bayeux Museum in the French region of Normandy. In the exhibition, it is preserved in a special glass case designed to protect the artefact from temperature and humidity. Additionally, certain lighting is also used to ensure the tapestry’s preservation.

The Bayeux Tapestry is a significant source of art and history of medieval times; it has been telling its fascinating story since the 11^th century. It has been an inspiration to historians and educators. In the 21^st century and onwards, it continues to retell the story of the Battle of Hastings for many generations to come.

Ruby C, Year 8

Sports Report

Round 1 of the Summer ISA season saw strong performances across several sports for Oxley College, with great results and commendable efforts by all teams. Firstly, congratulations to the Touch Football Firsts Girls, who kicked off the season with an impressive 10-2 victory against Chevalier College. This was a fantastic effort, showcasing their teamwork and skill on the field. Well done, girls!

The Basketball Firsts Boys had an outstanding game against Oakhill College, securing a decisive 42-12 win. This high-energy match displayed their excellent defence and shooting. Great job, boys! The Basketball Firsts Girls also made Oxley proud, defeating Blue Mountains Grammar with a score of 47-29. Their hard work and strategic plays paid off, earning them a well-deserved victory. Congratulations to the girls!

The Softball Firsts Girls faced Chevalier College and emerged victorious with a 14-9 score. This was a great game for the girls, and they should be very proud for their amazing efforts.

Lastly, the Cricket Firsts faced a tough match against St Pius X College, chasing a challenging target but ultimately being bowled out for 81. Although it wasn’t the outcome they hoped for, their effort and determination were commendable.

Well done to everyone who represented Oxley College this round! Let’s continue to support each other and strive to achieve the Oxley values. Keep up the great work, and let’s look forward to more successes in the upcoming rounds.

Lily S, Year 12 2025