As the school year unfolds, students have been busy making memories, taking on challenges, and embracing new experiences. From the excitement of Year 7s first tug-of-war to the camaraderie of the Year 12 breakfast, each moment tells a story of growth, learning, and school spirit.

To our current families, we hope this brings a sense of pride; to our alumni, a touch of nostalgia; and to our future students, a taste of what’s to come. Enjoy the stories, the photos, and the spirit that makes our school truly special!

For the Year 12s, this year marks the beginning of an end, the final push until they move to a new chapter in life.

Starting out, they experienced an inspiring leadership breakfast at the MCG, with guest speaker Alisa Camplin-Warner AM.

The Trinity community came together earlier this term to take part in the annual Harambee Fundraiser.

Throughout the course of three weeks, students, staff and families raised over $45,000 in donations, going towards improving the lives of those who are less fortunate.

Interest is building in developing an OTG Athletics Club for both dedicated athletes and those who would like to be involved in a casual and social capacity.
Contact otg@trinity.vic.edu.au to express your interest.

As the sun sets on season ’24/25, the boys of the OTGCC are beginning to emerge from their six-month, cricket-induced fugue beaten but not defeated.

The First XI’s season ended in what can only be described as an anti-climax, with our last three games either heated off or washed out to leave us less than a game out of the finals. The 2nd XI made it a week further, but in true OTGCC fashion failed to capitalise on a strong start in their semi-final against Caulfield to fall about 20 runs short of moving on to the big dance.

Despite this, the season was an unequivocal success with a record number of OTGs rotating through both XIs. The emergence of a number of Under 19s was particularly pleasing, reinforcing the critical pipeline that exists between the club and the school.

The strength of this relationship was no more evident than during the exhibition T20 played between an OTGCC side and the schoolboy First XI on a Tuesday night at Bulleen. Played in great spirits, the old bulls scraped over the line against our younger (and frankly more talented) counterparts composed of what we hope to be a number of future recruits.

While we initially bonded over our love/hate of cricket, it was the post-game dinner catered by our very supportive sponsors Chargrill Charlie’s that truly brought the two sides together.

I would like to send a massive shout-out to head curator Brandon D’Amore and his team out at Bulleen for all their work this season. We consistently have the best facilities in the league and this is due to the hard-work, passion and skill of Brando and his team. Our club simply couldn’t function without their support.

The annual silly season now begins for our boys, with a number of social functions planned over the next month or so. Stay tuned for updates on these in the next edition!

Seb Nicolosi (OTG 2012)
OTGCC President

It has been another fantastic start to the 2025 season, and as usual we have kicked off with our Annual Golf Day at Green Acres. Over 100 past players, current players and friends took to the course with some very mixed results.

Some unfortunate news this season, in that we have been unable to field a Women’s side due to low numbers, which is a sad state of affairs in our Women’s program. What it does tell us is that we must improve off the field and get more professional in our approach to Women’s football. We will get things right and re-build, but it may take us a year or so to do this.

Our Men’s program on the other hand is bristling with training fervour and large numbers are attending at every session. Our Player’s Launch at the Tower Hotel in Hawthorn was a great night to see what the season will promise, and practice matches are in full swing.

Tony Mulcahy
OTGAFC President

As the 2024 year came to a close, OTGHC saw fantastic results across both the summer and indoor Term 4 competitions. Our indoor team placed fourth at the end of a gruelling season, whilst the summer lads finished in third. Both teams played in great spirits, having our highest Term 4 turnout, despite some warmer weather.

With 2025 well underway, the club took some time to rest and has moved towards preseason for the 2025 winter season. After a strong performance from both teams last season, we are keen to continue improving and leave our mark in the upcoming season.

We are offering incentives to the Class of 2024 who sign
up with us and encourage anyone interested in playing
with us to contact Tom on 0487 346 042 or email otghockey@gmail.com

Tom Cohen (OTG 2018)
OTGHC Committee Member

As we begin the 2025 season, the Old Trinity Grammarians’ Soccer Club (OTGSC) wraps up an eventful and rewarding preseason. We’ve welcomed new faces to the club, strengthening both our senior and reserves squads while also reinstating a Sunday league team, further expanding our competitive presence.

After a brief break over Christmas, January and February saw an intense schedule of matches against strong state league sides across Victoria, pushing our squad to new heights. The OTGSC also progressed past the first round of the Hahn Australia Cup with a bye, setting up a clash against Pakenham United FC. Despite a hard-fought battle, Pakenham claimed victory with a 2-0 result.

The club is thrilled to welcome new sponsors, including the Skinny Dog Hotel and Elia Greek Tavern, both of whom have already been integral in launching our social and community events, kicking off with a successful team dinner at Elia’s and first official social event at the Skinny Dog Hotel in early March. Looking ahead, we have a packed calendar of events to bring the club and community together. Please feel free to visit @oldtrinitysc on Instagram to see all social event details.

Additionally, changes within the committee signal fresh ideas and a renewed focus on the club’s future. We welcome Patrick Booth (Treasurer), Eddie Ansbro (Head of Socials) and Christopher Liosatos (Secretary) who join the committee team.

If you are interested in joining our playing squad or becoming a part of the club on a social aspect, please contact Lino Salzano (President) by email (linosalzano4@gmail.com) or Christopher Liosatos (Secretary) (christopherliosatos0@gmail.com).

Jeremy Neylon (OTG 2013) & Lino Salzano (OTG 2018)
OTGASC Co-Presidents

The OTG Water Polo Club has had an immensely successful start to 2025, with two teams currently playing in the ‘Summer Splash’ season. The club’s inclusive, social culture with a strong focus on playing together and getting to know each other out of the pool has seen a record number of OTGs playing games at MSAC and attending trainings at the Trinity pool. The club expects to run a third team in the next season starting at the end of July. Players of all experience and skill levels are welcome.

If you are interested in joining, please send Ed an email at ecasmith1998@gmail.com.

Ed Smith (OTG 2017)
OTGA Otters President

Peter Beer (OTG 1976)  – Research on the work of his great-grandfather Clements Langford (OTG 1930)

Michael Penman  – Trinity histories

James Lawson (Staff 1995-2024)  –  Original 1996 laptop and IT resources

George Streitberg (OTG 1967)  –  Photographic prints made by Fred Meeker (OTG 1966)

Garry Trollope (OTG 1957)  – Mitres

Deb Hilton –  Mitres and TGS business card case

Ian Turnbull (OTG 1978)  –  Mitres, Trinity histories, centenary merchandise, OTG tie

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
Netflix

Apple Cider Vinegar is a sharp, unsettling dive into one of Australia’s most infamous wellness scandals. Based on the true story of Belle Gibson—the influencer who faked a cancer diagnosis—it peels back the layers of social media, wellness culture, and the lies we tell ourselves. Stylishly shot and darkly fascinating, it’s a brutal look at what happens when the pursuit of health turns toxic. Perfect if you’re into true crime, media scandals, or shows that make you question everything you scroll past.

SEVERANCE
Apple TV

Severance is one of the most original, unsettling, and strangely funny shows in years. A razor-sharp blend of sci-fi, corporate satire, and psychological thriller, it asks: what if you could separate your work self from your real self—literally? The world-building is eerie and meticulous, the cast is pitch-perfect, and every episode peels back just enough to keep you guessing. If you like your mysteries slow-burn, stylish, and just a little existential, Severance is absolutely worth clocking in for.

THE WHEEL OF TIME
Amazon Prime

If you are a lover of high fantasy, great costumes, magic and Rosamund Pike, The Wheel of Time finally finds its rhythm in Season 3, and it’s absolutely worth catching up. The world feels vast and lived-in, the characters are growing into their destinies, and the magic is bigger, stranger, and more dangerous. Political tensions rise, friendships are tested, and the looming threat of the Dark One feels real. If you’ve been waiting for this series to deliver on its epic potential, this is the season that makes it all click. Perfect for fans of sprawling fantasy worlds and complicated heroes.

BREAKFAST IN AMERICA
Supertramp

You have not lived music if you have not listened to this album. A must-have album from 1979 and you will certainly recognise some tunes that you can easily whistle to. And the cover of the album is a great work of art!

INFINITY
Voces8

A vocal ensemble of eight talented singers who will soothe the heart and the ears with some remarkable choral music. Be pleasantly surprised as to what the human voice can do.

Ingredients

Unsalted butter – 140 grams
Brown sugar – ½ cup
Castor sugar – ½ cup
Egg – 1 only
Vanilla essence – 1 tsp
Plain flour – 220 grams
Dark chocolate – 1 cup (chopped)

In a medium bowl add the butter (soft) and both sugars.

Using a wooden spoon mix very well for 3-4 minutes.

Add the egg and vanilla essence – mix well.

Fold the flour and chocolate through. With a tablespoon scoop and shape into balls then push down slightly into a round shape.

Bake until golden @170c (fan forced) (approximately 18 minutes).

From Amy Jackson, Head of Junior School Library Services

THE GREAT RABBIT CHASE
by Freya Blackwood

The Great Rabbit Chase by Freya Blackwood has beautiful illustrations to complement the story of a girl and her rabbit called ‘Gumboots’. The whole community comes together to spend an afternoon in the sun. Freya Blackwood is a celebrated children’s author/illustrator who also worked on special effects for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. We have many books written by her in our collection.

THE AVENTURES OF NANNY PIGGINS
by R.A. Spratt

The Adventures of Nanny Piggins by R.A. Spratt is a fun and interesting series. We were lucky to have this author present to our students to showcase her books and to answer our questions. The characters in this book are endearing, and the story is full of humour and adventure. It is a very popular series with our middle and upper primary school students.

Sam Geldard (OTG 2024) signed with UK-based professional cycling team, Zappi for 2025.

Liam Henderson (OTG 2021), who was the Trinity Firsts Hockey Captain and AGSV Hockey Captain in 2021, has been selected for the 2025 Kookaburras Australian Men’s’ Hockey team. He debuted for Australia in Sydney in the FIH Pro League, and was awarded ‘Player of the Match’ in his second game. The Kookaburras will tour Europe in June in preparation for World Cup Qualifiers in September.

Dr Ved Jithoo (OTG 2019) graduated from the University of Newcastle Medical School and commenced his internship at John Hunter Hospital early this year. Ved and his mother Sadhna recently took the time to reach out to those teachers at Trinity who had an impact on Ved and his family during their time at Trinity – a gesture most appreciated.

Wal Close (OTG 1955)

Wal was part of Trinity, both as a student (1948-1955) and as a teacher (1967-1997).

As a student, Wal was one of the Choir Boys that rehearsed at St Paul’s Cathedral each morning. The Choir Boys would return to Kew, missing the first two periods of school each day. Wal missed out on the maths and science classes which may have manoeuvred him towards his true passion: Geography. He finished his Year 12 as a Prefect. Wal’s ability was recognised with a government scholarship, and he pursued a Bachelor of Arts (Geography) and a Diploma of Education; teaching at Moe High School before returning to Trinity. He had many roles in his 30 years of service. He was a Geography Master, Head of Year Level Master, Boarding House Master, a Cricket Coach and Umpire, (kiss your Saturdays goodbye!) and Head of the Geography Department. His last job at TGS was as a Careers Advisor.

Rob Neish (OTG 1979)

Rob attended Trinity from 1973 and was named School Captain in 1979. During his time at school he enjoyed athletics, cross country and football, he was also named AGSV Captain of Athletics and awarded Trinity’s Rhodes Prize in 1979. Rob went on to have a wonderful career as a physiotherapist and lived in New Zealand.

Rob regularly made the trip to join his cohorts at Trinity reunions and recently attended an Old Trinity dinner in New Zealand. Sadly, Rob collapsed at a National Bowling Tournament in Auckland in January and could not be saved. Many of his Trinity friends and his brothers David (OTG 1976) and Peter (OTG 1987) gathered with Rob’s many friends to celebrate his life in January. Rob will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

School Captains Paul Liondas (OTG 1995) and Russell Gruen (OTG 1985) shared their reflections and values learnt at school which they have carried through life.

Over 140 Old Trinity Grammarians who completed their education at Trinity 50 or more years ago gathered for this annual event, hearing from 1975 School Captain and member of the Gallery of Achievement, Grant Fowler (OTG 1975).

As a child, I had the image of myself as a scientist in a white lab coat, dealing with glass tubes with different coloured liquids, and wearing a pair of thick glasses.

While I put on lab coats and safety glasses, there are no glass tubes in the lab (all disposable plastic ware). On reflection, the Seven Up series directed by Paul Almond that we watched in Year 10 English class with Mrs Tuckerman now seems prophetic and uncannily accurate!

My first experience with Trinity was, in fact, in Malaysia in 1982, when my parents told me that we were to travel from my hometown Muar (a town in Johor State) to meet Mr Munroe in Malacca (approximately 42 km north of Muar) for an interview. The meeting went surprisingly well, or so I thought, despite barely speaking a word!

Having attended Mandarin-speaking schools before commencing at Trinity in Year 8, subjects taught in English, let alone French, were initially a challenge for me. Though at the time I dreaded language classes, I now look back with fondness at my French teacher, Mr Pearson, playing tape recordings of French train station announcements. Funnily enough, while I was working in Edinburgh in the early 2000s at the Roslin Institute (famed for creating the very first cloned sheep ‘Dolly’; and yes, I also had the opportunity to see her in real life!), I picked up French classes for a second time.

After graduating from Trinity, I started my journey to become a scientist, a dream I had had since I was a kid in Muar. I enrolled at La Trobe University’s Bundoora Campus for a Biological Sciences degree majoring in Microbiology and Genetics (much to the disappointment of my father, who had instead encouraged me to do a degree in accounting). I then pursued an Honours degree studying the evolutionary genetics of the Australian bull ant genus Myrmecia, followed by a PhD degree on the population genetics of an unnamed ant species – Rhytidoponera sp. 12- found in the semi-arid zone of Australia.

My job has taken me around the world, including post-doctoral fellowships at the University of Helsinki (Finland) and the University of Oulu (just below the Arctic Circle), followed by Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland, the University of Melbourne, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Germany, and now the CSIRO in Canberra.

The years in Finland were some of the most exciting years I have had; ice dipping in frozen lakes and cross-country skiing in Lapland, experiencing the endless long winter dark nights brightened only by the snow, the northern lights, and by the sun briefly rising above the horizon for just a few minutes when the weather was fine and the sky clear. Winter lasted seven months but was followed by the most amazing 24 hours of daylight as summer arrived, when we would eat strawberries by the harbour, wander through the fish markets, and island hop in Åland to pick mushrooms and blueberries.

My role as a scientist has evolved, from the early years of spending long hours in laboratories to now engaging collaborators, securing funding, mentoring team members, interpreting findings and communicating implications with Government officers and the media.

I’ve worked on plenty of interesting projects, including on the spread of internal parasites of bumblebees that affect the tomato industry, on population genomics of some of the most important crop pests – the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda and the cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera, and hunting down resistance genes crucial to Australia’s primary industries.

Insects are of global importance, and when they become invasive, they can affect food security, farmers’ livelihoods, trade access and agricultural productivity. In essence, my job helps identify potential gaps in national biosecurity policies and emerging priority plant pests, and to help develop and improve solutions for their sustainable management.

What motivates and inspires me is knowing that by working as a team I can help solve biosecurity challenges impacting our country and global communities. It’s a very satisfying role, and being a scientist allows one to be the first to see the truth in what is otherwise a complex and complicated world.

Five years apart at school, Nikos Athanasiou (OTG 2005) and Rupert Hiskens (OTG 2010) led relatively similar paths, studying Economics in their later years and opting for a Bachelor of Commerce after graduation.

Their paths (or tracks!) crossed again some 20 years later and 17,000km away, working behind the scenes on the massive operation that is Formula 1 (F1) in the United Kingdom.

Now with their desks sitting a “few rows apart” at F1 London HQ, the duo work across the strategic, financial and commercial components of what Nikos describes as “the world’s greatest sports and entertainment spectacle”.

To me, the essence of the school motto is all about integrity, caring for others before self-interest, even when it might appear hard. Pushing yourself in your workplace, studies, sport or hobbies can sometimes be difficult, with it likely easier to remain within your comfort zone. Taking a leap of faith can sometimes result in life’s course altered for the better. A mantra which was often said during my time at Trinity was “Boldness be my friend”.

The OTGA’s work is focused on community, connections, careers and the clubs. Whilst physical courage can most obviously be seen on the sporting field there is a different kind of courage shown within other parts of the community. A great example is often shown at some of our social events with people putting themselves out there to make new friendships, particularly by those who are OTGs that have left the school some time ago.

I had the pleasure of attending the Stephen Jones ‘Be Glorious’ Leadership Breakfast, a fantastic celebration of the life of Stephen (OTG 1996) and the leadership qualities he embodied. It was a fantastic time to reflect. What was particularly powerful was the interview with special guest Alisa Camplin-Warner AM & Olympian, and the courage she showed to become Australia’s first Winter Olympic Gold Medallist. Alisa’s focus, determination and skill didn’t slow down upon her retirement from aerial skiing, but were quickly applied to her professional and philanthropic pursuits.

With the start of the new year, we look forward to quite a number of events run by both the OTGA and the school. As we look to expand our focus on reaching and reconnecting the OTG community, this year we look to relaunch the ‘CBD Lunch’, bringing together a group who may not have caught up since prior to COVID lockdowns.

I must thank those OTGA Committee members who have served but have decided to finish their time on the committee last year. We welcome new committee members who bring fresh ideas and enthusiasm. As is customary, last year’s School Captain Charlie White (OTG 2024) has accepted the invitation to join the committee. We look forward to the contributions of Charlie and Andy Hii (OTG 1998), who has previously been involved with the OTGAFC and is a current parent at Trinity.

I hope to see you at  one of our upcoming events, including the OTGA CBD Lunch on Thursday 31 July, the OTGA Community Breakfast on Thursday 4 September or the OTG/TGS current parent evening (Dads’ Night) on Wednesday 20 August.

As we head into the winter sports season, I want to wish our clubs all the best for their seasons ahead, in representing the Trintiy community.

It takes a big team effort between Trinity Grammar School, the OTGA, the OTG Clubs and many others to continue to foster these important connections.

Once Trinity students finish their secondary education, we are proud to continue to foster a deep and continuous affiliation with the school and its broader community.

Old Trinity Grammarians Online (OTGO) is a digital platform for alumni that facilitates social, networking, mentorship and career opportunities for OTGs. Sign up today!

At the heart of our Trinity Grammar community lies the strength of great connections. Just as the boys relate to their cross-age year groups, through camps, sports and musical endeavors, we as the parents community can see firsthand how these connections bring us together, strengthen our bonds and create a space where boys, teachers and parents thrive. 

Connections are what transform Trinity from being just a place of education into a supportive, inclusive and welcoming environment. When parents come together at events, when teachers collaborate with families and when students feel supported by everyone around them, the entire community benefits. These interactions pave the way for stronger relationships, deeper understanding, and mutual encouragement.

Connections don’t just benefit the community as a whole; they uplift individuals too. When our boys are supported and heard, they are empowered to give their best. A connected parent feels more confident partnering with teachers to provide the best outcome for our boys. Our boys, with a network of encouraging adults and peers, are likely to feel more engaged in their learning.  

Our role as the Parents’ Association is to help nurture our community, through organising events, fostering communication or simply being peers to other parents. Together, we make Trinity more than a school. We encourage all parents to value every opportunity to connect. Whether with your son’s teachers, other parents and within the wider school community. Because when we come together, we create a place where everyone feels valued, supported, and inspired to be part of something bigger.  

We look forward to connecting with you all during Term 2.