Development of Our Houses
The concept of our Houses is best described as influential Australians who have most definitely made an impact. In different ways, these four people have powerfully and meaningfully impacted communities; local, national, and global. Each of these four extraordinary people are a shining reminder to us of what it means to be courageous, bold and kind.
The four people we have chosen represent modern Australia. By embracing these inspiring figures, we celebrate the fundamental and eternal importance of First Nations people, the powerful role immigration has played in the development of our society, the need to continue to work toward full gender equality in Australia, and the critical importance of health and wellbeing for young people and communities.
Each of these fine Australians embody our school values in a variety of ways. To further strengthen this connection, we have aligned one of our core school values with each of the chosen House names as well as with one of our school brand colours. Bringing this concept together is an alliterative use of the letter ‘M’. Why? Our school motto is Make an Impact and we proudly live here in Melbourne. We also believe that grouping our Houses using a mnemonic technique which flows from our motto will help us connect, remember, and visualize them now and long into the future.
MABO HOUSE (ROYAL BLUE) / CHALLENGE
Eddie Mabo (1936–1992) was a Torres Strait Islander community leader and land rights campaigner, who was deeply involved with politics, education, the law, and community improvement. It was on 3 June 1992 that the Australian High Court overturned more than 200 years of white domination of land ownership. The victory was largely down to the determination of one First Nations person – Eddie Mabo. That’s why this most significant legal decision is universally known as “Mabo”. Eddie Mabo is an extraordinary person who resolutely embraced our school value of Challenge. He challenged others to secure a historic change of land rights law which reshaped Australia for the better. There remains more work to be done.
MIRKA HOUSE (CHARCOAL GREY) / CREATIVITY
Mirka Mora (1928–2018) was a French-born artist and restaurateur who narrowly escaped the Nazi regime in Auschwitz as a child. Emigrating to Melbourne with her husband Georges, she became a leading figure in the reformation of the arts and art society in Melbourne. A very proud St. Kilda local, Mirka became a bohemian icon of the city; a beloved figure in the cultural landscape and creative zeitgeist of Australia. Acknowledged for her formative influence on Melbourne’s cultural identity, Mirka was loved as much for her contributions to contemporary art as for her generous and outrageous nature. Mirka Mora embodies our school value of Creativity in many profound and lasting ways.
MAGDA HOUSE (LIME GREEN) / CHARACTER
Magda Szubanski is one of Australia’s most courageous and effective advocates for LGBTQIA+ rights, diversity, and inclusion. Her efforts to advocate for gay marriage in Australia were critical to the win of the Yes vote in 2017. Growing up in Melbourne, Magda studied at the University of Melbourne, majoring in Philosophy and Fine Arts. She then rose to fame in response to the variety of comic characters she created. For over thirty years Magda has survived and thrived at the top of a notoriously fickle business. Using this platform to become one of Australia’s most powerful advocates for equality, inclusion, LGBTQIA+ rights and human rights shows the strength, compassion, and determination of her Character, one our core school values.
MCGORRY HOUSE (BURNT ORANGE) / CURIOSITY
Patrick McGorry is an Irish-born Australia psychiatrist and Professor of Youth Mental Health at the University of Melbourne. He studied at the University of Sydney, before completing his doctorate in medicine at Monash University in Melbourne. In 1996 he became Founding Director of the mental health service ORYGEN Youth Health. This organisation has made Australia a world leader in the development of preventive and early intervention strategies for emerging mental disorders in people aged between 12 and 25. His work impacts the wellbeing of young people, families, and communities every day. Patrick McGorry was appointed Australian of the Year in 2010 and his life work shows how powerfully he personifies our school value of Curiosity.