Ipswich Girls’ Grammar’s most outstanding alumni
From politicians to athletes and artists, Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School has a long list of outstanding graduates. Here are just some of its most notable alumni.
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We’re asking Ipswich schools to nominate their most outstanding former students and today we present the most notable alumni of Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School.
From political leaders to outstanding artists and athletes, there has been no shortage of student superstars from IGGS.
Ms Deborah Frecklington (Class of 1988, Hall of Fame Inductee 2019)
Leader of the Liberal National Party of Queensland and Leader of the Opposition
Deb Frecklington is a familiar face to most people across the state. She was born in Miles in southwest Queensland and attended Guluguba State, before becoming a boarder at Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School.
After completing high school, Deb went on to obtain a business degree at USQ before completing a Bachelor of Law at QUT, while co-managing broad acre cropping properties.
As a Partner of Kelly & Frecklington Solicitors, Deb concentrated on Family and Property Law also working with multi-generational farming businesses undertaking Rural Succession planning.
Her political career began when she was elected to state parliament in 2012 as the Member for Nanango.
From there she was appointed Assistant Minister for Finance in 2012 and In 2014, Deb was appointed to the position of Assistant Minister to the Premier with oversight for the G20 in Queensland.
The G20 held in Brisbane has been commended as the most successful and safe G20 ever held.
Deb was re-elected for a second term in January 2015 and worked in the role as Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
In May 2016 she was elected to the position of Deputy Leader of the LNP and appointed to the role of Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, State Development and Trade and Investment.
In 2017, Deb was re-elected for a third term as the Member for Nanango, and in December was chosen by her colleagues as Leader of the Opposition.
Vanessa Fowler (Class of 1983) - Teacher and advocate
Vanessa Fowler is another well-known name and face in the Ipswich community. Ms Fowler is a teacher at Ipswich Junior Grammar School.
She was named Ipswich Citizen of the Year for 2019 at the annual Ipswich Australia Day Awards for her efforts to turn a tragic family circumstance into making a difference in the community.
When her younger sister Allison Baden-Clay was murdered by her husband in 2012, Ms Fowler and her family were thrust into the world of domestic violence advocacy.
She has been on a journey to educate and raise awareness of domestic and family violence ever since.
Ms Fowler volunteers at the Cambrian Youth Choir and she is the Foundation Chairwoman of the Allison Baden-Clay Foundation.
She has also raised awareness with a Strive to be Kind Day at Ipswich Junior Grammar School and in the community.
In conjunction with Griffith University, she has launched a national training workshop program called Allison’s Gift which educates people on recognising the signs of domestic and family violence and how to be an effective bystander.
Ms Fowler was also a 2020 Australia Day Ambassador.
Dakota Davidson (Class of 2016) - Lions AFLW Player
Dakota Davidson has kicked some massive goals since her time at Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School only four years ago.
Davidson now plays for Brisbane in the AFLW competition.
She was playing for University of Queensland in the AFL Queensland Women’s League when she was drafted by Brisbane with the 60th pick in the 2019 AFL Women’s draft.
Davidson has been described as an aggressive tall forward or ruck, kicking 11 goals from 11 games, during her time playing for UQ.
The 21-year-old has strong hands and was a member of Brisbane’s Winter Series team that defeated Gold Coast.
Rachael Sarra (Class of 2009) - Artist
Rachael Sarra is a contemporary Aboriganl artist and designer from Goreng Goreng Country.
Rachael uses art as a powerful tool in storytelling to educate and share Aboriginal culture and its evolution.
Rachael’s work often challenges and explores the themes of societies perception of what Aboriginal art and identity is. Her style is feminine, fun and engaging but is strongly drawn from her heritage and her role as an Aboriginal woman in a modern world.
Rachel graduated from IGGS in 2009 and obtained a Bachelor of Visual Communication Design from the Queensland College of Art in Brisbane.
She recently had her work ‘Two Worlds’ projected onto the William Jolly Bridge and was an artist of this years Brisbane Street Art festival Rachael.
Racheal was also the lead artist for the Suncorp Super Netball, Queensland Firebirds Indigenous dress, a collaborating artist with Life Apparel Co, and a collaborating artist with Brisbane based jewellery designer, Concrete Jellyfish Co.
As a commercial artist, Rachael has worked with clients such as Australia Post to design the 50th Anniversary of the 1967 Referendum postage/collectable stamp, as well the Ignite the Wonder artwork for Kmart Australia, which frames the entry of over 13 stores as a symbol of a culturally safe environment.
Peta Ellis (Class of 1995) - Entrepreneur and founder
Peta Ellis has been described as a human transformation architect, ecosystem builder, community activator and community speaker.
Peta graduated from IGGS in 1995 and went on to found four companies before the age of 30. She now has more than 20 years of experience working in communications, PR, marketing and media relations.
She is the Co-founder of TribeGlobal and Peak Performance Persona and the Entrepreneur in Residence at IGGS.
Peta has a growing list of personal achievements including launching the Young Entrepreneurs Network, hosting and organising more than 20 Start-up Weekends and Hackathons, and facilitating Brisbane and Sydney’s first Start-up Weekend for Women in 2015 and 2018.
In 2017 she was awarded the Techboard Startup Community Award celebrating outstanding contribution by an individual to their local entrepreneurship community.
Sponsored Entrepreneur Program - River City Labs experienced a massive 550% growth under her leadership between 2012 to 2019 and it was acquired at its peak in 2018 by the ACS.
Dr Sarah Kelly, (Class of 1988, Hall of Fame Inductee 2018) - Director and Associate Professor.
Dr Sarah Kelly is an Associate Professor in Law and Marketing and the Marketing Discipline Leader and Director of External Engagement in the UQ Business School.
She has interdisciplinary expertise in marketing, psychology and law and is globally known for her research and consulting sports marketing and law and has influenced national policy and practice in her fields.
She is leading an interdisciplinary research Group at UQ in Trust, Ethics and Governance.
She is a Visiting Fellow at Loughborough University, London. Sarah is also an educational specialist, having won awards for her tertiary teaching.
She is widely published in the sports field and has led a global sports innovation accelerator at UQ.
She has been a judge and mentor for two of these accelerators, including pitching finals during the NBA Allstars event in LA and the Commonwealth Games.
Sarah holds several non-executive directorships, including as Deputy Chair of the Brisbane Lions AFL Football Club, Tourism and Events Qld, Events Management Qld, The Gregory Terrace Foundation and the Wandering Warriors. She is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors National Education Advisory Board and the State Minister’s Sport Advisory Council.
She was inducted into the IGGS Hall of Fame in 2018
Hon Rachel Nolan (Class of 1991, Hall of Fame Inductee 2009) - Former politician and consultant.
Rachel Nolan is another IGGS girl who went on to explore the world of politics.
She was elected as the state member for Ipswich on 17 February 2001.
At the time she was Queensland’s youngest ever female MP. She held the seat until 26 March 2012.
Prior to entering parliament she worked as a political adviser to the Northern Territory’s then Leader of the Opposition and the Queensland Labor Government.
She is a former Minister for Finance, Transport, Natural Resources and the Arts
She’s now an experienced leader, non-executive director and consultant specialising in governance and public policy.
In addition to chairing the McKell Institute in Queensland, she leads and teaches governance programs for foreign governments through University of Queensland International Development and she is an Honourary Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at UQ.
For five years she owned and ran a café ranked as one of South East Queensland’s best in the Ipswich CBD called Cactus Espresso Bar. She has travelled extensively, including completing an independent near overland journey from Ireland to Indonesia in 2013/14.
Rebekah Hawke, (Class of 2009) - Designer and creator
Rebekah Hawke turned her passion for design into a thriving furniture business.
During her time at IGGS she was an avid artist, designer and creator. After she graduated high school she went on to obtain a Bachelor of Architecture from The University of Queensland.
When she secured a job in the workforce, she decided she wanted to do more than be confined to a desk all day and decided to launch her own business Tov & Co in 2018.
She now has a thriving small business under her belt.
Margaret Cook (Class of 1985 and Head Girl) - Historian and Author
Margaret Cook is a freelance historian who specialises in non-Indigenous cultural heritage and social and environmental history.
She has published books and articles on a range of topics and produced numerous conservation management plans and heritage plans and assessments. She was a member of the Queensland Heritage Council from 1999 until June 2000, serving as its Deputy Chair from 2004 to June 2006.
Her current research focus is on the history of Southeast Queensland urban water and the Mud Army of the 2011 flood and its impact on the those who were flooded in order to guide future relief efforts
She recently released the book A River with a City Problem: A History of Brisbane Floods, a compelling history of floods in the Brisbane River catchment, especially those in 1893, 1974 and 2011
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