Famous Alumni: 20 to one Hornsby students that rose to fame
WE GREW up watching them on screen, listening to their music or cheering them on at the world stage — but for others, these famous faces were a usual sight in the classroom. Here are some of Hornsby’s most famous alumni.
Hornsby
Don't miss out on the headlines from Hornsby. Followed categories will be added to My News.
WE GREW up watching them on screen, listening to their music or cheering them on at the world stage — but for others, these famous faces were a usual sight in the classroom.
The Hornsby Advocate has worked with schools across the shire to bring you some of the most famous faces hornsby has produced, in an epic local edition of 20 to 1.
Over the next four days we will count down our most famous alumni from all secondary schools across Hornsby, and you may be surprised by the talent we have found.
Here is some of Hornsby’s most famous alumni:
#10. CHRIS LILLEY — Barker College
THE PERFORMING arts space at Barker College has produced some creative talent over the years — including comedian Chris Lilley.
The Australian actor and producer rose to fame in the mockumentary series, We Can Be Heroes: Finding The Australian of the Year.
Lilley returned for round two with the controversial Summer Heights High, which resulted in Ja’mie: Private School Girl and Jonah from Tonga.
Lilley grew up in the Upper North Shore in leafy Turramurra.
# 9. SHANE GOULD — Turramurra High School
GOULD is one of Australia’s most decorated Olympians, having won three gold medals at the 1972 Melbourne Olympics. What is more, she did it all at the age of 15.
The young swimmer won triple gold in the 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle and 200m individual medley.
She famously retired from competitive swimming at the age of 17 citing high pressure placed upon her from media and from her success.
Gould has a school house named after her at Turramurra High School and so she should - she had her golden year at the Olympics while she was still in school.
Remarkably, Gail Neall was her school mate in 1972 and also brought home a gold medal from the Olympics after competing in the pool at Munich.
Gould was named Australian of the Year in 1972.
#8.JACKIE WEAVER — Hornsby Girls High School
Weaver is a two time Academy Award-nominated actor, recognised for countless roles in Australian film, theatre and television.
Wearer, now aged 71, attended Hornsby Girls High School, where she took out the position of Dux in her graduating year.
She has been recognised for her roles in Silver Linings Playbook, Animal Kingdom and Picnic at Hanging Rock.
#7. Georgie Parker — Abbotsleigh
SHE HAS appeared in some of Australia’s most loved television series including A Country Practice, All Saints and Home and Away, but Georgie Parker found her love for drama at Abbotsleigh Girls.
The two-time gold Logie winning grew up on the North Shore in St Ives and attended Abbotsleigh Girls.
“When I went, Kathleen McCredie was the headmistress and Mrs (Patricia) Edwards was junior school headmistress (known as Mistress-in-Charge),” she said in a recent interview with NewsLocal.
“Both were very progressive headwomen, so it was an era of progressive women.”
Abbotsleigh Senior School English teacher Helen Dakin remembers working with Parker as co-director of the school musical.
“In 1982, she was one of the three little maids in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado,” she said. “She was obviously very talented, both in acting and singing, and very unassuming.
“She was also very engaging on the stage.”
Parker said being in an academic institution, but not being academic was “tricky”.
#6. LIANE MORIARTY — Mt St Benedicts College
SHE was number one on the New York Times Best Sellers list for three different novels, but Liane Moriarty found a passion for storytelling in the heart of Hornsby.
Moriarty, who attended Mount St Benedicts College in Pennant Hills, has written a host of best selling novels including Big Little Lies, The Husband’s Secret and Truly Madly Guilty.
Big Little Lies was also turned into a hit TV series in 2017 featuring Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon.
Moriarty, the eldest of six children, grew up in Waitara and moved with her family to Kellyville when she was 16.
After leaving school - she attended Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic School in Waitara and Mount St Benedict College in Pennant Hills - Moriarty worked in advertising, marketing and copywriting before enrolling in a Masters degree at Macquarie University and penning her first novel.
She graduated from the school in 1984.
Her younger sisters Jaclyn and Nicola are also well-known authors. Jaclyn attended Mount St Benedict College (class of 1986) but Nicola did not attend the school.
