Mackellar Girls’ most outstanding former students
Mackellar Girls has produced 10 Olympians and two World Champions. However, there’s also leading doctors, scientists, actors and environmentalists among its long list of amazing graduates. We profile some of its most notable alumni.
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They’re some of the best and brightest in their field, whether they be business leaders, saving lives as doctors, trying to change the world as scientists, or elite sportswomen inspiring others with their dedication and competitive spirit.
Northern Beaches Secondary College Mackellar Girls, with the help of the Manly Daily, has put together 10 of the most successful alumni of the school.
Kim McKay, CEO of the Australian Museum and environmentalist
As director and chief executive officer of the Australian Museum, Kim McKay is responsible for more than 21 million natural science and cultural objects.
The former Mackellar Girls pupil, who now lives in Mosman, was appointed director in 2014 and was the first woman and nonscientist to hold the role in the museum’s history.
During her time at the museum she has created new galleries and programs, while also securing $50.5m of funding from the NSW Government for major refurbishment work.
Even before working at the museum Ms McKay has devoted much of her career to the natural world, as senior vice president of global marketing and communications for the Discovery Channel and National Geographic Channels International.
She also co-founded the iconic Clean Up Australia and Clean Up the World campaigns in the early 1990s.
Ms McKay has also been a strong supporter of women in leadership and has championed a nationwide mentoring program.
She is on the advisory board of the One Million Women organisation and, in 2011, was named in the Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence list, and was included in the book ‘The Power of 100 … One Hundred Women who have Shaped Australia’.
She was awarded as an Officer of the order of Australia in 2008 for distinguished service to the environment and the community.
Ms McKay serves on many boards and panels and has also co-authored five books.
As part of her job she has met many distinguished environmentalists including Sir David Attenborough, who visited the museum as part of the 190th year celebrations.
Layne Beachley, seven times world champion surfer
She’s probably one of the northern beaches most famous faces.
With seven world titles to her name Layne Beachley is regarded as the most successful female surfer in history, with only Stephanie Gilmour equalling the number of wins.
But Ms Beachley is the only surfer – female or male – to claim six consecutive world titles (from 1998 to 2003).
Now retired, she is a motivational speaker, sharing how she overcame challenges and how to maintain a winning mindset.
She also set up her own foundation Aim For The Stars, which has helped empower young girls and women to pursue their dreams.
Ms Beachley is also chairwoman of Surfing Australia and an Officer of the order of Australia.
In the last few years she has spoken out about her past battles with depression.
She lives in Queenscliff near her favourite break at Freshwater and her favourite beach Manly, with her INXS rock star husband Kirk Pengilly.
Dr Kelly Williams, research group leader of biomedical science
Kelly Williams left Mackellar Girls in 2001 with a love of maths and science and a strong belief that being a woman was not going to be a disadvantage in the workplace.
Her original plan was to become a chiropractor but when she did the human genetics component of her degree course at Macquarie University she decided that was what she really wanted to do and switched courses.
Following a PhD at the University of Sydney, she identified the gene responsible for a rare, but terrible genetic disorder called Arts Syndrome, which causes serious neurological problems in males.
It led to a treatment which has doubled the life expectancy of those born with the syndrome.
After that she moved into the world of motor neurone disease and is now a research group leader at Biomedical Sciences Macquarie University..
It’s the leading Australian centre for motor neurone disease and respected around the world.
And Dr Williams has played a central role in several critical breakthroughs.
In the 13 years she has been there the number of genes identified as causing MND have increased from one to 20, around ten per cent of all MND genetic causes.
One of her major achievements is that anyone with MND in their family history can now have IVF to prevent passing on the disease to future generations.
The pinnacle of Dr Williams’ career has been meeting a woman whose husband found out he had the MND gene,, but being shown a photo of their two children from IVF who have been spared that prospect.
She said the ultimate goal is to continue to identify genes that cause the disease which kills two Australians a day and use their genetic discoveries to develop therapies.
Yvonne O’Neill, artist and indigenous educator
The indigenous artist and educator was the first in her family to finish Year 12.
The youngest of five, she was sent from her home town of Goodooga in northwest NSW to the Biaia Aboriginal hostel at Allambie Heights so she could attend Mackellar Girls.
Going from a town of 250 people to attend a school with 1000 other students was quite a shock.
But she said it was the best thing that ever happened to her.
After almost graduating as a police officer, she realised she would rather help other indigenous children.
She is now a senior indigenous engagement officer at the University of Southern Queensland.
Ms O’Neill says none of it would have been possible without her attending Biala and Mackellar.
The inspiring advocate for young indigenous people is also a talented artist.
One of her pieces is even hanging in the Vatican.
Debbie Watson, Olympian
One of ten Olympians to come out of Mackellar Girls, Debbie Watson captained Australia’s gold-medal winning water polo team at the 2000 Olympics.
She also won world championship and World Cup titles.
Among her other achievements are the inaugural world championship gold medal in 1986, and the 1984 and 1995 World Cups.
Ms Watson, 54 and a school physical education teacher, was voted the World Female Player of the Year in 1993, also won silver in the Olympic Year Tournament in 1996, the 1999 World Cup and bronze at the 1997 World Cup.
She played an Australian record 315 internationals.
She was also the first female water polo player inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Dr Liz Harry is a professor of biology and director at the ithree institute
When Liz Harry was at school she loved science and maths and had an insatiable curiosity about nature.
So it was no surprise when she decided to study science at the University of Sydney where she obtained a PhD in biochemistry.
She then went to Harvard University as a postdoctoral fellow.
There she pioneered the development of fluorescence microscopy techniques which have revolutionised the study of bacteria.
Now 40 years on from graduating from Mackellar Girls, she’s progressed to the top of her profession, directing the ithree institute at the University of Technology Sydney and organising research to help “save lives and better people’s health”.
She is currently behind several projects including investigating the shape and size of bacteria to work out how to fight infection without the use of antibiotics.
And, she’s directing research looking at how medicinal honey can be used as a topical anti infective on chronic wounds.
She also trains and mentors young scientists.
Dr Harry, who now lives in the inner west, said following COVID-19, science is being seen as important work.
She said government leaders are seeking the advice of scientists of which there are many terrific people in Australia.
However, while there are many women in the science profession, in her opinion there are still too few females in the top roles of associate professor and professor, which she would like to see changed along with an increase in diversity.
Her advice to other women is to visualise where you want to be, believe that you can get there and then it will happen.
Brooke Hanson, Olympian
Not only is inspirational swimmer Brooke Hanson an Olympic gold and silver medallist, she has represented Australia over 25 times at major international championships.
She was the success story of the 2004 Athens Olympics, having missed a spot in the previous two Olympic teams, but never giving up on her dream.
Ms Hanson learned to swim at the Killarney Heights Swim Centre aged four and a half and won her first race aged five.
The Freshwater nipper also competed in school swim carnivals, then at district and regional level swim meets and onto state and national competitions.
She remained undefeated from Year 6 to Year 12 in her favourite event, the 100m breaststroke.
Her swimming career took off winning a multitude of medals, despite missing out on two Olympic Games.
However, she finally qualified for the 2004 games at the age of 26.
There she won a silver medal in the 100m breaststroke ahead of teammate and world record holder Leisel Jones and as a member of the gold medal winning 4 x 100 medley relay as a heat swimmer.
After retiring, Ms Hanson went on to become a motivational speaker and wrote an autobiography When Silver Is Gold, The Brooke Hanson Story.
She also turned her talents to being a successful TV host and presenter, earning herself a Logie nomination.
Ms Hanson has raised awareness of premature babies after her son Jack died in 2012.
She has three other children.
Trudi Ross, actor and comedian
A graduate of Mackellar Girl’s 1991 class, Trudi Ross has tried many things in the last 30 years including acting, stand up comedy, humour therapy and comedy trivia.
She said she was an average run-of-the-mill student and while she wasn’t the class clown she had high energy.
She got her first acting break while at school on the soap opera E Street.
But it wasn’t until much later, at the age of 30, that she pursued a career in the arts.
She was living in the UK when she decided to follow her “dormant dream” to be a professional actor.
Since then she has done everything from Shakespeare to commercials and been on stage, TV and screen.
Ms Ross, who lives in Belrose, has also worked as a stand-up comedian and had her own stage show.
Later she helped others as a humour therapist, also known as a creative engagement specialist.
She played the clown and learnt the ukulele to entertain and engage those with dementia.
She is also behind One Act of Fun which is a corporate workshop consisting of an “hour of laughing your head off to help unlock and connect”.
Last year she took a “supporting acting role” in a movie, her biggest to date.
The Australian indie rom-com called Love You Like That was filmed in Cronulla, and also stars John Jarratt and Disney star Mitchell Hope.
Due to COVID-19 the release date is not yet set.
Pam Burridge, first Australian female professional surfer
She was a trailblazer for elite sportswomen and a surfing pioneer when she became Australia’s first full time female professional surfer.
Already a strong swimmer, she was given her first surfboard aged 10 and fell in love with the sport.
She would practise after school every day down at Freshwater, known as Harbord Beach back then.
She learned to surf as well as the boys and won the Manly Pacific Boardriders contest in 1978, aged 12.
She continued as an amateur winning various competitions before joining the professional tour at the age of 15.
She came runner-up in a number of competitions, but won her first world title in 1990 at Sunset Beach, Hawaii.
Ms Burridge finally quit the pro tour in 1998 retiring to the NSW south coast where she now runs a series of surf schools.
She has two children.
Dr Elizabeth Shaw, cardiologist
Dr Elizabeth Shaw is a leading cardiologist in Australia, with a particular interest in women’s heart health.
She is also the first female structural interventional cardiologist in Australia and New Zealand — which means she can do procedures such as putting an aortic valve into the heart via the groin and putting in heart stents via the wrists.
This amazing technology avoids the need for open heart surgery.
Dr Shaw completed her specialist training at Royal North Shore Hospital, after which she did her interventional training at The Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane.
More recently, Dr Shaw completed a two year structural heart fellowship at William Beaumont Hospital in the United States.
Dr Shaw, a mum-of-two who lives in Balgowlah, sees patients at Macquarie Heart, a cardiovascular clinic in Dee Why.
She is a keen advocate for women in medicine and is keen to encourage more young females to become cardiologists.
She has also been a lecturer for the University of Sydney’s Medical School and a senior lecturer for the University of Queensland’s Medical school, as well as delivering multiple presentations at both national and international conferences in her research area of coronary artery disease, Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy as well as the treatment of aortic stenosis.
On top of that she can also speak in Mandarin.