‘Beyond her years’: Heartfelt words for young Toowoomba woman

The passing of a high-achieving former Toowoomba student who had won several prestigious awards and was named dux of Downlands has sent shockwaves through the community.

The community is mourning the heartbreaking loss of former Downlands College student Zoë Hulme-Peake who has been remembered for her passion for making the world a better place as well as her intelligence, integrity and natural abilities in the areas of science and the arts.

Family, friends and former teachers of Zoë have remembered the young woman in the days after her passing near Taree in New South Wales.

Zoë was the much-loved and adored daughter of Nicola and Greg Hulme-Peake and sister of Sebastian.

Members of the activist group Zoë was connected to, said the sorrow of the 22-year-old’s passing would be felt by many.

“Zoë charged full pelt into the fight for a free-er world,” the group said in a statement.

“Zoë inspired, challenged and connected with people in countless spaces and made so many lives wonderful and full of adventure.

“We hope people can be together as we grieve and remember the integrity, clarity and kindness that Zoë carried through her life.”

The community is mourning the heartbreaking loss of former Downlands College student Zoë Hulme-Peake who has been remembered for her passion for making the world a better place.

Close friend, Blake Hohenhaus, recounted the first time he met Zoë through an Empire Theatre Youth Arts program and said he instantly knew she was special.

“Zoë was a brave, tenacious, excitable and curious person who led her life with great wonder and vigour … a real trailblazer,” he said.

“People were drawn to her presence – she was like a window into something else for so many people and she had the most intense, beautiful, warmth and joy about her.

“She was a staunch advocate for grassroots climate activism and nothing could stop her from trying to make a meaningful change in the world.”

When Zoë moved to New South Wales in 2021, Mr Hohenhaus said the kilometres may have racked up between the pair, but when they caught up it always felt like no time had passed at all.

He said without his late friend’s influence and support, he believed he would not have pursued a career in theatre, describing Zoë as an “incredible poet”.

“No one could write like Zoë,” he said.

“We had a very special relationship and would share our writing with each other that we wouldn’t share with anyone else.

“We saw into each other’s souls. She was my best friend, a soulmate and I loved her very much.”

Blake Hohenhaus and Zoe Hulme-Peake wrote a play called Ash and Andie which won them the Young Queensland Playwright of the Year Award in 2017.

Several former teachers, who have asked to remain anonymous, described the type of person Zoë was and passed their condolences on to the Hulme-Peake family.

“Zoë always strived to improve and extend herself,” one teacher said.

“Her curiosity about the world and her ability to connect ideas from multiple disciplines seemed to me to be representative of a truly extraordinary intelligence.”

In 2018, Zoë was in a leadership role at the college and was awarded dux.

She was then recognised as one of the state’s top 30 Year 12 students falling within the 0.06 per cent at the Student QCE Awards presentation in Brisbane.

As a result of her impressive grades, Zoë was offered a place at Homerton College at Cambridge University in the UK, but was forced to defer her studies due to Covid-19.

Just 12 months prior, Zoë won the Queensland Theatre Young Playwright’s Award alongside Mr Hohenhaus, for their play entitled Ash and Andie.

She also excelled as an actor, musician and orator and was successful in her applications for both the National and International Youth Science Forums.

Another teacher commended Zoë on her ability to think outside the box.

“Zoë was a student who thought, reflected and wrote beyond her years,” they said.

“She has unique points of view and capably synthesises disparate concepts to develop a body of work that would not be out of place in a tertiary-level research journal.”

At the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) Achievement Awards are (from left) Whitney McCarthy, Shane Tooley, Downlands College graduate Zoe Hulme-Peake, Jo Tooley, Stephen Koch and Sue Weir.

While another teacher said the former student was “exceptionally gifted”.

“I sometimes wondered in class which one of us was doing the teaching and on more than one occasion I am sure it was Zoë,” they said.

A fourth teacher said Zoë was “insatiable in her learning and never satisfied with doing things the easy way.”

“Zoë would happily go to Grand Central via Quilpie if she believed there were new things for her to learn along the way,” they said.

A Downlands College spokeswoman issued a statement on behalf of the school, describing Zoë as an intellectual student full of never-ending potential.

“In her time at Downlands, Zoë had balanced her academic pursuits with a vast array of co-curricular involvement and a passionate commitment to The Arts,” the spokeswoman said.

“There is no doubt that Zoë’s co-curricular involvement had helped to extend her intellectual growth and capabilities.

“Over and over again, we have witnessed a young scholar who delights in and makes meaning out of, the intriguing interplay of science and the arts.

“Our prayers and thoughts are with Zoë’s family and friends during this difficult time.”

A memorial service will be held to honour Zoë’s life in person, along with an online-based memorial showcasing pictures and videos of Zoë and pieces of her writing.

Loved ones of Zoë are asked to email contributions to [e-mail] or upload files directly to tinyurl.com/loveyouzoe

For those wanting to pay tribute and celebrate the life of Zoë, you can search for the group ‘Remembering Zoë’ on Facebook.