Tasmania’s Star Students: The Friends’ School produces scientists and scholars
The only Quaker school in the southern hemisphere has produced an amazing number of scientists, athletes, artists and scholars making waves across the world. SEE THE FULL LIST of star students from The Friends School >>
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FROM premiers to neuroscientists, musicians to sports stars, the state’s school have seen incredible people educated within their walls that have gone on to change Australia — and the world.
The Mercury is shining a light on some of the state’s most prolific alumni as part of its Star Students series.
The prestigious Friends’ School caters from kindergarten to Year 12, and is the only Quaker school in the southern hemisphere.
Meet The Friends’ School’s star students.
Hilary Crane
An honorary research associate of the UTAS School of Mathematics and Physics, Dr Cane has multiple research papers to her name.
A member of the International Astronomy Union, she is also a stalwart of the Tasmanian orienteering scene and Masters Games competitor.
Rowan Trebilco
2007 Rhodes Scholar Dr Trebilco has a longstanding interest and engagement in the interface between ecological research, decision-making and environmental stewardship.
His work focuses on the processes that shape marine communities and ecosystems with the goal of informing conservation and management. He has represented Tasmania and Australia in underwater hockey.
Edward Dodderidge
Oceanographer. 2012 Rhodes Scholar Dodderidge completed his PhD in Physical Oceanography at the University of Oxford in 2016.
His studies focused on furthering the understanding of ocean dynamics and the climate system and he is now a postdoctoral researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Meaghan Volker
Volker competed as part of the Australian rowing team at the 2016 Olympics.
In 2012 she received an invitation to join a US rowing program where she was twice named an All American rower.
She later received a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport to study civil engineering.
Benjamin Hunn
Rhodes Scholar Hunn graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery and has investigated aspects of Alzheimer’s Disease at the Menzies Research Institute.
He studied at Oxford University and is now a doctor at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Hanny Allston
Allston is an elite athlete in a range of running sports and has previously won a World orienteering title.
She is the founder and co-owner of Find Your Feet, a retail and tourism enterprise based in Hobart and has tertiary qualifications in medical science, education, life coaching, business and sports coaching.
Lindy Goggin
Goggin was Tasmanian golf champion 19 times between 1967 and 1991 and won the Australian title three times.
An Australian representative each year from 1970-88, she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1980 for her services to golf (elevated to Member of the Order of Australia in 1993).
Goggin is listed on the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame.
Edward (Ted) Alexander
The 2005 Rhodes Scholar, Alexander holds a Masters of Philosophy in Economics from Oxford University and started his career at the Reserve Bank of Australia as a graduate.
Currently works as Head of Investments at Sydney-based Walsh Company.
David Armitage
Armitage studied at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology where he lectured in life drawing and portraiture during his final year.
Tasmanian born, he has also lived in New Zealand and the UK.
He has illustrated many successful children’s books authored by his wife Ronda, and has exhibited and sold work widely.
Jessica Melbourne-Thomas (nee Trebilco)
Awarded a PhD in Quantitative Marine Science in 2010, Dr Melbourne-Thomas was a 2003 Rhodes Scholar.
She is now a research scientist at the Australian Antarctic Division and a Project Leader with the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre. She was named Tasmania’s Young Tall Poppy of the Year in 2015 for her research, science, communication and policy management.
Christobel Mattingley
Mattingley is an award-winning author of more than 50 books for children and adults.
Her book Rummage won two Children’s Book of the Year Awards in 1982 and Maralinga’s Long Shadow: Yvonne’s Story won the NSW Young People’s History Prize in 2017.
Sam Wood
Fitness business owner Wood appeared in the title role in the third season of The Bachelor Australia, eventually marrying contestant Snezana Markoski, with whom he has one child and another on the way.
Michael Stokes
The 1972 Rhodes Scholar studied law at UTAS before completing a Masters of Philosophy in Politics at Oxford University.
A lecturer at UTAS since 1976, he is now an adjunct senior lecturer of law. Stokes also serves as editor of the Australian Journal of Legal Philosophy and is well known as a commentator on constitutional and public law issues.
Jon Kudelka
An Australian cartoonist best known by his surname, Kudelka supplies cartoons regularly for the Mercury and The Australian.
He has won two Walkley Awards for Best Cartoon among other accolades for his work. Kudelka has also staged several exhibitions of his work and co-wrote Kudelka and First Dog’s Spiritual Journey.
Caryn Davies
Davies started rowing competitively at Friends’ and won gold for the US at the London and Beijing Olympics. New York-born, she studied psychology at Harvard, law at Columbia and an MBA at Oxford.
Described as the most decorated Harvard Olympian in any sport, she is now an independent legal contractor, motivational speaker and performance coach in Boston.
Andrew Brice
Brice was the co-founder of accommodation booking website Wotif.com and the co-founder and chief executive of the University of Queensland Endowment Fund.
Brice was made a Member of the Order of Australia for service to business and philanthropic support for tertiary education institutions in Queensland.
Stephen Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald was the first Australian Ambassador to China, from 1973-76.
In 1988 he was the chair of the committee that found Australian immigration policy had become captive to migrant lobbies.
More recently he released his book Comrade Ambassador: Whitlam’s Beijing Envoy.
Dennis Altman
Professor Altman’s most notable publication is his 1972 book titled ‘Homosexual: Oppression Liberation’, the first serious analysis to emerge from the gay liberation movement.
A Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at La Trobe University, in 2006 Professor Altman was listed by The Bulletin as one of the 100 most influential Australians ever.
Bob Annells
Annells graduated from UTAS in 1971 with a Bachelor of Urban Studies/Affairs and went on to accumulate more than 30 years’ experience as either chief executive or chairman of nine different government businesses in three states of Australia.
Among his key roles were chairing Forestry Tasmania, TasRail, and train operator Connex Melbourne, as well as heading the state tourism bodies in Tasmania, Victoria and the Northern Territory.
Dr Susan Blackburn
Dr Susan Blackburn is an Honorary Research Fellow with the Australian National
Algae Culture Collection. She is recognised internationally for her microalgal expertise and research over the past three decades including biodiversity, environmental issues including harmful algal blooms, bioproducts and biofuels, algal culturing and life cycles, ecophysiology and population genetics.
Susan is Vice-President (Immediate Past President) of the International Society for Applied Phycology and Director of the Network of Asia Oceania Algae Culture Collections. She has been awarded a CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement for the Omega-3 Food Futures Flagship research and is inducted into the Tasmanian Honour Roll of Women for Service to Science.
Meg Williams
Meg Williams is currently a Policy Officer for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade in Wellington & Wairarapa, New Zealand.
Meg completed her Bachelor of Arts in the field of International relations at Leiden University in the Netherlands. Previously she has worked as a International Resource Mobilization Consultant for United Nations — Women in New York City.
Hon. Jennifer Hill
Jenni graduated with a BSc/LLB (Hons) from the Australian National University in 1992 and went on to work as a lawyer.
Hill specialised in litigation, representing clients in the energy and resources sectors. Committed to promoting equality of opportunity in the legal profession, Hill was a joint winner of the Western Australian Women Lawyers Association Woman Lawyer of the Year award in 2011.
Hill was admitted to the Supreme Court of Western Australia as a judge in 2019.
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