Class Notes 2020

FROM THE COMBINED REGULUS FOR 2020

If you would like to be included in the Old Collegian's section under Class Notes for the next issue of Regulus please contact the Editor on editor@stac.school.nz with your details and share a part of your story with us.

Ray Caird (1962) has written a book celebrating the iconic harakeke plant of Aotearoa. Praised as an ‘absolute delight’ by a Listener reviewer, Blood of the Flax is a visually exciting and poetic whānau saga stretching from Gondwanaland to the fashion catwalks of New York. Ray remembers with some fondness the occasional flax bush down by Strowan Stream providing useful cover for ‘guerrilla training manoeuvres’. Back then military training was compulsory in all New Zealand secondary schools, and New Zealand soldiers had recently been fighting in the Malaysian jungles. Harakeke fibre and war is one of the book’s themes. After completing his studies at University of Canterbury, Ray worked as a journalist, and in senior executive positions in Federated Farmers and Fletcher Challenge before setting up his own corporate consultancy business. He then moved with his young family to a lifestyle block in Nelson. He was elected founding President of the Nelson Kiwifruit Growers Association and subsequently established the Abel Tasman Educational Trust, followed by appointment to a range of trustee and other directorships. Ray donated two copies of Blood of the Flax to St Andrew’s College.

Michael Turner (1983) recently sold his popular Christchurch restaurant, Café Valentino, which he established in Colombo Street in 1991. He led it through the Canterbury earthquakes, which destroyed the building and prompted a move to St Asaph Street. After taking a break, he plans to open a small pizza restaurant.

Sarah (née Murphy) Lowe (2000) is the Director of Music at The Cathedral Grammar School. She led a project to initiate the Christchurch Cathedral girl choristers, the first professional girl choristers in New Zealand, and possibly the Southern Hemisphere. The girls had their first Evensong at the Cathedral in September and are now regulars there. She is delighted that girls now have the same opportunities as boy choristers as a result of the initiative.

Sarah Argyle (2008) is a teacher at an international school at Arnhem, the Netherlands, where she lives with her Dutch partner, JJ. She wrote a column for Stuff about her experiences of COVID-19 there, life in lockdown, and the slow return to a new normal.

Hamish Brown (2009) is working in marketing and advertising in London at m/SIX. He was part of the planning team that received The Drum Marketing Award and a World Media Award for The Groundbreakers – a digital media campaign produced by COPA90 to promote the release of FIFA20. The campaign shone a light on unconventional football stories from around the globe.

Martini Talapusi (OC 2013) has re-signed with Rugby ATL, a major league rugby team in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Isaac Shatford’s (2014) musical Ruth (current working title) was selected as the winner of the Music Theatre Melbourne’s competition, COVID: The Musical. Isaac will collaborate with the MTM team, who plan to stage the show in September 2021.

Charlotte Elley (2014) is in her fourth season with the Tactix netball team.

Jack Duff (2015) graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre) in 2019. He was set up for the start of his professional career as an actor when COVID-19 put Melbourne into lockdown. He has gone on to create a podcast, Final Call, to share a perspective on the Australian arts industry.

Sam Gilbert (2016) made his Investec Super Rugby Aotearoa debut for The Highlanders as they took on the Chiefs in Dunedin. Sam was in the St Andrew’s College 1st XV in 2015 and 2016, captaining the team in 2016.

Britney-Lee Nicholson (2017) was named Striker of the Year and Player of the Year by Mainland Football. 

Steven Walton (2017) was a finalist for Student Journalist of the Year at the 2020 Voyager Media Awards.

Shilo Klein (2017) was selected or the Canterbury Mitre 10 Cup Extended Squad for rugby.

Maeve Burns (2017) has co-directed and choreographed her first show with MUSOC at the University of Canterbury.

Nicholas Cain (2017) was also a co-director of the show, a musical cabaret called Never Have I Ever. Maeve is also involved with the Law for Change faculty law club at the university.

Chase Jordan (2018) was selected for the Manawatu U20 rugby team.

Canterbury Sports Awards
Several Old Collegians were nominated for the Outstanding Young Sportsman, Sportswoman and Sports Team of the Year Awards at the Canterbury Sports Awards: Quinton Hurley (2018) – Swimming, Saxon Morgan (2018) –Triathlon, Louis Clark (2019) – Surf Life Saving and Water Polo, Sam Lane (2015) – Hockey, Olivia Brett (2019) – Canoe, 1st XI Cricket Team (2019 Gillette Cup winners).

Isabella Ambrosius (2019) was selected to trial for Hockey New Zealand’s Performance Network.

Rhys Mariu (2019) was named the Gillette Cup Player of the Year, alongside Jacob Cumming from Otago Boys’ High School, at the online New Zealand Cricket Awards.

Mac Stodart (2019) was named in the 2020 Junior Tall Blacks squad and was drafted into the New Zealand NBL Canterbury Rams. He also won a scholarship to play basketball at Concordia University, Irvine, Southern California.

Charles Zhang (2019) was awarded a scholarship to Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.

Jack Sexton, Dominic Clarke, Sebastian Calder and Charlie Murray (all 2019) were involved in the Canterbury U19 rugby squad.