Firsts and Futures: Sue Boyd and 80 Years of St Catherine’s
“Herein lies the spirit of St Catherine’s. Each individual has their own experiences and memories, College life has shaped each in a unique way. But the entity which is the College changes, adapts, survives and reflects a little bit of each of us who has passed through.”
Dr Susan (Sue) Boyd AM
St Catherine's alumna Dr Susan (Sue) Boyd AM speaks during Firsts & Futures: Leadership and 80 Years of St Catherine's. Resident Zane Houston is pictured right.
On 6 March 1946, 32 students became the first residents of the University Women’s College. It was the result of almost two decades of work by people determined to create a place where women could study and belong at The University of Western Australia. The original building had its challenges, but thanks to plenty of persistence, fundraising and community support, the College opened its doors.
Eighty years later, residents, alumni and guests gathered in the Dining Hall for a special Formal Hall celebrating that milestone. Titled Firsts & Futures: Leadership and 80 Years of St Catherine’s, the evening looked back at the people who shaped the College while also celebrating the community that continues to shape it today.
Representatives from Graduate Women WA, High Table guests and College leadership with Dr Susan (Sue) Boyd AM following the Formal Hall.
Sue Boyd, one of the College's distinguished alumni, brought those ideas to life through her own story.
Sue arrived in Western Australia with her family as a reluctant Ten Pound Pom in 1966. She laughed about how far-flung UWA felt compared with her first choice of the University of London, and about being one of the few students from outside WA living at the College. Like every fresher, though, she was starting from the same place as everyone else. Before long she had made friends, settled into College life and thrown herself into everything university had to offer.
Alongside her studies, Sue became involved in student life and was encouraged to run for Guild President.
"No, the blokes do that. The women do not do that," she recalled saying.
"It is time that women did that, Sue, and we want you to do it and we think you can do it. We will back you," came the reply.
She went on to defeat a young Kim Beazley and became UWA's first female Guild President in 1969.
Sue's stories moved easily between the light-hearted and the serious. She laughed about campaigning for softer toilet paper, then reflected on leading around 1,000 students in a sit-in on Stirling Highway after St Catherine's resident Mary Hewett lost her life crossing the road between College Row and the campus. The campaign led to an underpass which students later nicknamed "Boyd's Passage."
From St Catherine's, Sue joined Australia's Foreign Service, where she spent 34 years building an extraordinary career. She spoke honestly about the barriers women faced when she entered the profession, recalling that many people simply did not expect women to succeed. She also shared stories from Darwin after Cyclone Tracy, her work during the East Timorese crisis, and one memorable encounter with a visiting Portuguese delegation that is probably best heard from Sue herself.
Sue celebrated her 80th birthday earlier this year, while St Catherine's is celebrating its own 80th anniversary. Bringing those milestones together made for a memorable evening, not because it was about looking back, but because it reminded everyone that today's residents are adding their own chapter to the College's story.
Formal Hall finished, as it always does. The conversations carried on, and so will the history of St Catherine's. By the time the centenary comes around, today's residents will have stories of their own to tell.
About the Author
Zane Houston is a resident at St Catherine’s College. He is studying a Bachelor of Environmental Design, majoring in Architecture at The University of Western Australia. Zane has a keen interest in architecture, history and storytelling.
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