Alumnae
A Wooza for life!
When you accept a place at The Women’s College, you become a Wooza for life.
This page contains everything you need to know as an Alumna of The Women’s College.
Stay Connected
Update your details
Click here to keep your contact details up-to-date. By providing us with your email address, you will receive the Alumnae eNews, invitations to events, updates about what’s been happening, and more.
Read FREDA, our award-winning digital alumnae magazine
FREDA is our award-winning digital magazine for alumnae. This annual publication is named in honour of our founding Principal, Annika Frederika (Freda) Bage.
In May 2022 at the International Educate Plus Conference, FREDA received the Educate Plus Award for Excellence in the alumni publication category.
Multi-Generational Families
In 2020, a new tradition was introduced at the College to acknowledge our Multi-Generational Families. Research was undertaken to identify our current students whose mothers and/or grandmothers are alumnae of The Women’s College.
Each year at our Mother & Daughter Dinner, our Multi-Generational Families are acknowledged and presented with a special badge.
We invite you to watch alumnae from multi-generational families discuss their experiences in 110 Alumnae Stories.
Connect with the Sisterhood of the Travelling Mary Wooza
In celebration of the College’s 110th Anniversary in 2024, Mary Wooza (one of our mascots) embarked on a journey around the world.
Embracing the spirit of the sisterhood at The Women’s College, Mary Wooza now travels with alumnae to a range of locations, and her journey is shared through her Instagram profile @wooza_world. We invite you to follow Mary Wooza to further foster our collective sense of pride and connection with alumnae and The Women’s College.
If you would like to share your journey on @wooza_world, please complete the Sisterhood of the Travelling Mary Wooza form.
Support Women's
Donate
The success of Women’s relies on the generosity of our community. We invite you to make a pledge (a regular amount) or a one-off donation. Gifts of any size will make a lasting impact.
Click here to donate to The Women’s College. All donations are tax deductible.
Share your story as a guest speaker, panellist or on our podcast
Alumnae are invited to share their stories and knowledge with The Women’s College. A number of opportunities exist for you to share your story at Women’s.
Be a guest speaker, panellist or facilitator
Our Formal Dinner program, Ready to Lead program, and other special events feature alumnae and guests who inspire, educate and empower the Women’s community.
We also celebrate the diversity of accomplishments within our alumnae network in our podcast series, Voices of Influence.
Your participation is not just an opportunity to share your story but a chance to shape the narrative of our shared history. Your unique journey and expertise are the cornerstone of our College’s legacy, and we believe your narrative has the power to inspire and empower young women through meaningful discussions.
If you have a story to share with our students or alumnae community, please click here to send your details to The Women’s College.
Feature your story in FREDA
FREDA is our digital alumnae magazine. Issues are published annually and feature stories about our worldwide community of alumnae. If you would like to share your story with the Women’s College alumnae community, please click here to send your information to the College.
Sponsor a bursary, scholarship or prize
Engage with The Women’s College by sponsoring a bursary, scholarship or prize that will have a lifetime effect on our students. It’s a great opportunity to:
- Directly support a student in financial need or award academic success
- Demonstrate your commitment to empowering women
- Connect your brand, business or profile to the education of young women
For further information, please contact our Director of Advancement at advancement@womens.uq.edu.au.
Mentor a Wooza
Share your knowledge with current Woozas in our Career Mentoring Program. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to share your invaluable experiences and insights with the next generation of Woozas!
This voluntary program aims to connect our third-year students and second-year student leaders with alumnae who are employed in professions our students aspire to work in. Whether you’re a seasoned professional, or a rising star in your field, we invite you to become a mentor. Since our students’ interests and study areas cover a broad spectrum of fields and career aspirations, we aim to collate a diverse pool of alumnae mentors. Your guidance and experience are highly valued and can make a significant positive impact on a student’s journey.
Even if you’re not based in Brisbane, we welcome your participation! Distance is no barrier to making a difference. Simply complete this form to express your interest in being part of our esteemed pool of alumnae mentors.
Volunteer
A great way to give back to the College is through volunteering. Here are some ways to get involved:
- Join the Standing Committee Luncheon working group
- Be a reunion coordinator
- Partner with our students: alumnae can provide work experience and internship opportunities for students and young alumnae. This experience provides a competitive edge when students start applying for jobs. It also helps students with developing great connections in the workforce and assists with the transition from university studies to employment as well as workplace preparation.
If any of these options are of interest to you, please contact our Director of Advancement at advancement@womens.uq.edu.au for more details.
Leave a lasting legacy through planned giving
Give a Women’s College resident the chance to make a difference in the world by leaving a gift in your Will. A Women’s College residential experience can transform the life of a young person.
Remembering Women’s in your Will helps to ensure that future generations of students continue to receive a life-changing experience.
A gift, no matter the size, will help us to create funds needed for bursaries and scholarships, which will assist students now and into the future. Every gift will make a significant impact in assisting students with financial need.
Since 1914, many alumnae and friends have given to The Women’s College through a gift in their Will, ensuring that students continue to benefit from the residential experience at The Women’s College. We acknowledge some of our alumnae and friends who have generously left a legacy in their Will to Women’s:
- Ethel Harriet Raybould (1899 – 1987), friend of the College
- May McLean Hancock OBE (1903 – 2003), friend of the College
- Wilhelmina Gladstone Jameson, friend of the College
- Hazel Francis (1930 – 2009), Resident 1964 – 1967 & Vice Principal 1969 – 1971
- Dorothy Marsden (1919 – 2020), Resident & 1939 Student Club President
Planning your giving
If you would like to discuss leaving a gift in your Will to The Women’s College, please contact our Director of Advancement:
- Email advancement@womens.uq.edu.au
- Phone (07) 3377 4500
Alumnae Awards
Our annual Alumnae Awards honour the outstanding achievements of our past residents, from those who are experienced in their careers to those who are just embarking on their new professions. These awards were launched in 2020 with the vision to celebrate the diverse accomplishments of our alumnae community who are making an impact on their communities and a difference in the world.
2026 Alumnae Awards
Further details about the 2026 Alumnae Awards – including the nomination guidelines and nomination form – will be published soon. Please refer to the timeline below (dates are subject to change).
Nominations open
Nominations open in October 2025.
Nominations close
Submissions close in January 2026.
Review of nominations
Judging will take place in February 2026.
Announcement
Winners are announced in March 2026.
Meet the 2025 Alumnae Awards winners
Pictured left to right: Dr Ruth Dill-Macky, Georgie Dent, Izzy Graham and Joanne Bergamin.
Alumna of the Year Award Winner: Dr Ruth Dill-Macky
Dr Ruth Dill-Macky is a Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Minnesota. Her research program is recognised for its research on Fusarium head blight (FHB or scab) of wheat and barley. Ruth has also worked on bacterial leaf streak and the cereal rusts.
Ruth’s interests in plant pathology are in the management of diseases through host resistance, cultural control practices, and epidemiology, including understating the factors impacting the accumulation of Fusarium-associated mycotoxins.
The many graduate students she has advised have gone on to establish careers in industry or academia in North and South America, Asia and Africa.
Ruth currently leads the United States Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative. In this role, she provides leadership to a consortium of research scientists, producers, and industry representatives who work to enhance the safety and supply of our food chain by reducing the impact of FHB in cereals.
Alumna 1981 – 1983
Inspirational Alumna Award Winner: Georgie Dent
Georgie Dent is a best-selling author, former lawyer, and leading advocate for families, children, women’s empowerment and gender equity. As CEO of The Parenthood, she leads campaigns for paid parental leave, quality early childhood education and care, and family-friendly workplaces, engaging a network of over 80,000 parents and supporters.
A sought-after speaker and media commentator, Georgie is a regular guest on The Today Show and The Project, and has appeared on Q&A, Lateline, The Drum, Weekend Sunrise and more. Her writing has been featured in The Guardian, The Financial Review, The Sydney Morning Herald, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar and more.
Her memoir, Breaking Badly, was published to critical acclaim in 2019. Recognised for her advocacy, Georgie has received numerous awards, including an Edna Ryan Award and a Pro Bono Impact Award. She has also represented Australia on the global stage, including at the 2018 Stockholm Forum on Gender Equality.
Alumna 2000
Community Alumna Award Winner: Joanne Bergamin
Joanne Bergamin is a seasoned communications and sustainability professional with expertise across the resources and energy sectors in Queensland – most notably with critical minerals company QEM Limited, Arrow Energy, and as a Non-Executive Director of ASX-listed gold company Sunshine Metals.
Seeing a space for women to drive women’s visibility and leadership in energy and resources, with a keen eye to sustainability, Joanne co-founded and chairs the national WISER (Women in Sustainable Energy & Resources) network. This role builds on Joanne’s experience of serving on the board of not-for-profit community organisation Sports Gold Coast.
Taking a break from resources, she moved to Italy in 2007, living and working in Rome and the Vatican for 13 years, including as a journalist for the Pope’s newspaper. Joanne explored, photographed and wrote about her adopted countries, and she is published in various online and print publications.
Joanne is currently running Senator Susan McDonald’s Office in the run up to the 2025 Federal Election.
Alumna 1992 – 1994
Young Alumna Award Winner: Izzy Graham
Izzy Graham grew up on her family’s cattle property in Western Queensland and completed her schooling at Somerville House in Brisbane.
Izzy commenced her professional nursing career in 2016 at the Wesley Hospital in Brisbane, working predominantly in the Intensive Care Unit. Between 2020 and 2021, she completed her Graduate Diploma in Midwifery on the Central Coast of NSW.
In January, 2022 Izzy commenced her career aspiration – working for the Royal Flying Doctor Service at the Charleville Base in Queensland as a Flight Nurse (Midwifery) in the Aeromedical Retrieval service and Primary Health Care service.
In October of 2024, Izzy took on the role of Nurse Education Officer – Aeromedical for the Charleville Base. During 2023 and 2024, Izzy was also a committee member of the Channel Country Ladies Day, an event for rural and remote women of Queensland, creating inspiration in isolation.
Alumna 2013 – 2014
Online Alumnae Book Club
Pictured left to right: Emma Robinson (1994 – 1995) and Olivia Williamson (1999 – 2003), our two alumnae behind the online book club initiative.
Calling all book lovers!
We’re thrilled to introduce the Online Alumnae Book Club, which launched in early 2025. This exciting initiative is your chance to connect with fellow alumnae through a shared love of literature, meaningful discussions, and a vibrant online community.
The Online Alumnae Book Club is an inspiring and engaging space for all alumnae.
To express your interest and join this exciting venture, please complete the Expression of Interest form.
Members of the Online Alumnae Book Club receive updates via email. If you have joined the book club and have missed any communication, please update your details.
Alumnae Events
Our events for alumnae include fundraising initiatives, exclusive tours, networking opportunities and more. This program is designed to keep you connected with the College and with your fellow alumnae.
Invitations are sent via email. If you are not receiving emails from the College, please update your details.
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