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We are deeply saddened by the death of Bob Cowan OAM, Honorary Fellow of St Mark’s College, who passed away peacefully last night, surrounded by his family.

The flags at St Mark’s are at half-mast as we honour his life and mourn his passing.

Our deepest sympathy to his children Tiffanie, Leigh, and Jeremy, and all Bob’s family.

Bob Cowan was passionate about supporting rural students to receive life-changing study opportunities, at St Mark’s and at other institutions. A warm and loving man, Bob Cowan led this life-changing work with enthusiasm, vigorous commitment, and remarkable generosity.

Over a quarter of a century, from 1995 to 2020, Bob Cowan and his late wife, Gayle Cowan OAM, supported hundreds of students from regional areas to be at St Mark’s through Cowan Grants which have totalled approximately $1 million. Both Bob and Gayle have been recognised as Governors of the St Mark’s College Foundation. We are deeply grateful.

May Bob Rest in Peace.

A Memorial Service for Bob will be held in the Carinya Chapel in the Mt Gambier Crematorium Complex on Friday 8 September at 11am. Following the service, Bob’s ashes will be interred with Gayle in the Rose Area at the Carinya Gardens Cemetery.

You can read more about Bob’s work in the announcement earlier this year of his appointment as an Honorary Fellow of St Mark’s College here.

Read our tribute to Gayle Cowan OAM here and about Bob and Gayle’s recognition in the Order of Australia earlier this year here.

Seven individuals who have made outstanding contributions in various ways to St Mark’s College have recently been appointed as Honorary Fellows by the College Board.

An Honorary Fellowship is the highest honour the College can bestow, and is awarded in recognition of individuals who have helped the College in very significant ways either by their work or their financial support.

The new Honorary Fellows are the first to be appointed since 2016. They are:

• • Mr Richard Burchnall – a member of College Council 1994-2018, member of College Board 2005-18, and Chairman of College Board and Council 2007-18. Read more here.
  • Mr Robert (Bob) Cowan OAM – the generous donor of grants to support hundreds of regional students to come to St Mark’s between 1995 and 2020. Read more here.
  • Professor Peter Edwards AM – Fourth Master of the College 1978-82, who oversaw the move to coeducation. Read more here.
  • Dr Angela Evans AM – an Old Collegian (St Mark’s 1982-84) who, amongst other contributions, was a member of College Council 2006-18, and member of College Board 2007-20, including Acting Chair in 2018. Read more here and here.
  • Mr Jeremy Pascoe – an Old Collegian (St Mark’s 1955-59) who, amongst many other contributions, has generously endowed a valuable scholarship for later-year student leaders (jointly with his brother Timothy). Read more here.
  • Dr Timothy Pascoe AM – an Old Collegian (St Mark’s 1957-61) who, with his brother Jeremy, has, amongst many other contributions, generously endowed a valuable scholarship for later-year student leaders. Read more here.
  • Dr Pamela Wall OAM – who jointly with her late husband, Dr Ian Wall AM, is the largest donor to the College in its history, including making possible the construction of a number of College buildings. Read more here.

Many congratulations to all of our new Honorary Fellows – and many thanks for all that they have contributed to the College and to our students!

There is a full list of the College’s Honorary Fellows here.

Image: Left to right, from top: Mr Richard Burchnall, Mr Bob Cowan OAM, Professor Peter Edwards AM, Dr Angela Evans AM, Mr Jeremy Pascoe, Dr Timothy Pascoe AM, Dr Pamela Wall OAM

In next week’s scholarship presentation ceremony, this year’s scholarship recipients will be acknowledged for their achievements and will have an opportunity to say thank you in person to some of the donors who are supporting them to be at St Mark’s.

Scholarships are a truly life-changing gift. In many cases, students would otherwise not have been able to afford to be at university and college in Adelaide, and in all cases the relief of financial stress makes a great difference to their ability to focus on their studies and to take advantage of the other opportunities which College provides. The need is real, and the impact of support is transformational.

Scholarships help to make St Mark’s accessible to students from diverse backgrounds who might not otherwise have been able to join our community. They also give us opportunities to encourage and celebrate excellence amongst our students.

Over recent months, dozens of St Mark’s students have been writing deeply moving letters of thanks for what they recognize as the life-changing opportunities they have been given through scholarships.

The letters of thanks pay inspiring testimony to the benefits that students see in being at St Mark’s, and reflect deep gratitude and, in many cases, a determination to provide similar opportunities for future students when they are able to do so.

They also speak to the particular impact that the St Mark’s collegiate experience has had on them, reshaping their lives and their university experience, including through academic and wellbeing support and by helping them build friendships, expand their horizons, and grow in confidence.

The extracts below are just a sample of the very many letters of thanks which students have been writing.

“I am amazed each day by the countless positive interactions I am having at St Mark’s: simply by walking to breakfast in the morning, or sharing a smile with someone that I recognise from college, while at university. The academic support from peers, faculty and staff here is making a significant impact on my achievements, especially for someone who has been out of school for two years. Having grown up in economic hardship, and being independent for two years, your patronage provides me with significant emotional and financial relief and truly makes or breaks the reality of me being a student at St Mark’s College. Thank you for your belief in me.”

“Without college I wouldn’t be studying in Adelaide and wouldn’t be the person I am today. Unfortunately, my family circumstances mean that they cannot financially support me so on their behalf I would like to say thank you as without this scholarship I wouldn’t be residing in Adelaide. One promise I hope to keep is to donate back a portion of money when I leave St Mark’s to help someone else in need just like I am. I hope that by doing so it creates a regenerative generous cycle whereby the recipient of my scholarship one day will do the same for someone else. So, for your generosity I cannot thank you enough!”

“To say that myself and my family are grateful for this scholarship is an understatement. My summer holiday job in hospitality was largely affected by the flood, which resulted in me earning less money than I had aimed for, to cover university and educational expenses. I feel extremely lucky and humbled to have been one of the students selected for a scholarship and will always be thankful to be a part of a college which exhibits such generosity.”

“The past three years at St Mark’s College have been remarkable. Despite the many challenges posed by the pandemic, my university years have been full of memorable experiences and personal growth. I have remarked previously that St Mark’s academic support program, culture of scholarship and world-class mentors were essential to my tertiary success, and that remains true. However, I also recognise that the enriching conversations, contests of ideas and unique perspectives that are part and parcel of Collegiate life, have also been invaluable. To live at St Mark’s is to receive a broad education in life. St Mark’s College is a truly special institution and it is why I strive to make the most of the academic opportunities available and give back to the community.”

“My family have been under a substantial amount of financial pressure and, quite genuinely, this scholarship has presented me with the opportunity to stay at St Mark’s. Going in to 2023 it was looking unlikely that I would be able to return for another year, having to face the fact that I would be unable to spend another year in an environment I truly love, amongst the friends that mean the world to me. Thank you for granting me with an opportunity that would have otherwise been missed. I am beyond grateful for your contribution to my learning. I will ensure it doesn’t go amiss. “

“As I write this letter, I am currently in my sixth day of my St Mark’s journey and can attest to the culture that has been curated at the College, the sense of kindness and camaraderie, that being a part of St Mark’s for me already feels like so much more than just a college. Put simply, it already feels like home. I hope one day, whether that be 30, 40, 50, or 60 years from now, I will also have an opportunity to offer someone in my position the same opportunities as you have given me.”

“Without your help I would not be attending College this year. With the recent drought I was unable to receive financial assistance from my parents. As you can imagine, it is extremely stressful starting a new chapter of my life, let alone not knowing where I can afford to stay. I cannot find the words to express how much stress and anxiety you have taken away from this process.”

“St Mark’s College has given me the opportunity to change who I am and get out of the old habits I was stuck in while at home. College is the place where I can be who I want to be and where I can achieve anything I want. This is the place I now call home, living with many mates and surrounded by a number of helpful staff who are always looking out to help wherever they can. St Mark’s college has been the perfect place for me to live after making the big shift from a country town to the city. This scholarship will help relieve my stress  during the year. I can now focus more on my study, hopefully allowing me to increase my grades over the year. This scholarship will not only relieve stress from me but also my parents who are still supporting my 3 brothers. Once again, I cannot express enough how thankful I am for this scholarship and will forever be grateful.”

“I would not be the person I am today without the experiences and environment St Mark’s College provides; it makes me extremely proud to say that I am a collegian. The generosity of this prize facilitates my continuing time at college but also heavily lifts financial pressures from my dad, who solely supports myself and my other two siblings. Furthermore, this prize allows me to concentrate on my studies without having to commit to full time employment to afford the ever-increasing cost of living”

“My mum was unfortunately made redundant towards the end of last year, so when I was awarded this scholarship it was extremely stress-relieving.”

“I am overwhelmed with thanks for the understanding and support shown towards me for the past two years. I am so appreciative of the way in which my strengths, weaknesses, and disadvantages are accepted. Being in receipt of the Margaret and Harry Trust Scholarship has near well singlehandedly enabled me to spend yet another life changing year at St Mark’s College. St Mark’s College is my home, and always will be. I have had the best two years of my life at this institution, and never felt the amount of pride for myself and my surroundings, as in residence here. I feel supported and seen uniquely by every single member of faculty, leadership, and student at the College. To feel this support to such a degree is an incredibly rare and privilege thing that I will carry with me forever. I have grown more as a person, student, friend, and family member in the past twenty-four months than ever in my life. For this to be recognised, and my potential seen, exemplified in the award of this scholarship, is an incredibly heartfelt experience.

My daily life has an ironic duplicity of difficulty and ease. My difficulties lay in medical stress, and consequent financial burden, which I feel every day. My ease is found in the incredible life that I live, the amazing people I share it with, and the overall almost unbelievable lifestyle I maintain. This scholarship reduces my difficulties and increases my ease, so that I may continue to focus on the beautiful experiences provided to me by the College—whether it be the inspiring academics I get to meet, the firm support network for my wellbeing, the friends I am so privileged to live alongside every day, or even just the peace I experience every morning waking up to the incredible scenery of the College campus.”

If you would like to help change the lives of current or future students at St Mark’s, please give now through clicking here.

Ms Pirjo Rayner retires on 30 June after over 34 years of dedicated service as the Librarian of St Mark’s College. She will be succeeded by Ms Amanda Ward, who has qualifications and professional experience in both libraries and archives, and who is also managing the College’s extensive Archives.

A Sundowner event to thank and farewell Pirjo will be held in the Library on Friday 4 August from 5pm to 6.30pm, and all alumni and friends of the College, as well as current students and staff, are warmly invited. RSVP here.

Pirjo commenced as a part-time Librarian at St Mark’s in early 1989. She had previously worked for 13 years in the State Library of South Australia, including in what became the Mortlock Library of South Australiana.

Over the last 34 years she has cheerfully helped innumerable students, as well as Old Collegians, colleagues, and others. With great enthusiasm, she has led successive stages of modernisation of the Library, culminating in the move in 2015 from its old location above the Grenfell Price Dining Hall to the purpose-built Academic Centre in the East Wing (opened in 2015). A “Learning Commons” was developed in 2019 where the old Library had been, and Pirjo has since taken responsibility for this as part of the Librarian’s role.

Many developments over these years have been guided by surveys of students’ library usage and needs, the most recent of which was held earlier this year. Technological change has led to many improvements, including automation of the catalogue and of the loan system, including the introduction of QR codes for borrowing books, and the development of wireless internet access in the Academic Centre and the Learning Commons.

Pirjo’s thoughtful and forward-looking expansion of the Library holdings has always been mindful of the needs of students. This expansion has benefited immensely from the many generous donations of books, to the great advantage of our students. A large proportion of the College’s holdings has been donated. As well as new and recent books, this includes almost all of the College’s significant Rare Book Collection, and most of the holdings in the St Mark’s Collection which Pirjo has developed – a collection devoted to publications by or about the College and its students, past and present.

In both the old and the new Library, Pirjo has overseen the development of rare book display cases, and has helped to prepare the way for two rare book cabinets which will be installed later this year – including one in memory of Dr Richard Watson, who chaired the Library Sub-committee for many years and was amongst the Library’s most significant donors.

As well as developing valuable links with external experts, Pirjo has encouraged interest in and support for the Library through various events, such as Library Sundowners, and the publication of Library newsletters.

Throughout more than a third of a century of conscientious service to St Mark’s, Pirjo has brought her very special qualities to this crucial part of the life of our residential academic community. She has been a warm and inviting presence in the Library. We are deeply grateful, and she will be much missed.

All members of the St Mark’s community are welcome at the Library Sundowner on Friday 4 August to thank and farewell her.

Pirjo will be succeeded as Librarian by Amanda Ward, who has already taken on responsibility for the Archives, and who will be both Librarian and Archivist from 1 July. Currently Amanda is eagerly taking on increasing responsibility for the Library, with encouragement and assistance from Pirjo.

In December 2022, Amanda succeeded Mrs Monica Smith, who had served at the College as part-time Archival Clerk (and before that in the Office) since 1999. Monica retired in December, after 23 years of dedicated and diligent service, and was warmly thanked for all that she contributed to the College, including through her encyclopaedic knowledge of the College’s Archives and history.

Through sustained hard work and careful attention to detail, Monica developed the College Archive as a carefully organised and protected repository of documents which is of immense value to the College. With much work underway in preparation for the College’s Centenary in 2025, the value of the Archives has perhaps never been more evident.

Amanda Ward has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Information and Library Studies) from Curtin University, and a Graduate Diploma of Information and Systems Management from Monash University.

After a ten-year period in public libraries, Amanda worked as a Librarian at the Parliamentary Library of South Australia, and for four and a half years as Librarian, Archivist, and Information Manager at Adelaide Zoo. She has also worked as a Business Analyst at the University of Western Australia.

Amanda’s professional interests include unearthing and preserving history through archives, storytelling for community and individual wellbeing, harnessing technology to make resources more accessible and enjoyable, storytelling through data visualisation, and helping others develop a passion for reading.

Amanda has already contributed a great deal at St Mark’s, including helping with two important current projects – carrying forward Pirjo’s vision for new rare book cabinets, and the movement of the Archives from Walkley Cottage to the Library stacks.

These and other projects are benefitting from a comprehensive review of the Library and Archives undertaken earlier this year by Dr Rachel Buxton and Dr Katrina Stats, with significant input from Pirjo and Amanda and drawing on this year’s survey of student usage and needs.

As we warmly welcome Amanda Ward to her new roles, the College is profoundly grateful for the work of Pirjo Rayner since 1989 and Monica Smith from 1999 to 2022. We wish both Monica and Pirjo all the very best in their retirements.

For details of the Sundowner on 4 August to farewell Pirjo, please click here.

Top photo: Amanda Ward and Pirjo Rayner in the Academic Centre, May 2023.

Photos below: Ms Pirjo Rayner, Mrs Monica Smith, Ms Amanda Ward

To help engage alumni and friends of St Mark’s in celebrating our Centenary in 2025, the College has recently appointed Ms Karin Dunsford as Director of Centenary Engagement.

Karin is currently Director of Marketing and Community Engagement at Adelaide’s Walford Anglican School for Girls, and will start at St Mark’s in July.

Events to mark the Centenary of St Mark’s will include the Gala Dinner on the 100^th anniversary of the official opening of the College in 1925 (Saturday 15 March 2025), which promises to be a great College reunion, and the launch of the College history currently being written by our Centenary historians, Associate Professor Paul Sendziuk and Dr Carolyn Collins.

These and other events, including for Founders’ Day, will be planned by a Centenary Events Planning Committee of Old Collegians and friends of St Mark’s, which is currently being formed. It will work closely with the College’s events manager, Carol Atkinson, with Karin Dunsford as Director of Centenary Engagement, and with the Head of College, Professor Don Markwell AM.

Karin Dunsford graduated from Flinders University with a BA, majoring in English and History, and a Diploma of Education. She later earned a graduate diploma and then a Masters of Business Administration at UniSA.

After early career work as a teacher, Karin has worked for a little over 30 years in community-building and development roles at Walford, Prince Alfred College, and St Andrew’s School – reflecting her passionate commitment to advancing education in South Australia.

“I very much look forward to working to help as many people as possible connect or re-connect with St Mark’s as the College heads to its Centenary”, she said.

“The Centenary is a great opportunity for everyone to get involved, and to help to steer the College strongly into its second century, celebrating the best of St Mark’s over the last 100 years while doing all we can to support the students of today and of tomorrow.”

More information about the Centenary, including Centenary events, will be posted from time to time here.

To provide memories and insights for the Centenary historians, complete the short questionnaire here.

A major new scholarship endowment – the Ian and Pamela Wall Scholarships – has been created to help students who are in need of financial support to be at St Mark’s.

Dr Ian Wall AM (1931-2022) was a resident student at St Mark’s in 1950-54, and later an Honorary Fellow. In gratitude for all that St Mark’s did for him, he and Dr Pamela Wall OAM became the largest ever donors to the College. They have also served jointly as Governors of the St Mark’s College Foundation.

In announcing the creation of the Ian and Pamela Wall Scholarships, the Chair of the College Board, Ms Linda Matthews, and the Head of College, Professor Don Markwell AM, said:

“Ian and Pammie Wall have a uniquely special place in the history of St Mark’s College, and in the hearts of College members. Their exceptional generosity to the College, providing facilities and other support for our students, is unparalleled.

“Members of the St Mark’s community are also proud that, with Pammie’s unstinting help and support, Ian Wall was co-founder of Codan, which became a globally successful company, and that together Ian and Pammie became among South Australia’s greatest modern philanthropists.

“Ian often said that he owed his success in life to what he gained from his years at St Mark’s. He also believed that he and others had, in his words, ‘almost a duty that you should reinforce the opportunity for those who are to follow in your steps’.

“Ian and Pammie acted on this conviction, and we could not be more grateful.

“Like Ian and Pammie, the College is determined to pass on the best opportunities we can to current and future generations of students.

“This requires working to support all students who need it through a major expansion of scholarships and other financial support for students. This is the key to many students having the opportunity to be at St Mark’s at all. The need among current and prospective students is very real.

“Greatly expanding our scholarships is the College’s highest priority as we head towards celebrating our Centenary in 2025.”

The creation of the Ian and Pamela Wall Scholarships is an important step towards this goal.

Ian and Pamela Wall Scholarships will be awarded to young people of potential who are in need of financial support to be at St Mark’s.

Dr Pamela Wall OAM said: “I am delighted that the Ian and Pamela Wall Scholarships will enable students to have the opportunity to be at St Mark’s that Ian valued so much, and that made such a positive difference in his life.

“I look forward to presenting the inaugural scholarships in coming months.

“I am also delighted that Ian’s memory will be honoured in this way in the College both he and I have loved so much.

“It has been a joy for us to do all we can to help the College and the students.”

The Ian and Pamela Wall Scholarships fund will be managed with the goal of at least preserving its real value in perpetuity, and ideally increasing in value to create further opportunities for students in need to gain the benefits of College life.

An inaugural round of Ian and Pamela Wall Scholarships has already been held. Applications were recently invited from current St Mark’s students, with applications assessed on the basis of financial need. This inaugural round has seen five scholarships of $2,000 each awarded, and it is expected that larger awards will be possible in future years.

The College’s tribute to Ian Wall on his passing in October 2022 is here.

The image above is of the portrait of Ian and Pamela Wall by Tsering Hannaford that hangs in the St Mark’s College Dining Hall. There is background to it here.

For details of College scholarships, click here.

To donate to create life-changing opportunities for students to be at St Mark’s, click here.

The flags at St Mark’s are flying at half mast this week to honour the life and mark the passing of Gayle Cowan OAM, a Governor of the College Foundation, whose generous financial support over 25 years helped hundreds of students from regional areas to be at St Mark’s.

Gayle Cowan was honoured with a Medal of the Order of Australia in January 2023 “for service to the community of Mount Gambier”. Her community service reflected her commitment to education at all levels – kindergarten, and primary and secondary school, as well as at the university level – together with keen interest in art, film, bridge, and other community activities. Details of some of Gayle’s extensive community involvement and service may be found here.

At St Mark’s, we particularly honour with gratitude her service as Secretary and Trustee of the Cowan Grant trust. Created by Mrs Cowan’s parents-in-law in the early 1990s, from 1995 to 2020 the Cowan Grant trust awarded grants (or scholarships) to a very large number of university students at St Mark’s College, Adelaide, and other institutions such as the Roseworthy campus of the University of Adelaide.

As Secretary and Trustee, Gayle Cowan was integral to the running of this remarkably generous Cowan Grants program, working closely with her husband Mr Robert (Bob) Cowan.

Over that quarter-century, financial assistance totalling approximately $1 million was given to students to attend St Mark’s College alone. Hundreds of students were assisted through this. The focus was on supporting students from rural, regional, and remote areas of Australia (principally but not exclusively South Australia) to be able to afford to be at St Mark’s and so be able to undertake university study at one of the universities in Adelaide.

Many of these students would not have been able to come to St Mark’s or to study at university in Adelaide were it not for the Cowan Grants they received. Gayle Cowan was integral to creating life-changing opportunities for them.

Along with Bob Cowan, Gayle also took an active interest in the institutions to which students went and in the students themselves. She and Bob visited St Mark’s College on many occasions to meet with students, both through formal occasions such as scholarship presentations ceremonies and through social occasions such as meals together at the College.

The warm interest which Gayle and Bob Cowan showed in the students they were supporting was very much appreciated.

Gayle Cowan’s contribution, with Bob, to supporting university students in need, thus transforming their life chances, was truly exceptional, and we could not be more grateful.

Our deepest sympathy to Bob Cowan, their children Tiffanie, Leigh, and Jeremy, and their families.

Leigh and Jeremy Cowan were both resident students in St Mark’s, and Leigh was College Club President at St Mark’s in 1989.

Details of the Memorial Service for Gayle in Mount Gambier on Friday 24 March are here.

The College Club has embarked on a thorough-going review of its Constitution led by a high-powered committee of law students and student leaders.

Appointed at the Club’s AGM on 1 March, the Constitutional Review Sub-Committee has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive review of the Constitution, inviting feedback from current and Old Collegians, staff, and friends of the College.

It aims to ensure that the College Club’s guiding document remains fit-for-purpose, and helps the Club to thrive into St Mark’s second century.

The Sub-Committee comprises Assistant Dean Cameron Akehurst, Law Academic Coordinator Holly Boswell, and CAS Hawker Scholars Oliver Douglas and William Gillett.

The impetus for a review began in 2022 when then College Club President, Caitlin Glascott, and Vice-President, Oliver Douglas, identified several areas for improvement in the Constitution.

The first round of consultation is now open and the Sub-Committee is inviting written submissions – in the form of direct annotations to the Constitution or general comments – to be made here. The College Club Constitution can be found here.

On Wednesday 26 April the Sub-Committee will provide an initial progress report to an Ordinary General Meeting of the Club. The Sub-Committee will then publish its first revised draft of the Constitution and call for further feedback in a second round of consultation.

It is envisaged that a new Constitution, if approved, will be adopted at the Final General Meeting in October 2023.

The Sub-Committee warmly welcomes all feedback.

Photo: Cameron Akehurst, Holly Boswell and Oliver Douglas