President’s report

With the 2026 event season well underway and Founders’ Day festivities behind us, there has been a spirit of purple and gold in the air!

It is incredible to feel such magic at our Wesley 160 events 10 years on from the sesquicentenary celebrations that injected so much energy into the life and times of Wesley. I’d like to thank all alumni and families connected with the school for their engagement with this year’s program of events and for bringing this magical spirit to life once again.

The Founders’ Day Gala at Crown Palladium saw over 1000 people come together to celebrate the 160th anniversary of the College. I would like to recognise the OWs who took part in the flash mob style choir on stage at the beginning of the evening, singing ‘Wesley Now and Always’ lead by Principal Nick Evans (OW1985). It set the scene for what was a wonderful celebration of our great school.

The Founders’ Day Lunch the following Saturday was a fitting celebration to end the core Founders’ Day program. We should be proud of the way our alumni relations team works to ensure all generations are represented and engaged in our variety of events.

To mark this anniversary year, the OWCA has introduced three key initiatives which will leave a lasting positive legacy in alignment with our strategic plan. These include the new OWCA Fellowship pin, the generational family pin and the OWCA Award.

The OWCA Fellowship pin is designed to provide fellows, male and female, with a recognisable item they can wear at all Wesley College or OWCA events. This is a legacy which reflects our community and the honour of fellowship, regardless of gender. The generational family pins recognise generational families with students currently attending the College. These pins will be handed out to students at our inaugural generational breakfast and at this event in years to come.

Finally, we are excited to launch the OWCA Award, which will be bestowed upon an OW who has done something remarkable for their community. The criteria and more specific detail on the award are available on the OWCA website. We encourage alumni to nominate peers worthy of recognition.

The deadline for nominations will be 9 December 2026, with the recipient to be announced at Founders’ Day Lunch 2027.

Our Collegians Cricket Club had a successful season, and I congratulate the volunteer leaders of the club for their efforts. Collegians Football Club are underway with their season and I encourage all alumni to head down to the Trott for a home game lunch or just to enjoy the football.

The Collegians Car Club undertook its second OW Auto Day as an affiliate and delivered a very successful event. Melbourne turned on a stellar day and with over 80 cars on the Gregory Oval at the Glen Waverley Campus, there was quite a spectacle from High Street Road. It was wonderful for the Heriot family to showcase one of their vintage Greyhound buses. I attended with one of our Scania G460 8x4 Cappellotto vacuum trucks, adding to the variety showcased on the day!

A special acknowledgement to President Brad Gavin (OW1994), Alex Iljin (OW1982), Mark Samlal (OW1982), Stephen Grasby (OW1982) and Bruce Van Twest (OW1982) for their leadership in delivering another successful event.

I look forward to seeing many of you in the coming months as our 2026 events program continues.