Star Story

In 1882, 17-year-old Anna Hamilton (1882) stepped onto the Geelong train; 141 years later, Alice O’Connor (2023) stepped onto the train at Wangaratta station. Both young women were leaving behind a world they knew and heading to MLC’s Boarding House. Their experiences paint a fascinating picture of how some aspects of boarding school life remain wonderfully constant, even as the world changes around them. 

The train journey itself stands out as a shared milestone. Anna wrote home about not speaking “a word all the way to Melbourne,” while Alice, reflecting on her first solo train ride, admits she “was dramatic about it like Anna.” Both girls were nervous about arrival and were greeted by MLC staff they had never met before. Anna was met by a gentleman she initially mistook for founding Principal, Reverend Dr Fitchett, and Alice remembers the confusion of “all these different faces, who’s who.” Alice remembers it took “about a couple of months to really work out each staff member,” echoing Anna’s amusing realisation that her welcoming party wasn’t who she first thought.  

Even though the physical surroundings have evolved dramatically – Anna arrived when parts of the Boarding House were still being built, while Alice entered a well-established institution – the emotional journey remains remarkably similar. Both experienced that mix of excitement and apprehension that comes with starting life at boarding school. 

The main difference lies in how they stayed connected with home. Anna pleaded for letters from her mother, choking back tears while she wrote. Alice’s experience differed in this way – communication with home was just a tap away. Yet the essence of the boarding experience – building a new home away from home – transcends these technological changes. 

We can be confident that Anna’s journey, like Alice’s, led to those special connections that make boarding school unique. As Alice reflects, “You have connections that last a lifetime ... every single day you have a meal together, and that fosters a unique bond.” It’s heartening to think that Anna, too, likely formed such enduring friendships in those early days of MLC’s Boarding House, starting a tradition that continues to enrich students’ lives today.