今日吃瓜

Monty Omodei (1960) is the son of contract miner Remo 鈥楻ay鈥� Omodei and Helen nee Stewart, and was born in Wiluna, on the western edge of the Gibson Desert, in 1943. 

By 1947 the Wiluna mine had shut down, and most of the town鈥檚 residents departed to find work elsewhere. Monty鈥檚 father Ray went on ahead to find work at the Mount Charlotte underground mine (now the Super-Pit, the world鈥檚 largest gold mine) and Helen, sons Raymond (now deceased), Monty, and daughter Cathy (now deceased) were among the last to leave Wiluna, walking out of their then-worthless home, leaving most of their belongings behind in the ghost town.

Monty spent the rest of his childhood in Kalgoorlie, attending CBC until 1955 when the family moved to Perth, as Raymond was at Teachers鈥� Training College, Graylands, and Cathy an announcer at 6KY Radio Station Perth. For the rest of 1955 Monty was at CBC Highgate, but came to St Ildephonsus College, New Norcia, in 1956.

At New Norcia, Monty found another family, the members of which he鈥檚 still in touch with today. He was in Sebastian House, played music, and competed ably in athletics, swimming, golf, handball, tennis, cricket, football, boxing and debating. He left New Norcia in 1958, having completed his Junior in English, Arithmetic and Algebra, Geometry and Trigonometry, Geography, History, and Art. 

Monty has very happy memories of his years at St Ildephonsus – the strict discipline (all to an ever tolling bell), of making your bed, attending mass, eating regular meals, a solid routine, school work, varied sporting activities, religion, singing in the choir as well as at Mass, or with the Benedictine monks, the picnics in the bush – and most of all, the mateship. His least favourite memory was having chicken pox one year, and being the only student left there over Easter during which, understandably, he really missed his family.

Monty came back to his parents’ North Perth home in time for Christmas, but it was quite a rowdy, lively home to which he returned as, from 1955, on behalf of the St Vincent De Paul Society, his parents ran 鈥楰eane House鈥�, accommodating older boys from Bindoon and Clontarf while they completed their apprenticeships. With roughly another dozen boys there, he was just another boy in line. Monty says his years at New Norcia prepared him well though, and toughened him up a bit, making it a little easier to deal with all the boys at home.

In 1959 his parents bought a home in Dianella and Monty returned to CBC Highgate for his final two years of schooling. On school holidays Monty worked as a labourer in a cordial factory, as well as in the timber yards. In 1961 he was fortunate to win the Perth Zone to get into the Grand Final of “Youth Speaks for Australia,” sponsored by Shell Co of Australia Limited, the programme for which he still has!

In 1962 one of Ray鈥檚 friends, (later Sir) Laurence Brodie-Hall, was Executive Director of Western Mining Corporation and gave Monty a start as a junior trainee in the Engineering Division at Cavalier Construction Company in Kwinana, a wholly owned subsidiary of Alcoa. 

This allowed him to continue living and working happily in remote areas thereafter, in the mining and resources sector, managing complex engineering operations, and launching new technology into established industries until the early 1990s, when he started his own group of companies, still operating today. 

Now partly retired, Monty still works on major equity funding in the mining and resources sector, both within Australian and international markets.

Family-wise, Monty married Janet Stuart in Brisbane in 1985, and they have a son Stuart who, with his wife Lauren, has provided Monty with two granddaughters to dote on.

Monty says he is a simple man who loves life. With a long family history of mining pioneers, publicans, war, and military service, he is very interested in researching and reading about his family history. Now living in Brisbane, distance prevents him from attending SIC reunions, but he remains close to his classmates from so long ago, and speaks to some of them every week. 

Images above:
Top: St Ildephonsus College First Years, 1956
Back, L鈥揜:听Richard Passamani, Gerard O鈥機allaghan, Anthony Burke, Wally Deller, Kevin Clark, Maurice Jones, Charles Bermingham, Alan Plant, David Rencoule, Gavin Schwarzbach, Michael Jones, Patrick Dullard, Laurie Shervington, Michael Kinshela, John Ferguson
3rd row:听Brian White, Noel Jones, Lawrence Thompson, Theo Keeris, Thomas Morley, Terence Shine, John Stott, Eric Hogan, Neville Bugg, Maurice Priest, Frank Collins, Terence Bourke, Kieran Robinson, Peter Ryan, Denis Halligan
2nd row:听Brian Farrell, John McPartland, Peter Downey, Clarence Murray, Deryck Brockhurst, Peter Whittle, James Farrell, James Williams, Leo Yellema, Alan Doyle, Edward Smeding, Kevin Heffron, Peter Klarie, John Gianatti
Front: Harry Davies, Peter Beckett, Terence Durkin, Julian Nussey, John Dwyer, Denis Larter, Ronald Ryan, Geffery Barnett,听Monty Omodei,听Boyden Marinich

In 1981 Miranda Barker (Coney 1983), at the age of just 15 in Year 10 at Newman Siena
auditioned for, and was accepted into the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School and, in 1982, entered The Australian Ballet School. David McAllister AC (1980) knew Miranda from growing up in Perth, and also from Newman, and had entered The Australian Ballet School a year ahead of Miranda, after finishing Year 12 here. He became a Principal Dancer with The Australian Ballet in 1989.

In 1991 Miranda also became a Principal Dancer and was said to light up the stage, to take flight upon it, and to bring a breadth and depth to each role she danced. She caught the eye of then Music Director Charles Barker, who trained at the Manhattan School of Music and was with The Australian Ballet from 1997 to 2001.

Charles picks up the story: ” … Let me set the scene.

鈥淭he Australian Ballet opened in Perth last night [at His Majesty鈥檚 Theatre] with a performance of the Merry Widow with Miranda in the title role. I had planned to propose to Miranda after the opening night performances in Perth, for about six weeks. She has family in Perth, she was the Widow, it all seemed to fit. I had told my plans to no one except Ross Stretton, Artistic Director of Australian Ballet, who incidentally slyly engineered some of the technical parts. Extreme secrecy had to be maintained because there are no secrets in this company!

鈥淛ust before the performance Ross and I spoke to the stage manager to alert her that she needed to make an announcement over the PA just before the final curtain to get the audience’s attention and that she had to fit me with a body microphone because I was going to ‘make a presentation’. Then we swore her to secrecy for the next 2-1/2 hours.

鈥淎fter the performance finished (which, by the way, was quite good) the bows followed as usual – corps, soloists, principals, all forward and back, the Widow (Miranda) gets the conductor [Charles], all bow, curtain down, bows for principals in front of the curtain, … curtain up, all (except conductor) down and back. This is usually when the curtain falls for the last time for the evening. However, tonight, with the curtain still up and the audience still applauding, the stage manager spoke over the PA and said, 鈥楲adies and gentlemen, may we have your attention鈥�.

鈥淭he audience became quiet immediately and I walked out onto the stage, faced the audience, and spoke to them … saying, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Charles Barker, Music Director of the Australian Ballet. I have a question to ask tonight’s Widow.’ At which point I turned and walked a few steps toward Miranda, went down onto one knee, held out an engagement ring to her and said, ‘Miranda Coney, will you be my wife?’

鈥淢iranda had no idea that this was about to happen and the look on her face was priceless. She was quite overcome and came to me, nodded yes, took the ring and gave me a hug and kiss. At the same moment the stage and audience erupted with a deafening ovation, a type of which I had never heard before. Men were yelling their bravos and women were shouting through their tears – especially the ballerinas on stage. An usher brought Miranda some red long stem roses I had gotten for her, more applause, then the curtain came down. It was quite a scene. I couldn’t have hoped for a better scenario. Everything went my way.

鈥淭he next morning the press began to phone at 9:30am. We gave interviews and had photos taken until about 2pm. We are both still pretty high from the evening. It was fun and perhaps most important, it was successful! The amount of media coverage after the fact was surprising. We did dozens of newspaper and radio interviews including the BBC from London. I guess people like happy endings.”

Oh, they definitely do!

Miranda concluded an extraordinary 20-year career with The Australian Ballet when she and Charles left the company at the end of 2001. They then married and moved to New York, where Miranda is now a professional ballet coach and Charles has just celebrated 30 years conducting for the American Ballet Theatre. Their sons Riley and Max are both prodigiously talented; Riley has followed Charles into music and is a collaborative pianist, composer and teaching artist, while Max has followed Miranda into dance and is a rising star with the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company.

Images above:
Top left: Miranda as The Merry Widow, 2000听(after the opening night performance of which, Charles Barker proposed)
Top middle: Miranda in Year 10 at Newman Siena, 1981
Top 3rd from left:听Miranda and David McAllister AC (1980) after performing Copp茅lia, 1992
Photo courtesy Ronald G Bell and The Australian Ballet Archive.
Top right: David McAllister AC (1980) and Miranda Barker (Coney 1983), Principal Dancers with The Australian Ballet
Bottom middle: The Barker family, January 2025
L-R: Riley,听Miranda Barker (Coney 1983), Charles and Max Barker

Craig Hollywood (2000) was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and came to Western Australia in 1994 when his father, an electrician, found work here in Perth. The family was looking for a better life than could be had in Glasgow at the time, and came to live in Woodvale, where Craig attended the local primary school.

Craig readily admits he was a rascal, and his parents recognised his need for a fuller and more focused education. They chose 今日吃瓜, and he started at Newman Siena, Doubleview, in Year 8, 1996. Getting there from Woodvale involved a bus, a train, and another bus, and the same in reverse to go home. Having walked to school for most of his life until then, Craig says it was a bit of an culture shock! But he settled quickly and, that year, was one of two Catherine Guild Representatives. 

From Year 10 in 1998 he attended our Churchlands campus, and signed up for Dario Bottega鈥檚 (ICT teacher 1995-2000) Computer Aided Drafting class. Without that, he says, he honestly doesn鈥檛 know where he鈥檇 be today. 

When he was in Year 11, his grandfather, his mother鈥檚 father, died back in Glasgow. Craig鈥檚 mother was an only child and needed to look after her mother, so the family returned to Scotland. Craig finished his schooling in Glasgow, but he believes his four years at Newman were pivotal to the man he is today, and credits the successes he鈥檚 made in life with his parents鈥� decision to send him here.

After school, Craig put Mr Bottega鈥檚 teaching to good use and pursued engineering. In around 2004, when Craig was 21 and qualified, he returned to live in Perth and began establishing his career in civil engineering. The whole family eventually came back, and they even brought his gran to live here!

In 2015 Craig had the seemingly simple idea of offering free haircuts to Perth鈥檚 homeless people. In the busy lives most people lead, and the tendency to let ideas be just that, Craig’s idea could well have remained unrealised. Instead, Craig sought the help of some barbering friends and set up a charity called Short Back & Sidewalks in one of Northbridge鈥檚 carpark laneways. The first time, he thought they might sit there all day with no customers, but that wasn鈥檛 what happened.

After a few times and word began spreading, there was a steady stream of people who travelled long distances to be there – not just for the free haircut and barbering, but for the opportunity to be seen and heard without judgement. The simple service made a huge difference in these people鈥檚 lives, and to Craig himself, who was humbled by some of their stories.

In 2022 Craig won an Australian of the Year award as Western Australia鈥檚 Local Hero. In 2023 he was awarded the City of Perth Active Citizenship Award and, in 2024, was both a finalist for Volunteer of the Year, and winner of the Australian Hair Industry Award鈥檚 Vidal Sassoon Humanitarian of the Year. Most recently Craig was presented with the 2025 Western Australian Council of Social Services (WACOSS) Outstanding Contribution: Going above and beyond award. He is a regular and inspiring motivational speaker and brings smiles to listeners when he recounts talking to (then) Prime Minister Scott Morrison – not so much about securing $450,000 in federal funding for Short Back & Sidewalks, which he did – but more about their mutual love of dogs. 

Craig now holds a Non-Executive Board position at Short Back & Sidewalks which, alongside having three paid staff members, has more than 350 skilled barbers and hairdressers in their volunteer workforce, and offers services throughout remote and regional WA as well as in NSW, South Australia, Victoria, and in the Northern Territory. This year, the goal is to deliver 15,000 haircuts. As of early June, they were at just over 10,000 haircuts, so will most likely exceed expectations. 

As Craig says, 鈥淕iving a free haircut to a person makes more of an impression than you could imagine. An individual truly stands taller when they have received a fresh haircut.鈥�

Outside of Short Back & Sidewalks, Craig continues working in civil engineering. He鈥檚 currently the WA Defence Lead at AECOM, a global company which designs infrastructure with a focus on sustainability, the supporting of communities, and the building of a better, more climate-resilient future.

Craig visited us at Newman recently and, in addition to being central to planning the celebration of his cohort’s 25th Reunion this year, hopes to inspire our students to pursue their own journeys in future; to not dismiss, and to always embrace their ideas. 

Top left: Catherine Guild, Mrs Marie Grace鈥檚 Group, 1998
Back, L-R:听Sara Ceccarelli, Tristan Raison, Samantha Mitchell, Sarah See, Nicole Mancini听
Middle:听Bree Blakeman, Kate Mercer,听Craig Hollywood,听Daniel Berrigan, Ferdinand Tamara, Christine Arnold, Lauren Bowler
Front:听Matthew Dermody, Sarah Miller, Adam Corrigan, Adam Quigley, Michael Barns, Erin Mill, Joel Adams
Middle : Craig and his partner Jo, May 2025
Right: Craig at 今日吃瓜, June 2025
Bottom left: Craig at work with AECOM aboard the USS Minnesota

Donna Burke (1981) is one of seven children including Jennifer Denness (Burke 1977), Cathy Burke (1980), Donna鈥檚 twin Frank Burke (1981), Matthew Burke (1984), and twins Alison Burke (1987) and Andrew Burke (1987). 

She and her siblings all attended Holy Rosary in Doubleview before the girls went on to Siena, and the boys to Marist or 今日吃瓜. She admits she was a bit mischievous, and very good at mimicking her teachers鈥� voices, particularly those of Mrs Suzanne Silbert鈥檚 (French teacher 1978-1982) and her British accent, or Mrs Noelene Cooney (Teacher/Acting Principal 1980-1981), who Donna says was the best to imitate!  

Acting and singing were Donna鈥檚 passions but in those days, with a few obstacles in the way, after graduating in 1981 she worked in a bank for two years during which she could afford singing lessons and also entered eisteddfods. Eventually though, she followed her parents鈥� advice and trained as a teacher. 

When qualified, she returned to Newman Siena for 1988, teaching RE and English, which was a bit of a shock! As Donna says, “the boys in my class were an absolute nightmare and the girls barely got my attention as I was so busy trying to calm and control the unruly boys. I followed the common advice on winning obedience as a teacher: don鈥檛 crack a smile before Easter. I was super strict; I had to be.鈥�

The next year Donna moved to Chisholm Catholic College but at the age of around 30 in the mid-1990s, she decided to travel for a bit. By 1996 she was in London and running out of money, but didn鈥檛 want to return to her old life, teaching in Perth. She still had a secret dream to be a famous singer and actor, and felt if she came back, she would be settling for less than she wanted out of life.

Instead, Donna went to Japan and, with ten years of classical voice training behind her, began life as a wedding singer. She sang at several weddings a day, and soon also became a freelance announcer. Before long she was also in high demand for voicing TV commercials, video games, songs and anime. Gamers may recognise her voice in songs for Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy, or as characters in Silent Hill and ARMS.

Donna has lived in Japan ever since. She loves the inherent politeness in Japan鈥檚 people, and the safety she can feel, as a woman, walking anywhere. She also loves the food 鈥� so much choice 鈥� and finds it a great, affordable place to live. She also loves being in the same time zone as Perth, as it allows her to remain connected to her family. In particular, it’s easy to Facetime her mother, Margaret, on her way home from work.

It was in Japan Donna met her English husband, teacher and writer Bill Benfield, and in 2004 they established Dagmusic together, a booking agency and recording studio for foreign artists in Japan. Dagmusic operated until 2022, after which Donna focused on other projects. 

In 2002 Donna auditioned for JR Central, to replace the woman who previously voiced the announcements on the Shinkansen ‘Bullet’ train line, who was leaving the country. That woman had been Canadian, and they wanted a voice which sounded just like her, so Donna mimicked the Canadian woman who had been mimicking a British woman. Using a calming, motherly tone with the hint of a smile, she changed it slightly to a refined Australia voice, rather than a British voice. She was a hit, and has been 鈥楾he Shinky Lady鈥� ever since, making such announcements as 鈥淟adies and gentlemen, welcome to the Shinkansen鈥︹��

In 2019 Donna鈥檚 mum Margaret visited Donna in Japan, and a video of the two of them on the train went viral, with Margaret getting a huge thrill out of hearing her daughter鈥檚 voice welcoming passengers and announcing stops. This year Margaret turns 90, a wonderful occasion Donna will be here in Perth to celebrate!

It’s Donna’s voice which also warns people about natural disasters and, on New Year’s Day 2024, it was a surreal experience to hear her own voice coming out of her phone saying 鈥淓arthquake! Earthquake!鈥�

Donna also exports Japanese products all over the world. Chemist Warehouse stocks her hot pink Hotteeze self-heating pads, and she is now hoping her latest device – Japan Toilet Sound – catches on in Australia. An elegant solution to block sound, particularly in public toilets or ensuites, it was invented to save water during a drought, to stop people double-flushing to cover toilet noise. 

Donna still loves singing live and connecting with her fans. She will be singing at the Bledisloe Cup on 4 October 2025, and at the Royal Albert Hall on 1 November in Metal Gear in Concert, with more international concerts happening in 2026. Her TV comedy mystery show Killer Rich is also in development with Screenwest, which Donna hopes will be made in the new Perth Studios.

Now 60 and reflecting on her life, Donna says, 鈥淚f you’re not grateful for what you’re doing, stop. You want to bring good energy into your work. I used to get in trouble for mimicking accents. Now, it鈥檚 my career!”

Top left: Mrs Nunn鈥檚 Year 12 Contact Group, 1981
Back, L-R: Randy Wyndow, Brendan Kelly, David Manera, Damien Williams
Front: Lisa McDonald, Andrew Britto, Mrs Lynette Nunn,听Donna Burke, Sharon Donatti
Middle: Donna Burke (1981)听
Bottom left:听:听Newman Siena Staff, 1988
Back, L-R:听Mrs P Allan, Mr T Lark, Mr N Morson, Mr Mike Diamond, Mr G Knox, Mr B Webb, Mr P Slattery, Mr R Crothers, Mrs C Chipperfield
3rd row:听Mrs N Brown, Miss M Russo, Sr M Bernadine, Mrs Y Taylor, Mr K Hunt, Mr Fong, Mrs M Macauley, Mrs A Gionea, Mrs Lyn Ward-Dixon, Mrs G Hill
2nd row:听Mrs D Dixon, Mrs M Evans, Mrs R Palmer, Miss K Smith, Mrs M Roberts, Mrs L Damnjanovich,听Miss Donna Burke (1981), Mrs C Williams, Miss I Mulder,听Mrs Tricia Hawkins (Vernon 1978), Mrs A Sutcliffe, Mrs M Foster
Front:听Mrs B Snowden, Miss S Irvine,听Mrs Jenny Lindsay (Macauley 1972), Mrs K Biagi, Br David (Deputy Principal), Sr Mary Perpetua (Principal), Mrs S Voss (Deputy Principal), Sr M Antoninus, Mrs I Wade, Mrs N Burette, Mrs T White
Top right:Burkes at the beach c1968
L-R: Margaret (holding Matthew), Jenny, Cathy, Donna and Frank Burke
Bottom right:听Japan’s Shinkansen ‘Bullet’ Train, the voice of which is听Donna Burke (1981)