ANZAC Day

This week, our Senior School students acknowledged ANZAC Day by welcoming guest speaker, Warrant Officer, Nicole Stephens to our annual service.  

Nicole has been a member of the Australian Defence Force for 28 years and has served in both Afghanistan and Timor-Leste. During her Assembly Address Nicole shared poignant stories of her relatives who have also served in the ADF. Her career and dedication to armed services in Australia was indeed impressive, combining her work with post-graduate study for her Master’s in Logistics.  

ANZAC Day is an opportunity for younger generations to hear the stories of sacrifice and perseverance, as we take the time to remember and honour all those who have served for Australia.  

During our Assembly, I shared the story of St Catherine’s Old Girl, Mrs Masha Engmann (Klatchko ‘36) who was a student at the School in the 1930s; Masha graduated in 1936 from St Catherine’s School.  

Masha was only 16 years old when her Mother passed away in Melbourne, resulting in Masha joining her Father, an oral surgeon stationed in Shanghai, China at the time. Masha’s Father had previously served with the ANZACs in both Egypt and Gallipoli.  

It was 1937, merely a few months after finishing school when Masha visited her father in China. At this time, the Second Sino-Japanese War commenced between China and Japan. This was two years before the start of World War II.  

Sadly, Masha was captured and held in a Japanese Prison Camp in China for four years, as she refused to renounce or abandon her Australian citizenship. It is difficult to imagine the living conditions at this time for a 16-year-old girl, who just graduated from St Catherine’s in beautiful Toorak, to have found herself, a couple of months later, in a prison camp where she remained for four years. 

When Masha was finally released from the prison camp, she went on to marry an Air Force Navigator, and moved to San Francisco happily having two sons. Masha passed away in 2007. 

I was greatly moved when Masha’s eldest son, Douglas, reached out to me from San Francisco only three weeks ago, and purchased a seat in our new Sports Centre during our Annual Giving Day. Douglas wanted his dear Mother’s name, and her story, to be remembered. Masha’s story is a poignant reminder to bring to one’s mind an awareness of the great sacrifices made and selflessness by so many people during past conflicts. 

On ANZAC Day, we remember and share the stories of all Australians and those who fought, lost their lives, and sacrificed so much during the trauma of war. With this we also remember Masha – who spent four years in a prison camp because she refused to abandon her Australian citizenship.