Class Notes 1981–1985

Updated Summer 2024

Moved out of Sydney in 2009 and now living in Bowral with my wife and three children where life is good! I have been in financial services for the large majority of my working life and spend 2–3 days a week working in our Sydney office with the remainder WFH, where I work as a Financial Advisor for Principal Edge Financial Services

Some of my highlights from my time at Burgmann include friendships that have lasted a lifetime forged through a combination of living together, uni life and sport. The days at Burgmann were filled with laughter and good times, and hold some of my fondest memories.

I enjoyed my sporting experiences at Burgmann through AFL, Rugby League, Tennis and Dawborn original.

I returned to America, graduated from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, worked in banking for 13 years in Philadelphia, New York and Zurich, met my husband, raised our family of six in Manhattan, and now travel and front our children (not necessarily in that order).

Updated Autumn 2025

Jenny has enjoyed a career in Public Relations and Corporate Affairs and in not-for-profits, and is the CEO of Clean Up Australia.

Updated October 2025

Kelvyn Dunn began his career as a secondary school teacher of mathematics and biology in Queensland and Victoria. He later worked as curator of the herbarium and arthropod collections for the former Department of Natural Resources and Environment (Burnley and Knoxfield campuses) in Victoria, contributing to the organisation and preservation of important and historical scientific specimens. Over the years, he undertook contract roles with Deakin University, Melbourne, Harvard University, Cambridge (MASS) and the BBC in London, providing field, diagnostic and scientific advice in entomology. He also worked as a research assistant at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Griffith University (Nathan Campus) in Queensland.

Kelvyn has written several books, booklets, book chapters, and technical papers, mainly focusing on Australian butterflies and the parasitic wasps associated with citrus scale insects and mealybugs. His work reflects a long-standing interest in natural history and a commitment to sharing knowledge in the field.

He has since dedicated over 20 years of service as a Psychiatric Nurse with Monash Health in Melbourne.

Kerrin pursued a career as an IP lawyer for 20 years, becoming a partner in a Brisbane-based corporate law firm. She left 10 years ago to start her own practice working with First Nations organisations assisting with legal, governance, strategy and risk management services. Kerrin studied indigenous governance at the University of Arizona and has been working with native title bodies on implementing the principles of indigenous governance for Nation Rebuilding in Australia. She co-founded the Institute for First Nations Governance Professionals with two First Nations colleagues to further this.

After finishing Arts (Hons) and Law (Hons) degrees at ANU, Lea moved to Sydney to work at a commercial law firm, later at the New South Wales Crown Solicitor’s Office, and then as a government solicitor for NSW Treasury. In 2015, Lea was appointed as NSW's first female Crown Solicitor, and in late 2018, as a NSW Supreme Court Judge and President of NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Louise spent twenty years as a University administrator, at various universities both in Australia and the US, taught senior Geography and History at a girls' boarding school in Queensland and for the past 10+ years has been a full-time author (yes you can make a living from writing!): A New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, and Audible bestseller of award-winning historical fiction. (You can learn more by visiting https://www.lucindabrant.com) Louise thoroughly enjoyed her four years at Burgmann, making the most of college life—as a resident tutor, editor of Omphalos magazine, member of WOBCO, and as a student rep on the College Council. She also forged lifelong friendships, and met her future husband Brant—a Burgmanite and resident fellow—and they have been together ever since.

Margie worked in secretary, personal assistant and administrative roles at the Australian National Gallery (now NGA) and then in a series of charitable organisations in Victoria and Queensland. Margie’s career also included aquaculture farming and teachers aiding. Margie is now freelance copyediting and proofreading.

Nigel lived and worked as a lawyer in Vietnam for twenty years. He set up the office of Allen’s in Ho Chi Minh City and founded and chaired the Australian International School, also in Ho Chi Minh.

After completing her BA, Sarah Turnbull worked as a television journalist including four years at the SBS in Sydney.

At 27 she went backpacking around Europe and, after meeting a Frenchman, she settled in Paris. Almost French, Sarah’s bestselling account of her years in the city, has sold half a million copies.

It was in France she first saw the work of Australian Impressionist John Russell who is the subject of her latest work, a nearly-finished biographical novel.

“I walked into a small museum in Brittany and was stunned by his canvases, full of colour and energy. Back then I’d never heard of Russell and I was fascinated by his experiences as an art student in Paris a century earlier. Finally, two decades later, I realised I had to write about him.”

Now living in Sydney with Frédéric and son Oliver, Sarah recently completed a Doctor of Creative Arts. She also leads creative writing workshops. From her years at Burgmann, Sarah has precious friendships and many fond memories.

“How often in life do you get to live under the same roof as so many wonderful people? I feel incredibly lucky to have had the experience.”

Steve Fermio (1981–1983) describes his time at Burgmann as ‘Just the best time of [his] life’!

He has worked as a geologist, environmental officer, and natural resources officer, and as a planning and environmental manager/director for various Sydney rail projects.

In 2012 he started Wolfpeak, an environmental consulting company that provide environmental support to infrastructure projects, and he also serves as its Director. Wolfpeak employs 30 staff based in Sydney, Melbourne and Port Macquarie.

Steve is married and has four children.