Like the rest of Australia, Burgmann started the year with excitement of the New Year, a fair bit of COVID, and a determination to get back to the new normal. Over the last two years, despite the constraints and challenges of the pandemic, Burgmann’s spirit and culture has held firm and shone brightly. After initially facing restrictions on gatherings within the College (including a whole lot of residents being restricted to their rooms), I’m pleased to advise that the traditional events and activities of the College are now in full swing.
In 2022, the BCAA is getting on with our mission to maintain a connection between the College and its alumni. It felt weird after all the social isolation we have endured, but we decided to commence organising face to face events around the country and to finally deliver the best Back-to-Burg Alumni Weekend ever! I’m pleased to report things are progressing well.
In April, the hipster quotient of the Newtown Hotel rose significantly as a contingent of Burgmann alumni descended on the venue. It was terrific to see friends across the eras reunite and reminisce about their time at Burgmann and what they’ve been doing since.
Also in April, Burgmann was the venue for a ‘Young Alumni’ event that gave recent graduates a chance check-in with their Burgmann mates. We are really pleased with the success of these events and we’re looking forward to hosting the Melbourne (24 June) and Brisbane (1 July) events in coming months. Going forward we’re looking to regularly hold these alumni events around the country. Please let us know places where you think there will be interest.
These local events are a warm up for the awesome 50th Anniversary Back-to-Burg Alumni Weekend on 19-21 August. The lockdowns of the last two years (and the resulting postponements) have given us even more time to organise the 50-year anniversary celebrations and refine the program. I promise it’s going to be worth the wait! So, lock Back-to-Burg in your diaries, and register as soon as possible! We’d love to see you there.
An inspiring and satisfying part of the Back-to-Burg Gala Dinner will be the announcement of the recipients of the annual Burgmann Alumni Awards, now in their second year. Last year’s recipients were truly inspirational and we know there are more amazing Burgmann legends out there. So please send through the nominations for the four award categories by 30 June:
- Distinguished Alumni Award: for alumni aged 35+
- Outstanding Alumni Award: for alumni under age 35
- Alumni Volunteer Award, for outstanding contribution of a volunteer of Burgmann
- Staff Recognition Award, recognising the dedicated service or outstanding contribution of any Burgmann College staff
At the end of last year we kicked off a fundraising campaign to start to raise funds for Burgmann’s Master Plan to upgrade the facilities of Burgmann and make it an even better place to be. The priority upgrade is an upgrade to the Undergraduate Courtyard and BBQ area, including the creation of an exit from the bar to the new courtyard. That’s right, on bar nights we will no longer have to access the courtyard via the window! Alumni and residents have raised more than $200,000 towards the project.
This year’s fundraising focus will be on the expansion of our bursary and scholarship funds. Burgmann’s financial assistance has helped so many students benefit from the Burgmann experience. And these students have enriched and enlivened Burgmann College. We need this positive dynamic to continue. Over coming years we have ambitions to substantially increase our ability to assist people coming to Burgmann. We would welcome any contributions to this worthy cause.
Finally, a callout for anyone who wants to get involved in the BCAA Committee or the activities of the Burgmann Advancement Office headed by Amelia Zaraftis. We have a terrific mix of committee members and happily more people are getting involved in our engagement program with our community.
If you are interested in getting involved with the Alumni Association or helping out with the overall engagement program, please get in touch with us. It will be fun!
