McKinnon Secondary College Alumni - Thistlelonians

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McKinnon Secondary College Alumni - Thistlelonians

The association for ex-students and staff of McKinnon Secondary College, Victoria, Australia.

The Thistlelonian Association was unofficially established in late 1993 after the school’s 40th Anniversary celebrations which were held in April 1993 (despite this being a year too early!) Names and addresses were collected at the gate and the arduous task of contacting every attendee to gauge interest in an ex-students’ association began.

30/03/2026

Save the date! The 2026 Grand Reunion will be held at the McKinnon Road Campus on Saturday, 17 October.

The Thistlelonians have considered feedback regarding our reunions, and we have now decided our reunions will be as follows: First reunion - 10 years since graduation, second reunion - 20 years since graduation, then every 5 years thereafter.

The 2026 Grand Reunion will bring together ex-students and staff from the following years: 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2016.

More details coming soon! We’d love your support - tag your classmates and come along to enjoy this exciting event.

Please note: If you are from the Class of 1961 (65 years since graduating) or the Class of 1976 (50 years since graduating), you will receive an emailed invitation to attend your special Principal’s Afternoon Tea, also held on Saturday, 17 October. To ensure you receive this email, please update your current details via our website: https://mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/PJKd4Me/thistlelonians

We thank you for your ongoing support and look forward to seeing you at your next reunion!

25/03/2026

Footy’s back! McKinnon is proud to congratulate two alumni who are prominent at one of the oldest football clubs in Australia, the Melbourne Football Club.

Steven Smith (Class of 1973) is currently President of the Melbourne Football Club and was previously President of the Melbourne Cricket Club. He won the Best and Fairest Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott Memorial Trophy in 1981.

Max Gawn (Class of 2009) is Captain of the Melbourne Football Club, a premiership captain, and won his third Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott Memorial Trophy last year.

Both hold incredible positions at the club and are products of the Ormond Football Club. A fantastic reflection of our Thistlelonian community.

We’re proud to celebrate their achievements and wish them all the best for the season ahead!

16/03/2026

Congratulations to Anika Karra, Eeshan Karra and Alex Kuehn (Class of 2024) on their fantastic work with Glen Eira City Council’s Youth Engagement Team (YET).

It is wonderful to see our McKinnon alumni using their leadership skills to help shape future programs and support the next generation.

Check out the full article below to read more about their impact.

📷 Article featured in Glen Eira News, Page 5, Volume 322 (February 2026).

11/02/2026

Alumnus Sarah Aarons (Class of 2012) continues to make waves on the world stage. She recently earned a Grammy nomination as a songwriter for her work on the track “Dangerous” from the film Sinners co-written by Hailee Steinfeld.

The track was recognised in the Best Score Soundtrack Album for Visual Media category.

Congratulations Sarah, what a star! 🌟

18/12/2025

We are proud to share the outstanding VCE results for the Class of 2025. These exceptional outcomes reflect the dedication and hard work of our talented students.

▪️123 students received an ATAR above 90
▪️227 students (55%) received an ATAR above 80
▪️9 perfect study scores
▪️Median Study score: 33
▪️Study scores over 40: 12.5%

A special congratulations to our College Dux, Siena Nott, who achieved an exceptional ATAR of 99.70. Siena also earned a perfect study score of 50 in Chemistry.

Thank you to our wonderful Thistlelonian community for another amazing year of connection. Wishing you a festive season filled with rest, joy, and time with loved ones.

03/12/2025

We’re excited to share the release of Alice Isabella’s (Class of 2022) debut single Crawl. Available on most streaming platforms, it’s a beautiful track.

Alice Isabella is an indie-pop singer-songwriter whose heartfelt lyrics and acoustic flair create an unforgettable sound. Blending honesty and emotion, her songs take listeners on a journey through love, identity, nostalgia, and adventure.

She recently returned to McKinnon for an acoustic performance and spoke with Year 10 music students about the music industry.

We look forward to following her journey. Support a fellow Thistlelionian and give it a listen!

https://open.spotify.com/track/0COUEawGGxO0lHL3Yf4FV9?si=05bd6b34066a4694

21/11/2025

It was wonderful to see several distinguished Thistlelonians at our recent Grand Reunion, each recognised with an Australian Honours award. Left to right in the photo:

▪️Peter Wicking OAM - Class of 1965
▪️Emeritus Professor John Rosenberg OAM - Class of 1971
▪️Professor Jim Bishop AO - Class of 1965
▪️Professor Gabor Kovacs AM - Class of 1965

A remarkable gathering of talent and achievement, and we’re proud to call them members of our Thistlelonian community.

29/10/2025

🥳 Our Grand Reunion evening brought together the Classes of 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1995, 2005, 2015 and 2020.

It was a night filled with laughter, memories and reconnections, as old friends shared stories from their school days and celebrated the years gone by. The friendly bar staff kept the atmosphere lively, and many familiar faces were reunited once again.

A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful Thistlelonian Committee for organising such a special event, and to the many volunteers whose efforts make these reunions a success.

🔗https://mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/PJKd4Me/thistlelonians

28/10/2025

🎓The Classes of 1960 (65 years since graduation) and 1975 (50 years since graduation) were invited back to school by Principal Michael Kan for a special Afternoon Tea on Saturday.

The Senior Clarinet Ensemble performed beautifully for our guests, and the Year 11 Food Tech class catered the event. It was wonderful to see current McKinnon students contributing to such a special occasion for our alumni community. Thank you to all of the students involved.

There was a fantastic atmosphere, and we truly enjoyed seeing old friends reconnect and reminisce about their days at McKinnon.

Please enjoy a selection of photos from the special event. To view the full gallery, visit our website:

🔗https://mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/PJKd4Me/thistlelonians

24/10/2025

🎉The Grand Reunion is tomorrow at 6pm! Online ticket sales have now closed, but tickets will still be available at the door (McKinnon Road Campus) for cash or card payments.

We can't wait to welcome back ex-students and staff from the following years: 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1995, 2005, 2015 and 2020. Partners and friends are welcome! Drinks will be available at bar prices, and fresh pizza is included.

🔷Date: Saturday, 25 October 2025
🔷Grand Reunion Schedule:
6:00 PM – School Tour
6:30 PM – Reunion Begins
8:00 PM – School Photos
🔷Where: McKinnon Secondary College Hall,
McKinnon Road Campus, 291A McKinnon Road, McKinnon 3204

We can't wait to see you there!

22/10/2025

📢 Only 3 more days until you're due back to school for the Grand Reunion! Have you got your ticket yet?

The Grand Reunion 2025 is for the classes of 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1995, 2005, 2015 and 2020. A special shout-out to the Class of 2020 - your final year looked a little different, but your resilience and spirit shone through. We'd love to see you back on campus to celebrate!

🚨 Online ticket sales close tomorrow at 2:00 PM, so don’t miss the chance to reconnect with former classmates and teachers!

Get your tickets here: https://www.trybooking.com/DBJNZ

Your ticket includes fresh hot pizza, and drinks will be available at bar prices. Partners and friends are welcome to join the celebration!

Address

McKinnon Secondary College , McKinnon Road
Bentleigh, VIC
3204

Telephone

+61385209092

Website

http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/p/thistlelonians.html

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