Outstanding Alumnae Awards

Each year, the Genazzano FCJ College Council makes an award to an Outstanding Alumna, recognising the contributions of a very special past student who had the courage and confidence to go out into the world to really make a difference. This past student has demonstrated a love of learning, and through service to others, is an inspiring role model for young women.

2018 Outstanding Alumna Award Recipient

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Julia Zaetta

Julia graduated from Genazzano in 1969 and completed an Arts degree at the University of Melbourne and later studied Italian at Perugia University. Always a talented writer, with a strong creative bent, she has become one of the most recognised and successful magazine editors in Australia. She has been the longstanding and much loved and respected Editor of Better Homes and Gardens for nearly 40 years with previous stints as Editor of the Australian Women’s Weekly, Family Circle, and New Woman .

Julia held her current position as editor of Better Homes and Gardens, non-consecutively from 1982 to 1995.  Under her direction the magazine experienced enormous prosperity and cemented its position as Australia’s number one homemaker magazine.  Since re-joining Better Homes and Gardens in 2001 as editor, the magazine has experienced record sales, now as Australia’s largest seller, with the country’s largest readership. Julia was also instrumental in the extension of the brand into television.  She embraced the innovation and guided the magazine into a triumphant multi-media relationship with Network 7, which 22 years on remains one of the most successful magazine TV programs in the world.

Her industry peers have bestowed many accolades on her. Julia gained a Lifetime Achievement Award at B&T’s Women In Media Awards 2017, having already been inducted into the Australian Magazine Awards Hall of Fame in 2013.

Previous recipients

Dr Sarah McNab was the recipient of the 2017 Outstanding Alumna Award for her dedication and commitment in the pursuit of her medical career and her contribution to the paediatric field.

The recipients in previous years have received the award for their contributions as detailed below:

• 1995: Dr Suzanne Crowe (1967) Medical Research

• 1996: Dr Patricia Desmond (1974) Medicine

• 1997: Miss Catherine Santamaria (1962) Public Service and Public Policy

• 1998: Dr Jane Connor (Posthumous Award) (1986) Medicine

• 1999: Ms Gabrielle Trainor (1973) Governance and Communications

• 2000: Ms Margaret Easterbrook (1981) Journalism

• 2001: Sr Barbara Brown-Graham FCJ (1963) Education and the FCJ Society

• 2002: Ms Jacinta Heffey (1965) Law

• 2003: Dr Brenda Niall AO (1948) Literature

• 2004: Professor Marie Emmitt (1963) Education

• 2005: Miss Julie Chamberlin (1952) Education

• 2006: Ms Angela Cannon (1982) Law

• 2007: Ms Melinda Crean (1986) Music and the Arts

• 2008: Mrs Kerry Stone (1965) Social Action

• 2009: Ms Sally Isaac (Posthumous Award) (1990) Local Government

• 2010: Dr Anita Clarke (1982) Medicine

• 2011: Dr Judith Paphazy (1958) Psychology

• 2012: Mrs Fiona Scanlan (1978) Fashion Design

• 2013: Dr Bernadette Tobin (1963) Bioethics

• 2014: Sr Maryrose Dennehy fcJ (1949) Education and the FCJ Society

• 2014: Chloe McCardel (2002) Marathon Swimming and charity work

• 2015: Janet DeNeefe (1976) Contribution to the Indonesian Community and Tourism

• 2016: Jane Kennedy (1982) Media, Film and Television

• 2017: Dr Sarah McNab (1995) Medicine 

Enquiries

Alumnae Office