Congratulations to Olivia Gardiner (Class of 2024), who has been named the 2026 recipient of the Dr Lee-Anne Perry AM Leadership and Service Award.
Funded by the All Hallows’ School Past Pupils’ Association, the award provides $5,000 to support a recent past pupil in developing their leadership, service and personal skills through a project grounded in Mercy values.
Olivia will use the funding to support Harmony Hub, her community music program for women affected by domestic and family violence, homelessness and displacement. The program is being developed in partnership with McAuley House in Footscray, Victoria.
Through live music and shared music-making, Harmony Hub aims to create a welcoming space where participants can connect and build a sense of community. The $5,000 will fund a qualified trauma-informed music therapist, musical instruments for ongoing use, volunteer training and program coordination.
Now in her second year at the University of Melbourne, Olivia is studying a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Psychology, alongside a Diploma of Music in Cello Performance at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. Harmony Hub beautifully brings together her interests in psychology and music with her longstanding commitment to service.
As a student at All Hallows’, Olivia was actively involved in Mercy Action initiatives including Jimmy’s Van, Eddie’s Van, Villa Maria, Jane’s Team, Kitty’s Room, Eat Up, the Human Rights Group and Mercy Cooking. She also volunteered as an Assistant Strings Teacher for Year 5 students and travelled to Cape York for the First Nations immersion program.
Since graduating, Olivia has continued this commitment through Young Mercy Links in Brisbane and Melbourne, joining other young people in initiatives that support vulnerable community members.
We congratulate Olivia on receiving this award and thank the All Hallows’ Past Pupils’ Association for its generous support. We look forward to seeing Harmony Hub develop and the positive impact it will have in the community.
