Celebrating Our Staff

Suzie Bevan – Celebrating 25 Years with Lady Gowrie Tasmania

It’s hard to believe I’m celebrating 25 years with Lady Gowrie!

My journey began at University Community Child Care (now Lady Gowrie University South), where I started doing lunch covers after early morning shifts at Woolworths. My Mum would drive me there, and so I had my first experience working with children every day from 9.30am until 2.30pm. Uni South still holds a special place in my heart.

A four week secondment to Bowen Road opened my eyes to the possibility of working across different Lady Gowrie services. Soon after, I was offered a position at Battery Point, where I was lucky to work alongside management and gain a deeper understanding of the behind the scenes work that keeps a service running smoothly.

When a leadership role became available at the new Fahan site, I jumped at the chance. Being part of the school environment was incredibly rewarding and felt like a true partnership. After the birth of my son, Lucas, I returned to Battery Point, eventually finding my place in the Secheron Room, a space that now feels like my professional home.

Over the years, I’ve witnessed so much growth, not only in the children, but within myself and in the field of early education. It’s been inspiring to see how far we’ve come in supporting children’s learning, wellbeing and inclusion.

I’ve been fortunate to work alongside so many dedicated and passionate educators who have supported and inspired me. I’m especially grateful to the mentors and leaders who helped shape the educator I’ve become.

What keeps me here, even after 25 years, is the joy of being a part of children’s lives, comforting them when they’re unsettled, sharing in their joy and supporting their learning and development. There is something incredibly special about that connection.

It’s amazing to now see children I once cared for returning with children of their own, though I must admit, that does make me feel a little old!

Lady Gowrie has truly been more than a workplace for me – it’s been my community, a second home and a huge part of my life. I’m so proud to have been a part of its story for the past 25 years.

Naomi Reynolds – Helen Stephen Memorial Scholarship Recipient

At our recent Annual General Meeting, Nic Stephen (Lady Gowrie Tasmania Board member and son of Helen Stephen) had the pleasure of announcing Naomi Reynolds as the recipient of the 2025 Helen Stephen Memorial Scholarship.

Nic shared a heartfelt reflection about Helen’s commitment to children and their learning, then shared Naomi’s announcement:

‘Naomi is a dedicated and experienced early childhood educator with over 16 years in the education and care sector. Since joining Lady Gowrie Tasmania in 2009, she has progressed from a casual employee to a permanent team member and now serves as Room Leader at the University South service. Naomi holds a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care and is currently completing her a degree in Early Childhood Education.

Naomi’s passion for working with children led her to pursue formal qualifications, starting with a Certificate III and progressing to her Diploma. Naomi is known for her leadership, mentoring of colleagues and students, and her commitment to fostering positive outcomes for children. She actively supports her team through role modelling, guidance on child behaviour and promoting safe practices aligned with national standards.’

Helen Stephen was the Kindergarten Teacher at our Battery Point Education and Care Service for 25 years and during this time she played an important role in the lives of many children and their families. She also influenced the pedagogy and practice of many early childhood professionals with whom she came into contact.

To honour this legacy, we provide an annual scholarship in Helen’s memory to an educator who has committed to undertake study towards an early childhood degree qualification. We thank the Stephen family for their attendance at the AGM each year in support of the scholarship, further testament to the rich history between Lady Gowrie Tasmania and the Stephen family.

Congratulations Naomi and we look forward to following your professional learning journey at Lady Gowrie Tasmania over the coming years.