Georgia Hammond, Year 12 student at St Columba's Catholic College in Springwood, playing the French horn.
As early entry offers for universities reach schools across the state, St Columba's student Georgia Hammond has received a "dream come true" with an invitation to study at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
Known colloquially as "The Con", the conservatorium of the University of Sydney is one of the most prestigious and acclaimed music schools in the country.
Ms Hammond, a talented French horn player, had listed The Con as her first choice for further study - but it had been her goal long before any application process.
"I remember from an early age I knew that I wanted to do something with music, and when I found out about the conservatorium I thought that was the place for me. So definitely a dream come true," she told the Gazette.
[Receiving the offer] was crazy, I couldn't believe it to be honest. Relief, excitement, just crazy.
Georgia Hammond standing by the quadrangle at St Columba's Catholic College in Springwood.
Ms Hammond picked up the French horn in her primary school band at St Thomas Aquinas in Springwood.
Discovering her love for the instrument, she continued playing it through high school at St Columba's Catholic College.
Driven by her passion Ms Hammond also took up daily practice, tutor sessions, and extracurricular roles in Mountains Youth Band and some select Sydney orchestras.
A proud school
Her music teacher, Rob Badman, said the news of her early entry offer was "exciting, but not entirely surprising", given her effort and determination to improve.
"[Seeing] over a number of years of Georgia's enthusiasm, willingness to stretch outside of what she might be used to musically, and all those sorts of things, has just made her a much more versatile musician," Mr Badman said.
The school's Partnership and Pathways Coach Nicky Alsemgeest said: "Music here at St Columba's is second to none. All of our staff, including Rob, are just pure gold. If you see the kids who do music here, they flourish."
Ms Hammond will study a Bachelor of Music (Performance), and hopes to climb the ranks of professional orchestras throughout Australia after graduating.
The Sydney Conservatorium of Music opened in 1915 and is one of the oldest music schools in Australia.
Blue Mountains Gazette
Katoomba news, sport and weather.
-
28 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Our Students are all ready to compete at next week RAS Easter Show 2026 - we will have our steers in the Munro Pavillion from the 1-5 of April 2026 - be sure to drop by and say "Hello" if you are at the show! Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Sydney Royal Easter Show
24 Mar 2026
From Facebook
It was fantastic to welcome Lily O’Toole from Charles Sturt University back to the College today. In addition to being our latest pop-up for The Feed in the Quad, Lily also took time to talk with Year 10, 11 and 12 Ag and Primary Industries students, and even got a little lost in the pumpkin patch! Thanks for all you do for our students Lily - you’re welcome at St Columba’s anytime!
Latest News More news
28 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Our Students are all ready to compete at next week RAS Easter Show 2026 - we will have our steers in the Munro Pavillion from the 1-5 of April 2026 - be sure to drop by and say "Hello" if you are at the show! Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Sydney Royal Easter Show
24 Mar 2026
From Facebook
It was fantastic to welcome Lily O’Toole from Charles Sturt University back to the College today. In addition to being our latest pop-up for The Feed in the Quad, Lily also took time to talk with Year 10, 11 and 12 Ag and Primary Industries students, and even got a little lost in the pumpkin patch! Thanks for all you do for our students Lily - you’re welcome at St Columba’s anytime!
24 Mar 2026
700+ Unite for Project Compassion Big Water Walk
More than 700 students and staff from 23 schools across Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) came together for Caritas Australia’s Big Water Walk in support of Project Compassion. Beginning at Parramatta Park, students carried buckets of water along a 4km route, gaining a glimpse of the daily journey faced by people in developing communities, especially women and children, in search of clean water.
24 Mar 2026
From Facebook
⭐SAVE THE DATE - the St Columba's Art Prize is back for 2026! 1 - 6 MAY The St Columba's Art Prize is back for 2026, featuring works by established and emerging artists from across Australia. With a prize pool of more than $17,000, including a $10,000 Open Prize, $2,000 Local Artist Prize, and a $1,000 Youth Prize, the event will be an opportunity to see a diverse range of outstanding Australian artworks. We hope you will join us in celebrating the arts at this fantastic community event. For more information visit https://columbasartprize.com.au
23 Mar 2026
From Facebook
“The Feed” has a fresh new look! Our College lunchtime talks have moved from a formal presentation to a relaxed pop-up stand in the Quad and students are loving it! Our first university to trial the new format was Australian Catholic University (ACU). It was great to see so many students stopping by to chat with Student Ambassadors Lauren and Cathy, ask questions, and learn more about studying at ACU. We’re excited to keep the conversations going as more universities join us in the Quad for The Feed in the coming weeks! Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
19 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Last week, our College community gathered to celebrate International Women’s Day with a beautiful breakfast and the presentation of the Sr Anne Henson International Women’s Day Award to Dr Naomi Cooper. While we were proud to share moments from the event, we also want to take this opportunity to celebrate the incredible women who are such an important part of our students’ lives. These photos capture just some of the mums, grandmothers, aunties and other significant women who support, guide and care for our young people each and every day. Your love, strength and encouragement do not go unnoticed, and we are so grateful for the role you play in shaping our community. Thank you for all that you do. Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
18 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Our Year 7 and 8 HPGE students were privileged to attend a seminar this morning with Class of 2024 College Dux, Abbey Flanagan. Abbey spoke candidly about her journey through high school and her first year of university, offering valuable insight and encouragement. Students reflected on some powerful takeaways from her talk including, “don’t be ashamed to ask for help”, “do the hard things”, and “it is your responsibility to keep turning up and put in the hard work”. We thank Abbey for sharing her experiences so openly and for giving her time so generously. Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
18 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Alumni Spotlight | Congratulations to Will Jones (Class of 2025) on his enlistment into the Royal Australian Air Force. Will was officially sworn in at a ceremony in Sydney yesterday morning before departing for Wagga Wagga, where he will begin his ADF Gap Year in a logistics role. This is an exciting and significant step, and we are incredibly proud to see him take on this opportunity to serve and grow. We wish Will every success as he begins this new chapter and look forward to following his journey. #alumni #ADFGapYear Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
15 Mar 2026
From Facebook
What a fantastic weekend for the St Columba’s Show Team at the Castle Hill Show! More than 20 attended, including a very enthusiastic group of Year 7 students who were excited to be part of the day. Our senior students achieved some outstanding results. Maddi L placed 2nd in Junior Judging and has qualified to compete at the Sydney Royal Easter Show in two weeks’ time. In parading, all of our senior competitors made it through to the final, with Jovina M (Year 12) taking out 1st place and also qualifying for the Sydney Royal. Olivia P placed 3rd in the same event. Summer S (Year 8) achieved a terrific 5th place in a very strong 13 Years final. We were also incredibly proud of Eden J and Eliza W who were judging for the first time and did an outstanding job making it through to the speaking final. Eden then went on to place 2nd overall in the Under 15s – a wonderful achievement. Congratulations to every student who represented the College with such enthusiasm and pride, and a special thank you to Mrs Sibbald for her dedication and support of the team.
13 Mar 2026
From Facebook
This morning our community at St Columba’s came together to celebrate International Women’s Day with a wonderful breakfast in the College quad. Students, staff and guests enjoyed a delicious start to the day, accompanied by beautiful background music performed by our talented students. Following breakfast, the community gathered for our International Women’s Day Assembly and the presentation of the 2026 Sr Anne Henson International Women’s Day Award. This year’s recipient was Dr Naomi Cooper (College Captain 2007), whose achievements and leadership continue to inspire the next generation of young women at St Columba’s. In her acceptance speech, Dr Cooper reminded us all that progress towards equality is a shared responsibility, telling the College community: “While some days it feels like we are getting nowhere fast in achieving gender parity, I take heart that it is small changes from individuals like you and me that edge us closer to equality. People of all genders have a role to play.” Thank you to everyone who helped make this morning’s celebration so special. Thank you especially to staff and students from Xavier College, Penola, St Finbar's and St Canice's who joined us at the event. Together we continue to honour the women who have shaped our community and encourage the leaders of tomorrow. Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
10 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Today’s Pathways to Possibility event was a wonderful success! Our First Nations students had the opportunity to hear from a panel of representatives from Macquarie University, University of Wollongong, Australian Catholic University, UNSW, UTS, Western Sydney University, The University of Sydney and Charles Sturt University. After the panel discussion, students enjoyed lunch together before attending an expo where they were able to have one-on-one conversations with university representatives about pathways, opportunities and life after school. Our students were outstanding throughout the day. They embraced the opportunity with curiosity, confidence and respect, asking thoughtful questions and engaging so positively with the universities. We are incredibly proud of the way they represented themselves and our school. A heartfelt thank you to the university representatives who generously gave their time to share their experiences, insights and encouragement. Your presence made the day meaningful and inspiring for our students. It was also a privilege to welcome Aunty Julie Waddell from Jarara Cultural Centre - thank you for joining us. Finally, thank you to the parents who came along in the afternoon to support their young people and be part of the conversations about future possibilities. Your support means so much. Events like this truly highlight what is possible when schools, families, community and universities come together to support our young people. The future is full of possibility! Macquarie University Australian Catholic University (ACU) University of Sydney UOW: University of Wollongong, Australia Western Sydney University UNSW Charles Sturt University UTS: University of Technology Sydney Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
08 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Congratulations to our Year 8 da Vinci Decathlon team for taking out third place in their competition on 25 February. What a fantastic achievement! We are so proud of the way our teams from Years 7 to 10 represented the College. The students worked incredibly hard across all disciplines, showcasing their ingenuity, knowledge and creativity. Well done!