Collegian Mary Graham joined St Paul’s Collegiate School in 1985 to complete seventh form (Year 13), as one of the first five female students. Recently, at the annual Bubbles After 5 event, we had the pleasure of catching up with Mary to delve into her memories of that pivotal year and discover the path she has forged since.

The decision to join St Paul's wasn't an easy one for Mary. In 1984, Headmaster Michael Lawrence asked Mary to attend an interview for St Paul’s. She was hesitant about the idea but was also ready for a change. Mary recalls being informed that her cohort was an experiment, a pioneering group paving the way for future female students. Fast forward to 2023, and Mary reflects on the growth of girls at St Paul’s. "My big buzz is that there are so many girls at St Paul’s now." The girls’ roll stands at more than 200 in 2023.

Her teachers, Keith Greville and Rod Hamel, left an indelible mark. Mary emphasises the lack of favouritism for the new girls; instead, hard work and dedication were commended. “It soon became clear that the only girl in the class would always get asked first if they had completed their homework so working hard brought out the best in me; it challenged me and made me want to beat the boys.” Mary formed some lasting friendships at St Paul’s that endure to this day. Mary and fellow ‘First Five Girl,’ Ruth Lee-Smith (now Walden) attended the recent Bubbles After 5 event together. 

Despite facing initial challenges, including the absence of a dedicated house for the girls, and not having enough girls to able to put together a netball team, Mary's time at St Paul's is remembered with fondness. “I wished I was able to stay for more than just one year,” said Mary. 

Mary has many memories from that year including the makeshift girls’ house (a repurposed caretaker’s shed), led by House Master Malcolm Hill and the girls 100m sprint at Porritt Stadium when the entire school stopped to watch. It was impossible to wag (skip school) for compulsory attendance at 1st XV home games because, “Counting the five skirts was not difficult.” Mary also met and eventually married Collegian Jonathon Robinson (Sargood 1982-1986).

Post St Paul's, Mary pursued higher education, beginning with a Bachelor of Arts in Music at Canterbury University, followed by Teachers College in Christchurch. Her final educational journey was at NZ Broadcasting School, where she discovered her passion as a Television Sound Operator—a role she has now excelled in for 32 years. 

After eight years at TVNZ, Mary embraced a freelance career, working on outside broadcasts and doing location sound for general programming and documentaries. She now predominantly works on live sports broadcasts, and can usually be spotted sideline with the Sky TV crew at the rugby, netball or cricket.      

Mary’s career has involved extensive overseas travel contributing to the host broadcast of major live sporting events like the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and the FIFA Men's World Cup last year in Qatar. The Olympic Sailing in Marseille for the Paris 2024 Olympics is next up and will be the 5th Olympics Mary has worked on.

The irony of being so involved in sport is not lost on Mary, “As a student, I wasn’t really into sports, I was an Arts student - my old St Paul’s mates friends frequently remind me of that.”

When Mary was with TVNZ, she worked on 5:30 pm with Jude (Dobson), where Annabelle White (this year’s guest speaker at Bubbles After 5) held a cooking segment. Mary remembered a time when they were together in Tonga on a shoot. “Unfortunately, none of the camera gear made it off the plane and the crew could not do any filming. We had to go back a few weeks later to complete the segment and that was the only occasion where I was able to holiday on company time.” 

Reflecting on her journey, Mary acknowledges the parallels between her time at St Paul's and her career. “Being in a male dominated industry came easier after being in a mostly boys’ school for my last year.” Mary emphasises the support and friendship she receives from her television colleagues, likening it to a whaanau, a crucial factor during extended periods on the road. 

While the job poses challenges, particularly in adverse weather conditions, the rewards are numerous. A faultless broadcast, getting to work on some of the biggest sporting events in the world, favourable weather, and often supporting the winning team contribute to the fulfilment Mary finds in her work. 

If she could advise her 17-year-old self, Mary would say, “Smile in that first photo they take of the first five girls at school because it will be used again and again.” She was referring to the iconic photo of the five girls they took for fun, mimicking the rugby boys who never smile in a photo, they regret that now as it looks like they were miserable, but in fact they were quite the opposite.

Mary resides on the family farm in Roto-O-Rangi, Cambridge with her husband, Jonathan Robinson, a dairy farmer, and their children Molly and Toby.  Her journey from St Paul's to a successful career stands as an inspiration—a testament to the impact of embracing challenges and breaking new ground.