The Principal, Term 3 Week 9 2026
A Wonderful Celebration of Community at the Pulteney Long Lunch
What a wonderful afternoon we shared at the Pulteney Foundation Long Lunch!
With an Italian-inspired theme of Mangia, bevi, divertiti – eat, drink, enjoy, the newly renovated Morphettville Racecourse provided the perfect setting for an afternoon of good food, great company, generosity, friendship and, of course, plenty of creative outfits. For a few hours, it felt as though we had been transported to the Italian coast!
The Long Lunch is always a highlight of the Pulteney calendar, but what makes the event particularly special is the wonderful sense of connection and belonging that it creates across our community. Parents, Old Scholars, staff, Foundation supporters, Governors and friends of the School come together to celebrate Pulteney and, importantly, to invest in the future of our students.
I extend my sincere thanks to Mark Bourchier, Kirsty Stewart, Julia Hodge, Kathleen Karagiannis and the entire Long Lunch Organising Committee for their enormous effort in bringing the event together. A special thank you must also go to Linda Jarmer, whose extraordinary attention to detail and commitment helped make the afternoon such a success.
We are also incredibly grateful to our event partners, Lucias, OBH Print, Green Steel Supplies and The Maras Group, for their generosity and continued support of Pulteney.
One of the most exciting moments of the afternoon was the opportunity to share our vision for the refurbishment of the Year 3 – 6 learning spaces, traditionally known as the Prep School.
The project builds on the transformation already seen in our Year 5 learning environment and represents an opportunity to create a more connected, flexible, contemporary and inspiring environment for our students.
The project has a particularly strong connection to Pulteney’s educational philosophy. The Reggio Emilia approach, which originated in northern Italy, is embedded in our Early Learning Centre and continues to influence learning across the Junior School. At its heart is the belief that children are capable, curious and full of potential and that the environment in which they learn can be a powerful influence on how they learn.
The proposed spaces are designed to encourage students to wonder, question, explore, create and connect. The vision includes stronger connections between indoor and outdoor learning, flexible spaces for collaboration and creativity, opportunities for STEM and project-based learning, as well as places for quiet reflection and individual study.
Importantly, these spaces will also provide opportunities for our broader community to come together for exhibitions, celebrations, gatherings and the many moments that become lasting school memories.
At the Long Lunch, guests heard directly from our students and teachers about what these spaces could mean for their learning and were then given a glimpse of the vision through the architectural renders prepared by Matt and Lisa Martin from Detail Studio.
It was a wonderful reminder that this project is about so much more than buildings. It is about creating an environment in which our children can learn, grow and flourish.
"Imagine the Possibilities" - Pulteney's reimagined Junior School area for Years 3 - 6
The generosity of our community will be central to bringing this vision to life. Funds raised through the Long Lunch, including the raffle, auction and donations, will contribute towards this important project.
As I shared with our Long Lunch guests, we have a vision, we have an opportunity, and we have a community capable of making it happen. I encourage our community to continue to get behind this exciting project and be ambitious for our children. Every contribution helps us move the vision closer to reality.
One day, children will walk into these spaces, learn here, make friendships here and create memories here. They may never know who was sitting around the tables at this year’s Long Lunch, but they will know the benefit of what our community chose to do.
That is the wonderful thing about philanthropy at Pulteney. We have the opportunity to leave something behind that is greater than ourselves.
The Long Lunch also provided the perfect opportunity to look ahead to a very special milestone for Pulteney. In 2027, Pulteney will celebrate 180 years of educating young people and building a community of which we can all be proud.
To mark the occasion, next year’s Long Lunch will make way for something rather special.
A Black Tie Gala Ball on Saturday 14 August 2027.
So, if you have not already done so, save the date!
For now, however, a huge thank you to everyone who contributed to making the 2026 Long Lunch such a memorable occasion. It was a wonderful celebration of Pulteney, our people, our community and our shared commitment to providing the very best opportunities for our students.
Grazie mille to everyone who joined us, supported us and helped make the day such a success.
Greg Atterton
Principal