General News
18 August, 2026
Katrina Frewin on change, challenge and cheer
The August 2026 regular meeting of the Combined Probus Club of Hopetoun was held on Monday, August 3, at 10.30 am at Hopetoun with a luncheon catered for by Hopetoun Southern Mallee Church ladies.
Past President Tony Naylor welcomed 16 members and 1 guest, and noted 4 apologies. Coral Cox read the Probus prayer.
Entertainment Officer Kerry Cardell then introduced this month's speaker, Mrs Katrina Frewin, to speak on life’s changes and choices.
Katrina is the daughter of our member Coral Cox and her husband Fred. Born in Edenhope and moved to Melbourne, being educated in both primary and secondary education.
Katrina’s dreams were to become a window dresser or an interior decorator. And then made the choice to become a primary school teacher.
University- Application to a Catholic teachers College and Katrina stated that she failed the interview for their teachers’ college spectacularly. And was then educated at Chisholm Institute of Technology (formerly Frankston Teaching College).
In her second year of university, she met her husband, Peter (who was working at the Barwon Heads Golf course), and they have been together since.
First school was in Darley, Baccus March with the prep team. Fewer students the next year. Meant the last teacher on was the first to have to move.
The Winchelsea Primary with prep/1 class for a couple of years.
Then living in Geelong, prior to shifting to Barwon Heads.
To be part of the community and village life on the coast before having their babies; not until their children Mitch and Bridie completed their family, and they all loved the village life, safe for the kids.
After the children went to school, Katrina got a job two days a week teaching at St Margaret’s (Catholic System).
And did this for 16 years. The next family change was to shift to Geelong for Peter's new Job.
Wow, what a change this was, as they were supplied with a home and car with Peter’s job.
First was to buy their own car and find a house to rent and develop their five-year plan to build their own home.
This was very hard on the children as they were now teenagers and did not wish for that change to go ahead.
But they settled in well, being able to be a bit more independent, catching buses to mates’ homes and going to the movies regularly.
Katrina and Peter worked hard, and the desire to become part of a community led them to choose Bannockburn to build their home.
Mitch, Bridie and Husband Peter were always busy, and Katrina found this time very lonely.
Returning to her church, Katrina found a new purpose through the fellowship, friendship and belonging.
And life became more fulfilling, as she joined a steering committee to develop a new catholic primary school at Bannockburn.
Designing the school logo and all the processes that came with talking to everyone in the community, arranging meetings, and passing information back to the priest.
The Education Department of Victoria had built a new primary school, and the catholic church was able to lease the old primary school.
Katrina applied for a position through the principal and secured the important role of Religious Education Leader.
Life does have many changes, and moving forward, Mitch married Aliesha and has 2 children, Tex and Sadie.
Bridie became an interior designer and built a home in St. Leonard's.
COVID hit, and as for a lot of us, as a family they struggled with the isolation.
This got Peter and Katrina thinking about retirement.
They wanted a small community with all the facilities they needed.
They found Hopetoun had nearly everything they needed in a community.
The clincher for Katrina was the Powerhouse Art Studio, so when she retires, she can continue her creative aspirations.
The one thing that has changed is that everyone gathers at sporting events, whereas in the past it was gathering at friends’ homes for meals and entertainment.
They will never realize that the home they purchased will always be known as the previous owners' and not theirs; people will say they know them even though they have never met.
How the town quiets when football is away.
Hopes for Katrina in the future are to find a bestie, continue to help with the arts development in town, to travel and finally be called a local!! Member Coral Cox proudly expressed her appreciation to her daughter Katrina Frewin for sharing her life’s experiences with all its ongoing changes and challenges and presented Katrina with a Probus pen.
The next meeting of the Combined Probus Club of Hopetoun will be on Monday, September 7, at 9:30am in Beulah at the Uniting Church Hall.
– LISA WILSON