Sylvia was born in Melbourne in 1919. Her parents came from London on their honeymoon in 1910 and stayed. She worked as a Maths and Science teacher for 30 years, first at a state school and then at Mt Scopus. Her father called her ‘Mick’ until she was 10 and instead of playing babies with dolls, she operated on them, taking them apart to see what was inside. “I was the son he never had.”  She wept when she visited the Caves of Lascaux in France in 1965 with her husband Manuel, for the beauty of it and for the 25,000 years of history. “I just blubbered”. She’s been involved with National Council since 1970, and was National President for 6 years.  “I’ve had a fortunate life, not because of wealth but because of the experiences and my family, friends, students and colleagues.”