DOCTOR Anne Wenham's appointment as head of college at St Stanislaus' in 2012 was always going to be controversial.
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Dr Wenham was the first female head of college at the school in its long history and not everyone was happy with the break from tradition.
Her appointment immediately sparked speculation over the school's future with questions raised about whether it was the first step towards becoming a co-educational college. [That speculation has since proved to be baseless.]
Dr Wenham was taking over from a long-serving head of college in John Edwards, which would have been a challenge for any new appointment, and stepped into her new role at a crucial juncture in the college's history.
In 2012, St Stanislaus' College was still handling the aftermath of the horrific child sex charges laid against a raft of former staff and priests at the school, and Dr Wenham was stepping into the middle of it.
So it was never going to be an easy job but, as she announces her plan to retire at the end of the year, few could argue that Dr Wenham's tenure at St Stanislaus' has been anything less than a success.
Dr Wenham has overseen an era of change and success.
In 2017, the college's 150th year, St Stanislaus' College recorded some of it best ever HSC results to be ranked the best of all Bathurst schools.
And while St Stanislaus', as a boys' school, remains a fierce competitor on local, regional and state sporting fields, the college has also worked hard in recent years to soften its culture with a greater emphasis on arts and cultural pursuits which has been well received by the broader community.
But perhaps Dr Wenham's most significant achievement at the school was overseeing an overdue apology in 2017 to the college's victims of child sexual abuse.
Dr Wenham's apology was emotional and heartfelt, and while she acknowledged that no words could ever take away the pain of victims, she hoped it was at least a step towards healing.
Only the victims themselves can judge whether that was the case or not, but the apology was an important chapter in the college's history.
Dr Wenham has been a great servant of St Stanisalus' and the broader Bathurst education community, and she leaves with the city's best wishes.