Changing gears: Georgie Chumbley (2008)

Television journalist and mum-of-one, Georgie Chumbley had a welcome change of pace when she swapped the Wiggles for Rachmaninoff, as host of Girls Grammar’s Gala Concert in August.

A long-time pianist, Georgie has always had a passion for music, but admits she rarely has time to indulge these days, juggling early morning starts as Queensland correspondent for Channel 7’s Sunrise, and her toddler son, Hugo.

`At the moment nursery rhymes and Wiggles songs are my most played genre,’ she laughs.

But the busy journalist was happy to brave a late bedtime to take on MC duties at this year’s extra-special Gala in the School’s sesquicentenary year.

`If you’d told me in School I’d be hosting this one day, I wouldn’t have believed you,’ she says. `As a former student, I know firsthand how powerful this music program is. Not just for the music itself but for the sense of belonging it creates, the friendships forged, and the confidence it instils in young people.’

This year’s Gala marked 150 years since Girls Grammar’s foundation, and its theme of Preludes & Codas—beginnings and endings—was particularly apt as the School honours its past and looks toward an exciting future, with the Junior School opening in 2026.

To celebrate the occasion, Gala featured the world-premiere of a specially-commissioned work by internationally-renowned composer Elena Kats-Chernin, The Learning Tree. The evocative piece was accompanied by meaningful lyrics from Grammar Woman Abigail Lui (2020).

Another Gala highlight was the premiere performance of the Alumnae Symphony Orchestra, which reunited friends, sisters and even a mother and daughter, in performance. The orchestra’s medley of iconic Adele hits brought the crowd to its feet for a spontaneous standing ovation.

For the alumnae taking part, it was a magical opportunity to reconnect, with one Grammar Woman even flying from Sydney to join rehearsals and the performance.

The ongoing pull of friendships forged at School is something MC Georgie strongly identifies with.

`Grammar is known for its academics, but the best thing BGGS gave me was lifelong friends,’ she says. `I’m not sure how House placements are decided but I am so grateful I was put in Gibson. Even the girls I don’t see regularly, I feel like we’re bonded from Year 8 as Gibson girls, and I love watching from afar and seeing them do amazing things.’

Despite having been a self-confessed class clown at School, Georgie says she imbibed a strong work ethic from her studious peers—and even ran with some casual career advice from Dr Bruce Addison.

`I was handing in an Economics assignment when Mr (now Dr) Addison told me in passing he thought I’d be a good TV reporter. I can’t remember if I was already considering Journalism or if that was the catalyst, but it obviously struck a chord.’

After leaving Girls Grammar, Georgie went on to study a Bachelor of Business and Journalism at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), putting in plenty of hard yards on unpaid internships. Throughout her degree she regularly drove to the Gold and Sunshine Coasts to work in the regional newsrooms, ultimately landing a job at WIN News Toowoomba when she graduated in 2012.

Journalism has taken Georgie to North Queensland and the Northern Territory, travelling on assignment to some of the most remote communities in the country.

`It was completely eye-opening for a girl who’d spent the majority of her life in Brisbane,’ she says. `I only spent 18 months in Darwin, but the experience I gained, and the friends I met, were life changing. You don’t need to travel overseas to experience different ways of living, different cultures. We have some of the most beautiful and vibrant communities in the world right here.’

Now, as the Queensland correspondent for Channel 7’s Sunrise, Georgie is based in Brisbane but can still find herself reporting live from anywhere across the state, and earlier this year was prominent in rolling coverage of Cyclone Alfred as it monstered South-East Queensland.

`My job gives me an excuse to go up to anyone and strike up a conversation. I’m always surprised at how generous they are in speaking to me. You never know where that conversation is going to go. And when you’re live on air—that’s part of the fun.’