Five Vineyard is a single-vineyard winery located on Bridge Inn Road in Mernda, just moments from the Plenty Campus. Founded in 2023 by siblings Alex Vella '05, Sam Vella '06, and Olivia Vella '08, together with their parents, Paul and Caroline, the family made a bold move to change their career paths and create the business. Five Vineyard features multiple event spaces that host corporate functions, weddings, and private events, alongside a 100-seat restaurant and a cellar door.
It might be considered 'niche' by some and it's a newbie in the context of Ivanhoe Grammar's rich sporting history, but water polo is building momentum among students and alumni. Old Ivanhoe Water Polo club was established in 2016 and the club has already tasted premiership glory in both the men's and women's competition, but it's a culture of friendship, learning and growth that the leaders are most proud of. In this episode, Lauren Chan (Class of '07) and Jessica McCarthy (Class of '2012) share the club's origin story, reflect on it's success and delve into what makes the club so special.
Scott Assender (Class of 1990) is the Co-Founder and Owner at Welcome to Group & Australian Bar Holdings. Welcome To Group lovingly owns and operates Melbourne's leading neighbourhood hospitality precincts - the iconic Welcome to Thornbury, 4 Pines Welcome to Brunswick and The Hall at Welcome To Brunswick.
Andrew Sheehan (09) and James Moio (09) founded the tech startup Kepple in 2021. Kepple has multiple platforms, the most well known being Spark Relief Teachers, a mobile application that connects casual relief teachers with Schools throughout Victoria. James and Andrew have been mates since meeting at Ivanhoe Grammar in Grade 4, both graduating from Ridgeway campus and going on to study at university and have careers in Teaching and Engineering respectively. Living together during COVID they realised it was time for a career change.
Old Ivanhoe Grammarians Football Club is the most established associated sporting organisations of the OIGA and in its 50 plus year history, the football club has established itself as one of the leading VAFA football outfits. The club last won a senior premiership in 2023, and in 2025 the club has its eyes on another cup, this time in the highly competitive premier-B section. President and vice-president, Chris Branigan and Sienna Whiteman, both former students of the school, join Michael Bacskcos for a season preview.
Lana Murphy is a Quill-award winning journalist. She takes pride in accurate and authentic storytelling. You'll likely see her knocking on doors wherever there's police tape or searching for CCTV. She has a close working relationship with the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation and the Fighting PTSD VicPol movement.
Martin graduated in 2008 as the School Captain of Plenty campus. Post studying a science degree at Melbourne University followed by a masters in Marketing – he went on to forge a career in the luxury watch industry and is a living example of how to merge vocation with personal passion.
