24 • THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016 THE WEST AUSTRALIAN

A message from the Principal, Jenny Ethell

100 years in Mount Lawley

About Perth College

Our school was founded by a group of strong women who challenged the accepted ideas of the time and capitalised on opportunities to make a diff erence.

With determination and a quiet confi dence, Sisters Vera, Rosalie and Susannah travelled from London and established Perth College at a site in West Perth in 1902.

They were part of the Community of the Sisters of the Church, a worldwide Anglican order of nuns who believed women were capable of intellectual rigours, should be educated and were entitled to employment. Many schools around the world were founded on this philosophy.

The faith, values, strength of character, social conscience and ambition of the Sisters are traits that have been instilled in more than 13,000 girls who have been educated at Perth College.

One hundred years after the School opened in 1916 on the Mount Lawley site, we continue to encourage girls to live generously, think about their place in the world, dream big and use their gifts and talents to help others.

Perth College has 1,100 students from Kindergarten to Year 12, including 100 boarders who hail from across regional Western Australia and form the ‘heart’ of the School.

Our staff , parents and supporters have worked hard to ensure girls and young women through generations benefi t from the Sisters’ vision of an education at Perth College.

Perth College prepares young women to think creatively, embrace personal excellence and live generously. The School has drawn on 114 years of history and experience to create a learning environment enabling girls to become remarkable women and make their mark in a world that is continually being reinvented.

The girls are given the freedom to explore, experience, learn and fi nd their talents and strengths through an academic programme that delivers a well-rounded education and develops world-ready youth. The curriculum is underpinned by leading research in teaching and learning as well as the integration of information and communications technology to keep pace with global trends.

Perth College has invested in leading-edge infrastructure and educational software and is one of the fi rst schools in Western Australia to take delivery of a NAO humanoid robot

to enhance its STEaM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) subjects.

Through its InsideOut self-leadership programme, Perth College is a leader in the positive education movement, which is gaining traction among independent and government schools. InsideOut tailors workshops, activities and guest speakers to each year level, from Kindergarten to Year 12, to help the girls develop resilience, confi dence, leadership and social and emotional intelligence.

The GirlPower friendship courses, in particular, help Junior School students perform better academically, become involved in leadership activities and improve self-esteem and body image.

The positive psychology model, on which InsideOut is based, teaches the skills of mental toughness, goal-setting, achievement and wellbeing. Students gain the knowledge and skills to become the best person they can be

and to contribute to the fl ourishing of others.

Perth College hosted the state’s inaugural Positive Education conference last year and will again host it in 2016, bringing together educators and allied health professionals.

As an Anglican school, the tradition of Christian worship and education is important, with all students taking part in chapel services and participating in the Beliefs and Values curriculum. Perth College has long championed the importance of making a diff erence in and giving back to the community and students are able to take part in meaningful social justice and service projects.

The School’s facilities and resources ensure the best possible teaching and learning environment for students and staff , blending heritage and modern buildings and providing spaces for fun and relaxation as well as quiet contemplation.

1913 to 19251913Purchase of large block of farmland in North Perth.17 July 1915Foundation stone laid at the site by Governor Sir Harry Barron.8 February 1916156 students are present for the School’s fi rst day on the Mount Lawley campus.

4 March 1916Offi cial opening of the new site.1917Two tennis courts built, along with a windmill, water tower and irrigation plant.1918Construction of the Beaufort Street wing – three classrooms built, including the fi rst Science classroom and sanatorium.1922Chapel site purchased.1924Purchase of land and house opposite Perth College for Kindergarten and Junior School; intermediate school (a house) was purchased on the corner of Queens Crescent and Beaufort Street.

1925Classroom in Junior School completed.

1925 to 195020 November 1926Foundation stone laid for the Chapel of St Michael and All Angels.14 December 1927First service held in the Chapel – dedication by Archbishop Riley.2 November 1932A 25m swimming pool built perpendicular to Beaufort Street. Perth College was the fi rst school to have a private swimming pool.

1935Covered playground built and used for the end-of-year speech night. 1941Third storey built on the main building and initially used as an Art classroom. 1942-1943Perth College evacuated and the 3rd Australian Corps of the Australian Imperial Force moved in.

1950 to 197030 November 1951Opening of the new Kindergarten.

10 October 1952Opening of the new Sports Pavilion opposite Perth College next to the Junior School. 25 April 1960Blessing of the gates and the new brick fence surrounding Perth College.17 October 1960Addition of the boom gate on Beaufort Street for the students’ crossing; transport had changed as the trams were phased out and trolley buses introduced. 28 October 1962Opening of St Michael’s Hall – originally used as the assembly hall and for productions and dances. Opened on the Diamond Jubilee. 1964St Faith’s opens as the new Boarding House. The upstairs boarding rooms are turned into Music classrooms. 1968The School is handed over from the Sisters to the Anglican Province of WA.

1970 to 20161972Underpass opens to the relief of parents and staff who had been concerned about traffi c on Beaufort Street for some time, as private car ownership became increasingly popular.

1974New Library built, known as the Sisters of the Church Memorial Resources Centre.1977Construction on new Junior School begins.16 February 1980Swimming pool removed and a 50m Olympic-sized pool is built, running parallel to Beaufort Street. 21 June 1997Judith Cottier Theatre offi cially opens on the site that previously housed the tennis court.

2006Jean Rogerson Science Centre opens. 2011Offi cial opening of the Founders Centre for Early Learning. 2012Perth College celebrates its 110-year anniversary. 2016Site works begin for the proposed Senior Learning and Leadership Centre on Lawley Crescent.

ADVERTISING FEATURE

THE WEST AUSTRALIAN THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016 • 73

Bringing our Old Girls togetherThe Old Girls are a vibrant and important part of the Perth College community.

The School is proud of what its graduates go on to achieve and celebrates their successes by sharing their stories with current students.

The aff ection our Old Girls have for Perth College means some of them have maintained a connection with their old school that spans decades.

In April, 40 Old Girls who left the School prior

to 1955 returned for their ‘vintage’ reunion, attending a chapel service before enjoying lunch together.

At 94, Marion Wood was the oldest Old Girl at the reunion; she attended Perth College from 1928 to 1937.

“You have to understand that was the Depression era,” she said.

“My parents went without a lot to send me here

and I’m so lucky to have had such an amazing experience.”

Each year, Perth College hosts nine reunions for up to 500 Old Girls. The Old Girls’ Association also connects 6,000 former students living around the world. The Old Girls are often amazed at the changes in the facilities, resources and technology at the School but always say the values of hard work and humility have remained.

Proudly supported by

School seeks brightest for scholarship

Help us celebrate our centenary in Mount Lawley

Each year, Perth College off ers girls the opportunity to join a long list of scholarship recipients who have gone on to make a diff erence in the world as confi dent, independent and determined young women.

Students wishing to join Perth College as a day girl or boarder in Years 10 or 11 in 2017 are invited to apply for the Joan and George Lefroy Academic Scholarship.

The scholarship recognises the philanthropic eff orts of Joan and George and their strong

family connection to Perth College, where Mrs Lefroy boarded from Wongan Hills and completed her leaving certifi cate in 1959. It is open to girls who demonstrate academic excellence but would not be able to attend Perth College for fi nancial reasons. Personal qualities and interests will also be taken into consideration.

Applications close on Friday 5 August. For more information, see the Scholarships tab at www.perthcollege.wa.edu.au or call Registrar Allison Pember on 9471 2100.

Celebration Long Table DinnerA long table dinner will immerse guests in a medieval theme, with a three-course banquet and roving entertainers. A live band will get the crowd on its feet to dance.

Saturday 30 July, 6.30 pm Perth College, Big Quad$80 per person via www.trybooking.com/KWAX

Christmas Fair and CarolsShare in the festive spirit at the fair, which will include craft stalls, games, activities and food all coordinated by students, staff and parent volunteers. From 6.30 pm, families can move to the oval to enjoy the carols and musical entertainment.

Sunday 27 November Perth College Oval, Beaufort Street Fair: 3.00 pm to 6.30 pmCarols: 6.30 pm to 8.00 pm

Music Festival of the Sisters of the Church Schools A night of music-making will celebrate Perth College’s shared heritage with fi ve schools around Australia and New Zealand. Students from the schools established by the Community of the Sisters of the Church gather every two years for a music festival, and in 2016, Perth College will host this special event. Twenty students from each school will participate in workshops and rehearsals, culminating in a concert on Saturday 20 August in the Judith Cottier Theatre. All community members are welcome. Please call 9471 2100 for tickets.

Perth College is giving regional students in Years 5 and 6 the chance to experience life as a boarder before moving away from home for secondary school.

Girls are invited to take a sneak peek into boarding life during the Australia Day long weekend in January 2017. They will live in the Perth College Boarding House and take part in drama, dance, art, music and sport activities. A barbecue dinner, quiz night and social in the 50m swimming pool will help the girls to make new friends.

Parents are welcome to join their daughters for lunch on the fi nal day after the ‘PC Challenge’, in which the girls work in teams to problem-solve and put their newfound knowledge to the test.

The event is free, provides parents with an insight into how boarding works at Perth College and gives girls the confi dence to stay away from home, perhaps for the fi rst time, in preparation for boarding.

Our Boarding House is currently home to more than 100 girls from across country Western Australia and Perth College understands the transition to the city can be diffi cult for young girls and their families.

Registrations close on Friday 11 November 2016. Register your interest via our website or contact Head of Boarding, Judy Parker, on 9471 2197 or email judy.parker@pc.wa.edu.au.

Build your confidence for boarding

Celebrating 100 years in Mount Lawley