125 years of leadership
St Margaret’s has had a total of just 16 Principals since its establishment in 1895. The first two Headmistresses appointed were lay Headmistresses – Miss Isabella Caine and Miss Juliet Lyon. When Miss Lyon resigned in 1917, she was the last lay Headmistress until Mrs Margaret Kugelman’s appointment in 1978. Each Headmistress and Principal leaves a legacy – whether through programs implemented, the development that is stewarded, or sometimes even the fundraising undertaken to keep the school afloat, particularly in the early years. In the 120th anniversary edition of the Flyer, we featured Sister Elizabeth (1926 – 36) and the longest serving Principal Sister Mary (1940 – 64). In this edition we shine a light on other significant heads in the history of the school.
Miss Isabella Caine (1895 – 1907)
St Margaret’s first headmistress – Isabella Moreton Caine – was born on the ship “S.S. Great Victoria” on 1 January 1866, in Moreton Bay. Born of educators, Isabella attended Brisbane Girls Grammar School and obtained her Senior Certificate through the University of Sydney. At St Margaret’s, Miss Caine oversaw a curriculum at Eton High which included English, Mathematics, History, Geography, Geology, Botany, French, German, Latin, Music, Divinity, Drawing and Drill. 22
Issue 21
Miss Juliet Lyon
Sister Teresa
Miss Lyon was born in Australia but received most of her education in Scotland (University of St Andrews) and England (University of Oxford). She received her Diploma of Education First Class Honours and was admitted to the London register of Secondary Teachers. She taught at Oxford Secondary School and was Assistant Mistress at Toorak College Melbourne for 18 months.
Born Nora Winifred Collison in England in 1885, her family emigrated to Tasmania where she was educated at the Collegiate School. Her early teaching career was in and around Melbourne and Victoria. When she moved to Queensland, she experienced a profound religious conviction and joined the Sisters, taking the name Sister Teresa. In 1918, she was the first Sister to be appointed as Headmistress. In 1919, the school moved to Mooloomburram (then known as Avoca). The Great War ended but the Spanish Flu began. “Everyone had to wear a mask and had to keep five feet away from everyone else,” reported the 1919 Link.
(1907 – 1917)
Miss Lyon was a keen oarswoman and introduced rowing to St Margaret’s in 1907, coaching the girls herself. Tennis, swimming and basketball were also played and, in 1908, St Margaret’s was one of the three founding schools of the QGSSSA of which Miss Lyon was President in 1911. In 1910, the school had moved to Community House (then ‘Donatello’) and by 1914 numbers had swelled to 140. When The University of Queensland opened in 1911, two former St Margaret’s students were among its first undergraduates. In 1912, Miss Lyon introduced the Dramatic Society, the start of a commitment to theatre and performance which continues to this day. Also in 1912, typewriting, shorthand, and bookkeeping were introduced as subjects to equip girls for employment and provide more independence upon leaving school. Miss Lyon steered the school through World War I in which, tragically, her brother was killed. Miss Lyon introduced two lasting legacies which have defined the school for generations – the Middy uniform and school motto – Per Volar Sunata.
(1918 – 1925)
Sister Teresa was a great innovator and, under her, many structures we recognise today were created, such as the House system, a Student School Council and the school Flower Show which lasted until the 1980s. In 1922, Sister Teresa introduced a modified version of the Dalton Plan – quite radical for its time. “This method of education encouraged students to take responsibility for their own progress,” (Per Volar Sunata 1895 – 1996) sounding very much like the philosophy of today’s Academic Advising Program.
