CENTENARY FEATURE

Throughout 2021, we will be celebrating our Centenary and we are delighted to invite you to join us for all the fun and festivities.

Attend a ‘Discover 100’ event and enjoy catching up with students, staff and families – past and present, and friends and supporters of the School; explore moments from our rich history of education and community on the Centenary website; take home a copy of the Centenary book, A Place to Grow, or share memories of your own St Mary’s journey as we reflect on 100 years of inspiring girls to discover their best. During our Centenary year, we will honour and celebrate our traditions and the contribution and service of those who have gone before us, as we create new memories, strengthen our connections and look with excitement to the next one hundred years of educating girls. We look forward to you joining us at St Mary’s!

Discover more at 100years.stmarys.wa.edu.au

1921

OUR FOUNDATION

On 14 September 1921, the Church of England Girls’ School, St Mary’s West Perth is founded as a parish school, following the amalgamation of the Girls’ Grammar School and the Alexandra High School. The first uniform is a navy blue tunic, white shirt, black stockings, black shoes and a white panama style hat with chocolate and blue hat band and Maltese Cross hat badge.

Isabel Greig (a ten year old student) wins the competition to design the school crest, choice of school colours and school motto, Fideliter. The first Head Girl (known as Senior Prefect) is Hope Bregenzer and she holds the position from 1921-1924.

1920 1930

1940

THE HOUSES

The Houses are renamed to acknowledge three significant men whose support had helped to establish St Mary’s – Bishop Charles Lawrence Riley, Sir John Winthrop Hackett KCMG and Mr Frank Wittenoom.

1940

1925

ALMERTA

The first issue of Almerta, the annual school magazine, is produced by an editorial committee of seven Form IV students. The name Almerta is taken from an Aboriginal word meaning ‘very good’.

1934

UNIFORM

The School uniform changes to a maroon tunic, beige shirt, beige stockings, brown shoes and maroon beret to distinguish St Mary’s from other schools.

OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION

The Old Girls’ League is established and is later renamed the Old Girls’ Association.

1935

JUNIOR SCHOOL

St Mary’s opens a second Junior School in St Margaret’s Hall, Tyrell Street, Nedlands and enrols girls and boys aged three to eight.

1938

HOUSE SYSTEM

A House system is introduced to ‘afford more competition not only in sports but also in school work’. The House names are taken from Aboriginal words – Milpera meaning ‘company’, Killara meaning ‘always there’ and Thuruna meaning ‘together’.

1947

BOARDING

While some St Mary's girls had boarded with Miss Tothill from the 1920s, it is not until after the war that Mrs Myles establishes more formalised boarding. In 1950, the Board takes over, acquiring three boarding premises fronting Colin Street, Emerald Terrace and Ord Street.

1950’s

1950

DIOSCEAN SCHOOL

St Mary’s becomes a Dioscean school, rather than a parish school managed by the St Mary’s West Perth Parish, providing access to increased funding and support from the Church.

FIDELITAS MAGAZINE

Fidelitas (later Fideliter) begins as a means of communication from 1959 the Principal and School management CRAIGMORE to the parent body

St Mary’s leases Craigmore, and students. a vast house with extensive gardens on Kings Park

Road, to accommodate the

Junior School, provide more boarding accommodation and additional space for sports.

1960’s

1960

1964

A PLACE TO GROW

Mrs Theresa Macdonald (Principal 1957-1965) launches a fundraising campaign to move St Mary’s from the cramped and outdated buildings in Colin Street, West Perth to the open spaces of Karrinyup. Bishop Charles Lawrence Riley chairs the campaign.

1965

A NEW BEGINNING

The Foundation stone is laid at Karrinyup, after a monumental effort to raise $58,000 in one year to build the new school at Karrinyup. Architect, Miss Margaret Feilman’s plans are soon under way. A year later, the first classes commence at Karrinyup, although some year groups remain at West Perth, and a system of buses and taxis runs between the two sites.

NEW BOARDING HOUSE

The opening of the new boarding house at Karrinyup marks the end of St Mary’s association with Colin Street, West Perth, with all students united at the new campus for the first time. It is named Anne Symington House in 1986.

Sir Thomas Wardle opens the swimming pool and a new House, Wardle, is established to cater for a growing roll of students.

1978

DANNATT HALL

A new multi-purpose hall opens and is named after St Mary’s first Headmistress.

TWO NEW HOUSES

Craig and Lefroy Houses are established to ensure that every student has the opportunity to take part in interhouse competitions.

1981

RENAMING

St Mary’s Church of England Girls’ School is renamed St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School, in keeping with the renaming in Australia of the Church of England to the Anglican Church of Australia. The Chapel of St Mary is dedicated and consecrated by The Most Reverend Dr Peter Carnley, Archbishop of Perth.

1989

BEDBROOK-REDENBACH SCIENCE LABORATORIES

The laboratories are renovated and extended and are named after two

WWW.

1970

OUR PRINCIPALS

1980

1980

former members of the Board.

1987

ST MARY’S FOUNDATION

St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School Foundation is established to secure the long-term future of the School and support its capital development.

1990

BISHOP CHARLES LAWRENCE RILEY CBE Principal 1921-1923 MISS ETHEL DANNATT Headmistress 1923-1937

MISS KATHERINE CARTER MBE Headmistress 1938-1940 MISS BERYL HAMILTON Headmistress 1940-1944 MRS ELIZABETH MYLES Headmistress 1944-1956

A NEW JUNIOR SCHOOL

A separate and specifically designed Junior School opens.

1994 2008 2012

SUMMER UNIFORM CHANGE ST MARY’S AT METRICUP ELIZABETH MYLES LIBRARY AND

The gingham dress is adopted The first of its kind for an RON FARRIS MEDIA STUDIES CENTRE as the summer dress for all all-girls school in Western The Elizabeth Myles Library moves into a students. Australia, the Lady Treatt Centre new purpose-built building and its old home for Learning and Leadership is renovated to become the Media Studies opens as the School’s outdoor Centre. It is later named after the inaugural 1996 education centre. Chair of the St Mary’s Foundation.

AUDREY JACKSON LEARNING 2004 2015

TECHNOLOGIES CENTRE The Centre opens and a year later the School launches its first website. 1997 LADY TREATT CENTRE FOR MUSIC AND DANCE The Centre for Music and Dance opens and is named after Lady Treatt (Frankie Wilson ’32, Head Girl). MARLENE CARTER HERITAGE CENTRE The new home for the School’s Archives collection is named after Marlene Carter (’63), (President, Old Girls’ PETER ARNEY CENTRE Association, 1988-1998).

FOR EARLY LEARNING

Catering for four and five 2018 year old girls and boys, the Centre is named after a JANE GILLON ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND long serving Board member. A new playground is named after Jane Gillon, (Fisher, ’70) Honorary Member for Life of St Mary’s.

2010’s

2000

2000

LADY WARDLE PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

Providing a 509-seat auditorium and classrooms and rehearsal spaces, the Centre is named after Lady Wardle.

2010

2011 2016

HEARN HALL

The new gymnasium is named Hearn Hall, after Mr Leslie Hearn (Chair of the Board, 1986-2000).

With Year 7 moving into the Senior School, a new Year 7 Centre is developed.

THE POLSON ROOM

The Polson Room opens and is named after Reverend Joyce Polson (Deaconess).

2021

ST MARY’S CELEBRATES 100 YEARS OF EDUCATING GIRLS

MRS THERESA MACDONALD MBE Principal 1957-1965 MRS ANNE SYMINGTON Headmistress 1966-1982

MRS AUDREY JACKSON AM Principal 1983-1997 MRS LYNNE THOMSON Principal 1997-2018 MRS JUDITH TUDBALL Principal 2019 - current