C E N T E N A RY F E AT U R E
ST MARY’S THEN AND NOW
ST MARY’S HERITAGE ICONS OVER THE PAST 100 YEARS, THE EVOLUTION OF ST MARY’S ANGLICAN GIRLS’ SCHOOL HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED IN MANY WAYS. ARCHIVES FULL OF PHOTOS, KEEPSAKES, ALMERTA AND FIDELITER MAGAZINES, PLUS COUNTLESS OTHER PUBLICATIONS, INCLUDING OUR CENTENARY BOOK, A PLACE TO GROW, ATTEST TO THAT. HOWEVER, CURRENT STAFF AND STUDENTS INTERACT WITH SYMBOLS OF OUR SCHOOL’S EXTRAORDINARY PAST ON A DAILY BASIS, ALL OF WHICH HAVE THEIR OWN UNIQUE STORIES. IT IS OUR PLEASURE TO SHARE THE TALES BEHIND SOME OF ST MARY’S MOST TREASURED HERITAGE ICONS.
THE BELVEDERE On the roof of Craigmore, the Belvedere proudly stood. Craigmore was an enormous home that boasted tennis courts, stables, a ballroom and extensive gardens. The property, which took up the entire corner block of Kings Park Road and Outram Street in West Perth, was leased by St Mary’s from 1959 until 1966, as the site for its junior school, boarding facilities, gym and sporting grounds. Craigmore was demolished in 1967, and the Belvedere was relocated to 143 Forrest Street in Peppermint Grove, where it became a tea house by the swimming pool. When that property was sold, the Belvedere was kindly donated to St Mary’s and reconstructed on the Karrinyup campus in 2001. It has become a favourite place for small groups of girls to gather during breaks.
CHAPEL OF ST MARY Consecrated in 1981, the School’s Diamond Jubilee year, the Chapel of St Mary seats 250 students and was designed by architect, John Lidbury, with innovative ideas from Reverend Joyce Polson, who was Deaconess at the time. The Chapel is the choice of many Old Girls for their weddings and children’s baptisms.
12 FIDELITER Feature: ST MARY’S THEN AND NOW
