Strathcona Girls Grammar School is an independent, Baptist, day school for girls, located in Canterbury, an inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Established in 1924 by Florence Livingstone and Henrietta Hughes, the school currently caters for approximately 800 students from Preparatory to Year 12 over three campuses. Year nine girls attend Tay Creggan, an historic building on the Yarra River in Hawthorn. Years 7 to 8 and 10 to 12 are located in Canterbury, and the primary school is located in a purpose-built premises near the Main Campus in Canterbury.National Education Directory Australia- Strathcona (accessed:12-06-2007)
The school is affiliated with the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA), the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Association of Independent Schools of Victoria (AISV), the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia (AGSA), and is a founding member of Girls Sport Victoria (GSV).
History Strathcona was established in 1924 by its founding principals, Florence Livingstone and Henrietta Hughes, with a small number of pupils, both boys and girls.
In 1942 the school was purchased by the Baptist Union for the purpose of establishing a Baptist school for girls, and the school was renamed Strathcona Baptist Girls Grammar School.
Miss Featherstone commenced as headmistress in 1943, serving the school for 10 years. Enrolments increased rapidly and despite strict building restrictions after the Second World War, facilities were expanded providing for up to 200 girls.
In November 1969 Strathcona purchased the historical building 'Tay Creggan' and it is now the Year 9 campus, located in Hawthorn on the banks of the Yarra River. Built in 1893 in the Queen Anne style as a family home, it became an important and fashionable part of Hawthorn social life. It was designed by architect Guyon Purchas for his own use. He was later forced to declare bankruptcy and sell the house.
Principals There have been a total of nine principals (formerly headmistresses) of Strathcona since the school was established in 1924. Note, between 1924 and 1941 there were two headmistresses at the same time who were the co-founders of the school. Years served Name 1924–1941 Henrietta Hughes & Florence Livingstone 1941–1942 Bessie Sweetland 1943–1953 Dora Featherstone 1954–1956 Helen Smith 1957–1972 John Morley 1973–1989 Ken Lyall 1990–2000 Ruth Bunyan 2001–2014 Helen Hughes 2015–2023 Marise McConaghy 2024–Present Lorna Beegan
Curriculum Strathcona Baptist Girls’ Grammar School offers the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) for their Year 11 and 12 students. + Year Rank Median study score Scores of 40+ (%) Cohort size 2012 9 37 32.9 148 2013 12 36 30.3 142 2014 20 36 23.5 168 2015 23 36 21.5 174 2016 18 36 25.8 165 2017 19 36 25.8 163 2018 22 35 24.6 159 2019 15 36 27.9 154 2020 9 36 28.2 154 2021 25 35 20.5 166 2022 15 36 25.1 171
Sport Strathcona is a member of Girls Sport Victoria (GSV) and won the GSV premiership in tennis in 2004.
Notable alumnae Alumnae of Strathcona are known as Old Strathconians and are part of the school's alumni association, the Old Strathconians' Association (OSA). Some notable Old Strathconians include:
Jill Baker – Publisher and former newspaper editor Pamela Gutman – Burmese art historian, member of the Refugee Review Tribunal; deputy director of the Research Institute for Asia and the Pacific at the University of Sydney; Senior Advisor for the Foreign Affairs Department Margaret Anne Jackson – professor and Director, Law Discipline, School of Accounting and Law, RMIT Business, RMIT University Regan Lamble – Australian representative to the 2012 Olympics in Athletics and selected for the 2016 Rio Olympic Team for the 20 km Race Walk. Norma Redpath OBE – Sculptor Prudence Anne Sibree – Parliamentarian and Solicitor; Member for Kew in the Legislative Assembly in the Victorian Parliament from 1981 to 1988.Australian Woman Biographical Entry- Sibree, Prudence Anne (1946 -) (accessed:12-06-2007) Jo Stanley – TV and Radio personality Jess Wilson – Current state MP for the Kew District and opposition leader of VictoriaAnnelie Smith – Current General Manager Box Hill Hawks Football Club
See also List of schools in Victoria Victorian Certificate of Education
References
External links
Girls Sport Victoria