Abbotsleigh
Encyclopedia
Abbotsleigh School for Girls (commonly referred to as Abbotsleigh) is an independent
, Anglican, day
and boarding school
for girls, located in Wahroonga
, on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales
, Australia
.
Established in 1885 on Sydney's North Shore, the school has a selective enrolment policy from Year 5 upwards and currently caters for approximately 1,850 students from Kindergarten
to Year 12, including 300 boarders from Years 7 to 12.
Abbotsleigh is a member of the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia (AGSA), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
(JSHAA), the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA), and a founding member of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools
(AHIGS).
Abbotsleigh was founded in 1885 in a small terrace house in North Sydney
. The school then moved to Parramatta
, first to Honiton House, and then to more spacious premises at the corner of Church and Marsden streets, a site now covered by a car park. The school proved successful in Parramatta, and in 1895 Miss Marian Clarke left 80 pupils behind to set out for a year in England
for family reasons. The school declined during her absence, and on her return only a small number of boarders remained.
Abbotsleigh's final move was to its current location at Wahroonga in 1898, where the school's founder, Miss Marian Clarke, purchased land and built her new school. It is here that Abbotsleigh became the first girls' school in Sydney to have a sports field.
1913 – 1924 Margaret Murray
1924 – 1930 Dorothea Poole
1931 – 1954 G Gordon Everett
1954 – 1957 Ruth Hirst
1958 – 1970 HE (Betty) Archdale
1970 – 1987 Kathleen McCredie
1988 – 1996 Diane C Nicholls
1996 – 2004 Judith Wheeldon
2005 – Present Judith Poole
The senior and junior campuses cater for 1300 students in total from Transition to Year 12 (Higher School Certificate).
The Junior School is located on Woonona Ave, Wahroonga. Poole House is the oldest building on campus and features an after-school care and music centre with a number of music rooms for individual lessons and practice. The library, school hall and administration centre are housed in the same block as the junior years' classrooms. In 2002 a new Years 4-6 centre was built surrounding a grassy courtyard featuring a state-of-the-art Arts facility as well as a new canteen for the students. Sporting facilities include a large oval, outdoor pool, three tennis courts, 2 courtyards, two sets of play equipment and a human-sized chess board. An uderground parking facility was built in 2007 with two tennis courts built above.
The new Early Learning Centre was completed in January 2010. It includes new Infants precinct and an Early Learning Centre for the youngest learners from birth to five years old. It is a seventy-place, coeducational centre providing long day care. Girls of the age of 5 are now able to enter the school in the Transition class (preschool age) where they are able to make the smooth transition from preschool to kindergarten. According to the Abbotsleigh website, the ELC will be run according to the Reggio Emillia approach.
The senior school is at a separate campus on the Pacific Highway, and incorporates a number of facilities including a 350 seat auditorium, large assembly hall, Senior Studies Centre, Aquatic Centre and two gymnasiums. Other sporting facilities include 11 tennis courts, one indoor netball/basketball centre, weights gym, 2 cricket nets, a 25-metre indoor pool and two large ovals used for hockey, touch football and soccer. A new library
named the Abbotsleigh Research Centre (ARC) was built and officially opened on 2 April 2006. The ARC contains the Library Teaching Room (LTR) – a computer room, laptops that can be used on tables around the ARC, and three seminar rooms. There are over 40,000 books, over 4,000 videos and DVDs and approximately 70 Periodical titles. The ARC has won awards for its unique interior design. The ARC includes a new Art Centre which has three classrooms, an Arts staffroom and a number of storage spaces. A large outdoor area incorporated into the design, with 6 tables for students and sails, is often used for a number of school events overlooking the top oval.
In addition to this a new canteen was built over the spring holidays in 2008 to join with the Saturday morning sport canteen, featuring new outdoor cafe-style eating areas overlooking the oval.
, Tempus celerius radio fugit, may be translated from Latin
as "Time flies faster than the weaver's shuttle". As the shuttle
flies a pattern is woven; the shuttle of time also weaves a pattern of which the threads are people, buildings and events. The motto was given to the school by Miss Marian Clarke, whose family crest
was a weaver's shuttle surrounded by the motto, Tempus fugit
radio celerit. The school used this form until 1924, when it decided that the ungrammatical Latin should be changed to the present word order, which has been used ever since.
The reference to the weaver's shuttle is also believed by many to be a reference to the "proper" place of women in terms of domestic duties/servitude to men. Some members of the school community are calling for the motto to be changed in order to keep pace with modern views on feminine rights.
The 1934 edition of The Weaver explains the symbol
ism of the school crest: "the lion for the strength in God
, lillies for purity and fish as the symbol of Christianity
through baptism
."
, France
, Ohtani High School, Japan
, Miami's Palmer Trinity School
, Queenswood School
in Hertfordshire
, England
, and Ridley College
in Ontario
, Canada
. Girls have the opportunity to host an incoming exchange student or, in Years 9 and 10, to attend one or more of these schools on exchange for a period of one or two terms.
In the Upper School, students have an even wider range of subjects to choose from, which follow the Board of Studies HSC syllabus. Subjects offered include English (Standard, Advanced, Extension 1 and Extension 2), Maths (General, 2-unit, Extension 1 and Extension 2), sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth and Environmental science, Senior Science), histories (Modern, Ancient and Extension History), social sciences (Business Studies, Geography, Economics), Music (1, 2, extension), a wide range of languages including French, German, Latin and Japanese, Art, PDHPE, Information Processes and Technology, Software Processes Technology, Drama, Design and Technology, Theology and Studies of Religion (1-unit only unlike many other religious independent schools).
There is also a dance program of considerable size at the school, with over 500 girls from Kindergarten to Year 11 participating in several types of dance such as street, tap
and contemporary.
(IGSSA) sports including, softball
, tennis
, swimming
, basketball
, soccer, athletics
, cross country
, hockey
, netball
, waterpolo, touch football
, and cricket
. Abbotsleigh provides much of the sport equipment including tennis racquets, balls, skipping ropes, hockey sticks, rugby balls, golf sets, etc. It is compulsory for Abbotsleigh girls to do PE once a week to enhance their physical activity until Year 11.
, Abbotsleigh has an orchestra named KAYO (Knox/Abbotsleigh Youth Orchestra). Through KAYO, students may choose to participate in musical tours around the world.
Abbotsleigh also has several bands and string groups including the Orchestra, Symphonic Winds, Jazz Ensemble and numerous string quartets. From Year 7 onwards girls are invited to participate in vocal groups, for example the Vocal Ensemble, the Chapel Choir and the Chamber Choir. Also available are the Gospel Choir and Years 7 to 12 Choir, which invite anyone to join without an audition.
Abbotsleigh's main ensembles are the orchestra and concert band which are involved in the Yamaha Festivals. The more junior ensembles are the string ensemble and wind ensemble which are mainly for girls from Years 7 to 9 and for girls who are not highly accomplished musicians but are willing to commit to an ensemble.
was introduced by Miss Everett. The Weaver for May 1931 explains: "Points are awarded for work, conduct and sport and a shield will be presented annually to the winning House. "The "Malloch Shield", given the following year by Mr A Malloch, was won for the first time by Sturt.
In the Junior School there are five houses:
In the Senior School there are eight houses:
The House System has been modified over time to reflect the changing needs of the School, and its increased enrolment. One of the most significant changes occurred in the late 1960s under then Headmistress Betty Archdale
. Senior School Houses had previously been named after well-known male Australian poets, and Archdale introduced new house names recognising accomplished Australian women. This was the basis for the Senior School Houses in use today. Houses now compete for the House Choir banner and the Spirit Cup, as well as the Sports Cup.
Since 2008 girls have organised get-to-know-each-other events and House Days where students of the same house assemble at lunch time and have a large "house picnic".
There are currently approximately 150 boarders at Abbotsleigh from Years 7 to 12. Boarders make up about one-sixth of the senior school population.
Entertainment, media and the arts
Medicine and science
Politics, public service and the law
Sport
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
, Anglican, day
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
and boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for girls, located in Wahroonga
Wahroonga, New South Wales
Wahroonga is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Wahroonga is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council and Hornsby Shire....
, on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Established in 1885 on Sydney's North Shore, the school has a selective enrolment policy from Year 5 upwards and currently caters for approximately 1,850 students from Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
to Year 12, including 300 boarders from Years 7 to 12.
Abbotsleigh is a member of the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia (AGSA), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
Junior School Heads Association of Australia
The Independent Primary School Heads of Australia formerly Junior School Heads Association of Australia , is an incorporated body representing the heads of independent primary schools in Australia....
(JSHAA), the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA), and a founding member of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools
Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools
The Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools , is an association for private girls' schools, based in North Ryde, in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
(AHIGS).
History
North Sydney, New South Wales
North Sydney is a suburb and commercial district on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Sydney is located 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of North Sydney...
. The school then moved to Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
, first to Honiton House, and then to more spacious premises at the corner of Church and Marsden streets, a site now covered by a car park. The school proved successful in Parramatta, and in 1895 Miss Marian Clarke left 80 pupils behind to set out for a year in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for family reasons. The school declined during her absence, and on her return only a small number of boarders remained.
Abbotsleigh's final move was to its current location at Wahroonga in 1898, where the school's founder, Miss Marian Clarke, purchased land and built her new school. It is here that Abbotsleigh became the first girls' school in Sydney to have a sports field.
Headmistresses
1885 – 1913 Marian Clarke1913 – 1924 Margaret Murray
1924 – 1930 Dorothea Poole
1931 – 1954 G Gordon Everett
1954 – 1957 Ruth Hirst
1958 – 1970 HE (Betty) Archdale
Betty Archdale
Helen Elizabeth "Betty" Archdale was an educationalist and cricketer. She was a captain of the English women's cricket team in 1934 and 1935. In 1934/35 she led the first English cricket team to tour Australia and New Zealand, the result of which was a 2-0 victory over Australia...
1970 – 1987 Kathleen McCredie
1988 – 1996 Diane C Nicholls
1996 – 2004 Judith Wheeldon
2005 – Present Judith Poole
Campus
The Junior School is located on Woonona Ave, Wahroonga. Poole House is the oldest building on campus and features an after-school care and music centre with a number of music rooms for individual lessons and practice. The library, school hall and administration centre are housed in the same block as the junior years' classrooms. In 2002 a new Years 4-6 centre was built surrounding a grassy courtyard featuring a state-of-the-art Arts facility as well as a new canteen for the students. Sporting facilities include a large oval, outdoor pool, three tennis courts, 2 courtyards, two sets of play equipment and a human-sized chess board. An uderground parking facility was built in 2007 with two tennis courts built above.
The new Early Learning Centre was completed in January 2010. It includes new Infants precinct and an Early Learning Centre for the youngest learners from birth to five years old. It is a seventy-place, coeducational centre providing long day care. Girls of the age of 5 are now able to enter the school in the Transition class (preschool age) where they are able to make the smooth transition from preschool to kindergarten. According to the Abbotsleigh website, the ELC will be run according to the Reggio Emillia approach.
The senior school is at a separate campus on the Pacific Highway, and incorporates a number of facilities including a 350 seat auditorium, large assembly hall, Senior Studies Centre, Aquatic Centre and two gymnasiums. Other sporting facilities include 11 tennis courts, one indoor netball/basketball centre, weights gym, 2 cricket nets, a 25-metre indoor pool and two large ovals used for hockey, touch football and soccer. A new library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
named the Abbotsleigh Research Centre (ARC) was built and officially opened on 2 April 2006. The ARC contains the Library Teaching Room (LTR) – a computer room, laptops that can be used on tables around the ARC, and three seminar rooms. There are over 40,000 books, over 4,000 videos and DVDs and approximately 70 Periodical titles. The ARC has won awards for its unique interior design. The ARC includes a new Art Centre which has three classrooms, an Arts staffroom and a number of storage spaces. A large outdoor area incorporated into the design, with 6 tables for students and sails, is often used for a number of school events overlooking the top oval.
In addition to this a new canteen was built over the spring holidays in 2008 to join with the Saturday morning sport canteen, featuring new outdoor cafe-style eating areas overlooking the oval.
Motto and crest
The Abbotsleigh mottoMotto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
, Tempus celerius radio fugit, may be translated from Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
as "Time flies faster than the weaver's shuttle". As the shuttle
Shuttle (weaving)
A shuttle is a tool designed to neatly and compactly store weft yarn while weaving. Shuttles are thrown or passed back and forth through the shed, between the yarn threads of the warp in order to weave in the weft....
flies a pattern is woven; the shuttle of time also weaves a pattern of which the threads are people, buildings and events. The motto was given to the school by Miss Marian Clarke, whose family crest
Crest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
was a weaver's shuttle surrounded by the motto, Tempus fugit
Tempus fugit
Tempus fugit is a Latin expression meaning "time flees", more commonly translated as "time flies". It is frequently used as an inscription on clocks...
radio celerit. The school used this form until 1924, when it decided that the ungrammatical Latin should be changed to the present word order, which has been used ever since.
The reference to the weaver's shuttle is also believed by many to be a reference to the "proper" place of women in terms of domestic duties/servitude to men. Some members of the school community are calling for the motto to be changed in order to keep pace with modern views on feminine rights.
The 1934 edition of The Weaver explains the symbol
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
ism of the school crest: "the lion for the strength in God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, lillies for purity and fish as the symbol of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
through baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
."
Associated schools
Abbotsleigh has a number of international sister schools and exchange agreements with other institutes, including the École Alsacienne in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Ohtani High School, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Miami's Palmer Trinity School
Palmer Trinity School
Palmer Trinity School is an independent, university preparatory, coeducational Episcopal day school located on in Palmetto Bay, Florida . The school currently enrolls 600 students in grades 6-12....
, Queenswood School
Queenswood School
Queenswood School is a girls-only private school located near Hatfield in the English county of Hertfordshire. It offers admission at ages 11, 13 or 16 . The current headmistress is Pauline Edgar.-History:...
in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and Ridley College
Ridley College
Ridley College is a co-educational boarding and day university-preparatory school located in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, 20 miles from Niagara Falls...
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Girls have the opportunity to host an incoming exchange student or, in Years 9 and 10, to attend one or more of these schools on exchange for a period of one or two terms.
Curriculum
Abbotsleigh offers an extensive range of subjects. In Year 8, students choose elective subjects to study for Years 9 and 10. Students must study Maths, English, Science, PDHPE, Australian History/Geography, and Christian Studies. They may then choose three elective subjects from: Commerce, Elective History, Elective Geography, Design and Technology, Information Software Technology, Music, Drama, Visual Arts, Photography and Digital Media, Japanese, French, German, and Latin. Mandarin has currently replaced Japanese for 2010 Year 7 girls and will remain this way for all girls that will enter Abbotsleigh Senior School through Year 7. For girls studying Japanese in older grades will still continue to do so.In the Upper School, students have an even wider range of subjects to choose from, which follow the Board of Studies HSC syllabus. Subjects offered include English (Standard, Advanced, Extension 1 and Extension 2), Maths (General, 2-unit, Extension 1 and Extension 2), sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth and Environmental science, Senior Science), histories (Modern, Ancient and Extension History), social sciences (Business Studies, Geography, Economics), Music (1, 2, extension), a wide range of languages including French, German, Latin and Japanese, Art, PDHPE, Information Processes and Technology, Software Processes Technology, Drama, Design and Technology, Theology and Studies of Religion (1-unit only unlike many other religious independent schools).
Co-curriculum
Students can participate in a number of extracurricular activities. Most girls participate in at least one activity, if not many. Abbotsleigh has over 15 girls achieve the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award each year, which is presented at the school's Speech Day in December. Additionally students may participate in chess teams, debating, mock trial, public speaking, ski team, jewellery making, sewing classes, film club, SRC, Environment Club, and a number of charity and service groups. Students from Year 10 are selected to form the charity and service group boards with students taking the positions of president, secretary, treasurer and club member. The school also has an Agricultural group (Ag Club) for the boarders where two cattle are raised between January and April for a number of competitions including the Sydney Royal Easter Show. IThere is also a dance program of considerable size at the school, with over 500 girls from Kindergarten to Year 11 participating in several types of dance such as street, tap
Tap dance
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
and contemporary.
Sport
The school competes in many Independent Girls' Schools Sporting AssociationIndependent Girls' Schools Sporting Association
The Independent Girls' Schools Sporting Association , was established in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, in 1922 with five founding members, all of them independent Protestant girls' schools....
(IGSSA) sports including, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, soccer, athletics
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
, netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
, waterpolo, touch football
Touch football (rugby league)
Touch is a field sport also known as Touch Football, or in some countries as Touch Rugby. Touch is overseen worldwide by the Federation of International Touch . Touch has traditionally been played in Australia and New Zealand but the sport has expanded internationally and features many regional and...
, and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
. Abbotsleigh provides much of the sport equipment including tennis racquets, balls, skipping ropes, hockey sticks, rugby balls, golf sets, etc. It is compulsory for Abbotsleigh girls to do PE once a week to enhance their physical activity until Year 11.
Music
With its close neighbour Knox Grammar SchoolKnox Grammar School
Knox Grammar School is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Wahroonga, an upper North Shore suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, Abbotsleigh has an orchestra named KAYO (Knox/Abbotsleigh Youth Orchestra). Through KAYO, students may choose to participate in musical tours around the world.
Abbotsleigh also has several bands and string groups including the Orchestra, Symphonic Winds, Jazz Ensemble and numerous string quartets. From Year 7 onwards girls are invited to participate in vocal groups, for example the Vocal Ensemble, the Chapel Choir and the Chamber Choir. Also available are the Gospel Choir and Years 7 to 12 Choir, which invite anyone to join without an audition.
Abbotsleigh's main ensembles are the orchestra and concert band which are involved in the Yamaha Festivals. The more junior ensembles are the string ensemble and wind ensemble which are mainly for girls from Years 7 to 9 and for girls who are not highly accomplished musicians but are willing to commit to an ensemble.
House system
The House SystemHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
was introduced by Miss Everett. The Weaver for May 1931 explains: "Points are awarded for work, conduct and sport and a shield will be presented annually to the winning House. "The "Malloch Shield", given the following year by Mr A Malloch, was won for the first time by Sturt.
In the Junior School there are five houses:
- Blaxland (blue) Named after Gregory BlaxlandGregory BlaxlandGregory Blaxland was a pioneer farmer and explorer in Australia.- Early life :Gregory Blaxland was born 17 June 1778 at Fordwich, Kent, England, the fourth son of John Blaxland, mayor from 1767 to 1774, whose family had owned estates nearby for generations, and Mary, daughter of Captain Parker,...
(1778–1853), an Australian explorer and pioneer farmer. - Lawson (green) Named after William Lawson (1774–1850), an Australian explorer.
- Macquarie (red) Named after Lachlan MacquarieLachlan MacquarieMajor-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
(1771–1824), the Governor of New South Wales from 1810 to 1801. - Sturt (yellow) Named after Charles SturtCharles SturtCaptain Charles Napier Sturt was an English explorer of Australia, and part of the European Exploration of Australia. He led several expeditions into the interior of the continent, starting from both Sydney and later from Adelaide. His expeditions traced several of the westward-flowing rivers,...
(1795–1869), an Australian explorer. - Wentworth (purple) Named after William WentworthWilliam WentworthWilliam Charles Wentworth was an Australian poet, explorer, journalist and politician, and one of the leading figures of early colonial New South Wales...
(1790–1872), an Australian explorer, statesman and lawyer.
In the Senior School there are eight houses:
- Chisholm (dark blue) Named after Caroline ChisholmCaroline ChisholmCaroline Chisholm was a progressive 19th-century English humanitarian known mostly for her involvement with female immigrant welfare in Australia. She is commemorated on 16 May in the Calendar of saints of the Church of England...
(1808–1877), an Australian pioneer. - Franklin (green) Named after Miles FranklinMiles FranklinStella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin, known as Miles Franklin was an Australian writer and feminist who is best known for her novel My Brilliant Career, published in 1901...
, an acclaimed Australian author. - Gilmore (brown until 1982, now pink) Named after Mary GilmoreMary GilmoreDame Mary Gilmore DBE was a prominent Australian socialist poet and journalist.-Early life:Mary Jean Cameron was born on 16 August 1865 at Cotta Walla near Goulburn, New South Wales...
(1865–1962), an Australian poet and writer. - Melba (light blue) Named after Dame Nellie MelbaNellie MelbaDame Nellie Melba GBE , born Helen "Nellie" Porter Mitchell, was an Australian operatic soprano. She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian Era and the early 20th century...
, an Australian opera singer. - Prichard (black until 1990, now purple) Named after Katherine Susannah Prichard (1884–1969), an Australian writer.
- Richardson (orange) Named after Ethel Florence Lindesay Richardson (1870–1946), an Australian novelist.
- Tennant (yellow) Named after Kylie TennantKylie TennantKathleen Kylie Tennant AO was an Australian novelist, playwright, short-story writer, critic, biographer and historian.-Life and career:Tennant was born in Manly, New South Wales; she was educated at Brighton College in Manly and Sydney University, though she left without graduating...
(1912–1988), an Australian World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and Great DepressionGreat DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
novelist. - Wright (red) Named after Judith WrightJudith WrightJudith Arundell Wright was an Australian poet, environmentalist and campaigner for Aboriginal land rights.-Biography:...
(1915–2000), an Australian poet.
The House System has been modified over time to reflect the changing needs of the School, and its increased enrolment. One of the most significant changes occurred in the late 1960s under then Headmistress Betty Archdale
Betty Archdale
Helen Elizabeth "Betty" Archdale was an educationalist and cricketer. She was a captain of the English women's cricket team in 1934 and 1935. In 1934/35 she led the first English cricket team to tour Australia and New Zealand, the result of which was a 2-0 victory over Australia...
. Senior School Houses had previously been named after well-known male Australian poets, and Archdale introduced new house names recognising accomplished Australian women. This was the basis for the Senior School Houses in use today. Houses now compete for the House Choir banner and the Spirit Cup, as well as the Sports Cup.
Since 2008 girls have organised get-to-know-each-other events and House Days where students of the same house assemble at lunch time and have a large "house picnic".
Boarding
Abbotsleigh has offered boarding since its establishment, and currently caters for boarding students from the greater metropolitan area, rural New South Wales and overseas. The school currently has five boarding houses:- Hirst Opened in 1980 and 1985. Catering for Year 12 boarders. Now replaced by the newly opened Wheeldon House.
- Lynton Opened in 1969. Catering for Year 7 boarders.
- McCredie Opened in 1990. Catering for Year 9 to 10 boarders.
- Vindin Opened in 1931. Catetring for Year 8 to 9 boarders.
- Wheeldon Opened in 2008. Catering for Year 11 to 12 boarders
There are currently approximately 150 boarders at Abbotsleigh from Years 7 to 12. Boarders make up about one-sixth of the senior school population.
Notable alumnae
Academic- Ingrid Clare Barnsley – Rhodes Scholar 2002
- Kathleen McCredie – Educator; Former principal of Abbotsleigh
- Merrilee Roberts – Educator, former principal of Newcastle Girls' Grammar School and Ascham SchoolAscham SchoolAscham School is an independent, non-denominational, day and boarding school for girls', located in Edgecliff, an Eastern Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
- Elizabeth Ward; Educator; Former principal of the Presbyterian Ladies' College, MelbournePresbyterian Ladies' College, MelbournePresbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne , is an independent,private, Presbyterian, day and boarding school predominantly for girls, located in Burwood, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
- Freda Whitlam AMOrder of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
– LayLaityIn religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
PreacherPreacherPreacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
of the Uniting Church; Sister of former Prime MinisterPrime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Gough WhitlamGough WhitlamEdward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
; Former principal of the Presbyterian Ladies' College, SydneyPresbyterian Ladies' College, SydneyThe Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for girls in Croydon, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, Australia...
(also attended Canberra Girls' Grammar SchoolCanberra Girls' Grammar SchoolCanberra Girls' Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school predominantly for girls, located in Deakin, a suburb of Canberra, the capital of Australia....
)
Entertainment, media and the arts
- Nicole AlexanderNicole AlexanderNicole "Hoopz" Alexander is an American reality TV show contestant best known for winning the VH1 reality television shows Flavor of Love and I Love Money.-Career:...
– Author - Edwina Bartholomew – Seven News reporter
- Erica Baxter – Singer and model; wife of James PackerJames PackerJames Douglas Packer is an Australian businessman.Packer is the son of the late media mogul Kerry Packer and grandson of Frank Packer. He inherited the family company, Consolidated Press Holdings Limited, which controls investments in Crown Limited, Consolidated Media Holdings and other companies...
- Nell CampbellNell Campbell"Little" Nell Campbell is an Australian actress, club owner and singer.-Early life:She was born in Sydney, to Ruth and Ross Campbell, a writer, who called her "Little Nell" in his family life column in the Sydney Daily Telegraph...
– Actor; played Colombia in The Rocky Horror Picture ShowThe Rocky Horror Picture ShowThe Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the... - Jill Ker ConwayJill Ker ConwayJill Ker Conway is an Australian-American author. Well known for her autobiographies, in particular her first memoir, The Road from Coorain. She was also Smith College's first woman president, from 1975–1985, and now serves as a Visiting Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...
– Author - Georgie ParkerGeorgie ParkerGeorgina "Georgie" Parker is an Australian television actress. She grew up in the suburb of St. Ives.-Personal life:...
– Actress - Jennifer Oswin RoweJennifer RoweJennifer June Rowe is an Australian author. Her crime fiction for adults is published under her own name, while her children's fiction is published under the pseudonyms Emily Rodda and Mary-Anne Dickinson...
– Children's book author under pen name Emily Rodda - Helen de Guerry SimpsonHelen de Guerry SimpsonHelen de Guerry Simpson was an Australian novelist.-Life and career:Simpson was born in Sydney into a family that had been settled in New South Wales for over 100 years...
– Novelist (also attended Kincoppal-Rose BayKincoppal-Rose Bay, School of the Sacred Heart, SydneyKincoppal-Rose Bay, School of the Sacred Heart , is a private, Roman Catholic, day and boarding school predominantly for girls, located in Rose Bay, an eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
) - Grace Cossington SmithGrace Cossington SmithGrace Cossington Smith AO OBE was an Australian artist and pioneer of modernist painting in Australia and was instrumental in introducing Post-Impressionism to her home country...
– Artist
Medicine and science
- Agnes Elizabeth Lloyd Bennett – Pioneering medical practitioner and scientist (also attended Cheltenham Ladies' CollegeCheltenham Ladies' CollegeThe Cheltenham Ladies' College is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.-History:The school was founded in 1853...
, Dulwich Girls' High School and Sydney Girls High SchoolSydney Girls High SchoolSydney Girls High School is an academically selective, Public high school for girls, located at Moore Park, in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
) - Cindy PanCindy PanCindy Pan is an Australian physician and television personality, who specialises in sexual health and women's health. Pan was born in Sydney, and was raised on a CSIRO research station in Badgerys Creek where her father was a scientist...
– Doctor, dancer, television personality
Politics, public service and the law
- Beatrice Miles – Bohemian rebel and political activist
Sport
- Sue FearSue FearSusan Erica Fear was an Australian mountain climber, passionate supporter of the Fred Hollows Foundation and a 2005 recipient of the Order of Australia medal in the Queen's birthday honours...
– First Australian woman to climb Mount EverestMount EverestMount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
(also attended Barker CollegeBarker CollegeBarker College is an independent Anglican, day and boarding school, located in Hornsby, a North Shore suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1890 by the Reverend Henry Plume at Kurrajong Heights, Barker is an all-boys school from Kindergarten to Year 9, and co-educational from...
) - Margaret Elizabeth Maynard Peden – Cricketer; former captain of the Australian women's cricket team (1934)
- Liz EllisLiz EllisElizabeth "Liz" Ellis AM is a retired Australian netball player, a member of the national team from 1992 until 2007 and captain for the last four of those years. She is the most capped international player for Australian netball....
– Australian national netball player - Hannah Campbell-PeggHannah Campbell-PeggHannah Campbell-Pegg is an Australian Luge athlete who has competed since 2004. Competing in two Winter Olympics, she finished 23rd in the women's singles event twice Hannah Campbell-Pegg (born 24 June 1982 in Sydney) is an Australian Luge athlete who has competed since 2004. Competing in two...
Australian Luge Winter Olympian