Fairholme College
Encyclopedia
Fairholme College is an independent
, day
and boarding school
for girls, located in Toowoomba
, one of Australia's largest provincial cities, in South East
Queensland, Australia
.
Established as Spreydon College in 1908 by sisters Elizabeth, Jessie and Margaret Thomson, the college
has a non-selective enrolment policy, and currently caters for approximately 845 students from Kindergarten
to Year 12, including 240 boarders in Years 5 to 12. It is the only school associated with the Presbyterian Church of Queensland that is not owned by the Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association (PMSA), and is one of a small number of Presbyterian schools in Australia.
Fairholme 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), and the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA).
In 1907, sisters Elizabeth, Jessie and Margaret Thomson, all former teachers of the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne
, moved to Toowoomba, with the idea of establishing a girls' school conducted according to the standards of the Secondary Teachers' Association of Victoria. They leased 'Spreydon', a property with over an acre of land on the corner of Warra and Rome Streets at Newtown
, West Toowoomba, and on 4 February 1908, opened the privately owned Spreydon College, a Christian boarding and day school for girls. Commencing with a roll of 20 boarders and "quite a number of day girls", the school offered classes from Kindergarten to "Sydney
Senior Standard". The Spreydon building housed the Principal and boarders' quarters, while a school room, Kindergarten and tennis court
were established facing Rome Street.
The sisters soon sought the patronage of the Presbyterian Church in Brisbane, and this was granted in May 1909. The school proved popular, and steady growth in students numbers necessitated the construction of new dormitories early in 1911, with the school's boarding population nearing 16 out of the 60 pupils enrolled.
The Thomson's established their school along the lines of the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne, ensuring that all teachers were specialists, that students achieved high academic standards, and that girls were active in sporting interests and displaying good manners and Christian standards. However, at the end of 1914, financial difficulties forced the sisters to resign and return to Melbourne, prompting the Convenor of the Presbyterian Church in Queensland, the Rev. James Gibson, to give an undertaking that the Church would assume ownership of the school. A private company, The Presbyterian Ladies College Limited, was established, and Spreydon College was subsequently renamed and reopened in January 1915 as "The Presbyterian Ladies' College, Toowoomba" (P.L.C). The Church also appointed Ms Amy Carson as Principal that same year.
P.L.C flourished under Carson's leadership, and the Spreydon property soon proved too small. Mrs Margaret Ann Cameron, the owner of the Fairholme Homestead on the Range in East Toowoomba, soon expressed to the Church her desire to establish a girls' school, having previously taught her daughters and other children in Glen Innes
, New South Wales
during the 1860s. Cameron passed ownership of her property to the Presbyterian Church, and under a new constitution, Ms Carson, together with the College board, opened the Presbyterian Girls' College, Toowoomba in the Fairholme property with 59 students. The relocation of the school was achieved over two stages: the primary departments moved in July 1917, and the rest of the school in January 1918. The motto which was used at The Presbyterian Ladies College Limited, Ardens sed Virens ("Burning yet Flourishing") was adopted for use at Fairholme.
The Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational Churches were united in June 1977, to be known as The Uniting Church in Australia
. St. Stephen's Church, of which the school was closely related, formed part of this movement and it was therefore presumed that Fairholme would become a College of the Uniting Church. Queensland's Presbyterian schools such as The Scots PGC College
, Somerville House
, Clayfield College
and Brisbane Boys' College
, either became Uniting or became part of the Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association network, while Fairholme remained with the Presbyterian Church of Queensland. Subsequently, it is the only College in Queensland owned by the Presbyterian Church, and it remains one of a very small number throughout Australia, with the only other girls schools being the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale
; the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney
; and the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne.
In March 1978, the name of the College was changed from "Presbyterian Girls' College, Fairholme, Toowoomba" to "Fairholme College, a College of the Presbyterian Church of Queensland". It had however been known as Fairholme since its inception.
. The houses of the College are:
, the Fairholme Old Girls' Association (F.O.G.A.). Some notable Fairholme Old Girls include:
Business
Entertainment, media and the arts
Military
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...
, 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 Toowoomba
Toowoomba, Queensland
Toowoomba is a city in Southern Queensland, Australia. It is located west of Queensland's capital city, Brisbane. With an estimated district population of 128,600, Toowoomba is Australia's second largest inland city and its largest non-capital inland city...
, one of Australia's largest provincial cities, in South East
South East Queensland
South East Queensland is a region of the state of Queensland in Australia, which contains approximately two-thirds of the state population...
Queensland, 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 as Spreydon College in 1908 by sisters Elizabeth, Jessie and Margaret Thomson, the college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
has a non-selective enrolment policy, and currently caters for approximately 845 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 240 boarders in Years 5 to 12. It is the only school associated with the Presbyterian Church of Queensland that is not owned by the Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association (PMSA), and is one of a small number of Presbyterian schools in Australia.
Fairholme 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), and the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA).
History
Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne
Presbyterian 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....
, moved to Toowoomba, with the idea of establishing a girls' school conducted according to the standards of the Secondary Teachers' Association of Victoria. They leased 'Spreydon', a property with over an acre of land on the corner of Warra and Rome Streets at Newtown
Newtown, Queensland (Toowoomba)
Newtown is an inner suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, located directly west of the city centre.The area was the first outside the city centre to be subdivided for residential purposes, in 1865...
, West Toowoomba, and on 4 February 1908, opened the privately owned Spreydon College, a Christian boarding and day school for girls. Commencing with a roll of 20 boarders and "quite a number of day girls", the school offered classes from Kindergarten to "Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
Senior Standard". The Spreydon building housed the Principal and boarders' quarters, while a school room, Kindergarten and tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
were established facing Rome Street.
The sisters soon sought the patronage of the Presbyterian Church in Brisbane, and this was granted in May 1909. The school proved popular, and steady growth in students numbers necessitated the construction of new dormitories early in 1911, with the school's boarding population nearing 16 out of the 60 pupils enrolled.
P.L.C flourished under Carson's leadership, and the Spreydon property soon proved too small. Mrs Margaret Ann Cameron, the owner of the Fairholme Homestead on the Range in East Toowoomba, soon expressed to the Church her desire to establish a girls' school, having previously taught her daughters and other children in Glen Innes
Glen Innes, New South Wales
Glen Innes is a parish and town on the Northern Tablelands, in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the centre of the Glen Innes Severn Shire Council. The town is located at the intersection of the New England Highway and the Gwydir Highway...
, 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...
during the 1860s. Cameron passed ownership of her property to the Presbyterian Church, and under a new constitution, Ms Carson, together with the College board, opened the Presbyterian Girls' College, Toowoomba in the Fairholme property with 59 students. The relocation of the school was achieved over two stages: the primary departments moved in July 1917, and the rest of the school in January 1918. The motto which was used at The Presbyterian Ladies College Limited, Ardens sed Virens ("Burning yet Flourishing") was adopted for use at Fairholme.
The Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational Churches were united in June 1977, to be known as The Uniting Church in Australia
Uniting Church in Australia
The Uniting Church in Australia was formed on 22 June 1977 when many congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, the Presbyterian Church of Australia and the Congregational Union of Australia came together under the Basis of Union....
. St. Stephen's Church, of which the school was closely related, formed part of this movement and it was therefore presumed that Fairholme would become a College of the Uniting Church. Queensland's Presbyterian schools such as The Scots PGC College
The Scots PGC College
The Scots PGC College is an independent, co-educational, Uniting Church, day and boarding school, located in Warwick, Queensland, Australia.The College currently caters for approximately 450 international and Australian students from Prep to year 12, including 180 boarders.Located on two campuses,...
, Somerville House
Somerville House
Somerville House is an independent, boarding and day school for girls, located in South Brisbane, an inner-city suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
, Clayfield College
Clayfield College
Clayfield College is an independent, Uniting Church and Presbyterian, day and boarding school, predominantly for girls, located in Clayfield, an inner-northern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
and Brisbane Boys' College
Brisbane Boys' College
Brisbane Boys' College , is an independent, Presbyterian and Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Toowong, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
, either became Uniting or became part of the Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association network, while Fairholme remained with the Presbyterian Church of Queensland. Subsequently, it is the only College in Queensland owned by the Presbyterian Church, and it remains one of a very small number throughout Australia, with the only other girls schools being the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale
Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale
The Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for girls. The school is located in Armidale, a large rural town with a population of 28,000 in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia.PLC Armidale currently caters for approximately...
; the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney
Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney
The Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for girls in Croydon, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, Australia...
; and the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne.
In March 1978, the name of the College was changed from "Presbyterian Girls' College, Fairholme, Toowoomba" to "Fairholme College, a College of the Presbyterian Church of Queensland". It had however been known as Fairholme since its inception.
Principals
| Period | Details |
|---|---|
| 1917–1919 | Miss Amy Carson |
| 1920–1921 | Miss Nancy Jobson |
| 1922–1940 | Miss Daisy Culpin |
| 1940–1948 | Miss Jean Tassie |
| 1949–1951 | The Revd. Norman Joughin |
| 1952–1953 | Revd. Richard Crawford |
| 1954–1968 | Miss Nancy Shaw |
| 1969–1972 | Miss Pamela Harris |
| 1973–1974 | Mr. Robert Clinch |
| 1975–1979 | Mrs Belle Gillies |
| 1980–1994 | Mr. Allan Faragher |
| 1994–2009 | Mr. Stan Klan |
| 2009–present | Mrs Linda Evans |
House system
As with most Australian schools, Fairholme utilises a 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...
. The houses of the College are:
- Black House (Black) – Named after benefactor W.R Black.
- Cameron House (Gold) – Named after the original owner of the property "Fairholme", Mrs Anne Cameron.
- Powell House (Green) – Named after benefactor Ray Powell.
- Stephens House (Blue) – Named after benefactor, S.G Stephens.
Notable alumnae
Alumni of Fairholme College are known as Old Girls and may elect to join the schools alumni associationAlumni association
An alumni association is an association of graduates or, more broadly, of former students. In the United Kingdom and the United States, alumni of universities, colleges, schools , fraternities, and sororities often form groups with alumni from the same organisation...
, the Fairholme Old Girls' Association (F.O.G.A.). Some notable Fairholme Old Girls include:
Business
- Mary Boydell – Chartered AccountantChartered AccountantChartered Accountants were the first accountants to form a professional body, initially established in Britain in 1854. The Edinburgh Society of Accountants , the Glasgow Institute of Accountants and Actuaries and the Aberdeen Society of Accountants were each granted a royal charter almost from...
and Company Director; Chair of the Rural Industries Research and Development CorporationRural Industries Research and Development CorporationThe Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation is an Australian statutory Corporation formed in July 1990 under the Primary Industries and Energy Research and Development Act 1989...
; Chair of the GladstoneGladstone, Queensland- Education :Gladstone has several primary schools, three high schools, and one university campus, Central Queensland University. It is also home to CQIT Gladstone Campus.- Recreation :...
Area Water Board (also attended Brisbane Girls Grammar SchoolBrisbane Girls Grammar SchoolBrisbane Girls' Grammar School, is an independent, secular, day school for girls, located in Spring Hill, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
)
Entertainment, media and the arts
- Laurel Martyn OBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
– Dancer and Choreographer; President and Examiner of the Classical Dance Teachers Aust. Inc. (also attended Brisbane Girls Grammar SchoolBrisbane Girls Grammar SchoolBrisbane Girls' Grammar School, is an independent, secular, day school for girls, located in Spring Hill, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
) - Ruth Plummer (née Fenner) – Inaugural presenter of the ABC'sAustralian Broadcasting CorporationThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
national radio program 'Kindergarten of the Air'; editor and author of children's books - Lady Schubert – Former Miss AustraliaMiss AustraliaMiss Australia is the title for the winner of the Miss Australia Quest/Awards, which ran from 1954 until 2000, when the last Miss Australia was named....
, wife of Sir Syd Schubert (head of Queensland Premier's Department under Sir Joh Bjelke-PetersenJoh Bjelke-PetersenSir Johannes "Joh" Bjelke-Petersen, KCMG , was an Australian politician. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived Premier of Queensland, holding office from 1968 to 1987, a period that saw considerable economic development in the state...
), mother of Channel 10Network TenNetwork Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
newsreader Marie-Louise TheileMarie-Louise TheileMarie-Louise Theile is a former Australian news presenter. She presented Ten News at Five in Brisbane.Born in Brisbane Theile graduated at the University of Queensland. Theile worked as a reporter for The Sun, before she moved to New York where she worked at Elle magazine. She then spent time in...
Military
- Frances Betty Provan – Naval officer and businesswoman (also attended The Glennie School)
Politics, public service and the law
- Her Hon. Judge Fleur Yvette Kingham – Judge of the District Court of QueenslandDistrict Court of QueenslandThe District Court of Queensland is a court in Queensland, a state of Australia. It has jurisdiction to hear:* appeals from decisions of the Magistrates' Court of Queensland;...
; Former Deputy President of the Land and Resources Tribunal (QLD)
Sport
- Cathy FreemanCathy FreemanCatherine Astrid Salome "Cathy" Freeman, OAM is former Australian sprinter, who specialised in the 400 metres event. She became the Olympic champion for the women's 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics, at which she lit the Olympic Flame.Freeman was the first ever Aboriginal...
OAMOrder 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"...
– Olympic gold medallist (athletics) (also attended The Kooralbyn International SchoolThe Kooralbyn International SchoolThe Kooralbyn International School is an independent, co-educational, boarding and day school, located in Kooralbyn, about 64 km south of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.-History:...
) - Sally Kehoe – Olympic rower
- Pippa Savage – Olympic rower