Girls' Sport Victoria was established in 2001, and is one of the largest independent school

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...

 sporting association in Victoria, with 24 member schools from around Melbourne.

GSV provides approximately 16,500 girls, from years seven to twelve, with the opportunity to be involved in over 20 sports through weekly competition

Competition

Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...

s, carnival

Carnival

Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...

s, tournament

Tournament

A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...

s and skill development programs.

Current member schools

Member School	Location	Enrolment	Founded	Denomination	Day/ Boarding	Year Entered Competition	School Colours
Camberwell Girls Grammar School Camberwell Girls Grammar School Camberwell Girls' Grammar School, is an independent, Anglican day school for girls, located in Canterbury, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Founded as St...	Canterbury Canterbury, Victoria Canterbury is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara...	726	1920	Anglican Anglican Church of Australia The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...	Day	2000
Fintona Girls' School Fintona Girls' School Fintona Girls' School is a small, independent, non-denominational, day school for girls, located in Balwyn, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	Balwyn Balwyn, Victoria Balwyn is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara...	438	1896	Non-Denominational	Day	2000
Firbank Grammar School Firbank Girls' Grammar School Firbank Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school, situated in the suburb of Brighton, in the bayside area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	Brighton Brighton, Victoria Brighton is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Brighton had a population of 20,651...	928	1909	Anglican Anglican Church of Australia The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...	Day & Boarding	2000
Genazzano FCJ College Genazzano FCJ College Genazzano FCJ College is a Roman Catholic, day and boarding school for girls, located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	Kew Kew, Victoria Kew is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2006 Census, Kew had a population of 22,516....	1118	1891	Roman Catholic Roman Catholic Church in Australia The Catholic Church in Australia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the spiritual and administrative leadership of the Pope.Australia is a majority Christian but pluralistic society with no established religion. There are approximately 5.1 million Australian Catholics . Catholicism...	Day & Boarding	2000
Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School, is an independent, Anglican, day school for girls, located in Ivanhoe, a northern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	Ivanhoe Ivanhoe, Victoria Ivanhoe is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Banyule. At the 2006 Census, Ivanhoe had a population of 10,600.-History:...	993	1903	Anglican Anglican Church of Australia The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...	Day	2000	- blue, brown, white
Korowa Anglican Girls' School Korowa Anglican Girls' School Korowa Anglican Girls' School is an independent, Anglican, day school for girls, located in Glen Iris, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	Glen Iris Glen Iris, Victoria Glen Iris is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Boroondara and Stonnington...	607	1890	Anglican Anglican Church of Australia The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...	Day	2000
Lauriston Girls' School	Armadale Armadale, Victoria Armadale is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Armadale had a population of 8,467....	790	1901	Non-Denominational	Day	2000
Loreto Mandeville Hall Loreto Mandeville Hall Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak is a Roman Catholic day school for girls in Toorak, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.It is one of many Loreto schools distributed over the world, established by the sisters of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary or Loreto Sisters, founded some 400 years...	Toorak Toorak, Victoria Toorak is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district located on a rise on the south side of a bend in the Yarra River. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington...	880	1924	Roman Catholic Roman Catholic Church in Australia The Catholic Church in Australia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the spiritual and administrative leadership of the Pope.Australia is a majority Christian but pluralistic society with no established religion. There are approximately 5.1 million Australian Catholics . Catholicism...	Day	2000
Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School, most often referred to simply as Lowther Hall, is an independent, Anglican, day school for girls, located in Essendon, an inner suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	Essendon Essendon, Victoria Essendon is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley...	794	1920	Anglican Anglican Church of Australia The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...	Day	2000
Melbourne Girls Grammar Melbourne Girls Grammar School Melbourne Girls Grammar School , is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for girls, located in South Yarra, an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	South Yarra South Yarra, Victoria South Yarra is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Stonnington and Melbourne...	865	1893	Anglican Anglican Church of Australia The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...	Day & Boarding	2000
Mentone Girls' Grammar School Mentone Girls' Grammar School Mentone Girls' Grammar School is an independent, Anglican day school for girls, located in Mentone, a bayside suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	Mentone Mentone, Victoria Mentone is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 21 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Kingston...	492	1899	Anglican Anglican Church of Australia The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...	Day	2000
Methodist Ladies' College Methodist Ladies' College, Melbourne Methodist Ladies' College is an independent, non-selective, day and boarding school for girls, located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...	Kew Kew, Victoria Kew is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2006 Census, Kew had a population of 22,516....	2127	1882	Uniting Church 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....	Day & Boarding	2000
Our Lady of Mercy College Our Lady of Mercy College Our Lady of Mercy College , is a Roman Catholic, secondary day school for girls, situated in Heidelberg, a north-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	Heidelberg Heidelberg, Victoria Heidelberg is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Banyule....	1122	1910	Roman Catholic Roman Catholic Church in Australia The Catholic Church in Australia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the spiritual and administrative leadership of the Pope.Australia is a majority Christian but pluralistic society with no established religion. There are approximately 5.1 million Australian Catholics . Catholicism...	Day	2000
Presbyterian Ladies' College 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....	Burwood Burwood, Victoria Burwood is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 17 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is largely the City of Whitehorse but includes the City of Monash in its south west corner. At the 2006 Census, Burwood had a population of 11,886.-History:The...	1352	1875	Presbyterian Presbyterian Church of Australia The Presbyterian Church of Australia is the largest Presbyterian denomination in Australia. .-Beginnings:...	Day & Boarding	2000
Ruyton Girls' School Ruyton Girls' School Ruyton Girls' School , is a non-denominational, independent, day school for girls, located in the inner-eastern Melbourne suburb of Kew, Victoria, Australia....	Kew Kew, Victoria Kew is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2006 Census, Kew had a population of 22,516....	735	1879	Non-denominational	Day	2000
Sacré Cœur	Glen Iris Glen Iris, Victoria Glen Iris is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Boroondara and Stonnington...	709	1888	Roman Catholic Roman Catholic Church in Australia The Catholic Church in Australia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the spiritual and administrative leadership of the Pope.Australia is a majority Christian but pluralistic society with no established religion. There are approximately 5.1 million Australian Catholics . Catholicism...	Day	2000
St Catherine's School St Catherine's School, Toorak St Catherine's School is an independent, non-denominational, Christian day and boarding school for girls, located in Toorak, an inner south-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	Toorak Toorak, Victoria Toorak is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district located on a rise on the south side of a bend in the Yarra River. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington...	574	1896	Non-Denominational	Day & Boarding	2000
St Margaret's School St Margaret's School, Melbourne St Margaret's School is an independent, non-denominational, day school with a co-educational primary school and girl's only senior school. The school is located in Berwick, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	Berwick Berwick, Victoria Berwick is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey. At the 2006 Census, Berwick had a population of 36,420....	768 (577 Girls)	1926	Non-Denominational	Day	2000
Shelford Girls' Grammar Shelford Girls' Grammar Shelford Girls' Grammar is an independent, Anglican, day school for girls, located in Caulfield, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Established in 1898, the school currently caters for approximately 600 students from pre-school to year 12....	Caulfield Caulfield, Victoria Caulfield is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 12 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Glen Eira...	476	1898	Anglican Anglican Church of Australia The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...	Day	2000
Siena College Siena College Siena College is an independent Roman Catholic liberal arts college in Loudonville, in the town of Colonie, New York, United States. Siena is a four-year, coeducational, independent college in the Franciscan tradition, founded by the Franciscan Friars in 1937. It has 3,000 full-time students and...	Camberwell Camberwell, Victoria Camberwell is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2006 Census, Camberwell had a population of 19,637....	721	1940	Roman Catholic Roman Catholic Church in Australia The Catholic Church in Australia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the spiritual and administrative leadership of the Pope.Australia is a majority Christian but pluralistic society with no established religion. There are approximately 5.1 million Australian Catholics . Catholicism...	Day	2010
Star of the Sea College Star of the Sea College Star of the Sea College is an Irish Catholic, secondary, day school for girls, located in Brighton, an inner south-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	Gardenvale Gardenvale, Victoria Gardenvale is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Glen Eira...	1074	1883	Roman Catholic Roman Catholic Church in Australia The Catholic Church in Australia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the spiritual and administrative leadership of the Pope.Australia is a majority Christian but pluralistic society with no established religion. There are approximately 5.1 million Australian Catholics . Catholicism...	Day	2000
Strathcona Baptist Girls' Grammar School Strathcona Baptist Girls' Grammar School Strathcona Baptist Girls Grammar School is an independent, Baptist, day school for girls, located in Canterbury, an inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	Canterbury Canterbury, Victoria Canterbury is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara...	711	1924	Baptist Baptist Union of Australia The Baptist Union of Australia is the oldest and largest national cooperative body of Baptists in Australia. Its current National President is Reverend Dr John Beasy. The BUA is now known as Australian Baptist Ministries - ABM...	Day	2000
Toorak College Toorak College, Mt Eliza Toorak College is an independent, inter-denominational, day and boarding school for girls years 7 - 12 and co-educational from pre school to Year 6...	Mount Eliza Mount Eliza, Victoria Mount Eliza is an outer suburb south-east of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is in the Local Government Area of the Shire of Mornington Peninsula...	774	1874	Anglican Anglican Church of Australia The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...	Day & Boarding	2000

Former member schools

School	Location	Founded	Years Competed	Denomination	Day/ Boarding	School Colours
Kilvington Grammar Kilvington Girls' Grammar Kilvington Grammar is an independent, Baptist, co-educational day school, located in Ormond, a suburb in the Glen Eira region of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	Ormond Ormond, Victoria Ormond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 12 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Glen Eira. At the 2006 Census, Ormond had a population of 7152....	1923	2000–2011	Baptist Baptist Union of Australia The Baptist Union of Australia is the oldest and largest national cooperative body of Baptists in Australia. Its current National President is Reverend Dr John Beasy. The BUA is now known as Australian Baptist Ministries - ABM...	Day
Tintern Schools Tintern Girls Grammar School Tintern Schools is an independent, Anglican day for girls and boys located in Ringwood East, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	Ringwood Ringwood, Victoria Ringwood is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east of Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maroondah. At the 2006 Census, Ringwood had a population of 15,185....	1877	2000–2009	Anglican Anglican Church of Australia The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...	Day & Boarding

History

In 1999, the Principal of Melbourne Girls Grammar School

Melbourne Girls Grammar School

Melbourne Girls Grammar School , is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for girls, located in South Yarra, an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....

, Christine Briggs, held a meeting of Principals of girls' schools at the Lyceum Club

Lyceum Club (Australia)

The Lyceum Club , also known as the Australian Association of Lyceum Clubs and formed in 1972 from several smaller clubs, is an Australian arts, literature and social activism group for women only...

. She felt the need to organise the meeting

Meeting

In a meeting, two or more people come together to discuss one or more topics, often in a formal setting.- Definitions :An act or process of coming together as an assembly for a common purpose....

 after receiving a letter of invitation from the Associated Public Schools of Victoria

Associated Public Schools of Victoria

The Associated Public Schools of Victoria are a group of eleven elite independent schools in Victoria, Australia, similar to the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales in New South Wales....

 (APS) inviting her school to join their association.

Many APS boys' schools had introduced co-education and were finding it difficult to provide adequate inter-school sports experiences for their female students. As the oldest schools association, APS felt it was in a strong position to convince independent girls' schools to become members. Briggs was concerned that the APS saw girls' schools as the solution to their problem, and was aware that girls' schools were fragmented into so many sporting associations, that the approach might be successful for the APS, whilst negatively impacting on girls' schools.

Briggs put the issue of girls' sport to the Principals at the meeting, and it was agreed that it was time to consider the idea of a new sports organisation catering for the needs of all-female schools. It was stressed by many that the heritage of girls' sport built over more than a century

Century

A century is one hundred consecutive years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages .-Start and end in the Gregorian Calendar:...

 by the involved schools could not be abandoned or seriously affected.

Following this meeting, a forum was led by Diana Bowman, the former Principal of SCEGGS Darlinghurst in 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...

, who had much experience with the successful and foremost girls' sporting association in her State, the Independent Girls' Schools Sporting Association

Independent 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....

 (the sporting arm 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....

). It was at this forum that the decision was made to create a new sports organisation to which the 24 girls' schools could belong, and that existing Associations would then cease to exist. In the same year, the name "Girls Sport Victoria" was selected for the new organisation. Further, it was acknowledged that creating "Girls Sport Victoria" would take time, and therefore a Project Officer was needed to undertake the task. Fiona Preston was the person selected, and began work immediately in order to complete preparations for the commencement of the sports program in 2001. She was supported by a Committee

Committee

A committee is a type of small deliberative assembly that is usually intended to remain subordinate to another, larger deliberative assembly—which when organized so that action on committee requires a vote by all its entitled members, is called the "Committee of the Whole"...

 of Principals, a Committee of Heads of Sport, and working committees for each sport.

Preston, along with the first Executive Officer

Executive officer

An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...

, Ms. Meredith Prime, and a small group of staff, created a program of sports and three major carnivals, track and field

Track and field

Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...

, 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...

 and Diving

Diving

Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...

, and 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...

 in three Divisions. Zoned groups of schools were established for weekly interschool competitions in 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 ...

, 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...

, 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...

, Indoor Cricket

Indoor cricket

Indoor cricket is a variant of and shares many basic concepts with cricket. The game is most often played between two teams each consisting of eight players, in matches featuring two innings of sixteen 7-ball overs each...

, 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:...

, Waterpolo, Soccer, Volleyball

Volleyball

Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...

 and Badminton

Badminton

Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...

. In addition, Saturday morning sport, which was especially attractive to 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...

s, offered Golf

Golf

Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....

, Australian Rules Football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

, Taekwondo

Taekwondo

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...

 and Triathlon

Triathlon

A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...

. Also organised were seasonal competitions in 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...

 and Surf

Surfing

Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...

 League, and 'fun days' for students in Years 7 and 8.

Many challenges were met by the organisers, such as the vast geographic spread of the schools; the varying size of schools, ranging from 300 to almost 2000 students; the differences in quality and number of sports facilities within and outside schools; the difference in strength between schools and within sports; the cost to schools to meet their responsibilities; concern about potential loss of academic time through travel to venues; the determination of GSV rules and regulations; talent identification; promotion of leadership opportunities; and the availability of quality umpiring.

Previous associations

Prior to the establishment of Girls' Sport Victoria, there were seven girls' schools sporting associations catering to the sporting needs of the 24 GSV schools, and a small number of other schools. These associations were subsequently disbanded in 2001.

(N.B. Year of entry to an Association in brackets.)

Associated Anglican Girls’ Grammar Schools (1920 - 2000)

Church Secondary Schools Sports Association, later the Associated Anglican Girls’ Grammar Schools (AAGGS), was created in 1920 and conducted the first combined girls’ schools sports day in Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

 on 30 April 1930, at Toorak Park, Armadale

Armadale, Victoria

Armadale is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Armadale had a population of 8,467....

.

School	Years Competed
Camberwell Girls Grammar School Camberwell Girls Grammar School Camberwell Girls' Grammar School, is an independent, Anglican day school for girls, located in Canterbury, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Founded as St...	- 2000
Firbank Girls' Grammar School Firbank Girls' Grammar School Firbank Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school, situated in the suburb of Brighton, in the bayside area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	1920–2000
Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School, is an independent, Anglican, day school for girls, located in Ivanhoe, a northern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	1926–2000
Korowa Anglican Girls' School Korowa Anglican Girls' School Korowa Anglican Girls' School is an independent, Anglican, day school for girls, located in Glen Iris, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	1920–2000
Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School, most often referred to simply as Lowther Hall, is an independent, Anglican, day school for girls, located in Essendon, an inner suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	1926–2000
Melbourne Girls Grammar Melbourne Girls Grammar School Melbourne Girls Grammar School , is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for girls, located in South Yarra, an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	1920–2000
Mentone Girls' Grammar School Mentone Girls' Grammar School Mentone Girls' Grammar School is an independent, Anglican day school for girls, located in Mentone, a bayside suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	- 2000
Shelford Girls' Grammar Shelford Girls' Grammar Shelford Girls' Grammar is an independent, Anglican, day school for girls, located in Caulfield, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Established in 1898, the school currently caters for approximately 600 students from pre-school to year 12....	- 2000
St Michael's Grammar School St Michael's Grammar School St Michael's Grammar School is a co-educational independent day school located in St Kilda, Victoria, Australia.The school was founded in 1895 by the Community of the Sisters of the Church and is associated with the Anglican Church of Australia. St Michael's is located on a single campus, its...	1920 - ?
Tintern Girls Grammar School Tintern Girls Grammar School Tintern Schools is an independent, Anglican day for girls and boys located in Ringwood East, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	1920 - ?

Girls' Schools Sports Association (1920 - 2000)

The Girls' Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA), later the GSSA was formed in 1920. For many years the Association had been the "Girls' Secondary Schools Sports Association" (GSSSA), but "Secondary" was dropped from the name in the 1990s.

School	Years Competed
Fintona Girls' School Fintona Girls' School Fintona Girls' School is a small, independent, non-denominational, day school for girls, located in Balwyn, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	1920–2000
Korowa Anglican Girls' School Korowa Anglican Girls' School Korowa Anglican Girls' School is an independent, Anglican, day school for girls, located in Glen Iris, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	? - 2000
Lauriston Girls' School	1920–2000
Ruyton Girls' School Ruyton Girls' School Ruyton Girls' School , is a non-denominational, independent, day school for girls, located in the inner-eastern Melbourne suburb of Kew, Victoria, Australia....	1920–2000
St Catherine's School St Catherine's School, Toorak St Catherine's School is an independent, non-denominational, Christian day and boarding school for girls, located in Toorak, an inner south-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	1920–2000
Tintern Girls Grammar School Tintern Girls Grammar School Tintern Schools is an independent, Anglican day for girls and boys located in Ringwood East, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	? - 2000

Zone Sports Association (1968 - 2000)

School	Years Competed
Firbank Girls' Grammar School Firbank Girls' Grammar School Firbank Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school, situated in the suburb of Brighton, in the bayside area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	1968–2000
Loreto Mandeville Hall Loreto Mandeville Hall Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak is a Roman Catholic day school for girls in Toorak, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.It is one of many Loreto schools distributed over the world, established by the sisters of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary or Loreto Sisters, founded some 400 years...	1980–2000
Mentone Girls' Grammar School Mentone Girls' Grammar School Mentone Girls' Grammar School is an independent, Anglican day school for girls, located in Mentone, a bayside suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	1968–2000
Sacré Cœur	1991–2000
Shelford Girls' Grammar Shelford Girls' Grammar Shelford Girls' Grammar is an independent, Anglican, day school for girls, located in Caulfield, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Established in 1898, the school currently caters for approximately 600 students from pre-school to year 12....	1968–2000
St Michael's Grammar School St Michael's Grammar School St Michael's Grammar School is a co-educational independent day school located in St Kilda, Victoria, Australia.The school was founded in 1895 by the Community of the Sisters of the Church and is associated with the Anglican Church of Australia. St Michael's is located on a single campus, its...	1968–1994
Cato College (later Wesley College Wesley College, Melbourne Wesley College, Melbourne is an independent, co-educational, Christian day school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1866, the college is a school of the Uniting Church in Australia. Wesley is the largest school in Australia by enrolment, with 3,511 students and 564 full-time staff...  - Cato Campus)	1968–1989
Wesley College Wesley College, Melbourne Wesley College, Melbourne is an independent, co-educational, Christian day school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1866, the college is a school of the Uniting Church in Australia. Wesley is the largest school in Australia by enrolment, with 3,511 students and 564 full-time staff... , Prahran Campus	1988–1989

Girls’ Schools Sports Association (1993 - 2000)

The "Girls’ Schools Sports Association" was formed by girls' schools then in the Eastern Suburbs Association (ESA). The ESA had earlier permitted girls from the co-educational Carey Baptist Grammar School

Carey Baptist Grammar School

Carey Baptist Grammar School is an independent, co-educational, Christian, international, day school consisting of four campuses in Victoria, Australia - Kew , Donvale , the Carey Sports Complex in Bulleen and an outdoor education camp near Paynesville in eastern Gippsland called Carey...

 to enter its competitions. In 1993, ESA member schools were Camberwell Anglican Girls' Grammar School, Carey Baptist Grammar School, Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School, Melbourne Girls Grammar School, Methodist Ladies' College, Presbyterian Ladies' College and Strathcona Baptist Girls' Grammar School, with Genazzano FCJ College as a non-voting member. When the ESA was dissolved and the new GSSA was constituted at the end of the same year, the name of the new Association identified its members as "Girls' Schools".

School	Years Competed
Camberwell Girls Grammar School Camberwell Girls Grammar School Camberwell Girls' Grammar School, is an independent, Anglican day school for girls, located in Canterbury, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Founded as St...	1993–2000
Genazzano FCJ College Genazzano FCJ College Genazzano FCJ College is a Roman Catholic, day and boarding school for girls, located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	1993–2000
Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School, is an independent, Anglican, day school for girls, located in Ivanhoe, a northern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	1993–2000
Melbourne Girls Grammar Melbourne Girls Grammar School Melbourne Girls Grammar School , is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for girls, located in South Yarra, an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	1993–2000
Methodist Ladies' College Methodist Ladies' College, Melbourne Methodist Ladies' College is an independent, non-selective, day and boarding school for girls, located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...	1993–2000
Presbyterian Ladies' College 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....	1994–2000
Strathcona Baptist Girls' Grammar School Strathcona Baptist Girls' Grammar School Strathcona Baptist Girls Grammar School is an independent, Baptist, day school for girls, located in Canterbury, an inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	1993–2000

Girls’ Private Schools Victorian Sports Association (1991 - 2000)

School	Years Competed
Loreto Mandeville Hall Loreto Mandeville Hall Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak is a Roman Catholic day school for girls in Toorak, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.It is one of many Loreto schools distributed over the world, established by the sisters of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary or Loreto Sisters, founded some 400 years...	1991–2000
Melbourne Girls Grammar Melbourne Girls Grammar School Melbourne Girls Grammar School , is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for girls, located in South Yarra, an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	1991–2000
Methodist Ladies' College Methodist Ladies' College, Melbourne Methodist Ladies' College is an independent, non-selective, day and boarding school for girls, located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...	1991–2000
Presbyterian Ladies' College 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....	1991–2000
Tintern Girls Grammar School Tintern Girls Grammar School Tintern Schools is an independent, Anglican day for girls and boys located in Ringwood East, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	1991–2000
Toorak College Toorak College, Mt Eliza Toorak College is an independent, inter-denominational, day and boarding school for girls years 7 - 12 and co-educational from pre school to Year 6...	1991–2000

Secondary Catholic Sports Association (? - 2000)

School	Years Competed
Genazzano FCJ College Genazzano FCJ College Genazzano FCJ College is a Roman Catholic, day and boarding school for girls, located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	? - 2000
Loreto Mandeville Hall Loreto Mandeville Hall Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak is a Roman Catholic day school for girls in Toorak, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.It is one of many Loreto schools distributed over the world, established by the sisters of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary or Loreto Sisters, founded some 400 years...	? - 2000
Our Lady of Mercy College Our Lady of Mercy College Our Lady of Mercy College , is a Roman Catholic, secondary day school for girls, situated in Heidelberg, a north-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	? - 2000
Sacré Cœur	? - 2000
St Columbas College St. Columba's College, Melbourne St. Columba's College is a private, all-female Roman Catholic secondary school in the Melbourne suburb of Essendon.-History:After taking responsibility for St Monica's School in Moonee Ponds in 1896, Mother Ursula Bruton purchased the property at 139 Buckley Street to provide secondary education...	? - 2000

Southern District Sports Association (? - 2000)

School	Years Competed
Assumption College Assumption College, Kilmore Assumption College is a Roman Catholic, secondary, co-educational, day and Boarding school, located in Kilmore, Victoria, Australia.Founded in 1893, the college first took boarders in 1901, and was a boys' school until 1982, when it became coeducational. The current principal is Mr...	? - 2000
Kilvington Girls' Grammar Kilvington Girls' Grammar Kilvington Grammar is an independent, Baptist, co-educational day school, located in Ormond, a suburb in the Glen Eira region of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	? - 2000
Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School, most often referred to simply as Lowther Hall, is an independent, Anglican, day school for girls, located in Essendon, an inner suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	? - 2000
Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School is an independent, Uniting Church, co-educational school, with campuses located in Essendon, Moonee Ponds and Keilor East in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	? - 2000
St Leonard's College	? - 2000
St Margaret's School St Margaret's School, Melbourne St Margaret's School is an independent, non-denominational, day school with a co-educational primary school and girl's only senior school. The school is located in Berwick, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....	? - 2000
Toorak College Toorak College, Mt Eliza Toorak College is an independent, inter-denominational, day and boarding school for girls years 7 - 12 and co-educational from pre school to Year 6...	? - 2000

NB: For a brief period, two Associations existed with the name "Girls' Schools Sports Association".

Presidents of the Association

Term	President	School
1999 – 2001	Mrs Christine Briggs	Melbourne Girls Grammar
2001 – 2002	Dr Anne Hunt	Loreto Mandeville Hall
2002	Ms Rosa Storelli	Methodist Ladies' College
2002 – 2003	Dr Jane Munro	Firbank Grammar School
2003 – 2006	Mrs Margaret Webb	Toorak College
2007 – Present	Dr Susan Stevens	Loreto Mandeville Hall

Sports

Students from Girls Sport Victoria member schools participate in a wide range of sporting activities including:

Weekly Sports

• Badminton
• Basketball
• Cricket
• Indoor Cricket
• Golf
• Hockey
• Netball
• Soccer
• Softball
• Tennis
• Volleyball
• Waterpolo

Carnivals

• Cross Country
• Diving
• Swimming
• Track and Field

Sport Skills Program

• Australian Rules Football (AFL)
• Beach Volleyball
• Dance Sport
• Fencing
• Golf
• Surf Life Saving
• Squash

Other Events

• Basketball Tournament
• Past & Current Students Golf Tournament
• Parent/Daughter Golf Competition
• Year 7 Sports Expo
• Year 8 Ball Skills Day

Head of the Schoolgirls Regatta