Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney
Encyclopedia
The Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney (PLC Sydney) is an independent
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...

, Presbyterian, 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 in Croydon
Croydon, New South Wales
Croydon is an affluent suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Croydon is located 11 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district. Croydon is split between the two local government areas of Burwood Council and the Municipality of Ashfield.The...

, an inner-western
Inner West (Sydney)
The Inner West is a general term which is used to describe the metropolitan area directly to the west of the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia...

 suburb of Sydney, Australia. The school has a non-selective enrolment policy for all years but Year 11, and caters for approximately 1,250 girls from age four (Branxton Reception
Reception (school)
Reception or Primary 1 or FS2 is the first year of primary school in the United Kingdom and South Australia. It is preceded by nursery and is followed by Year One in England and Wales or Primary 2 in Northern Ireland and Scotland.Pupils in Reception are usually aged between four and five...

) to age eighteen (Year 12), including 65 boarders. Students attend PLC from all regions of the greater metropolitan area, 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...

, and overseas.

Established in 1888 by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church
Presbyterian Church of Australia
The Presbyterian Church of Australia is the largest Presbyterian denomination in Australia. .-Beginnings:...

 of NSW, PLC is the oldest continuously running Presbyterian Church school in its state. The college is 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....

 and is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia, 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....

, and the Australian Boarding Schools' Association. PLC is one of two Sydney schools in the Round Square
Round Square
The Round Square Conference of Schools is a worldwide association of more than 80 schools that allows students to travel between schools,tour foreign countries, involve themselves in community service and discover cultures along the way.-History:...

 organization.

In 2001, The Sun-Herald
The Sun-Herald
The Sun-Herald is an Australian tabloid newspaper published on Sundays in Sydney by Fairfax Media. It is the Sunday counterpart of The Sydney Morning Herald. In the 6 months to September 2005, The Sun-Herald had a circulation of 515,000...

ranked PLC Sydney fourth in Australia's top ten girls' schools, based on the number of alumnae mentioned in the Who's Who in Australia
Who's Who in Australia
The Who's Who in Australia is an Australian biographical reference first published by Fred Johns in 1906 as Johns's Notable Australians. It has been used by academics as a resource that identifies Australia's leading individuals, and has been analysed when studying the social backgrounds –...

(a listing of notable Australians). Notable alumnae include the first qualified female architect in Australia and other pioneering women in education, law, and medicine.

Foundation

In 1883 the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of NSW formed a special committee to investigate a proposal to establish 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 for girls and for boys, to provide Presbyterian alternatives to the proliferating number of Roman Catholic secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...

s in the colony. The Minister at Richmond
Richmond, New South Wales
Richmond is a town in New South Wales, north-west of Sydney, in the Local Government Area of the City of Hawkesbury. It is located at a latitude of 33° 35' 54" South and a longitude of 150°45' 04" east, 19 metres above sea level on the alluvial Hawkesbury River flats, at the foot of the Blue...

, Rev James Cameron stated:
"Presbyterians should take prompt action because the Popish party, seeing the want that was felt throughout the colony in regard to higher education, has stepped in to supply that want, and if Protestants did not look to the matter, the Roman Catholics would take advantage of them." The General Assembly was also inspired to establish a school, particularly a Ladies' College, by less worthy motives. Other Protestant denominations in NSW had recently established their own Ladies' Colleges, and the neighbouring colony of 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....

 had maintained a Presbyterian Ladies' College since 1875, and so it was felt that NSW Presbyterians should also have one. At the 1884 Assembly the Committee announced that while a boys' school was not needed, the secondary education options available to girls were not satisfactory, and they recommended that a Ladies' College, similar to the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne
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....

, be established as soon as possible.
A Ladies' College Committee was formed and by July 1887 they had leased a property in Ashfield
Ashfield, New South Wales
Ashfield is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Ashfield is about 9 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Municipality of Ashfield.The official name for the...

. For Principal, they unanimously selected Dr. John Marden
John Marden
Dr. John Marden B.A., LL.D was an Australian Headmaster, pioneer of women's education, and Presbyterian elder.-Early life and training:...

, a science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...

 master from the 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...

 (MLC) in Melbourne, "because of his high academic standing, his experience and success in teaching and his high Christian character". Marden was a strong believer in equal opportunity
Equal opportunity
Equal opportunity, or equality of opportunity, is a controversial political concept; and an important informal decision-making standard without a precise definition involving fair choices within the public sphere...

 in education, and has been described as an "early feminist". He rejected the idea that PLC was to be merely a finishing school
Finishing school
A finishing school is "a private school for girls that emphasises training in cultural and social activities." The name reflects that it follows on from ordinary school and is intended to complete the educational experience, with classes primarily on etiquette...

 for the daughters of the wealthy, and was once quoted as saying:
The Presbyterian Ladies' College was finally opened by Marden and lady superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....

, Ms M. McCormick, on 30 January 1888, with 39 girls. It was modelled on the great English Public Schools
Public Schools Act 1868
The Public Schools Act 1868 was enacted by the British Parliament to reform and regulate nine of the leading English boys' schools. They were described as "public schools" as admission was open to boys from anywhere and was not limited to those living in a particular locality...

, and was the first school to be established by the Presbyterian Church of New South Wales. Together with the Committee, Marden was responsible for organising the curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...

 and hiring the appropriate staff.

During the opening ceremony the Governor invited his wife, the Countess of Jersey, Margaret Child-Villiers, to speak. She made what the Sydney Morning Herald described as a "capital impromptu speech". The Countess' speech was widely reported throughout Australia and elsewhere around the world, as at the time it was quite unusual for a woman to speak in public. PLC's Jersey Day, an annual event in which ex-students return to the College on the Sunday closest to 10 March, is named in honour of the Countess.

Growth

In the early years at Croydon, girls tended to be enrolled at an older age, typically over fourteen. It was apparent that despite Marden's insistence, many parents viewed the College as a finishing school. As today, it was not a requirement for students to be Presbyterians, and early school records indicate there were a number of Roman Catholic and Jewish students. By 1900 the reputation of the school had spread, and pupils were starting to come from a wider geographic area, including New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...

, Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...

, New Zealand, the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...

, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

 and South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...

.

The increase in enrolments also convinced the Council of the need to set up a branch school on another site, preferably on the North Shore
North Shore (Sydney)
The North Shore is an informal term used to describe the primarily residential area of northern metropolitan Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The term usually refers to the suburbs located on the north shore of Sydney Harbour between Middle Harbour and the Lane Cove River, up to...

. In 1913 Marden reported that many applications were being refused because of "shortness of space." The Assembly approved the establishment of a branch at Pymble
Pymble, New South Wales
Pymble is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Pymble is located north-west of the Sydney Central Business District in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council....

 and gave the Council of PLC Croydon £5,000 to erect new buildings and lay out the grounds. The Presbyterian Ladies' College, Pymble was opened on 8 February 1916 with 48 day girls and 86 boarders. Marden became the Principal of both schools. The opening of the Pymble campus did not necessitate a change of name for the Croydon College, as it continues to be Presbyterian Ladies College, Sydney.

Marden retired at the end of 1919 and a Principal was appointed to each branch. Dr E. Neil McQueen
Ewen Neil McQueen
Ewen Neil McQueen was an Australian headmaster, prominent educational innovator, scientist, psychologist and General Practitioner. He was most often known as Neil McQueen or E. Neil McQueen.-Early life and training:...

, a prominent educational innovator who had previously been the Vice-Principal of the two schools, became the second Principal of PLC Croydon.

Second World War

In 1942, the new Principal, Dr Helen Wilkie, arrived to find falling enrolments, staffing problems and food shortages due to the effects of the Second World War. Word was soon received that Australian military authorities wished to inspect the school with a view to taking it over. On 24 March 1942, it was requested that PLC be occupied by the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...

 (RAAF) for the purpose of establishing a top secret Radar Unit
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...

 and military barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...

 known as No.1 RIMU (Radio Installation and Maintenance Unit). In order to accommodate PLC's students and classes, the Council approached Meriden School in Strathfield
Strathfield, New South Wales
Strathfield is an Inner West suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Strathfield is located 14 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield...

. Meriden agreed to house the boarders and the singing, domestic science, and physical education classes. PLC also purchased Lingwood, a property in Strathfield, as a centre for the school's remaining activities.

At the end of 1942, the Meriden authorities indicated that they could no longer house the PLC boarders, so Lauriston (now the primary school of Santa Sabina College
Santa Sabina College
Santa Sabina College, is a Roman Catholic, Dominican, day school for girls K-12 and boys K-4, located in Strathfield, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....

) and Welbeck, on The Boulevarde at Strathfield, were rented for them. In July 1944 the Council agreed to purchase Lingwood to house a Kindergarten feeder school
Feeder school
Feeder school is a name applied to schools, colleges, universities, or other educational institutions that provide a significant number of graduates who intend to continue their studies at specific schools, or even in specific fields....

 for the College, or as a site for a permanent move. A few months later the Council decided that the future of PLC lay in Strathfield. The Croydon campus was offered to the military for £36,500 and plans were made to purchase Welbeck and Lauriston to form the new PLC.
The Council's preference for Strathfield as a permanent location for the school was not shared by most of the school community, and after an intervention by the Education Trust of the NSW General Assembly it was decided that PLC would reopen once again at Croydon in first term
Academic term
An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms...

 1946. The military agreed to pay for the extensive renovations that were required, with the final cheque handed over by the government on 21 March 1949. Lauriston and Welbeck were disposed of in 1946, but the Lingwood property was retained as a preparatory school
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...

. The Council negotiated with Margaret Thompson, the owner and principal of Branxton, a private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...

 in Strathfield, about moving her school to the Lingwood property, where it would retain the name Branxton and come under the control of the PLC Council.

Evidence of PLC's war-time occupation remain, with tunnels and bomb shelter
Bomb shelter
A bomb shelter is any kind of a civil defense structure designed to provide protection against the effects of a bomb.-Types of shelter:Different kinds of bomb shelters are configured to protect against different kinds of attack and strengths of hostile explosives. For example, an Air-raid shelter...

s accessible from below the stage of College Hall. A plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...

 presented to the school by the RAAF, in commemoration of PLC's war-time involvement, can be found on the school Verandah
Verandah
A veranda or verandah is a roofed opened gallery or porch. It is also described as an open pillared gallery, generally roofed, built around a central structure...

 at the entrance to the Main School.

Modern day

In 1977, a Union of the Congregational
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....

, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches took place, forming the Uniting Church of Australia. Approximately half of the Presbyterian Church decided to remain Presbyterian, and consequently the property of the Church had to be divided. In May of that year it was announced that PLC Croydon was to remain Presbyterian and PLC Pymble would be transferred, with its name changed to Pymble Ladies' College. Then in 1978 it was decided that PLC Croydon should return to its original name: The Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney.

In late August 2005, due to financial troubles at 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...

, it was announced that PLC Armidale and PLC Sydney would join to form an alliance, with both schools coming under the executive leadership of Dr William McKeith, the Principal of PLC Sydney. Members of the PLC Armidale Council formed part of the new joint school Council, essentially making the two PLC's true sister school
Sister school
The term sister school has several meanings:*a definite financial commerce between two colleges or universities*two schools that have a strong historical connection...

s.

The aim of this alliance is to strengthen PLC Armidale through cooperative marketing, a change in management, and a stronger financial base. It is also meant to benefit both schools by providing student exchanges, accommodations for sporting events or excursion
Excursion
An excursion is a trip by a group of people, usually made for leisure, education, or physical purposes. It is often an adjunct to a longer journey or visit to a place, sometimes for other purposes....

s, and an additional "country or city" option to prospective students. Both schools will maintain their separate identities in order to preserve the unique histories and traditions that both have developed over many years. PLC celebrated their 120th anniversary in 2008 and to mark the occasion the College commissioned a limited edition commemorative coffee table book, PLC Sydney 1888-2008: A Photographic Essay.

Principals

Period Details
1887–1919 Dr John Marden
John Marden
Dr. John Marden B.A., LL.D was an Australian Headmaster, pioneer of women's education, and Presbyterian elder.-Early life and training:...

, BA LLD (Melbourne) Principal of both Croydon and Pymble Colleges from 1916
1920–1929 Dr E. Neil McQueen
Ewen Neil McQueen
Ewen Neil McQueen was an Australian headmaster, prominent educational innovator, scientist, psychologist and General Practitioner. He was most often known as Neil McQueen or E. Neil McQueen.-Early life and training:...

, MA (Melbourne), DSc(London). Vice-Principal of both Colleges until 1920
1929–1931 Acting Principal – Anna Drennan, MA(Edinburgh). Acting Principal at Pymble 1928
1933–1941 Mary Hamilton, BA, Dip Ed (Melbourne)
1942–1945 Dr Helen Isabella Wilkie, MA, PhD (Edinburgh) Principal of PLC Armidale 1938–1941
1946–1956 Eunice Macindoe, BSc (Sydney) Ex-Student of PLC Sydney (Class of 1921)
1957 Acting Principal – Jean Tassie, BA
1958–1976 Dr Freda L. Whitlam, BA, Dip Ed (Melbourne) MA (Yale)
1977 Acting Principal – Norma Brown, BA, Dip Ed
1978–1985 Patricia Dyson, MA, Dip Ed (Sydney)
1986–2010 Dr William T. McKeith AM
Order of Australia
The 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"...

, BA, Dip Ed (Macquarie), MA (Sydney), MBA (Leicester), Ed D (Leicester), FACE, FAIM Principal of both PLC Armidale and PLC Sydney from 2005.
2011– Dr Paul Burgis, PhD (UNSW), MEd, Dip Tchg, Dip Div & Miss Principal of both PLC Armidale and PLC Sydney

Campus

The Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney, initially opened on 30 January 1888, at Fernlea, a 14-room gentleman's residence set on 1.21 hectares (3 acre) in Ashfield. But by August they had already outgrown this location, so they purchased Shubra Hall, the home of department store owner Anthony Hordern III
Anthony Hordern & Sons
Anthony Horderns was the largest department store in Sydney, Australia. It was originally established by a free immigrant from England, Anthony Hordern, in 1823, as a drapery shop...

 at Croydon, for £7,500. Plans were drawn up for the additional buildings required, and Marden worked closely with the architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...

, Albert Bond. Marden was responsible for most of the ideas for the new buildings, based on those he had seen at MLC Melbourne. Keenly interested in horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...

, he also laid out gardens and playing field
Playing field
A playing field is a field used for playing sports or games. They are generally outdoors, but many large structures exist to enclose playing fields from bad weather. Generally, playing fields are wide expanses of grass, dirt or sand without many obstructions...

s. By the beginning of the 1891 school year, the new site was complete and ready for furnishing as the permanent home of PLC.

The Presbyterian reported the opening of the College on 10 March 1891, by the Governor of NSW, the Rt Hon Victor Albert George, 7th Earl of Jersey
Victor Child-Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey
Victor Albert George Child Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey GCB, GCMG, PC, DL, JP , was a British banker, Conservative politician and colonial administrator...

 at its new site:

Standing in 2.43 hectares (6 acre) of ground, laid out in lawn tennis courts, gardens, etc., in an elevated position, it forms, with its tower 84 ft (25.6 m) [26 m] high, a very conspicuous feature in the landscape. The central feature of the building is the tower, and the architectural design of the facade is classic. Altogether the effect is very imposing ... The main staircase window is a work of art well worth seeing. The central window is beautifully designed, and contains two female figures representing Literature and Music.


By 1902 PLC was running out of space again and Marden urged that new classrooms be built. The Council reluctantly agreed and an extension was made to the Main School, with six classrooms downstairs and 18 rooms upstairs. The addition was completed on 6 October 1904, at a cost of £2,000.

On 24 March 1942, it was requested that PLC be occupied by the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...

 (RAAF) for the purpose of establishing a top secret Radar Unit
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...

 and military barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...

 known as No.1 RIMU (Radio Installation and Maintenance Unit). PLC's displaced boarders, and some of the classrooms, found a temporary home at Meriden School in Strathfield
Strathfield, New South Wales
Strathfield is an Inner West suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Strathfield is located 14 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield...

. The school purchased Lingwood, also in Strathfield, as a centre for the school's remaining activities.

At the end of 1942, the Meriden authorities indicated that they could no longer house the PLC boarders, so Lauriston (now the primary school of Santa Sabina College
Santa Sabina College
Santa Sabina College, is a Roman Catholic, Dominican, day school for girls K-12 and boys K-4, located in Strathfield, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....

) and Welbeck, on The Boulevarde at Strathfield, were rented for them. The PLC Council nearly kept the school at Strathfield permanently, but ultimately it was decided that PLC would reopen once again at Croydon in first term
Academic term
An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms...

 1946. The military agreed to pay for the extensive renovations that were required, Lauriston and Welbeck were disposed of in 1946, and the Lingwood property was retained as a preparatory school
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...

. Evidence of PLC's war-time occupation remain, with tunnels and bomb shelter
Bomb shelter
A bomb shelter is any kind of a civil defense structure designed to provide protection against the effects of a bomb.-Types of shelter:Different kinds of bomb shelters are configured to protect against different kinds of attack and strengths of hostile explosives. For example, an Air-raid shelter...

s accessible from below the stage of College Hall. A plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...

 presented to the school by the RAAF, in commemoration of PLC's war-time involvement, can be found on the school Verandah
Verandah
A veranda or verandah is a roofed opened gallery or porch. It is also described as an open pillared gallery, generally roofed, built around a central structure...

 at the entrance to the Main School.

And so the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney, still sits on a 5 hectares (12 acre) campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...

, now adjacent to Croydon Railway Station
Croydon railway station, Sydney
-Transport links:NightRide runs two routes via Croydon station:*Route N50 - Between Liverpool and City *Route N60 - Between Fairfield station and City -Neighbouring stations:-References:...

 and within 15 minutes of the Sydney central business district
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district is the main commercial centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 kilometres from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. Its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in...

, Sydney University, and the University of Technology
University of Technology, Sydney
The University of Technology Sydney is a university in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The university was founded in its current form in 1981, although its origins trace back to the 1870s. UTS is notable for its central location as the only university with its main campuses within the Sydney CBD...

. Having grown significantly since its foundation, particularly since the 1980s, the school today features a mix of 19th-century and modern buildings, historic landscaped gardens and playing field
Playing field
A playing field is a field used for playing sports or games. They are generally outdoors, but many large structures exist to enclose playing fields from bad weather. Generally, playing fields are wide expanses of grass, dirt or sand without many obstructions...

s.

Curriculum

The Presbyterian Ladies' College is a comprehensive school
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...

 with a traditional academic approach designed to prepare students for attending a university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

. The school is registered and accredited with the New South Wales Board of Studies, and therefore follows the mandated curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...

 for all years.

Primary

Students in stages 1 to 3 (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 6) study the six Key Learning Areas: English, Mathematics, Human Society and its Environment (HSIE), Science and Technology, Creative Arts
Creative Arts
Creative arts is the term used to describe different types of art. Specifically, to introduce fine art ideas, techniques, skills and media. It is generally used as an umbrella for Dramaturgy, Music , Graphic Arts/Cartooning, Performing Arts, Film and Publishing, Galleries and Museums and the Visual...

, Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PD/H/PE). The youngest students also follow the Reggio Emilia approach
Reggio Emilia approach
The Reggio Emilia Approach is an educational philosophy focused on preschool and primary education. It was started by Loris Malaguzzi and the parents of the villages around Reggio Emilia in Italy after World War II. The destruction from the war, parents believed, necessitated a new, quick approach...

 to education. Specialist extension courses are offered to select students from Year 2 to 6 with gifts and talents in special areas (SPEC).

Secondary

Subjects offered to stage 4 students (Years 7 and 8) include: English, Mathematics, Science, Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...

, History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...

, French, Mandarin
Standard Mandarin
Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....

, 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...

, Japanese, German, Italian, Design and Technology, Visual Arts
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...

, Music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...

, PDHPE, Computing
Computing
Computing is usually defined as the activity of using and improving computer hardware and software. It is the computer-specific part of information technology...

 and Religious Education
Religious Education
Religious Education is the term given to education concerned with religion. It may refer to education provided by a church or religious organization, for instruction in doctrine and faith, or for education in various aspects of religion, but without explicitly religious or moral aims, e.g. in a...

. The "Excelsior class" is an enrichment programme
Gifted education
Gifted education is a broad term for special practices, procedures and theories used in the education of children who have been identified as gifted or talented...

 offered to gifted students in this stage and includes additional classes such as Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...

 and Olympiad
Olympiad
An Olympiad is a period of four years, associated with the Olympic Games of Classical Greece. In the Hellenistic period, beginning with Ephorus, Olympiads were used as calendar epoch....

 activities.
In stage 5 (Years 9 and 10), students are prepared for the School Certificate
School Certificate
The School Certificate was a qualification issued by the Board of Studies, New South Wales, typically at the end of Year 10. The successful completion of the School Certificate is a requirement for completion of the Higher School Certificate...

 and study a programme that comprises two elective classes and Religious Education, as well as the courses mandated by the Board of Studies. The compulsory core subjects are: English, Mathematics, Science, Australian History and Geography, and PDHPE. Electives are chosen from: Elective History, Elective Geography, French, German, Mandarin, Latin, Japanese, Italian, Commerce, Drama, Design and Technology, Textiles and Design, Music, Visual Arts, and Physical Activity and Sports Science.
In Year 10, the Excelsior class begins its study of the 1–Unit Higher School Certificate (HSC) course in Studies of Religion.

In the final school stage (Years 11 and 12) students are prepared for the New South Wales HSC. The curriculum at this stage has a clear university orientation. The Board of Studies requires stage 6 students to study a minimum of 12 units in the Preliminary Year and 10 units in their HSC Year (most subjects being worth 2 units). HSC English
New South Wales HSC English
English is the only compulsory subject for the award of the Higher School Certificate at the end of secondary schooling in New South Wales, Australia. Marks gained in at least two units of English must also be included in the calculation of the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank used to determine...

 is compulsory; Standard and Advanced Extension courses, as well as 2-unit English as a Second Language are also offered. Students may then choose from all levels of Mathematics, Senior Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Modern History, Ancient History, Business Studies, Economics, Geography, Legal studies, French, German, Latin, Japanese, Italian, Indonesian (Beginners), Mandarin, Design and Technology, Textiles and Design, Food Technology
Food technology
Food technology, is a branch of food science which deals with the actual production processes to make foods.-Early history of food technology:...

, Visual Arts, Music (Course 1 and 2), Drama and PDHPE.

University entry levels are high following the completion of stage 6. Each year approximately 50% of graduating PLC students receive a Universities Admission Index
Universities Admission Index
The Universities Admission Index was used in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia, as the primary criterion for entry into most undergraduate-entry university programs...

 (UAI) higher than 90. In the 2006 Higher School Certificate, a PLC student received a perfect UAI score of 100, and in 2007 The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
The Daily Telegraph is an Australian tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, by Nationwide News, part of News Corporation.The Tele, as it is also known, was founded in 1879. From 1936 to 1972, it was owned by Frank Packer's Australian Consolidated Press. That year it was sold to...

named PLC the best-performing independent school in Sydney's inner–west.

Special education

PLC also offers a unique special education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...

 unit catering to students with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. The transition programme was developed in 1992 in response to a decision by academic staff to provide a special-needs stream. Through this unit, up to 20 girls between the ages of 11 and 18 are provided with an individual curriculum incorporating mainstream classes where possible.

Senior students focus on the Board of Studies Life Skills programme. Girls spend time as residential students in the on-campus Transition House, learning to manage their lives independently. Transition students also run an outdoor café to gain small business skills.

Sport

PLC Sydney is arguably one of Australia's best girls' sporting schools.
The College has been a member of 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....

 (IGSSA) since its foundation in 1922, and through this association senior students compete against 27 other girls' schools in graded weekend sports and carnivals. Sports available to students through IGSSA include 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...

, 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...

, rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

, 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...

, 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...

, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...

, 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...

, 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, Field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...

, 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 ...

, 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 water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...

. The College also offers sports such as skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....

, snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...

, equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...

 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...

 through other competitions. In 2007 PLC won three IGSSA carnival premierships: in diving (for the ninth consecutive year), swimming, and gymnastics.

Primary school girls have the opportunity to participate in interschool sports through PLC's membership in the New South Wales branch of 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). Students with special sporting talent are provided a pathway to compete at the highest level available at PLC, IGSSA/JSHAA, Combined Independent Schools, state representation at School Sport Australia, and Commonwealth
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....

 and Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

 level.

In September 2007, the college broke the under-19 female Australian record for 24-hour non-stop rowing, with a distance of 337 kilometres (209 mi). Also in 2007, PLC was named the New South Wales School Snowsports Club of the Year by the NSW Snowsports Association, later winning the national award at the 2007 Ski and Snowboard Australia Awards.

The 2008 rowing season has been one of the school's best to date. In March, the PLC 1st Eight crew won the Schoolgirl Eight race at the IGSSA regatta for the first time in the school's history. This crew was also successful at the 2008 Australian Rowing Championships
Australian Rowing Championships
The Australian Rowing Championships is an annual rowing event that determines Australia's rowing champions and the rowers who will make up Australia's rowing teams at the Olympic Games...

, winning the A Final of the Schoolgirls Eight race (the Sydney Cup), ahead of St Catherine's School, Toorak
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....

 and Pymble Ladies' College, thus ranking them as the best schoolgirl eight in Australia.

Ensembles

Junior and Senior School students can participate in musical ensemble
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...

s, both selective and non-selective, including several bands, string orchestras, a full school orchestra, chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...

 ensembles, choral
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...

 groups and several smaller instrumental and vocal groups.

PLC also features the only all-girl Pipes and Drums corps
Pipe band
A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term used by military pipe bands, pipes and drums, is also common....

 in the state of New South Wales. The Pipes and Drums corps plays an important role in official school functions and traditions, and members also have the opportunity to perform at community events, combine with other schools for performances, and attend eisteddfods, competitions, camps and musical tours.

Debating and public speaking

One of the strengths of PLC Sydney is their long history of achievement in debating
Debate
Debate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...

 and public speaking
Public speaking
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...

. The college has competed in the Independent Schools Debating Association (ISDA) for the past five years and has had a long-standing commitment to the Archdale Debating Competition. PLC students have had success at the semi-final level, and they won the competition in 2006.

PLC Sydney enters teams in the Junior and Senior sections 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) Festival of Speech, producing the best results of any AHIGS school over the history of the competition, with 10 consecutive wins in the competition's 12-year history.

Students may also participate in the Macquarie Cup and the Commonwealth Bank Senior Debating, vying with students from a range of public, Catholic
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...

 and independent schools. There are also Social Debates with surrounding schools as well as a regular competition with Trinity Grammar School called the PLC/Trinity Challenge.

Aid projects

The PLC Overseas Aid Fund has been established to enhance the college's work with aid projects
Aid
In international relations, aid is a voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another, given at least partly with the objective of benefiting the recipient country....

 in developing countries
Developing country
A developing country, also known as a less-developed country, is a nation with a low level of material well-being. Since no single definition of the term developing country is recognized internationally, the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries...

, and is an important part of the school's Round Square
Round Square
The Round Square Conference of Schools is a worldwide association of more than 80 schools that allows students to travel between schools,tour foreign countries, involve themselves in community service and discover cultures along the way.-History:...

 membership. Current projects undertaken by the school include the establishment and on-going management of two Kindergartens in East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...

, the management and support of Birla Children's Orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...

 in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

, and the establishment of the "Adopt a School" programme. This programme was developed and is directed by the Principal, Dr McKeith, and matches schools in Australia with schools in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

 requiring rebuilding following the 2004 Tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...

. PLC's school, allocated through this programme, is the Senehasa Counselling, Training and Rehabilitation Centre for Girls.

Motto and crest

The school crest
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...

 was adopted at a College Council meeting on 23 August 1888. The College Council decided to use the same crest as that used by the Presbyterian Church of New South Wales, with minor modifications.

The Church's crest consisted of a shield with the words Nec Tamen Consumebatur (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 "And yet it was not consumed") surrounding it. On the shield were the stars of the Southern Cross, a burning bush
Burning bush
The burning bush is an object described by the Book of Exodus as being located on Mount Sinai; according to the narrative, the bush was on fire, but was not consumed by the flames, hence the name...

, and a Latin cross in outline. At the base were the floral emblem
Floral emblem
In a number of countries, plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas. Some countries have a country-wide floral emblem; others in addition have symbols representing subdivisions. Different processes have been used to adopt these symbols - some are conferred by...

s of Scotland, England and Ireland. Surrounding the shield was a border with the words "Presbyterian Church of New South Wales", with a Star of David
Star of David
The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism.Its shape is that of a hexagram, the compound of two equilateral triangles...

 placed on top. Behind both shield and borders was the cross of St. Andrew
Saltire
A saltire, or Saint Andrew's Cross, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross or letter ex . Saint Andrew is said to have been martyred on such a cross....

 in blue.

The School modified this crest by changing the words "Presbyterian Church of New South Wales" to "Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney", placing a Maltese cross
Maltese cross
The Maltese cross, also known as the Amalfi cross, is identified as the symbol of an order of Christian warriors known as the Knights Hospitaller or Knights of Malta and through them came to be identified with the Mediterranean island of Malta and is one of the National symbols of Malta...

 at the top of the shield and inserting the School motto
Motto
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...

 Sancte Sapienter. The motto had been adopted by the school on 23 August 1888, and although no translation
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...

 was given of the Latin, it may be loosely translated to "be holy wisely" or "holy, wisely."

School badge

The school's highly symbolic badge was inspired by the first Principal, Dr. Marden, and designed in 1888 by the first art teacher, J.A. Bennett. The maiden on the lion represents Knowledge, which is crowned by a tower representing the home, and holding a trident
Trident
A trident , also called a trishul or leister or gig, is a three-pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and was also a military weapon. Tridents are featured widely in mythical, historical and modern culture. The major Hindu god, Shiva the Destroyer and the sea god Poseidon or Neptune are...

 representing Sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...

. A laurel wreath
Laurel wreath
A laurel wreath is a circular wreath made of interlocking branches and leaves of the bay laurel , an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. In Greek mythology, Apollo is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head...

 represents the victory of true womanhood, while the sun symbolises light and energy, and the crescent moon
Lunar phase
A lunar phase or phase of the moon is the appearance of the illuminated portion of the Moon as seen by an observer, usually on Earth. The lunar phases change cyclically as the Moon orbits the Earth, according to the changing relative positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun...

 stands for youth
Youth
Youth is the time of life between childhood and adulthood . Definitions of the specific age range that constitutes youth vary. An individual's actual maturity may not correspond to their chronological age, as immature individuals could exist at all ages.-Usage:Around the world, the terms "youth",...

. The words "Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney" surround the badge.
The motto All'ultimo lavoro is Italian and comes from Dante
DANTE
Delivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the various national research and education networks in Europe and surrounding regions...

's Commedia (Paradiso I, 13). It has variously been translated as "for the crowning task", "strive for the highest", "the utmost for the highest", or "I work for the highest", with the first of these being the most direct translation.

The badge is reproduced in the leadlight
Leadlight
Leadlights or leaded lights are decorative windows made of small sections of glass supported in lead cames. The technique of creating windows using glass and lead came is discussed at lead came and copper foil glasswork...

 over the front door of Shubra Hall, and may also be found on the recently opened Ex-Students' pathway. It was traditionally worn as part of the uniform on the tam-o-shanter, until it was phased out in 1995. The badge is currently not worn on the academic uniform, partially due to its adoption by Pymble Ladies' College
Pymble Ladies' College
Pymble Ladies' College, , is an independent, non-selective, day and boarding school for girls, located in Pymble, a suburb in the North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....

 as their school crest in 1977. It was, however, reintroduced in 2003 as an addition to the Beret of the PLC Pipes and Drums uniform, and is also used by the college's Ex-students' Union
Alumni 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...

, as it has been since 1905, with the addition of the words "Ex-students' Union" below.

Uniform

School Hymn
The Golden Hope
Written 1893 by Dr. William Walsham How
William Walsham How
William Walsham How was an English bishop.The son of a Shrewsbury solicitor, How was educated at Shrewsbury School, Wadham College, Oxford and University College, Durham. He was ordained in 1846, and for upwards of thirty years was actively engaged in parish work at Whittington in Shropshire and...


To the tune of "St. Fulbert"

O Jesus, strong and pure and true,

Before Thy feet we bow;

The grace of earlier years renew,

And lead us onward now.



The joyous life that year by year

Within these walls is stored,

The golden hope, the gladsome cheer,

We bring to Thee, O Lord.



Our faith endow with keener powers,

With warmer glow our love;

And draw these halting hearts of ours

From earth to things above.



In paths our bravest ones have trod,

O make us strong to go,

That we may give our lives to God,

In serving man below.



Scorn we the selfish aim or choice,

And love's high precept keep,

"Rejoice with those that do rejoice,

And weep with those that weep".



So hence shall flow fresh strength and grace,

As from a full-fed spring,

To make the world a better place,

And life a worthier thing.

When the College first opened in 1888 there was no uniform, instead the girls wore long cotton dresses, gloves and hat. A straw boater
Boater (hat)
A boater is a kind of men's formal summer hat....

 was introduced in the early 20th century, worn with a red and white hat band featuring the college crest with its burning bush
Burning bush
The burning bush is an object described by the Book of Exodus as being located on Mount Sinai; according to the narrative, the bush was on fire, but was not consumed by the flames, hence the name...

 woven into it in red. During this time Prefect
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....

s wore red silk arm-bands embroidered with a gold crest.

The distinctive Black Watch Tartan of the college was introduced in 1918. Senior girls wore heavy box-pleated skirts and white blouses; junior girls wore pinafore dresses. All girls wore a navy blazer and heavy woollen stockings. Prefects also wore a special hat badge with a ring of bright blue enamel. A black felt Breton was introduced for winter use, and no change was made until the introduction of the green beret in 1952.

The current uniform for Year 11 and 12 was introduced in 1966. It was designed by the senior students of 1965 and consists of a Black Watch kilt, white blouse, green blazer, green jumper or vest, black stockings for winter and bottle green knee-high socks for summer, and black leather lace-up shoes. Girls of Scottish origin are permitted wear the kilt pin
Kilt pin
The kilt pin is a piece of jewellery that is usually worn on the lower corner of the outer apron of a kilt. Its function is to prevent the apron falling or blowing open, by adding weight to the outer apron. It does not pin the outer apron to the inner fabric....

 representing their family or clan
Scottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...

 name, rather than the standard school pin. A green and Black Watch tam-o-shanter (known as 'the Beret') was also introduced for all grades a few years earlier.

The girls found the school's distinctive Beret difficult to wear, so it was phased out in 1995. It was replaced by the current Panama hat
Panama hat
A Panama hat is a traditional brimmed hat of Ecuadorian origin that is made from the plaited leaves of the toquilla straw plant...

, but the Beret was reintroduced in 2003 as an addition to the Pipes and Drums uniform.

The current junior (R–10) uniform was introduced in 1997. In summer, girls are required to wear a Black Watch tunic, short-sleeve white blouse, green blazer with tartan piping, short green socks and black leather shoes. The winter uniform consists of the tunic, long-sleeve white blouse, the blazer, green jumper or vest, Black Watch Tartan tie, Black Watch Tartan scarf and either green knee-high socks or black stockings. School pockets are awarded for student achievements, and are embroidered
Embroidery
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....

 in red on the pockets of junior blazers (R–10 girls), and white on the left-breast of senior blazers (11–12 girls).

College tartan

The school has adopted the Black Watch
Black Watch
The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II....

 Tartan
Tartan
Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...

 of the Royal Highland Regiment
Black Watch
The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II....

 as its school and Pipes and Drums
Pipe band
A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term used by military pipe bands, pipes and drums, is also common....

 uniform. PLC was granted permission to wear the tartan after its brother school, The Scots College
The Scots College
For other schools with a similar name see Scots College.The Scots College is an independent Presbyterian day and boarding school for boys, located in Bellevue Hill, an eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....

, was issued a royal decree
Decree
A decree is a rule of law issued by a head of state , according to certain procedures . It has the force of law...

 allowing them to use Black Watch as their Pipes & Drums and Cadets uniform. The Black Watch is the oldest of the highland regiments. The 1958 Aurora Australis (the school yearbook
Yearbook
A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. Virtually all American, Australian and Canadian high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks...

) explained the tartan's origin: "This tartan was specially designed for the regiment to prevent the jealousy which would have been aroused, if any existing clan tartan had been used."

House system

The house system
House 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 established by Dr. John Marden, shortly after the opening of the school, with three houses: East, West and Boarders. In 1924 the senior houses were reorganised and renamed Kinross, Harper and Ferguson (with Anderson added in 1968), followed in 1926 by the introduction of junior houses, named Vicars and McQueen
Ewen Neil McQueen
Ewen Neil McQueen was an Australian headmaster, prominent educational innovator, scientist, psychologist and General Practitioner. He was most often known as Neil McQueen or E. Neil McQueen.-Early life and training:...

 (with Thompson added in 1937).
The school moved to four houses in 1979, from primary to secondary, and thus the junior houses disappeared.
Finally, two new houses named Pickard and Wilkie were introduced in 1995. The Houses are named after women and men who have made a significant contribution to the life of the College.

Anderson
Mrs E.O. Anderson (1885–1985) attended PLC from 1898 to 1902. She was an original member of the Committee of the Ex-Students' Union in 1906, then President (1927–1932), and Patroness from 1936. In 1932 she petitioned the Assembly for the appointment of women to the PLC Council. Anderson was a member of the Council (1932–1958), and a benefactor to the College all her life.

Ferguson
Rev John Ferguson
John Ferguson (clergyman)
Rev. John Ferguson was a Scottish born Australian Presbyterian minister.-Early life:John Ferguson was born on 27 December 1852, at Shiels, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, the third son of William Ferguson, a farmer, and his wife Elizabeth, née Mitchell...

 (1852–1925) was a minister of St Stephen's Church, Sydney, and in 1917, Acting Principal of St Andrew's College
St Andrew's College, Sydney
St Andrew's College is a Protestant co-residential college within the University of Sydney, in the suburb of Camperdown.-History:St Andrew's College was incorporated by Act of Parliament and received Royal Assent from Queen Victoria on 12 December 1867. The St Andrew's College Act 1998 replaced the...

 at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...

. He was appointed Senior Chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...

 and Chairman of the PLC Council in 1913, serving until 1923.

Harper
Rev Dr Andrew Harper
Andrew Harper
Rev. Dr Andrew Harper was a Scottish–Australian biblical scholar, teacher, and school Principal.-Early life:...

 (1844–1936) was the third Principal of PLC Melbourne
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....

 (1879–1888). He then lectured at Ormond Theological College
Ormond College (University of Melbourne)
Ormond College is the largest of the residential colleges of the University of Melbourne. It is home to 332 undergraduates, 30 postgraduates and 27 professorial/academic residents.-Establishment:...

, Melbourne before coming to Sydney, where he was Principal of St Andrew's College (1902–1923). He was Chairman of the PLC Council from 1907 until 1913.

Kinross
Rev Dr John Kinross (1833–1908) was a Presbyterian minister at Kiama
Kiama, New South Wales
-Transport:The town is served by Kiama Station on the South Coast Line. It is served by road in the form of the Princes Highway and the Kiama Bypass.-Attractions:...

 (1858–1875). He then became Principal of St Andrew's College from 1875 until 1901, and Chairman of the PLC Council from 1888 until 1906.

Pickard
Marion Pickard was appointed to the College as a teaching governess in June 1888. She was Lady Superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....

 from 1894 until her resignation in 1907. In 1905 Pickard was elected the first President of the Ex-Students' Union.

Wilkie
Dr Helen Wilkie (1895–1984) was the second Headmistress at PLC 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...

 (1938–1941), and then the fourth Principal of PLC Sydney (1942–1946). On her appointment to Croydon she was immediately confronted with the takeover by the RAAF
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...

, and organised the move of the College to Strathfield.

Ex-Students' Union

The Ex-Students' Union is the school's alumnae association
Alumni 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...

, inaugurated
Inauguration
An inauguration is a formal ceremony to mark the beginning of a leader's term of office. An example is the ceremony in which the President of the United States officially takes the oath of office....

 on the evening of 9 December 1905. At the invitation of Dr. Marden several former students discussed the proposal, elected Marion Pickard (who was at that time Lady Superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....

) as their President, and formed a committee to produce a constitution
Constitution (corporate)
A constitution is the set of regulations which govern the conduct of non-political entities, whether incorporated or not. Such entities include corporations and voluntary associations....

. These actions were confirmed at a General Meeting on Jersey Day 1906, and the committee took office until 1907.
In the beginning, the main objectives of the Union were "the accumulation of a special fund to be devoted to the erection of a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...

 and library at the College, and an Ex-Students' prize to be awarded annually to the girl most proficient in work and sport."

The Union achieved much in its first few years: renting a building in the CBD
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district is the main commercial centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 kilometres from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. Its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in...

 to serve as a club and committee meeting place, making garments for hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....

s, visiting 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...

s, the YWCA
YWCA
The YWCA USA is the United States branch of a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision—to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded in...

, Home of Peace, Infants' Home and the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children
Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children
The Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children in Sydney provides a range of educational services for students with vision and/or hearing impairment, including specialist schools for signing deaf students, oral deaf students, and students with sensory and intellectual disabilities.RIDBC offers...

. An Ex-Students' Orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...

 and Dramatic Club were formed, and 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...

 and Croquet
Croquet
Croquet is a lawn game, played both as a recreational pastime and as a competitive sport. It involves hitting plastic or wooden balls with a mallet through hoops embedded into the grass playing court.-History:...

 matches were held between current and former pupils.

In 1916 the Pymble College was opened and its first Ex-Students' Union expressed an interest in joining that of PLC. Subsequently a combined Union was formed, known as the PLC Croydon and Pymble Ex-Students' Union, and an Ex-Students' prize was established at Pymble on the same conditions as at Croydon.

One of the Union's most significant contributions to the school was planned following the death of Dr. Marden in 1924. With the desire to provide Marden with a "fitting and lasting memorial", it was decided that a library, to be called the John Marden Memorial Library, should be built at the Croydon College. This building was opened by Mrs. Marden in 1927 and although no longer suitable as a library due its size, it remains a treasured part of the school.

In 1929, it was proposed that "Pymble students should form a separate Union" and that an equitable division of Union funds should be undertaken. This explains the two separate groups that exist today, however, it is still not uncommon for Pymble students to attend Croydon reunions and events, particularly regional or interstate activities.

Notable alumnae

Alumnae of the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney are commonly referred to as PLC Old Girls, and may elect to join the schools alumnae association, the PLC Ex-Students' Union.

In 2001, The Sun-Herald
The Sun-Herald
The Sun-Herald is an Australian tabloid newspaper published on Sundays in Sydney by Fairfax Media. It is the Sunday counterpart of The Sydney Morning Herald. In the 6 months to September 2005, The Sun-Herald had a circulation of 515,000...

ranked PLC Sydney fourth in Australia's top ten girls' schools, based on the number of its alumnae mentioned in the Who's Who in Australia
Who's Who in Australia
The Who's Who in Australia is an Australian biographical reference first published by Fred Johns in 1906 as Johns's Notable Australians. It has been used by academics as a resource that identifies Australia's leading individuals, and has been analysed when studying the social backgrounds –...

(a listing of notable Australians). Among these women are Sibyl Morrison
Sibyl Morrison
Sibyl Enid Vera Munro Morrison was the first female barrister in New South Wales, Australia. She graduated LL.B from the University of Sydney's law school in 1924.-Early life:...

, the first female barrister in New South Wales, Marie Byles
Marie Byles
Marie Beuzeville Byles is known as a committed conservationist, the first practicing female solicitor in New South Wales, mountaineer, explorer and avid bushwalker, feminist, author and an original member of the Buddhist Society in New South Wales...

, the first practicing female solicitor in New South Wales, Jessie Aspinall
Jessie Aspinall
Jessie Strahorn Aspinall was the first female junior medical resident at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, Sydney. Her four brothers were also doctors.-Professional career:...

, the first female junior resident medical officer at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital is a major public teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Missenden Road in Camperdown...

, and Florence Mary Taylor
Florence Mary Taylor
Florence Mary Taylor CBE was the first qualified female architect and the first woman to train as an engineer in Australia. She was also the first woman in Australia to fly in a heavier-than-air craft in 1909...

, the first qualified female architect and first woman to train as an engineer in Australia, and the first woman in Australia to fly in a heavier-than-air craft.

See also


Further reading

  • McFarlane, J.D. 1988. The Golden Hope: Presbyterian Ladies' College, 1888-1988. P.L.C Council, Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney. ISBN 0-9597340-1-5.
  • Diamond Jubilee Year Book. PLC Croydon, 1948.
  • Menzies, W. 1989. Strive to the utmost : a historical account of the occupation of the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Croydon by the Royal Australian Air Force during the World War II. Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney, Croydon N.S.W.
  • Coleman, M. 1991. This is Pymble College: The First 75 years, 1916-1991. Pymble Ladies' College.
  • McFarlane, J.D. 1970, A Brief History of PLC Goulburn, 1921-1970. Goulburn, Goulburn Post.
  • Butt, M.F. 1978. Presbyterian Ladies' College, Orange - A Journal. Orange, G.H Craig.
  • Fitzpatrick, K. 1975. PLC Melbourne: The First Century 1875-1975. Burwood, The Presbyterian Ladies College.
  • Reid, M.O. 1960. The Ladies Came to Stay: A Study of the Education of Girls at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne 1875-1960. Melbourne, Council of the College.

External links

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