St Michael's Collegiate School
Encyclopedia
St Michael's Collegiate School, colloquially known as "Collegiate", is an independent
, Anglican, day
and boarding school
for girls, located in Hobart, Tasmania
, Australia
.
Established in 1892 by the Sisters of the Church, the school currently enrols approximately 900 students from Early Learning to year 12, including up to 50 boarders in years 5 to 12.
Collegiate's brother school is The Hutchins School
, with whom they share their Year 11 and 12 classes and many other brother/sister school activities.
The school is a member of the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australia, the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
(JSHAA), the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association, and the Association of Independent Schools' of Tasmania.
, to Tasmania. Of these, three Sisters remained in Tasmania and at the request of Dean Dundas, opened a school for girls and boys in October 1892. Sister Hannah was the principal of the school which had an initial enrolment of 12 children, six boy and six girls. Classes were held in the Synod Hall.
Sister Phyllis became the Principal in 1895, by which time the number of enrolled students had risen to 71, including 6 boarders. To cater for this growth in numbers the school moved to 'Stephenville', a large house in Macquarie Street. 'Stephenville' was built in 1825 for the Solicitor General of Tasmania Sir Alfred Stephen.
During the following decades the School continued to expand, and in 1912 the School purchased the house 'Tremayne', located next door to 'Stephenville'. This provided extra class rooms and accommodation for the senior boarders.
In these early days the School was known as the Collegiate School. The students did not have a uniform
as such, but were required to wear a long dark coloured skirt
and a white blouse
.
From around 1915 girls who became prefect
s were presented with a silver brooch
in the form of the School emblem. These were worn for the term of office and then handed back to the School to be passed to the next year’s prefects. Sister Phyllis then presented each outgoing prefect with a gold
signet ring. At some time during the 1920s some girls began to wear a brooch with the initials C.C.E.S., which stood for Collegiate Church of England School.
In 1929 Tremayne was demolished to make way for a larger, two storey, purpose built building, which housed classrooms downstairs and boarding accommodation upstairs. This new building, also named 'Tremayne' was opened in 1932. Throughout this time the School continued to be run by Sister Phyllis who remained principal until 1933.
In 1937 a summer uniform was introduced. It was very different from the traditional navy blue
tunic
and black stockings, and much more comfortable to wear in the warmer months. It was a beige
coloured tunic. This uniform remained virtually unaltered for over fifty years.
Due in part to the onset of the Second World War, the School did not embark on any further expansion until 1953, by which time the school required separate buildings for a junior school
. For this purpose two adjacent houses in Macquarie Street were purchased in 1953. In 1959 a new large Assembly Hall
was completed, and not long after a number of new classroom
s were added.
In 1973, eighty years after the foundation of the Collegiate Church of England
School, the Sisters of the Church handed the responsibility of the running of the School over to a board, and in 1974 the school saw its first lay principal.
. The current house system consists of eight houses (Dundas, Kilburn, McPhee, Mitchell, Montgomery(nicknamed Monty), Reibey, Rivers and Stevens). Each year, these houses compete against each other in physical and mental contests for the 'Sunshine House Cup', donated by the graduating class of 2001. These events include inter-house swimming
, debating, house performance/fashion parade and athletics
.
, specifically designed to prepare them for middle school
(Years 5-8). Years 5 to 8 have common teachers whenever possible. In years 5 and 6, in each semester students start learning 1 language to help them choose in year 7 and 8. In Years 7 and 8 students can study two LOTEs from French
, German
, Japanese and Latin
.
The Senior school (9-12) is designed to prepare students for life after school. Year 9s choose three elective subjects and study a core of Science
, English
, SoSe, Maths, Faith and Life and Health/Physical Education
(HPE). Year 10 students choose all subjects except Faith and Life and HPE which they also must study. Pre-tertiary
students (Years 11 and 12) may choose up to five pre-tertiary subjects.
, hockey
, soccer, rowing
and underwater hockey
, and many students represent Tasmania in many sports.
, stage band, various ensembles and choral groups and a School of Performing Arts (SPA) which is a 'school inside a 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...
, Anglican, day
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
and boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for girls, located in Hobart, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Established in 1892 by the Sisters of the Church, the school currently enrols approximately 900 students from Early Learning to year 12, including up to 50 boarders in years 5 to 12.
Collegiate's brother school is The Hutchins School
The Hutchins School
The Hutchins School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys, located in Sandy Bay, a suburb of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia....
, with whom they share their Year 11 and 12 classes and many other brother/sister school activities.
The school is a member of the Alliance of Girls' Schools 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....
(JSHAA), the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association, and the Association of Independent Schools' of Tasmania.
History
In 1892, at the invitation of Bishop Montgomery, seven Sisters came from the mother house in Kilburn, EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, to Tasmania. Of these, three Sisters remained in Tasmania and at the request of Dean Dundas, opened a school for girls and boys in October 1892. Sister Hannah was the principal of the school which had an initial enrolment of 12 children, six boy and six girls. Classes were held in the Synod Hall.
Sister Phyllis became the Principal in 1895, by which time the number of enrolled students had risen to 71, including 6 boarders. To cater for this growth in numbers the school moved to 'Stephenville', a large house in Macquarie Street. 'Stephenville' was built in 1825 for the Solicitor General of Tasmania Sir Alfred Stephen.
During the following decades the School continued to expand, and in 1912 the School purchased the house 'Tremayne', located next door to 'Stephenville'. This provided extra class rooms and accommodation for the senior boarders.
Uniform
A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...
as such, but were required to wear a long dark coloured skirt
Skirt
A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs.In the western world, skirts are usually considered women's clothing. However, there are exceptions...
and a white blouse
Blouse
A blouse is a loose-fitting upper garment that was formerly worn by workmen, peasants, artists, women and children. It is typically gathered at the waist so that it hangs loosely over the wearer's body. Today, the word most commonly refers to a woman's shirt but can also refer to a man's shirt if...
.
From around 1915 girls who became prefect
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
s were presented with a silver brooch
Brooch
A brooch ; also known in ancient times as a fibula; is a decorative jewelry item designed to be attached to garments. It is usually made of metal, often silver or gold but sometimes bronze or some other material...
in the form of the School emblem. These were worn for the term of office and then handed back to the School to be passed to the next year’s prefects. Sister Phyllis then presented each outgoing prefect with a gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
signet ring. At some time during the 1920s some girls began to wear a brooch with the initials C.C.E.S., which stood for Collegiate Church of England School.
In 1929 Tremayne was demolished to make way for a larger, two storey, purpose built building, which housed classrooms downstairs and boarding accommodation upstairs. This new building, also named 'Tremayne' was opened in 1932. Throughout this time the School continued to be run by Sister Phyllis who remained principal until 1933.
In 1937 a summer uniform was introduced. It was very different from the traditional navy blue
Navy blue
Navy blue is a very dark shade of the color blue which almost appears as black. Navy blue got its name from the dark blue worn by officers in the British Royal Navy since 1748 and subsequently adopted by other navies around the world....
tunic
Tunic
A tunic is any of several types of clothing for the body, of various lengths reaching from the shoulders to somewhere between the hips and the ankles...
and black stockings, and much more comfortable to wear in the warmer months. It was a beige
Beige
Beige may be described as an off tan color or an extremely pale brown color.The term originates from beige cloth, a cotton fabric left undyed in its natural color...
coloured tunic. This uniform remained virtually unaltered for over fifty years.
Due in part to the onset of the Second World War, the School did not embark on any further expansion until 1953, by which time the school required separate buildings for a junior school
Junior school
A junior school is a type of school which caters for children, often between the ages of 7 and 11.-Australia:In Australia, a junior school is usually a part of a private school that educates children between the ages of 5 and 12....
. For this purpose two adjacent houses in Macquarie Street were purchased in 1953. In 1959 a new large Assembly Hall
Hall
In architecture, a hall is fundamentally a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age, a mead hall was such a simple building and was the residence of a lord and his retainers...
was completed, and not long after a number of new classroom
Classroom
A classroom is a room in which teaching or learning activities can take place. Classrooms are found in educational institutions of all kinds, including public and private schools, corporations, and religious and humanitarian organizations...
s were added.
In 1973, eighty years after the foundation of the Collegiate Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
School, the Sisters of the Church handed the responsibility of the running of the School over to a board, and in 1974 the school saw its first lay principal.
House system
As with most Australian schools, St Michael's Collegiate School utilises a house systemHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
. The current house system consists of eight houses (Dundas, Kilburn, McPhee, Mitchell, Montgomery(nicknamed Monty), Reibey, Rivers and Stevens). Each year, these houses compete against each other in physical and mental contests for the 'Sunshine House Cup', donated by the graduating class of 2001. These events include inter-house 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...
, debating, house performance/fashion parade and 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...
.
Curriculum
Collegiate offers a wide range of subjects. Students up to Year 4 study a core of subjects, including JapaneseJapanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, specifically designed to prepare them for middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
(Years 5-8). Years 5 to 8 have common teachers whenever possible. In years 5 and 6, in each semester students start learning 1 language to help them choose in year 7 and 8. In Years 7 and 8 students can study two LOTEs from French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Japanese and 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...
.
The Senior school (9-12) is designed to prepare students for life after school. Year 9s choose three elective subjects and study a core of Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
, SoSe, Maths, Faith and Life and Health/Physical Education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
(HPE). Year 10 students choose all subjects except Faith and Life and HPE which they also must study. Pre-tertiary
Tertiary
The Tertiary is a deprecated term for a geologic period 65 million to 2.6 million years ago. The Tertiary covered the time span between the superseded Secondary period and the Quaternary...
students (Years 11 and 12) may choose up to five pre-tertiary subjects.
Sport
Collegiate offers a wide range of sports (around 30 in 2006). Captains are usually chosen in Years 11 and 12, but in some cases a Year 10 girl is chosen as Captain. Collegiate girls have represented Australia in softballSoftball
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...
, 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:...
, soccer, 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...
and underwater hockey
Underwater hockey
Underwater hockey is a global non-contact sport in which two teams compete to maneuver a puck across the bottom of a swimming pool into goals.-Play:...
, and many students represent Tasmania in many sports.
Music
At present Collegiate has an orchestraOrchestra
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...
, stage band, various ensembles and choral groups and a School of Performing Arts (SPA) which is a 'school inside a school'.
Notable alumnae
- Hon.The HonourableThe prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
Frances Bladel - Secretary and Founding Member of A Taste of the Huon Festival; Former Tasmanian Government Spokesperson for Women; Former Special MinisterMinister (government)A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
of State Assisting the PremierPremiers of the Australian statesThe Premiers of the Australian states are the de facto heads of the executive governments in the six states of the Commonwealth of Australia. They perform the same function at the state level as the Prime Minister of Australia performs at the national level. The territory equivalents to the...
; Former Acting Minister for Education; Former Acting Minister for Health; Named on Tasmanian Honour Roll of Women 2006 (also attended St Theresa's Convent School, Moonah) - Monique BrumbyMonique BrumbyMonique Brumby is an Australian Indie pop/rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. Her debut single, "Fool for You", peaked into the top 40 in the Australian Recording Industry Association ARIA Singles Charts, and provided an ARIA Award for 'Best New Talent' in 1996...
- singer - Nan ChauncyNan ChauncyNan Chauncy was a British-born Australian author of children's books.-Early life:Chauncy was born Nancen Beryl Masterman in Northwood, Middlesex, England and emigrated to Tasmania, Australia with her family in 1912, when her engineer father was offered a job with the Hobart City Council. She...
- children's author - Pauline Fanning MBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
ISOImperial Service OrderThe Imperial Service Order was established by King Edward VII in August 1902. It was awarded on retirement to the administration and clerical staff of the Civil Service throughout the British Empire for long and meritorious service. Normally a person must have served for 25 years to become...
- BibliographerBibliographer"A bibliographer is a person who describes and lists books and other publications, with particular attention to such characteristics as authorship, publication date, edition, typography, etc. The result of this endeavor is a bibliography...
for the Australian National DictionaryDictionaryA dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
(ANU); Former ConsultantConsultantA consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
to the Commonwealth Parliamentary LibraryLibraryIn a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
; Former Director of the Australian National Humanities Library - Julie Anne Warn AMOrder of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
- Director of the Western Australian Academy of Performing ArtsWestern Australian Academy of Performing ArtsThe Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts , Edith Cowan University was established in 1980 to provide performing arts tuition comparable to the highest calibre of national and international training benchmarks to be able to meet industry needs around the globe.The school is located in the...
(WAAPA), Edith Cowan UniversityEdith Cowan UniversityEdith Cowan University is located in Perth, Western Australia. It was named after the first woman to be elected to an Australian Parliament, Edith Cowan, and is the only Australian university named after a woman....
; Recipient of the Centenary MedalCentenary MedalThe Centenary Medal is an award created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the Centenary of Federation of Australia and to honour people who have made a contribution to Australian society or government...
2003 - Catherine Ann Warner - Foundation Director of the Tasmania Law Reform Institute; ProfessorProfessorA professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at the University of TasmaniaUniversity of TasmaniaThe University of Tasmania is a medium-sized public Australian university based in Tasmania, Australia. Officially founded on 1 January 1890, it was the fourth university to be established in nineteenth-century Australia... - Alison Mary Watkins (née Lester) - Company Director; Director of Woolworths LimitedWoolworths LimitedWoolworths Limited is a major Australian company with extensive retail interest throughout Australia and New Zealand. It is the:* largest retail company in Australia and New Zealand by market capitalisation and sales...
, Just Group Ltd, and National Food Industry Strategy Ltd; Former Executive Chairman of Mrs Crocket's Kitchen Pty Ltd - Alison WhyteAlison WhyteAlison Whyte is a Tasmanian-born Australian actress best known for her role on the Australian television series Frontline and Satisfaction....
- Actress, FrontlineFrontline (Australian TV series)Frontline is an Australian comedy television series which satirised Australian television current affairs programmes and reporting. It ran for three series of 13 half-hour episodes and was broadcast on ABC TV in 1994, 1995 and 1997.-Production:...
, SeaChangeSeaChangeSeaChange was a popular Australian television show that ran for 39 episodes from 1998 to 2001 on the ABC. It was created by Andrew Knight and Deborah Cox and starred Sigrid Thornton, David Wenham, William McInnes, John Howard, Tom Long and Kerry Armstrong... - Professor Karen Thorpe - Professor of psychology