Melbourne Girls Grammar School

Melbourne Girls' Grammar School
Latin: Nisi Dominus Frustra Without the Lord, All is in Vain
Location
South Yarra, Victoria, Australia
Coordinates	37°49′53″S 144°59′6″E / 37.83139°S 144.985°E / -37.83139; 144.985Coordinates: 37°49′53″S 144°59′6″E / 37.83139°S 144.985°E / -37.83139; 144.985
Information
Type	Independent, Co-educational (Pre-school), Single-sex (K-12), Day and Boarding
Denomination	Anglican[1]
Established	1893[2]
Founder	Emily Hensley & Alice Taylor
Chairman	John Blanch
Principal	Catherine Misson
Chaplain	Fr. Walter McEntee
Enrolment	~950 (P–12)[3]
Colour(s)	Navy Blue, Light Blue and White
Slogan	Respect and Compassion
Website	www.mggs.vic.edu.au

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

Founded in 1893 by Emily Hensley and Alice Taylor, the school has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 950 students from Pre-school to Year 12, including 90 boarders.^[4]

Melbourne Girls' Grammar is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA),^[5] the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA),^[6] the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia (AGSA),^[7] the Association of Independent Schools of Victoria (AISV),^[2] the Australian Boarding Schools Association (ABSA),^[1] and is a founding member of Girls Sport Victoria (GSV).^[8]

History

MGGS Chapel, 1929

Melbourne Girls' Grammar School was founded in 1893, as a private school in Domain Road, South Yarra, by Miss Emily Hensley and Miss Alice Taylor. In 1900, the School moved to its current location in Anderson Street, and in 1903 it became the first girls' school to be owned by the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne.

Merton Hall, the senior school of Melbourne Girls' Grammar, was named after the house in Cambridge, England, where Newnham College began.^[9]

The tenth Principal of Melbourne Girls Grammar, Mrs Christine Briggs, announced her retirement in 2007. Mrs Catherine Misson has been appointed to the position of Principal effective from 1 January 2008.^[10]

Campuses

Melbourne Girls Grammar currently has two campuses: Merton Hall (Senior School, Years 9-12) and (Middle School, Years 5-8) Anderson Street, South Yarra. Morris Hall (Junior School, Prep-Year 4): Caroline Street, South Yarra.

The Barbara Tolson Early Learners' Centre (ELC) for preschool students is the only part of the school that is co-educational. It is located within Merton Hall.

Buildings and facilities

The School opened its new Science Futures Centre in February 2005, with a ceremony attended by Sir Gustav Nossal. The Science Futures Centre comprises eight laboratories, three preparation rooms, three laboratory technicians' offices and a number of withdrawal areas.

In 2006, the school re-opened the Nina Crone Library, named after a past Headmistress. The newly renovated library features; wireless internet and new technology options.

Boarding

There are currently two boarding houses: Phelia Grimwade House and Gilman Jones Hall. Jessie Bage House was used as a boarding house until 2008.

Academics

Melbourne Girls Grammar offers Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) for its students at Years 11 to 12, with some students beginning their VCE studies in Year 10.

House system

The Senior School, Merton Hall houses are: Batman: whose colour is yellow, was named after the founder of Melbourne. Clarke: whose colour is red, was named after Archbishop Lowther Clarke, whose particular interest was diocesan education. Hensley: whose colour was once white, but was later changed to pink, commemorates one of the two first Principals of the school - Miss Emily Hensley. Mungo: whose colour is green, was named after "St Mungo", the house in Domain Road where the school first opened in 1893. Taylor: whose colour is blue, commemorates the other of the first two Principals of the school - Miss Alice Taylor.

Taylor = Blue

Hensley = Pink

Mungo = Green

Batman = Yellow

Clarke = Red

The Junior School, Morris Hall houses are: Gould: is yellow. Elizabeth Gould helped her husband with his identification of many species of bird life in the colonies. The Gouldian Finch was named after her. Franklin is Blue. Lady Jane Franklin endeavoured to establish an educational college for girls, worked to help the plight of convicts and helped discover the North-West passage. Chisholm is red. Caroline Chisholm was a social worker who worked with young female emigrants arriving in Sydney.

Chisholm = Red

Gould = Yellow

Franklin = Blue

Notable alumnae

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Academic

• Frances Elizabeth Allan – Statistician^[11]
• Enid Joske – Headmistress^[12]
• Margaret Loch Kiddle – Historian (also attended St Catherine's School, Toorak)^[13]
• Sally Walker – Vice Chancellor of Deakin University^[14]

Community and philanthropy

• Vera Deakin White – Red Cross worker^[15]

Entertainment, media and the arts

• Kate Alexa – Singer^[16]
• Caroline Craig – Actress
• Portia de Rossi – aka Amanda Rogers, Actress]^[14]
• Stephanie McIntosh – Singer and actress (Neighbours)
• Yumi Stynes - Television presenter (also attended Methodist Ladies' College, Melbourne)
• Eveline Winifred Syme – Painter and printmaker^[17]
• Gwendoline Varley – Sports organiser and Broadcaster^[18]
• Caroline Wilson - Journalist- Chief football writer of "The Age".^{[citation needed]}

Medicine and science

• Mary Ellinor Lucy Archer – Librarian and scientist^[19]
• Lucy Meredith Bryce – Pioneering Haematologist^[20]
• Margaret Mary Henderson – Consultant Physician and Consultant Emeritus, Royal Melbourne Hospital (also attended Presbyterian Ladies' College, Perth)^[21]

Associated schools

Melbourne Girls Grammar School has a strong association with Melbourne Grammar School, as the two stream productions, formals, workshops and concerts together. The student bases also enjoy a strong association throughout the secondary years as many MGGS girls attend Grimwade House (Melbourne Grammar School's co-educational primary campus).

See also

• Anglican Church of Australia

References

Further reading

• McCarthy, R. and Theobald, M.R. 1993. Melbourne Girls Grammar School Centenary Essays 1893-1993. Hyland House, Melbourne. ISBN 1-875657-03-7.

External links

• MGGS website
• Girls Sport Victoria