Abbotsleigh School for Girls (commonly referred to as Abbotsleigh) is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for girls, located in Wahroonga, on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Established in 1885 on Sydney’s North Shore, the school has a selective enrolment policy from Year 5 upwards and currently caters for approximately 1,850 students from Kindergarten to Year 12, including 300 boarders from Years 7 to 12.[1]

Abbotsleigh is a member of the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia (AGSA),[2] the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA),[3] the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA),[4] the Australian Boarding Schools’ Association (ABSA),[5] and a founding member of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls’ Schools (AHIGS).[6]
History
Advertisement for Abbotsleigh, 1899

Abbotsleigh was founded in 1885 in a small terrace house in North Sydney. The school then moved to Parramatta, first to Honiton House, and then to more spacious premises at the corner of Church and Marsden streets, a site now covered by a car park. The school proved successful in Parramatta, and in 1895 Miss Marian Clarke left 80 pupils behind to set out for a year in England for family reasons. The school declined during her absence, and on her return only a small number of boarders remained.[7]

Abbotsleigh’s final move was to its current location at Wahroonga in 1898, where the school’s founder, Miss Marian Clarke, purchased land and built her new school. It is here that Abbotsleigh became the first girls’ school in Sydney to have a sports field.
[edit] Headmistresses

1885 – 1913 Marian Clarke
1913 – 1924 Margaret Murray
1924 – 1930 Dorothea Poole
1931 – 1954 G Gordon Everett
1954 – 1957 Ruth Hirst
1958 – 1970 HE (Betty) Archdale
1970 – 1987 Kathleen McCredie
1988 – 1996 Diane C Nicholls
1996 – 2004 Judith Wheeldon
2005 – Present Judith Poole
[edit] Campus
Marian Clarke Building, Abbotsleigh (Elevation)

The senior and junior campuses cater for 1300 students in total from Transition to Year 12 (Higher School Certificate).[1]

The Junior School is located on Woonona Ave, Wahroonga. Poole House is the oldest building on campus and features an after-school care and music centre with a number of music rooms for individual lessons and practice. The library, school hall and administration centre are housed in the same block as the junior years’ classrooms. In 2002 a new Years 4-6 centre was built surrounding a grassy courtyard featuring a state-of-the-art Arts facility as well as a new canteen for the students. Sporting facilities include a large oval, outdoor pool, three tennis courts, 2 courtyards, two sets of play equipment and a human-sized chess board. An uderground parking facility was built in 2007 with two tennis courts built above. The new Early Learning Centre was completed in January 2010. It includes new Infants precinct and an Early Learning Centre for the youngest learners from birth to five years old. It is a seventy-place, coeducational centre providing long day care. Girls of the age of 5 are now able to enter the school in the Transition class (preschool age) where they are able to make the smooth transition from preschool to kindergarten. According to the Abbotsleigh website, the ELC will be run according to the Reggio Emillia approach.[8]

The senior school is at a separate campus on the Pacific Highway, and incorporates a number of facilities including a 350 seat auditorium, large assembly hall, Senior Studies Centre, Aquatic Centre and two gymnasiums. Other sporting facilities include 11 tennis courts, one indoor netball/basketball centre, weights gym, 2 cricket nets, a 25-metre indoor pool and two large ovals used for hockey, touch football and soccer. A new library named the Abbotsleigh Research Centre (ARC) was built and officially opened on 2 April 2006. The ARC contains the Library Teaching Room (LTR) – a computer room, laptops that can be used on tables around the ARC, and three seminar rooms. There are over 40,000 books, over 4,000 videos and DVDs and approximately 70 Periodical titles. The ARC has won awards for its unique interior design.[9] The ARC includes a new Art Centre which has three classrooms, an Arts staffroom and a number of storage spaces. A large outdoor area incorporated into the design, with 6 tables for students and sails, is often used for a number of school events overlooking the top oval. In addition to this a new canteen was built over the spring holidays in 2008 to join with the Saturday morning sport canteen, featuring new outdoor cafe-style eating areas overlooking the oval.
[edit] Motto and crest

The Abbotsleigh motto, Tempus celerius radio fugit, may be translated from Latin as “Time flies faster than the weaver’s shuttle”. As the shuttle flies a pattern is woven; the shuttle of time also weaves a pattern of which the threads are people, buildings and events. The motto was given to the school by Miss Marian Clarke, whose family crest was a weaver’s shuttle surrounded by the motto, Tempus fugit radio celerit. The school used this form until 1924, when it decided that the ungrammatical Latin should be changed to the present word order, which has been used ever since.

The reference to the weaver’s shuttle is also believed by many to be a reference to the “proper” place of women in terms of domestic duties/servitude to men. Some members of the school community are calling for the motto to be changed in order to keep pace with modern views on feminine rights.

The 1934 edition of The Weaver explains the symbolism of the school crest: “the lion for the strength in God, lillies for purity and fish as the symbol of Christianity through baptism.”[10]
[edit] Associated schools

Abbotsleigh has a number of international sister schools and exchange agreements with other institutes, including the École Alsacienne in Paris, France, Ohtani High School, Japan, Miami’s Palmer Trinity School, Queenswood School in Hertfordshire, England, and Ridley College in Ontario, Canada. Girls have the opportunity to host an incoming exchange student or, in Years 9 and 10, to attend one or more of these schools on exchange for a period of one or two terms.
[edit] Curriculum

Abbotsleigh offers an extensive range of subjects. In Year 8, students choose elective subjects to study for Years 9 and 10. Students must study Maths, English, Science, PDHPE, Australian History/Geography, and Christian Studies. They may then choose three elective subjects from: Commerce, Elective History, Elective Geography, Design and Technology, Information Software Technology, Music, Drama, Visual Arts, Photography and Digital Media, Japanese, French, German, and Latin. Mandarin has currently replaced Japanese for 2010 Year 7 girls and will remain this way for all girls that will enter Abbotsleigh Senior School through Year 7. For girls studying Japanese in older grades will still continue to do so.

In the Upper School, students have an even wider range of subjects to choose from, which follow the Board of Studies HSC syllabus. Subjects offered include English (Standard, Advanced, Extension 1 and Extension 2), Maths (General, 2-unit, Extension 1 and Extension 2), sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth and Environmental science, Senior Science), histories (Modern, Ancient and Extension History), social sciences (Business Studies, Geography, Economics), Music (1, 2, extension), a wide range of languages including French, German, Latin and Japanese, Art, PDHPE, Information Processes and Technology, Software Processes Technology, Drama, Design and Technology, Theology and Studies of Religion (1-unit only unlike many other religious independent schools).
[edit] Co-curriculum

Students can participate in a number of extracurricular activities. Most girls participate in at least one activity, if not many. Abbotsleigh has over 15 girls achieve the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award each year, which is presented at the school’s Speech Day in December. Additionally students may participate in chess teams, debating, mock trial, public speaking, ski team, jewellery making, sewing classes, film club, SRC, Environment Club, and a number of charity and service groups. Students from Year 10 are selected to form the charity and service group boards with students taking the positions of president, secretary, treasurer and club member. The school also has an Agricultural group (Ag Club) for the boarders where two cattle are raised between January and April for a number of competitions including the Sydney Royal Easter Show. I

There is also a dance program of considerable size at the school, with over 500 girls from Kindergarten to Year 11 participating in several types of dance such as street, tap and contemporary.
[edit] Sport

The school competes in many Independent Girls’ Schools Sporting Association (IGSSA) sports including, softball, tennis, swimming, basketball, soccer, athletics, cross country, hockey, netball, waterpolo, touch football, and cricket. Abbotsleigh provides much of the sport equipment including tennis racquets, balls, skipping ropes, hockey sticks, rugby balls, golf sets, etc. It is compulsory for Abbotsleigh girls to do PE once a week to enhance their physical activity until Year 11.
[edit] Music

With its close neighbour Knox Grammar School, Abbotsleigh has an orchestra named KAYO (Knox/Abbotsleigh Youth Orchestra). Through KAYO, students may choose to participate in musical tours around the world. Abbotsleigh also has several bands and string groups including the Orchestra, Symphonic Winds, Jazz Ensemble and numerous string quartets. From Year 7 onwards girls are invited to participate in vocal groups, for example the Vocal Ensemble, the Chapel Choir and the Chamber Choir. Also available are the Gospel Choir and Years 7 to 12 Choir, which invite anyone to join without an audition. Abbotsleigh’s main ensembles are the orchestra and concert band which are involved in the Yamaha Festivals. The more junior ensembles are the string ensemble and wind ensemble which are mainly for girls from Years 7 to 9 and for girls who are not highly accomplished musicians but are willing to commit to an ensemble.
[edit] House system

The House System was introduced by Miss Everett. The Weaver for May 1931 explains: “Points are awarded for work, conduct and sport and a shield will be presented annually to the winning House. “The “Malloch Shield”, given the following year by Mr A Malloch, was won for the first time by Sturt.

In the Junior School there are five houses:

Blaxland (blue) Named after Gregory Blaxland (1778–1853), an Australian explorer and pioneer farmer.
Lawson (green) Named after William Lawson (1774–1850), an Australian explorer.
Macquarie (red) Named after Lachlan Macquarie (1771–1824), the Governor of New South Wales from 1810 to 1801.
Sturt (yellow) Named after Charles Sturt (1795–1869), an Australian explorer.
Wentworth (purple) Named after William Wentworth (1790–1872), an Australian explorer, statesman and lawyer.

In the Senior School there are eight houses:

Chisholm (dark blue) Named after Caroline Chisholm (1808–1877), an Australian pioneer.
Franklin (green) Named after Miles Franklin, an acclaimed Australian author.
Gilmore (brown until 1982, now pink) Named after Mary Gilmore (1865–1962), an Australian poet and writer.
Melba (light blue) Named after Dame Nellie Melba, an Australian opera singer.
Prichard (black until 1990, now purple) Named after Katherine Susannah Prichard (1884–1969), an Australian writer.
Richardson (orange) Named after Ethel Florence Lindesay Richardson (1870–1946), an Australian novelist.
Tennant (yellow) Named after Kylie Tennant (1912–1988), an Australian World War II and Great Depression novelist.
Wright (red) Named after Judith Wright (1915–2000), an Australian poet.

The House System has been modified over time to reflect the changing needs of the School, and its increased enrolment. One of the most significant changes occurred in the late 1960s under then Headmistress Betty Archdale. Senior School Houses had previously been named after well-known male Australian poets, and Archdale introduced new house names recognising accomplished Australian women. This was the basis for the Senior School Houses in use today. Houses now compete for the House Choir banner and the Spirit Cup, as well as the Sports Cup. Since 2008 girls have organised get-to-know-each-other events and House Days where students of the same house assemble at lunch time and have a large “house picnic”.
[edit] Boarding

Abbotsleigh has offered boarding since its establishment, and currently caters for boarding students from the greater metropolitan area, rural New South Wales and overseas. The school currently has five boarding houses:

Hirst Opened in 1980 and 1985. Catering for Year 12 boarders. Now replaced by the newly opened Wheeldon House.
Lynton Opened in 1969. Catering for Year 7 boarders.
McCredie Opened in 1990. Catering for Year 9 to 10 boarders.
Vindin Opened in 1931. Catetring for Year 8 to 9 boarders.
Wheeldon Opened in 2008. Catering for Year 11 to 12 boarders

There are currently approximately 150 boarders at Abbotsleigh from Years 7 to 12.[1] Boarders make up about one-sixth of the senior school population.
[edit] Notable alumnae

Academic

Ingrid Clare Barnsley – Rhodes Scholar 2002[11]
Kathleen McCredie – Educator; Former principal of Abbotsleigh[12]
Merrilee Roberts – Educator, former principal of Newcastle Girls’ Grammar School and Ascham School[12]
Elizabeth Ward; Educator; Former principal of the Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Melbourne[12]
Freda Whitlam AM – Lay Preacher of the Uniting Church;[13] Sister of former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam; Former principal of the Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Sydney (also attended Canberra Girls’ Grammar School)[14]

Entertainment, media and the arts

Nicole Alexander – Author
Edwina Bartholomew – Seven News reporter
Erica Baxter – Singer and model; wife of James Packer
Nell Campbell – Actor; played Colombia in The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Jill Ker Conway – Author[12]
Georgie Parker – Actress[12]
Jennifer Oswin Rowe – Children’s book author under pen name Emily Rodda[12]
Helen de Guerry Simpson – Novelist (also attended Kincoppal-Rose Bay)[15]
Grace Cossington Smith – Artist[12]

Medicine and science

Agnes Elizabeth Lloyd Bennett – Pioneering medical practitioner and scientist (also attended Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Dulwich Girls’ High School and Sydney Girls High School)[16]
Cindy Pan – Doctor, dancer, television personality

Politics, public service and the law

Beatrice Miles – Bohemian rebel and political activist[17]

Sport

Sue Fear – First Australian woman to climb Mount Everest (also attended Barker College)
Margaret Elizabeth Maynard Peden – Cricketer; former captain of the Australian women’s cricket team (1934)[18]
Liz Ellis – Australian national netball player
Hannah Campbell-Pegg Australian Luge Winter Olympian