From the Principal
During the first week of Term 2, Girton Grammar School celebrated a very important milestone - our 30th Anniversary. Our whole-school Assembly on Friday 25th April was a momentous occasion that brought together our Founding members, and past and present students and staff.
Following the Assembly, we released our new documentary, The Girton Grammar Story, to our School Founders. The documentary can be viewed on the Girton website.
I would like to share with you my Girton Grammar School 30th Anniversary Assembly address, which celebrates the dedication and hard work of our School community over the past 30 years. This is a story of resilience, determination, and the importance of fighting for what you believe in.
Girton Grammar School 30th Anniversary Assembly Address
Presented by Dr Emma O’Rielly, Principal
Friday 25th April 2023
Good morning to the Chair of the Girton Grammar School Board, Mr David Jemmett; and Board members;
To the Founding Chair of the Board Mr John Higgs OAM; the Founding Deputy Chair of the Board Mrs Jan Thomas, Founding Board Member Mr Richard Trigg; Founding Board member and past Chair Mr Christopher Morey; Former Board members Mr Col Tracey, Mr John Palmer and Mr Robin Monroe; Founding Headmaster Mr Clayton Jones OAM; Co-founding Deputies Mr Tony Sheumack, and Mrs Robyn MacCulloch, Founding Head of Junior School Mr Dennis Garoni, Former Headmaster of SCECGS Redlands Mr Peter Cornish; past Chair of the Board Mr Robert Ketterer and Founding School Chaplain Archdeacon John Geldart;
To Bishop Matt Brain; Reverend Karen Reid; Monsignor Frank Marriot – Clergy;
To Girton’s Deputy Principal Mr Jay Weston; Head of Senior School Ms Dawn Davis; Acting Head of Junior School Mrs Viv Bath;
To Old Girtonians, distinguished guests, staff and students, I am honoured to speak before you today as we celebrate a momentous occasion - the 30th anniversary of Girton Grammar School.
We are joined here by many former students and staff members who were present on the School's founding day, the second of February 1993, when it commenced with only 302 students from Preparatory to Year 12 and 26 staff on our Vine Street Campus.
In fact, we are fortunate to have a number of those staff members still working here today – including Mrs Robyn MacCulloch, Mrs Viv Bath, Mrs Rachelle Fisher, Mrs Nic James and Mrs Carol Knowles.
As we reflect on the remarkable achievement of the last 30 years, we cannot help but recall the many stories that have contributed to the School's rich and colourful history. Many of you may be familiar with the story of Girton College, which gave rise to Girton Grammar School, as it is a story we proudly share each year on Foundation Day.
The story of Girton Grammar School is one of determination and perseverance in the face of adversity. Founded in 1884 by two remarkable women, Mrs Marian Aherne, and Miss Alice Hill (later to become Mrs Millward), they created an exceptional school for girls called Girton College at a time when there were already twenty-one private schools in Bendigo. Despite the odds, the School developed an excellent reputation and drew students from all over the Bendigo region.
Over the next century, Girton College continued to defy the odds, providing a high-quality education despite outbreaks of influenza and poliomyelitis, world wars, the Great Depression, and the rationing of essential resources that followed. Unfortunately, insurmountable financial problems eventually arose and in 1992, the school doors would be forced to close, leaving many students heartbroken and the Bendigo region in mourning.
Perhaps it was the Girton College motto, Per Aspera Ad Astra – through hardship to the stars – that inspired a group of parents and staff to refuse to let this news defeat them. This band of courageous visionaries believed so strongly in the power of education and its ability to transform lives that they would do everything in their power to keep the School open.
These visionaries became the newly formed ‘Friends of Girton’ led by Mr John Higgs and Mrs Jan Thomas, Mr Chris Morey and Mr Richard Trigg, closely followed by many parents and staff.
While saving the School was originally their mission, it quickly became evident that this was an impossible dream. With its existing structure and governance, there was no way to continue Girton College at the St Aidan’s campus in Kennington.
During the struggle to open a new school in a very short timeframe, there were heroic actions, desperate measures, incredible triumphs, and, inevitably, some conflict. What the Friends of Girton were eventually able to do, however, was take ownership of the MacKenzie Street site, which had been sold by the Anglican Diocese several years previously and had sat empty ever since.
In the intervening months between the announcement of the School’s closure and the commencement of the 1993 school year, the Friends of Girton performed the miraculous task of establishing Girton Grammar School through persistence, hard work, lobbying, fund-raising, and countless hours of voluntary labour. The support of the Sydney Church of England Co-educational Grammar School in Redlands NSW (also referred to as SCECGS Redlands) was invaluable at this time, and Mr Clayton Jones had so much faith in the new school that he agreed to transfer from SCECGS and become the Headmaster of Girton Grammar School.
The Friends of Girton were not afraid to get their hands dirty, and with the help of parents, students, and staff, they painted walls, tiled bathrooms, and laid second-hand carpet.
Fittingly, the decision was made to retain the ‘Girton’ name and the School song along with the long-standing school motto Per Aspera Ad Astra - through hardship to the stars.
Since that triumphant opening day in 1993, much has happened which gives us cause for gratitude and celebration.
We are grateful to our School's founders and those hard-working, brave people who carried it forward. Every year we come together on Foundation Day to celebrate the fine School that they and we have built together.
I love the story of Girton Grammar School. I was personally moved many years ago when I heard the story of the closing of Girton College and the opening of Girton Grammar School from the perspective of a senior student who had lived that experience. I believe Ms Lynden Frances Wright will again deliver that very compelling speech today. I hope you are as stirred as I was when I heard it the first time.
The fight that was fought to open Girton Grammar School, and keep it open for the years that followed, bears all the trademarks of a great story – there were challenges, there was conflict, there were heroes – those characters, Girton Grammar School’s Founders, who went above and beyond to give the School a new heartbeat – and there was an underlying theme of resilience, determination and the importance of fighting for what you believe in.
Importantly, there was a fantastic resolution – the opening of Girton Grammar School without a single School day missed and the beginning of a new chapter.
But there is something even more powerful that I love about this story.
I love how the story of Girton Grammar School highlights the power of a community to come together and create something great. The Founders of Girton Grammar School refused to let numerous challenges stop them from building a high-quality educational institution.
Mr Higgs, Board Chairman at the time, wrote in the 1993 edition of The Girtonian as he reflected on the School’s first year:
“There have been times of hardship and there have been times of great joy. Our emotions, at times, have traversed all those experienced by humanity. However, as a community, we have never wavered from our objective in setting up a school which will provide a unique environment for the education of those most special to us, our children.”
The dedication and hard work of the Girton Grammar School’s Founders, and the leaders who have followed, have stood the test of time. Today we celebrate 30 years of Girton Grammar School, a wonderful place where children from all around the region come to learn together, grow together, and dream together. A School that has impacted the lives of countless students, staff, and families.
As we reflect on the past 30 years, I feel immense pride and gratitude for the incredible community that has built and sustained this School. From the dedicated Founders and staff to the supportive parents to our hard-working students, every person has played a role in creating the story we tell today.
As we honour the past, we must also look to the future and embrace the next chapter of Girton Grammar School.
We will continue to provide an outstanding education that ensures our students are well-equipped to embrace the challenges and opportunities of the future.
We will continue to foster a supportive and inclusive community that values diversity and respects the rights of everyone.
We will continue to explore innovative teaching methods that promote collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, and help our students develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the world of work.
And we will continue to embrace new ideas to ensure that our School remains at the forefront of education - investing in cutting-edge technologies that enhance student learning and engagement.
In just a few weeks, we will be the first school in Victoria to launch an immersive learning lab in the classroom - a prime example of this commitment to innovation. By introducing this state-of-the-art technology at our School, we are providing students with an opportunity to explore and learn in a dynamic and interactive environment that is designed to enhance their learning experiences.
We look forward to seeing the positive impact this new Lab will have on our students' learning.
As we move forward and prepare our students for successful futures, let us remember that we are all custodians of the Girton legacy, and it is our responsibility to ensure that this story continues to be a great story that can be told to generations to come.
In the words of our Founding Headmaster, Mr Clayton Jones, in the 1993 edition of The Girtonian:
“From those to whom much is given, much is expected.”
In honour of everything our Founders worked for to keep this institution alive, let us continue to work together, support one another, and strive for excellence in all that we do.
Let us uphold the values that make the institution of Girton Grammar School such a powerful story.
This is our story. I urge each and every student, staff member, Board member and parent here today to consider what your contribution will be in writing our next chapter.
Per Aspera Ad Astra – through hardship to the stars.
Dr Emma O'Rielly
Principal