Presbyterian Ladies' College, Perth

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For other schools of the same name, see Presbyterian Ladies' College.

Presbyterian Ladies' College, Perth

Labore Et Honore (Latin:"By Work and With Honour")
Established	1915
School Type	Independent, Single-sex, Day and Boarding
Denomination	Uniting Church
Slogan	"Enriching your daughter's future"^[1]
Key People	Mrs. Beth Blackwood (Principal) Mr. G N Reynolds (Chairman) Rev Elke Riekmann (Chaplain)
Location	Peppermint Grove, WA, Australia
Coordinates	31°59′41″S 115°46′7″E / -31.99472, 115.76861Coordinates: 31°59′41″S 115°46′7″E / -31.99472, 115.76861
Enrolment	~1,100 (PK–12)^[2]
Employees	~141^[1]
Colours	Green, Navy and White
Homepage	www.plc.wa.edu.au

The Presbyterian Ladies' College (informally known as PLC), is an independent, day and boarding school predominantly for girls, situated in Peppermint Grove, a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia.

Established in 1915 by the Presbyterian Church of Australia, PLC came under the control of the Uniting Church in Australia in 1977 following church union. The college moved to the current grounds (an 8 acre property) in 1917. PLC's grounds consist of a junior school for years Pre-Kindy to Year 6, a middle school for Years 7 to 9, a senior school for Years 10 to 12, sporting grounds, arts centres and boarding facilities. The school currently caters for approximately 1,100 students, with boys and girls enrolled from Pre-Kindergarten to Pre-Primary and girls only from Year 1 to Year 12.^[2] PLC also provides accommodation for up to 150 boarders in Years 7 to 12.^[3]

The College has been an IB World School since December 2006, and is authorised to offer the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and and IB Middle Years Programme.^[4] P.L.C is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA),^[5] the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA),^[6] the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA),^[2] and the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australia (AGSA).^[7]

1 History
2 House system
3 Co-curriculum
4 Notable alumni
5 References
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] History

PLC students and building, 1937

On 19 August 1915, Rev G Nisbet Dods, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Western Australia, called together a group of Ministers and Church Elders to discuss the proposal of establishing a Presbyterian college for girls, since the Church had already established the Scotch College, Perth for boys. Present at this meeting were Rev Dods, Rev Alexander Crow, Principal Oxer, Daniel Ross, P.C Anderson (Principal of Scotch College, Perth), John M Ferguson, Donald J Carmichael, Inspector of Schools James Klein and Professor A D Ross.

Ormiston College had been established in 1907, by Miss Wilson and her two sisters in Palmerston Street, North Perth. The newly formed committee agreed to purchase Ormiston College, and the School was named Presbyterian Ladies' College and Kindergarten (Ormiston House). Wilson was taken up on her offer to continue acting as Principal until a permanent one was appointed. The successful applicant was Agnes Scorgie, a certified teacher with an MA from Glasgow University. She had also studied modern language at three European universities, and had taught for twelve years at Glasgow High School. Scorgie arrived in Fremantle on 24 February 1916, and took up her duties immediately.

In January 1917, the School's Committee was constituted as the first College Council. After considering several permanent locations for the School, it eventually settled on the purchase of W.G Lefroy's property on the corner of View and McNeil Streets, Peppermint Grove. After modifications and additions to the property, all boarders were transferred from North Perth, and the first classes began on the new campus in July. The School was officially opened by the Governor of Western Australia, Sir William Ellison-Macartney, on 11 August 1917. The North Perth campus remained operating as a day school until the end of 1918.

[edit] House system

As with most Australian schools, PLC utilises a house system through which students participate in inter-house activities and competitions. The House system was introduced in 1934 by Dr Vera Summers in her first year as Principal with three houses: Carmichael, Stewart and Ferguson. McNeil was added in 1943 and further expanded in 1977 by the addition of Summers and Baird.

Carmichael Colour: blue. Named for Founder, Past Treasurer and Past Chair of Council Donald J Carmichael.

Stewart Colour: green. Named for Founder John Stewart.

Ferguson Colour: initially white but changed to red in 1957. Named for Founder John Maxwell Ferguson.

McNeil Colour: yellow. Named for early local resident and PLC supporter Neil McNeil.

Summers Colour: initially white but changed to purple in the 1990s. Named for Dr Vera Summers who was on teaching staff from early 1920 and Principal from 1934-61.

Baird Colour: orange. Named for the Baird family from which two Past Chairs of Council, one teacher and many students came.

[edit] Co-curriculum

[edit] Music

PLC offers music ensembles to both Junior and Senior students, including a Stage Band, Concert Band, String Orchestra, String Quartets, Chorale and various choirs.

The school also features an all female Pipe Band, one of only a small number throughout Australia. The Pipe Band is a long standing tradition of the School and reflects P.L.C's Scottish heritage.^[8]

[edit] Visual art

At PLC there is an annual visual art exhibition exhibiting works of current students done during the school year ranging from sculpture to textiles and painting. Works from PLC have also selected over the years to be shown in the annual 'Year 12 Visual Art Perspectives' at the Art Gallery of Western Australia

[edit] Performing arts

PLC also offers performing arts subjects, such as drama and dance. Dance and Drama performances are shown annually at the school, as well as year based curriculum performances. This year the school will be performing the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. PLC's drama department has been placed in the top 10 schools for the past 4 years.^[9]

[edit] Sport

The Presbyterian Ladies' College Physical Education programme provides students of all abilities with opportunities to partake in recreational activities such as yoga and aerobics, and team sports such as netball, basketball, cricket, tennis, rowing and water polo.^[10]

Inter-school competition is enabled through P.L.C's membership of the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA) for primary students, and the Independent Girls Schools Sports Association (IGSSA) for middle and senior students.

[edit] Notable alumni

Alumnae of the Presbyterian Ladies' College are known as Old Collegians, and may elect to join the schools alumni association, the PLC Old Collegians' Association (PLC OCA).^[11] Some notable Old Collegians include:

Academic

Gillian Margaret Moore - Principal of Pymble Ladies' College (1989-2007); Deputy Principal of Methodist Ladies' College, Perth (1983-88)^[12]

Entertainment, media and the arts

Estelle Blackburn AM - Journalist and author.
Katharine Brisbane AM - Theatre critic; Publisher; Co-founder of Currency Press Pty Ltd^[13]
Jill Alison Crommelin - Journalist for The West Australian, Australian Women's Weekly, The Straits Times (Singapore) and the Sunday Independent (also attended St Mary's Anglican Girls' School)^[14]
Diane Dunbar - Curator of Fine Art at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston^[13]
Melissa Hasluck - Film producer^[15]
Mary-Ellen Murdoch King - Director of Orchestra Victoria; Director of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival^[16]
Judy Nunn - Author and actress, best known for her role as Ailsa Stewart in Home and Away^[17]
Paula Voce - Seven News Perth presenter^[18]
Sue-Anne Wallace - CEO, Fundraising Institute Australia Ltd; Director of Techplas Pty Ltd, Founding Director Queensland University of Technology Cultural Precinct, Former Director of Education and Curatorial Programs Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney^[19]
Gemma Ward - International Model (also attended Shenton College)^[20]
Dixie Marshall - News Presenter for National Nine News in Australia ^[21]

Medicine and science

Margaret Mary Henderson - Consultant Physician and Consultant Emeritus, Royal Melbourne Hospital (also attended Melbourne Girls Grammar School)^[22]
Joan Tully - Agricultural scientist.^[23]

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b The PLC experience. Presbyterian Ladies' College. Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
^ ^a ^b ^c Schools: Presbyterian Ladies College (Perth). Schools. Australian Boarding Schools' Association (2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
^ Boarding. Presbyterian Ladies' College (2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
^ Presbyterian Ladies' College - Perth. IB World Schools. International Baccalaureate Organisation. Retrieved on 2008-03-15.
^ Western Australia. AHISA Schools. Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (April 2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
^ JSHAA Western Australia Directory of Members. Western Australia Branch. Junior School Heads' Association of Australia (2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
^ Member Schools. Schools. The Alliance of Girls' Schools Australia (2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
^ Music. Presbyterian Ladies' College (2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
^ http://www.curriculum.wa.edu.au/files/pdf/2007_School_Data.pdf
^ Physical Education. Presbyterian Ladies' College (2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
^ PLC Old Collegians' Association. Presbyterian Ladies' College (2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
^ "MOORE Gillian Margaret". Who's Who in Australia Live!. (2006-11-17). Ed. Suzannah Pearce. North Melbourne, Vic: Crown Content Pty Ltd. Retrieved on 2007-09-17.
^ ^a ^b Brasch (ed.), Nicolas (1996). Contemporary Australian Women 1996/97. Port Melbourne, Vic.: Reed Reference Australia. ISBN 1-875589-92-9.
^ Lofthouse, Andrea (1982). Who's Who of Australian Women 1982. North Ryde, NSW: Methuen Australia, p.128. ISBN 0-454-00427-0.
^ Author Information: Melissa Hasluck. Freshwater Bay Press. Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
^ "KING Mary-Ellen Murdoch". Who's Who in Australia Live!. (2006-11-17). Ed. Suzannah Pearce. North Melbourne, Vic: Crown Content Pty Ltd. Retrieved on 2007-09-17.
^ Biography: Theatre. Theatre Life. Judy Nunn. Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
^ Celebrity Overview: Paula Voce Seven News. Hottest on TV. Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
^ "WALLACE Sue-Anne". Who's Who in Australia Live!. (2006-11-17). Ed. Suzannah Pearce. North Melbourne, Vic: Crown Content Pty Ltd. Retrieved on 2007-09-17.
^ Gemma Ward Biography. Celebopedia. Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixie_Marshall
^ "HENDERSON Margaret Mary". Who's Who in Australia Live!. (2006-11-17). Ed. Suzannah Pearce. North Melbourne, Vic: Crown Content Pty Ltd. Retrieved on 2007-09-17.
^ Crouch, Bruce (2002). Tully, Joan (1907 - 1973). Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. Retrieved on 2007-09-11.