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".
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Famous quotes containing the words house and/or system:
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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—Noam Chomsky (b. 1928)