Presbyterian Ladies' College, Perth - History

History

On 19 August 1915, Rev George 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, Peter Corsair Anderson (Principal of Scotch College, Perth), John Maxwell Ferguson, Donald John Carmichael, Inspector of Schools James Klein and Professor Alexander David 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 Miss 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.

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