St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School - Tradition

Tradition

St Aidan’s was opened, in Corinda, on 4 February 1929, by the Right Reverend Henry Frewen Le Fanu. Sister Elisabeth was Sister-in-Charge, Mrs Christine Hartland was Headmistress, and the Reverend Canon W.E.C. Barrett was Chaplain.

The initial enrolment, comprising kindergarten, first, third and fourth forms was 17, including one boy. This had risen to 42 by the end of the year, when Miss Sutton had joined the staff with students from her small school at Sherwood. Boys were admitted into SSA schools so that they could have an Anglican education before attending ‘Churchie’.

The depression years affected most church schools negatively but St Aidan's had 65 students by 1930 and 134 by 1934.

St Aidan's thrived under the inaugural Headmistress, Mrs Hartland. As Mrs Hartland said in later years 'the school and I grew together'. She demanded uncompromising standards of behaviour and her sayings, ‘Use your initiative gels’ and ‘A pennyworth of common sense is worth more than a pound of brain’, became legendary.

The Sisters were fifty years ahead of time when they appointed a married woman to the position of Headmistress: at the time, State School teachers were forced to resign as soon as they married.

In 1948 the first Sister-in-Charge, Sister Lois, heralded the beginning of a 32 year period of St Aidan’s having Sisters-in-Charge. For the previous 19 years the Sisters had always come out from the Community House to teach Divinity and to prepare students for confirmation. Overall the sisters’ views of education were farsighted and progressive and they deplored any view which denigrated the value of education for girls. In Sister Lois’ 1951 report, she stated 'Girls must be equally educated as, at the very least, they will need trained, well-informed and keen minds to be capable mothers'.

Sister Moira stressed the importance of parental involvement in student spiritual practices. Under her guidance, support for the Arts had grown, essential Senior School building works were under construction and Science subjects had received a much-needed boost.

Sister Helen Marie, succeeded Sister Moira in 1962 and, in 1964, the school saw a year of extraordinary building and academic change and expansion – plus increased enrolments. Sister Rachel’s years saw much expansion and progress within the school in many aspects. The enrolment had risen to 312 at the start of 1965, which meant that the school needed an urgent building programme to provide further classrooms and she embarked on several projects. Sister Kathleen was supported by Sister Norma and Sister Bridget, and Sister Julian who acted as housekeeper for them at Broads.

A shyer personality with a keen sense of humour and highly organised, Miss Neil led St Aidan's for 12 years from 1980. A testament to her years of hard work and foresight is the Performing Arts Complex. By 1990 Miss Neil had seen the need for a strategic plan 'for the next decade'. This plan would encompass physical, academic and co-curricula development. Her 12 years allowed her the time to implement her vision.

Mrs Patricia (Trish) Evans, came to the school in 1992. Her vision for St Aidan's included formulating and implementing a strategic plan, and enhancing administrative staff and student access to improved technology. Within an educational tradition of 'Girls can do anything' and a strong Christian framework of caring for each other and the wider community, Mrs Evans ably led St Aidan's through change.

Mrs Spiller, a former teacher at St Margaret's, Hillbrook Anglican School, Deputy Principal of St Aidan's and mother of three, Mrs Spiller was a popular choice as the new principal for St Aidan's to herald the new century. 'My vision for St Aidan's is to be the school of choice for the parent and daughter who want an all round education: academic as well as community service, leadership, music, sport, debating, all embedded in a strong Christian context (1999).' Mrs Spiller has guided through the development and enhancement of the Junior School facilities, the creation of the Science and Technology building, and the redevelopment of the Performing Arts Centre (PAC), to be known as The Christine Hartland Centre (completed mid-2010) and extension of the Junior School (completed mid-2010).