Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale
Encyclopedia
The Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale (PLC Armidale) is an independent
, Presbyterian, day
and boarding school
for girls. The school is located in Armidale
, a large rural town with a population of 28,000 in the New England region
of New South Wales
, Australia
.
PLC Armidale currently caters for approximately 400 students from Kindergarten
to Year 12, including 80 boarders in Years 5 to 12. Enrolment at PLC Armidale is non-selective, and students from all races and religious affiliations are welcome. The college
is affiliated with the Association of Independent Schools of New South Wales (AIS NSW), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
(JSHAA) the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA), and is an affiliate member of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools
(AHIGS).
In 2006, PLC was named the top performing Higher School Certificate school in the New England region of New South Wales. Overall PLC Armidale ranked 114th in the State.
for girls under its Principal, Miss Elizabeth Higgs.
In 1910, the New England Ladies' College was bought by Alethea Tendall, who went on to be proprietor and Principal for 28 years, and who renamed it The Hilton School. When Miss Tendall purchased it, the school was operating out of two houses.
A group of Presbyterian businessmen purchased the school in 1938, and the following year it came under the financial support of the Trustees of the Presbyterian Church of Australia
. Subsequently, the school's name was changed to its current form, The Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale. In 1945, 70 acres (28 ha) of land on North Hill were purchased, and following a fund raising campaign, the foundation stone of the new school buildings was laid in 1960. Since then, several building programmes have extended the facilities to their present form.
In late August 2005, due to financial troubles at the College, it was announced that PLC Armidale and the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney
(PLC Sydney), would join to form an alliance, with both schools coming under the executive leadership of Dr William McKeith, the Principal of PLC Sydney. Members of the PLC Armidale Council formed part of the new joint school Council, essentially making the two PLC's true sister school
s.
The aim of this alliance is to strengthen PLC Armidale through cooperative marketing, a change in management and a stronger financial base. It is also to be of benefit to both schools through student exchanges, accommodation for sporting events or excursion
s, and a 'country or city' option for prospective students. Both schools will maintain their separate identities in order to preserve the unique histories and traditions that both have developed over many years.
s and musicianship classes, including bagpipes
, cello
, clarinet
, double bass
, drum
s, electronic keyboard
, flute
, french horn, guitar
, oboe
, percussion, piano
, piccolo
, recorder
, saxophone
, singing
, violin
, viola
, trombone
, trumpet
. Students may also be enrolled in Australian Music Examinations Board
(AMEB) and Trinity College
music examinations.
Students may also participate in ensemble music, with choir
s, orchestra
, bands, string, saxophone, recorder and flute ensembles available. There are a number opportunities for public performances.
(IGSSA) competitions and other competitions as appropriate. Sports available include: Tennis
, Softball
, Touch Football
, Swimming
, Athletics, Basketball
, Hockey
, Netball
, Soccer, Equestrian
, and Cattle
Management.
Nearby schools include:
Presbyterian Schools
There are three other Presbyterian schools in New South Wales:
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
, Presbyterian, day
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
and boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for girls. The school is located in Armidale
Armidale, New South Wales
Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale Dumaresq Shire had a population of 19,485 people according to the 2006 census. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region...
, a large rural town with a population of 28,000 in the New England region
New England (Australia)
New England or New England North West is the name given to a generally undefined region about 60 kilometres inland, that includes the Northern Tablelands and the North West Slopes regions in the north of the state of New South Wales, Australia.-History:The region has been occupied by Indigenous...
of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
PLC Armidale currently caters for approximately 400 students from Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
to Year 12, including 80 boarders in Years 5 to 12. Enrolment at PLC Armidale is non-selective, and students from all races and religious affiliations are welcome. The college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
is affiliated with the Association of Independent Schools of New South Wales (AIS NSW), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
Junior School Heads Association of Australia
The Independent Primary School Heads of Australia formerly Junior School Heads Association of Australia , is an incorporated body representing the heads of independent primary schools in Australia....
(JSHAA) the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA), and is an affiliate member of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools
Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools
The Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools , is an association for private girls' schools, based in North Ryde, in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
(AHIGS).
In 2006, PLC was named the top performing Higher School Certificate school in the New England region of New South Wales. Overall PLC Armidale ranked 114th in the State.
History
The Presbyterian Ladies' College dates from the foundation of the New England Ladies College at "Smith House" in 1887, offering a secondary educationSecondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
for girls under its Principal, Miss Elizabeth Higgs.
In 1910, the New England Ladies' College was bought by Alethea Tendall, who went on to be proprietor and Principal for 28 years, and who renamed it The Hilton School. When Miss Tendall purchased it, the school was operating out of two houses.
Presbyterian Church of Australia
The Presbyterian Church of Australia is the largest Presbyterian denomination in Australia. .-Beginnings:...
. Subsequently, the school's name was changed to its current form, The Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale. In 1945, 70 acres (28 ha) of land on North Hill were purchased, and following a fund raising campaign, the foundation stone of the new school buildings was laid in 1960. Since then, several building programmes have extended the facilities to their present form.
In late August 2005, due to financial troubles at the College, it was announced that PLC Armidale and the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney
Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney
The Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for girls in Croydon, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, Australia...
(PLC Sydney), would join to form an alliance, with both schools coming under the executive leadership of Dr William McKeith, the Principal of PLC Sydney. Members of the PLC Armidale Council formed part of the new joint school Council, essentially making the two PLC's true sister school
Sister school
The term sister school has several meanings:*a definite financial commerce between two colleges or universities*two schools that have a strong historical connection...
s.
The aim of this alliance is to strengthen PLC Armidale through cooperative marketing, a change in management and a stronger financial base. It is also to be of benefit to both schools through student exchanges, accommodation for sporting events or excursion
Excursion
An excursion is a trip by a group of people, usually made for leisure, education, or physical purposes. It is often an adjunct to a longer journey or visit to a place, sometimes for other purposes....
s, and a 'country or city' option for prospective students. Both schools will maintain their separate identities in order to preserve the unique histories and traditions that both have developed over many years.
Principals
| Period | Details |
|---|---|
| 1910 – 1938 | Miss Anthea Collis Tendall |
| 1938 – 1941 | Dr Helen Isabella Wilkie, M.A., Ph.D. (Edinburgh) Principal of PLC Sydney 1942 – 1945 |
| 1942 – 1951 | Miss Clarice Ashworth |
| 1952 – 1953 | Miss Kathleen Buchan |
| 1954 – 1958 | Miss E. Jean McColl |
| 1959 – 1962 | Miss D Joan Humby |
| 1963 – 1968 | Miss Catherine McLean |
| 1969 – 1971 | Acting Principal – Miss Dorothy Knox |
| 1971 – 1978 | Mrs Faye Morris-Yates |
| 1979 – 1989 | Miss Francis Parsons |
| 1989 – 1997 | Mrs Rosalyn Lindsay |
| 1997 – 1999 | Mrs Carole Tisdell |
| 2000 – 2002 | Dr Ness Goodwin |
| 2002 | Acting Principal – Mr Roderick West |
| 2003 – 2005 | Mrs Judith White |
| 2005 – 2010 | Dr William T. McKeith AM Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"... , B.A., Dip. Ed. (Macquarie), M.A. (Sydney), M.B.A. (Leicester), Ed. D. (Leicester), F.A.C.E., F.A.I.M. Principal of PLC Sydney since 1986, Principal of both schools from 2005. |
| 2011–Present | Dr Paul Burgis, PhD (UNSW), MEd, Dip Tchg, Dip Div & Miss Principal of both PLC Armidale and PLC Sydney |
Co-curriculum
A variety of sports and co-curricular activities are offered each semester, and students may choose from these according to their interests and needs.Music
The school offers a range of musical instrumentMusical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
s and musicianship classes, including bagpipes
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
, cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
, double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
, drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, electronic keyboard
Electronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
, flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, french horn, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
, percussion, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, piccolo
Piccolo
The piccolo is a half-size flute, and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. The piccolo has the same fingerings as its larger sibling, the standard transverse flute, but the sound it produces is an octave higher than written...
, recorder
Recorder
The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
, saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
. Students may also be enrolled in Australian Music Examinations Board
Australian Music Examinations Board
The Australian Music Examinations Board is a privately funded corporation which assesses music, speech, and drama in Australia. The organisation had its beginnings at the Universities of Melbourne and Adelaide in 1887; the organisation now has a Federal Office in Melbourne, and offices in each...
(AMEB) and Trinity College
Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music is one of the London music conservatories, based in Greenwich. It is part of Trinity Laban.The conservatoire is inheritor of elegant riverside buildings of the former Greenwich Hospital, designed in part by Sir Christopher Wren...
music examinations.
Students may also participate in ensemble music, with choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
s, orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
, bands, string, saxophone, recorder and flute ensembles available. There are a number opportunities for public performances.
Sport
PLC Armidale encourages students to participate in a range of team and individual sports, with teams for all ages and all levels of ability. The school enters teams in the Independent Girls' Schools Sporting AssociationIndependent Girls' Schools Sporting Association
The Independent Girls' Schools Sporting Association , was established in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, in 1922 with five founding members, all of them independent Protestant girls' schools....
(IGSSA) competitions and other competitions as appropriate. Sports available include: Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, Softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, Touch Football
Touch football (rugby league)
Touch is a field sport also known as Touch Football, or in some countries as Touch Rugby. Touch is overseen worldwide by the Federation of International Touch . Touch has traditionally been played in Australia and New Zealand but the sport has expanded internationally and features many regional and...
, Swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, Athletics, Basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, Hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, Netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
, Soccer, Equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
, and Cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
Management.
Notable alumni
- Kate BellKate BellKate Bell is an Australian actress.-Biography:Bell played the role of Bec Sanderson in the television series Blue Water High, and it was for this role that she learned to surf. After playing Bec, she played Joey in Home And Away...
– Actress on Blue Water HighBlue Water HighBlue Water High is an Australian television drama series, broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on ABC1 and on Austar/Foxtel Nickelodeon channel in Australia and on various channels in many other countries... - Patricia LovellPatricia LovellPatricia Lovell is an Australian film producer whose work within the that country's film industry led her to receive the Longford Life Achievement Award in 2004 from the Australian Film Institute . One of her productions, Gallipoli, received an AFI Award in 1982 as best film...
– Producer of GallipoliGallipoli (1981 film)Gallipoli is a 1981 Australian film, directed by Peter Weir and starring Mel Gibson and Mark Lee, about several young men from rural Western Australia who enlist in the Australian Army during the First World War. They are sent to Turkey, where they take part in the Gallipoli Campaign. During the...
Associated schools
Neighbouring SchoolsNearby schools include:
- The Armidale SchoolThe Armidale SchoolThe Armidale School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school predominantly for boys, located in Armidale, on the New England Tablelands of northern New South Wales, Australia...
- New England Girls' SchoolNew England Girls' SchoolThe New England Girls' School , is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for girls, located in Armidale, a rural city in northern New South Wales, Australia....
- Duval High SchoolDuval High SchoolDuval High School, a government funded higher school education facility located in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia was founded in 1974. Its current enrolment is approximately 800 students, male and female, from Year 7 to Year 12....
- O'Connor Catholic High SchoolO'Connor Catholic High SchoolO'Connor Catholic High School, now known as O'Connor Catholic College is a Catholic School in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.O’Connor Catholic College is a co-educational high school, from Years 7 to 12, and a systemic school in the Diocese of Armidale. It began in 1975 with the amalgamation...
- Armidale High SchoolArmidale High SchoolArmidale High School is a co-educational, public secondary school, located in Armidale, a university and cathedral city in northern New South Wales, Australia....
Presbyterian Schools
There are three other Presbyterian schools in New South Wales:
- PLC's 'sister school', The Presbyterian Ladies' College, SydneyPresbyterian Ladies' College, SydneyThe Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for girls in Croydon, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, Australia...
. Sydney and Armidale "PLC's" are both overseen by Dr. McKeith (Executive principal of Armidale, Principal of Sydney), and a joint College Council. - The Scots CollegeThe Scots CollegeFor other schools with a similar name see Scots College.The Scots College is an independent Presbyterian day and boarding school for boys, located in Bellevue Hill, an eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, Bellevue HillBellevue Hill, New South WalesBellevue Hill is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bellevue Hill is an affluent suburb, located 5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Woollahra.... - The Scots School, BathurstThe Scots School, BathurstThe Scots School, Bathurst , is an independent, co-educational, day and boarding school, with campuses in Bathurst and Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia....
See also
Further reading
- Pound, C. & Atkinson, A. 1995. The Common Task: A History of PLC Armidale. PLC Armidale Council, Armidale, N.S.W. ISBN 0-6462508-1-7.