Strathcona Baptist Girls Grammar School
Established in 1924 by Florence Livingstone and Henrietta Hughes, the school currently caters for approximately 800 students from Preparatory to Year 12, over three campuses. Year nine girls attend 'Tay Creggan', a historic building on the Yarra River in Hawthorn. Years 7 to 12 are located in Canterbury, and the primary school is located on a new purpose-built premises in close proximity to the Main Campus in Canterbury.
The school is affiliated with the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA), the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Association of Independent Schools of Victoria (AISV), the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia (AGSA), and is a founding member of Girls Sport Victoria (GSV).
History
Strathcona was established in 1924 by its founding principals, Florence Livingstone and Henrietta Hughes, with a small number of pupils, both boys and girls.
In 1942, the school was purchased by the Baptist Union for the purpose of establishing a Baptist school for girls, and thus the school was renamed Strathcona Baptist Girls Grammar School.
Ms Featherstone commenced as headmistress in 1943, serving the school for 10 years. Enrolments increased rapidly and despite strict building restrictions after the Second World War, facilities were expanded providing for up to 200 girls.
In November 1969, Strathcona purchased historical building 'Tay Creggan', the Year 9 campus located in Hawthorn on the banks of the Yarra River. The built in 1893 in the Queen Anne style mansion as a family home it became an important and fashionable part of Hawthorne social life with many parties. It was designed by architect Guyon Purchas for his own use, however he ended declaring bankruptcy and had to sell the house.
Principals
There have been a total of nine principals or formerly headmistresses of Strathcona since the school was established in 1924. Note, between 1924 and 1941 there were two headmistresses at the same time who were the co-founders of the school.
| Years served | Name |
|---|---|
| 1924–1941 | Henrietta Hughes & Florence Livingstone |
| 1941–1942 | Bessie Sweetland |
| 1943–1953 | Dora Featherstone |
| 1954–1956 | Helen Smith |
| 1957–1972 | John Morley |
| 1973–1989 | Ken Lyall OAM |
| 1990–2000 | Ruth Bunyan AM |
| 2001–2014 | Helen Hughes |
| 2015–2023 | Marise McConaghy |
| 2024–Present | Lorna Beegan |
Curriculum
Strathcona Baptist Girls’ Grammar School offers the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) for their Year 11 and 12 students.
| Year | Rank | Median study score | Scores of 40+ (%) | Cohort size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 9 | 37 | 32.9 | 148 |
| 2013 | 12 | 36 | 30.3 | 142 |
| 2014 | 20 | 36 | 23.5 | 168 |
| 2015 | 23 | 36 | 21.5 | 174 |
| 2016 | 18 | 36 | 25.8 | 165 |
| 2017 | 19 | 36 | 25.8 | 163 |
| 2018 | 22 | 35 | 24.6 | 159 |
| 2019 | 15 | 36 | 27.9 | 154 |
| 2020 | 9 | 36 | 28.2 | 154 |
| 2021 | 25 | 35 | 20.5 | 166 |
| 2022 | 15 | 36 | 25.1 | 171 |
Sport
Strathcona is a member of Girls Sport Victoria (GSV).
GSV premierships
Strathcona has won the following GSV premiership.
- Tennis – 2004
Notable alumnae
Alumnae of Strathcona are known as Old Strathconians and are part of the school's alumni association, the Old Strathconians' Association (OSA). Some notable Old Strathconians include:
- Jill Baker – Publisher and former newspaper editor
- Pamela Gutman – Burmese art historian, member of the Refugee Review Tribunal; deputy director of the Research Institute for Asia and the Pacific at the University of Sydney; Senior Advisor for the Foreign Affairs Department
- Margaret Anne Jackson – professor and Director, Law Discipline, School of Accounting and Law, RMIT Business, RMIT University
- Regan Lamble – Australian representative to the 2012 Olympics in Athletics and selected for the 2016 Rio Olympic Team for the 20 km Race Walk.
- Norma Redpath OBE – Sculptor
- Prudence Anne Sibree – Parliamentarian and Solicitor; Member for Kew in the Legislative Assembly in the Victorian Parliament from 1981 to 1988.
- Jo Stanley – TV and Radio personality
- Jess Wilson – Current state MP for the Kew District