Our History
St Catherine's School was founded in 1896, when
Miss Jeanie Hood opened a School in Templeton Street, Castlemaine,
which she named 'Castlemaine Ladies' College'.
At the instigation of Henry Langley, the first
Anglican Bishop of Bendigo, his daughters, Ruth, Aphra and
Nona took over the school in 1903. The Langley sisters later
changed the School's name to Castlemaine Girls' College, and
in 1911 to
St Catherine's Girls College, Castlemaine, after
the Anglican School at Waverley in Sydney, which Ruth and
Nona Langley had attended.
In 1920, St Catherine's School moved to Williams
Road in Melbourne, where 48 pupils were enrolled. Ruth Langley
had been joined in 1919 by Flora Templeton, who came as co-Principal
from Blair School, St Georges Road, Toorak, with her students.
In 1922, St Catherine's Grammar School had 80 students, and
- in need of more accommodation, Miss Langley and Miss Templeton
purchased Kilbride House, formerly known as Beaulieu, at 17
Heyington Place, Toorak. The building was ultimately re-named
Sherren House, in recognition of Mrs Ruby Lawrence (nee Sherren),
Matron from 1923-46.
Flora Templeton died in 1931, but Ruth Langley continued the
administration of the School, appointing Edna Holmes as Headmistress.
After Ruth Langley's death in 1933, her sister Miss Hilda
Langley became Principal.
In 1942, World War II saw the School buildings
requisitioned as a residence for the WAAAF. St Catherine's
found a temporary home at Mountain Grand, Warburton, and returned
to Heyington Place in 1943. In 1944 Miss Sophie Borland was
appointed Headmistress and worked with Hilda Langley as Principal
until the end of 1947, when the trustee of the late Ruth Langley
decided to hand control of the School to a Council. The first
Chairman of the Council was The Right Reverend John McKie,
Bishop of Geelong.
In 1948, Barbreck, at 33 Heyington Place, was acquired for
use as a Junior School, making possible further extensions
to the Secondary School, and pupil numbers increased to about
400.
In 1950 Miss Mary Davis was appointed as Principal
and Headmistress. In 1957, Hilda Langley died, ending the
Langley family's long association with the School.
Increasing enrolments required more space, and
in 1952, 29 and 31 Heyington Place were purchased. In 1959,
27 Heyington Place was bought to provide a new boarding house,
and later named Campbell House in recognition of Mr JCE Campbell, Chairman of the School Council from 1952 - 1967.
In 1961, St Catherine's had almost 600 students,
and 23 Heyington Place was purchased as a residence for the
Headmistress. Mrs R Ann Baylis served as Principal from 1971
- 77, and in 1977 Miss Dorothy Pizzey was appointed to this
post. In 1996 the School celebrated its Centenary, and commissioned
a history
St Catherine's: A Centenary Celebration, by historians
Dr Ian and Mrs Dorothy Hansen. In 1997, student numbers had
reached 800, and Miss Pizzey announced her retirement. In
August 1997, Mrs Judy McCowan was appointed Principal.
In 1998 Illawarra, a superb 1890s mansion adjacent
to the School campus, was restored by the School as an additional
Boarding House through a special leasing arrangement with
the National Trust, owners of the property. In 1999, the purchase
of Wiltondale at 25 Heyington Place brought completion to
the campus and together with the release of the previous Principal's
residence for School use added substantially to both the grounds
and indoor spaces available to the School.
Mrs Laraine Sharr {BA (Otago), Dip Tch (Christchurch Coll.), LTCL (Speech)} was appointed as Principal of St Catherine's School in January 2000. A great innovator, Mrs Sharr positioned the School as a leader in modern education and every aspect of her tenure at St Catherine's was predicated upon the School motto: ‘Nothing is great unless it is good'.
In October 2007, St Catherine’s appointed Mrs Sylvia Walton AO as the Principal of St Catherine's School. Mrs Walton is an outstanding educationalist, as former Principal of Tintern Schools, a long standing contributor to the development of education policy and currently serving as Chancellor of La Trobe University Council. Mrs Walton has a deep understanding of the School, having been a member of St Catherine's Council until recently, and her abilities, passion, energy and character continue to build on the achievements of her predecessors.
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