Lauriston Girls' School, Melbourne

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Lauriston Girls' School, Melbourne

• Educational

Lauriston Girls' School was established in 1901 by Margaret and Lilian Irving, daughters of the eminent Victorian educator Professor Martin Howy Irving.

Rapidly acquiring a reputation for academic and sporting excellence, the School outgrew its first home in Erskine Street, Malvern and moved to its present site in Huntingtower Road, Armadale in 1907. Under the stewardship of Miss Elizabeth Kirkhope, the Lauriston-educated successor to the Irving sisters, the School was able to withstand the financial and social pressures which forced the closure of many Independent Schools during the Depression years.

In 1948, Miss Kirkhope successfully managed the transition of the School from private ownership to a non-profit limited guarantee company, whilst protecting the School's non-denominational religious status. Under the leadership of Miss Gladys Davies, another Lauriston educated alumna, the School undertook an ambitious building program during the 1950s and 1960s, to provide students with modern, purpose-built facilities on the Huntingtower Road site.

The campus was further expanded in the 1970s with the purchase of landmark heritage buildings located close to the Armadale campus - 'Blairholme' and 'Montrose' - to house the lower and upper primary grades.

In 1993, Lauriston launched an Australian-first program for its Year 9 students and opened its regional campus ‘Howqua' in the Victorian High Country. For more than 20 years, this innovative program has given Year 9 students the opportunity to participate in a full year of pastoral, academic and outdoor programs designed to help each girl achieve her personal best.

Since its inception, Lauriston graduates have made their mark in multiple fields of endeavour. The School is very proud of its alumnae ('Old Girls') and regularly invites graduates back to talk with our current students.

Lauriston Girls' School has an extensive collection of administrative records as well as artworks, uniforms, trophies, photographs, personal papers and ephemera, relating to the history of the school, its staff and students. The archives also welcomes acquisitions from its alumnae and the general public that specifically relate to the history of the school and its community.

The archival holdings date from Lauriston Girls' School inception to the current date.

The Lauriston Girls' School Archives uses the ArchivAll software.

The Archivist works Monday to Wednesday 8.30am-5pm.

The Archives is open to both the Lauriston Girls' School alumnae and the general public.

Lauriston places the utmost importance on the confidentiality of student data and all research enquiries are subject to the provisions of the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

The Lauriston Girls' School Archives is open on Monday to Wednesday each week and the archivist will respond to research enquiries on those days.

This will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Access to the Archives is strictly by arrangement with the Archivist or other staff member at Lauriston Girls' School.

Revised 24 April 2019

• Built Environment (Thematic area)
• Éducation (Thematic area)
• Genealogical (Thematic area)
• Loisirs et sports (Thematic area)
• Social Organisations and Activities (Thematic area)