St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls, Perth

St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls, Perth

• Claremont Ladies' College, 1898-1905
• Girls' High School, 1905-1929
• St Hilda's Church of England School for Girls, 1929-1981
• St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls, 1981- present

• Educational

St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls, with its origins in the nineteenth century, is a day and boarding school catering for girls from Early Learning Centre to senior years. As at 2018, the school had an enrolment of over 1200 students, including boys in the Early Learning Centre, and 150 boarders. Christ Church Grammar School in nearby Claremont is our brother school.

In 1896 Mrs Edith Ross had formed a small school situated on Stirling Highway, Perth. In 1898 Misses Elisabeth and May Allen took charge of the fledgling school, relocating it to the Congregational Hall and later to the Parish Hall in Claremont. The school was named Claremont Ladies’ College.

In 1905 Miss Melina Parnell established the school naming it Girls’ High School. The Girls’ High School grew to include Macedon House (formerly in the grounds of the former John XXIII site on Stirling Highway, Claremont), and in 1907 Gunnersbury House on the river front (now in the grounds of Christ Church Grammar School). In 1912 the whole school moved to the river front in Claremont.

The Anglican Church was keen to have an Anglican girls' school in the Claremont, Cottesloe and Peppermint Grove area and in 1927 the Girls' High School was purchased by the West Australian Church Schools Company. Then in 1929 the school was sold to the Council of Church of England Schools and was transferred to Bay View Terrace, Mosman Park. It was the first school for girls in Perth to be controlled by the Diocesan Trustees.

In March 1931 the Governor of Western Australia officially opened the school and the Archbishop of Perth dedicated it with the name of St Hilda’s Church of England School for Girls. St Hilda’s began under the direction of Miss Catherine Small with 54 pupils from the Girls’ High School and 45 new pupils. Miss Small developed the school into a well-known Western Australian girls’ school despite difficulties during the Depression and World War II when the boarders were evacuated to Bencubbin.

In 1981, the school was re-named St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls and celebrated its Jubilee year on the Mosman Park site.

Officer-in-charge: Senior Librarian

St Hilda's Anglican School:

• Annual reports, 1931- present (1m)
• Chronicles, 1904- present (2m)
• School history, 1896- present (1m)
• Photograph collection, 1896- present (5m).
  Quantity: 20m.

Open Monday to Friday 8am-5pm.

Application for access required to be approved by Principal. Advance notice of visit required where possible.

For a map, see https://www.sthildas.wa.edu.au/contact-us/

General reference assistance available.

Copying services available for books, journals, original records to A3 size, photographs, newspapers, maps and plans.

• Education (Thematic area)