Sydney Girls High School
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Sydney Girls High School
Labor Omnia Vincit
(Work Conquers All)
| Established | 1883 |
|---|---|
| School Type | Academic Selective, Public |
| Principal | Dr. Margaret Varady AO |
| Location | Moore Park, Sydney, NSW |
| Student Enrollments | 1080 |
| Faculty | 11 |
| Campus | Urban Parkland |
| Grades | 7 to 12 |
| School Colours | Brown and Gold |
| Homepage | Sydney Girls |
Sydney Girls High School (abbreviated as SGHS) is an academically selective high school, established in 1883 and operated by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training, in Sydney, Australia. It is situated next to Sydney Boys High School. SGHS not only excels in academia, but also has made various achievements in other co-curricular fields. SGHS aims to not only foster intelligence, but also a strong sense of well-roundedness, social justice and female empowerment in its students.
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[edit] History
Established as Sydney High School in 1883, the school grounds were originally located on Elizabeth Street, Sydney, where the David Jones store currently stands. At the time, the school building was two storeys, blocked off by a high wall. The ground floor was occupied by male students, while the females occupied the first floor.
Because of high levels of noise pollution from transport and other activities, the boys' school moved to a different location, followed by the girls' school, which became Sydney Girls High School. Ironically, the two streets currently adjacent to the school, Anzac Parade and Cleveland Sreet, are both large and busy roads that still make classrooms noisy from time to time.
In 1921, SGHS moved to the former Sydney Zoo site, which was formerly known as the Billy Goat Swamp but is better identified as being opposite Moore Park, Fox Studios and the SCG. The new building incorporated many modern features necessary for twentieth century education, provided large areas of greenery and was more quiet, but students were still sad to leave the original school site.
SGHS students supported the war effort on the homefront in both World War I and World War II by organising care packages and knitting socks and other important clothing items for the soldiers on the front.
In 1999, a severe hailstorm in Sydney caused significant damage to the school grounds, destroying areas of the roof and causing water leakage into many of the classrooms. To repair and prepare for restorations, students were given a week off school. On the upside, this storm also destroyed much of the obsolete computer technology and paved the way for a large base of new technology throughout the school.
[edit] Houses
Students are allocated to a house when they enter SGHS according to their surnames. There are 4 different houses which students compete under for the Swimming, Athletics and Cross Country Carnivals:
Campbell (red) Gavin (blue) Macquarie (green) Moore (yellow)
[edit] Extra-curricular activities
One co-curricular activity SGHS particularly excels in is debating. In both 2004 and 2005, SGHS has won the Hume Barbour Trophy, the most prestigious public school debating competition.
SGHS has long had a strong debating ethos, giving students of all grades the opportunity to develop their skills through weekly coaching and debates, both social and competitive. SGHS is entered into all Combined High Schools debating competitions, and regularly has social debates with schools such as Sydney Boys High School, Sydney Grammar School, Scots College and St Joseph's College (Joeys).
[edit] School Song
The Sydney Girls High School song, set to the tune "Men of Harlech," is sung at assemblies. When an old girl is present at an assembly, the principal would traditionally point to the former student when the line "famous old girls here returning" is sung.
It is interesting to note that Sydney Technical High School shares the same school song, albeit with different lyrics. Also, Sydney Boys High School, the brother school of Sydney Girls, starts its school song with "rally round, boys".
Lyrics:
Rally round girls, to acclaim her
For our heritage proclaim her;
Loudly, proudly, let us name her
Sydney Girls' High School!
Toiling cannot tire us, we have hope to fire us,
Day by day, in work or play, With "Labor Omnia Vincit" to inspire us. Never slacken our endeavour,
Do not think this bond can sever,
Flourish now and flourish ever!
Sydney Girls' High School.
Famous old girls here returning,
Show the light of their discerning,
Honouring now this place of learning -
Sydney Girls' High School.
Toiling cannot tire them, they have hope to fire them,
Day by day, in every way,
With "Labor Omnia Vincit" to inspire them
Echoes from the past are ringing,
Youth is brief and time is winging,
Past and present join in singing:
Sydney Girls' High School.
[edit] Notable SGHS Old Girls
[edit] Politics/Law
- Marie Bashir - Medico/Adolescent Problems, first and current female Governor of NSW.
- Ada Emily Evans - First woman in Australia to gain Law degree but not permitted to practise.
- Mildred Brunston - Awarded M.B.E. for services to the cause of Equal Pay for Equal Work.
- Janette Howard - Wife of Australian Prime Minister, John Howard.
[edit] Science and Commerce
- Ruby Payne-Scott - Australia's first radio-physicist.
- Florence McKenzie - First woman Electrical Engineer in Australia and Ham Radio Operator.
- Katherine Prime - First woman president of Institute of Actuaries of Australia.
[edit] Arts and Media
- Julia Zemiro - Comedian and TV presenter
- Ethel Turner - Children's author
- Jessica Rowe - TV Presenter
- Sacha Horler - Actor
- Marilyn Richardson - Opera Singer
- Carolyn Martin Scott - Journalist for many Australian and overseas newspapers and Time and Life magazine
- Lucy Bell - Actress
- Esther Anatolitis - General Manager, Express Media and curator, Architecture+Philosophy
- Katrina Schwarz - Editor, Art & Australia magazine
[edit] Sport
- Jane Saville - Olympic Walker 1996 and 2000
- Tamsin Angus-Leppan - National Rowing Champion
- Tracey Brook - Olympic Figure-Skater
- Jessi Miley-Dyer - Champion Surfer
