1982 BGGS Magazine

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(New prefects included Semester Two: Jennifer Stewart, Bronwyn Ashton, Anne Smith)

Cover designed by Dianne Ratcliffe, JOE

FROM THE PRINCIPAL:

1982

A MILESTONE IN THE HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL .

On the 24th December, 1874 the Colonial Secretary, Brisbane, was informed by the Trustees of Brisbane Grammar School that it was their intention to establish a Girls' School to be opened in 1875, as a branch of Brisbane Grammar School. The first informative announcement was given by Mr. Thomas Harlin, the Headmaster of Brisbane Grammar School, at a distribution of prizes on the 27th February, 1875. The opening of the girls' school on Saturday, March 13, 1875 was in sharp contrast to the opening of Brisbane Grammar School some six years previously. Only a brief announcement in the Brisbane Courier indicated that an important start in the Colony's education for girls was about to commence . ..

Brisbane Grammar School Girls ' School, George Street Lady Principal, Mrs . O'Connor Assistant Teacher, Mrs. E. H. Elcock

The school will be opened on Monday the 15th instant at 9.00 a.m. Fees which are payable in advance may be paid either at the Grammar School or to the Honorary Treasurer at the Union Bank. The school hours for the commencement will be from 9.00 a.m. to 12 noon, and from 12.30 p.m. till 2.30 p.m. Mrs. O 'Connor will receive visitors on school business from half past two till half past four this afternoon. Thomas Harlin The first seven years of the Girls' Branch of Brisbane Grammar School were quite traumatic, but slowly its numbers grew and its popularity increased. Finally on July 21st, 1882, the school obtained an Endownment under the Grammar Schools' Act of 1865 and became a school in its own right with its own Board of Trustees and Miss Beanland became the first Principal not subject to direction from the Headmaster of Brisbane Grammar School. 1982 therefore marks a Centenary Year for Brisbane Girls' Grammar School. During the years of its existence Brisbane Girls' Grammar School has continued to educate young women to take their place in society and to base its aims on those originally laid down .

girls with a broad based liberal education an education that promotes academic achievement and excellence

To provide-

an education that allows access to higher education a secular education that teaches religious tolerance

PRINCIPAL'S ANNUAL REPORT 1981 Presented at the End of Year Assembly in the City Hall It is with much pleasure that, as Pr incipal of Brisbane Girls ' Grammar School , I present the l 06th Ann ual Report of the School. This year, because of increasing numbers and greater interest in the End of Year Assembly and prize giving, it has been necessary to move from the venue of the past five years in Centenary Hall at Brisbane Grammar School. I would like to take thi s opportunity to thank the Board of Trustees, the Principal and staff of Brisbane Grammar School for the help and hospitality of the past years when we have held this occasion in their fine school. It has been much appreciated. The school year opened on January 27th with 799 students of whom 96 were boarders . This represents an increase of some twenty girls in the Boarding House which resulted from the Board of Trustees' decision in 1980 to upgrade boarding facilities and to provide accommodation for the increasing number of country girls seeking a place in our school. Although the alterations were not completed until the Easter break , the parents of boarders were invited to attend the evening meal with their daughters on the first night, see the progress of the alterations , and meet with sta ff from both the day and boarding school. From the number of letters I received after the evening, it was a most successful innovation a nd we will certainly continue this practise in 1982. Country parents have very little opportunity, if any, to meet with the men and women who will care for their children in the year ahead . The girls were particularly pleased with all the changes and most grateful to everyone who had contributed. Special thanks must be given to the Mothers ' Group who provided money, time and effort to furnish and redecorate a room for senior boarders to use for relaxation . Miss Lynch, Dr Gehrmann, Distinguished Guests, Parents, Staff and Girls,

Recently an order has been placed to provide silky oak tables a nd seating for the new dining hall at a cost of some $10,000 . These furnishings will become an asset to the school and help to make the area o f the old Assembly Hall a most dignified room. Thanks for this generous donation must go to the Pa rent s' and Friends ' Association under the chairmanship of Mr Bill Ward. It is hoped that in the future, the o ld Assembly Hall will not only be the focus of the boarding house but o f the school a lso, and that with the co- operation of the Old Girls ' Associ a tion, it will permanently house our archives in the gallery area. Plans a re already afoot to install a Lilley Honour Board in the area to record the names of all students who have received the school ' s highest academic honour. A gift of a beautiful oil painting presented to the school by the class of 1930 after its fiftieth reunion will also shortly be hung in the area, along with photographs of the women who have held the position of Headmistress in the school. The development of this section of the school represent s the result of co-operative effort by the Board of Trustees, students, old girls and parents and will, for all time, stand to remind us all of the spirit and support that exist for the school.

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The culmination of the evaluation of the school by itself was the visit in August of nine eminent people from various walks of life. Their task was to consider whether what was written in our own report was in accord with our current practice and in general harmony with the aims and objectives of the school. The group was chaired by Mr Philip Roff, Principal of Scotch College, Melbourne, and a member of the National School Evaluation Committee. It is pleasing to welcome today, as our guest speaker, Miss Helen Lynch, who was a member of that fine team. Miss Lynch brought her experience from commercial life to the school and contributed greatly to our evaluation. At the same time, she became a little, or should we say a lot, wiser about the organisation of an independent school, and particularly about this school and she has, I know, taken this knowledge back into the commercial world. We welcome you, Miss Lynch, and look forward to hearing from you later this afternoon. Some other members of that committee are also present with us today and I would like to take this opportunity to express to them my sincere appreciation for the contribution that they have made to the development of a future plan for this school. Their visit must by no means be seen as the end of the process but rather the beginning of a new stage in our development. We have a lot of work ahead of us at many levels to implement many of the worthwhile suggestions that were forthcoming from staff, students, parents, old girls and administration. Some of the recommendations have already been implemented, while still others are in the pipeline. The committee commended the strong academic tradition of the school which it felt is being evidently and capably maintained and indeed strengthened. It also commended the relaxed atmosphere within the school, the high level of professionalism and the thoroughness of approach of most academic staff which, they believe, contributes to the internal strength and the esteem in which the school is held. The committee further commended the quality and extent of the contribution made by parents to the operation of the school and the foresight and courage of the Board in permitting and encouraging a full scale evaluation to take place. The Committee believed that the range of experiences available to the girls is impressive not only in academic offerings but in the variety of other activities provided. It is significant that while each of the activities provides enjoyment, those responsible for their conduct have identified the educational benefits to be achieved. 3

Changes have also occurred in the academic area. During the year a micro computer facility was installed under the direction of Mr Lynton Bourke. This is housed in the humanities block and provides facilities for girls in various subjects. It has made possible the development of a semester of work in computing for our accountancy students and the introduction of a computer literacy and awareness course in Years 8 and 9. During 1982, it will also be used to facilitate school record keeping under R.O.S.B.A. With the development of this area, Mr Bourke will officially become Master of Computing and School Moderation in 1982, relinquishing his post as Master of Mathematics. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Mr Bourke for his contribution to the development of mathematics in the school and to congratulate him on his new appointment. This is also an appropriate time to thank the Parents' and Friends' Association for its generous donation of $7,000 to provide an extra five computer terminals which will bring the number to nine. A new subject- "Study of Religion"- was introduced at Year II on a trial bas is, bringing to twenty the number of subjects available at senior level. The decision was made in view of the rapidly changing nature of Australian society from one dominated by Anglo-Saxons to one that is rapidly becoming multicultural and pluralistic. This subject will provide students with knowledge of various cultures and beliefs and should be particularly valuable for girls entering service-oriented fields such as teaching, nursing and counselling. All developments in institutions are only as successful as the people in those institutions make them and progress can only occur if there is open and frank discussion by all the people at different levels within the organisation. It is obvious from the demand for places in the school that what we are doing pleases a large number of people but about this we must never become too complacent. Because we recognised this the school undertook a full scale evaluation in 1980/81 to look at its aims and objectives, at what is happening now and, in the light of this knowledge, what directions it should take in the future.

Mrs Spykerboer has developed a cultural group for students of French, German and Latin and has been responsible for our girls ' participation in many cultural activities not only in our own city, but also in Toowoomba. Recently a submission was made to the Multi-cultural Committee of the Schools Commission for money to expand this group within the school so that greater understanding can be promoted about other cultures. These moves are particularly necessary in the light of the rapid ly changing nature of Australian society. Many of our girls have received high awards and honours this year in the academic field and these have all been listed in the Annual School Magazine, but I would like to make particular mention of Lyndall Jones who today receives the Lilley Gold Medal. Lyndall was chosen to attend the National Science School in Sydney which is run by the University of Sydney, under the direction of Professor Harry Messell. Students from all over Australia have attended this most successful Science School each year for some fifteen years or more. They are chosen solely on academic ability in the sciences and their desire to pursue scientific careers. It is interesting to note that the five representatives from Queensland this year were all girls. Sport continued to nourish in the school during 1982 with many teams receiving pennants at inter-school level. These awards were presented during the year at four sports dinners to which parents, as well as athletes, were invited. The last dinner held in early November paid tribute to the dedication and hard work of the athletics team which this year did exceptionally well at the inter-school carnival. A special thanks must go to all the parents, old girls and staff who gave so generously of their time throughout the year to train the girls, and to the girls who came in the early hours of the morning to commence their training. Next year the Physical Education Department, under Mrs Short, will have an extra teacher to help with the increased activities in this area.

(1. to r.) Vanessa Golden (Year 8) , Nicole Hodsdon (Year 9), Miss Paterson (Coach/Chaperone), Cathy Martin (Year 10) about to leave for evening session of F.O.M.A.T. , Suva, Fiji, 1/ 9/ 81.

During 1982, some of these activities worthy of note included the visit by three girls in the junior school to Fiji to pa rticipate in th e mental abilities tournament. Miss Paterson not onl y accompanied the girls but helped to raise the money to send them, and gave them support they needed during the weeks prior to the visit and also during their visit. The three girls were very successful in winning at their various age levels and not only enjoyed the experience, but also gained a lot from it. We hope to continue to support this activity and to develop a similar mental abilities tournament for next year's School Day. The Japanese C ultural Group began its activities in 1981 with some 87 members. The school greatly appreciated the support of this group during the visit of the Hirayama Gakuen during August. It has already drawn up plans for a return visit to J a pan in 1982. The money raised by the group during the year will be used to improve the facilities for the teaching of Japanese in the school and promoting greater understanding between our school and schools in Japan . It is good to see parents coming to the school to learn Japanese on a Monday evening and making use of the facilities of the language laboratory and the audio visual department. My thanks to Mrs Moses for initiating this group.

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1981

A number of full time staff members were welcomed at the beginning of th e year, including Ms Helen Yeates to English; Mrs Patricia Bradley t o Mathematics ; Mr Trevor Steele to German and Miss Deborah Keeley t o Phys ical Education. Through the year we welcomed Mr Greg Geise to Mathematics; Mrs Keys to Science; Mr Howell to Speech and Drama ; and Mrs Fo rd to Art. Several part-time teachers have also been employed in the sch ool throughout the year, particul ar ly in the MathsjScience area. The boarding schoo l, and indeed the school, was saddened when Mrs Joan Best resigned in October, 1981. Mrs Best came in October, 1977 and quickly adjusted to life in th e boa rding schoo l. Her warm a nd pleasant nature helped to make the boardi ng school a home and she was much appreciated by many parents and girls. She will long oe remembered by ma ny people for her contribution not only to the boarders but a lso to the musical ac tivities . We are pleased that we have not lost her altogether a nd that she continues to come when needed to help Miss Hebden with the choir. Her family, and in particular her husband , were very generous in letting us have Mrs Best for so long and I am sure they are now most grate ful that they have her on a full time basis. At the end o f this year, we say farewell to another long standing member of staff, Mrs Wilma Torney, who is retiring from teachi ng. Mrs Torney has played a n important part in school life not only in the Mathematics Department but also with her involvement with the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Because of he r help and encouragement, many girls have achieved their Bronze Awards, with still others going on to grea ter hei ghts achieving their Silver and Gold Awards. Mrs Torney has also taken an active interest in the Rotary Study girl contests held each year and has encouraged many girls to app ly for American Field Scholarships. We wish her well in the future . Mrs Judith Smerdon, who has been my secretary for the past eighteen months , will also be leaving at the end of the year to have some time to herself. I have greatly appreciated her efficiency and support during her time with us and for the calming inOuence she has had on me. Judith has filled a very difficult position very well, and I am sure we will all miss her. Other staff leav ing have contributed much to th e development of the school in the short time that some of them have been assoc iated with us and we are grateful for their contributions. During the past four years, offerings to the girls have been increased and the number of staff members has risen from 40 in 1977 to 61 in 1981. New academic subjects include Health and Physical Education, Speech and Drama, Accounting, Computing, and the Study of Religion . In 1982 we intend to add yet another subject in the junior school where an altern at ive will be available to students in Year 9 who find the study of a pure language difficult. This subject has been developed by Miss Paterson and will be called "Multicultural Background". Its aim is to give students a broad understanding of other cultures and some knowledge of general language in the European and Asian areas. With the help of the Parents' a nd Friends' Association, typing will also be available to girls from the beginning of next year. Groups o f fifteen will be catered for using the sight and sound method . The course involves twenty lessons of one hour each and shortly M r Rowell will travel to Perth

to be trained in the use of this facility which will be housed in the Language Laboratory. Even though changes within the school are so readily observable, some misconceptions about the school have arisen . One in particular concerns my attitude to girls who, on reaching Junior Certificate level, have not attained a generally satisfactory standard of at least twenty semester points in five subjects. It is my policy to counsel both girls and parents in this category towards the middle of the year so that they realise the implications of achieving a poor Junior Certificate. This is done to help the girls, not to discourage them nor to make them feel that I do not want other than high achievers in the school. I believe that every girl who is accepted into this school has a right to be given an education that will help her develop to her maximum potential: otherwise, we have no right to accept her. With the help of Mrs Lynch we have at times devised special courses for girls having difficulties. After this, however, it is up to the individual girl to make the very best of what we have tried to do for her. In today's competitive society, it will not help anyone to gain a poor Junior Certificate and then automatically pass on to Year II to obtain, often, even poorer results. I believe it is necessary to bring this home to young people today and I feel strongly that there are not enough barriers built into our educational system to make the students realise how important it is always to try thei r utmost. It is much better to help students facing this difficult reality to achieve a better Junior by repeating the year, or to give them work experience that may, possibly, open new alternatives to them. To this end, ten girls did enter the workforce this year for one week so that they could det ermine whether they would like to leave school and begin careers or return to school and make an extra effort to achieve the better grades that could lead them on to even broader alternatives in the future. I would like to think that every girl who leaves this school at any level is employable, but this will be so only if all girls realise that nothing is achieved without hard work. 5

Another misconception exists in the community that Brisbane Girls ' Grammar School is a selective school but, in the true sense of the word, it certainly is not. Girls enter this school because of their position on the waiting list and the only thing that may appear to make us selectiv,e is the type of subjects we offer in the junior school. The philosophy of the school is to consider Years 8 to 10 as a period in which all students, irrespective of ability, are given a solid grounding in basic academic areas that will allow them to diversify more in the senior years. The Board of Trustees has been aware of the need to support this policy and now provides a wide variety of experiences for girls in Years 11 and 12. We believe that the longer specialisation is withheld, the easier will be the choice made by the students in our school. It is practically impossible for young people at the age of 13, 14 and 15, and indeed 16, satisfactorily to determine what they want to do with the rest of their lives, and yet, unfortunately, our whole education system is demanding that this is done. Is it any wonder that there is such unrest and so many changes by young people after they leave school? It is a well known fact that firm decisions can rarely be made before the age of 19. Not only has the Board of Trustees been aware of the needs of students, particularly in senior years, and hence improved the breadth of academic offerings in the school, but it has also been concerned with improving the quality of education in the school by continually improving the facilities. You all have only to look around the school to see the vast improvements that have taken place, not only through the erection of new buildings in recent years, but also in the refurbishing of existing rooms and in the maintenance of grounds. The pupil/teacher ratio has been reduced from 1 to 16 in 1977 to 1 to 13 for 1982, which is in keeping with the average national teacher jpupil ratio for independent schools. The average class sizes are gradually being reduced so that in the junior school the major subjects have classes of below 30 and in the senior school in the vicinity of 20 to 25 students. The freedom of choice permitted by the existence of independent schools in Australian society, therefore, becomes a reality when alternatives such as ours are available. But all this costs money. Our school has been placed in category 1 for the new levels of funding based on a three scale grouping of independent schools. We have reached this category because of the Board's policies to make our school ' s educational offerings equal to, if not better than, those recommended by the schools commission. This means that we receive twenty per cent of funding from the Commonwealth or, in real terms, $480 per student per year as against $721 for schools in category 2, and $913 for schools in category 3. To maintain our high standards other funding is received from the State Government but eventually the balance of 62% must be found by the parents. It is obvious from our long waiting lists that people accept that they have to pay for their freedom of choice and for what we have to offer. But I only hope that the girls here today realise how much of a sacrifice this can often mean to their parents. The only way in which you can thank your parents for this sacrifice is for each of you to do the very best that you can do each year and to take advantage of all the opportunities that are offered to you. l am now left with only one last task to do today, and that is to offer my thanks to the members of the Board, and in particular to the Chairman, Dr Gehrmann, for the help and 6

support they have given me throughout the year; to all the members of staff who have so willingly contributed to the future development of the school, and in particular to Miss Greet for her special assistance as co-ordinator of the School Evaluation Project; to the parents for their belief in the school and their support. And last, but by no means least, to the girls under the leadership of Andrea and Lesley for the warmth and spirit they displayed on so many occasions. To the girls leaving I wish you well in whatever lies ahead of you and I hope that you will continue to build on the firm foundations that have been given to you during your time in the school.

B.G.G.S. FATHERS' GROUP REPORT

Incidentally, the canoes were officially launched on School Day and Mrs Hancock requested that they be named after all of the chairmen to date of the Fathers' Group and Mr Bill Ward present President of the P. & F. Association. The names of the canoes are GORDON, HICKEY, MAHONEY, MORRIS, THOMSON and WARD and on behalf of the above I extend our thanks to Mrs Hancock. This year we decided not to have a wine bottling, which admittedly is a break of a tradition commenced by our initial chairman, Dr Gordon. It is hoped that maybe next year we will have arranged to obtain bottled wine, possibly with our own label, from a respected winery. This year has flown fairly fast, and we have only had one social event. The Bush Dance and Bar-B-Que again with the Bail 'em Bush Band was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. It is definitely an event that all members of the family can participate in whether young or old. Next year it is hoped that a calendar can be organised amongst the Groups within the School, of which there is getting to be more each year, so that social activities do not coincide. On behalf of the Fathers ' Group, I would like to thank both Mrs Hancock and Mr Madden for their attendance at our monthly meetings, for the interesting talk that Mrs Hancock always gives us, and for the help, support and assistance they both give to the Group throughout the year. In conclusion I would also like to extend my personal thanks to the other members of the Committee and also to the Fathers who regularly attend our meetings and give their support, time and ingenuity and their involvement in our working bees.

The Fathers' Group has again achieved another enjoyable and somewhat successful year in 1982. With each new school year, we endeavour to complete all of our unfinished works from the previous year, and to plan and commence new projects. Earlier in the year we assisted Mrs Ashton in carrying out landscaping in front of the school and, no doubt, eventually the lovely trees and shrubs will help to enhance the entrance of the school. At present we are still working on the construction of the stone walls adjacent to the tennis courts and volley ball court. More construction work will be required, and we have recently purchased more stone for this purpose. The planting of trees and shrubs will continue in this vicinity, especially on the embankment,helping to beautify and retain this area. However, at present, our most urgent project is the construction of a 6m 2 slab of concrete with retaining walls, ready for the erection of a modular shed complete with a roller door to house the newly acquired Canadian canoes, canoe trailer and safety equipments and tents,all purchased by the Fathers' Group. Th is would be our biggest project so far and has come about by the kind graces of the P. & F. Association who have kindly granted us a loan to enable us to purchase all of the above equipment. The purpose of the exercise is eventually to eliminate the high cost to the school of renting canoes and all safety jackets and other essential articles, and also a trailer to transport all this equipment. Initially it was our intention only to purchase a number of three-man tents but the decision was then reached to extend the project to include all of the above. Therefore we will be endeavouring to raise as much money as quickly as possible to meet our commitment. I would hope that we receive the support of all parents in our fund raising activities, and you will be notified of same in the weekly newsletter.

Donald Thomson, Chairman, FATHERS' GROUP.

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MOTHERS' GROUP REPORT 1982 has been a very busy but happy and rewarding year. Our first activity was the "Welcome to Mothers" in February, which was very well attended. In March we held our film night at the Schonell Theatre. The films, "From Mao to Mozart" and "Rosie the Riveter;' were most enjoyable. Our next function was Fashion Flair '82. This was a total involvement of girls, parents and school. That the parade was such a success is a tribute to the hard work of so many and the enthusiasm of the girls. Once again Dancing classes were held in July. All the girls and boys seem to enjoy these classes which culminated in a social evening in August. Also in July was our Musical Luncheon. The entertainment on this day was superb. We greeted spring with our Day in a Garden on September 1st. This was an enjoyable relaxed day. On School Day the mothers showed their talents with the quality of the food t hey produced for the light refreshments served in the Boarders Dining Room. Our last function of the year is an end-of-year lunch at Petrie Mansions iii November. This is a day when the mothers can relax and let someone else do the work. With the money raised from these functions, we have carpeted four rooms in W wing, curtained two, provided floor cushions for the Lunsie Dept. and funded the buying of greeting cards featuring the school. None of this just happens. It is all the result of hard work and co-operation and, in this respect, I cannot thank the mothers enough. Also my thanks to Mrs Hancock and the teaching staff who have happily addressed our meetings and helped in other ways, the office staff who sent out our Luncheon Notices, and the groundsmen, particularly Ted, who have lifted, laid, carried and set up for us on so many occasions. Above all I hope you might agree with Chris Madden's comment "How come the mothers work so hard to make money and seem to have so much fun doing it." I wish the incoming committee as much pleasure in their year as I have had in mine. Jan Macfarlane.

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OLD GIRLS ASSOCIATION REPORT

I would like to wish every success to the girls who are leaving, in whatever field they choose in the coming year and invite them to join the Old Girls' Association which enables them to keep in touch with the School and its activities. To Mrs. Hancock and all members of the school community I would like to extend the thanks of the association for their help and support during the year. Jean Vallis President NEWS Margaret Gehrmann received the Citizen's Award in the Australia Day Awards for service to the community. Joan Allsop was awarded A.M. in 1981 Honours List for her contribution to Adult Education. Phyllis Pledger has been appointed Principal of Rosewood State High School. Only the third woman Principal of a State High School. Yvonne Bain, who is a Trustee of the School, is now a member of the Queensland Planning and Finance Committee of the Schools Commission. She is also a member of the Australian Statistics Advisory Council. As our Old Girls' delegate on the National Council of Women, Yvonne is currently Treasurer of the National Council of Women of Australia. Joan Godfrey has been appointed Head of the new Q.I.T. Department of Nursing Studies. She began her career as a member of the Australian Army Women's Service. Following her army service she nursed at Cairns Base Hospital. She later spent II years as ward sister and nurse educator at Royal Brisbane Hospital after which she was the first appointment to the Queensland branch of the College of Nursing of Australia. Diana Thacker, who graduated from Queensland University in 1981 as a Civil Engineer, has recently become the first woman in Australia to be elected to the Assoc iation of Professional Engineering's Queensland Branch committee. Una Hollingworth, who is a design teacher at Q.I.T. and the Seven Hills Art College, has directed, designed and written a children's musical, "The Great Gold Medal Muddle'; for the Arts Theatre.

The year opened as usual with the Welcome to New Members Dinner and Annual General Meeting held at the Gateway Inn. It was an enjoyable night with quite a number of new Old Girls attending. It is hoped that next year more Old Girls will be able to support this function. The following members were elected as office bearers. Mrs Jean Vallis (President), Mrs Lyle Schwarten (Vice Pres.), Miss Barbara Lanslucry (Vice Pres.), Mrs Nelma Wright (Secretary), Mrs. Pam Knudsen (Assis. Sec.), Mrs. Paula McKellar (Treasurer), Miss Sally Morton (Assis.) Treas.), Miss Lorraine Chesters (Past Pres.), Comm ittee Members: Mrs. Jennifer Gray, Miss Sue Firth, Miss Ann Jell , Miss Rachel Montague, Miss Cathy Morris, Mrs. Joan Noon , Mrs. Jacqueline O'Dean, Mrs. Jocelyn Ortt-Saeed and Mrs. Olive Thacker. The newsletter was again published in April & we please ask Old Girls as well as Association Members to let us know any details which would be of interest in academic, ca reer or personal achievements. The Annual reunion on Saturday afternoon 5th June was once again held at the school and was well represented by Old Girls who attended the school over a very wide range of years. Mrs. Hancock spoke to the assembled group and arranged for tours of the school and boarding house by senior boarders. The II th Annual Art Show this year was held on 17th, 18th & 19th September and although not as successful as last year was nevertheless a very enjoyable and successful social and financial event Mr John Rigby, well known Australian Artist , who is Principal of the Seven Hill College of Art and a Trustee of the Q' ld. Art Gallery, opened the Show. During the last year three exhibitors who have supported us over many years passed away, Mrs. Gladys Douglas,a china painter, Mr. Malcolm McKinnon,an artist in wood, and, on the eve of this year's show, Mrs. Helen Ryan, a potter. We formally extend the sincere sympathy of the association to their families. The proceeds from the 1981 Art Show along with other Association funds were used to buy a large commercial dryer for the boarders and speakers for the organ in the auditorium, so completing the organ system suggested when the organ was first installed. The association has decided to give another prize which we are very pleased to be able to name The Marjorie Elliott Old Girls' Prize for Health & Physical Education. It is to hon our Miss Elliott, a past student, mistress and an Honorary Life Member of our Association. We were very pleased to accept Mr Ron Bisset's kind offer to take the position of auditor of the association and th ank him most sincerely. After the publication of last years magazine a Chicken & Champagne Theatre Party was held at the Arts Theatre, which was a most enjoyable finish to the year. I would like to thank Lyle Schwarten for taking over the rein s while my husband and I were away overseas during July & August.

ITS IN TAPESTRY tAN TAPESTRY

andM Gallery Jie1Ulan Tapestry

B.G.S. & B.G.G.S. students played at the official opening of the Cultural Centre by the Queen. 9

HEAD GIRLS' REPORT FIRST SEMESTER

School resumed again on April 19th and on the 28th a h referendum run by S.R.C., prefects and house captai began. Much to the surpri se of most, the majority was on two-thirds against hats. On the evening of May 8, the school rattled and shook the Fathers' Group Bush Dance and Barbeque, with t Bale 'em Up Bush Band. Monday the lOth of May saw a change to assembl Prefects began 'patrolling' assembly and the 'sin-bin' w introduced . The same day, was presented the secon prefects' skit on the hazards of smoking in public, especial when there are mysterious women lurking behind newspapers! On the afternoon of May 11, the field events Interhouse athletics were held, with the track even completed on May 14, with the day(s) going this year Griffith House.

The 1982 School year started off well on Tuesday, January 26th as a large number of year 12's greeted the new year 8's, gave them a brief rundown, a guided tour, a lot of advice and an afternoon of informative light entertainment. The next day, the entire school resumed as everyone caught up on 7 weeks' gossip (an exercise that lasted a couple of months!); timetables, teachers and text books sorted out and Year II and 12 elections for Prefects held. This first week saw the launching of a more comprehensive E.E.A. list and system. On Monday, February 8 the list of prefects was announced and a week later, the 15th, the official induction ceremony took place along with badges given to house captains. On the 19th of February the annual interhouse swimming carnival was held at Centenary Pool (sweat, sweat, pant!). Congratulations to England house. A week later an interschool Pre-swimming Carnival meet was held, and a fortnight after that, on March 12, we trooped along to Chandler by the busload to see our magnificent team close the gap on State High, from a score of 429 (B.S.H.S.) - 312 (B.G.G.S) last year, to 407 (B.S.H.S)- 312 (B.G.G.S.) this year. Well done team!

Saturday May 15 was the fashion event of the sch< calendar - the Extravaganza, a great success due to 1 efforts of Mrs Kennison and an endless list of girls.

Thursday, March 18, marked the first evening concert (one of several) held by the ever-growing School Music Department. On the 20th and 21st, four of five Waterpolo teams contested the Grand Finals- the teams, Under 14A, Under 16A, Under 18A and Open B. The Open B team came in first in their section, the others all in second place. The 29th of March rates a mention, because on this date the Year 12 Biology classes went off in all directions on the annual Biology Camp, and IT DIDN'T EVEN RAIN! On April 5th, the Prefects performed their first assembly skit on the state of the tuckshop queue. The first attempt at an interhouse athletics carnival was thwarted on Tuesday, April 6, by a heavy downpour - much to the dismay (?) of 800 girls who didn't have any books or pens or ·paper with them! Easter Break began on April 8th for a week and 2 days. 10

HEAD GIRLS' REPORT SECOND SEMESTER

Once again Grammar won the interschool athletics (not counting State High, of course) held at Marist Brothers, Ashgrove on May 22. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, the 3rd, 4th and 5th of June, the colourful school musical "Man of Steel" was held in the auditorium to packed audiences and deafening cheers. Our magnificent athletes dined on seafood to celebrate their efforts at the Sports Dinner on June 18. After several harrowing end-of-semester weeks, first semester finished on Thursday June 24. We certainly ended the semester on a lighter note - so to speak - with the interhouse Chorale Competition, won most convincingly by Griffith House. Elizabeth Jameson

School resumed quietly on Tuesday 13th July, with both the girls and staff geared for a hectic second semester as the Commonwealth Games and the end of year exams loomed ever nearer in the shortened semester. The first Monday after we returned was to prove an important one in the modern history of B.G .G .S. It was the date of the Guide Dog assembly in which we were approached by the World's Finest Chocolate Company to sell their incredibly delicious chocolates, a percentage of the profits of which were to be donated to the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. Imagine being foolish enough to ask B.G.G.S. students to sell chocolates! Needless to say we (being the greedy little piggies that we are) sold an unprecedented amount of chocolate and as a result we were rewarded at a recent assembly with the sponsorship of our very own dog, which Mrs Hancock laughingly informed us was to be called Judith. "We are not yet sure whether Judith will be a black or gold puppy", she read to us over assembly much to the girls' amusement. The following Monday's Assembly marked the lOOth anniversary of B.G.G.S.'s split with B.G.S. and the school celebrated the occasion with an address by Dr Gehrmann, and a prefect skit that included a special guest performance courtesy of B.G.S. in the form of John Peden, their School Captain. The assembly also saw the swearing in of new prefects - Bronwyn Ashton, Anne Smith and Jenny Stewart.

HOUSE GROUP CAPTAINS

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Sund ay 22nd August was the date for the State final of the Jay Cee' s Yo uth Speaks for Australia competition in which Elizabeth was to compete. Her performance on the day dazzled the judges and she was named as Queensland champion to meet the five other State finalists on Sunday, 20th August the following weekend. The entire school was thrilled with her win and so was Elizabeth as she fiddled at home with the beautiful $800 Sanyo Sound System that was part of her prize (much to the envy of her two brothers). She was still stunned by her win when she faced the judges and the cameras in the Austra li an final (both fina ls were televised on Channel 9) the following Sunday, and was ela ted , a long with her family, friends and of course, school, when she was named the winner. The $2,000 trip to America she will receive as part of her prize literally put the icing on the cake. The awards to Girls' Grammar students seemed to be coming from all angles as within the same period Amanda Rooney won the Australian Japanese speaking competition and as her prize received a return air ticket to Japan, where she was already to be travell ing on the Rotary Exchange Scholarship she has been awarded . We also saw the girls trail once again to Fiji for the Mental Olympics where they performed admirably. Winter fixtures concluded on Saturday, II th September, with B.G .G.S. playing St. Hilda 's at home. It was an extremely successful season for all concerned and on behalf of the spectators, I would assure you, an exciting season as well. The evening of Friday, 17th September saw the opening of the 1982 O.G.A. Art Show, a successful event that heralded in Schoo l Day 1982, which officially opened at ! I a.m. on Saturday, 18th September. Many people gave much time and effo rt to ensure that School Day was a success and they deserve credit for their efforts. School Day was a resounding success and was rounded off by the annual S .R .C. film . The enjoyment of all involved was attested to by the monetary success of the event that wound down third term. Janet Gibson

The following weekend was an eventful one for the school with a very entertaining Multi-Cultural Evening on the night of Saturday, 31st July, followed on Sunday 1st August by the Music Department ' s long awaited "Taylor Range Revisited. " The barbeque luncheon was extremely tasty and the whole day was delightfully relaxing. Congratulations to the Music Department for organising such a successful and innovative fund raising event.

I ~ J

The Spellathon was held on Monday, 2nd August and brought back many memories of nerve-wracking Primary School spelling bees - many of us found that our spelling ability hasn't improved from those days! The following Friday saw Grammar Basketballers compete in the State Finals at Victoria Point, a tribute to both teams and coaches on the relatively new Grammar Basketball team . Prefects and Head Girls attended the next meeting of the G.P.S. School Captains' Council which met at Sommerville House for a meeting and Barbeque lunch on Sunday 15th August. The meeting looked at the problems and comparative disciplinary systems (including the role of prefects) of the member schools and those who attended a ll found the exercise beneficial. 12

NATIONAL CAPITAL SEMINAR 1982

Longing to see everyone in Brisbane again, yet already missing the new friends I had made, I returned home with very mixed feelings after my week in Canberra, as a partici- pant in the National Capital Seminar. The Seminar, run by the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Trust for Young Australians, was designed to bring together one hundred students from around the nation, and give them an insight into the processes of Western Democracy. Following the highly successful plan of last year, the first National Capital Seminar, the week involved speakers, visits and activities centred around the Canberra Grammar School, where we were billeted. The week started straightaway on Sunday night , when we were addressed by the Governor-General, who opened the Seminar and then spoke to us on the choices facing young Australians today. Afterwards, we had our first chance to mingle with foreign ambassadors and other government officials. Speakers throughout the week involved leaders from all areas of Australian government, as well as ambassadors from overseas, in order that we might better understand our Pacific relations . These visits consisted of a short talk by the speaker, followed by an invaluable question/answer period, during which the students could air their views. Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser made an instant hit, when, in an answer to a question on his opinions on Australian youth, he stated, "I believe that every young Australian is capable of doing something great - for themselves, their family and friends , and for the nation . We are raising a generation on which the pride of the land can rest!" Throughout the Seminar we were encouraged to talk to as many adults as possible, so that we would learn more. To help start us off, we were divided into groups with extremely human tutors , who we could talk to about anything and everything. We were also given certain duties to do to keep us on our feet - I had to give a vote of thanks to Senator McClelland - frightening at the time, but a thrill afterwards.

The impressions that were made on our minds that week were very evident in the discussion groups and debates that we had . These ranged among all topics, from Democracy, to Improving the System, and finally, whether or not Canberra was truly a national capital. All students put forward ex- tremely intelligent views, putting to good use the information we had learnt throughout the week. To supplement the lectures and classroom-style learning, trips were undertaken to see the practical side of government life. The major tour was to Parliament House, followed by morning tea with our MP' s. This led to my member, Elaine Darling, inviting me to dinner at the luxurious Parliament House Dining Room, and a group of four of us being chauffer-driven around Canberra in a car loaned by Bill Hayden. Sessions to the Senate and the House of Representatives were also extremely lively, and the visits to the ministerial chambers proved very informative. Of course, no visit to Canberra would be complete without an overall view of the sights in this perfectly planned city. We students were let loose on Canberra and spent hours trampl- ing over places such as the War Memorial, Telecom Tower Lookout, High Court (where many of the group promptly decided to become judges!) the site of the new Parliament House, and Duntroon. In spite of the many activities, we were still left plenty of time for mixing socially. All kinds of combinations were struck: student/tutor, boy /girl, and of course, division by states! Needless to say, the whole week held political over- tones for the fifteen Queenslanders, with jokes on our "backwardness", but in spite of this I think we all mixed very well. We grew surprisingly close, and, by the end of the week , there were very few people who hadn 't seen or spoken to each other at least once before. The great friends, great tutors, and thoroughly fantastic week left no doubt in my mind that the aim of the conference had been achieved. A marvellous social experience had been combined with just as much learning, and made us feel the truth in Senator Don Chipp's words- "Politics are too im- portant to be left to the politicians!" Thanks must go to the school and the Board for giving me the opportunity to participate, and,of course, to all the people connected with the Trust who spent such a great deal of time in making it happen. I hope that Grammar will be able to send someone along next year - it has given myself and ninety-nine others a backg round which we will use for life. Deirdre Mahoney II Hirschfeld 13

ENGLAND HOUSE REPORT Rule Britannia, England rules the waves! The year sta rt( with a great splash as for the second year in successio England made a clear sweep of the Interschool Swimmir in February (i.e. we won!) Thanks go to all our competito especially Amanda Cook and Sue McCann who were bot age champions. This occasion saw the debut of the ne exciting, exhilarating England House cheersquad (comple1 with snake). We hate to boast, but we could not let tt occasion pass without mentioning that we won the Rela Cup, The Aggregate Cup and the Wooley Cup. This w; followed by a victory party in the form of our Englan House 8-B-Q. We found amongst us at the athletic carn iv: a super-speedy, super-athlete, namely Janelle Early, wh was crowned Year Twelve Age Champion. With typically overwhelming house spirit our choir an gymnasts put in a brilliant effort. In August England Hous went into mourning with the departure of our great hous captain Jan, who won a scholarship to Sri Lanka. But ou spirits were soon lifted by the equally spectacular an( energetic House Captain Elizabeth Mowatt. In trUI England House fashion, the year is ending with furthe1 victories as our inter-house debating team has reached th( finals and our School Day Taco Stall promises to be an enormous success. Likewise we are sure to come up victorious on the Picnic Races Day! The wondrous success that England House has enjoyed th is year is a result of the teamwork and enthusiastic participation displayed by every member of the House. In closing this sparkling report we would like to wish next year's Grade Twelves all the success, triumph and fun that we had!

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GIBSON HOUSE: 1982 STYLE 1982 has been a busy House year, yet again with the ~wimming carniva!, athletics, · chorale competition, I~te~house gymnastics, interhouse debating, School Day, picmc races etc. etc. etc. And as usual Gibson House has tackled it all with their ever distinctive House-pride and spirit. The year started off well as several of the vastly experienced (??) year 12 girls were given the task of orientating the new year 8 Gibson additions. (We still don't know who was more nervous - the new grade 8's or the "new" grade 12's ...). What a relief to find an eager new group whose drive and enthusiasm hasn't lagged all year. Having spent the first couple of weeks of 1982 in preparation, the inter-house swimming carnival marked the smash-~it launching of this years fashion in cheer squad- wear with the advent of brand new uniforms made by the able hands of several year 12's and their mothers. The new look, plus the rendition of a few old and a few new cheers m~de for a very enjoyable day and a more than pleasing third place. Although proud of every girl that swam especially so were we of our points aggregate champion: Sally O'Carroll.

The next big calendar event was the Gibson House, second-birthday party, starting off with indoor and outdoor games, followed by a delicious dinner of chicken, fried rice and spring rolls and topped off with a massive birthday cake kindly donated by Mrs Jameson. The interhouse athletics later proved to be an afternoon of fun and relaxation (anyway who really cares where you come; it's the fun that counts!!!). Years 8 and 9 distinguished themselves by both winning their respective softball round robins, as did year I 0 by their wonderful Easter party for the children of the Valley Child- care Centre. And the whole house distinguished itself in the R. T. Jeffries Chorale Competition, with voices of pure silver and months - well, weeks - of concerted practice culminating in the perfection that brought us into second place, just one point behind Griffith House! Thanks must go to our trainer- with-the-patience-of-a-saint, Liz Meier and our brilliant accompanist, Cathy Yule, and of course all the girls who practised and performed so well. Although the interhouse gymnastics wasn't exactly one of our victories this year we were well represented, particularly by Helen Wordsworth who gained a first place on the bars.

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