Grammar Gazette- Issue 1, 2005

^ CONNECTIONS

grammargener. In this I 30th Year of Brisbane Girls Grammar School, we can all feel proud of a history committed to the education of Young women in Queensland. tio S

From that first founding in 1875 to the present day, focus has always been on encouraging students to reach their full potential, whatever the historical era. Yet one facet that has added richness to the fabric of Grammar history has been that of Grammar family traditions. Raje Manickam (110) of our Publications Team interviews three Grammar families who have been discovering the extent of their connections with Brisbane Girls Grammar School

Many of our Grammar families

continue the traditions

established by their ancestors in

testament to those values that

are treasured so much. All girls

Elizabeth and Stephanie Early

interviewed for this article agree

that Grammar is a place that

Elizabeth (12L) and Stephanie Early (90 were excited to discover that their earliest connection to the School was in 1926. Their maternal great grandmother, Signe Hodges (Larsen, 1927) was the first of their family to be enrolled, and a paternal an resto, Manorie Spencer (Grice, 1937), is recorded on the School's Honour Board as the winner of the Mackinlay Scholarship in 1937. in accompanying Elizabeth and Stephanie to Open Day over the years, their grandmother, Mangot Della Vedova (Hodges, 1952), would talk about how life at Grammar was different when she was a student Elizabeth said, 'My great aunt Kay Cowle (Hodges, 1948) on my mother's side and my aunt, Allson Early (Spencer, 1973) an my father's side also came here. I did not realise just how many of our family had come here. ' Ms Sally Douglas (2002) and her sisters Madeline 02G), Heather 00G) andjulia (86) always knew that they had 'some connections to the School'. In preparing for this interview, interesting historical details were uncovered. Their maternal great, great grandmother Mary Ann (Marianne) Waugh secured one of the first three Grammar School Scholarships granted to girls in Queensland in 1876 (at age 11) hadlong been a proud record in the family annals.

I

--,

values its history.

^*

Allce Bullock

Four generations of A1ice Bullock's (116) family have attended Brisbane Girls Grammar School. Alite's grandmothe, Professor Margaret Bullock (Roberts, 1950) believes that 'the high tone of the school in terms of preparation for leadership roles' and 'the attitude that women can do anything if they try and work hard' has remained integral to the School ethos. Her daughterin-law Elizabeth Bullock (Kennedy, 1977), a student here in the 1970s, echoes those sentiments. Their keen belief in that philosophy of academic rigou, is reflected in professor Bullock's fourteen year term as a member of the Board of Trustees from 1976 to 1990.

The Douglas sisters

Mrs Gasteen's (Waugh) daughters also attended Brisbane Girls Grammar School, as did other Gasteen and Byth family members who continued the Grammar tradition. in reading through the family's historical records, however, Mrs Rosemary Douglas, mother of Sally, Madeline, Heather and Iulia, made another interesting discovery. The girls were also connected to the School from 1875 on their father's, Mr Richard Douglas, side of the family. Heather pondered, 'When you think about being at school at Brisbane Girls Grammar School, sometimes you forget about its history. It's great to think that we have such early connections to the Sehool on both sides of the family. '

A common thread binding this family is that of music, whether instrumental or vocal.

Ajice attributes her musical involvement in the School to her grandmother and piano teacher 'They have guided and inspired me, encouraging me to continue with my music. ...'

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