Objects of Substance - Giddy and Guileless Grammar Girls Acr

Year 10 student Isabella Richard (1966) contributed a number of sketches in response to a call out for illustrations to grace school magazine publications. In her depiction of the art class with Mr Timmermans, we have insights into not only the mood of students but also the dress of the time. Some students can be seen wearing the square neck sports uniform (gym tunic) of the day, while others in full school uniform are in black stockings, part of the uniform no matter what season. Hair, if long, is carefull y tied in “pigtails” with ribbons. No hair was to touch the collar of the school blouse.

1964 December BGGS Magazine, artist Isabella Richard p34.

In the science class sketch, Isabella comments: “ It was generally understood that chemistry was about making stinks - maybe an apocryphal kind of terminology - anyway that's the point of this slightly amusing sketch. A student with a peg on the nose and an apprehensive teacher. I don't remember if she is supposed to be Mrs Castledine [our Science teacher] or just a generic mistress.” We even see two of the students wearing lab coats, as was the requirement of the time. (Power 2024)

While on the surface, the classroom might have been an orderly space, the sketches reveal the dynamics and personalities that are allowed to flourish in these contexts.