Objects of Substance- Grammar Gloves and the Gate Duty Book

Girls were expected to leave the school with neat hair (if the hair was past the collar, it had to be tied back; pigtails were to be plaited if long enough); no jewellery; correct ribbons; hat in place; and in winter, ties under jumpers and blazers and gloves on. Although research has not yielded concrete evidence, the consensus among past 1970s’ students is that in 1971, with the introduction of the long white socks, the navy gloves were relegated to winter when the uniform was black stockings, blazer, navy velour hat, and navy gloves. Perhaps summer was regarded as too hot for both the stockings and the gloves in semi-tropical Brisbane. Also, gloves were seen as no longer fashionably necessary. The 70s’ girls also felt that gloves were optional in the mid-70s, and then, without fuss or acknowledgement, the gloves disappeared from the uniform regulations in 1977.

1969 III Form Rail Tour – some students were in full winter uniform including gloves.

However, the concept of the gate duty book did not. In 2022, you will still find a list being compiled by Year 12 students on afternoon “gate duty”. Perhaps this is considered an even greater necessity in modern times when afternoon roll call is now a thing of the past and those final neatness checks by the House Group teacher no longer occur! What do the navy gloves and the gate duty books tell us about Girls Grammar? Does it signify that we were slaves to fashion? There was and remains an expectation that Grammar girls, no matter their generation, present neatly in public; uphold and respect the rules of the School; are proud of their Grammar affiliation; and provide positive examples for current and future Grammar girls. Whether arriving at school in 1923 or leaving in 2022, the correct uniform communicates each