Objects of Substance- The Topper Cup for Citizenship (Year 1

The Topper Cup for Citizenship (Year 10) came into being in 1955 when staff member, Mrs Elsie Veronica Topper, donated a cup for “citizenship in III”. Mrs Topper was a University of Queensland Bachelor of Arts graduate and, in 1943, became a Girls Grammar teacher of Junior French and Geometry. She added to her repertoire with Algebra in 1948 and Junior Latin in 1950. She completed her teaching career at the School in 1956 as a Senior Latin and Junior French teacher. She returned briefly to Grammar in a parttime capacity in 1971 when, in Miss Nancy Shaw’s words, she “came to our rescue” to teach Latin.

Mrs Elsie Veronica Topper BA(Q) 1943-56. Mrs Topper held strong beliefs in, and commitment to, service and giving to her community as demonstrated by her holding the voluntary position of Secretary of the Polish Red Cross in Brisbane in the 1940s. This sense of service was conveyed to her students when she consistently sought to encourage each girl to be respectful of herself, her friends, and the School. To this end, she created the criteria for her award for citizenship, first presented in 1955, which included: • deportment and general appearance • neatness, tidiness, and helpfulness in the House Group and grounds • conscientious work in class and on the playing field • courtesy and consideration to teachers • observance of all school rules • strict regard for personal property and for that of other people