1985 School Magazine

OBITUARIES

Henriette Elfriede Baird The death on 25th October, 1983, of Miss Henriette Baird, at the age of 91 , saw the passing of a distinguished Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Old Girl. A pupil of this school, 1906-1910, Ettie Ba:rd was, like her fellow Brisbane Girls' Grammar School sixth-former Lila Mason, winner of one of the first Open Scholar~hips t~ the newly-established (1911) University of Queensland , where she read Classics. She taught at Aschan , Sydney; but most of her teaching career was spent at the New England Girls' School Armidale, where her subjects were Latin and Mathematics: New England Girls' School , then , being an all-boarding school , she was always resident. For many years she was the Chief of Staff, being, on several occasions when the Headmistress was at Conferences or on leave, Acting- Headmistress. Here, she gave to the education of countless girls over many school generations, the scholarship, innately hers, that had been fostered at Brisbane Girls' Grammar School and at the University of Queensland; standards of humanity and decency and care for one's fellows; the example of a sense of humour; and such a care for their interests and welfare that New England Girls' School Old Girls were always del1ghted to see " Bairdie." She had no great love for social occasions or educational seminars, but endured them, if necessary. She was a wide and voracious reader, a regular and fast doer of crosswords, and she enjoyed country life. Her mother was a Geisseman (one of the pioneer families of North Tamborine) and she often holidayed at a family house on The Mountain. She enjoyed driving, having been taught, at a time when few women drove, by an Armidale citizen who, as a lad had " been out with Thunderbolt!" ' On my first morning on the staff of Brisbane Girls' Grammar School , waiting in the Assembly Hall (now the boarders' dining room) for the entry of the Headmistress for Morning Assembly, feeling rather lost and shy and thinking how "different" it all was from New England Girls' School, I looked up and there, facing me, in the middle of the top of the Honour Board was engraved the name of the person, who, in my first teaching post, had done so much , by precept and, chiefly, by example to show what a member of staff should and could be: " Queensland University Scholarships: 1910 H.E. BAIRD: '

MRS JEAN ASHTON Many members of the school community were greatly saddened at the death of Mrs Jean Ashton in March this year. Mrs Ashton was first appointed to the resident staff in the Boarding House in 1976 and during 1977 changed her position to become the school gardener. At that time Brisbane Girls' Grammar School had very few gardens and during the next eight years Mrs Ashton worked diligently to ensure that the total school environment was improved to such an extent that all who worked and visited here could enjoy the very pleasant surroundings which she created. During her years at the school Mrs Ashton continually provided the boarding students with opportunities to visit theatres and shows, thereby allowing access to cultural dimensions that would not otherwise have been possible. Mrs Ashton's loyalty and devotion to the school will long be remembered by those who knew her and she is sadly missed.

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