Objects of Substance- 1909 Pennant

1968 Pennant maker, Reliance by Relyans and Lanham.

The material culture of the 1909 pennant is powerful. Apart from its substantial longevity, it is tangible proof of the existence of the QGSSSA; that sporting success was celebrated and honoured; and that the Association embraced traditional sporting ephemera. From a Girls Grammar’s viewpoint, it captures Milisent Wilkinson’s belief when extolling the virtues of cricket, ergo sport, that “it seems to me that whatever benefits cricket confers on boys, it confers on girls. Surely we want our girls to be physically strong and healthy, and certainly girls need every one of the qualities called for out-of-doors games – courage, endurance, promptitude in action, and skill of hand and eye.” (1908 Annual Report) The fact that the School has so carefully preserved these pennants symbolises our pride in the participation and prowess of past students. They have been proudly and ceremoniously displayed on many significant occasions in the history of the School from Speech Days to the opening of new buildings. Now, they are presented with public ceremony to the Principal by the captains of the specific sport on Assembly when the whole school community can acknowledge the successes of their Grammar sisters. Our archives hold many of these precious pennants – old, new, prized overall pennants, participation pennants, memorabilia pennants – representing hours and hours of effort, teamwork, sacrifice, and exceptional performance but perhaps they are not as precious as that red 1909 pennant which symbolises the beginning of the Grammar competitive sporting journey.

Pauline Harvey-Short (1971) Manager, School History and Culture