Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale
Presbyterian Ladies' College Armidale crest. Source: www.plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au (PLC Armidale website)
Location
Armidale
,
New South Wales

Australia
Coordinates30°29′53″S 151°40′3″E / 30.49806°S 151.66750°E / -30.49806; 151.66750
Information
TypeIndependent, single-sex, day and boarding
MottoLatin: Ad Astra
(To The Stars[1])
DenominationPresbyterian[2]
Established1887[2]
ChairmanDavid Lim
PrincipalNicola Taylor
Employees~37[3]
Enrolment~400 (K–12)[2]
Colour(s)Green, blue and red
SloganEducating successful women of tomorrow in a Christian environment
Websitewww.plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au
Head of Senior School is Anna Caldwell

The Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale (PLC Armidale) is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for girls. The school is located in Armidale, a large rural town with a population of 28,000 in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia.

PLC Armidale currently caters for approximately 400 students from Kindergarten to Year 12, including 80 boarders in Years 5 to 12.[2] Enrolment at PLC Armidale is non-selective, and students from all races and religious affiliations are welcome. The college is affiliated with the Association of independent schools of New South Wales (AIS NSW),[4] the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA)[5] the Association of Heads of independent schools of Australia (AHISA),[6] the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA),[1] and is an affiliate member of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools (AHIGS).[7]

In 2006, PLC was named the top performing Higher School Certificate school in the New England region of New South Wales. Overall PLC Armidale ranked 114th in the State.[8]

History

The Presbyterian Ladies' College dates from the foundation of the New England Ladies College at "Smith House" in 1887, offering a secondary education for girls under its Principal, Elizabeth Higgs. In 1910, the New England Ladies' College was bought by Alethea Tendall, who went on to be proprietor and Principal for 28 years, and who renamed it The Hilton School. When Tendall purchased it, the school was operating out of two houses.[9] A group of Presbyterian businessmen purchased the school in 1938, and the following year it came under the financial support of the Trustees of the Presbyterian Church of Australia. Subsequently, the school's name was changed to its current form, The Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale. In 1945, 70 acres (28 ha) of land on North Hill were purchased, and following a fund raising campaign, the foundation stone of the new school buildings was laid in 1960. Since then, several building programmes have extended the facilities to their present form.[9]

In late August 2005, due to financial troubles at the College, it was announced that PLC Armidale and the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney (PLC Sydney), would join to form an alliance, with both schools coming under the executive leadership of William McKeith, the Principal of PLC Sydney. Members of the PLC Armidale Council formed part of the new joint school Council, essentially making the two PLC's true sister schools.[10]

The aim of this alliance is to strengthen PLC Armidale through cooperative marketing, a change in management and a stronger financial base. It is also to be of benefit to both schools through student exchanges, accommodation for sporting events or excursions, and a 'country or city' option for prospective students. Both schools will maintain their separate identities in order to preserve the unique histories and traditions that both have developed over many years.[10]

Principals

Period Details[7]
1910–1938 Anthea Collis Tendall
1938–1941 Helen Isabella Wilkie, M.A., PhD (Edinburgh)

Principal of PLC Sydney 1942–1945

1942–1951 Clarice Ashworth
1952–1953 Kathleen Buchan
1954–1958 E. Jean McColl
1959–1962 D Joan Humby
1963–1968 Catherine McLean
1969–1971 Acting Principal – Dorothy Knox
1971–1978 Faye Morris-Yates
1979–1989 Francis Parsons
1989–1997 Rosalyn Lindsay
1997–1999 Carole Tisdell
2000–2002 Ness Goodwin
2002 Acting Principal – Roderick West
2003–2005 Judith White
2005–2010 William T. McKeith AM, B.A., Dip. Ed. (Macquarie), M.A. (Sydney), M.B.A. (Leicester), Ed. D. (Leicester), F.A.C.E., F.A.I.M.

Principal of PLC Sydney since 1986, Principal of both schools from 2005.[11]

2011–2014 Paul Burgis, PhD (UNSW), MEd, Dip Tchg, Dip Div & Miss

Principal of both PLC Armidale and PLC Sydney[12]

2015–present Nicola Taylor

Co-curriculum

A variety of sports and co-curricular activities are offered each semester, and students may choose from these according to their interests and needs.[13]

Music

The school offers a range of musical instruments and musicianship classes, including bagpipes, cello, clarinet, double bass, drums, electronic keyboard, flute, french horn, guitar, oboe, percussion, piano, piccolo, recorder, saxophone, singing, violin, viola, trombone, trumpet. Students may also be enrolled in Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) and Trinity College music examinations.[13]

Students may also participate in ensemble music, with choirs, orchestra, bands, string, saxophone, recorder and flute ensembles available. There are a number opportunities for public performances.[13]

Sport

PLC Armidale encourages students to participate in a range of team and individual sports, with teams for all ages and all levels of ability. The school enters teams in the Independent Girls' Schools Sporting Association (IGSSA) competitions and other competitions as appropriate.[14] Sports available include: Tennis, Softball, Touch Football, Swimming, Athletics, Basketball, Hockey, Netball, Soccer, Equestrian, and Cattle Management.[13]

Notable alumni

Associated schools

Neighbouring Schools

Nearby schools include:

Presbyterian Schools

There are three other Presbyterian schools in New South Wales:

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale". New South Wales Schools. Australian Boarding Schools' Association. 2007. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "PRESBYTERIAN LADIES' COLLEGE, ARMIDALE". New South Wales Schools. SchoolChoice.com.au. 2007. Archived from the original on 30 August 2007. Retrieved 21 September 2007.
  3. ↑ "Annual School Report 2006" (PDF). About the College. Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 August 2007. Retrieved 28 January 2008.
  4. ↑ "North West". NSW independent schools by Region. The Association of independent schools of New South Wales. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 28 January 2008.
  5. ↑ "JSHAA New South Wales Directory of Members". New South Wales Branch. Junior School Heads' Association of Australia. 2007. Archived from the original on 18 December 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2007.
  6. ↑ "AHISA Schools". New South Wales. Association of Heads of independent schools of Australia. November 2007. Archived from the original on 2 November 2007. Retrieved 11 December 2007.
  7. 1 2 "Heads of New South Wales Independent Girls' Schools". AHIGS. The Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools. 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2007.
  8. ↑ "In The News". News. Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale. 2007. Archived from the original on 23 August 2007. Retrieved 11 December 2007.
  9. 1 2 "History". The College. Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale. 2007. Archived from the original on 30 August 2007. Retrieved 11 December 2007.
  10. 1 2 Falls, Jeof (September 2005). "New Partnership between PLC Armidale and PLC Sydney" (PDF). Church Offices Newsletter. No. 288. Surry Hills: The Presbyterian Church in New South Wales. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 August 2007. Retrieved 28 June 2007.
  11. ↑ Suzannah Pearce, ed. (17 November 2006). "McKEITH William T". Who's Who in Australia Live!. North Melbourne, Vic: Crown Content Pty Ltd.
  12. ↑ http://www.plc.nsw.edu.au/public2/mediarelease/Introducing_PLC_Sydneys_New_Principal.pdf%5B%5D
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Co-Curricular". Secondary School. Presbyterian Ladies' College. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  14. ↑ "Sport". Secondary School. Presbyterian Ladies' College. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2008.

Further reading

  • Pound, C. & Atkinson, A. 1995. The Common Task: A History of PLC Armidale. PLC Armidale Council, Armidale, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-25081-7.


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