WALK IN THE LIGHT
ation; four passed the Leaving Certificate. Miss Sutton was able to report that 'in the music and drawing sections good results have been gained'. By 1919, despite the influenza epidemic, the numbers had risen to seven candidates for the Leaving Certificate and twenty-six for the Intermediate.
School life The growing numbers of pupils changed the school in several ways. One was the introduction of a prefect system, based on the model of private girls' schools in England. When the school was small, senior pupils, by virtue of their seniority, had informal rights and responsibilities. They knew and were known by all the juniors, were admired for their maturity and. sporting ability, and had informal authority to reprimand and correct unseemly behaviour. Larger enrolments necessitated a formalisation of this system. A select group of senior pupils was henceforth appointed as monitors of discipline and standards of behaviour within the school. Eight prefects were photographed with Miss Sutton in Excelsior in November 1914; this seems to be the earliest reference to them. The first list of 'senior' prefects was published in November 1920. Another indication of growing formality within the school was the introduction ofa school uniform. It appears that the origin of this uniform was in the sports uniform worn by girls of the hockey and other sporting teams. To distinguish their team, the girls chose to wear a uniform consisting of a blouse and calf-length blue skirt. According to one memory, these uniforms became so popular that others at the school took to wearing them too. During the 1920s the shorter, pleated school tunic was introduced to replace these distinctly matronly skirts and blouses. Throughout the period, academic pursuits took up an increasing amount of the girls' time as they prepared to face the external examinations that could determine their future careers. Nevertheless there was still a number of extra-curricular activities offered and pursued in the school. The Christian Union continued meeting, with sessions alternating between Bible study classes and talks by visiting speakers such as Dr Bromilow from Melbourne who spoke to the girls about translating the Bible into Fijian. The members organised concerts and bazaars to raise money for missions and other worthwhile causes. They were fascinated by missionary work: it was both exotic and worthwhile. Gifts were collected for the 'little natives in New Britain'. Not all the events organised by the Christian Union had a religious purpose. There were parties at which novelty items were presented; meetings with other schools; and an annual schoolgirls' camp at which MLC was usually represented. The membership of the Christian Union had grown so much by 1918 that four separate circles were formed, each led by either a teacher at the school or by an old girl like Miss Lilian Vickery, who also served as president of the Union. 62