From the Archives

Amanda Nash (1978) at the opening of the Hugh Baird Gymnasium, 8 July 1966. Donated by Sue Nash (Fergusson-Stewart 1955).

1967 newspaper article re Heather Barr’s appointment as new Principal; 1969 Prospectus; Fee schedules for 1966, 1974-1978 and 1980-1984; early 1970s Boans (Perth and Grove) brochure advertising College wear; 1970s information concerning enrolments; 1969 Building Campaign Appeal brochure, and booklet titled Questions and Answers... Challenge and Response, which accompanied the 1969 Building Campaign Appeal; correspondence between PLC and Mr John Gillett 1967-1979; The Bedside Thomas Hardy awarded to Andrea in 1980; and Andrea’s late 1970s tie pin.

Marjorie’s 1945 Prefect badges, one enamelled, one not; 1940s Carmichael House Badge; Marjorie’s book Lyrical Stitch (2020), produced for her exhibition of the same name at the Holmes a’Court Gallery in late 2020.

Hazel Day’s 1951 reference from Perth Modern School, from then Headmaster Noel Sampson.

Three photos: Sue at School c1951; Merrilyn Johnston at School c1949; and Sue’s daughter Amanda Nash (1978, dec) in newly opened Hugh Baird Gymnasium in 1966.

PLC Prize book: MacAulay’s Lays of Ancient Rome (1923 edition), presented to Grace Drummond (Dux of 1928 and 1929) when she was in Form III in 1925, for Proficiency; late 1950s or very early 1960s 45 record of PLC Choir ‘printed’ by Martin Clarke Recording Studios (later Clarion Records) at 28 Bay View Terrace, Claremont; The Cyclopaedia of Western Australia Vols 1 (1912) and 2 (1913) by James Sykes Battye, which were presented to the PLC Library in 1975. Richard saved them from a skip bin in the late-1990s and kept them safe for the next 25 years.

Jane’s daughter Emily Meneghello’s (2006) McNeil House Arts Coordinator badges; Music, Pipe Band and Arts badges.

Fourteen black and white images from Sylvia’s days at School; four coloured images from the 1951, 50 Year Reunion in 2001; two coloured images from the 1951, 55 Year Reunion in 2006; Sylvia’s 67th Birthday card given to her at the 1951, 50 Year Reunion in 2001; 1973 End of Term notes for parents; Collage of photos on 2 x A4 pages (colour print) of reunion photos from 1951’s 50 year reunion, 2001; Stanley College of Fashion design scrap/workbook used by Sylvia in Sub-Leaving and Leaving; two editions of Flourish magazine (Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter 2006), the editor for which was Jane Cresswell (1984).

“The Maniacs, 1951”, donated by Sylvia Brandenburg (Leeke 1951) L-R: Loader, Eliane Seigrest, Sally Hale, Laura Einihovici, Aurelie ‘Auz’ Shearer, Barbara Baty, Lintie Norton Front: Jill Meathrel, Jean ‘Sooty’ Soothill

Miss Major and Miss Hope, walking down the old gravel road to classrooms, 1951. Donated by Sylvia Brandenburg (Leeke 1951).

After the ‘Penny Concert’ c1953, donated by Vicki Hunter (Rose 1978) L-R: Margaret Serwood, Tasma Clifton, Carmen Cloak, Pat Murphy, Dallas Milbank

An original Scottish sporran, one pair of hand-knitted socks, three pairs of sock garters once belonging to Dr Alexander Maxwell Clarke Stephenson, who was the stepfather of Betony’s husband, Neil Bickford.

Listen to the Talk of Us: People with Dementia Speak Out (2007) written by their mother Dr Trisha Kotai-Ewers (Ewers 1956).

Four books presented to Barbara in 1946: three for the John Stewart Literature Prize in 1946 (Form VIA): Poetical Works of Wordsworth; Balletomania: The Story of an Obsession by Arnold L Haskell; Australia’s Alps by Elyne Mitchell; and We Live in Alaska by Constance Helmericks, presented for Proficiency, 1946 (Form VIA).

Eleven black and white images from the late 1940s and early 1950s including Koala Patrol Girl Guides’ hike from Glen Forest to Mundaring Weir 1950, ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ performance at the Cannington Showgrounds in 1950, and photos of teachers after Prize Day breakup in the late 1940s.

1978 45 record (front cover missing), bought at a vintage market a few years ago.

Kathy’s 1983 Music Tour windcheater.

A large file of Argyle Club correspondence and documentation from 1997-2000.

Dedicated Archives volunteer Jane Meneghello (McGibbon) at work.

Three photos of her mother, Tasma Rose (Clifton 1954) at PLC in the 1950s.

Sixty four images of the Pipe Band on music camps, playing at carnivals and festivals, formal and casual shots.

Recently we discovered four beautiful old mystery photos of PLC which we’ve had tucked away for nigh on 35 years but which predate our Archives, so have really only just come to light. We thought it would be interesting to walk you through how we solved the mystery!

All four had the same markings on the back and appear to have been processed at the same time, so we could probably presume they were also taken around the same time. This appeared to be around the 1930s, but we needed a closer timeframe.

The first shot is of the original front gates which were a magnificent entry statement to Junior (now Finlayson) House - a gorgeous old Peppermint Grove home built in the 1890s. We have owned this property since 1923 which doesn’t help firm up the timeframe, but it's great to see such a good shot of these beautiful old gates.

The next is of a smiling young girl sitting on the pillar beside the old tennis courts where the Heather Barr Memorial Chapel within Carmichael Hall now stands. This is how this part of the School looked from its earliest days at Cottesloe (from 1917) until Carmichael Hall was built in 1955. Not a great deal of help as far as the timeframe goes, but she is wearing a summer-weight Black Watch tartan skirt, white blouse, and bottle green, blue and white striped tie.

This uniform was introduced in 1934 which means these date from then at the earliest. We were getting closer...

Then there’s one of an extremely capable-looking woman named “Matron Throssell”. Checking our Staff Register, we found she was Miss Evelyn Crystal Throssell (later King), and was employed here as Matron from 1 July 1934 to the end of 1936.

The timeframe was narrowing!

The last shot, marked “Departing for holidays”, shows eight beautifully dressed PLC girls in Black Watch tartan uniform. All are wearing navy, felt, cloche-style hats on their heads with PLC hatbands of blue, green and white, and badges bearing the PLC crest. As we had the straw Panamas for summer, the felt hats were only worn in winter - during Term 2 (of 3 in those days), so this would be an end of Term 2 photo, taken in August. But was it 1934, 1935, or 1936?

The car looks like a late-1920s/early1930s Austin Twelve Tourer, which were commonly used as taxis.

Having exhausted the detail in the photos, we turned them over and found on the back of each is written “29/12/86 Mrs Robertson”, which isn’t much to go on. On one, though, was a barely discernible address: 37 Caporn Street, Nedlands.

That was more than enough!

We looked at the 1980 electoral roll for possible Mrs Robertsons of Nedlands and, though it was six years earlier, found the right one living at 37 Caporn Street. Her first names were Thyra Isabella, which sounded familiar, so we checked our Enrolment Register and determined she was a student here, from Geraldton, for 1934. And _only_ for 1934, for that was her Leaving year.

That dated these beautiful images perfectly!

Coming back to the photos of the young girl (was this Thyra?) and the eight girls departing for holidays - because both were taken in 1934 it means these are the earliest photos we now have of both the new summer and winter uniform, in the very first year it was introduced.

That’s extremely significant! Now we'll be scouring our 1930s images in the hope we can match some faces.

Top left: Eight Boarders “Departing for holidays”, end of Second Term 1934. All are wearing the new heavier weight Black Watch winter uniform introduced in 1934. Top right: Possibly a young Thyra Horswill wearing the new PLC summer uniform of light weight Black Watch tartan, on the tennis courts where the Heather Barr Memorial Chapel within Carmichael Hall now stands, 1934. Above bottom left: The magnificent gates which once stood at the entrance of Junior (now Finlayson House) on View Street, 1934. Bottom left: Matron Evelyn Throssell (resident Boarding House Mistress July 1934-1936), 1934.