A fascinating Pymble project
As a current member of the graduating year 12 class of 2023, I became increasingly curious about those students before me who had tackled the challenges of their time period and grown into young women in the Pymble Ladies’ College environment. As such, I began to research the components of Pymble Ladies’ College that influenced every girl during 1923 and 1973.
Pymble Ladies’ College in 1923, a school for 202 students and home to another 98 was an environment that encouraged education for young women, offering opportunities to extend themselves. There were areas for arts, such as the divine performance of The Merchant of Venice, and opportunities to adventure into agriculture with the school’s very own cow. Under Miss Nancy Jobson’s guidance, the school began expanding the facilities for all students, offering further opportunities for all girls to partake in an activity they love. The environment around the girls was vastly different to our experiences today, with fields covering the suburb of Pymble and horses being the main mode of transportation. A loaf of bread cost approximately three cents whilst a litre of petrol was only five cents.
In 1973 Pymble Ladies’ College jumped to 1200 day girls being enrolled and 179 boarders living on campus. The environment continued to encourage every student and staff member to develop themselves and partake in challenges that would push them further. In 1973, this was introduced through a staff and student cricket game, encouraging the students to prove their abilities beyond the classroom. The Duke of Edinburgh award became a bigger endeavor in the community, pushing students to develop their skills in multiple areas and to challenge themselves to stay organised and consistent. The playground and classrooms saw a number of expansions, with more classrooms being built as the number of students expanded greatly. The playground continued to house the giant stride and the lifeboat, an area full of keen students who spent their whole lunchtime swinging around. Miss Jeanette Buckham spent her time encouraging students to try their best in all areas, promoting an environment of hard work and connection. The broader Pymble community saw rises in prices, with a loaf of bread now totaling 21 cents and petrol becoming 9 cents per litre, with a greater number of students now arriving to school by car.
Now, in 2023, Pymble Ladies’ College has more than 2000 students enrolled, with approximately 120 boarders living on campus. There are exciting events that happen throughout the year to offer the students chances to extend and challenge themselves to get involved in areas outside of their comfort zones and build upon themselves. The boarders and their histories are greatly celebrated, with boarder’s week being solely dedicated to unraveling their stories. The school is home to all areas of arts, with productions such as A Chorus Line being found in Pymble’s own theatre, the GMCPA. Dr Hadwen, the current principal of the college, fuels an environment of passion and determination to create a future world full of equality and opportunity through the expansion of the number of classrooms and the facilities found around the school. In the Pymble community, the price of a loaf of bread has risen to $3.06, whilst the price of petrol continues to change every day at around $1.06 per litre. As the environment at Pymble Ladies’ College and beyond the gates changes throughout the decades, the class of 2023 is presented with new and different opportunities, though continue to hold the determination and desires of those who entered the school gates a century before them. As such, they will take their strides and leap into their future in which they will hold the support from all the alumni before them.
