House Information

House System

At the commencement of your employment, you will be allocated to a House. Each House has a House Leader who is responsible for mentoring and providing leadership to student House Leaders and House Prefects.

House Leaders

Bennett - Mr Jack GarradGoodlet - Mr Peter FathersHammond - Mr Stephen RobinsonIngleholme - Miss Madeleine GardinerLang - Mrs Kate GilesMarden - Miss Lucy MacaulayThomas - Mrs Anthea WawrykaWylie - Mr Brendon Long

Bennett (Sky Blue)

Mr Joseph Arthur Bennett taught painting, drawing and modelling when the College first opened in 1916 until his retirement in 1926. He is responsible for the design of the College Hat Badge, as well as the College Medallion. Mr Bennett painting the large pastoral scheme, framed in heavy gilt, which hangs in the Senior School Centre - Kate Mason Building. Mr Bennett studied in the art schools of London and Paris.

Goodlet (Royal Blue)

Colonel John Hay Goodlet was a member of a sub-committee that was appointed to draw up a general plan for the College buildings. He made a special trip to Melbourne to interview Dr Marden and also to visit other girls’ schools. Colonel Goodlet was a very generous benefactor to the Church, and had been called ‘Sydney’s great Christian philanthropist’.He personally supported many charitable causes. He died in 1914 without ever seeing the College established. Goodlet Boarding House was named in his memory.

Hammond (Orange)

Dame Joan Hammond was born in New Zealand on 24 May 1912 and moved with her family to Sydney when she was six months old. Dame Joan attended Morven Garden Primary School and Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Pymble. She excelled at all sports, especially golf, and learned violin and voice. Dame Joan spent much of the Second World War in Great Britain and it was there that she became widely known and very popular as an opera singer. Dame Joan was honoured on four occasions by the Queen with a Coronation Medal and OBE in 1953, CBE in 1963, CMG in 1972 and a Dame Commander in 1974. She won the women’s state gold championship for New South Wales in 1932, 1934 and 1935. She died in 1996 in Bowral, New South Wales, aged 84.

Ingleholme (Green)

Ingleholme was the name of the house purchased in 1959 to establish a much-needed Junior School. The house in Boomerang Street, Turramurra, had formerly been the home of Sir Martin McIlrath. It was designed and built by noted architect Sir John Sulman in about 1896 and sat on three acres of land. On 10 February 1960, Ingleholme opened as a school with 69 girls aged from four to nine years and was known as Ingleholme Presbyterian Ladies’ College. Maintaining two Junior Schools on separate sites presented significant administrative problems. The difficult decision to close Ingleholme was made in 1976.

Lang (White)

Reverend John Dunmore Lang was born in Scotland in 1799. He arrived in Sydney in 1823 to establish Presbyterianism in the colony and thereby raise moral standards. For the next 50 years he continued his fight against immorality, established Scots Church and wrote widely. He was a powerful force in education and campaigned effectively both in Australia and Great Britain to promote immigration and improve education.He returned to England nine times to promote his cause. John Dunmore Lang died on 8 August 1878.

Marden (Red)

Dr John Marden was born in Melbourne in 1855. He had a senior teaching position at Geelong College and from there was appointed Principal at PLC Croydon. While in this position he gained a Doctorate of Laws from the University of Sydney. In 1916, Dr Marden was appointed Principal of Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Pymble. He shared his time between the two schools until he moved to live in Grey House. He believed that “the welfare of the girls came before anything else” and in his opinion, “women should be given the best that education had to offer.” On 29 October 1924, Dr Marden died at the age of 69.

Thomas (Purple)

Barbara Thomas was a student at Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Pymble from 1919 to 1924. She was Dux of the College in 1923 and 1924, College Prefect in 1924, and played in both Hockey and Netball. In 1930, Barbara toured overseas as a member of the first Australian women’s hockey team. At the end of the tour, Barbara decided to stay in England, where she studied massage at St Thomas’ Hospital, London, graduating in 1933. Her work was so distinguished that she was asked to join the staff of the hospital in the Physiotherapy department. She served as a nurse at St Thomas’ Hospital, London, during the Second World War. During a German bombing raid of London, she was one of six nurses tragically killed whilst on duty. She was the first Australian woman to be killed in the Second World War dying at the age of 32.

Wylie (Yellow)

Miss Mina Wylie taught swimming at the College for 42 years – from 1928 until her retirement in 1970. Mina Wylie and Fanny Durack were the first two women to represent Australia in the Olympic Games. They competed in Stockholm with Durack winning the Gold medal and Wylie the Silver medal. At various times between 1912 and 1924, Mina Wylie held the record for every swimming stroke and was the first woman to achieve a Diploma from the Royal Life Saving Society in Australia. Mina Wylie’s name is perpetuated in the Breaststroke Championship Cup, which is presented each year at the College swimming carnival for the fastest time over 100 metres. She died in 1984 aged 93.

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