A Brief History of Girton Grammar School
With its exceptional reputation, vibrant culture, expansive campus and facilities, and students and teachers united by a shared passion for learning, Girton Grammar stands proudly among Australia’s leading regional independent schools.
Girton is renowned for its strong ties to the community, inclusive environment and holistic approach to education – one that consistently brings out the best in the students who pass through its doors. Graduates of the school have gone on to achieve outstanding professional success and made meaningful contributions to civic life, both locally and on the global stage.
The school is a success story that continues to set and re-set standards of excellence in teaching, learning, student wellbeing and personal development. It is a story shaped by many hands over more than 140 years – and one that continues to unfold with purpose and pride …
The College Years: 1884–1992
Girton’s legacy in Bendigo began with the visionary efforts of Mrs Marian Aherne and Mrs Alice Millward (nee Hill), who founded Girton College in 1884.
Relocating from Stawell to the prosperous goldfields of Sandhurst (now Bendigo), they set out to establish a school that would become a leader in the education of girls. Their belief in the right of young women to have equal access to higher education – against the tide of opinion in those days – was boldly reflected in the name they chose for their school. Girton was named after Girton College Cambridge, which at that time was campaigning for women to have the same access to Cambridge University courses as men. Commencing their first classes with just 14 students, including several they had brought with them from Stawell, Mrs Aherne and Miss Hill laid the foundations of a school that was destined to grow and flourish over the decades.
Girton would go on to navigate numerous periods of change and challenge, each time strengthened by the commitment and generosity of its leaders, staff, students and families. This included the school’s ownership passing to the Anglican Church in 1911 after Mrs Millward’s passing; its relocation to the MacKenzie Street campus in 1916, aided by Mrs Charlotte Frew of the renowned Lansell family; and its successful transition to a co-educational model in 1974. The church ran Girton until 1992, when the Diocese became unable to sustain the school due to the financial climate at the time. By then, the school had moved to the site of the former St Aidan’s Orphanage in Kennington following a period of rapid progress and expansion.
In August 1992, the then Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Bendigo announced Girton College’s closure, which would take effect from December of that year. The news sent a shockwave throughout the school community and the entire Bendigo region. What ensued is an inspiring story of vision, commitment and, ultimately, outstanding success.
The Modern Era: Girton Grammar School
The events leading to the closure of Girton College form the start of the story of Girton Grammar School…
When the Anglican Diocese announced the school’s closure in August 1992 after 108 years of operation, a group of parents and staff banded together to explore options for a new beginning. The newly formed ‘Friends of Girton’ refused to accept that a high-quality independent school for their children could not be established for the new school year in 1993. This band of courageous visionaries was inspired and brilliantly led by Mr John Higgs OAM (Girton Grammar School’s first Board Chair), Mrs Jan Thomas, Mr Chris Morey and Mr Richard Trigg.
What followed in the few intervening months between the announcement of the school’s closure and the commencement of the 1993 school year was an object lesson for the school that will never be forgotten, helping to form the ethos and values of the modern Girton. Through persistence, hard work, lobbying, fundraising and countless hours of voluntary labour, the Friends of Girton performed the miraculous task of establishing Girton Grammar School, which on 2 February 1993 opened its doors to 302 students and 30 staff under the Headship of Mr Clayton Jones. The students who came from Girton College to Girton Grammar School had not missed a day of classes. Importantly, the founders chose to retain the Girton name, the School Song and the long-standing school motto: Per Aspera Ad Astra – through hardship to the stars.
As founding Headmaster, Clayton Jones was an iconic figure. He oversaw the first 17 years of Girton Grammar School’s existence and it was his drive and vision that sustained the school through the challenging early years. The guiding principles he outlined were to be no idle promise, with his steadfast leadership ensuring they became the bedrock of Girton’s culture and reputation. By Mr Jones’ final year as Headmaster, 1,075 students attended a flourishing Girton.
Following Mr Jones’ retirement, the school has been guided by several wise and passionate leaders, including Mr Matthew Maruff, Dr Clayton Massey and Dr Emma O’Rielly, the latter of whom was officially appointed Principal in October 2022. On Foundation Day in 2023, the school community assembled to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Girton Grammar School and witness the formal inductions of Dr O’Rielly as Principal and Mr Jay Weston as Deputy Principal, marking the beginning of another bright new chapter in Girton’s story. Together, they have preserved the excellent academic standards, strong culture and cherished traditions developed by their predecessors, while also maintaining an eye for improvement and preparing for the future in an ever-changing educational landscape.
In the years since Girton Grammar School’s formation in 1993, its student population has grown from 302 to more than 1,200 today and the school has earned a reputation for providing an exceptional education for young people in Bendigo and throughout the region. It attracts not only local students but families from far and wide, who have seen the advantages offered by a world-class independent school set in a flourishing regional city such as Bendigo. Girton is an integral part of the city’s fabric and its history of struggle and success reflects the fortunes of Bendigo itself.