Our History, 1947 to 1956

1947

25 February

A jacaranda tree is planted on Gloucester Lawn to commemorate the visit of HRH the Duchess of Gloucester on 22 November 1946. To this day the tree is still rich in its purple blooms.

1947

20 November

A tree-planting in celebration of Princess Elizabeth’s marriage to Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh.

1948

The school is full, with an average of 720 pupils of whom 176 are boarders. There are no vacancies until 1953.

1948

Muriel Upton receives not only the Marden Prize but is also Head Prefect and Dux. She also led the Award for Best All Round Girl, Best at Work, and Sport but was ineligible for these as she had won the Marden Prize! One of the highest achieving pupils in Pymble history.

1949

11 August

Joan Hammond visits the College and sings for the girls. The concert is an outstanding success.

1954

4 February

Queen Elizabeth II opens the third session of the 37th Parliament of NSW. 20 Pymble girls are invited to see the opening of State Parliament.

1954

A contract to build the Chapel is signed. Fundraising had been ongoing since the mid-1920s and another £25,000 is needed.

1954

23 March

Miss Grace Mackintosh, MA, former Principal from 1933 to 1936, dies in Scotland.

1954

August

Classrooms are opened for parents for the first time during state-wide Education Week. The lectures are well attended by mothers in the afternoon with a high percentage of fathers attending the evening talk on “The Problems of Being a Father”.

1955

30 March

The Foundation Stone of the Chapel is laid by Governor of NSW, Lieutenant-General Sir John Northcott. He was piped to the steps by the Knox Grammar Pipe Band and the Prefects formed a Guard of Honour.