| Korowa Anglican Girls' School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
| , | |
| 37°51′41″S 145°3′16″E / 37.86139°S 145.05444°E / -37.86139; 145.05444 | |
| Information | |
| Type | Private, single-sex day school |
| Motto | Latin: Non Sine Palma Pulvere (No Reward Without Effort) |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Established | 1890[1] |
| Founder | Henrietta Akehurst |
Chair of Council | Jane Murray [2] |
Principal | Frances Booth |
| Chaplain | Rev. Kirsten Winkett |
| Staff | 149[3] |
| Grades | Co-ed ELC 3 and 4 Year old. Girls: Prep - 12. |
| Gender | Co-ed ELC. Girls Junior and Senior School. |
| Enrolment | ~803[4] (2024) |
| Houses | Akehurst, Clarke, Jamieson, Wilkinson |
| Colours | Cherry |
| Slogan | Girls who are authentic, confident and strong. |
| Affiliation | Girls Sport Victoria |
Alumni name | Korovians |
| Website | www.korowa.vic.edu.au |
Korowa Anglican Girls' School is a private, Anglican, day school, located in Glen Iris, Melbourne, Australia.
Established in Malvern in 1890, Korowa is a non-selective school and currently caters for approximately 800 students, offering a co-educational Early Learning Centre (three- and four-year-olds) and girls-only from Prep to Year 12. The school prepares students for the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE).
The school is a member of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA),[5] the Independent Primary School Heads of Australia (IPHSA),[6] the Association of Independent Schools of Victoria (AISV),[1] the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia (AGSA),[7] and a founding member of Girls Sport Victoria (GSV).[8]
History
Korowa Anglican Girls' School was established in 1890, first in two houses in Valetta Street, Malvern and then in an old house in Pine Grove. In 1900, the school moved again, this time to a two-storey house in Wattletree Road. The school was registered as "School No.5" in 1906.[9]
Korowa relocated to its current site in Glen Iris in 1914. The residence was the former property of the Hon. William Knox, MHR, who named the home "Ranfurlie", which is now reflected in the name of the crescent in which the school is located. The school was officially named "Corowa" in 1899, but later changed to Korowa to avoid confusion with the township of Corowa in 1890.[10]
From 1910 to 1918, Korowa was a Presbyterian school for girls', then in 1919 was incorporated by the diocesan authorities as a Church of England grammar school.[9] When the Diocese of Melbourne adopted the title "Anglican" instead of Church of England in 1982, it was decided that the church connection should be retained in the name, and the school has since been known as "Korowa Anglican Girls' School".[9]
Principals
| Period | Principal[9] |
|---|---|
| 1899–1905 | Henrietta Akehurst |
| 1906–1926 | Ethel Akehurst |
| 1927–1929 | Enid Eastman |
| 1930–1949 | Margaret Dickson |
| 1950–1969 | Beatrice Guyett MBE (c) |
| 1970–1990 | Margaret McPherson |
| 1991–2003 | Roslyn Otzen |
| 2003–2015 | Christine Jenkins |
| 2016–2021 | Helen Carmody |
| 2022 | Narelle Umbers (interim) |
| 2022–present | Frances Booth |
House system
| House | Year established | Named for | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akehurst | 1933[11] | Miss Ethel Akehurst (former principal and daughter of founder) | Grey |
| Clarke | 1924[12] | Dr Lowther Clarke (former Archbishop of Melbourne, responsible for the inauguration of Korowa as a Church of England Grammar School) | Pink |
| Jamieson | 1924 | Miss Jean Jamieson MA (former Senior Mistress of staff) | Blue |
| Wilkinson | 1924 | Miss Wanda Wilkinson (former Head Prefect and former member of staff) | Cherry |
Notable alumnae
All Korowa alumnae are members of the school's alumni association, the 'Korovian Club'. Korowa alumni number over 12000 members and every past student is automatically a lifetime member of the Korovian Club. The Korovian Club was founded in 1917 with the purpose of maintaining friendships and a connection with the school.[13]
Some notable 'Korovians' include:
- Eva Duldig, Tennis Player; played in Wimbledon, the Maccabiah Games, and in Fed Cup for Australia[14]
- Kerrie Engel, Paralympic Swimmer
- Dorothy Gibson, Teacher, Communist, and Peace Activist[15]
- Bella Heathcote, Actress
- Ann Liang, Author[16]
- Hannah MacDougall, Paralympic swimming medalist
- Mary Owen, Activist
- Sally Peers, Wimbledon junior doubles champion 2009
- Marina Prior, Opera Singer
- Pauline Neura Reilly, Author and ornithologist
- Jenna Strauch, Swimmer[17] and Olympian
- Rowena Webster, Water Polo Player
- Caroline Pitcher, CEO VicScren
- Naomi Simson, Entrepreneur
- Pam Barnes, Television Producer
- Louise Siversen, Actress
- Eli Giannini, Architecture and Director
- Jaq Grantford, Artist and Writer
- Jessica Au, Author
- Caroline Brothers, Author
Notable faculty
- Margaret Blackwood, botanist and geneticist
- Slawa Duldig (1901–1975), Austrian-Australian inventor, artist, interior designer, and teacher
- Norma Redpath, sculptor
- Jane Robinson, World Champion and Triple Olympian Rower
- Shelley O'Donnell, Australian Netball Hall of Fame
See also
References
- "Korowa Anglican Girls' School". Find a School. Association of Independent Schools of Victoria. 2007. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2008.
- "Leadership & Governance". Korowa Anglican Girls' School. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
- "Annual Report 2024". Korowa Anglican Girls' School. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- "Annual Report 2024". Korowa Anglican Girls' School. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- "Victoria". School Directory. Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia. 2008. Archived from the original on 7 March 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2008.
- "IPSHA Independent Primary School Heads of Australia". Victoria Branch. Independent Primary School Heads of Australia. Archived from the original on 24 October 2009. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- Butler, Jan (2006). "Member Schools". Members. The Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 10 October 2007.
- Mawkes, Leonie (2005). "Member Schools". Profile. Girls Sport Victoria. Archived from the original on 7 October 2007. Retrieved 10 October 2007.
- Chessell, Pam (1990). And, as we journey: A history of Korowa, Anglican Girls' School 1890-1990, Coghill Publishing, Australia. ISBN 0-949168-88-2.
- "Our Story - Korowa Anglican Girls' School". Korowa Anglican Girls' School. Archived from the original on 9 August 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- "SENIOR SCHOOL PARENT HANDBOOK 2021 - Korowa Anglican Girls' School". www.readkong.com. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- "School Houses | Korowa Anglican Girls' School". www.korowa.vic.edu.au. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- "Alumni | Korowa Anglican Girls' School". www.korowa.vic.edu.au. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
- "Meet Eva Duldig". Burwood Bulletin.
- Murray-Smith, Nita (1996). "Gibson, Dorothy (1899 - 1978)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 14 (Online ed.). Melbourne: Melbourne University Press. pp. 266–267. Retrieved 7 August 2007.
- Korowa Anglican Girls' School (2 February 2021). "Congratulations to Ann Liang (Class of 2017 and Dux of the School) who has secured a book-deal with Inkyard/Harper Collins for her debut novel If You Could See The Sun". Facebook. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
- Dean, Casey (31 August 2021). "Korowa offers General Excellence Sport Scholarship". Korowa Anglican Girls' School. Retrieved 31 May 2023.