SCEGGS Darlinghurst


SCEGGS Darlinghurst is an independent Anglican single-sex primary and secondary day and boarding school for girls, located in Darlinghurst, an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Founded in 1895 as the Sydney Church of England Girls Grammar School, the school's official name was changed to SCEGGS Darlinghurst in 1995. The school has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 890 students from Year K to Year 12. The school is regularly among the top-performing schools in New South Wales. While predominantly a day school, SCEGGS offers a small number of boarding places at St Vincent's College, Potts Point.
SCEGGS is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia, the Junior School Heads Association of Australia, the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia, and is a founding member of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools.
In 2001, The Sun-Herald ranked SCEGGS Darlinghurst second in Australia's top ten girls' schools, based on the number of its alumnae mentioned in the Who's Who in Australia.

History

On 17 July 1895, a grammar school for girls was officially opened in Sydney under the auspices of the Sydney Diocese of the Church of England. The Sydney Church of England Girls' Grammar School commenced in a terrace house at 65 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst with one pupil, Mary Watson, one teacher, Miss Janet Uther, and the Principal, Miss Edith Badham. Within a year, the school had increased to 50 pupils enrolled, and moved to "Chatsworth", a larger home in Macleay Street.
By 1900, the school had 100 pupils, including a Kindergarten and junior school. "Barham" in Forbes Street, Darlinghurst was purchased and the school moved there in 1901. The curriculum at the time included English Language and Literature, Geography, Modern and Ancient History, Latin, Classical Greek, Mathematics, French Language and Literature, German or Italian, Needlework and Drilling. Classes in Botany, Geology or other scientific subjects, were also offered to pupils who reached a fair standard of proficiency in their ordinary subjects. Classes in Cookery and Dressmaking were held whenever there was sufficient demand.
S.C.E.G.G.S. continued to expand and several branch schools were opened – Bowral relocated to Moss Vale, Hunters Hill, North Sydney becoming Redlands, Wollongong and Loquat Valley.
In 1974, financial difficulties arose due to the controller of the Anglican Diocesan schools misappropriating school funds, threatening the school with closure. Within two years, contributions from the school community and the Sydney Diocese ensured that the original school, S.C.E.G.G.S. Darlinghurst, was not closed but continued to operate. Moss Vale was forced to close in 1974, and two years later, Redlands, Wollongong and Loquat Valley became schools independent from S.C.E.G.G.S. Darlinghurst, and have been governed by their own boards ever since.
A not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, S.C.E.G.G.S. Darlinghurst Ltd, was formed in 1976, under a Board of Directors, to govern the school. On the school's Centenary in 1995, the school changed its name from Sydney Church of England Girls' Grammar School, Darlinghurst to SCEGGS Darlinghurst.

Principals

Campus

SCEGGS Darlinghurst has expanded from a terrace house in 1895 to a campus incorporating a chapel, primary school, classroom blocks, assembly hall, science and library block, auditorium, sports hall, senior study building, lecture theatre, play house, Great Hall and performing arts centre and many more. From 1965 to 1983, a preparatory school was operated at Bellevue Hill for boys and girls up to Kindergarten age. A new music centre has also been added, including a renovated church to be used for performances etc.

House system

The house system was introduced in 1926 by Miss Wilkinson to help generate school spirit and sporting enthusiasm, encourage good conduct and to provide girls with opportunities for taking on responsibility. House competitions are held in various sports, in music, drama, science and debating.
;Media, entertainment and the arts
;Medicine and science
;Politics, public service and the law
;Business
;Sport