Celebrating the Alliance: A brief history of where we have come from

The Education of Girls in Girls’ Schools Focus Group

• In 1991 the Heads of a selection of girls' schools in Victoria felt that it was time to respond to what former Principal of Korowa Anglican Girls' School, Dr Ros Otzen, recalls was the depiction of girls' schools as ‘fuddy duddy left-overs of a bygone era’.

• Dr Otzen called together the Victorian Heads of AHISA Girls' Schools and from this first meeting was born The Education of Girls in Girls' Schools Focus Group (EGGSFG).

Formation of the Alliance• After the success of an inaugural conference held

at MLC in Kew, the group realised that they had ‘real power’

• In 1995 EGGSFG was transformed into The Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia

• May 1996 the Alliance held its first AGM and membership was extended to all girls' schools in Australia and New Zealand

• 18 August 1997, the Alliance became a company limited by guarantee

Signatories to the original constitution:

• Noelene Horton, Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School

• Carolyn Anderson, Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School• June Jones, St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls• Judith McCowan, Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School• Sylvia Walton, Tintern Anglican Girls Grammar

School• Joy Yeo, Roseville Girls’ College

Alliance historical milestones:• 1996 - first Alliance staff conference at Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar

School• 1999 - first SLC at Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School• 2001 - first New Zealand Executive member• 2002 – website launched• 2003 - Raffles Girls’ School in Singapore first Asian member • 2004 - first Hong Kong and South African members• 2005 – new (current) logo launched• 2006 – new dynamic Alliance website went live• 2010 - constitutional changes allow for electronic voting as well

as other updates• 2011 – current website launched

Alliance staff history• Part time Executive Officers worked at St Catherine’s

then Korowa until 2005Sue Collister, Elizabeth Bishop, Edwina Sear, Marita McMahon-Ball,

Judith Wheeldon

• Jan was appointed as the first full time Executive Officer in June 2005 and worked from her home in Queensland

• In 2007, Jan moved back to Hobart and continues to work from a home office

• In December 2008, Kate Broadley was employed part-time as a Researcher

Alliance PatronsThe original Alliance patrons were:• Dame Beryl Beaurepaire

AC• Katherine Brisbane AM• Eve Mahlab AO• Pat O’Shane AM• Dale Spender AM• Carla Zampatti AC

Our current patrons are:• Quentin Bryce AC• Prof Jeanette Hacket• Dr Anita Heiss• Gail Kelly• Alice Pung• Dame Jenny Shipley

DCNZ NZFIM

Presidents of the Alliance1996 - 1998 Noelene Horton 1998 - 1999 Judy McCowan 1999 - 2002 Ros Otzen 2002 - 2005 Barbara Stone2005 - 2007 Beth Blackwood• Speaker tours introduced2007 - 2009 Susan Just• Policies written

Presidents continued…2009 - 2011 Karen Spiller• Employee contracts, employment of

Researcher, creation of policies continued• Planning for new website2011 – 2013 Robyn Kronenberg• Secured partners: World Challenge and CIRCLE

2012, Bond University 2013• Strengthened and initiated affiliations

School Membership• 1996 – 53 schools• 1998 – 67 schools• 2001 – 90 schools• 2004 – 109 schools• 2008 – 129 schools• 2010 – 137 schools• 2013 – 145 schools

Financial growth• Currently, we are financially very sound with

reserves of over $500,000 and a profit last year of $120,000 due to our partners and the conference

• Turnover went from $250,000 in 2005 to $500,000 in 2012-13

Publications• Volume 1 of In Alliance was published in December 1995• Volume 19, June 2001 was a full colour edition• We have just published Volume 50• First Why a Girls’ School (WAGS) brochure planned in

2002• WAGS has been renewed six times since its inception,

with 30,000 copies sold each time until the 2010 version when it was made possible for members to customise brochures with their own image

• Monthly e-Newsletters began August 2011 with same branding as website