Landmark westside school celebrates 100 years

It has perched atop a hillside site personally chosen by Archbishop James Duhig for a century this year. A lot has changed at Stuartholme in that time.

Aerial view of how Stuartholme looks these days. It is celebrating its 100th year.

“Come as you are and you will be cared for with great love.’’

Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Heart founder, Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, said this 200 years ago and principal Kristen Sharpe said it guided Stuartholme School to this day.

The landmark institution, perched atop a hill in Toowong, began 100 years ago this year with five students.

Now there are 700, including 120-130 boarders, who use technology in their everyday schooling which would have seemed like magic in 1920.

“But our goals are what sets us apart. We encourage students to identify what their strengths are and then develop them to their full potential,’’ Ms Sharpe said.

“There’s no mould girls must fit. We’re an academic school but that doesn’t come at the expense of a student’s wellbeing.

“We have a masterplan and a strategic plan in place to ensure the school is around for 100 more years.

“But we don’t want to become too big — we think small is a point of difference for us and we have a strong village feel.

“And we recognise we’re in a bush setting where most of the land is steep.’’

The dramatic roof and stained glass window inside the new chapel.

The new chapel pictured in the 1960s.

The recent quarantine of the school’s Chinese boarders due to potential coronavirus (none had it, as it turned out) showed its caring philosophy, she said.

“The girls were made a big fuss of. Students sent them videos and messages of support, we got them Chinese takeaway and gift baskets,’’ Ms Sharpe said.

In recent decades, the school had built on the core philosophy of Saint Barat with cutting-edge teaching.

“We work with Harvard University — our teachers have the best professional learning I’ve seen,’’ she said.

Milestones have included the modern chapel, built in the 1960s, commandeering of the school in WWII for a hospital, construction of the Spruson science building in the ’90s and the Joigny building in 2004.

Eleanor Roosevelt visits a sick soldier in 1942.

American troops commandeered the school in 1942 for use as a hospital.

Back in 1957, when Sr Rita Carroll enrolled at Stuartholme School, it was still almost like a monastery.

The Sisters never left the site and girls were encouraged to walk the corridors in silence.

The girls studied astronomy, learned French, science and psychology, and how to dress make.

“We had to have a broad, well-rounded education,’’ Sr Carroll said.

“It was very formal, there was a lot of silence.

“There were about 150 children but only 12 to 20 were day scholars and they were tolerated, not encouraged.

“It was run a lot like a monastery, but it was never oppressive and we had a lot of time to think.’’

Back then, the school was also still very much cut off from the rest of Brisbane by thick bush and not encircled by suburbia.

Sr Rita Carroll rscJ was a student at Stuartholme half a century ago and is now a teacher there.

“We had Saturday morning classes. Art and music were taught after school,’’ she said.

“Secondary education originally began in Year 9.’’

Sr Carroll, whose 1960 graduating class will have their 60th reunion this year, said it was wonderfully ironic that the old homestead on the site, Jolimont, was struck by lightning and burned down.

“I like to think of that as fire from heaven,’’ she joked. “One of our (school) buildings is now called Jolimont to remember it.

“The Sisters of the Sacred Heart first went to Annerley before finding this site.

“At the time, Archbishop (James) Duhig was going around Brisbane buying all the hilltop land he could.’’

Sr Carroll went on to teach science at the school and still serves there.