St Hilda’s School Gold Coast: Wendy Lauman appointed principal after shock resignation

Parents at the Gold Coast’s most exclusive girls school have been giving their reaction after the appointment of a new principal.

ST Hilda’s School has appointed Wendy Lauman as its 11th principal, with students of the Gold Coast’s most exclusive girls school given the news during morning tea today.

The news was warmly welcomed by parents and students at the school, with one parent telling the Bulletin “everyone adores” Ms Lauman and they were “very pleased”.

Last July saw the shock resignation of principal Dr Julie Wilson Reynolds, with deputy principal Ms Lauman announced as interim principal until the end of 2020.

The departure of Dr Wilson Reynolds followed the exit of junior school principal Tracey Maynard, who left at the end of the previous term. Little explanation was given for the reasons for both resignations.

But on Wednesday, on behalf of the Archbishop of Brisbane, The Most Reverend Dr Phillip Aspinall, and the St Hilda’s School Councils, the Chair of the School Council Professor Susan Brandis confirmed in a letter to parents that Ms Lauman would become the head of the prestigious school.

Wendy Lauman is the new principal of St Hilda’s School.

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“As interim principal, Wendy has led us through some of the most difficult times St Hilda’s has faced in its history. Throughout this period, she has shown true steadfastness and the leadership qualities expected from our community,” the letter read.

“The last few months have created a significant need for changes to what we would normally expect within our school environment and the appointment of Ms Wendy Lauman as our school principal will be a continuation of her stabilising influence in our community.”

One student messaged her parent saying “I really like her, she understands the school and the girls and she knows everyone by name, takes an actual interest in us. We all love her.

“We got the news at morning tea and everyone was really happy.”

A parent told the Bulletin the news was pleasing and that “everyone at the school just adores Ms Lauman, I’m very pleased, to be frank”.

St Hilda’s School has more than a thousand students from Prep to Year 12.

According to the letter, Ms Lauman is married to Dr James Pickles, a retired physiologist, and she has two adult daughters, Miranda and Emma, and two 10-year-old grandchildren, Arwen and Keating.