St Hilda’s School principal Virginia Warner talks GC Bulletin Women of the Year awards

The principal of one of the Gold Coast’s most prestigious schools shares some of the secrets to leading our female leaders of tomorrow as she closes in on a year in the role. Full interview

St Hilda’s School Principal Virginia Warner on campus. Picture: Glenn Hampson

As St Hilda’s principal Virginia Warner closes in on one year, she notes she’s approaches her role as she hopes the students do theirs: trying to improve every day.

The 12th principal of the prestigious private school based in Southport, who comes from a background in education - her mother is Burleigh-based Emeritus Professor Dr Anne McMurray - says: “It’s a different adventure every day.

“I hope to be a better principal today than I was in January and a better principal again next year.

“If your intentions, routines and habits are all focused on serving the community and having discernment and being able to live by those values of love, compassion forgiveness and grace then you are in good state to make the right sort of decisions.

“I’m very blessed to have such a supportive community. They’ve been fantastic.”

She came into the role back in January more than ready, saying during her career she was “encouraged to actually move into principalship - probably five or six years prior to doing so”.

St Hilda’s School principal Virginia Warner: “I’ve always said I don’t just want to be principal. I want to be an exceptional principal. But that’s not for me - an exceptional principal is for the people they’re serving.” Picture: Glenn Hampson

“I wanted to take my time because I wanted to make sure if I was transitioning into that role that I had the strengths in all the different skillsets it takes to really flourish.

“I’ve always said I don’t just want to be principal. I want to be an exceptional principal. But that’s not for me - an exceptional principal is for the people they’re serving. That’s why I wouldn’t have wanted to take the role until I felt I was able to do that and do it very well.”

Ms Warner, who reflects on her time at the school and almost 30 years experience as an educator, said the students are a constant source of hope and inspiration.

“They are absolutely shining examples of a living hope for the future - that we will all be - and everything’s going to be - okay and actually beyond okay.

“I am blown away by the capacity to see opportunities to make a difference. And just their joy and abundance. It’s a totally uplifting.”

Asked how she manages stress in the role or more challenging days, she says: “I absolutely take myself for a walk every morning to do some deep thinking and usually that’s with the dogs and along the water.

“I do know that I need some quiet times and some breaks in the day. I am an avid learner. I love listening to podcasts and so I spend a lot of time learning about leadership and sustainability and looking after yourself.”

She says the Gold Coast home after serving as principal at St Luke’s Anglican School in Bundaberg along with deputy roles at Coomera Anglican College and St Andrew’s Lutheran College before coming to St Hilda’s.

Virginia Warner: “I have been grateful every step of the way to be championed by other women. My mother’s my biggest role model, having been a leader in academia for a very long time.” Picture: Glenn Hampson

“I have been grateful every step of the way to be championed by other women. My mother’s my biggest role model, having been a leader in academia for a very long time.”

Asked what she hopes St Hilda’s graduates exit the school with in terms of outlook and skills, she said: “My hope for all of our graduates is they have that confidence in their capability, that sense of themselves in the world around them and the call to just pursue their passions with the resilience and determination to get there but to do that in a way where they get a sense of meaning and purpose not defined by anyone else’s impression of who they should be or how they should be but defined by their goals and ambition.

“That they leave us with a deep understanding that all that they do, they do not for themselves alone. But also deep understanding of who they are as a unique child of God.”

St Hilda’s is sponsoring the Angels Among Us category for the Gold Coast Bulletin Women of the Year awards by Harvey Norman, something she acknowledges speaks to not just education but developing character and people.

“Absolutely. I think it’s speaks to the whole person. It speaks to the development of character and understanding of our role in society and supporting one another, championing one another - that’s the sisterhood.”