105 Years of Pymble

To mark 105 years since the foundation of Pymble Ladies’ College, College Archivist Enid O’Carroll will share a piece of Pymble history in the Newsletter each week – 105 Objects in 105 Years.

1945 – victory medal and text book

A well-worn edition of Outlines of Physical Geology by Chester Longwell, tells a story of grateful students, and a dedicated teacher. The book plate notes the owner as Heather Drummond. It bears an inscription from 14 senior students expressing their gratitude to Miss Drummond for an excursion to Jenolan Caves April 26, 1945. Repaired with red binding tape clearly a valued and treasured resource. Miss Drummond joined the teaching staff at Pymble in 1941. Students described such events with:

…vigour and stamina required for excursions, lest a familiar tartan-skirted figure should be seen animatedly talking from a mountain top whilst lesser mortals were still toiling upward!

Other excursions noted in the magazine for 1945 include a Chemistry excursion to the Australian Glass Manufacturers’ works at Waterloo. Mention is made of the Pyrex section and its properties suited to bowls and ovenware.  While class V1F went on a city excursion taking in Darling Harbour, Pyrmont Bridge and Woolloomooloo Bay all unrecognisable to today’s vistas. Travelling about the city on foot in crocodile, bus and tram, with a stop at the Mitchell Library then back to Pymble on the train, via Wynyard.

A symbol of peace, the victory medal given to Australian school children marks the end of the war years.  The medal features a Knight with sword with an outline of Australia as the backdrop.  The flip side depicts the southern hemisphere with Australia, Antarctic, New Zealand, South Africa and South America. The medal and the Longwell Geology text form part of the Heritage Collection.

1946 – Brass Gongs

One of the most unique artefacts in the Heritage Collection are the brass gongs. Created and gifted to the school in 1946 by Lt Archer, from the crew of HMA ML822. Given in thanks for the support the College provided in the time of war. They were presented by Lt Archer on the 8 May 1946 at morning assembly.

The gongs are made from three spent shell cases from a Rolls Royce two-pounder gun. The chains suspending the gongs are from the skipper’s bathroom plug, the rods from the engine room and Bakelite base from the wireless cabin. For many years they were proudly displayed on the Principal’s lectern in the Assembly Hall.

The gongs were used in the 2016 performance of Aurora – Centenary Gala Concert held at the Opera House. The hammer fashioned from timber taken from the bilges went missing many years ago. Recently our TAS Technical Assistant (Workshops) has recreated it. Using images and CNC milling equipment Will Frohlich created a replica hammer in Tasmanian oak, stained with oak stain and bees’ wax. Again, the beautiful tone of the gongs rings out.