Our History
On 12 January 1901, a small advertisement appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald informing the community of the opening of Ravenswood, Gordon later that month.
Ravenswood opened on 28 January 1901, with founding Headmistress, Miss Mabel Fidler (1901–1925), commencing classes with five girls and three boys in a schoolroom built adjacent to her home in Henry Street. This home, which Mabel Fidler shared with her two sisters and two brothers, was named ‘Ravenswood Cottage’ after their family home in Surry Hills, Sydney.
Mabel Fidler had been a student at the highly esteemed Argyle School (1872–1912) in Surry Hills, the alma mater of many notable women of the day. With its advanced ideas on the status and education of women, the Argyle School greatly contributed to Mabel’s vision for educating girls.
This inspired vision was for Ravenswood to be more than a ‘dame school’, rather a school that taught young women that there was more for them in this world – more to learn, more to achieve and more to contribute to community. The Ravenswood School motto, semper ad meliora – always towards better things, inspired students to live meaningful and purposeful lives and to show love for others.
Today, 123 years after Ravenswood opened its doors, and under the leadership of its tenth Principal, Mrs Anne Johnstone (since 2016), Mabel’s vision continues. The School remains a place where girls and young women are empowered, experience excellence and benefit greatly from the strong values of a Ravenswood education.
Mrs Anne Johnstone, Principal
School Crest and Motto
1901 While the Ravenswood uniform has evolved to reflect changing fortunes and fashion, the School crest has undergone minimal change, maintaining the integrity of Mabel Fidler’s original 1901 Ravenswood crest.
The crest has always been based on an oval with the School name surrounding the ‘torch of knowledge’. This sits above a scroll bearing the School motto, semper ad meliora. The widely accepted translation of the motto is ‘always towards better things’.
Minor modifications to the crest stem from changes to the School’s name, from ‘Ravenswood’ to ‘Ravenswood Methodist Ladies College’ in 1925, then ‘Ravenswood Methodist School for Girls’ in 1958 and finally ‘Ravenswood School for Girls’ in 1977.
Ravenswood Archives
The stories of Ravenswood students, Alumni and community members combine with historical records to inform the School’s identity. These stories and records are preserved in the Ravenswood Archives.
The Archives were established in 1989 and are the repository for the documentary records of Ravenswood School for Girls and Annesley School for Girls.
Home to a remarkable collection of artefacts and ephemera that trace the history of the School from its opening in 1901 to today, the Archives contain photographs, uniforms, trophies, manuscripts, student work, rare books, enrolment registers, student records, publications, ephemera, letters, minutes and furniture that illustrate day-to-day life for generations of the School community.
Significant treasures of the collection include the original pulpit Bible used by Miss Mabel Fidler and the earliest school prospectus from 1913. The Archives also hold prize certificates issued during World War I, when rather than receiving books as prizes, the girls donated the money to the war effort.
Materials from the Archives are used across the School for various purposes, including teaching, displays, Alumni events and publications. Many heritage items are permanently exhibited in the Centenary Centre or the Learning Resources Centre, where they are enjoyed by the School community.
The Ravenswood Archives welcomes research enquiries and visits from current students, staff, Alumni and the wider community. All donations, received in accordance with our Collections Policy, are highly valued and contribute to preserving the rich and irreplaceable 123-year history of the School.
Please contact School Archivist Ashleigh Wheeler at the Ravenswood Archives by emailing archives@ravenswood.nsw.edu.au or phoning 02 9498 9836.
Kindle the Flame
The Ravenswood school song, Kindle the Flame, was composed in 1962 and sung for the first time at Speech Day that year.
Written by composer and music educator Dulcie Holland, together with Ravenswood staff member, singer and broadcaster Joyce Trickett, the song’s inspiring words, melody and musical arrangement immediately won a place for itself at Ravenswood and is still sung proudly by our community today.
To mark Ravenswood’s 120-year anniversary, the School partnered with research and writing service The History Smiths to capture our history in an updated book. Kindle the Flame: Over 120 years of igniting potential and inspiring passion and purpose, by author and historian Sophie Church, celebrates Ravenswood and recounts the milestones of the School according to Principal eras, with a colourful array of archival photos and ephemera helping to bring the history of Ravenswood to life.
Drawing on research from the centenary book Ravenswood: Educating girls, 1901–2001 by historian, Fidler Fellow and long-serving Ravenswood teacher Marjorie (Marj) Binns, Kindle the Flame is full of wonderful stories and anecdotes.
Launched to the Ravenswood community in February 2023, the new book emphasises themes of tenacity, community, global awareness, diversity, perseverance, the empowerment of women and, above all, a spirited faith in a positive future.
