Our History
Determined to provide first-class education facilities to the daughters of settlers, in 1898, Archdeacon Benjamin Glennie raised £1,627 to purchase 12.5 acres of land, on which The Glennie School still stands.
Although the original plans were to establish both a school for boys and a school for girls, funds were harder to raise than expected due to the drought on the Darling Downs. In June 1907, the Anglican Church decided to proceed with the establishment of a girls’ school because there was an £800 bequest which would lapse if construction did not commence by the end of 1907.
In 1908, Diocesan authorities invited Miss Grace Lawrance and Miss Margaret Lawrance to become the Founding Principals and joint Heads of The Glennie School Church of England Grammar School for Girls.
On 27 July 1908, five staff members, five boarders and 25 day students were part of the first intake and were encouraged to follow three guiding principles:
- Religion.
- The encouragement of an enthusiasm for learning.
- The development of school tradition.
The Glennie School Church of England Grammar School for Girls was officially opened on 10 August 1910 by the first Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane, St Clair Donaldson. The date remains one of the School’s most important, with Founders Day still celebrated annually.
Journals from this time reveal cold baths, 6am music practice, walking to St James’ for Chapel on Sunday, and long hikes to Tabletop Mountain.
In the early 1930s the School commenced a period of growth and development, which included extensions to the Main Building and the School Chapel along with construction of tennis courts, a swimming pool, boarding areas, the memorial gates, and the science laboratory. By 1936, 261 girls attended Glennie, of whom 56 per cent were boarders.
School Principal, Miss Gwendoline Dowson led Glennie during WWII. The School gave generously to the wartime effort, raising funds through stalls, knitting socks for the Sailors’ and Soldiers Church of England Help Society, and helping establish Australia’s first orthopaedic hospital.
Established within the 117th Australian General Hospital at The Glennie School in January 1942, the hospital operated during World War II, with the first operation taking place on 10 April 1942. The 200-bed hospital forced the temporary relocation of the Glennie Preparatory School and the boarders to Smithfield, an 80-acre property on the corner of Drayton Road and Alderley Street.
Hospital wards were built on the eastern end of the original Glennie Preparatory School grounds with other original Prep School buildings used as the hospital theatre, intensive care, x-ray and physiotherapy huts.
From May to July 1942, a total of 554 operations were performed. The walking wounded were allowed the freedom of the city but were required to wear ‘hospital blues’.
The Glennie School blossomed throughout the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, with girls immersing themselves in performance arts, sport, cultural and service initiatives. The Glennie Old Girls’ Association (GOGA) was actively involved in the School community, while innovations in teaching and learning fostered academic achievement.
Today, more than 720 students from Kindergarten to Year 12 are part of a culture of learning, service, sport, arts, and performance across three campuses at The Glennie School.
Staying true to the original principles outlined in 1908, The Glennie School remains a school of faith, learning, and rich tradition.
Today, more than 720 students from Kindergarten to Year 12 are part of a culture of learning, service, sport, arts, and performance across three campuses at The Glennie School.
Staying true to the original principles outlined in 1908, The Glennie School remains a school of faith, learning, and rich tradition.
Principals
Miss Margaret Lawrance
1908-1913
Miss Grace Lawrance
1908-1925
Miss Margaret Brown
1925-1938
Miss Gwendoline Dowson
1939-1962
Miss Lynette Thompson
1963-1965
Miss Kathleen Simmons
1966-1981
Miss Marian Stone
1982-1985
Miss Elizabeth (Penelope) Mosquera
1986-1988
Mr Michael Norris
1988-1996
Mr Reginald Brine
1997-2000
Mrs Wendy Ashley-Cooper
2001-2016
Mrs Kim Cohen
2017-2019
Mr Peter Crawley
2019-2020
Ms Mary Anne Evans
2020 – 2024
Mrs Emma Lowry
2024-present