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Preshil

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Use Australian English|date=January 2012}}

{{Infobox school

| name = Preshil School

| other_name = The Margaret Lyttle Memorial School

| image = Preshil Hall Entrance.JPG

| size = 270

| caption = Entrance to the junior school (Arlington)'s Kevin Borland Hall, in the 1970s

| motto = Courage

| established = {{start date and age|df=yes|1931}}{{cite web|url = http://www.schoolchoice.com.au/schools_vic/find_a_school?cid=12222&pid=1865853|title = Preshil The Margaret Lyttle Memorial School|access-date = 9 October 2007|year = 2007|work = Victoria|publisher = School Choice|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070831042324/http://www.schoolchoice.com.au/schools_vic/find_a_school?cid=12222&pid=1865853|archive-date = 31 August 2007|url-status = dead}}

| type = Independent progressive school

| denomination =

| slogan = Courage to Question

| principal = Aaron Mackinnon

| president = Emma Zipper

| founder = Margaret J. R. Lyttle

| city = Kew, Melbourne

| state = Victoria

| country = Australia

| grades = P–12

| grades_label = Years

| coordinates = {{coord|37|48|48|S|145|2|57|E|region:AU-VIC_type:edu|display=inline,title}}

| enrolment = ~350

| staff = ~52{{cite web|url = http://www.preshil.vic.edu.au/assets/downloads/2007-Preshil-Ann-Rep.pdf|title = Annual Report to Parents|access-date = 9 October 2007|last = Millane|first = Vivien |year = 2007|work = About|publisher = Preshil School |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070830075528/http://www.preshil.vic.edu.au/assets/downloads/2007-Preshil-Ann-Rep.pdf |archivedate = 30 August 2007}}

| colours = Green and gold {{color box|#008000}}{{color box|#FFD700}}

| website = {{url|www.preshil.vic.edu.au}}

| campus = Suburban

}}

Preshil School, also known as The Margaret Lyttle Memorial School, is an independent progressive co-educational, day school located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1931 by Margaret J. R. Lyttle, the school caters for students from Kindergarten through to Year 12. Preshil teaches a progressive curriculum,{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/education/where-children-rule-in-a-spirit-of-progress-20110807-1ihlq.html|title=Where children rule in a spirit of progress|last=Carey|first=Adam|date=7 August 2011|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|access-date=29 May 2018}} and is Australia's oldest progressive school.{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/rn/hindsight/stories/2006/1674657.htm |url-status=dead |title=Free to learn - the history of progressive education in Australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091120225748/http://www.abc.net.au/rn/hindsight/stories/2006/1674657.htm |archive-date=20 November 2009 |work=ABC Radio National |last=Morton |first=Tom |date=9 July 2006 |year=2006}}

The original Arlington campus houses the Kindergarten and Primary school, while the Secondary School is located at the Blackhall Kalimna campus. The campuses are located on Barkers Road and Sackville Street respectively.{{Cite web |title=Preshil - Secondary School |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Preshil+-+Secondary+School/@-37.813414,145.046964,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x6ad64162a0d251f3:0x45ab44eda784afaf!8m2!3d-37.813414!4d145.0491527 |access-date=5 July 2020 |website=Preshil - Secondary School |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Preshil - Kindergarten and Primary School |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Preshil+-+Kindergarten+and+Primary+School/@-37.8159047,145.0501429,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x6ad6417ce100a5e3:0xd33f4eeec7b3fa29!8m2!3d-37.8159047!4d145.0523316 |access-date=5 July 2020 |website=Preshil - Kindergarten and Primary School |language=en}}

History

Preshil was founded in 1931 by Margaret "Greta" J. R. Lyttle. In 1937, growing numbers lead to the relocation of the primary school to its present site, Arlington campus, further along Barkers’ Road. Greta and her niece Margaret E. Lyttle continued to live at the school.{{cite web |title=Relocation to Arlington | Preshil |url=https://preshil.vic.edu.au/announcement/relocation-to-arlington/}} Greta used the Hungarian psychoanalyst Clara Lazar Geroe as an advisor after she moved to Melbourne in 1941.{{Citation |last=Brett |first=Judith |title=Clara Lazar Geroe (1900–1980) |work=Australian Dictionary of Biography |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/geroe-clara-lazar--10796 |access-date=3 October 2023 |place=Canberra |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |language=en}} Following Greta's death in 1944, Margaret took over as principal.

In 1975, Preshil purchased former chief justice of Australia, Sir Owen Dixon's home in Kew 'Yallambee' after he died. The interior was gutted to construct classrooms. The school later sold the campus.[https://www.vicbar.com.au/sites/default/files/Documents/VBN_160_2016_Summer_compressed.pdf The Library of Sir Owen Dixon] Victorian Bar News (160). Summer 2017. p.59. Retrieved 29 March 2023

Preshil purchased Blackhall for its Senior School in 1978.{{cite web |title=Catherine Booth Girls' Home - Organisation - Find & Connect - Victoria |url=https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/vic/biogs/E000262b.htm}} During the 1980s, David Corke and students and teachers from Preshil identified a number of blazes marking Robert O'Hara Burke's camps from the Cooper Creek to the Diamantina River. Corke also replotted the site of William John Wills' death and an additional memorial cairn was erected by Joe Mack at the revised location.{{cite web |title=Retracing Burke and Wills Route |url=http://www.burkeandwills.net.au/Expedition_Map/retracing.htm}}

In 2017, the school phased out the Victorian Certificate of Education in favour of the International Baccalaureate programme.{{Cite news |last1=Cook |first1=Henrietta |last2=reporter |first2=education |date=1 November 2015 |title=Preshil in Kew set to axe VCE because it is too competitive |url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/school-set-to-axe-vce-because-it-is-too-competitive-20151031-gknv40.html |access-date=20 September 2017 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en-US}} In 2022, Preshil paid $2.1 million to a victim of sexual abuse by a teacher who worked at the school in 1991.{{Cite news |last=O'Brien |first=Susie |date=3 June 2024 |title=Preshil, Kew selling off land to pay for sexual abuse payouts |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/victoria-education/preshil-kew-selling-off-land-to-pay-for-sexual-abuse-payouts/news-story/5c64836b6dfd872a6cff397fe2fb0e02 |url-access=subscription |access-date=18 July 2024 |work=Herald Sun}} Declining enrolments and financial difficulties led the school to sell its Kalimna mansion campus to nearby Carey Baptist Grammar School in 2024. Carey will rent the campus back to Preshil for 42 months.{{Cite news |last=O'Brien |first=Susie |date=15 July 2024 |title=Carey Grammar purchases Kalimna mansion from struggling Preshil Secondary School in Kew |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/victoria-education/carey-grammar-purchases-kalimna-mansion-from-struggling-preshil-secondary-school-in-kew/news-story/a8efc23401a4e12140414cbfe2ac0353 |url-access=subscription |archive-url= |access-date=18 July 2024 |work=Herald Sun}}Image:Preshil Hall Three.JPG

Principals

class="wikitable"
Period

!Name

1931–1944

|Margaret "Greta" J. R. Lyttle

1944–1994

|Margaret "Mug" E. Lyttle

1997–2004

|Dermot Lyttle

2004–2010

|Frank Moore

2010–2020

|Marilyn Smith

2020–2021

|Natalie Jensen (Interim)

2021–2022

|Cressida Batterham-Wilson (Interim)

2022–2024

|Josh Brody

2024–present

|Aaron Mackinnon

Notable alumni

ERA Secondary School

ERA Secondary School in Donvale was founded by Preshil parents who wanted a secondary school to complete education after Preshil. Although Preshil later withdrew support in 1970 the school officially opened in 1971 at 'The White House' in Warrandyte int a temporary premises and later that year in Donvale. The school closed in 1987 due to financial struggles.{{cite web | url=http://www.era-school.net/history/index.html | title=Era School history }}

See also

{{stack|{{portal|Schools}}}}

References

{{reflist}}

Bibliography

  • {{cite book |author=Burns, L. |title=Fighting Spirit |publisher=Penguin Books |year=2003 |isbn=0-670-04037-1}}
  • {{cite book |author=Lyttle, Dermot |title=Preshil Uniquely Different |location=Kew, Melbourne, Victoria |publisher=Preshil |year=2002 }}
  • {{cite book |author=White, Naomi Rosh |title=School Matters: The Preshil Alternative in Education |location=Port Melbourne |publisher=Mandarin |year=1995 }}

Further reading

  • {{cite news |url=http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,17394511%255E5000114,00.html |url-status=dead |title=Preshil vision is still splendid |first=Matthew |last=Pinkney |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060221063718/http://heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,17394511%255E5000114,00.html |archive-date=21 February 2006 |work=Herald-Sun |date=29 November 2005}}

External links

  • {{Official website}}
  • {{Commons category-inline|Preshil School}}

{{Education}}

{{Secondary schools in Victoria|state=collapsed}}

Category:Private schools in Melbourne

Category:Alternative schools in Australia

Category:Educational institutions established in 1931

Category:1931 establishments in Australia

Category:International Baccalaureate schools in Australia