Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Where did Elvira, Eugenia and Enid attend school?

We know that Carlo's sons attended Melbourne Grammar, but I wondered where his daughters went? Carlo and Catherine had three daughters - Elvira May, known as Vera, (born May 31, 1888); Eugenia Anastasia (born August 13, 1895) and Enid Marguerite (born November 3,  1899). I did some research on Trove and fortunately schools in the past often published reports of examinations and speech days, so I have found a few references.

Elvira attended the Strathclyde Ladies College. In December 1900, there was a report of  a Speech Day at the Strathclyde Ladies College and Elvira received a B for Conversational French. In October 1901, Elvira passed a French examination at the  Alliance Francaise of Victoria. The only other report I could find of Elvira's school days was in January 1902 when the examination results for the Strathclyde school were listed in The Australasian, and Elvira obtained  a D for French. In the 'Extra subjects' Elvira received a prize  for Drawing, a  prize for Conversational French and an Alliance Francaise Certificate. (The Australasian January 18, 1902)

The City of Stonnington has a history of  education in their area and it has this very short history of the Strathclyde Ladies College. In the 1880s, Daniel and Martha Connelly opened Cornelia College for Ladies in Horsburgh Grove, Armadale, which later moved to Albany Road.  The School was taken over by the Misses Rudd in the 1890s and renamed Strathclyde. You can read it, here.

Eugenie attended the Harborough Girls' School, which was a 61 Rose Street in Armadale. The fourth annual prize distribution of the Harborough Girls' School and Kindergarten took place on December 17 1903 and Eugenie, who was in Kindergarten,  received a First Class prize for writing. If this was the 'fourth annual' prize night, I presume the school only started in 1900. This is supported by a report of a function held at the school on December 10, 1914 to farewell the Misses Knights, who, are a period of fifteen years are retiring from the school. (The Argus, December 21, 1914) It was co-ed school and possibly just a primary school.

In 1910,  both Eugenie and Enid were at Lauriston Girls School - Enid was listed as receiving an Honour Certificate and Eugenie received an Honour certificate and the Scripture prize. (The Argus, December 19, 1910)  According to their website, Lauriston Girls' School was established in 1901 by Margaret and Lilian Irving, daughters of the eminent Victorian educator Professor Martin Howy Irving. 

In 1913, we find a report that both Eugenie and Enid were at the Melbourne Church of England Girls' Grammar School.  Enid was in Form IV and was awarded the '2nd standard prize' and also received a prize in the Intermediate Division of the Diocescan Divinity Examination. Eugenie received a hockey stick as a Games Trophy. (The Argus, December 20, 1913)  In their Speech Day report held December 15, 1915, they had the following, lovely tribute to Eugenie, who had been school captain,  after her tragic early death at the age of 19, on August 1, 1915. How brilliant she must have been  and how tragic it is that she died so young.


Melbourne Church of England Girls' Grammar School Speech Day report, December 1915
The Age, December 18 1915

I have created a short list of articles that refer to the school days of  Elvira, Eugenia and Enid Catani, you can see it here, on Trove.

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