SCOTS PGC College

Scots PGC College originated from the merger of two separate boarding schools in 1970: The Presbyterian Girls' College, Warwick established in 1918, and The Scots College founded in 1919. These schools were created to cater to the significant Scottish community in the area, aiming to provide a robust Presbyterian education. Founders B. T. DeConlay, R. J. Shilliday, and W. R. Black, were instrumental in this endeavor. The first headmistress of the girls' school was Constance Mackness, who served from its inception until 1949. Mackness, a former staff member at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Pymble, bestowed upon the girls' school the motto E labore dulcedo or Sweetness Out of Labour, reflecting her McInnes clan heritage. Additionally, she was an author of fiction focusing on girls' school life, with works like The Glad School and was renowned for her belief in her students' positive intentions. The amalgamation of these two institutions in 1970 led to the creation of the co-educational Scots PGC College. This unified school joined the Uniting Church in 1977 as a result of the church union. In 1995, under the guidance of Neil Bonnell, who served as principal from 1985 to 1994, the College Council introduced a new school badge and motto, Always Aiming Higher, replacing the separate emblems and slogans of the predecessor schools. Previously, the boys' school motto was Semper Petens Alta or Always Aiming Higher, mirroring the new unified motto, whereas the girls' motto was E Labore Dulcedo.