St Hilda’s School, Gold Coast

St Hilda's School, located on the Gold Coast, was established in 1912 through the acquisition of an existing educational establishment named Goyte-Lea, which had been set up by Miss Davenport before Australia's Federation in the late 19th century, by the Brisbane Diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia. The school took its name from Saint Hilda of Whitby, a 7th-century abbess renowned for her legend of transforming serpents into stone, which is commemorated in the school's crest with the depiction of three stone serpents. Catherine Bourne was appointed as the inaugural Headmistress of the school, and her legacy is honored with several classrooms named after her. From its inception, the motto of St Hilda's School has been Non nobis solum, translating from Latin to Not for Ourselves Alone. The school's history includes a unique period during World War II when it played host to 'old boys'. With the outbreak of the war and the subsequent requisition of secondary schools for military use, in March 1942, 90 boarders were relocated to Pikedale Homestead near Stanthorpe. During April of that year, the school accommodated boys from the Church of England Boys' School in Toowoomba, and it also briefly served as a facility for the 135th Medical Regiment. The school moved back from Pikedale to its Southport campus in December 1943. In a significant leadership transition, Peter Crawley became the school's first male principal, serving from 2006 until 2016.