The Scots School Albury

In 1866, the Anglican Church, led by Bishop Mesac Thomas of Goulburn, established the Albury Grammar School. By 1878, the school had a new headmaster, the Rev. Joseph Masters, who was a Congregational minister. After leaving in 1881, Masters started his own institution named Albury High School, which was co-educational. Unfortunately, due to poor health, Masters sold his establishment in 1887 to Alfred John Smith and George Bailey Wilson, two educators from Melbourne. Entering the 20th century, the institution was renamed Albury Grammar School. A tragic buggy accident in 1902 resulted in Smith's death, leaving Wilson as the sole owner. Wilson relocated the school to its current location in 1909, keeping it co-educational until 1928 when it was sold to the Presbyterian Church of New South Wales, transforming it into a boys-only school. During this era, Albury also hosted private girls' schools such as 'Glenair' and 'Albury Ladies College,' both of which were acquired by Jessie Heath in 1910 and combined into 'Springfield/Glenair Ladies College.' This school closed in 1916, after which Wilson admitted girls into the Grammar School up until 1928. 'Rosehill Girls' School' was founded by Lillian Windridge in 1926 and was later sold in 1938 to Anna Drennan, who then moved and renamed it 'Woodstock Girls' School' in 1939. When Drennan retired in 1946, the school came under the governance of a community-based Council. In 1958, the Presbyterian Church authorized the inclusion of 'Presbyterian' in the name, creating 'Woodstock Presbyterian Girls' School'. The school moved to a new site in North Albury in 1962 and stayed there until 1971 when a decision was made to merge with Albury Grammar School. This union led to the establishment of 'The Scots School Albury' on the initial grammar school campus, adopting a coeducational model once again.