The House system is the basis of our Pastoral Care program at Canberra Girls Grammar School. Members of Houses work together to create and maintain a caring and positive environment in which all students are valued as individuals and have the support necessary to:
Houses provide a forum for participation for all students in the areas of music, dance, drama, sport, debating and public speaking. Houses also foster an atmosphere that enables students to develop leadership qualities, social skills and identity.
| Junior School |
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Students in the Junior School join one of four Houses where they work as a team in a range of activities such as the annual Inter-House Shield competition. Students meet in their Houses fortnightly for planning and practice as well as sharing and celebrating. Every student from Preparatory is placed in a House. Students with a family House association will join the same House. Each House is named after a strong female figure in Australia’s history, and has an Australian animal emblem and an assigned colour.
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Daisy Bates was an Irish journalist who, having lived in Australia briefly before returning to England, was sent to investigate reports of poor treatment of Aboriginal people. She based herself mainly around Ooldea, camping, living and working among the Aboriginal people of the Musgrave Ranges in north-western South Australia for over 30 years from 1913. Bates House’s colour is blue and its emblem is a platypus.
Caroline Chisholm is honoured as 'the immigrants’ friend'. She was appalled at the conditions of immigrant women in Sydney in the early 1800s when it was still a convict town. For the rest of her life she worked both in Australia and in England to improve living and working conditions for young female immigrants. Caroline Chisholm’s face was on the five dollar note for more than twenty years. The koala is Chisholm House’s emblem and its members wear purple.
Poet and writer, Dame Mary Gilmore took part in William Lane’s ill-fated experimental utopia in Paraguay, before returning to Australia to continue to write. She is honoured on Australia’s 10 dollar note. Gilmore House's members wear yellow and their emblem is a kangaroo.
Dorothea Mackellar, probably Australia’s most famous female poet, was born and raised in Sydney and at family properties in the Gunnedah region. Dorothea spoke five languages and wrote her most famous poem My Country while feeling homesick in England. Mackellar House's members wear orange and their emblem is a wombat.
| Senior School |
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The House system underpins the Pastoral Care structure at CGGS. There are six houses, each with approximately 130 students from Years 7 to 12. Supported by a team of tutors and a Head of House, students remain in the same House for the duration of their time at the School to allow a close working relationship between staff and students to develop.
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Burgmann House was named after the Right Reverend E H Burgmann, Bishop of the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn from 1934 to 1960. House colours are red and black.
Each year, Burgmann students are involved in many fundraising activities. The major charity supported is Children's Medical Research Institute's Jeans for Genes Day.
Deakin House was named after the suburb in which the school is situated, which itself is named after Australia's second Prime Minister, Alfred Deakin. Its House colours are green, black and white.
Each year, Deakin House is involved in community service activities on a local and national level. The tutor groups within the house actively raise funds for and support Bandanna Day through CanTeen.
Glebe House (otherwise known as the Old Rectory) was the name of the building where the Sisters of the Community of the Church first set up their school in 1926 in Canberra. Glebe House was situated in what was then the suburb of Reid.
Glebe House was established in 2001 to enable the school to give better Pastoral Care to the growing number of students. Glebe girls are involved in a variety of activities including community service and fundraising for R U OK? Day.
The name Kilburn comes from the name of the suburb in London, where the founders of our school set up their first day school in 1870. An order of nuns from Kilburn in London came to Australia at the end of the 19th century, first settling in Sydney and then later here in Canberra. House colours are red, white and blue.
Each year, tutor groups work towards raising money for house charity SIDS and Kids ACT.
Kilburn House motto honor ante honores sets a standard for honesty, reliability and integrity to which we all aspire.
Age quod ages (Do what you should do).
Robertson House, created in 1939, was originally named Forrest. The name was changed to Robertson in honour of C.S Robertson, Rector of St John's, who helped save the school when the sisters decided to sell it. Robertson's colours are red and green.
Robertson House raises money each year to support Liver Kids and The Children's Hospital at Westmead.
The name Waverley originally came from the name of the suburb in Sydney in which the Manor House of the Order of the Sisters of the Church in Australia, St Gabriel's, was located. St Gabriel's Waverley went guarantor for the loan to establish the current Canberra Girls Grammar School. Waverley's House colours are green and white.
The main charity for Waverley is the ACT Cancer Council which through its research helps reduce the impact of cancer in the region. The main activities supported are Daffodil Day and Australia's Biggest Morning Tea.