Campus Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney

shubra hall , plc students, 1892

the presbyterian ladies college, sydney, opened on 30 january 1888, @ fernlea, 14-room gentleman s residence set on 1.21 hectares (3 acres) in ashfield. august had outgrown location, purchased shubra hall, home of department store owner anthony hordern iii @ croydon, £7,500. plans drawn additional buildings required, , marden worked closely architect, albert bond. marden responsible of ideas new buildings, based on had seen @ mlc melbourne. keenly interested in horticulture, laid out gardens , playing fields. beginning of 1891 school year, new site complete , ready furnishing permanent home of plc.

the presbyterian reported opening of college on 10 march 1891, governor of nsw, rt hon victor albert george, 7th earl of jersey @ new site:

standing in 2.43 hectares (6 acres) of ground, laid out in lawn tennis courts, gardens, etc., in elevated position, forms, tower 84 ft (26 m) [26 m] high, conspicuous feature in landscape. central feature of building tower, , architectural design of facade classic. altogether effect imposing ... main staircase window work of art worth seeing. central window beautifully designed, , contains 2 female figures representing literature , music.

by 1902 plc running out of space again , marden urged new classrooms built. council reluctantly agreed , extension made main school, 6 classrooms downstairs , 18 rooms upstairs. addition completed on 6 october 1904, @ cost of £2,000.

tennis courts @ croydon, 1894

on 24 march 1942, requested plc occupied royal australian air force (raaf) purpose of establishing top secret radar unit , military barracks known no.1 rimu (radio installation , maintenance unit). plc s displaced boarders, , of classrooms, found temporary home @ meriden school in strathfield. school purchased lingwood, in strathfield, centre school s remaining activities.

at end of 1942, meriden authorities indicated no longer house plc boarders, lauriston (now primary school of santa sabina college) , welbeck, on boulevarde @ strathfield, rented them. plc council kept school @ strathfield permanently, decided plc reopen once again @ croydon in first term 1946. military agreed pay extensive renovations required, lauriston , welbeck disposed of in 1946, , lingwood property retained preparatory school. evidence of plc s wartime occupation remain, tunnels , bomb shelters accessible below stage of college hall. plaque presented school raaf, in commemoration of plc s wartime involvement, can found on school verandah @ entrance main school.

and presbyterian ladies college, sydney, still sits on 5 hectares (12 acres) campus, adjacent croydon railway station , within 15 minutes of sydney central business district, sydney university, , university of technology. having grown since foundation, particularly since 1980s, school today features mix of 19th-century , modern buildings, historic landscaped gardens , playing fields.