A Melbourne Institution
Lauriston Girls' School was established in 1901 by Margaret and Lilian Irving, daughters of the eminent Victorian educator Professor Martin Howy Irving.
Rapidly acquiring a reputation for academic and sporting excellence, the School outgrew its first home in Erskine Street, Malvern and moved to its present site in Huntingtower Road, Armadale in 1907. Under the stewardship of Miss Elizabeth Kirkhope, the Lauriston-educated successor to the Irving sisters, the School was able to withstand the financial and social pressures which forced the closure of many Independent Schools during the Depression years.
In 1948, Miss Kirkhope successfully managed the transition of the School from private ownership to a non-profit limited guarantee company, whilst protecting the School's non-denominational religious status. Under the leadership of Miss Gladys Davies, another Lauriston educated alumna, the School undertook an ambitious building program during the 1950s and 1960s, to provide students with modern, purpose-built facilities on the Huntingtower Road site.
The campus was further expanded in the 1970s with the purchase of landmark heritage buildings located close to the Armadale campus - 'Blairholme' and 'Montrose' - to house the lower and upper primary grades.
In 1993, Lauriston launched an Australian-first program for its Year 9 students and opened its regional campus ‘Howqua' in the Victorian High Country. For more than 20 years, this innovative program has given Year 9 students the opportunity to participate in a full year of pastoral, academic and outdoor programs designed to help each girl achieve her personal best.
Since its inception, Lauriston graduates have made their mark in multiple fields of endeavour. The School is very proud of its alumnae ('Old Girls') and regularly invites graduates back to talk with our current students. Learn more about our Old Laurstonians' Association here.
