Marsden School for Girls was founded by Dr Long, Bishop of Bathurst. The first mention of Marsden in Church records was made on the 2nd of July 1925, when a meeting of the Standing Committee and Corporate Trustees combined was held in the Diocesan Registry. At this meeting Bishop Long proposed to establish a Girls’ Boarding School in Bathurst and was looking at purchasing the Hereford estate owned by the James Rutherford’s family.
Hereford House was described as ‘a large two-storied, up-to-date building built of brick. Containing two spacious halls and thirteen rooms, exclusive of kitchen, laundry, dairy, maids’ room, etc, extensive stabling, sheds … Beautifully situated, commanding a magnificent view of Bathurst and surrounding country, standing on 100 acres, laid out in flower, fruit and vegetable gardens, lawns and paddocks.’
Having acquired a site for the school, the actual founding of a school faced the church authorities. The date set for the opening of the school was September 15th, 1925, and the person selected to guide the school through these formative years was Miss Juliet M Lyon, who was appointed by the Bishop as the school’s first headmistress.
On 15 September 1925, six girls walked through the doors of ‘Hereford’ (known as Rutherford House), and so began ‘Marsden School for Girls’, with the daily edition of the Bathurst Times reporting:
‘Amidst delightful surroundings bathed in glorious sunshine and with a wide expanse of beautiful country stretching in every direction to please the eye, the unofficial opening of Marsden took place this morning.
After a short service conducted by Bishop Long, the latter announced that they had already entered on the Foundation Roll the names of thirty-one boarders, twenty-three of whom would commence straight away. It was a wonderful beginning.’
An extract from a local chronicle gave this insight into times long past when reporting on the official opening of Marsden, which took place on 28 November 1925.
‘Miss Lyon (Principal) took her place among the speakers in a graceful frock of black crepe-de-chine with soft touches of forget-me-not blue and hat completing a tasteful ensemble. Her speech, neat and unique, stressed the point that the girls would be trained, not for the future, but that they may derive from life all that the present could give-in health, work and enjoyment. With the sound foundation of these and true Christian principles, Miss Lyon concluded, there need be no fear for the future.’
Mrs Memory Sanders
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