Celebrating 140 Years of Abbotsleigh

On Friday 25 July, the Abbotsleigh community came together to celebrate an extraordinary milestone – the School’s 140th birthday. The celebrations honoured Abbotsleigh’s proud legacy of empowering young women, while also reflecting the spirit of connection and community that we have encouraged through this year’s prefect theme – Bee Connected.

Celebrations began with a whole-school assembly, where students from both campuses gathered across three venues to reflect on the School’s journey thus far. Highlights included musical performances, beautiful student-made cakes, and a powerful address by Gabriella Pereira (AOG 2012), founder of fashion label BEARE PARK. Gabriella shared her journey from Abbotsleigh to entrepreneurship, reminding students of the importance of courage and conviction when it comes to making your dreams come true.

Former Deputy Headmistresses Mrs Robyn Claydon and Mrs Rosemary Abrahams shared their reflections, and special gifts were presented to the School. The assembly also marked the launch of Humans of Abbotsleigh, a wonderful new publication curated by Dr Alison Gates, celebrating the stories of students, staff and community members who have shaped the School across its 140 years.

Later that afternoon we hosted a record number of guests at the Marian Clarke Society’s annual Black and Gold Lunch. Welcoming Old Girls of all ages, the lunch was filled with good vibes and shared recollections of attendees’ time at Abbotsleigh. Gabriella Pereira once again addressed attendees, alongside Marian Clarke Society President Penelope Thompson and several Year 11 students, who shared reflections on their families’ multi-generational connections to the School. The lunch was a sensational testament to the strength of the Abbotsleigh community – intergenerational, interdependent, and deeply engaged.

Across all the special birthday celebrations that have occurred this year, we’ve seen our community come together and perfectly reflect exactly what our founder, Marian Clarke, had always hoped Abbotsleigh would become – a place where girls – past, present and future – are empowered to learn, lead and flourish.