Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School

Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School (PEGS) is an independent, Uniting Church, co-educational school, with campuses located in Essendon, Moonee Ponds and Keilor East in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The school is the product of an amalgamation of two schools, Penleigh Presbyterian Ladies' College and Essendon Grammar School, which was completed in 1977. Uniforms were different for boys and girls until Term 3 2006 when a new combined school uniform was launched.

The school is a member of the AGSV and competes against the other member schools in a range of sports. It was ranked 11th in the 2005 Victorian Certificate of Education.

History

The history of Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School is the history of two schools, Penleigh Ladies' College and Essendon Grammar School. Each of these schools has its origins in the early years of Melbourne. Essendon Grammar School was established for boys in 1934 following the amalgamation of Northern Grammar School and St.Thomas' Grammar School.^[2] Northern Grammar School commenced in 1921 in the Moonee Ponds area but soon moved to new premises on the site of St.John's Church in Essendon.

In 1924, the school acquired the present site at 59 Raleigh Street, Essendon. Carlton College opened in 1872 and this school occupied several premises in the Parkville area. This school combined with St Thomas's Grammar in 1910, when thiey moved to a larger property in Essendon. In 1948 Essendon Grammar School began its affiliation with the Presbyterian Church. The site of the senior school in Keilor East was purchased in 1956 and this new campus of the school was officially opened by the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. Robert Menzies in 1960. Penleigh was originally established in 1871 as Dorset House, Mrs. Tulloch's School for Young Ladies.^[3] The school occupied several sites in the Moonee Ponds area. The school developed and expanded particularly under the guidance of the Limerock sisters. The school was renamed Penleigh Ladies' College during the First World War and it moved to the present site at 83 Park Street, Moonee Ponds in 1921. After the Second World War Penleigh was purchased from the Limerock sisters by the Presbyterian Church.

The first links between Essendon Grammar School and Penleigh Ladies' College were established in 1952 when Intermediate and Leaving students participated in some common classes. By 1969, the councils of the two schools agreed to integrate the two schools at the senior levels. In 1973, the co-educational senior college, McNab House, was established on the Keilor East site. The two schools were amalgamated in 1977 to form Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School; the school also joined the Uniting Church in 1977 and became an incorporated body in 1982. In the following year, the school purchased property at Lake Eildon to develop an Outdoor Education Programme.

The sites at Raleigh Street, Park Street and Keilor East have been developed into state of the art school environments and, during 2010, commenced a substantial, multi-campus redevelopment to run over several years. Another site of approximately 40 acres (160,000 m²) was purchased in the Keilor Park area in 2006 and has been developed as the school's sporting grounds. The four sporting houses for in-school boys' competition are Bradman, Elliot, Reynolds and Rose; those for the girls are Limerock, Park, Chaucer and Dorset.

Notable alumni

• Andre Haermeyer – Australian Labor Party - Member of Victorian Parliament [Minister for Police and Emergency Services; Minister for Manufacturing & Export, Minister for Small Business and Minister for Financial Services
• Andrej Lemanis – head coach of the Australian men's national basketball team.
• Barak Sopé – Prime Minister of Vanuatu 1999-2001.
• Brett McLeod – newsreader with National Nine News
• Curtis Stone – chef and restaurateur^[4]
• David Tweed – share market opportunist^[5][6]
• Dustin Fletcher – AFL Essendon player and father, Ken Fletcher former AFL Essendon player^[7]
• Eric Bana – actor^[8]
• Frãncesca D'Ęlia - renowned historian and archaeologist. Best known for her stunt in acting, coaching Matt Smith.
• Jason Huang - silver medalist in Mr Muscle, national bodybuilding*** competition, coming second to Matt Smith, lasagne entrepreneur.
• Joan Kirner – first female Premier of Victoria (also attended University High School)^[9]
• Joshua Toy – AFL Gold Coast Suns^[10]
• Kelvin Thomson – Labor Party Member for Wills, provided a character reference for underworld criminal Tony Mokbel^[11][12]
• Luis Leeds - Racecar driver.
• Madge Titheradge and sister, Lily Titheradge – stage and film actresses^[13]
• Matthew Watson– AFL Carlton player
• Rick Olarenshaw – former AFL Essendon and Collingwood player^[14]
• Robert Gottliebsen – Journalist and business commentator, founder of Business Review Weekly magazine^[15]
• Scott West – AFL Western Bulldogs player^[14]
• Zac Dawson – AFL Fremantle and Hawthorn
• Shannon Bennett – Australian chef/restaurateur and founder of the Vue du Monde restaurant^[16]
• Trent Cotchin – AFL Richmond player
• Daryl Turrin - known as Vivien St James, famous Drag Queen

References

External links

• Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School website