Ruyton's houses are all named for early Principal's who played a role in establishing the School.
In the early 1920s Ruyton was settling in to its new home in Selbourne Road, Kew, and enjoying the opportunity that the larger site afforded for growth and reinvigoration. At the time students were generally organised by their form (or year level) for lessons and other school activities. In 1922, The Ruytonian magazine published emblems and mottoes for each form group – though how each was chosen was left unexplained.
Form Group emblems published in the 1922 Ruytonian
With enrolments continually growing, the Principal, Miss Hilda Daniell, felt a new basis of organisation would benefit students, giving them a broader outlook and something bigger to work for. She introduced the House system in 1924, with each house to be named for the early Principals who had played the largest role in establishing Ruyton Girls’ School. Four of the original eight form emblems were transferred to these new Houses, while the other emblems were discarded.
The four houses:
Anderson
Named after Mrs Charlotte Anderson, founder and first Principal 1878-1888.
- Colour: Red
- Motto: To Strive, To Seek, To Find, & Not To Yield
Bromby
Named after Miss Eliza Bromby, Principal 1888-1910.
- Colour: Dark Blue;
- Motto: Floret Qui Laboret – He prospers Who Labours. (Had Bromby’s motto been written today it would have been Floret Quae Laboret meaning “She prospers Who Labours”)
Lascelles
Named after Miss Emilie Lascelles, Co-Principal with Miss Bromby 1900-1910, and Acting Principal 1913.
- Colour: White
- Motto: Non Sine Pulvere Palma – No success Without Toil. The literal translation is ”Not without dust a hand”
Daniell
Daniell initially known as School house, was made up of boarding students. This House was renamed Daniell in 1928 and reorganised to include day girls. It was named after Miss Hilda Daniell, principal 1913-1952.
- Colour: Light Blue
- Motto: A Ma Puissance – To The Utmost of My Power. (Over the years the illustration of this motto was corrupted to Ama (French) instead of A Ma (Latin), something Miss Daniell would not have countenanced.)
Ms Cathy Dodson
School Archivist