Biography

Former Church of England (Anglican) school for girls, with origins at St. Leonard's in 1845, becoming known as “Broadland House Ladies’ Educational School” during its period in Elizabeth St. Launceston. From 1914, the school occupied the site of the present Primary campus of Launceston Church Grammar School in Lyttleton St, being purchased by the Church of England in Tasmania in 1928.

Broadland House has a history going back to 1845. The Examiner newspaper, of 10^th January 1846 carried an advertisement reading: “Establishment for young ladies, Sidbury, Paterson’s Plains – Mrs Manley begs to inform her friends that the duties of her establishment will be resumed on Monday, the 12th of January.”

Mrs Manley, formerly Miss Ann Hodgkinson, was born in England about 18ll, and had married Robert Manley in 1836 at St. John’s Church. , ‘Sidbury’ was their home situated near what is now St. Leonards, overlooking the river.

In January 1845 Robert Manley had died and Mrs Manley opened her school. In 1848 she married Clement Buesnell, the French master at the school. In 1872 they moved to Launceston and Annie’s daughter Anne became a teacher at the school.

After several locations the ladies purchased a property, Broadland House, in Elizabeth Street, from Mr Edwin Maxey, a schoolteacher.

In January 1885 Mrs Buesnel, now a considerable age, leased the school to Miss J. C. Hogg who within a few years purchased the property and school. In the ‘Cyclopedia of Tasmania’ (1900, VoI.II), the school is listed as “Broadland House Ladies’ Educational School”, situated in upper Elizabeth Street, Launceston, with fees from one and a half guineas upwards.

Broadland thrived over the years and in 1908 Miss Hogg leased the school to  Miss Mary Hogg, a former pupil, and a good friend and colleague, Miss Henrietta Middleton.

During the regime of these two women the school song, by Miss Mary Fisher, badge and motto, ‘Nisi Dominus Frustra’, were adopted.

At the close of 1914 the school removed to open in Lyttleton Street in a Georgian town house, a building still in use as the administration block of the Launceston Church Grammar School.

In 1925 the school was sold to the Reverend Dr and Mrs Postle, and in 1928 the Church of England in Tasmania purchased the school.

The Church appointed a Board of Management to run the school. The Board was composed of the rectors of the five parishes in Launceston, together with seven leading businessmen of the city.

In 1932 Miss M. L. Rooney was appointed headmistress, a post she held until her retirement in 1963. During her regime many additions were made to the grounds and buildings, and a large section of the old Cypress Street burial ground was taken over for the school oval.

By the end of 1982 four more headmistresses had given a part of their lives in service to Broadland House. Over 1982 and 1983 the school amalgamated with the Launceston Church Grammar School took place and  Broadland became the Broadland Campus housing the junior grades, with co-educational enrolment. The central building is still known as Broadland House.

Late in 1985 a memorial window was installed in St. John’s Church in honour of the school. The subject is ‘Suffer the Little Children’ and the inscription reads:
JESUS SAID, ‘LET THE CHILDREN COME TO ME’
MARK 10:14
(there is the school badge)
BROADLAND HOUSE GIRLS’ GRAMMAR SCHOOL
1845 – 1983
In 2017 the members of the Broadland House Old Girls Association purchased a stained-glass window for the Launceston Church Grammar School Chapel to honour the old school in its present role. At the base of the window are two small panels with the words verse from the Book of Ruth Chapter 1 verse 16:
Where you go I will go,
Your people will be my people,
And your God my God.
The School motto is on a brass plaque beneath the window and reads:
“Nisi dominus frustra.”

Source

Extract from 'Engraved in Memory' by J.S.Gill. 1988

Monument Australia
https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/culture/education/display/108637-broadland-house-church-of-england-girls`-grammar-school