Girls' Sport Victoria (GSV) was established in 2001, and is one of the largest independent school sporting associations in Victoria, Australia, with 23 member schools from around Melbourne.
GSV provides approximately 16,500 girls, from years seven to twelve, with the opportunity to be involved in over 20 sports through weekly competitions, carnivals, tournaments and skill development programs.
Schools Current member schools Member SchoolLocationEnrolmentFoundedDenominationPrincipalDay/BoardingYear EnteredCompetitionSchool ColoursCamberwell Girls Grammar SchoolCanterbury7771920AnglicanDebbie DunwoodyDay2000Navy and whiteFintona Girls' SchoolBalwyn5331896Non-DenominationalRachael FalloonDay2000Navy and goldFirbank Grammar SchoolBrighton1,0461909AnglicanJenny WilliamsDay & Boarding2000Gold, green and whiteGenazzano FCJ CollegeKew6801889Roman CatholicLoretta WholleyDay & Boarding2000Maroon, navy and silverIvanhoe Girls' Grammar SchoolIvanhoe8501903AnglicanNarelle UmbersDay2000Royal blue, chocolate and whiteKorowa Anglican Girls' SchoolGlen Iris7741890AnglicanFrances BoothDay2000Cherry and dark greyLauriston Girls' SchoolArmadale9351901.Non-DenominationalSabine PartingtonDay2000Navy and whiteLoreto Mandeville HallToorak1,2201924Roman CatholicAngela O'DwyerDay2000Royal blue and goldLowther Hall Anglican Grammar SchoolEssendon8591920AnglicanElisabeth RhodesDay2000Navy, sky blue and goldMelbourne Girls Grammar SchoolSouth Yarra1,0461893AnglicanToni MeathDay & Boarding2000Navy and whiteMentone Girls' Grammar SchoolMentone5601899AnglicanLauren PerfectDay2000Red, navy and goldMethodist Ladies' CollegeKew2,1691882Uniting ChurchJulia SheaDay & Boarding2000Dark green and silverOur Lady of Mercy CollegeHeidelberg1,1751910Roman CatholicJudith WeirDay2000Navy, maroon and whiteOur Lady of Sion CollegeBox Hill9301928Roman CatholicRebecca CetrolaDay2015Cherry, black and whitePresbyterian Ladies' CollegeBurwood1,5301875PresbyterianEmma BurgessDay & Boarding2000Blue, gold and blackRuyton Girls' SchoolKew8541878Non-denominationalKim BenceDay2000Navy and yellowSacré CœurGlen Iris6591888Roman CatholicAdelina Melia-DouvosDay2000Turquoise, navy and whiteSt Catherine's SchoolToorak6851896Non-DenominationalNatalie CharlesDay & Boarding2000Navy, light blue and goldSt Margaret's Berwick Grammar SchoolBerwick980 (593 Girls)1926Non-DenominationalAnnette RomeDay2000Red, navy and old goldSiena CollegeCamberwell6911940Roman CatholicSarah TymensenDay2010Sienna, black and whiteStar of the Sea CollegeBrighton1,2401883Roman CatholicMary O'ConnorDay2000Navy and redStrathcona Girls' Grammar SchoolCanterbury8141924BaptistLorna BeeganDay2000Navy and gold Toorak CollegeMount Eliza9011874AnglicanKristy KendallDay & Boarding2000Navy, red and gold
Former member schools SchoolLocationFoundedYearsCompetedDenominationDay/BoardingSchool ColoursKilvington GrammarOrmond19232000–2011BaptistDayNavy, light blue, gold and magentaShelford Girls' GrammarCaulfield18982000–2024AnglicanDayNavy, light blue and goldTintern GrammarRingwood18772000–2009AnglicanDay & BoardingNavy, green maroon and white
History In 1999, the principal of Melbourne Girls Grammar School, Christine Briggs, held a meeting of principals of girls' schools at the Lyceum Club. She felt the need to organise the meeting after receiving a letter of invitation from the Associated Public Schools of Victoria (APS) inviting her school to join their association. The other schools invited included Firbank Grammar School, Genazzano FCJ College, Loreto Mandeville Hall, Presbyterian Ladies' College and Toorak College.
Many APS boys' schools had introduced co-education and were finding it difficult to provide adequate inter-school sports experiences for their female students. As the oldest schools association, APS felt it was in a strong position to convince independent girls' schools to become members. Briggs was concerned that the APS saw girls' schools as the solution to their problem, and was aware that girls' schools were fragmented into so many sporting associations, that the approach might be successful for the APS, but harming girls' schools.
Briggs put the issue of girls' sport to the principals at the meeting, and it was agreed that it was time to consider the idea of a new sports organisation catering for the needs of all-female schools. It was stressed by many that the heritage of girls' sport built over more than a century by the involved schools could not be abandoned or seriously affected.
Following this meeting, a forum was led by Diana Bowman, the former principal of SCEGGS Darlinghurst in New South Wales, who had much experience with the successful and foremost girls' sporting association in her State, the Independent Girls' Schools Sporting Association (the sporting arm of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools). It was at this forum that the decision was made to create a new sports organisation to which the 24 girls' schools could belong, and that existing Associations would then cease to exist. In the same year, the name "Girls Sport Victoria" was selected for the new organisation. Further, it was acknowledged that creating "Girls Sport Victoria" would take time, and therefore a Project Officer was needed to undertake the task. Fiona Preston was the person selected, and began work immediately in order to complete preparations for the commencement of the sports program in 2001. She was supported by a Committee of Principals, a Committee of Heads of Sport, and working committees for each sport.
Preston, along with the first executive officer, Meredith Prime, and a small group of staff, created a program of sports and three major carnivals, track and field, swimming and diving, and cross country in three Divisions. Zoned groups of schools were established for weekly interschool competitions in netball, basketball, softball, tennis, indoor cricket, hockey, water polo, soccer, volleyball, and badminton. In addition, Saturday morning sport, which was especially attractive to boarding schools, offered golf, Australian rules football, taekwondo, and triathlon. Also organised were seasonal competitions in cricket and Surf League, and 'fun days' for students in Years 7 and 8.
Many challenges were met by the organisers, such as the vast geographic spread of the schools; the varying size of schools, ranging from 300 to almost 2000 students; the differences in quality and number of sports facilities within and outside schools; the difference in strength between schools and within sports; the cost to schools to meet their responsibilities; concern about potential loss of academic time through travel to venues; the determination of GSV rules and regulations; talent identification; promotion of leadership opportunities; and the availability of quality umpiring.
Previous associations Prior to the establishment of Girls' Sport Victoria,Women's Sports: New Association Formed, The Argus, (Saturday, 29 October 1932), p.27. there were seven girls' schools sporting associations catering to the sporting needs of the 24 GSV schools, and a small number of other schools. These associations were subsequently disbanded in 2001.
Associated Anglican Girls’ Grammar Schools (1920–2000) Church Secondary Schools Sports Association, later the Associated Anglican Girls’ Grammar Schools (AAGGS), was created in 1920 and conducted the first combined girls’ schools sports day in Victoria on 30 April 1920, at Toorak Park, Armadale.Combined Girls' Sports: New Association Formed, The Argus, (Friday, 30 April 1920), p.7. The first cultural event held by the Associated Church of England Girls’ Grammar Schools was a Combined Choir Festival at the St Kilda Town Hall on Thursday 9 October 1941, in aid of Red Cross Funds with the guest of honour being Miss Una Bourne.Records of the AAGGS held in the State Library of Victoria. SchoolYearsCompetedCamberwell Girls Grammar School1944–2000Firbank Girls' Grammar School1920–2000Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School1925–2000Korowa Anglican Girls' School1920–2000Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School1921–2000Melbourne Girls Grammar1960–2000Mentone Girls' Grammar School1964–2000Shelford Girls' Grammar1944–2000St Michael's Grammar School1920–1980sTintern Girls Grammar School1920–1951
Girls' Schools Association (1920–2000) The Girls' Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA), later the Girls' Schools Sports Association (GSSA) was formed in 1920. In the early 1990s, it changed its name to the Girls Schools Association (GSA). SchoolYearsCompetedFintona Girls' School1920–2000Korowa Girls' School1963–2000Lauriston Girls' School1920–2000Ruyton Girls' School1920–2000St Catherine's School1920–2000Tintern Girls Grammar^1967–2000
^Tintern participated in the Swimming Carnivals from at least 1949 – 1953 and the Athletics Carnivals from 1956 – 1958
Zone Sports Association (1968–2000) SchoolYearsCompetedFirbank Girls' Grammar School 1968–2000Loreto Mandeville Hall 1980–2000Mentone Girls' Grammar School 1968–2000Sacré Cœur 1991–2000Shelford Girls' Grammar 1968–2000St Michael's Grammar School 1968–1994Cato College (later Wesley College – Cato Campus) 1968–1989Wesley College, Prahran Campus 1988–1989
Girls’ Schools Sports Association (1975–2000) The "Girls’ Schools Sports Association", formerly the Eastern Suburbs Association and later the Eastern Sports Association (ESA), was formed in 1975. In 1984, Loreto Toorak was invited to participate as a non-voting member and in 1988, the girls at Wesley College were also invited to participate as a non-voting member. In 1993, Carey Grammar was asked to re-consider its membership of the new GSSA, as it was the only co-educational school in the ESA. Genazzano was invited to participate as a non-voting member in 1993 before becoming a full member the following year following the departure of Carey Grammar. Athletics and swimming carnivals were conducted and students competed in baseball, basketball, cricket, hockey, netball and tennis competitions throughout the year. SchoolYearsCompetedCamberwell Girls Grammar1975–2000Carey Grammar1984–1993Genazzano1994–2000Ivanhoe Girls Grammar1975–2000Melbourne Girls Grammar1975–2000MLC1975–2000PLC1975–2000Strathcona Girls Grammar1975–2000
Public Schools Sports Association (1904–2000) The Public Schools Association, later known as the Girls’ Private Schools Victorian Sports Association, was created in 1904 and conducted their first tennis competition soon thereafter.Girls' Sports Association: New Association Formed, The Age, (Saturday, 26 March 1904), p.12. SchoolYearsCompetedGeelong Girls' Grammar School1916–1975Loreto Mandeville Hall1991–2000Melbourne Girls Grammar1904–2000Methodist Ladies' College1904–2000Presbyterian Ladies' College1904–2000Tintern Girls Grammar School1991–2000Toorak College1991–2000
Catholic Girls Sports Association of Victoria (established 1980) The Catholic Girls Sports Association of Victoria (CGSAV), formerly the Secondary Catholic Sports Association (SCSA) is a sporting body that promotes and provides sporting carnivals for a group of Catholic girls schools in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia established in 1980. Membership of the SCSA is restricted to metropolitan and country Catholic Secondary Schools, upon payment of the annual affiliation fee. Membership is open either to girls’ schools or coeducational Catholic Colleges, however events cater only for girls.
Academy of Mary Immaculate, Fitzroy Ave Maria College, Aberfeldie Avila College, Mount Waverley Catholic Ladies' College, Eltham Clonard College, Geelong Harkaway Hills College, Narre Warren North Kilbreda College, Mentone
Killester College, Springvale Marian College, Sunshine West Mater Christi College, Belgrave Mercy Diocesan College, Coburg Mount St Joseph Girls' College, Altona Our Lady of Mercy College, Heidelberg Our Lady of Sion College, Box Hill
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College, Bentleigh Sacred Heart College, Geelong Sacred Heart Girls' College, Oakleigh