DEAR Reader,
There are places that exist simply as buildings, and then there are those that quietly shape the lives within them.
For nearly a century, the Chapel of St Michael and All Angels has stood not merely as brick and stone, but as the very heart of Perth College. A place where faith is lived, where community gathers, and where generations have found both stillness and strength.
Within its walls, voices have been lifted in song. Young people have wrestled with life’s biggest questions. Families have marked life’s most sacred moments of joy, of sorrow, of becoming. And yet, dear reader, this story did not begin with a building.
SOMETHING WAS Missing
The School had been established. The community was growing. Students filled the classrooms and the rhythms of school life were taking shape.
Yet the Sisters of the Church believed something essential remained.
A Chapel.
Not simply a building, but a place where faith, learning and community could come together at the heart of the School.
As Sister Vera wrote:
“One thing remains as yet undone… We want our own Chapel; one that shall be worthy of the School and worthy of God.”
— Sister Vera
It was, in many ways, an act of faith to imagine something before it existed, and to believe it must be.
THEY BUILT IT Anyway
One must admire a certain kind of woman, the kind who, when told something is impossible, simply begins.
With limited means and admist a world still recovering from war, the Sisters and their community set about achieving what many would have thought beyond reach.
Within its walls, voices have been in song, young people have wrestled life’s biggest questions, and communities have gathered in moments of both joy sorrow. Our Chapel stands as a material and symbolic reminder of the founding vision of our School.
They fundraised with ingenuity and grace, including:
• concerts and community gatherings
• tuckshops established in times of need
• contributions from teachers, Old Girls, and families
Even the smallest gifts mattered.
Country Old Girls sent £1 which was no small sum at the time.
Dear reader, this is perhaps the most important truth of all. The Chapel was not built by wealth, but by belief.
Consecration of Chapel, 1927
SHE LIVED TO HEAR THEM Sing
The campaign became, in many ways, the life’s work of Sister Vera.
Through years of effort, perseverance and quiet determination, the vision took shape. Not just as a building, but as something already alive within the School community.
The foundation stone was laid on 20 November 1926. A year later, in 1927, The Chapel was consecrated.
Sister Vera would live to hear the girls sing her hymns within its walls.
And then, her work complete, she rested.
It is difficult not to pause here, and recognise the depth of what was given so that others might benefit.
IT STILL STANDS AT THE HEART OF School Life
Over the past century, the Chapel has witnessed thousands of moments that have shaped the Perth College story.
A witness to:
• weddings and baptisms
• quiet prayers before examinations
• moments of grief and remembrance
• celebrations that bind a community together
Today, it remains a living part of daily life at Perth College, a place that continues to offer perspective, belonging and quiet strength.
Chapel, 1966
NOT Simply RESTORATION
As the Chapel approaches its centenary, we are presented with both an opportunity and a responsibility.
After nearly 100 years of continuous use, important restoration and conservation works are now required to preserve the Chapel for future generations.
Time and wear have brought with them the need for:
• structural restoration
• conservation of heritage features
• accessibility improvements
• careful modernisation to support ongoing use
The first century was about building this remarkable place. The next century is about sustaining it.
FOR THE NEXT Century
This Appeal is about more than preserving a building. It is about protecting a place that continues to shape the life of our community.
A place where:
• students pause and reflect
• families gather
• traditions continue
• the founding vision of Perth College continues to inspire
Dear reader, every generation has played its part. Ours is no different.
YOUR SUPPORT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
WHAT THE Chapel MEANS TO OUR COMMUNITY
THE REVEREND JULIE BAKER CHAPLAIN, PERTH COLLEGE
The beautiful St Michael and All Angels Chapel is the physical manifestation of the spiritual heart of Perth College. I start each day by walking into this sacred space, climbing the spiral staircase and offering morning prayer in the Sisters’ Chapel upstairs. In doing so I enjoy the daily gift of experiencing the peace that comes with this building which has witnessed many joys, sorrows, successes, hopes and fears through the prayers and worship of this School community.
From its very inception, the Chapel offered the opportunity to combine the parallel priorities of the Sisters of the Church — educating girls and living out their Christian faith. Having a dedicated place of worship on School grounds continues to be a blessing to our community in so many ways.
For me as a chaplain and an Anglican Priest, the Chapel is my natural habitat. A building designed and equipped for Anglican worship where I can authentically live out my calling to nurture the spiritual life of our community. Although we can gather students in many spaces and go through the rites of an Anglican service, the impact of doing so in a dedicated, historic and beautiful Chapel cannot be overstated.
Our Chapel also allows for the Perth College community to extend beyond School hours and the term calendar, as it invites members to celebrate and commemorate significant moments in life through the pastoral offices of baptism, confirmation, marriage and funerals.
Without our Chapel, these important connections would very likely be weakened, if not lost entirely.
Older buildings need care — our Chapel is no exception. It has delivered amazing opportunities for students to glimpse the glory of God over the past 100 years. We are determined that it will continue to do the same for the next 100 years and beyond. Please consider how you might contribute to that goal and keep the vision of the Sisters of the Church alive for the next generation.
Pro Ecclesia Dei — Rev. Julie Baker, Chaplain
THE RIGHT REVEREND
DAVID BASSETT DIRECTOR, PERTH COLLEGE FOUNDATION
As a relatively new arrival to both Perth and Perth College, I have a very short personal connection with the Chapel of St Michael and All Angels. Yet, the Chapel speaks to me profoundly. Here in the heart of the School, the founding Sisters built the Chapel not merely as a building for worship, but as a symbol of all they held dear in their faith and mission to bring education to young women.
Each time it connects me to the story of Perth College — and to something much larger: the enduring story of Christian faith and community.
Our Chapel is an important part of our rich heritage. It continues to speak of the rich story that we are invited to join, or which can simply enable us to think and ponder beyond ourselves. It is a beautiful space in the heart of our School that speaks of things eternal — a heritage we treasure and one we pass on to generations still to come.
— Bishop David Bassett
JUSTINE LEGGE
OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE MEMBER
Living in Melbourne and planning a wedding ‘back home’ there was never any question of where we hold our wedding. On 12 March 1994 Reverend Kay Goldsworthy (now Archbishop) married Robert and I in the Chapel — three of our four bridesmaids were Old Girls.
Our wedding day was over forty degrees, so you can imagine the temperature inside the Chapel; the black-tie congregation was wilting. Ever practical, Reverend Kay quietly suggested midceremony that we skip the next hymn — the relief was palpable.
Years later, we returned to christen both children there — Angus in 2001, Imogene in 2004 — many of the same guests present. Imogene is now an Old Girl herself, so the connection has carried across generations.
I know many Old Girls share this affection, and I hope future generations will create their own memories within its walls as the Chapel enters its second century.
— Justine Legge
NOW IT’S Our TURN
Nearly a century ago, the Perth College Community came together to build something enduring.
They gave what they could, trusting that it would matter long into the future.
Now, it is our turn.
We invite you to contribute to the Chapel’s next chapter, to honour the past and help secure its future.
Your support will help:
• preserve an important part of Perth College’s history
• ensure future students can gather, reflect and worship in the Chapel
• maintain a place that sits at the heart of our School community
• honour the vision of those who built it for us
Together, we can ensure the Chapel remains a place of faith, reflection and community for generations to come.
walls, voices have been lifted in
young
questions,
people have wrestled with life’s
moments
stands as
and communities have
of both joy and sorrow.
a material and symbolic
the founding
vision of our School.
HOW You CAN SUPPORT THE APPEAL
There are many ways to support the Chapel Appeal:
Make a once-off or recurring donation
Contribute a major gift
Dedicate a gift in honour or in memory of someone special Support scholarships
Consider a bequest
foundation@pc.wa.edu.au
perthcollege.wa.edu.au/chapel-appeal