What is the Archive?

The PLC Archive stores the College's heritage. With a rich and interesting history spanning over 130 years, Presbyterian Ladies' College, established in 1875, is one of the oldest schools for girls still in existence in Australia. The College believes there is a need to retain and preserve its history and the contribution the PLC Community has made to raise the status of women within the Australian and international community.

The PLC Archive includes a fascinating range of items: books, photographs, school documentation and council minutes, school magazines, pictures, personal diaries and papers, trophies, badges, uniform items and much more. The constantly expanding PLC Archive owes much to generosity of Old Collegians and other members of the school community who have donated items over the years. 

PLC Archive aims to:

• Foster and promote an understanding and appreciation of the history of PLC that will enrich and inform the life of the wider PLC community
• Play an active role in education, formal and informal, through promoting first hand engagement with primary sources;
• Acquire records relating to PLC that exemplify conditions of education experienced by PLC students, staff, Alumni and the broader College community
• Encourage donation of relevant material to the PLC Archive 
• Accumulate knowledge in order to develop, collect, preserve, store, document classify, exhibit, and interpret
• Provide access to the PLC archives
• Maintain a reference space which will support the programs for the Archive and researchers seeking to understand and interpret the collection
• Play an active role in education, formal and informal, through promoting first hand engagement with primary sources.

Where is the Archive?

Archive storage and archive display areas are located on the College campus in Mollison House. The constantly growing collection stewards a fascinating range of items: books, photographs, school documentation and council minutes, school magazines, pictures, personal diaries and papers, trophies, badges, uniform items and much more.

The PLC Heritage Centre, opened in 2005 during the College's 130th Anniversary, is dedicated to showcasing aspects of Presbyterian Ladies' College's history. The PLC Heritage Centre is open to visitors Tuesdays and Thursdays, during school term.

Appointments to visit the PLC Heritage Centre can be arranged with the PLC Heritage Centre Manager, Janet Davies.

Tel: 9805 7536.  Email: heritagecentre@plc.vic.edu.au

Who uses the Archive?

Researchers:
Researchers, both academic and professional, access the collection. A particular strength of the collection is the primary material on women's education in Australia.

An early charter of PLC was to provide an education for women equal to that available for men. High academic achievement has always been an objective of PLC, but never at the expense of drama, sport or creative activities. PLC women were the first women undergraduates at Melbourne University. PLC Old Collegians forged the way for women in many areas previously only open to men.  Included amongst them are; Dr Margaret Whyte (1885), the first woman to graduate M.D from the University of Melbourne; Flos Greig (1894) the first woman to enter the legal profession in Victoria; Vida Goldstein (1884), the first woman parliamentary candidate in the British Commonwealth, contested the first Australian Commonwealth elections in 1903.

Family Historians:
The current popularity of research into family history is reflected in the large number of inquiries received.

PLC Old Collegians' Reunions:
As former students plan for reunions, archives are consulted. Relevant photos, memorabilia, uniform and Patchwork magazines are displayed in the PLC Heritage Centre for these Reunions.

PLC teachers and students
All Year 7 students study a unit on the History of PLC within the History curriculum. Students in other year levels across the College also access the Archive collection in reference to different aspects of the College curriculum.

Old Collegian and current student volunteers regularly assist in the PLC Archive and Heritage Centre. The research, archive management and personal re-collections provided by the volunteers greatly add to the intangible value of the PLC archives.

Material from the PLC Archive is available for reference by appointment Mondays and Tuesdays during the school term. College Archivist, Jane Dyer can be contacted on 9805 7536 or archives@plc.vic.edu.au

PLC Heritage Centre

What is the Heritage Centre?
The PLC Heritage Centre, opened in 2005 during the College's 130th Anniversary, is dedicated to showcasing aspects of Presbyterian Ladies' College's history.

PLC Heritage Centre aims to:
• Foster and promote an understanding and appreciation of the history of PLC that will enrich and inform the life of the wider PLC community;

• Display records relating to PLC that exemplify conditions of education experienced by PLC students, staff, Alumni and the broader College community;

• Provide access to the PLC archives through various displays;

• Maintain a reference space which will support the programs for the Archive and researchers seeking to understand and interpret the collection;

• Play an active role in education, formal and informal, through specialist exhibitions promoting first hand engagement with periods of history, events and Old Collegians of the College.

Where is the Heritage Centre?

The PLC Heritage Centre is located on the College campus in Mollison House.

Who uses the Heritage Centre?

Staff and Students:
Staff and Students across the College make use of the varied displays in the Heritage Centre in reference to different aspects of the College’s curriculum and history.

PLC Old Collegians' Reunions:
As former students plan for reunions, archives are consulted. Relevant photos, memorabilia, uniform and Patchwork magazines are displayed in the PLC Heritage Centre for these Reunions.

Other Interested Visitors:

The PLC Heritage Centre is open to OLC Collegians and other interested visitors during the school term.
Appointments to visit the PLC Heritage Centre can be arranged with the PLC Heritage Centre Manager, Janet Davies.
Tel: 9805 7536. Email: heritagecentre@plc.vic.edu.au