West, Winifred (1881–1971)

British-born Australian progressive school founder . Born in Frensham, Surrey, England, on December 21,1881; died on September 26, 1971; eldest daughter and second child of Charles William West (a schoolmaster) and Fanny (Sturt) West; attended Queen Anne's School, Cavesham; studied medieval and modern languages at Newnham College, Cambridge, 1900–03; studied art at Julian Ashton Art School.

Traveled to Sydney, Australia (1907); was an illustrator for the Australian Museum; convened first meeting of the New South Wales Women's Hockey Association (1908); founded experimental and progressive Frensham boarding school (1913); opened Sturt school and arts center (1941); opened Gibgate primary school (1952); opened Holt physical education college for women (1953); named Officer of the British Empire (OBE, 1953); opened Hartfield boarding school (1968).

Winifred West realized her progressive ideas of education, especially education for women, by opening a succession of schools in Australia focused on encouraging independent thinking, freeing the creative spirit, and nurturing girls to become whole and physically healthy modern women. She was also a vocal critic of the state education system's emphasis on learning for the purpose of passing university entrance examinations, which she said resulted in "an overcrowded syllabus" that left "little room for original work and imaginative thinking." West disagreed with the promotion of science and technology at the expense of the humanist value of education, and sought to develop her students' interests in the arts and humanities with her unique curriculum.

West was born in England on December 21, 1881, to Charles William West and Fanny West . She engaged in studies at Queen Anne's School in Cavesham, followed by a study of medieval and modern languages at Newnham College in Cambridge from 1900 to 1903. Beyond her book work, West enjoyed both hockey and art, the latter passion taking her to Australia in 1907 to become an illustrator for the Australian Museum. She continued her education while there, adding to her knowledge of art at the Julian Ashton Art School. She also pursued her interest in hockey, convening the first meeting of the New South Wales Women's Hockey Association in 1908.

West's return to England in 1910 proved to be brief, as she traveled back to Australia in 1913. That year she established the Frensham boarding school for girls in Mittagong as the embodiment of her educational ideals for girls. The experimental curriculum highlighted the arts and physical education—an unusual combination, particularly for girls—and West had the grounds designed to reflect "the inward and spiritual grace of Frensham," with open spaces, beautiful buildings and lush gardens. Her ideas had much less to do with contemporary progressive and feminist theories than with her own personal ideals regarding the training of girls to be strong and independent women. West adopted the symbol of the tree to represent the school as a growing, living, and regenerative entity, and encouraged her students to think of themselves as responsible, cooperative members of a community rather than competitive individuals. West remained at Frensham as headmistress until 1939, and maintained a connection with the school thereafter.

West founded four more schools between 1941 and 1968, all of which fell under the authority of Frensham as the parent school. Two years after giving up her post at Frensham, she opened the Sturt school, partly in response to what she felt were shortcomings in the state's secondary educational system. The arts and crafts school provided an alternative education to local teenage girls who engaged in a full-time curriculum related to the creation of textiles, woodwork, physical health, and the arts. Eventually Sturt dropped its age and gender requirements to include male and female students of all ages. It later became a community craft center with a professional staff. West also opened a coeducational primary school, Gibgate, in 1952, and the next year established a girls' college, Holt, to provide students with a complete physical education. Hartfield, opened in 1968, was West's last project. Founded at a time when there was renewed interest in progressive education, it was opened to girls who were more interested in arts and crafts than in attending a university. It closed in 1978. West was awarded the OBE in 1953 and died in 1971.

sources:

Radi, Heather, ed. 200 Australian Women: A Redress Anthology. NSW, Australia: Women's Redress Press, 1988.

Malinda Mayer , writer and editor, Falmouth, Massachusetts