In the nineteenth century it was common practice in Tasmania for individuals to open their own schools.
An advertisement in the Examiner of January, 1846, read: "Establishment for Young Ladies, 'Sidbury', Paterson's Plains (now known as St Leonards) - Mrs Manley begs to inform her friends that the duties of her establishment will be resumed on Monday, the 12th January."
Following her first husband's death, Mrs Manley married her French teacher, Clement Buesnell in 1848. Mrs Buesnell continued to advertise her school until 1872 when she and her daughter, Miss Manley, moved to Launceston.
Meanwhile Mr Edwin Maxey was running a school in St John Square (corner of Charles and Frederick Streets) called Broadland House (1860). In 1879 he re - opened Broadland House, Upper - Elizabeth Street. He then sold it in 1881 to Miss Manley who, with Mrs Buesnell, continued to operate the school until 1884.
Under the guidance of Miss J.C. Hogg, who took over in October 1884, Broadland House catered for matriculation students. In 1900, one hundred pupils attended; and one of the teachers was Miss Mary Hogg, a former pupil. Eight years later Miss J.C. Hogg with Miss Henrietta Middleton bought the school.
At the end of 1914 the school moved into premises in Lyttleton Street where the girls could take advantage of a tennis court, a croquet lawn and a cricket pitch in their own grounds.
The pair remained principals of Broadland House until 1925.
In May 1928, a Board of Management was elected and the school was named Broadland House, Church of England Girls' Grammar School. It began on 1st January, 1929.
The year 1932 marked the beginning of the 'the Rooney era'. Miss Marjorie Rooney had been Headmistress of a day and boarding school, Girls' High in Claremont, Western Australia. She came to Tasmania with her school friend, confidante and colleague, Miss Ethel Street. The two continued a highly successful professional partnership that was destined to last for a period of thirty years until Miss Street's death in 1962. The loss of her educational partner, deputy and friend was a sad and heavy blow to Miss Rooney who stayed on as headmistress only as long as it took the board to find her replacement. During Miss Rooney's years the school grew from eighty to 397 students.
Miss Mary Hill (1967 - 1977) assumed the responsibilities of headmistress during a decade in which matriculation colleges were established by the Tasmanian Education Department. These colleges inevitably had an impact on student numbers in Grades 11 and 12 of independent schools. Despite a 'shared facilities venture' whereby matriculation students from Broadland, Grammar, Scotch Oakburn and St Thomas Moore's attended selected subjects at one of the venues, the number of senior students continued to decline.
With numbers still declining and with the retirement of Miss Powell, discussions took place at the end of Term 1, 1982 between the Boards of Management of Broadland House and Grammar. By April 1982, it was announced that Grammar's headmaster, Mr Christopher Strong, would become headmaster of both schools for the final two terms, as they amalgamated.
History
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