The Pioneering Women’s Trail Official Launch

On Saturday 20 September, members of the Wellington Community gathered to celebrate the start of our year-long programme marking 50 Years of Co-education at Wellington College.

The day began with a very special Chapel Service, which brought together past and present choristers and choirmasters in uplifting chorus and worship. We were delighted to welcome back former choirmasters Stefan Anderson and George de Voil, who joined Simon Williamson and Sean Farrell alongside our current choirmaster, Jack Thompson.

Following the service, guests enjoyed lunch in Combermere Quad before gathering in Selangor Court for the official launch of one of the centrepieces of the anniversary year: the Pioneering Women’s Trail.

A plaque at the start of the trail, chosen by the College Prefect team, features a powerful Maya Angelou quote:

“Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it, possibly without claiming it, she stands up for all women.”

The trail was warmly received by all who attended, sparking conversations about Wellington’s past and its future. Former staff member and pioneering woman Dr Elaine Hood reflected:

“It was quite emotional for me to come back and sing in the choir again in Chapel. I haven’t done that for about 20 years! The service was beautiful, and I felt honoured to be included in the list of pioneering women when I was first asked to contribute. I was quite overwhelmed yesterday to see my photo on the plaque in Selangor Court. At the time I had no idea that I was being a ‘pioneer’. I came to do a job and just got on with it – but looking back, it was a very different world.”

Singer-songwriter and producer Nerina Pallot (Ap 92) also shared her reflections:

“In the year I was born (1974), women still could not buy property without the permission of a male relative. Women running things is still relatively new, and it has not come without many battles, both legal and cultural. When I look at my cohort of Apsley girls, I am immensely proud of all we have achieved professionally and within our communities, all the while many of us have been raising families. Women are the original multi-taskers.”

After speeches by James Dahl, Master and Naima Charlier, Deputy Head of Compassion, Wellbeing and Belonging, the trail was officially opened by Cressida Henderson, Second Master. In her remarks, she reflected on her experience as a long-standing woman staff member at Wellington, sharing what it has been like to work at the school and how things have changed over time.

From starting as a young teacher in the 1990s to her role as Second Master, 97 terms later, Cressida Henderson reflected that, when she began, “the College had around 750 boys and just 50 girls. The girls played fixtures against other local schools, but, remarkably, that was under the Apsley banner, with Apsley-branded kit instead of College kit.” She said, “I feel very proud and honoured to have played a part in the College’s journey to full co-education and can absolutely confirm that we have come a long way. Gone are the days when the House Singing Competition was punctuated by chants of ‘Who invited the Apsley?’ and I love the fact that some of the boys I taught are now teachers here, or parents of current pupils. I genuinely think that this is a place where women and men, girls and boys, can thrive and that we are better together.”

The afternoon concluded with guests taking the opportunity to walk the trail across the College grounds, reflecting on the pioneering women who helped shape Wellington into the school it is today.

We were also delighted to be joined by two of the first Apsley girls from 1975, Angela Woolnough and Jennifer Green (née Park). Jennifer shared how they felt about being part of this day of celebrations: “It’s fantastic to see the journey the College has been on since my time there as one of the first girls. I’m delighted that the College is now fully co-educational, offering equal opportunities for all students, whether a boy or girl, to pursue their dreams and aspirations.”

We are proud of our Community, our story and this new initiative that shines a spotlight on the achievements of inspirational women. By making the trail digital, our hope is that we can continue to add to it and build it together as a living celebration.

We hope you enjoy visiting the trail. Please do sign the virtual visitor book and leave us your thoughts.

This event was the first in a series of celebrations marking this important anniversary, and we look forward to sharing more moments of reflection, recognition and inspiration throughout the year. To find out more, please visit Celebrating 50 Years of Co-education at Wellington College.