Bethlehem College, Ashfield
| Bethlehem College | |
|---|---|
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| Location | |
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Ashfield, New South Wales Australia 
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| Coordinates | 33°53′6″S 151°7′28″E / 33.88500°S 151.12444°ECoordinates: 33°53′6″S 151°7′28″E / 33.88500°S 151.12444°E |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent, Single-sex, Secondary, Day |
| Motto | Este Fideles (Be Faithful) |
| Established | 1881 |
| Principal | Paula Bounds |
| Chaplain | Michael Walsh |
| Employees | ~58 |
| Enrolment | ~660 (7–12) |
| Colour(s) | Purple & Navy Blue |
| Slogan | Este Fideles |
| Website | www.bethlehemcollege.nsw.edu.au |
Bethlehem College is a high school for girls in Bland Street Ashfield, New South Wales founded in 1881 by the Sisters of Charity.
Students are easily identifiable by the amethyst and navy school uniform—fondly known around the inner western suburbs of Sydney as "Ribena Berries". Bethlehem excels in their sport as well as academically. The Sisters of Charity ran the College until 1991, when it became a systemic Catholic School run by the Sydney Catholic Education Office.
Prior to 1953 Bethlehem catered for girls from Kindergarten through to the Leaving Certificate in Year 11. In 1953 the Junior (or Primary) School amalgamated with the Parish St. Vincent's Primary which was also run by the Sisters of Charity but which also catered for boys from Kindergarten to Year 2 (3rd grade). The boys then moved on to many other Catholic schools with the majority proceeding to De La Salle College Ashfield, located next to Bethlehem.
Bethlehem College was known for many many years as Bethlehem Ladies College; the nuns of the Sisters of Charity placing great emphasis on ladylike behaviour & dress both in school as well as to and from school. School rules included wearing of hats and gloves outside school; no eating or drinking in the street; and definitely no talking to boys on the way to and from school.
Class sizes, at least until 1962, ranged from 80 children in kindergarten to Year 2, 60 girls from Year 3 to Year 6 and 50–60 girls in Years 7, 8 and 9 with quite small classes in Years 10 & 11 because most girls were expected to leave by society at the end of Year 9 (Intermediate Certificate) only the exceptional Academic Stream girls continued to Year 11 (Leaving Certificate) and then to teaching, nursing or rarely other university courses.
Until 1957 the uniform of both Bethlehem Ladies College and St. Vincent's Primary was a beige or deep fawn colour but during 1957 the uniform changed to amethyst (or pale lilac/mauve) and gold.
The summer uniform consisted of an amethyst below the knee, waisted dress with self-coloured belt and deep purple buttons closing the bodice front. The bodice also had pleated insets over the bust to allow for the growth of the girls. The ensemble was completed by brown laced shoes, beige socks or 40 denier stockings, amethyst gloves and a white straw hat with amethyst gross grain ribbon around the crown and edge; there were a couple of rows of amethyst and gold straw stripes in the brim of the hat.
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