The Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools (AHIGS), is an association for independent girls' schools, based in North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia.
Established in 1916 as The Association of Head Mistresses of New South Wales, the Association rebranded in 2021 to now trade as Independent Girls' Schools Association (IGSA). The Association, that as of 2022, comprised 32 member schools, enables inter-school aesthetic, cultural and sporting activities between New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory's most exclusive independent and Catholic girls' schools.
AHIGS also exists for the purpose of encouraging communication and a bond of co-operation and collegiality among independent girls' schools and their "heads", and working towards advancing the cause of the education of girls through policy development on major issues of concern. The association actively represents its members and the interests of their schools at a political level, through lobbying governments and politicians. Through AHIGS competitions, member schools and their students, are encouraged to value good sportsmanship, participation, team spirit and fairness above undue competitiveness and individualism.
Of New South Wales' fifteen female Rhodes Scholars (1904 to 2009), eight have attended an AHIGS School.
Schools
Members
Former members
History
At the Women's Club on 8 November 1916 a group of eight Headmistresses formed The Association of Head Mistresses of New South Wales, with Miss Edith Badham (SCEGGS Darlinghurst) elected as Foundation President.
The eight founding schools were: Abbotsleigh, Wahroonga Normanhurst School, Ashfield (no longer exists). Kambala, Rose Bay Meriden School, Strathfield Methodist Ladies' College (no MLC School), Burwood The Presbyterian Ladies' College, Croydon (now Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney) Ravenswood School for Girls, Gordon The Sydney Church of England Girls' Grammar School (now SCEGGS Darlinghurst)
Eligibility for membership was eventually offered to a further 23 girls' schools.
In 1945, a national association was formed, and AHIGS New South Wales heads served as Presidents of that organisation as follows: 1950–1952 Miss D. Knox (PLC Pymble) 1959–1962 Miss P. Bryant (Frensham) 1975–1978 Miss B. Chisholm (SCEGGS) 1985 Miss K. McCredie (Abbotsleigh). The national organisation was disbanded on 26 August 1985 when the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia was founded.
AHIGS first admitted male heads of girls' schools to membership from 1973 however, so far no male member has been elected to the position of President.
Presidents
Independent Girls' Schools Sporting Association
The thirty-two members' schools of AHIGS are eligible to participate and compete against each other in a number of sporting carnivals and interschool sports through IGSA Sport (formerly known as IGSSA). Secondary school girls compete in team and individual sports at school level and can be selected to represent IGSA Sport as part of the NSWCIS and All Schools sporting pathways.
Archdale debating competition
The Archdale Debating Competition is a competition conducted by the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools for the benefit of students from 24 of its members' schools.
Established in the early 1970s, it is an annual competition conducted over two terms (typically between March and August), with each member school entering a team into each of the divisions. The Archdale Shield is awarded to the school which performs best across the whole competition. The award is determined through an overall points score after the conclusion of the final round.
The competition is named in honour of Helen Elizabeth (Betty) Archdale (August 21, 1907–January 11, 2000), former principal of The Women's College at the University of Sydney (1946–1957), and former headmistress of Abbotsleigh (1958–1970). Betty Archdale was also a talented cricketer, captaining the English women's cricket team in 1934 and 1935. In 1944 Archdale was awarded an Order of the British Empire for her part in getting nurses out of Singapore during World War II. In 1999 she was one of the first ten women to be granted Honorary Life Membership of Marylebone Cricket Club in England. Archdale was listed as an Australian Living Treasure in 1997.
History
Although a number of AHIGS schools offered debating as an extracurricular activity from around the 1920s, it was not until the 1960s that inter-school debating became common among girls' schools.