Miss Lillian Everard

Miss Lillian Everard was simply addressed as "Miss Everard". She was the oldest.

We all knew her name was "Lillian" because that is how Miss Clarice addressed her, even in front of us!

Miss Clarice usually did this when she was correcting something Miss Lillian had said or done, and you could easily sense the displeasure and irritation in Miss Clarice's voice.

She was never able to disguise her emotions when she was speaking and we all learned this from a very early age.

I don't recall Miss Everard actually teaching me for a whole year, but she certainly taught some of the classes I was in.

All the class-rooms housed composite classes of three levels: grades 1, 2, and 3 and 4, 5, and 6 and so on. I think there were 4 main rooms, and a separate Kindergarten. (The Preparatory grade).

I think her speciality was history and I enjoyed these classes a lot. In later years this provided some familiarity with much of the history I studied.

Most of the history we did was British History and we used the "Kingsway History" books written by Rhoda Power. I wish I still had them. These books were definitely not part of the Victorian State School curriculum back then, but since Westleigh College was a private school we were not bound by these rules. I think we were fortunate to have used them.

I think Lillian was the most overtly religious of the Everards.

Whilst the school was not specifically denominational we recited "The Lord's Prayer" every Monday morning at assembly, and I recall her reading us psalms, proverbs and other passages from the Bible.

I think all the Misses Everard attended the Church of the Epiphany which was almost next door to their home. The building is still there, and is still an impressive sight when driving (north) towards it along High Street, Northcote.

Like Matron and Miss Clarice she also had long grey hair parted in the middle, braided and in some kind of chignon/bun. The main difference was that Miss Lillian had a fringe. None of the Everards changed their hairstyle in the whole time I was there.

She also dressed appropriately for her age, if not a tad older, and I think she must have been well into her eighties. She was certainly the most frail of them, and with hindsight I am guessing she was getting senile, or even in the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease.

Like the others she would dress up for Speech Night and sport a fur stole or cape.

She didn't frighten or intimidate us like Matron or Miss Clarice.

Miss Lillian Everard was more gentle, caring and empathetic.