Agnes Catherine Cross

  General Notes:

To become headmistress at Tintern in 1911 (with assistance of sister Pearl).

"It was sometime during 1918, that a group of local parents, who were, for reasons now not known, unhappy with Miss Binsted's management of the South Perth High School, established a rival school in St Mary's Hall. Miss Agnes Cross, the retired headmistress of Tintern School, in Victoria, was brought to South Perth, to set up the new school. Within a short time, most of the Miss Binsted's students had gone across to Miss Cross's establishment.
Miss Binsted moved out of the Institute Hall, which was now taken over by Miss Cross. Miss Binsted taught for a year in a private home in the area, after which she returned to England. South Perth High School was renamed Raith Girls' Grammar School, although boys also attended the school.
Miss Cross' sister, Pearl, who was in charge of boarders at Cowandilla School, West Perth (later, St Mary's School), joined Raith as Head of a new boarding school. The Boarding House was first established in the home of the Gibbs family, in Harvest Terrace, who were, at the time, in England. Later, the boarders lived in Professor Walter Murdoch's house in Mill Point Road, while Murdoch was overseas. Under Miss Cross, the students were encouraged in an attitude of noblesse oblige, helping others less 'fortunate' than themselves. By 1922, Agnes Cross, now quite elderly, wanted to return to Melbourne, to help care for two of her sisters who were in ill health. Consequently she resigned as principal of Raith."
(extract from register.heritage.wa.gov.au/PDF_Files/O%20-%20A-D/Old%20Mill%20Theatre%20(I-AD).PDF - note that the school was in Mends Street where CHH had lived about 15 years previously - coincidence? )

Agnes married H Mull.