All-girls Anglican Karrinyup, Perth Founded 1921

St Mary's Anglican Girls' School.

Founded by the Reverend Tom Riley in 1921 in West Perth, now occupying a substantial Karrinyup campus with a 509-seat performing arts centre and a strong music tradition.

Inside St Mary's

St Mary's was founded on 14 September 1921 by the Reverend C L (Tom) Riley, then Rector of St Mary's parish in West Perth. The school began as a merger of two private girls' schools already operating in West Perth, Mrs Blanche Gouly's Girls' Grammar School and Miss Emily Hilfirty's Alexandra High School, under the new St Mary's name and Anglican foundation.

In 1964, a building appeal launched the move to the present Karrinyup campus. Under Principal Anne Symington (1965–1982), St Mary's operated in both West Perth and Karrinyup until 1970, when the entire school finally relocated. The Karrinyup site has since grown into a substantial K-12 campus serving more than 1,470 students, including 171 boarders in Years 6 to 12.

The school's defining facilities include the Lady Wardle Performing Arts Centre (a 509-seat auditorium opened in 1999) and the adjoining Lady Treatt Centre for Music and Dance, which houses a dance studio plus music classrooms and individual tuition rooms. Music and performing arts have been a core part of St Mary's identity for decades.

What St Mary's is known for

Music and performing arts depth

The 509-seat Lady Wardle Centre and the Lady Treatt music and dance facility make St Mary's one of the better-resourced Perth schools for performing arts. Students with serious musical or theatrical aspirations find a community here, not a token program.

Strong academic record

St Mary's consistently sits among the top WA girls' schools by ATAR rate. The school's senior academic culture is rigorous without being narrow.

Boarding community

171 boarders, many from regional WA, give the school a different texture from purely day-girl schools. The boarding houses are integral to the senior school identity.

Anglican character

Chapel services, religious education, and Anglican framing are part of the daily rhythm. The school's faith dimension is genuinely woven through, rather than sitting alongside academics.

Things to consider

St Mary's isn't the right fit for every student. Here are the genuine tradeoffs to think through, drawn from publicly available information about the school.

Karrinyup is far from south-of-the-river

Karrinyup is in the northern coastal corridor. For families south of the Swan, the daily commute is significant. Many St Mary's families either move closer or accept the travel time.

Independent school fees

St Mary's senior school fees are at the upper end of WA schooling, with boarding adding a substantial second layer.

Single-sex environment

All-girls suits some learners; others prefer co-ed. PSA-style exchange events soften the dynamic socially but the classroom is single-sex K-12.

Anglican foundation

Chapel services, religious education, and Anglican framing are not optional. Worth understanding for families of other faiths or none.

The ATAR pathway at St Mary's

St Mary's girls take a wide pathway range. Common combinations: Pre-medicine (Methods + Chemistry + Human Bio + English), Music + ATAR (Music + Methods or Apps + a science + English, leading to conservatorium pathways), Law / Arts (Literature + History + a Language + Methods), and Pure sciences (Methods + Specialist + Chemistry + Physics).

Post-school destinations centre on UWA, with smaller streams to Curtin, ECU, WAAPA (for performing-arts students), and interstate. The school's strong Music ATAR record means a noticeable cohort heads into music study after Year 12.

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From St Mary's to our Bentley centre

About 23 km from our Bentley centre and 25 to 30 minutes via the Mitchell Freeway off-peak. Many St Mary's students who tutor with us live closer to Curtin (where a parent works or studies) than to the school, which makes the trip more practical than the geography suggests. Live online classes are an easy alternative.

Tutoring built for St Mary's students.

Small-group ATAR classes at our Bentley centre or live online, for the subjects St Mary's students are actually sitting. Free trial class, no card required.

St Mary's Anglican Girls' School questions

Common questions from St Mary's Anglican Girls' School families

How far is St Mary's Anglican from Educatta's centres?

Does Educatta tutor the subjects St Mary's Anglican students typically take?

Yes. Educatta tutors all the major ATAR subjects St Mary's Anglican students are sitting: Mathematics Methods, Mathematics Applications, English, Chemistry, Physics, and Human Biology. Year 11 and 12 students from St Mary's Anglican can attend small-group classes at our Bentley centre, or live online from anywhere in WA.

Can St Mary's Anglican students attend Educatta classes after school?

Yes. Most of our weekly classes run between 4:00pm and 8:30pm on weekdays, with weekend slots also available. St Mary's Anglican's school day finishes in time for students to arrive at our Bentley centre for after-school weekly classes.