First intake of female students in 108 years

It is a Wednesday morning on the terraced grounds of Cranbrook School in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. There’s a summer haze over the harbour. Four-wheel drives are banked up waiting to drive through the front gates. Inside the grounds, caterers hurry past; in the distance, maintenance workers are climbing ladders; the driver of a Porsche tries a frantic reverse-park along the school’s driveway before abruptly aborting the attempt. Ahead of the first day of school, two boys amble past, oblivious to the buzzing activity worthy of a film set, deep in conversation.

It could be the start of any other school year. But look closer and you’ll see a trio of teenage girls, chatting and carrying new laptops they collected ahead of class starting. In 2026, they are making Cranbrook history by becoming the first cohort of girls to start at the school in 108 years.

The incoming girls have been part of an orientation process for the past 18 months, steered by the director of co-ed Daisy Turnbull, and the school’s co-ed committee, which runs trivia nights, sports events and games.

Year 12 head prefect Max Scales was on the co-ed committee and said it was about showing the culture of kindness at the school.

“Our responsibility there was to try to make the girls feel like they’ve already been in Cranbrook,” he said.

And what’s his advice to the incoming girls?

“The go-to thing I always say is: try everything. Always say yes if you’re presented with an opportunity.”

Over the past year, Max has tried to do more debating, public speaking and drama.

“I think that Cranbrook gives all of us the opportunity to branch out of where we’re comfortable … and try new things that can really help us develop and grow as a person.”

According to year 12 student Charlie Harris, Cranbrook is not going to change with the introduction of girls.

“I don’t think the culture should be changing that much because we’re already such a supportive group,” he said.

His classmate Slade Keating agrees.

“The culture isn’t changing at all,” Slade says. He said the boys would be eager to go to a girls’ netball game and cheer them on.

“We’ve just been trying to do our best to sort of welcome the girls and give them an opportunity to experience the holistic Cranbrook that we all love.”

Former public co-ed student Nia Dowson attended an open night at the school, where she listened to current and former students talk about their school experiences.

“I came home, I was raving to my parents about how eager I am to join that community; I need to be at that school,” she said.

Since putting her name down, she made instant friends with other incoming students at an all-girls three-day camp.

“All the girls became really close in this camp. Everyone was in the same boat, everyone’s off grid,” she said.

“To have to share with people that you’ve only known for a few days – it’s a real opportunity to come really close with girls that you would never have met.”

Fellow incoming year 11 student Sienna Novak left her private girls’ school to attend Cranbrook.

“All the boys I have heard from going through this school have expressed how amazing the experience was for them,” she said.

It was a similar story for Lucy Foster, who also left her private girls’ school for Cranbrook this year after seeing how much her brother had enjoyed his time at the school. She had previously gone to a speech night where she listened to students talk about the school.

“That was what made me want to come to Cranbrook, because it was so positive. The boys got up and made speeches about how much they loved not only their house, but the whole school.”

Principal Dr Anne Johnstone has spent the past year thinking about how the introduction of girls was going to work. She was appointed the head of the institution in 2024 and took up the post last year.

“Coeducation here at Cranbrook has been years in the planning,” says Johnstone, who is keen to give credit to others who have been planning the change since it was revealed in 2022.

The school won’t release official numbers, but says girls will make up about a quarter of both year 7 and 11 – the first intake years for girls.

“So many of the boys I’ve spoken to have expressed to me their incredible excitement at this opportunity,” says Johnstone, who last year completed a PhD in positive education – a branch of psychology focused on the science of character strengths and behaviours which allow people to build a life of meaning and purpose.

The school has added changing rooms and increased student numbers. Johnstone says she will be watching closely to see which areas of the school the girls gravitate towards.

“There’s been a real focus on integration and inclusion, not quarantining students off into different areas,” she says.

Johnstone, a former English and history teacher, was the principal of Ravenswood School for Girls for eight years and came to the Cranbrook position after a feud over co-ed plans which now seems a distant memory.

“What has really inspired me about Cranbrook is that care and sense of connection that prevails across the campus and that wonderful commitment to supporting everyone to be the best they can be,” says Johnstone.

“We’re ready to link arms in community now and to advance forward into our bright future as a school.”

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