Men say the dreams of twenty-two The winds of thirty shall undo.... We prove them liars, do we not? Which of our dreams have we forgot? --FRANK BETTS. “At the end of five years’ hard struggle,” writes Dorothea Beale in 1863, “it was pleasant to read in the (Examiner’s) Report: ‘This examination has convinced us that the plan and working of this institution are admirable and calculated to supply a growing want in our community ... that of a real and solid higher education for ladies’.” The year 1864 was a turbulent one. The Principal had long been dissatisfied with the college hours, feeling that they were most unsatisfactory for teachers and children. The new plan was to have school from 9.10 a.m. to 1 o’clock, thus increasing the length of morning school and having no school in the afternoon. This led to a great outcry in the town. The local papers condemned the innovation. Teachers who wanted a half-holiday every afternoon were said to be idle. Parents complained that the children would be on their hands all the afternoon and they would have to engage governesses. There was practically war between the local people and the College authorities. The Council and Dorothea Beale felt very strongly on this matter, realising indeed that the future of the school probably depended on the carrying out of their plans. A memorial signed by the shareholders and others was sent, and the Council replied that the plan would be tried for one term, at the end of which they would consult the wishes of the parents. So successful, however, was the scheme that at a General Meeting held at the end of the time mentioned, only eight voted in favour of the old régime. As every one knows, the plan which Dorothea Beale introduced against such strong opposition has since that time been adopted by every High School, and has in the main made for a higher standard of work, and better health, both in pupils and in teachers. A number of children, as a rule, go to school in the afternoon, but it is chiefly for preparation and lighter lessons, such as drawing and needlework. By 1864, under Mr. Brancker’s careful administration, all anxiety about financial matters had come to an end. The Principal continued, however, to do much of the teaching herself, and the girls who were there at this time always reckoned themselves particularly fortunate that they came so directly under the influence of the Head. In later days this was, of course, impossible. All the classes were held in the big hall, but as soon as possible a schoolroom was provided for the lowest division. Dorothea Beale, as a rule, took her classes there, except very small ones which she often took in her own private rooms. The strongholds of prejudice began to crumble. It became easier to teach Mathematics, Physics, etc., as a little of the old antagonism began to disappear and the number of the senior girls increased.