Why join for free?
Already have an account? Log In
Australia, Brisbane
Let the school know you're thinking of applying — they can share their prerequisites and help you through the process.
It's best to ask — circumstances can change at any time.
Somerville House began in 1899 as The Brisbane High School for Girls, founded by Miss Eliza Fewings, with its first home on Wickham Terrace and Edward Street. In 1912 the school moved to Erneton in Wickham Terrace to accommodate day students and boarders. Ownership passed to the Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association between 1918 and 1920, and Cumbooquepa in South Brisbane was chosen as the location for the School in 1919; in 1920 the school was renamed Somerville House in honour of Mary Somerville. During World War II, from 1942 to 1945, the South Brisbane site was evacuated: day pupils were moved to Drysllwyn at Auchenflower and Queen Alexandra Home at Coorparoo, and boarders were relocated to Moimindah at Stanthorpe; the Vulture Street site was occupied by the United States Army East-Asian Command until the return of the students in 1945.
The Somerville House Foundation has supported campus development since 1992. Since 1984 the Foundation has raised more than $17 million, contributing over $9 million to the School, with income supporting the School's strategic objectives. SomerFields, the state-of-the-art sporting precinct located at Dunn Road in Rocklea, opened Stage 1 in 2023 and Stage 2 is planned; it features six ovals, ten courts and a 400-metre track with lights turned on in May 2025. The school's community also includes the Parents and Friends Association (P&F), which fosters strong connections between parents, friends, teachers and students and provides a platform for engagement in educational and extracurricular activities; the P&F Executive Committee is elected annually at the June AGM and oversees the Association's governance, with fundraising aimed at enhancing student amenities and resources.
The Parents and Friends Association fosters strong connections between parents, friends, teachers and students. The Executive Committee is elected annually at the June AGM to oversee the Association's governance. The P&F raises funds to provide essential amenities and resources tailored to student activities. The P&F provides a platform for parents to engage with the School's educational and extracurricular activities. For inquiries, contact pandfexecutive@somerville.qld.edu.au.
Somerville House is a private girls' day and boarding school in Brisbane, offering a Prep to Year 12 education with boarding from Year 5 and an Early Learning Centre for Pre-Prep. The school delivers an IB framework, with Primary Years Programme in the Junior School and a Diploma Programme authorised from 2026, welcoming the first DP cohort that year. The Academic Program follows the Australian Curriculum framework and is guided by Engagement, Excellence, Empowerment, and Diversity. In the Junior School, specialist learning includes Visual Art, Music, Drama, Languages (French from Prep to Year 6 with immersion days in Chinese, Japanese and German) and Outdoor Environmental Learning. In the Senior School, students study English, Mathematics, Science, Commerce, Humanities, Languages, Technologies, The Arts, and Music Extension, with pathways into VET and university subjects. Facilities include the Murray Evans Sports and Aquatic Centre, Tennis Centre, and SomerFields grounds, complemented by a co-curricular program.
