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STOTT'S BUSINESS COLLEGE  

HALF A CENTURY OF

PROGRESS

ADDRESS BY PRINCIPAL

Fifty years of business college develop- ment were traversed in an interesting ad- dress delivered by Mr. C. H. Holmes, F.I.C.A., principal of Stott's Business Col- lege, at the annual demonstration in the Independent Hall.

Founded by the late Mr. Sydney Stott in 1885, Mr. Holmes said, Stott's attained its 60 years' jubilee while the City of Melbourne celebrated its Centenary. An able exponent of shorthand, Mr. Stott was the first to introduce typewriting machines into Australia, and in this re- spect, as in many others, he was the pio- neer of the now universal modern system of shorthand and typewriting practice in the country. Early in the history of the college the curriculum was expanded from the original subjects of shorthand and typewriting, and continuous expansion had resulted in it now including secre- tarial duties, accountancy, bookkeeping, shorthand, typewriting, business practice, commercial arithmetic, spelling, hand- writing, correspondence, use of the adding machine, and so forth. The development of the college became Mr. Stott's life work, and, in the years, Stott's pupils, numbering many thousands, had played an important part in the advance of Aus- tralian commercial life. Shortly after the establishment of the college in Melbourne branches were opened in Sydney, Bris- bane, Adelaide, and Perth, and the insti-

tution became nation-wide.

Women and the Office

Women first came into office work with the introduction of the typewriter. Before that epoch-making event all office work was done by men. Step by step, with the almost incalculable advance of business in the past half-century, women had risen to a position of the first importance in all the varied and complex duties of cleri- cal work. They had readily adapted them- selves to new methods of handling com- mercial documents, they were indispen- sable in offices, and the independence they had won could only be regarded with admiration. In Australia that wonderful development through the last 50 years had its origin and main support from the historic institution of Stott's Business College. Thousands of its women gradu- ates had drawn from the college their skill to earn independent livelihood; and to-day, with the accumulated prestige and facility of 50 years of educational service, the college opened wide its portals to all seeking remunerative occupation in the

business world.

Stott's has maintained a standard of continuity. Mr. C, H. Holmes, the present principal and managing director, has been associated with the college for 33 years. For the last 26 years he has occupied his present position, and for the seven pre- vious years he was instructor in account- ancy and bookkeeping. Mr. Harold Stott, a director and a son of the late Mr. Sydney Stott, has been associated with the col- lege since he studied as a pupil in its class- rooms in 1905-6. In his present position Mr. Harold Stott now links up the college with the business world and Stott and Hoare Pty. Ltd., agents for the Under- wood Typewriter, of which he is the man- aging director.

Among others whose connection with the college is familiar to past and present pupils are Mr. T. A. Conlon, head of the bookkeeping department, who joined the college staff in 1907; Mr. J. W. Weekes, head of the shorthand department, who joined in 1922; and Miss B. Brown, head of the typewriting department, who began in 1929, succeeding Miss M. E. Burrows (retired), who was with the college for over 30 years.

Annual Report

In submitting the 50th annual report, Mr. Holmes congratulated the students and staff on the excellent results obtained. The nine Stott Business Colleges through- out Australia, he said, hold an annual team contest for a shorthand cup and a typewriting cup. This year both cups were won by the Melbourne college. The suc- cessful teams were:—Shorthand.—Misses M. Farmer, M. Sibbison, D. Jordan, N. Conroy, E. McDowell, and I. Carter. Type- writing.—Misses I. Yott, E. McDowell, N. Hayward, I. Carter, A. Thomas, J. Rogers.

Positions

Mr. Holmes announced that during 1934 positions had been plentiful for Stott stu- dents. During November, for example, the college was able to fill only 61 per cent. of the positions offered to its graduates.

Building

In the last year the college building which is devoted entirely to the college service has been modernised by the widening of windows. Introduction of modern ventilation and a new electric heating and lighting system, and by com- plete renovation of all the classrooms.

Hawthorn College

Mr. A. R. Holmes has been placed in charge of the Hawthorn College, corner of Riversdale road and Glenferrie road. Mr: Holmes joined the staff in 1929 after having had six years' accountancy experi- ence. In 1931 he went to England and America, and had an appointment on the staff of Pitman's College, London, en- abling him to gain an insight into their organisation and branches. Gold medals were awarded as follows:—Bookkeeping department, Miss Kathleen Wilkinson; shorthand department, Miss Mary Farmer (150 words a minute); typewriting de- partment, Miss Irene Yott (69 words a minute); Hawthorn College, Miss Joyce Smith; physical culture (presented by Messrs. Bjelke Petersen), Miss Barbara

Davies.

An attractive concert and physical cul- ture display was provided by students of the college. A charge was made for admit- tance, and the gross proceeds, £21/18/, will be devoted to maintaining the Stott's Business College Cot at the Children's   Hospital.    

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