Gladys Gordon Everett

Gladys Gordon Everett MBE known as Miss Gordon Everett (6 May 1888 – 18 June 1971) was a New Zealand born headmistress. She led the Abbotsleigh private school for over twenty years during a time of expansion and rising attainments.

Life

Gordon Everett was born in Nelson in New Zealand in 1888. Her parents were Ada (born Gordon) and her husband Albert Everett. Her New Zealand father sold cloth and her mother was born in Australia. Her state education began at Nelson College for Girls before she went to Wellington to attend Victoria University College. She left that college with a master's degree in 1916. She resigned in 1921 and Nancy Jobson replaced her as principal.

She left to study in France. She taught in France and England before she led the Katanning Church of England Girls' School. The school's expansion plans involved more land purchases in 1937. The plans succeeded and by 1938 there was a waiting list for family's who wanted to enrol their daughters.

By the time Gordon Everett retired in 1954, there was 660 students; a separate junior school building had opened and the waiting list was still extant.

In January 1960 she became a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

Everett died in Russia while travelling in 1971.