Rubina Hope (Ruby) Gainfort

Rubina Hope "Ruby" Gainfort (7 April 1890 – 22 November 1985) was an Australian headmistress known as head of Melbourne's Mac.Robertson Girls' High School.

Life Gainfort was born in Clifton Hill in 1890. Her parents were Sarah (born Cordy) and her Irish immigrant husband Edward Gainfort. Her father whose profession was "gentleman" died in 1901. Gainfort and her sister went to the same school and Ruby was one of the founding pupils of Melbourne Continuation School. Ruby went on to Melbourne Teachers' College where she showed expertise in mathematics. She was a qualified teacher in 1912 and she studied further at the University of Melbourne in her spare time.

She joined the Emily McPherson College of Domestic Economy where she was promoted to acting principal during the second world war. For the next six years Hutton was still employed as a part-time teacher.

Gainfort encouraged a more relaxed atmosphere and it was said she knew each of the school's pupils by name. She retired in 1955 having modernised the curriculum and increased pupils' participation in learning.

Gainfort died in Camberwell in 1985.