Miss Hatchell Brown purchased Lansmere and Sherwood Cottage in late 1886 and established The Priory Girls School.The current building on this site replaced Sherwood Cottage in 1890.
| Address | The Priory, 59 Alma Road, St Kilda |
| Date Established | 8 February 1887 |
| Date Closed | December 1913 |
This building was constructed in 1890 by builders Long & Mason for Miss Hatchell Brown. Edward George Kilburn of Ellerker & Kilburn was the architect. Kilburn had travelled to America in the previous year and this experience is the reason for the American Romanesque style chosen for the house, which was the first residence in this style in Victoria. Miss Brown was a teacher who had previously been one of the senior staff at the private girls school at ‘Oberwyl’ in St Kilda. In 1886 Miss Brown purchased two adjoining houses in Alma Road, ‘Lansmere’ and ‘Sherwood Cottage’ where she established The Priory Girls School. ‘Lansmere’ had been used as the home of Alma Road Grammar since 1875. ‘Sherwood Cottage’ was demolished to make way for this building, which was used as the headmistress’s residence and also for boarders (SKHS). Enrolments at The Priory Ladies’ School plummeted from 66 to just 27 in 1893 and the school eventually closed in December 1913 (Peel 1999:36, SKHS).
Argus 13.11.1886 p.12