Mcdonald College

The College has a proud tradition and history, dating back to 1912 when Ann McDonald, then only 12 years of age, arrived with her family from Falkirk in Scotland and settled in Shepparton, Victoria. This Scottish tradition has been carried through to the College uniform, which features the McDonald tartan. Ann had ambitions for a singing career and was recommended to the Conservatorium in Sydney. She moved to Sydney in 1925 and in order to finance her singing lessons she established a small studio to teach the ballroom and Scottish dancing that she had learnt as a child in Scotland. The classes grew and within a year Ann had taken a lease on premises in Ashfield and established The Ann McDonald College of Dancing. Her love of performing inspired all who came in contact with her. Ann McDonald and her husband John Butt founded and operated the Ann McDonald College of Dancing until 1970, during that time Ann McDonald was President of the Federal Association of Teachers of Dancing for fifteen years and her husband John was Honorary Treasurer and together they were involved in the performing arts for more than fifty years. On the retirement their daughter, Margaret Markham, took over the College. After a period of time, Ann Fraser and Maxine Sullivan (Kohler) became partners. It had long been a desire of Ann McDonald and John Butt to achieve recognition for the performing arts in education. In 1983, their daughter saw the opportunity of establishing a specialised academic and performing arts school for gifted children. Margaret Markham, Ann Fraser and Maxine Kohler, in support of this exciting and innovative development, agreed to change the Ann McDonald College of Dancing from a private company into a community based, not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, thus facilitating the establishment of The McDonald College Limited. The McDonald College commenced with 75 students in 1984 and since then has grown from strength to strength.