The Betty Woolcock Challenge Cup

In July 1928, in a meeting held in his chambers, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mr Justice John Laskey Woolcock made provision for two prizes to be distributed at Brisbane Girls Grammar School’s Annual Speech Day and Distribution of Prizes. One of these, the Betty Woolcock Challenge Cup named in memory of one of Justice Woolcock’s daughters, was first presented that year.

‘Betty’ Woolcock was born Dorothy Harpur Woolcock in May 1896 and was reported to be shy and sweet, loving with a gentle temperament. She was the second-born daughter of Mr Justice Woolcock and his first wife, Gertie Harpur, and while Betty’s older sister Margaret attended Girls Grammar from 1905-1909, it seems Betty did not, though records are unclear.

The inaugural winner of the Betty Woolcock Challenge Cup was Fifth Form (Year 11) student, Kathleen Sully, who received the cup from Justice Woolcock at Speech Day.

Since 1928, the Cup has been awarded to eighty-one different girls, with five winning it twice despite the original rule that winners would be ineligible in the future. Among the winners, ten were also awarded Dux of the School, and two of these—Caitlin Goss (2001) and Josephine Auer (2015)—were awarded Rhodes Scholarships. In 1960 and 2014, dual winners were announced.