Kathleen Daisy Baylis (nee Aston) 1879 - 1960

A talented first day pupil of St Hilda’s, Daisy as she was known, was recognised then and now as an old girl of note.

The Aston Award was named after Daisy. This award was instigated in the 2000’s. Junior students can work towards an award by completing five sections, Service, Academic, Outdoors, Performance and Creative. The award is presented annually at the last formal assembly of Term 4 to Year 8 students.

In 2018 new roles were introduced to the slightly enlarged prefects group. It seemed most appropriate that the Academic Prefect be named after the first dux of the school. Daisy was actually dux in both 1896 and 1897.

The house system as we know it today was introduced to St Hilda’s in 1922 with the house names and motto’s reflecting the times. One hundred years on this no longer seemed so appropriate. After consultation with the students, staff, old girls and wider school community, new house names and bible quotes were selected during 2022 for introduction in 2023. The house names therefore mark the initial milestones of students of St Hilda’s. Aston House, previously known as Havelock House, is named after Daisy because of her remarkable achievement of being the school’s first dux in 1896 and repeating this feat in 1897. The record in the Otago Witness of the St Hilda’s Prize Giving in 1897 notes that Daisy won prizes for Divinity, Mathematics, Languages and Science. She also won a medal for attendance.

So within the course of just over twenty years Daisy’s name and achievements were linked to three important aspects of our school life. Daisy however, still remained an enigma. Apart from the very brief school records, there was a blurry image in a photo of the first day pupils from 1896. A later, equally hazy photo of her in the 1920’s shows her in “work attire” on the porch of her Campbell’s Bay home in Auckland. Here she brought up her family. It is recorded that Daisy returned to St Hilda’s as a special guest for the jubilee celebrations in 1946. This must have been quite a trip in those times from Auckland to Dunedin.

At the beginning of this year the school was contacted by a relative of Daisy’s and we have learnt so much more about her. After completing secondary school Daisy studied French and Latin at the University of Otago. Her studied was curtailed by the death of her father. She moved to Wellington to live with a brother and worked as a governess throughout the North Island. Daisy married Gerald Thomas de Sandford Baylis in 1911. She had two children. A daughter Geraldine was named after Sister Geraldine and became a poet as well as marrying and having a family. Daisy’s son, Geoffrey, was the inaugural professor of Botany at the University of Otago from 1952 - 1978. He had began teaching at the university as a lecturer in charge of Botany in 1946 after returning from World War II. Maybe his presence in Dunedin also helped persuade Daisy to return to Dunedin for the 1946 Jubilee.

Below are photos of Daisy’s 1897 dux medal and photos of her at approximately 17 years old and then later in her 50s.

At present the school is trying to source high quality photos of Ann Richards, Violet Thomson and May Bentham. If you can help in any way please contact the school at admin@shcs.school.nz