Loreto Convent Tara Hall (nan), Shimla

HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL Extract from Annals of Loreto Convent, Shimla The Loreto Sisters first came to Shimla in 1892 at the request of the Archbishop of Agra who approached the Superior of Loreto Convent, Lucknow, Mother Gonzaga Joyce and asked her to open a school in Shimla…. Shimla at the time was a flourishing station – the summer capital for the Viceroy and the Central Government which moved up from Delhi for six months of the year. She accepted the Archbishop’s offer and set off with a few companions to plant Loreto’s banner on the hills of the Punjab. At first the Sisters took up the day school below the Bazaar… Some time later ‘Firwood’ was rented and here the nuns took in both boarders and day-pupils. Later again, when ‘The Mythe’, a larger house with more extensive grounds, became available, it was rented for about a year. In 1895 finally the two properties of Tara Hall and Bellevue were bought and the Sisters established themselves there on 30th November, 1895. St. Joseph’s Day School near Tara Hall was also opened. In due course a form of application for ‘Recognition of European Schools’ Punjab Education Department was made. On the suggestion of the Inspector the two schools were amalgamated under the name of “The Loreto Mixed Day and Boarding School’ and recognised by the Education Department. The number of students increased over the years. In 1976 the boarding school was closed and as a result the number of day scholars increased and many classes now had three sections.. In 2010 the school changed over from ICSE Board to the CBSE Board and Classes XI and XII were introduced. The educational and cultural heritage of Loreto Convent, Tara Hall school is highly spoken of in Shimla and Northern India.