The following year while on holidays in England and on the Continent, Mabel decided the time had come, and instructed Patience to secure a suitable premises in the Adelaide Hills.
Patience, whose grandfather was George Charles Hawker (1818–1895), and whose family were in comfortable circumstances, purchased "Arthur's Seat", a large bungalow on 90 acres (36 ha) near the summit of Mount Lofty and overlooking the Adelaide Plains.
Mabel had considerable experience with a variety of institutions, but modelled Stawell on what she knew of Frensham,[4] one of many schools at which Patience had studied, and one which had inspired her with the care and kindness given the students.
She believed students should feel safe, free, comfortable and well fed, in pleasant surroundings with access to good books, bright pictures and open air.
Stawell's curriculum was strong on social skills: dancing, music, drawing, needlework, public speaking, drama, sports, current events, domestic science, languages, Scripture but above all, English literature.
With the death of her husband in 1935, Patience sold their Crafers property[5] and returned with her two children to East Bungaree, where she lived with her father and brother until 1940.
She joined the Labor Party and stood unsuccessfully for blue-ribbon Liberal seats in the Assembly in 1946[7] and the Legislative Council (the first woman contender) in 1953.