Murwillumbah High School
Encyclopedia
Murwillumbah High School, (abbreviation MHS) is a State run comprehensive secondary, co-educational, high school
located at 86 Riverview Street in Murwillumbah, New South Wales
, Australia
. The school was established as a comprehensive high school in 1929 being upgraded in status from an intermediate high school. It caters for students from years 7 to 12. Many of its past students have achieved notable success, some holding high public office.
Murwillumbah High School was made a "full" high school in 1929 and moved into its current site in that year with the opening of a three storey complex which has become a well known landmark in Murwillumbah.
Since 1929 many buildings have been added with major development beginning in the 1960s. In 1992 a new Library was opened and in mid-1997 the Multi-Purpose Centre/Hall was opened and dedicated as "The Elliott Centre", after a previous Principal of the school, Joe Elliott.
The school is built on the side of a hill creating several floor levels across the school. Under the initiative of Bruce Chick, the school has a large Hoop Pine forest on the southern edge of the campus, planted in 1970 as a Cook Bicentennial
project. Captain James Cook
had sighted, mapped and named Mount Warning
in the Murwillumbah area as he sailed up the coast in 1770 and the fortnightly school newsletter ‘Endeavour’, is named in honour of his ship.
Development became the focus of attention during the early 1990s when the school population peaked at 1,300 before the opening of Wollumbin High School, which then relaxed school capacity numbers.
, Joyce Martin, in 1928. Since an upgrade in status from a district school to an intermediate high school in 1924 it has produced an annual magazine called "The Parnassian".
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
located at 86 Riverview Street in Murwillumbah, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The school was established as a comprehensive high school in 1929 being upgraded in status from an intermediate high school. It caters for students from years 7 to 12. Many of its past students have achieved notable success, some holding high public office.
History and campus
Glimpses from past Parnassians: 1924. "After much deliberation and discussion, the Department has resumed an area of about eight acres on Hartigan’s Hill as the site for the new High School. Every day the optimists make a trip to the site to see what progress has been made with buildings, but, so far, the Department has not seen fit to make any use of the newly acquired site." 1928. "The foundation stone of the new High School buildings was laid on March 17 in the presence of a large gathering of parents and students. An untimely thunderstorm just failed to mar the proceedings, for when the Minister of Education inspected the Guard of Honour, comprising Girl Guides and Boy Scouts, the sun had just broken through."Murwillumbah High School was made a "full" high school in 1929 and moved into its current site in that year with the opening of a three storey complex which has become a well known landmark in Murwillumbah.
Since 1929 many buildings have been added with major development beginning in the 1960s. In 1992 a new Library was opened and in mid-1997 the Multi-Purpose Centre/Hall was opened and dedicated as "The Elliott Centre", after a previous Principal of the school, Joe Elliott.
The school is built on the side of a hill creating several floor levels across the school. Under the initiative of Bruce Chick, the school has a large Hoop Pine forest on the southern edge of the campus, planted in 1970 as a Cook Bicentennial
Australian Bicentenary
The bicentenary of Australia was celebrated in 1970 on the 200th anniversary of Captain James Cook landing and claiming the land, and again in 1988 to celebrate 200 years of permanent European settlement.-1970:...
project. Captain James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
had sighted, mapped and named Mount Warning
Mount Warning
Mount Warning is a mountain west-south-west of Murwillumbah, near the border with Queensland in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia...
in the Murwillumbah area as he sailed up the coast in 1770 and the fortnightly school newsletter ‘Endeavour’, is named in honour of his ship.
Development became the focus of attention during the early 1990s when the school population peaked at 1,300 before the opening of Wollumbin High School, which then relaxed school capacity numbers.
Symbols
The school colours are blue and white and the school badge was designed by the first School CaptainSchool Captain
School Captain is a student appointed or elected to represent the school.This student, usually in the senior year, in their final year of attending that school...
, Joyce Martin, in 1928. Since an upgrade in status from a district school to an intermediate high school in 1924 it has produced an annual magazine called "The Parnassian".
Notable alumni
- Sir Eric WillisEric WillisSir Eric Archibald Willis KBE, CMG was an Australian politician, Cabinet Minister and the 34th Premier of New South Wales, serving from 23 January 1976 to 14 May 1976. Born in Murwillumbah in 1922, Willis was educated at Murwillumbah High School and the University of Sydney, where he obtained a...
- Dux of 1940, Cabinet Minister from 1965 to 1976 and 34th Premier of New South Wales. - Max WillisMax WillisMax Frederick Willis RFD, ED, CSI, is a former Australian politician. He was a Liberal member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1970 to 1999. His brother Sir Eric Willis was briefly Premier of New South Wales in 1976....
- MLCNew South Wales Legislative CouncilThe New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
(1970–1999) and President of the New South Wales Legislative CouncilPresident of the New South Wales Legislative CouncilThe President of the New South Wales Legislative Council is the presiding officer of the upper house of the Parliament of New South Wales. The role of President has generally been a partisan office, filled by the governing party of the time. The incumbent President is no exception, currently held...
(1991–1999). - Stanley StephensStanley Stephens (Australian politician)Stanley Tunstall "Stepper" Stephens was an Australian politician. He was a Country Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1944 to 1973, representing the electorate of Byron...
- Member of NSW Parliament for ByronElectoral district of ByronByron was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales created in 1913, replacing Rous, and named after Cape Byron. With the introduction of proportional representation in 1920, Byron absorbed Lismore and Clarence and elected three members...
(1944–1973) and Minister for Housing in the Askin Government. - Jack BoydJack BoydJohn Charles Boyd was an Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1973 until 1984. He was a member of the Country Party and its successors....
- Member of NSW Parliament for Byron (1973–1984). - Bob BugdenBob BugdenBob Bugden is an Australian former rugby league player. He was a halfback with the St. George Dragons in the first half of their 11-year consecutive premiership winning run from 1956 to 1966...
- Former Australian rugby league player for the St. George DragonsSt. George DragonsThe St George Dragons was an Australian Rugby league football club in St George, Sydney, New South Wales that played in Australia's top-level Rugby league competition from New South Wales Rugby Football League in 1921 until 1998; in 1999 they formed a joint venture with the Illawarra Steelers,...
.
External links
- Murwillumbah High School website
- New South Wales Department of Education and Training - Murwillumbah High School