HISTORY OF MHS

Victoria’s first state secondary school, the Melbourne Continuation School (from 1912 called Melbourne High School), was opened in 1905, with 135 girls and 68 boys. The school was the result of the vision of Frank Tate, the first Director of Education, to enable students from the state primary schools to continue on with their education. It was housed in the Old National Model School in Spring Street with Joseph Hocking, an inspector of schools, the first principal. Hocking turned Frank Tate’s vision into reality, and quickly the school produced girls and boys of quality, especially many teachers, and by 1919 it had the greatest number of students at Melbourne University (the only university then) from any school.

A rich extra curricula life was built with the strong academic curriculum, sports, music, cadets, drill, excursions, sporting exchanges with Adelaide High School (from 1910), social events and a school magazine. World War I was an important hiatus for the school with many serving (over 500), and the school having a special association with Anzac Cove.

The School continued to grow until accommodation became critical in the 1920’s, with the building literally falling down, and the decision was made to split the School and move to alternative sites. The boys were the first to move, in October 1927 to their new home on Forrest Hill, South Yarra and renamed Melbourne Boys’ High School. The girls (now Melbourne Girls’ High School) moved to Government House in 1931, then to King Street Central School the following year and finally their new home at Albert Park in 1934 and were renamed Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School. Despite the depression, and the slowly building threat of war, the School expanded in its new home. New traditions began such as a house system, with competition in various sports, debating and with the strong music tradition of the school, house chorals. A Memorial Hall paid for by past students was a feature of the new school, at its time the finest school building in Australia.

The outbreak of World War II war meant the school building was requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy, and the School was forced to two sites: the new Camberwell High School and Tooronga Road State School. In 1944 the School returned to Forrest Hill, with a new Principal, Major-General (later Sir) Alan Ramsay the first former student of the School to be Principal. All but one of his successors have been former students. The 1950’s under Principal Brigadier George Langley was a time of renewal, as the Tecoma camp was re-established and plans for a pool and new P.E. Centre developed. The 1960s saw the first physical expansion of the School’s facilities since 1927 with a new P.E. Centre and Pool opened in 1960, a new Library in 1965, the first of many portables in the late 60’s, and work was begun on the Junior Science Block (finished 1970).

By the 1980s the School was in poor physical condition, and urgently in need of new facilities to meet the changes taking place in education, particularly following the introduction of computers. Neville Drohan, Principal from 1986 to 1991, was able to secure government funds, together with donations, for a new building to replace the old P.E. Centre/Pool. Completed in 1992, the New Building included a pool, gym, Music Centre, Library and additional class rooms.

In 1995 the original 1927 building was refurbished and a synthetic hockey field replaced the old grass one. The expansion of facilities allowed the School to increase its enrolment to 1366, the highest it has ever been. The school has been distinguished for its remarkable academic success and can point to many famous old boys. Becoming more of an academic school over the last 30 years, the school has also retained its strong co-curricula traditions of music, with massed singing, formal assemblies and speech nights, the house sporting competition, house choral competition, an Army and Air Force cadet corps, active current affairs groups and school uniforms.

Frank Tate, Director of Education, opening the Melbourne Continuation School in 1905:
"Brains, not money, should be the passport to the higher realms of knowledge"