Centenary of Coburg High School

The centenary celebration and reunion on Sunday 23 October 2016 was a remarkable event with over a thousand former students and staff of Coburg High School in attendance. To mark the centenary, a commemorative book ‘Loyal in All’ has been authored by Elisabeth Grove and Laura Donati. It was launched for sale at the centenary celebration and copies are still available for purchase through the Coburg High School alumni: http://www.coburghighhistorical.org/book-of-the-century.html

The centenary celebration of the original Coburg High allows us the opportunity to look back to the origins of the school and to consider how it has developed and changed over the years. However, above all, it is an opportunity to establish a bridge between the Coburg High School of old and our re-established Coburg High School and to strengthen those connections. While we are very much focussed on creating our own culture here at Coburg High School—and on bringing to life our own vision for the future of the school—our challenge is to keep the memories of the past century alive and for our current and future students to use the example of past students as inspiration in forging their own place in history.

Finally, over the last century, Coburg High School has educated the young people of Coburg and has served the wider Coburg community exceptionally well. Our intention is to continue that tradition and provide our community with the best possible education for the next hundred years.

Stewart Milner, Principal

Originally established on Bell Street in 1916, Coburg High School has a rich history as one of the first high schools established in Victoria. At times during its long history, Coburg High School was an academic selective-entry school enrolling the highest performing students from primary schools in the north of Melbourne and at other times it has been a flagship local government school, welcoming and catering to all students and families from across the City of Moreland. Coburg High School holds an important place in the rich cultural heritage of Melbourne.

In 2007, Coburg Senior Secondary College was opened on the present school site as a senior school catering exclusively to the needs of young adults from across Melbourne in Years 10, 11 and 12.

In 2015, Coburg High School was re-established as a comprehensive local government high school for the community of Coburg and surrounds. The reopening of Coburg High School has seen high levels of enrolment of Year 7 and 8 students to form a junior school that combines with the senior school students to form one school: Coburg High School. This year our school comprises approximately 340 students in Year 7 and Year 8 and 400 students in total.  In 2017, Coburg High School will welcome a new group of Year 7 students and is likely to have a total enrolment of over 550 students. It is projected that Coburg High School will grow to a total enrolment of well over 900 students by the time the first group of Year 7 students reach Year 12 in 2020.

Coburg High School Historical Society

Coburg High School Historical Society is an association of former students of the old Coburg High School.

There are many eminent and high-profile former students of Coburg High School, including Doris Carter the first female track and field athlete to medal at an Olympics and Raelene Boyle who represented Australia at three Olympics, winning three silver medals. Glenyys Romanes—a former mayor of both Brunswick and Moreland—is also one of the Coburg High School alumni.

Coburg High School has had many long-serving principals and headmasters. One of the original headmasters, H. P. Bennett (principal from 1924 to 1943) is remembered for the following quote prominently displayed on the original school building, an aphorism that is still very much relevant today: “If all the school was just like me, what sort of school would this school be.”

Further information on the original Coburg High School and many of the former students can be found at: www.coburghighhistorical.org