Brisbane State High School - History

History

T. Max Hawkins, historian and author of "The Queensland Great Public Schools - A History", wrote of the origins of Brisbane State High School, that:

"The school developed from the School of Arts in Ann Street, and later from the old Normal School which was built by convict labour on the site where the State Government Insurance building now stands...The year 1913 is generally taken as the start of the Brisbane State High School, a co-educational school which, by 1964, had expanded to accommodate 1310 students, 891 of them boys."

Further light on the origins of the schools is shed in Philip Walker Davidson's work, "Great Public Schools : an investigation into G.P.S. secondary schooling in Queensland, its relationship with and the problem it poses architecture, and an appraisal of the factors governing the future establishment of such a school", where he wrote:

"Headmasters of various metropolitan state schools were asked to nominate 76 boys and girls for admission to the new school, and a further 70 paying students made up the first year's enrolment. Classrooms were provided in the Technical College buildings, Ann Street, until 1914 when the school moved to lower George Street.

...in 1921 the school was to occupy the well known Normal School buildings on the corner of Adelaide and Edward Streets...At about this stage it was separated from the control of the Central Technical College and combined with the Junior High School which had been operating as a secondary department at the Normal School. The name Brisbane State High School was then first applied."

Although the school's beginning is taken as having been 1913, it was relocated to its current campus next to Musgrave Park at South Brisbane in 1925. The laying of the foundation stone of the "Red Brick Building", later designated A Block, took place in 1923 in the attendance of Queensland Education Minister John Huxham, and William Forgan Smith, then Queensland Minister for Public Works and later Premier.

Mr Isaac Waddle, the Brisbane State High School's first Principal, served for 24 years and devised the school's motto "Scientia est Potestas" (Knowledge is Power) whilst overseeing the establishment of the house system in the patriotic days of the Second World War. Waddle's successor, Mr Barnes, served for scarcely a year before dying in office, and between 1947 and 1960 the post was held by a further three relatively short term Principals: Dr Watkin; Mr Copeman and Mr Cafferky. During the ensuing "Lockie Years" the school underwent massive expansions, growing from 1091 students in 1961 to 2183 in 1967, as well as consolidating its reputation as being highly competitive amongst the private school institutions of South-East Queensland. The headmastership of David Sutton (1998–2008) witnessed a revival in ceremony and tradition coupled with continual academic improvement. For the 6 years from 2003–2008, the OP results consistently climbed, with 86% of students receiving an OP of 1-15 in 2008. Sutton's successor, Richard Morrison, reformed the selection process for academic-merit entrants and introduced the 'Aspire' program. He oversaw the completion of construction works initiated by his predecessor. His replacement by Mr Wade Haynes, a former Acting Principal of the school, after a mere two years marked him as the second shortest-serving of the school's Principals.

BSHS has been a member of the Great Public Schools Association of Queensland Inc (GPS) since 1930, and of the Queensland Girls' Secondary Schools Sports Association (QGSSSA) since 1921.