South Sydney High School - History

History

Following the Second World War, it was determined that the Maroubra Junction Technical School would be crowded out of its premises on Anzac Parade. A site for a new school, bounded by Paine Street in the north, and Walsh and O'Sullivan Avenue in the south, had been selected in 1945. This area was originally taken over by the Commonwealth Government for defence purposes. It was cleared as early as 1948 and preparations made for what was to be known as South Sydney Technical School. The building foundations were laid on the 27 May 1950 by then Minister for Education, The Hon. Robert Heffron MLA, who would later become the Premier of New South Wales.

Due to long delays the first portion of the school was not ready until July 1952, with the school not being occupied until February 1953. On the 5 April 1954, South Sydney Junior Technical High School was officially opened by the Governor of New South Wales, Lieutenant-General Sir John Northcott. The opening ceremony was accompanied by the commemorative planting of trees, a few of which remain today along the O'Sullivan Avenue frontage.

At the beginning of 1959 it was decided that South Sydney Junior Technical High School would be renamed South Sydney Boys' High School. The End of 1961 saw the retirement of Mr William Dutton, the school's first principal. In his place Mr. Thomas Tasker was appointed. In 1962 the School magazine, "The Southerner", was published for the first time. That same year, in honour of the contribution made to the school by Mr Heffron, the library was named the "R. J. Heffron Library".

In August 1980, the Minister for Education, The Hon. Paul Landa MLA, announced that South Sydney Boys' High School and Maroubra Junction Girls' High would be partly co-educational in 1981 and fully co- educational in 1983 to become South Sydney High School and Maroubra High School respectively.

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