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Fort Street High School

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JEFFERY COOPER IS GOD!

Fort Street High School is a co-educational, academically selective, Public high school currently located at Petersham, an inner western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Established in 1849, it is the oldest government high school in Australia,[1] and today, it remains a public school operated by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training. Fort Street High School is renowned for the accomplishments that its graduates have achieved, and as a selective school, it draws students from across metropolitan Sydney and across the multicultural spectrum.

To avoid confusion due to the school's history of separation, amalgamation, and relocation, the present school is designated Fort Street High School, Petersham for official government purposes. The school's motto is "Faber est suae quisque fortunae", translated from Latin as "Every man is the maker of his own fortune", which is attributed to the Roman historian Sallust. Fort Street High School has a sister school, Suginami Sogo High School, in Tokyo, Japan.[2]

History

The history of public education in Australia began when the Governor of New South Wales, Charles Augustus FitzRoy, established a Board of National Education on 8 January 1848 to implement a national system of education throughout the colony. The board decided to create two model schools, one for boys and one for girls. The site of Fort Street Model School was chosen as the old Military Hospital at Fort Phillip, on Sydney's Observatory Hill[3]. This school was not only intended to educate boys and girls, but also to serve as a model for other schools in the colony. The school's name is derived from the name of a street which ran into the grounds of the hospital and became part of the playground during its reconstruction. The street name is perpetuated in the small street in Petersham that leads to the present school. The school was officially established on 1 September 1849, when the conversion of the building was approved by the government. This original school building is visible today beside the southern approaches to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The establishment of Fort Street School marked the establishment of a non-denominational system of school, where the government undertook the education of its people, separate from religion.

In 1911, the school was split into one primary and two secondary schools: Fort Street Public School, Fort Street Boys' High School and Fort Street Girls' High School. Due to space limitations at Observatory Hill, in 1916, the Boy's school was moved to the school's present site, on Taverner's Hill, Petersham. The Girls' school remained at Observatory Hill until 1975, when the two schools were amalgamated to form the current co-educational school at Petersham. During that time, its grounds continued to be consumed by the growing city; for example, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which opened in 1932, took most of the playground. Fort Street Public School remains at Observatory Hill.

The school celebrated its sesquicentenary in 1999. Its student population is now a diverse one; students come from over 100 suburbs in Sydney, from places as far as Hornsby, the Blue Mountains, and Cabramatta. 539 of the 930 students have one of thirty different languages as their native tongue.[4] Students past and present are referred to as "Fortians".

Campus

The Wilkins building of the present Fort Street High School

Fort Street High School is currently located on a single campus on Parramatta Road in Petersham, a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney. The school occupies almost the entire street block, and is surrounded by Parramatta Road, Palace Street, Andreas Street and Constable street.

The Petersham campus centres on the Romanesque style main building, now named the Wilkins Building after William Wilkins, who played an instrumental role in the formation of the education system in New South Wales in the latter half of the nineteenth century. The other buildings include the Kilgour building, the Memorial Hall and the newest additions, the Cohen and Rowe buildings, which were completed in 2004.

School facilities include a library, a gymnasium, an oval, two tennis courts, two basketball courts, two cricket practice nets, a canteen, and a performing arts block.

The school's original Observatory Hill campus is now used by the National Trust of Australia.

Curriculum

Fort Street High School is a school of the New South Wales Department of Education and Training (DET) and is registered and accredited with the New South Wales Board of Studies, therefore following the mandated curriculum for all years. The curriculum at the school is divided into three parts[5]:

  • Stage 4 - Years 7 and 8
  • Stage 5 - Years 9 and 10
  • Stage 6 - Years 11 and 12

In Stages 4 and 5, students are prepared for the School Certificate at the conclusion of Year 10, and English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, and Physical Education are compulsory courses. Visual Arts, Performing Arts, and Design & Technology are compulsory in Stage 4. Additionally, students learn two different languages in Years 7 and 8. They may choose from French, German, Chinese, or Japanese.

Science class at Fort Street High School, 1930

In Stage 5, students are given a choice of three elective subjects, which include:

The Stage 6 course includes study for the Preliminary Higher School Certificate and the Higher School Certificate (HSC). In order to satisfy requirements for the HSC, each student must complete at least twelve units of study for the Preliminary course and at least ten units for the HSC. The only compulsory subject is English. Students may also undertake Vocational education (VET) courses, which may or may not contribute to their Universities Admission Index (UAI) in the HSC.

Fort Street High also offers sports as part of its formal and co-curricular programs.[6] Year 7 to 10 students experience sports through the Physical Education program, and Years 8 to 11 participate in Zone and knockout sport. Year 12 students are not required to undertake sport but may part take if requested. Students who are not involved in competition undertake in Year 8 skill-based sport, and in Years 9 to 11 recreational sports. Sports offered include Hockey, Rugby Union, Aerobics, Basketball, Ice Skating, Netball, Soccer, Cricket, Squash, Swimming, Tennis, Fencing, Baseball, and Touch Football.

The Instrumental Music Program is the largest co-curricular program in the school involving over 250 students.[6] In 2002, it won the Director-General's School Achievement Award for providing opportunities for students to enrich and expand their expertise as musicians and performers.[7] The large ensembles include the:

And the extension ensembles:

Other extracurricular activities include:[6]

  • Debating
  • Public Speaking
  • Mock Trial
  • Tournament of Minds
  • Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme
  • Chess
  • Robotics
  • Photography
  • STIVE (Worshiping the one true god - Luka Popovic)

Student representation

The student body is represented by the Student Representative Council (SRC). Four male and four female students from each year are elected by their peers at the end of the third term of each year, excepting Year 7 Representatives. One of the year 11 students from the SRC is voted in as the SRC president. The current SRC president is Sanjay Chavali, the first Indian president in the long history of the school. The SRC is responsible for the annual Valentine's Day Roses and a Year 7 welcome dance, and are exploring more active fundraising for charity.[8]

School traditions

School assemblies and special events are held at the Memorial Hall

Fort Street utilises a house system. The school is organised into four Houses, to which each student is assigned. The Houses are named after prominent alumni, two male and two female, and representing different areas of endeavour: Barton, Mawson, Kennedy, and Preston.

Since 1899, the school has published the Fortian magazine, the school's annual review and yearbook. The name later came to refer to all students of the schools past and present[9]. An extensive alumni network is maintained through the schools alumni association, the Fortians' Union, formed by the amalgamation of the Old Boys' Union and the Fort Street Old Girls' Union. In addition to maintaining the alumni network, the Union also assists the school and promotes its traditions. It holds an annual dinner each October, with some student reunions held concurrently with this event.[10] The Fortians' Union publishes Faber Est, a monthly newsletter.

An annual Speech Day is held near the beginning of each year at which student achievements are recognised and awards are presented. An address is given by a prominent alumnus or alumna. In the past, Speech Day events have been held at various venues including the school's Memorial Hall and the Sydney Opera House[9]. In recent years, however, the ceremony has always been held at Sydney Town Hall.

Throughout its history, the various Fort Street schools have had a large number of school songs. At present, at assemblies, the simply-named School Song is sung, as well as Gaudeamus Igitur. In recent years, a number of past school songs, such as Fort Street's Name Rings Around the World have also been revived, and are sung at the annual Speech Day.

Alumni

For alumni of Fort Street High School who have achieved distinction or notability in various fields see List of Fortians.

See also

References

  1. ^ Aircraft Noise Levy Collection Amendment Bill 2001: Second Reading
  2. ^ Žo–…?ZŠÖŒW’÷Œ‹‚Ì’²ˆóŽ®
  3. ^ Top Frame
  4. ^ Untitled Document
  5. ^ Untitled Document
  6. ^ a b c FORT STREET HIGH Inner West - Find a School - Schools In Sydney - NSW Schools - Private Schools Sydney
  7. ^ The Director-General's School Achievement Award - 2002
  8. ^ Untitled Document
  9. ^ a b Horan (1999)
  10. ^ Fortians Union - Fort Street High School (retrieved 16 Oct 2007)

Further reading

  • Horan, Ronald S. (1999). Maroon and Silver - Fort Street Sesquicentenary 1849-1999. Sydney: Honeysett Press. ISBN 0-9587276-2-7. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Morris, Clarice (1980). "The School on The Hill". Sydney: Morris Publishing. ISBN 0-9593915-0-9.
  • Horan, Ronald S. (1990). Fort Street. Sydney: Geographics. ISBN 0-9592229-4-4. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

External links

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