Cremorne Girls High School
| Cremorne Girls High School | |
|---|---|
|
| |
| Location | |
|
Cremorne, New South Wales Australia | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public, Single-sex, Secondary school |
| Established |
1927 (NBGIHS) January 1941 (NBGJHS) April 1952 (CGHS)[1] |
| Status | Closed |
| Closed | 1987 |
| Principal | Ruth Readford (1985–1987) |
| Campus | 53–57 Murdoch Street |
| Colour(s) | Royal blue and white |
Cremorne Girls High School, (abbreviation CGHS) is a former high school located on Murdoch Street in the Sydney suburb of Cremorne, New South Wales, Australia. It was a girls high school operated by the New South Wales Department of Education with students from years 7 to 12. The school was first established in 1927 as Neutral Bay Girls Intermediate High School. However, due to declining enrolments the school was declared surplus to the needs of the department and officially closed in 1987. The school and its heritage-listed buildings are now a satellite campus of SCEGGS Redlands.
History
The school was first established in 1927 as Neutral Bay Girls Intermediate High School, but traced its history back to the establishment of the Neutral Bay Public School in 1886. However, within a few years, the buildings on the site on Murdoch Street, Cremorne, were considered to be inadequate. The foundation stone of the new main building was laid by Minister for Education David Drummond on 6 October 1934 in the presence of the Mayor of North Sydney, Ald. Hodgson, who noted that the "new building had been long needed, as the conditions for staff and scholars at the old school were deplorable."[2] A year later the buildings, which contained seven classrooms, an assembly hall, science room, preparation room, and staff rooms erected at a cost of £8079, were completed and were opened by the local Member for Neutral Bay, Reginald Weaver, on 6 July 1935.[3] In January 1941 the school was upgraded in status and became known as Neutral Bay Girls Junior High School, which continued until April 1952 when the school was renamed as Cremorne Girls High School.[1]
Closure
Enrolments had been declining at the school since 1947 and by 1985 enrolments stood at 380.[4] As a consequence, the Minister for Education Rodney Cavalier, made an announcement on 1 July 1985 that the school was economically and educationally unviable and would be closed (alongside Ryde and Wilkins high schools) by 1987, with no year 7 intake for 1986 and the remaining students transferred to Mosman High School or Willoughby Girls High School.[5] As a result, a concerted campaign was started by the students and staff of the school with the local community to save the school: over 300 girls marches across the Harbour Bridge on 21 August in protest, a small delegation later met with the minister and a community organisation was formed, known as the 'Save Cremorne Action Committee'.[5][6] These efforts were ultimately unsuccessful and during the lead up to the closure in mid-1987, the final Principal of the school, Ruth Readford, noted that "There are too few students in this part of the metropolis. Or, to put it another way, there are too many schools, both State and Private."[7]
Despite various calls to keep the school site in public hands, by 1989 the Minister for Administrative Services, Robert Webster, put the site up for sale by public tender.[8] The site was subsequently purchased by SCEGGS Redlands to be transformed into their new senior campus. On 2 August 2013, the 1934 Inter-war Neo-Georgian style main building of the former Cremorne Girls High School was given heritage listing in the North Sydney Local Environment Plan.[9]
Notable alumni
- Bronwyn Bishop - Liberal politician who served as Speaker of the House of Representatives
- Kate Grenville - Australian author.
- Jean Hay – last Mayor of Manly (1999–2004, 2008–2016)
- Jenni Mack – Consumer activist.[10]
- Jill Perryman AM MBE – Stage actress and singer.
- Jane Rutter - Prominent classical flautist.
See also
References
- 1 2 "CREMORNE GIRLS HIGH - Cumberland". Government Schools of New South Wales from 1848. NSW Education. Retrieved 2015-05-23.
- ↑ "NEW GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL.". The Sydney Morning Herald (30,191). New South Wales, Australia. 8 October 1934. p. 6. Retrieved 23 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "NEW GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL". The Sydney Morning Herald (30,424). New South Wales, Australia. 8 July 1935. p. 10. Retrieved 23 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ Coultan, Mark (25 July 1985). "School fight goes to Ombudsman". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- 1 2 Luis M., Garcia (22 August 1985). "Belles of Cremorne march on minister". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- ↑ "No surrender, says Cremorne Girls' High". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 August 1985. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- ↑ "The girls will trasure memories of school". The Northern Herald. The Sydney Morning Herald. 2 July 1987. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- ↑ Browne, Sheila (12 October 1989). "Cremorne school for sale, but parents still hope". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- ↑ "SCEGGS Redlands - Former Cremorne Girls High School". Office of Environment and Heritage. NSW Government. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- ↑ "Mack, Jenni". The Encyclopedia of Women & Leadership in Twentieth Century Australia. Retrieved 22 May 2016.