Can You Help

Staff member Judy Boland, is working on a history of Darwin High School and the Bullocky Point site.

She is particularly interested in making contact with anyone who can shed light on the first Darwin High School which operated from a 'purpose designed' building 'facingonto Cavenagh Square'.

As you stand in Cavenagh Street today, it would have been to the left of the Boab Tree. The building featured 'louvred windows' and 'was raised on 7ft piers to enable lessons to be held in the shade (underneath) in the afternoon'.

Although officialdom referred to it in the Government Resident's Report on the Northern Territory, as 'Darwin High School", it is believed the locals didn't discriminate between it and the Primary School (whose grounds it shared), referring to the lot as 'Darwin Public School'.

The school opened in January 1922 with 22 pupils. It was later closed in 1925 because of declining numbers and the difficulty in obtaining qualified teachers. To replace the school, the Commonwealth Administration then made available one residential scholarship to any southern school. Darwin students could access this - if they were good enough and met the means test. The people of Darwin felt that the scholarship system was inadequate, in that only one student could receive secondary education each year. With constant public pressure, the Administrator felt the issue was important enough to warrant a paragraph in his 1938 Report.
However the wheels of government grind slowly and in June 1941 the local newspaper reported that the Darwin branch of the ALP had again made representations for the re-establishment of a High School.

Mr R A McInnes the Brisbane Town Planner given the task of designing 'the new Darwin' suggested a site on Myilly Point, roughly where the round about is today.Still nothing happened, except the Japanese bombed us!

In May 1946 Education services were restored - but still no High School. By now under the terms of an arrangement made between the Commonwealth Government and the South Australian Government, the provision of Education in the Territory was to be the responsibility of South Australia who refused to allow Senior Secondary classes to be conducted because they felt that the teachers in Darwin were not sufficiently qualified and were too remote from the latest professional developments in Education to be up to date, so Darwin Higher Primary School was formed in 1948 offering the Junior Secondary curriculum only.
There then followed concerted efforts by staff, students and parents to get senior classes. South Australia reluctantly relented when Darwin Higher Primary students won 19 of the 22 Intermediate Exhibitions (Scholarships) offered for South Australia.

Finally in 1955, South Australia gave accreditation to Darwin Higher Primary to offer senior classes, and in January 1956, Darwin High School was born again on the Cavenagh St. site.

The School quickly established itself as a centre of academic excellence, with John Withnall winning the prestigious Tennyson Medal as the top student for the whole of South Australia.

Space soon became a problem and new buildings were erected in Woods Street (Frog Hollow). 'Oldies' of that era remember the little creekthat ran through the block. All that remains today is a slight depression, which will no doubt disappear with the construction of the link tunnel to Tiger Brennan Drive.
In 1956 Mr Reg Marsh the Acting Administrator suggested the Bullocky Point site. At this time the NT Administration was under pressure from developers to convert the derelict meat-works site into a housing estate.

With preparations for the construction of the new high school taking shape,a rather nasty time ensued for the 200 odd residents living on Vestey's Point (as it was then known) as attempts were made to clear the site in readiness for the new high school. residents had their water and electricitydisconnected, as well as the roofing pulled off their shelters. Finally the Police were brought in to evict those hardy souls remaining.

At last in September 1963 students occupied the new building on Bullocky Point which is now known as 'A Block'. But things were far from pleasant. Treasury officials in Canberra had decided that fans or any form of air-conditioning was a luxury the students did not need! Consequently the official opening was something of a circus, with the building's architect among others collapsing in the stifling conditions.

In 1966 'B Block' was added, but this time with air-conditioning! And in 1974 the new library block was added. In 1975 the school was used for emergency accomodation, and a kitchen and food distribution point for the victims of Cyclone Tracy.
In March of 1969 Cyclone Audrey dumped more rain on Darwin in 24 hours than had previously been recorded. (This record still stands). Water cascaded in from 'A Block' covered area and flooded the front office, destroying all the school records.

What you have just read has been re-constructed from official records, held mainly in the National Archives in Darwin, and to a lesser extent in Canberra.
If you can help with any reminiscences (no matter how trivial they may seem), photos, school magazines or even canteen lists, Judy would like to hear from you. She can be contacted as follows: Mail