History

A brief history of Camberwell High School

An article from the era - apologies for the cropping but this was copied and sent to us as is.

(excerpt from Vision and Realization, A Centenary History of State Education in Victoria. Vol 3 (1973) pages 551-552)

CAMBERWELL:

The need for a high school in the Camberwell-Hawthorn area was recognised as early as 1921 when local citizens and councils explored suitable sites. None was found until 1928 when Camberwell, Hawthorn, Kew and Blackburn/Mitcham councils donated a total of £6,000 to purchase the present site of 5¼ acres, which was part of a 13 acre area between Riversdale and Prospect Hill Rds. From 1929 to 1936, no action was taken to build the proposed high school - successive deputations by councils and parliamentarians were told either that there was no money to build any schools, or that there were more urgent cases. During this period it was assumed by all that this would be a girls high school to complement Box Hill Boys High School. In 1939, however, there was a change in Departmental policy. As the East Camberwell Girls School (now Canterbury High School) had insufficient accommodation, and there was pressure on University, Melbourne, and MacRobertson Girls High Schools, the Director of Education recommended in June 1939 the building of a high school.

Costing about £20,000, approved by the Minister in October 1939 and ready for occupation on 27th of May 1941, this school opened with an enrolment of 147 boys, 215 girls. The first Principal was Dr A.V.G. James, who had a staff of twelve.

This occupancy did not last long. Because of the wartime occupation of Melbourne HS by US forces, this school took over Camberwell HS, whose students were disperse to surrounding central schools or to East Camberwell Girls School. Strong protests from local councils and parents were to no avail and local students did not return until 1945. The second opening of Camberwell saw 345 attending, but within a year the building was overcrowded with 484 pupils. Enrolments increased steadily and rapidly to a peak of 889 pupils by 1962.

Despite additional rooms on the original building; prefabricated classrooms and a gymnasium added in the 1950s, overcrowding of facilities has been a feature of the school, even though numbers declined after 1962 to some extent with the expansion of the adjoining schools. The Advisory Council agitated for fifteen years for extra classrooms and an assembly hall, their efforts being rewarded when these were begun in 1968, to be occupied in May 1970. However, increased enrolment as a result of phasing out of feeder central schools means a continuance of the problem of accommodation, and the acquisition of adjoining properties for future expansion is being affected.

Camberwell has been traditionally an academic school and until the mid 1960s was selective in enrolments. Shortage of accommodation until 1970 gave the school a unique structure, with two first and second forms, with a large intake from local central schools at third form level, and, until recently, further heavy enrolments at fifth and sixth form level from pupils whose schools had not reached matriculation level.

By 1970, the school had become recognisably a district high school in structure with a doubling of Form I intake and reduction of Form III intake. In its three decades of existence, the school has had five principals only: Dr A.V.G. James, who opened the school in 1941 and remained until 1947; R. Andrews was Principal from 1948 to 1952 and again from 1958 to 1965; A.T. Ebbels filling this position from 1953 to 1957; I. Gazzard took over from 1966 to 1968, being succeeded by Principal H.J. Slattery.

The school has been fortunate in having leaders of the calibre of these five men. Backed by active Advisory Councils and assisted by teachers who identified themselves with the school's aims and activities, they have enhanced Camberwell High School's position both in the community and in the State educational system.

(penned by H. J. Slattery)

Robert Ewins, a former English and History teacher at Camberwell High School for eight years, did some incredibly detailed research into the history of the school and the book was published in time for the Silver Jubilee in 1991.

It covers the entire period from when there was a push to establish a school in our area, right through the displacement in the war years, the Andrews era, the turbulent sixties and early seventies, infrastructure growth, school musicals, through to when Miss Rusden took the helm.

There is also a list of past students, prefects, teachers SRC reps, house captains in an index at the back. Plus many photos and newspaper clippings.

CHESS has copies of the book for interested past students. Please email me (Debs) for details/costs. My email address is on the home page. This is well worth the read.

Some of the original 1941 students at a reunion.