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Principal of Bowral High School, Jason Conroy, said that today the role of a school was not only to pursue academic excellence but also to motivate and empower students to be lifelong learners, critical thinkers, and productive members of an ever-changing global society.
The modern Bowral High School offers students learning experiences in a wide range of subject areas. As well as offering the core subjects such as mathematics, English, science, PD/H/PE, history and geography.
They have an extensive elective program that caters to the individual talents of students in the social sciences, the arts, home economics, hospitality, industrial arts and sport.
“We celebrate each student as being individual and unique and we support this, in partnership with the community, by providing a highly inclusive academic, social and cultural curriculum, Mr Conroy said.
Our staff is highly skilled and experienced.
- Principal of Bowral High School
Academically-gifted students, through a partnership with Aurora College, the NSW Virtual Selective High School, are provided with the opportunity to study in mathematics, English and science using the latest technology to gain the only genuine selective school experience in the Highlands.
Staff at Bowral High School are fully-accredited and are experienced experts in their subject areas, with many possessing higher post-graduate university qualifications. Continued professional growth is supported by a well-funded professional development program.
All teaching staff are undertaking the certificate of gifted education through the UNSW Gifted Education, Research, Resource and Information Centre (GERRIC) which commences in 2019.
From the early advocacy of the PCA in lobbying for the establishment of the high school, Mr Conroy was proud that “parents and visitors compliment us on the warm, accommodating and orderly school atmosphere and our strong sense of community.”
“We encourage all our students to develop high expectations about themselves, their work and their behaviour, which is an expression of our three school values.”
“They provide staff and students with a blueprint for life. Being respectful,being responsible,being fair via Positive Behaviour for Success (PBS) program, which is embedded in our school.”
Exceptional learning opportunities for all of Bowral High School students allows them to become confident, talented leaders in their local community through involvement in the prefecture, student representative council, state and national representative sport, with strong work placement opportunities.
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HISTORY
Bowral High School was established in 1929 as a tribute to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) of World War I. It enrolled students from locations such as Bowral, East Bowral, Mittagong, Welby, Yerrinbool, Kangaloon, Glenquarry, Colo Vale, and Hill Top.
The first public school in Bowral was established around 1868. Secondary education was introduced in 1906 when a course was created at Bowral Public School to allow students to continue study after primary. The secondary school was known as Bowral District School. In 1915, the school had it’s first students pass the Leaving Certificate exams. In 1920 the school was named Bowral Intermediate High School, and enrolled 120 students.
In the mid-1920s, plans were made by the Bowral Parents and Citizens Association (PCA) to erect a separate high school building from land purchased by the New South Wales Department of Education. By 1929, it had enrolled 389 students with 14 teachers.
On 8 June 1929, the Minister of Education David Henry Drummond and the mayor of Bowral laid the foundation stone for the new high school building. The land was a three-acre site on the outskirts of town. The building would be a two-story structure similar to Goulburn High School, and would accommodate about 420 students and 11 classrooms. It had a science room, assembly hall, staff rooms, men and women’s lavatories, open-air balconies, and other features. The original estimate from builder W. A. Gazzard was £20,000, and later totaled about £25,000.
At the official opening of Bowral High School, the Minister for Education, Mr Drummond, said it was a pleasure to see how great had been the growth from small beginnings.
It was his sincere belief that the school would be a source of benefit to the people of the district and very far beyond it. The school offered a great opportunity for children and even if a child did not show aptitude for a university career “it was not wise to attempt to force it upon him.”
He said it did not follow that because a child had a technical aptitude that his brain was inferior. This is reflected in the school’s current ethos of exceptional learning experiences for all.
Mr M F Morton, MLA, congratulated the district upon the opening of the high school. It was for the district and people of the whole of Berrima District to take an interest in their high school. “They must endeavour to keep it up to the standard set by the education department.”
“I once thought the people were being over-educated, but am now convinced that the boy or girl without a good education would have a hard row to hoe in the future,” Mr Morton said.
The scrutineer reported on Saturday, March 29 in 1930 that following World War II, Bowral High School was the only public high school to service students preparing for the Leaving Certificate between Picton to Goulburn until the opening of Moss Vale High School in 1964.
Famous Alumni:
- Sir Don Bradman, cricketer, scored his first century at Bowral in 1920–21
- Chris Corrigan, businessman
- Craig Reucassel, television actor and comedian
- Jai Rowell, Member of Parliament for Wollondilly
Past Principals:
- Herbert Cowie (1930–1935)
- Andrew Watson (1936–1937)
- Sydney Barker (1938–1953)
- Robert Wilson (1953–1965)
- Stanley Clutterbuck (1966–1970)
- Henry Waterhouse (1971–1974)
- John Jeffery (1975–1978)
- David McGrath (1978–1986)
- Ray Perrau (1987–1991)
- Lance Corr (1992–1994)
- Kathryn Brennan (1995–2005)
- Dianne Hennessy (2006–2009)
- Kim Paviour (2010–2018)
- Jason Conroy (2018- )
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