About Kogarah High School

The first school in Kogarah was a one teacher school held in St Paul’s Anglican Church in 1870. The first proper school was built on the site of the present High School and was erected in 1876. It was extended in 1891 and 1898 to meet demand created by the extension of the railway line to Kogarah in the 1880’s.  During this era, the school functioned as an infants and primary school, but by 1892, it had been redesigned as a “Superior School”, meaning that some of its students were doing secondary work.

The school continued to expand in the first decade of the 20th Century, reaching an enrolment of 1,500 in 1909. Around this time, the school functioned as 3 separate departments. There was an infants and primary section, a Girls Intermediate High School section from 1913 and a Boys Intermediate High School section formed in 1920. Part of the girls’ section broke away to form St George Girls High School in 1916, but girls continued to be taught, by a section that became known as the Kogarah Central Domestic Science School.

The infants’ section moved away to the site of the present Kogarah Public School in 1954 and the primary section soon joined them. In 1959 the Home Science School became a full High School and the Boys’ school received this status in 1959. This meant that they both were teaching students up to the level of the Leaving Certificate. In 1963, both schools combined to form Kogarah High School as the co-educational school as it is today.
 

Some famous former pupils of Kogarah High have included Jack Barnett – an Australian Olympic and Commonwealth Games diving champion, Gary Chapman – a Commonwealth Games swimming medallist, Bill Crabtree – MLA for Kogarah for 31 years, Bruce Crampton – international professional golfer, Les Favell – Australian cricketer and Cricket Captain of South Australia, Neville Hayes – Olympic gold medallist Swimmer, Dr John Hewson – former leader of the federal opposition, Jeannie Little – entertainer and actress, Norman O’Neil, Australian and Sheffield Shield cricketer, June Salter – well known actress, John Tapp – TV, sport and racing commentator and Ken Rosewall – international tennis champion.

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Famous Alumni