Merewether High School

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Merewether High School
Scientia ac Labore
Established	1979
School type	New South Wales Selective Public High School
Principal/ Headmaster	Peter Hall
Location	Broadmeadow, New South Wales, Australia
Campus
Enrollment	~1080
School colours	Blue
Homepage	Homepage

Merewether High School is a co-educational, academically selective high school for students from Year 7 to Year 12. It is located in Broadmeadow, a suburb in the city of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. The school site is the block enclosed by School Street, Awaba Street, Chatham Street, Pokolbin Street and Melville Road.

Since 1989 enrollment is determined by an academic selection process and Merewether High School is the only selective high school in the Lower Hunter. Approximately 1,000 students attend, and the school has a planned capacity of 1,080 students (180 from each year from 7-12). 2005 was the first year that the school had maximum enrollments in all years. Its current principal is Peter Hall, who was preceded by Beverly Peatie (who retired at the conclusion of Semester 1).^{[citations needed]}

Contents 1 History 2 Student body 3 Extra-curricular activities 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] History

Merewether is named after Edward Christopher Merewether, who began his working life in Australia as aide-de-camp to three Governors of New South Wales between 1842 and 1861. He was appointed Superintendent of the AA Company in Newcastle in 1861 and became a significant land owner and local benefactor. The school's E.C. Merewether Award for Creative Endeavour and the shield, which adorns the school's front foyer, were inaugurated in honour of Merewether.

Merewether High School was in 1976 on the site occupied by Newcastle Technical High School since 1952. Cooks Hill Girls High School and Newcastle Technical High School amalgamated as a comprehensive co-educational high school and began the long process of developing a new set of customs and traditions. The Bensley Hall and the Foley Library are named after the last principals of Newcastle Technical High School and Cooks Hill Girls High School respectively. Drawing students from the suburbs of Carrington, Wickham, Hamilton and Merewether, the school flourished in its new role. In 1989, it became a selective high school, and today enjoys a reputation for both academic success and extracurricular achievement.

The campus has undergone numerous modifications and additions as its role and functions have changed. Newcastle Technical High School included the industrial arts block (now the covered outdoor learning area (COLA)), K Block, two bike sheds (since removed) and a canteen (since pulled down and a new canteen built in its place). L block was added in the 1960s, the amenities block on the oval in 1967, C, D, B and A blocks circa 1975 and F and G blocks at some point before 1989. Many buildings sustained severe damage in the 1989 earthquake, but were repaired thereafter.

[edit] Student body

Being academically selective, the school attracts gifted students from around the region. They typically commute to Merewether by bus, bicycle or parents' car; senior students with drivers' licenses often have cars of their own.

[edit] Extra-curricular activities

Merewether offers many extra-curricular clubs and activities to its students, many of them musical ensembles, including: string ensemble, orchestra, jazz band, and concert band. Other activities include chess club and the robotics club, with several regional and state placings in Robocup.^{[citation needed]}

There are also various sporting teams including: soccer, Rugby Union (Merewether Moos), Rugby League, Australian Football League (AFL), hockey, netball, volleyball, rowing, softball and baseball.

[edit] See also

• List of Government schools in New South Wales
• List of selective high schools in New South Wales

[edit] External links

• Merewether High School website
• NSW Department of Education and Training: Merewether High School

Selective Schools in New South Wales, Australia (edit)

Alexandria Park Community School | Baulkham Hills High School | Caringbah High School | Chatswood High School | Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School | Fort Street High School | Girraween High School | Gosford High School | Hornsby Girls' High School | Hurlstone Agricultural High School | James Ruse Agricultural High School | Macquarie Fields High School | Merewether High School | Normanhurst Boys' High School | North Sydney Boys High School | North Sydney Girls High School | NBSC: Manly Selective Campus | Penrith High School | Rose Bay Secondary College | Ryde Secondary College | Sefton High School | Smith's Hill High School | St. George Girls' High School | Sydney Boys High School | Sydney Girls High School | Sydney Secondary College | Sydney Technical High School | Tempe High School | Yanco Agricultural High School