, motto_translation =
, established =
, coordinates =
, pushpin_map = Australia New South Wales
, pushpin_image = Australia New South Wales relief location map.png
, pushpin_mapsize = 250
, pushpin_map_alt =
, pushpin_map_caption = Location in
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, pushpin_label =
, pushpin_label_position =
, module =
, type =
Government-funded co-educational
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
academically selective secondary
Secondary may refer to: Science and nature
* Secondary emission, of particles
** Secondary electrons, electrons generated as ionization products
* The secondary winding, or the electrical or electronic circuit connected to the secondary winding i ...
day school
A day school — as opposed to a boarding school — is an educational institution where children and adolescents are given instructions during the day, after which the students return to their homes. A day school has full-day programs when compar ...
, educational_authority =
New South Wales Department of Education
The New South Wales Department of Education, a department of the Government of New South Wales, is responsible for the delivery and co-ordination of early childhood, primary school, secondary school, vocational education, adult, migrant and hi ...
, principal = Rochelle Dooley
, location = 130 Chatham Street,
Broadmeadow
Broadmeadow is the geographic center of Newcastle city. Its main commercial hub is located at the "Nineways".[Hunter region
The Hunter Region, also commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney. It contains the Hunter River and its tributaries with highland areas to the north and so ...]
,
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, country = Australia
, campus =
Urban
Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to:
* Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas
* Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities
Urban may also refer to:
General
* Urban (name), a list of people ...
, enrolment = 1,071
, enrolment_as_of = 2020
, teaching_staff = 70
FTE (2020)
[
, grades = ]Year 7
Year 7 is an educational year group in schools in many countries including England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand. It is the seventh full year (or eighth in Australia) of compulsory education and is roughly equivalent to grade 6 in the United ...
– 12
, houses =
, colours = Navy blue and sky blue
, website =
, footnotes =
Merewether High School (abbreviated as MHS) is a government-funded co-educational
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
academically selective secondary
Secondary may refer to: Science and nature
* Secondary emission, of particles
** Secondary electrons, electrons generated as ionization products
* The secondary winding, or the electrical or electronic circuit connected to the secondary winding i ...
day school
A day school — as opposed to a boarding school — is an educational institution where children and adolescents are given instructions during the day, after which the students return to their homes. A day school has full-day programs when compar ...
, located in the suburb of Broadmeadow
Broadmeadow is the geographic center of Newcastle city. Its main commercial hub is located at the "Nineways".[Hunter Region
The Hunter Region, also commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney. It contains the Hunter River and its tributaries with highland areas to the north and so ...]
of New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, Australia. It was established in 1977 following the merger of Newcastle Technical High School and Cooks Hill Girls High School. The school is named in honour of Edward Christopher Merewether, a prominent businessman and civil servant in the Colony of New South Wales
The Colony of New South Wales was a colony of the British Empire from 1788 to 1901, when it became a State of the Commonwealth of Australia. At its greatest extent, the colony of New South Wales included the present-day Australian states of New ...
who later became the Superintendent of the Australian Agricultural Company
The Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) () is a public-listed Australian company that, as at 2018, owned and operated feedlots and farms covering around of land in Queensland and the Northern Territory, roughly one percent of Australia's la ...
in Newcastle.
The school enrolled approximately 1,070 students in 2020, from Year 7
Year 7 is an educational year group in schools in many countries including England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand. It is the seventh full year (or eighth in Australia) of compulsory education and is roughly equivalent to grade 6 in the United ...
to Year 12
Year 12 is an educational year group in schools in many countries including England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It is sometimes the twelfth year of compulsory education, or alternatively a year of post-compulsory educa ...
, of whom two percent identified as Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...
and 25 percent were from a language background other than English.[ The school caters for students from a wide area within the Greater Hunter Region.] The school is operated by the NSW Department of Education
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
; the principal is Rochelle Dooley.
Merewether High students have consistently achieved some of the highest results in the Higher School Certificate, outperforming other schools in the Greater Hunter Region, with many students achieving state rankings in select courses.
History
The suburb of 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
The governor of New South Wales is the viceregal representative of the Australian monarch, King Charles III, in the state of New South Wales. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia at the national level, the governors of the ...
between 1842 and 1861. He was appointed Superintendent of the AACo in Newcastle in 1861 and became a significant landowner 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.
From 1952 until 1976, the site, enclosed by School Street, Awaba Street, Chatham Street, Pokolbin Street and Melville Road, was occupied by Newcastle Technical High School. The school included an industrial arts block (now the covered outdoor learning area (COLA)), K Block (the library), 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 school merged with Cooks Hill Girls High School in 1976 to form a comprehensive co-educational high school, which drew students from the suburbs of Carrington, Wickham, Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilt ...
and Merewether
Merewether () is a former Municipality and today a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district with a population of around 11,000. The suburb stretches from Merewether Beach in the east to ...
. A building programme commenced just before the merger, with new blocks (A–D) being constructed, and blocks F–G being added later. The final principals of both schools are memorialised in the naming of the Bensley Hall and the Foley Library on the present campus.
Since 1989 enrolment is determined by an academic selection process. The school has a planned capacity of 1,080 students (180 from each year from 7–12). It first reached its enrolment capacity across all years in 2005.
Many buildings sustained severe damage in the 1989 earthquake, but were repaired thereafter. Another more recent event that affected the school was the floods of June 2007, which toppled trees and required the replacement of carpets in some blocks' lower floors, including K Block and the Foley Library.
In 2020, asbestos
Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere b ...
was found in the roof cavity of K Block, necessitating air monitoring and ceiling encapsulation works. The inspection of the building found that the asbestos levels were below detectability, allowing classrooms to remain in use.
Curriculum
The college follows the mandated statewide curriculum
In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...
developed by the New South Wales Education Standards Authority
The New South Wales Education Standards Authority (abbreviated as NESA) is the state government education statutory authority with the responsibility for the establishment and monitoring of school standards in the Australian state of New South W ...
. Students in stage 4 (Years 7 to 8) undertake studies in Mathematics, English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, Science, History, Geography, Music, Visual Arts, Technological & Applied Studies (including Robotics, Woodwork and Home Economics
Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences, is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and food preparation, as well as texti ...
), Languages (which as of 2021, is limited to Japanese), and Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
PDHPE (''Personal Development, Health and Physical Education'') is a subject in the New South Wales school curriculum. It is a compulsory subject in the K-10 curriculum, and available as an elective in years 11 and 12 and for the HSC in year 12. ...
.
In stage 5 (Years 9 to 10), students continue mandated studies in Mathematics, English, Science, History, Geography and Personal Development, Health and Physical Education, as well as undertaking two elective courses from a range of disciplines. In addition, Year 9 students study Inquiry Based Learning, whilst Year 10 students begin working towards their Higher School Certificate by undertaking an accelerated HSC subject.
Stage 6 (Years 11 to 12) students work towards the Higher School Certificate, in which they achieve some of the best results in the region.[ The New South Wales Education Standards Authority requires stage 6 students to study a minimum of 12 units in the Preliminary Year and 10 units in their HSC Year (most subjects being worth 2 units). HSC English is compulsory; All students at Merewether High are required to study English Advanced in Year 11, with the option to switch to English Standard in their HSC Year. English Extension 1 and 2 are also offered. Students may then choose from all levels of Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth and Environmental Science, Modern History, Ancient History, History Extension, Society and Culture, Studies of Religion (Course 1 or 2), Business Studies, Economics, Geography, Legal Studies, Japanese (Beginners or Continuers), Design and Technology, Engineering Studies, Software Design and Development, Textiles and Design, Food Technology, Hospitality, Community and Family Studies, Visual Arts, Music (Course 1 and 2), Drama and PDHPE. Students may opt for units developed by the Open High School as correspondence courses.
]
Selective high school
As an academically selective high school, Merewether High School takes enrolments through a statewide process. In the final year of primary school, students are assessed and enrolled by the school on the basis of their achievement across the curriculum and on the Selective Schools Placement Test. Only 180 places are offered for Year 7 students, with the minimum score required for admission in 2015 being 180. After the beginning of Year 7, students are placed into the selective classes by the college on a student-by-student basis.
Extra-curricular activities
Merewether High School offers many extracurricular clubs and activities to its students, many of them musical ensemble
A musical ensemble, also known as a music group or musical group, is a group of people who perform instrumental and/or vocal music, with the ensemble typically known by a distinct name. Some music ensembles consist solely of instrumentalists, ...
s, including: string ensemble, percussion ensemble, orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
, jazz band
A jazz band (jazz ensemble or jazz combo) is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands vary in the quantity of its members and the style of jazz that they play but it is common to find a jazz band made up of a rhythm section and a ...
, concert band
A concert band, also called a wind band, wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind orchestra, symphonic band, the symphonic winds, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of members of the woodwind, brass, and percussion famil ...
, saxophone quartet, flute quartet, clarinet quartet, vocal ensemble and guitar ensemble, formerly facilitated by the honourable Brian Saxby ''BMus''. Other activities and clubs at the school include a chess club, art club, and robotics club.
Merewether High School has participated in Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind, abbreviated OM or OotM, is a creative problem-solving program involving students from kindergarten through college. Team members work together at length to solve a predefined long-term problem and present their solution to t ...
since at least 1992 and have had many successes in this pursuit, including a team of Year 9 students winning the Ranatra Fusca Creativity Award in 2008.
The school has many various sporting teams including: cricket, association football, basketball (The Weathers), rugby union (Merewether Moos), rugby league, Australian rules football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
, hockey, netball, volleyball, rowing, aerobics team, water polo, tennis, table tennis softball and baseball.
Merewether High School regularly participates in the World's Greatest Shave, with several staff and students shaving their hair to raise money for leukaemia research. In 2021, the school raised over $78,000. In 2022, the school was able to raise over $100,000, the most of any school in Australia.
Merewether High School was one of the schools that competed on the Network 10
Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of five ...
programme Shaun Micallef's Brain Eisteddfod.
Elected student representatives
The school SRC (Student Representative Council) consists of six students from each year, elected by their peers. In Year 7 one student from each class is elected; in the remaining grades, six students from each year are elected, regardless of class. The SRC nomination process begins in term 2, so members terms are across two years.
The Prefect Body is composed of twenty Year 12 students elected by the students to become the student leaders of the school, of which four are chosen to be the captains and vice-captains of the school.
Notable alumni
* Tim Ambrose
Timothy Raymond Ambrose (born 1 December 1982) is a retired Australian-born English cricketer who played all three formats of the game internationally. He was a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper. He began his domestic career with Sussex Co ...
, former cricket player
* Manu Bennett
Jonathan Manu Bennett (born 10 October 1969) is a New Zealand actor. He is primarily known for portraying characters in epic fantasy works, such as Crixus in the TV series ''Spartacus'', Allanon in ''The Shannara Chronicles'', Slade Wilson / D ...
, actor
* Chris Brown
Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...
, veterinarian and television presenter
* Sarah Halvorsen, Australian rules football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
player
* Gordon Hamilton, director of The Australian Voices
The Australian Voices are a national choir of young adult Australian singers directed by John Rotar and produced by Scott Griffin. The choir is prominent promoters and performers of Australian choral music, commissioning a number of works in the ...
* Erin James, actress
* Iain Jensen
Iain Valjean Jensen (born 23 May 1988 in Belmont, New South Wales) is an Australian sailor.
He started sailing in his hometown of Wangi Wangi when he was five years old, with his Olympic and Artemis Racing teammate Nathan Outteridge.
With ...
, professional sailor
* Harry Johnson-Holmes
Harry Johnson-Holmes (born 2 March 1997) is an Australian rugby union player who plays for the in the Super Rugby competition, and has been capped for in international rugby. His position of choice is prop
A prop, formally known as (thea ...
, rugby union player
* Sarah Kendall
Sarah Kendall (born 3 August 1976) is an Australian comedian from Newcastle, New South Wales, Newcastle, New South Wales. She won the Raw Comedy competition in 1998 and appeared regularly on Australian television. She moved to the United Kingdom ...
, stand up comedian and actress
* Jodi McKay
Jodi Leyanne McKay (born 16 August 1969) is a former Australian politician who was the Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of New South Wales from June 2019 until May 2021. She previously served as a member of the New South Wales Legislat ...
, Former Member of Parliament, New South Wales, and former Leader of the Opposition in New South Wales
* Justin Norris
Justin Neville Norris (born 4 June 1980) is an Australian butterfly and individual medley swimmer who won the bronze medal in the 200 metres butterfly at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
Early life
Coming from Stockton, New Sou ...
, butterfly and individual medley swimmer, bronze medal in the 200m butterfly at the 2000 Sydney Olympics
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...
and YouTuber
A YouTuber is an online personality and/or influencer who produces videos on the video-sharing platform YouTube, typically posting to their personal YouTube channel. The term was first used in the English language in 2006.
Influence
Influent ...
* Nathan Power
Nathan Power (born 13 February 1993) is an Australian water polo player.
Power was picked in the water polo Sharks squad to compete in the men's water polo tournament at the 2020 Summer Olympics. The team finished joint fourth on points in the ...
, water polo player
* Anna Rose
Anna Rose (born 14 April 1983) is an Australian author, activist and environmentalist. She co-founded the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) in late 2006 with Amanda McKenzie. In 2012 she co-starred in an ABC documentary, ''I Can Chan ...
, environmental activist
See also
* List of Government schools in New South Wales
{{Use Australian English, date=June 2020
The New South Wales Department of Education is a department of the Government of New South Wales. In addition to other responsibilities, it operates primary and secondary schools throughout the state.
* L ...
* List of selective high schools in New South Wales
This is a list of selective and agricultural high schools run by the Department of Education. Entry to these schools is managed centrally by the department's Selective High School and Opportunity Class Placement Unit. Prospective students sit th ...
References
External links
Merewether High School website
{{Authority control
Educational institutions established in 1979
Public high schools in New South Wales
Selective schools in New South Wales
Education in Newcastle, New South Wales
1979 establishments in Australia