Fort Street High School needs no introduction; it remains one of the top 20 schools in the 2019 HSC school ranking. As an academically selective school, admission is based purely on academic merit via the SHSP (Selective High School Placement Test). Here, we take a look at the history of the school for the benefit of potential students.
Fort Street is a government-funded co-educational school which was established in 1849. Interestingly, it is the oldest government high school in Australia. It has evolved with time to become a school that has treasured its tradition and molded it according to the needs of modern education. It aims at the overall development of a child. Apart from academic excellence, it also includes students in enriching co-curricular activities like drama, sports, music, debates, robotics, to name a few. It involves a wide range of programs which support academic, cognitive, social, and personality development.
Recently, the school celebrated #EdWeek19 to recognize the ability of students as future citizens who can shape the world. In July, they participated in NAIDOC Week to encourage awareness about culture. The students of the Fort Street High School are exposed to events like the Human-Robot Friendship Ball, ChooseMaths Day, VIVID festival, Youth Vocal Ensemble, Duke of Edinburg Expedition, and various other platforms.
The first Prime Minister of Australia, Sir Edmund Barton, hailed from the school. Barton was also well known as a barrister, judge, member of parliament and the first Prime Minister of Australia.
Yes, ‘Fortian’ here means alumni of the Fort Street High School in New South Wales. There is a long list of ‘Fortians’ who have become famous politicians, lawyers, scientists, educators, authors, and eminent personalities in many other fields. Michel Francois Albert (Founder of Albert Music), Sir Harold George Alderson, Sir William Hewson Anderson, Helmut Bakaitis, Syd Beck, Graeme Austin Bird(molecular gas dynamics), Margaret A Burgess, John Henry Carver, are some of the eminent personalities who had started their educational life in this school.
This school is probably one of the best starts that a child can get for his academic life. The school has an open environment which celebrates diversity and recognizes each child’s individuality. What more can be said? To sum it up, the motto of the school says it all –
‘Each person is the maker of their own fortune.’