Princes Hill Secondary College

Princes Hill Secondary College is a coeducational state secondary school, located in Princes Hill, an inner suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.^[2] The school is 2 kilometres from the Melbourne City Centre.^[1]

Princes Hill Secondary College
Address
Arnold Street, Princes Hill[1] Melbourne , Victoria , 3054 Australia
Information
Type	co-educational government school[2]
Motto	Latin: Labore et fide
Established	1889[3][4]
Principal	Trevor Smith
Years offered	7–12
Enrollment	850[1]
Website	phsc.vic.edu.au

The school was formerly known as Princes Hill High School and prior to that, Princes Hill Central School.^[5] Princes Hill Secondary College is non-selective and accepts students from over 30 primary schools in the City of Yarra, City of Melbourne, City of Merri-bek and City of Darebin.^[6]

History

The school was opened by the acting headmaster on 2 September 1889 with several hundred pupils.^[7][3][4] It was the continuation of the Lygon Street, North Carlton school, established in the 1860s.^[8]

Ivor Evans, a 13-year-old student at Princes Hill State School, was a co-winner of the 1901 Federal Flag Design Competition to design Australia's national flag. It was displayed over the Royal Exhibition Building.^[9]

A fire destroyed the original structure on 8 February 1970.^[4] Teachers at the school sent a telegram to the then prime minister, John Gorton, to ask for financial aid for the school. 410 pupils were left without classrooms.^[10]

The school was rebuilt in 1973 by Daryl Jackson in a Brutalist architectural style.^[11] New wings have been added since 1983, and a gymnasium in the 2000s^[5]

The school has a no-uniform policy.^[12] Students have not worn uniforms since 1971.^[13]

Campus

Princes Hill Secondary College is one of the few late-20th-century buildings on Arnold Street.^[14]

In 2005, parts of the school were refurbished: the performing arts centre, textiles and food facilities, year 11 and 12 classrooms and science laboratories. A gymnasium was later established in 2006.^[15]

The school has small theatre seating 150 and a camp near Mirimbah, located at the foothills of Mount Buller in the Victorian Alps.^[1]

Academics

VCE studies offered by the school:
Art, Australian and Global Politics, Biology, Business Management, Chemistry, Classical Studies, Drama, English, English (EAL), English Language, Foundation Mathematics, French, Further Mathematics, General Mathematics, Global Politics, Health and Human Development, History: 20th Century (1900-1945), History: 20th Century (since 1945), History: Revolutions, Italian, Literature, Mathematical Methods (CAS), Media, Music Investigation, Music Performance, Philosophy, Physical Education, Physics, Product Design and Technology, Psychology, Specialist Mathematics, Studio Arts and Visual Communication Design.^[16]

In 2008 and 2012 VCE Media and Art students' work was selected for the Top Arts Exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria.^[17][18]

Princes Hill Secondary College was ranked in the top 200 public secondary schools (equal 9th) in Australia based on academic results in 2009.^[19]

In 2013, 32 of 111 students achieved an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank over 90 (29%), almost 50% of students achieved over 80, and 67% achieved over 70.^[20]

In 2014, the Victorian Certificate of Education median study score was 33. 16.4 percent of students achieved over 40 study scores.^[21]

Princes Hill Secondary College was ranked 14th out of all state secondary schools in Victoria based on VCE results in 2018.^[22]

Notable alumni

• Attila Abonyi, Australian association football player, member of the Australia national association football team for the 1974 FIFA World Cup^[23]
• Rupert Balfe, Australian rules footballer
• Steve Bastoni, Australian actor
• Donna Benjamin, Australian open source community contributor, commentator and advocate
• Tony Birch, Indigenous Australian author, academic and activist
• John Bluthal, British film and television actor^[23]
• Jack Brake, Australian football player^[24]
• Arnold Briedis, Australian rules footballer^[23]
• Lily Brett, Australian novelist, essayist and poet^[23]
• Sir William Brunton, Australian politician, and Lord Mayor of Melbourne
• Vin Catoggio, Australian rules footballer^[23]
• Kelvin Coe OBE, Australian ballet dancer of the Australian Ballet^[23]
• Alan Crawford, Australian rules footballer^[23]
• Matt Day, Australian actor
• John Dugdale, Australian rules footballer^[23]
• Geoffrey Edelsten, Australian medical entrepreneur, philanthropist, former owner of the Sydney Swans
• Brandon Ellis, Australian rules footballer
• Ivor William Evans, Australian co-designer of the Australian flag^[23]
• Fred Freer, Australian cricketer^[23]
• Mikey Goldsworthy, Australian bassist for Years & Years
• Jack Hale, Australian rules footballer^[23]
• Bob Heatley, Australian rules footballer^[25]
• Russell Hitchcock, Australian singer^[23]
• Spiro Kourkoumelis, Australian rules footballer^[23]
• Ben Lewin, Australian-American film director and screenwriter^[23]
• Sam Lipski, Australian journalist^[23]
• Ian Macfarlan, Australian politician, deputy leader of the Liberal Party of Australia in the state of Victoria, and the 35th Premier of Victoria^[26]
• Paul Meldrum, Australian rules footballer^[23]
• Gretta Ray, Australian singer-songwriter (graduated 2016)
• Angourie Rice, Australian actress starring in Mean Girls (2024), The Nice Guys, Nowhere Boys: The Book of Shadows and Spider-Man: Homecoming (graduated 2018)
• Adam Richard, Australian comedian, actor and media personality
• Wendy Saddington, Australian blues, soul and jazz singer
• Sir David Smith KCVO, AO, Australian public servant^[23]
• Maria Vamvakinou, Australian politician, ALP member for Calwell in the Parliament of Australia
• Frank Warne, Australian cricketer^[23]
• David White, Former Australian politician
• Arnold Zable, Australian writer^[23]