Applecross Senior High School

The school was opened in 1958 to service the rapidly growing south-of-the-river suburbs of the city of Perth. As of 2019 approximately 1,600 students from Years 7 to 12 attended the school.[1]

In 2009 the WA Government allocated $56 million for the re-development of the school. A competitive tender process was completed in April 2010. The original school 'H' block, science block, swimming pool, and the 1970s gymnasium were retained. All other existing buildings were removed. A new south wing on the site of the existing tennis courts was designed to house a new administration area, library, resource centre, science, home economics and health and physical education wings. A new design and technology centre was constructed to the east of the swimming pool and a new visual arts centre was located on the site of existing basketball courts. The gymnasium was converted into a performing arts centre, while the original ‘H’ block was refurbished for use by business/information technology, careers & vocational education, english, languages, mathematics, society & environment and student services.[12]

The school crest is a combination of a black swan holding a book, signifying the proximity to the Swan River, with a hand holding a scimitar, emerging from a five-pointed crown ("issuant from an eastern crown or, a dexter hand holding a scimitar, in fess all proper"), the crest of the Chief of the Matheson clan. Sir Alexander Matheson Bt of Lochalsh, a property developer who in 1897 initiated the subdivision of the suburb of Applecross, became Chief of the Clan in 1920 on the death of his brother, the 2nd Baronet.[13][14]

The Year-12 cohort at Applecross perform consistently well in the WACE school rankings, and the school ranks well when compared to other schools in Western Australia.

WA school ATAR ranking

Year 12 student achievement data

Beazley Medals

• 2014: Robert Rubery won the Beazley Medal for the top ranked Vocational Education & Training (VET) student.
• 1993: Bertrand Sze Yu Lee won the Beazley Medal for the top ranked TEE student.

• Dean Alston – Walkley Award winning newspaper cartoonist[24]
• Tony Ayres – film director[25]
• Marcus Beilby – Realist painter, winner of Sir John Sulman Prize[26]
• Darren Bennett – former Australian Rules football player and American football punter in the NFL[27]
• Jenny Boult (1951-2005) – author and poet, won 1981 Anne Elder Award for first book of poetry[28]
• Jim Gill AO – Chancellor of Curtin University, Western Australia, former: CEO of WA Water Corporation; WA Commissioner of Railways[29]
• Jillian Green – artist whose work is held in many major Western Australian institutions
• Jeanette Hacket AM – Vice-Chancellor of Curtin University, Western Australia (2006-2013)[30][31]
• Adele Horin (1951-2015) – Walkley Award-winning columnist and reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald, previously international correspondent for the National Times.[32][33]
• Peter Lewis AM – former Australian Consul-General and Senior Trade Commissioner in San Francisco[34]
• Bill Louden – Deputy Vice-Chancellor (2009-2013) and Dean of Education (2006-2008) of University of Western Australia[35][36]
• Vince Lovegrove (1947-2012) – journalist, music manager, television producer, musician
• Tonya McCusker – classical dancer, wife of Governor of Western Australia[37]
• Vinay Menon – Rhodes Scholar 2012,[6] John Monash Scholar[38]
• Steve Pennells – journalist, 5-time Walkley Award winner including Gold Walkley in 2012, 18 WA Media Awards[39]
• Graeme Robertson – Rhodes Scholar 1971, former: Director of Muresk Institute of Curtin University; Director-General of WA Department of Agriculture[6][40]
• Diane Stone – professor in Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick, UK and Professor in Public Policy at Central European University in Budapest.[41][42]
• Lesley Vidovich – Winthrop Professor, Graduate School of Education, University of Western Australia[43]
• Reece Waldock – Director General of WA Department of Transport, Commissioner for Main Roads, CEO of Public Transport Authority of Western Australia. Former WA Commissioner of Railways[44]
• Steve Ward – boat builder; built 1983 12-metre class America's Cup winner Australia II, and challengers Australia, Australia III, Australia IV, Challenger 12 & South Australia.[45]
• Bruce Williams – Commissioner of Fair Work Australia, former Commissioner of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, Perth[46][47]

• List of schools in the Perth metropolitan area

• Applecross Senior High School Website