Hobart College, Tasmania

The commencement of the Hobart State High School was an important step for education in Tasmania, as it was the first state high school set up in Tasmania. A high school was also established in Launceston sharing two classrooms of the Charles Street Primary School.

In order to gain entrance to the new state high schools students had to have a qualifying certificate from a class teacher and pass their grade 6 exam. Attendance at high school was optional. On 26 November 1912, 885 students sat for the exams, and 513 qualified to enter high school either in Hobart or Launceston. However, only about half actually enrolled.[7] Some of the students were permitted to start the second year when the school started.[8]

The old Trinity Hill state school was remodelled. There were five classrooms, a teacher's room, a science room, two cloak rooms, and a woodwork workshop.[9] Classes started on 28 January 1913 at 9 AM. The new high school was officially opened by the Premier, Albert Solomon on 29 January 1813. The school started with 137 scholars, 69 girls and 86 boys.[10] The original courses included teaching, university preparation, industrial, commercial, and home making. Common subjects for each course were English, geography, history, mathematics, music and physical culture. Students in the teaching course also had to learn a foreign language, science, and woodwork or cookery. Students desiring to enter university had to study two foreign languages, and two science subjects. Commercial school students had to study business principles and practice, shorthand and bookkeeping. The industrial course was for those that wanted to be mechanics. It included drawing, benchwork and science. The domestic course included needlework, cooking and domestic hygiene.[11] The foreign language courses included Latin for university entrance, and French and German were considered more useful for occupational benefit. History covered Australian history and English history.[12] Science subjects included Chemistry and Physics. Mathematics included Geometry and Algebra.[10]

An intermediate certificate would be issued after two years of education on passing the exams. A leaving certificate was issued to those that completed the two year upper school courses.[11]

The purpose of the high school was to provide for education of students that would otherwise drop out after primary school. The aim was not to satisfy examiners, but to "broaden and deepen the educational outlook and cultivating right thoughts and actions".[11]

The first principal was Mr P. H. Mitchell B.A. who was previously working as principal at the Beaconsfield Primary school. The other original teachers that started at the school were Mr. G. L. Wood, Mr C. L. Sharp, Miss Law, Mr. R. C. Stephens, BA.,[13] and Miss M. W. Weaver, B.A.[14] In 1914 the Hobart State High School in its second year had 113 first year students, 74 second year, and 35 in third year. Fourth year class had not yet started.[15] Enrollments for each course were secondary course: 49; teachers: 28; industrial: 33; commercial: 97. Space for the school was insufficient, and with overcrowding even the cloakrooms were used as classrooms.[9] The teacher's residence at Ivy Lodge was then planned to convert to woodwork workshops for students.[16] Later space was rented in the Hobart Baptist Tabernacle.[9]

The school moved to the Letitia Street building, and its accommodation was immediately taken over by the infant department of the nearby Elizabeth Street Practising School.[17]

In 2013 the building was sold by the Tasmanian Government for A$2.8 million.[18]

From 1918 to 1984 the school was located at 71 Letitia Street, North Hobart.

A new site for the Hobart State High School was selected in North Hobart on a 1-hectare (2-acre) block between Park Street (now the Brooker Highway), Federal Street and Letitia Street, on which a tramway ran. It was adjacent to the Queens Domain and close to the North Hobart recreation ground. One building was designed with space, ventilation, lighting and heating.[19] The building cost £15,000.[20]

The new site was officially opened by the premier G. H. Lee on 18 December 1917.[21] The Hobart State High School started at the new location on 29 September 1918.[22] By 1919 in addition to the main building there was a separate block containing science laboratories and wordworking and fitting shops.[22] A new building for science and music opened on 7 June 1958.[23]

Students were organised into three colour groups for sporting competition purposes, red green and blue.[22] Later on gold was added.[24]

A Student's Christian Union formed in 1920, let by YMCA staff, it met once a week.[24]

By 1922 high school study had been extended to five years, with an additional year required to achieve the Intermediate Certificate.[24] In the same year an inter-school sports included hockey, football, cross-country running, tennis, cricket and swimming.[24] Four extra classrooms were added to the main building in 1928 at a cost of A£2,162 by H. W. Pease.[25]

The 21st celebration of the Hobart High School was celebrated with a speech night at the Hobart City Hall attended by the Governor of Tasmania, Sir Ernest Clark on 6 March 1934. Later in the week there was a swimming carnival and sports competition. A special church service at the Wesley Church completed the week of celebration on Sunday.[26]

In 1935 two blind pupils enrolled from the nearby Institution of the Blind, Deaf and Dumb and were provided Braille textbooks.[27] One of these successfully completed 5 years.[28] The school was again excessively crowded, with the locker room in the basement being used as a classroom.[29] In this year wireless was installed throughout the school.[30]

In 1936 the government considered building a new high school at nearby New Town.[31]

The Governor-General of Australia, Lord Gowrie visited the school in February 1937.[32] Film projectors were ordered in 1938.[33] Also in 1938 intermediate exams were abolished,[34] which meant that the intermediate certificate was based on schoolwork from 1939 onwards. A basketball court and two new tennis courts were made available in 1939.[35] In 1940 extra building work included a library, dining room, gymnasium, domestic science block and fences.[28]

During World War II, the Hobart State High School contained the first aid post for sector 7, North-East Hobart.[36] A new canteen opened at the site on 12 March 1953.[37]

Former Old Hobartian, Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark

• Eric Abetz (born 1958), Australian Senator representing Tasmania[39]
• David Bartlett (born 1968), former Premier of Tasmania
• Sir Max Bingham QC (born 1927), Rhodes Scholar and former Deputy Premier of Tasmania[2]
• Ashton Calvert AC (1945–2007), Rhodes Scholar and former senior Australian public servant[2]
• Peter Conrad (born 1948), Rhodes Scholar and English academic[2]
• Mary Donaldson (born 1972), Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat, R.E.[40]
• Rodney Eade (born 1958), Australian rules football coach[41]
• Stuart Hamilton AO (born 1950), Rhodes Scholar and former senior Australian public servant[2]
• Malcolm McCusker AC, CVO, QC (born 1938), former Governor of Western Australia[42]
• Nick McKim (born 1965), Australian Senator representing Tasmania, former leader of the Tasmanian Greens, State Minister and Member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly

• Charles Button (1838–1920), lawyer, judge and politician in New Zealand[3]