Sydney Boys High School

Although Fort Street High School was established in 1849, Sydney Boys High School is the first state high school in New South Wales created under Premier Henry Parkes' public education system in the early 1880s, following the Public Instruction Act 1880 (NSW).[7] Whereas Fort Street Model School as it was founded took primary and secondary students neither Sydney Boys nor Sydney Girls High School has ever had a primary education division and are thus the first NSW state high schools founded for the express purpose of secondary education.[8]

Alternatively known as The Sydney High School, due to its being the first state high school, Sydney High School was established as two single-sex schools sharing a single building, with boys and girls on separate floors.[8] The first day of instruction, for 46 boys, was October 1, 1883 and was at a building located in Castlereagh Street in the Sydney central business district, which was designed by Francis Greenway and constructed by convicts.[8] From 1883 to 1892, Sydney Boys occupied the lower floor and entered from the Castlereagh Street side of the building, whereas Sydney Girls occupied the upper floor and entered from the Elizabeth Street side.[8] In 1924, this building would be demolished and both schools would, in 1921, have relocated to Moore Park.[9] Presently, this site is home to the Elizabeth Street store of David Jones.

Second campus of Sydney Boys High School, at Mary Ann Street in Ultimo, in 1927.

In 1892, the boys' school was relocated to Mary Ann Street in Ultimo.[10]

In 1906, Sydney Boys High School became a member of the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales (AAGPS or GPS).[11] (The term "public school" here has the meaning as used in the United Kingdom; that is, a private school.) It is the sporting association's only government school member.[12]

In 1928, the school moved to its current location at Moore Park, on the fringe of inner-city Sydney.[13] This site was designed by George McRae, who also designed the Queen Victoria Building.[14] This site was previously the Moore Park Zoo, which was relocated to Mosman as Taronga Zoo.[15]

Note: Title of Headmaster was changed to Principal in 1992.

The current Moore Park site hosts the Great Hall, other school buildings, tennis courts, a gymnasium, the Junior Quadrangle, and the Flat, a common low-lying area of land between Sydney Boys and Sydney Girls' High Schools. The school buildings include approximately 60 classrooms, two change rooms, the Junior Library (for Years 7–9), and the Senior Library (for Years 10–12).[22] Nearby to the school are a number of sports facilities, such as the tennis courts opposite to the Sydney Boys and Girls High Schools,[22] located on Cleveland Street, and the facilities at Centennial Park.

Sydney Boys High School is affiliated with other facilities such as the Outterside Centre (the school boatshed located in Abbotsford) and the ANZAC Rifle Range. In addition to this, the school owns a number of vehicles, which it utilises to travel to sporting events, such as the annual The Armidale School versus the High School sporting exchange Armidale and the Head of the River at the Sydney International Regatta Centre.[23]

In addition, SBHS has its own cadet unit, which won the 23 Battalion AFX Trophy in 2012 and 2013.[24][25]

Sydney Boys High School has, from time to time, caught the attention of the media and/or the general public. Like other schools, it has seen several (then) minorities matriculate to it and graduate from it, including non-British, non-Irish European minorities, such as Italian Australians, Maltese Australians, and Greek Australians. In 2002, the school had the attention of the media over comments made by Old Boys made in regard to its ethnic composition — mostly East Asian and South Asian.[38]

In 2002, "[Sydney Boys High School] wanted a more sophisticated admissions process, and more freedom to choose its own students."[39] In 2002, it was proposed that, of the 180 Year 7 places, 30 places would be allocated each year on the basis of the Selective Schools Entrance Test (with no extended writing requirement), a detailed curriculum vitae, two school reports, and their achievements in civic, sporting, community, and leadership involvement, similar to the manner by which students are admitted to some private schools.

In 2013, the school was again featured in the media for its proposal to modify its selection criteria.[40] This proposal involved reserving 30 places of the annual Year 7 intake of 180 places for local boys who live within 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) of the school.[41] Connolly stated that "any racial undertones to earlier campaigns were a thing of the past" and that "the benefit for the school this time is about tying it to its local community". The proposal would, in theory, reduce the load on overcrowded local high schools. However, this proposal was rejected, as stated in a Sydney Morning Herald article.[42] and would be a short-term resolution to the problem.[43]

As of the 2012 edition of the New South Wales Department of Education and Communities statistics, more than 80% of the students enrolled at Sydney Boys High School have a language background other than English;[44] however, this is not to suggest that these students and their parents or guardians are all recent immigrants or not proficient in English or, broadly, that the school is not necessarily lacking in diversity.

In recent years, an increasing number of "sport[s] imports" have been admitted in latter years, to bolster the school's ability to more competitively participate in sports against other members of the AAGPS. This drew allegations of Sydney Boys High School of being unmeritocratic in its selection process.[45] Furthermore, in part due to the English public school nature of the school and the AAGPS, of which the school is a member, claims of nepotism and other favouritism have been levelled against the school. Brothers, sons, and grandsons of students or Old Boys have been allowed to enrol, though they may not have met the rigorous selection criteria.[46] Some old boys, however, argue that where former graduates living in the community have sons and guardians at the school there is greater parental involvement at the school.[46]

In 2017, The Sydney Boys High School Prefect Body posted a pro-feminism awareness video on Facebook. The video gained more than 400 000 views on their page, and over 25 000 000 views in totality, being shared amongst notable Facebook pages including BBC 4 News as well as George Takei.[47] This video was criticized by two Sydney Girls' High School prefects in an open letter, who wrote

..."While we believe it is an important initiative promoting feminism by Sydney Boys, the reality of sexism at boys' schools similar to and including Sydney Boys has failed to be addressed by the video. As female students, we experience firsthand the objectification and devaluing of women by male students. The most notable example of this was at a "gender pay gap" bake sale last year, where there was an outcry from the Sydney Boys student body at the perceived "discrimination towards men", including intimidation against students of Sydney Girls. This is emblematic of the broader culture of misogyny present in boys' schools..[48]

The video was also criticised by some as tokenistic and that it did not address the problem of sexism in schools, and also criticized for appropriating women's voices. However, "[Pushback] is a point that [Sydney Boys High School School Captain Hugh] Bartley acknowledges, saying that one of the reasons the video has made an impact is the "incongruity" ... It has, he says, a shock value that would hopefully get people talking."[49]

One eminent alumnus of the school, James Spigelman, former Chief Justice of New South Wales, himself an Australian of Polish-Jewish descent and a practising Jew, said, in an address at the school dated 16 February 1999, that:

... Our careers are particular manifestations of the ability of this school, by reason of its tradition of selection on the grounds of academic excellence, to make available opportunities to persons from backgrounds which may otherwise restrict such opportunities. The ability to obtain an education which is pitched at a level appropriate to the capacities of particular students, is the basis for the equality of opportunity, to which I have referred. ...[50]

Sydney Boys High School has produced numerous prominent alumni, referred to as "Old Boys". Many graduates are active in alumni organisations, such as the Sydney High School Old Boys Union (OBU), the High Club, and High Rugby Friends.

• List of government schools in New South Wales
• List of selective high schools in New South Wales

• Official website