Newcastle High School – NGHS – NBHS Transition
Before 1906, young Novocastrians had to catch the train daily to Maitland, the only State high school in the Hunter.
From 6 June 1906, however, senior students, both male and female, were able to attend Newcastle High School (NHS), at the top of Tyrrell Street.
Twenty eight enrolled on that day, with Charles Rattray (‘Caesar’) Smith as Headmaster and Mr T Roberts and Miss Louisa Cole as staff.
NHS was the first selective, co-educational, school in Newcastle.
On 4 February 1930, with NHS overcrowded, the girls moved into the all new Newcastle Girls’ High School (NGHS) at Hamilton, under Headmistress Agnes Brewster and the ‘School On The Hill’ became Newcastle Boys’ High School (NBHS).
By 1932, NBHS was seriously overcrowded, with 700 boys and another 120 in the Annexe at Newcastle Teachers College.
In 1934 the boys were finally able to move in to the new NBHS at Waratah, under Headmaster Charles (“Daddy”) Chrismas.
The ‘School On The Hill’ then became Newcastle Junior High School.
Waratah High School
In 1978, the last NBHS student completed year 12 and the name of the school was changed to Waratah High School.
Newcastle High School “Re-Born”
Newcastle High School was ‘reborn’ in 1976, with the amalgamation of the campuses of Hunter Girls High and Newcastle Girls High Schools, as a co-educational, comprehensive, non-selective high school, under Principal Bob Donaldson, and retaining the classic colours, shield and motto.