Mac.Robertson Girls' High School
Encyclopedia
The Mac.Robertson Girls' High School (also known simply as Mac.Rob or MGHS) is an academically selective
, public high school
for girls, located in the city of Melbourne
, Victoria, Australia.
Entry for Mac.Rob, which is operated by the Victoria Department of Education, is by competitive academic examination. It is unique in its status as a statewide provider for girls in years 9 to 12. The equivalent for boys is its brother school, Melbourne High School.
In 2001, The Sun-Herald
ranked The Mac.Robertson Girls' High School sixth in Australia's top ten girls' schools, based on the number of its alumni
mentioned in the Who's Who in Australia
(a listing of notable Australians). Macrobertson Girls school has been ranked 1st on VCE results, seven years consecutive until 2009, in which the school was ranked 3rd of 565 based on the median VCE score. In 2010 the school was back to being ranked 1st based on the VCE results.
, the first government funded school in the state of Victoria, established in 1905 in Spring Street
, Melbourne. Renamed Melbourne High School in 1912, it was a co-educational school, but the school's second principal, Mr Claude Searby, believed that boys studied better in a single-sex environment. And so, in 1927, the boys moved to their current residence in Forrest Hill, South Yarra, Victoria
, Melbourne, and became Melbourne Boys' High School.
The girls remained in the crumbling Spring Street building until it was condemned in 1930. The girls then moved to Government House. They were moved once again to King Street in 1933. In 1934 Victoria celebrated its centenary
. Sir Macpherson Robertson
made a gift of 100,000 pounds, 40,000 of which was to be spent on building what was to become The Mac.Robertson Girls' High School in the north/east corner of Albert Park
Reserve. The building gained a national trust classification in 1987.
The school celebrated its centenary year in 2005 with Melbourne High School with a joined assembly. Mac.Rob also celebrated by inviting Premier of Victoria Steve Bracks
to witness the restarting of the school clock tower (which coincidentally would not start when the time came).
The Mac.Robertson Girls' High School today continues and maintains a tradition of high academic achievement. Each year the school's VCE
results are among the highest in the state, topping the statewide VCE results seven years running (2002–2008 inclusive).
The winter uniform consists of a tartan green and red skirt, school tie, long sleeved shirt, black tights or knee-high socks, optional red jumper for years 9 and 10, optional green jumper for years 11 and 12, charcoal blazer with red as well as green trim and emblem, optional school scarf, optional school umbrella and either black leather t-bars or lace-ups. Hair accessories must be in the school colours. No make-up is allowed. Hair must be in a neat hairstyle and should be in a natural hue.
Some students have the centenary tie (half Mac.Rob and MHS colours) or Adelaide Exchange tie (Adelaide High School
's tie).
The school uniform is not compulsory for students in year 12 from term two onwards.
for its students. For example: debating, combined school musical and play with Melbourne High, Chess Club, CCC (Chinese Culture Club), Amnesty International, I.T. Committee, Japanese Shinwa Club, Indo Club, French club, German club, Winter Concert, Ballroom Dancing, Peer Support, Links Leader Program, GIV (Girls in Volunteering) and more. This is along with sports such as basketball, badminton, table tennis, cross country, volleyball, hockey, football, soccer, softball, cricket, aerobics, gymnastics, swimming and theatre sports.
Nereids official colour is white, although throughout the years it has come to adopt purple as its secondary colour.
The houses compete in four major competitions, each taking place annually:
There is also an informal satirical magazine, Ethos, with articles written by students and editorship shared by a group of year 11 students who are elected by the student body.
over the period of three days. This exchange varies its location every year, alternating between Mac.Rob and Adelaide. The students compete in a variety of different events, such as debating, theatre sports, chess, netball, volleyball and football. The school that wins most events is awarded with the Prefect Cup to keep until the next exchange. The latest exchange was the 101st exchange in 2011, which resulted in a win to MacRob.
Exchange began in 2008. It is a two day leadership exchange between Mac.Rob and the The Sydney Girls High School, with the focus on the sharing of ideas rather than competition. However there is still some competition with water polo and table tennis played. In 2009 the exchange will be held at The Sydney Girls High School.
Selective school
A selective school is a school that admits students on the basis of some sort of selection criteria, usually academic. The term may have different connotations in different systems....
, public high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
for girls, located in the city of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria, Australia.
Entry for Mac.Rob, which is operated by the Victoria Department of Education, is by competitive academic examination. It is unique in its status as a statewide provider for girls in years 9 to 12. The equivalent for boys is its brother school, Melbourne High School.
In 2001, The Sun-Herald
The Sun-Herald
The Sun-Herald is an Australian tabloid newspaper published on Sundays in Sydney by Fairfax Media. It is the Sunday counterpart of The Sydney Morning Herald. In the 6 months to September 2005, The Sun-Herald had a circulation of 515,000...
ranked The Mac.Robertson Girls' High School sixth in Australia's top ten girls' schools, based on the number of its alumni
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
mentioned in the Who's Who in Australia
Who's Who in Australia
The Who's Who in Australia is an Australian biographical reference first published by Fred Johns in 1906 as Johns's Notable Australians. It has been used by academics as a resource that identifies Australia's leading individuals, and has been analysed when studying the social backgrounds –...
(a listing of notable Australians). Macrobertson Girls school has been ranked 1st on VCE results, seven years consecutive until 2009, in which the school was ranked 3rd of 565 based on the median VCE score. In 2010 the school was back to being ranked 1st based on the VCE results.
History
The Mac.Robertson Girls' High School traces its origin to the Melbourne Continuation SchoolMelbourne Continuation School
The Melbourne Continuation School was Victoria's first state secondary school, which was established in 1905 from the initiative of Director of Education, Frank Tate. The school was founded on the old National Model School in Spring Street, with principal Joseph Hocking. The opening of the school...
, the first government funded school in the state of Victoria, established in 1905 in Spring Street
Spring Street, Melbourne
Spring Street is a major street in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs roughly north-south, and is the easternmost street in the Hoddle Grid. The street travels from Flinders Street in the south, to La Trobe Street and the Carlton Gardens in the north...
, Melbourne. Renamed Melbourne High School in 1912, it was a co-educational school, but the school's second principal, Mr Claude Searby, believed that boys studied better in a single-sex environment. And so, in 1927, the boys moved to their current residence in Forrest Hill, South Yarra, Victoria
South Yarra, Victoria
South Yarra is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Stonnington and Melbourne...
, Melbourne, and became Melbourne Boys' High School.
The girls remained in the crumbling Spring Street building until it was condemned in 1930. The girls then moved to Government House. They were moved once again to King Street in 1933. In 1934 Victoria celebrated its centenary
1934 Centenary of Melbourne
The Melbourne Centenary was a 1934 centennial celebration of the founding of the city of Melbourne, Australia.The milestone was reached during the Great Depression, and as such, most Melburnians did not feel they had much to cheer about. Organisers responded to this by presenting an image of the...
. Sir Macpherson Robertson
Macpherson Robertson
Sir Macpherson Robertson KBE was an Australian philanthropist, entrepreneur and founder of confectionery company MacRobertson's.-Early life:...
made a gift of 100,000 pounds, 40,000 of which was to be spent on building what was to become The Mac.Robertson Girls' High School in the north/east corner of Albert Park
Albert Park and Lake
Albert Park and Albert Park Lake are situated in the City of Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south of the Melbourne CBD....
Reserve. The building gained a national trust classification in 1987.
The school celebrated its centenary year in 2005 with Melbourne High School with a joined assembly. Mac.Rob also celebrated by inviting Premier of Victoria Steve Bracks
Steve Bracks
Stephen Philip Bracks AC is a former Australian politician and the 44th Premier of Victoria. He first won the electoral district of Williamstown in 1994 for the Australian Labor Party, and was party leader and Premier from 1999 to 2007....
to witness the restarting of the school clock tower (which coincidentally would not start when the time came).
The Mac.Robertson Girls' High School today continues and maintains a tradition of high academic achievement. Each year the school's VCE
Victorian Certificate of Education
The Victorian Certificate of Education or VCE is the credential awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete high school level studies in the state of Victoria, Australia. Study for the VCE is usually completed over two years, but it can be spread over a longer period in some cases...
results are among the highest in the state, topping the statewide VCE results seven years running (2002–2008 inclusive).
Enrolment and Structure
The school operates in a two sub-school structure. The middle school caters for students in years 9 and 10, whilst the senior school caters for students in years 11 and 12. The school's enrolment across all four year levels totals to approximately 950-960 students every year. A quota of 225 year 9 students are selected for enrolment every year through the year 8 extrance examination. The year 10 cohort is also limited to 225 students, with year 10 entry into the school possible only if vacancies exist within this enrolment quota. The size of both the year 11 and 12 cohorts vary slightly each year, totalling approximately 230 - 260 students each year, including the intake of many new students into Year 11 and 12.Uniform
The Mac.Robertson Girls' High School uniform consists of a summer and winter uniform. The summer uniform is worn in term one and four, consisting of an A-line dress, charcoal blazer with red as well as green trim and emblem, optional red jumper for years 9 and 10, optional green jumper for years 11 and 12, white knee-high socks and either black leather t-bars or lace-ups.The winter uniform consists of a tartan green and red skirt, school tie, long sleeved shirt, black tights or knee-high socks, optional red jumper for years 9 and 10, optional green jumper for years 11 and 12, charcoal blazer with red as well as green trim and emblem, optional school scarf, optional school umbrella and either black leather t-bars or lace-ups. Hair accessories must be in the school colours. No make-up is allowed. Hair must be in a neat hairstyle and should be in a natural hue.
Some students have the centenary tie (half Mac.Rob and MHS colours) or Adelaide Exchange tie (Adelaide High School
Adelaide High School
Adelaide High School is a coeducational state high school situated on the corner of West Terrace and Glover Avenue in the Adelaide Parklands. It is the first government high school in South Australia...
's tie).
The school uniform is not compulsory for students in year 12 from term two onwards.
Extracurricular activities
Mac.Rob offers a wide range of extracurricular activitiesExtracurricular activity
Extracurricular activities are activities performed by students that fall outside the realm of the normal curriculum of school or university education...
for its students. For example: debating, combined school musical and play with Melbourne High, Chess Club, CCC (Chinese Culture Club), Amnesty International, I.T. Committee, Japanese Shinwa Club, Indo Club, French club, German club, Winter Concert, Ballroom Dancing, Peer Support, Links Leader Program, GIV (Girls in Volunteering) and more. This is along with sports such as basketball, badminton, table tennis, cross country, volleyball, hockey, football, soccer, softball, cricket, aerobics, gymnastics, swimming and theatre sports.
Houses
The four houses and their associated colours are:- NaiadNaiadIn Greek mythology, the Naiads or Naiades were a type of nymph who presided over fountains, wells, springs, streams, and brooks....
s, River Nymphs (Blue) - DryadDryadDryads are tree nymphs in Greek mythology. In Greek drys signifies 'oak,' from an Indo-European root *derew- 'tree' or 'wood'. Thus Dryads are specifically the nymphs of oak trees, though the term has come to be used for all tree nymphs in general...
s, Tree Nymphs (Green) - Nereids, Sea Nymphs (White)
- OreadOreadIn Greek mythology, an Oread or Orestiad was a type of nymph that lived in mountains, valleys, ravines. They differ from each other according to their dwelling: the Idae were from Mount Ida, Peliades from Mount Pelia, etc...
s, Mountain Nymphs (Red)
Nereids official colour is white, although throughout the years it has come to adopt purple as its secondary colour.
The houses compete in four major competitions, each taking place annually:
- Athletics
- SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
- House DramaTheatreTheatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
- ChoralsChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
School magazine
The school's yearbook is called Pallas, with the editors generally being two year 11 students.There is also an informal satirical magazine, Ethos, with articles written by students and editorship shared by a group of year 11 students who are elected by the student body.
Notable alumnae
- Alexandra AdornettoAlexandra AdornettoAlexandra Adornetto is the pseudonym of Alexandra Grace , an Australian author who writes for children and young adults. Her works include The Strangest Adventures series and the Halo trilogy.-Biography:...
, author - Judith BuckrichJudith BuckrichDr Judith Buckrich is a Melbourne author and the Chair of the International PEN Women Writers' Committee.- Life :...
, academic and author - Jean BurnsJean BurnsJean Burns was Australia's youngest female pilot in 1937 and the first Australian woman to parachute from an aeroplane on Australian soil.-Biography:...
, pilot - Chloe DallimoreChloe DallimoreChloe Dallimore is an Australian actor best known for her performance as Ulla in Mel Brooks' musical The Producers starring Bert Newton.- Filmography :-Theatre:- External links :* at the Internet Movie Database...
, actress - Beverley FarmerBeverley FarmerBeverley Anne Farmer is an Australian novelist and short story writer.Beverley Farmer was born in Melbourne. She was educated at Mac.Robertson Girls' High School and the University of Melbourne where she graduated with a BA in 1960.She has worked in various jobs, mainly teaching and waitressing...
, novelist - Alice GarnerAlice GarnerAlice Garner is an Australian actress, musician and historian.She is the daughter of Australian writer Helen Garner and writer and actor Bill Garner.-Acting life and career:...
, actress and academic - Antoinette HalloranAntoinette Halloran-Education:Antoinette Halloran is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts where she won the Mabel Kent Scholarship and completed a Diploma of Arts ; she has an Honours Degree in Music from the University of Melbourne. In 1993 she studied at the New England Conservatory in Boston.-Career:In...
, opera singer - Penny WrightPenny WrightPenelope Lesley "Penny" Wright is an Australian Greens senator for South Australia, first elected at the 2010 election.-Early life:...
, senator
Overseas exchange
The Mac.Robertson Girls' High School offers its students various chances to interact with students from different schools in other countries, which involve Japan, Germany and France.Adelaide exchanges
Every year, an exchange takes place with Adelaide High SchoolAdelaide High School
Adelaide High School is a coeducational state high school situated on the corner of West Terrace and Glover Avenue in the Adelaide Parklands. It is the first government high school in South Australia...
over the period of three days. This exchange varies its location every year, alternating between Mac.Rob and Adelaide. The students compete in a variety of different events, such as debating, theatre sports, chess, netball, volleyball and football. The school that wins most events is awarded with the Prefect Cup to keep until the next exchange. The latest exchange was the 101st exchange in 2011, which resulted in a win to MacRob.
Sydney Girls High School exchange
The Sydney Girls High SchoolSydney Girls High School
Sydney Girls High School is an academically selective, Public high school for girls, located at Moore Park, in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
Exchange began in 2008. It is a two day leadership exchange between Mac.Rob and the The Sydney Girls High School, with the focus on the sharing of ideas rather than competition. However there is still some competition with water polo and table tennis played. In 2009 the exchange will be held at The Sydney Girls High School.
External links
- Mac.Robertson Girls' High School website
- Website of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development