School History

Hunters Hill began to develop as a suburb in the 1850's under the entrepreneurial skill of the brothers, Joubert. Although close to the city of Sydney, it was accessible only by water and this led to the development of a small, almost reclusive community, whose gracious homes and narrow winding streets reminded many of a French provincial village.

As the population grew, there were demands for facilities. The Old Chapel was erected in 1857 and the Church of England Denominational School was begun there. There have been many small schools that have come and gone over the past 135 years.

In 1958, a co-educational high school, to be known as Hunters Hill High School, was opened on a site previously known as "The Avenue Pleasure Grounds" - ''a very popular picnic resort.. which was patronised by clubs, organisations, parties and individuals, mostly conveyed by ferry..'
The Moocooboola Pavilion dated from the 1880's and was originally a dance pavilion and picnic centre until the 1930's. It was then converted into a film studio and in the 1940's, a storage depot for the navy. In 1958, it became the school assembly hall and gymnasium. In October 2000, the Pavilion was burnt to the ground. In 2006, the school celebrated the opening of the new $4.7 million Pavilion school hall/gymnasium/performance space complex. This new facility overlooking the Lane Cover River, offers our students a vast array of sporting and cultural opportunities.

The School Oval was reclaimed from the Lane Cove River with water at high tide still flowing under much of the playing field.
The site of the Pleasure Grounds was once part of the land owned by Mary Reiby. A memorial plaque, at the school gates, commemorates the bicentenary of Mary Reiby's arrival in Sydney.

During the period from 1850 onwards, the major means of transportation were the ferries which plied the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers. The School Houses take their names from the old ferries - Carrington, Ferguson, Napier and Rawson.

In 2001, the Department of Education announced that the school would close. In October, 2002, after a long battle led by the Parents and Citizens Association, students and staff of Hunters Hill High School, this decision was reversed. The beautiful 7 hectares of grounds on the banks of the Lane Cove River remain as the site for Hunters Hill High School.

In 2006, a $5 million school hall complex known as the Pavilion was officially opened by Deputy Premier, John Watkins. This vital new infrastructure is used daily by the school's 600 students to support their cultural and sporting endeavours.

Since its inception, the Principals of Hunters Hill High have been:

  • James Rae 1958-1967
  • Ronald Rushbrooke 1968-1973
  • Allan Kneale 1974-1982
  • John Hale 1983-1987
  • Frank Clatworthy 1987-1991
  • Bill Cooper 1992-2001
  • Judith Felton 2001 - present