Sydney Girls High School

An Academically Selective Girls High School

History of Sydney Girls High School

Sydney Girls High School is the oldest state girls high school in New South Wales. The “Girls High School” was established under the Public Instruction Act of 1880 which paved the way for secondary schools in New South Wales and prepared students for the University of Sydney, which first enrolled female students in 1882. Prior to the 1880 Act, there was no provision for females from state schools to enter University.

The old school - 1896
Image: The old school - 1896

The school was housed in a two-storey 1820 Francis Greenway building surrounded by a high wall in Elizabeth Street, Sydney (the site now occupied by David Jones). As enrolments grew, the site became too small, with traffic noise also a problem.  

In 1916 the Sydney Zoo (also called the Moore Park Zoo) moved to Taronga Park, and the land became the site for the New School. The historic Bear Pit, built in 1891, still stands in the “Lowers”, providing a link between the school and the old Zoo.

SGHS Penant

 

Entry to the new school which opened on 8 October 1883 was by examination. Among the girls in the original class of 39 was children’s author Ethel Turner whose novel “Seven Little Australians” has been continuously in print since publication in 1894. 

First lunch hour 1921
Image: The first lunch hour - 20 July, 1921

When the move was made in 1921, the girls were overwhelmed by the amount of space, the grass, trees and the quiet, compared to the Old School. 

Extensions and updates were made over the years, with the latest being the Governors Centre, a state-of-the-art multipurpose educational facility, built in conjunction with Sydney Boys High School and the Department of Education, and opened in 2021.

Governor's Centre

From its earliest days the school has been a leader in educating young women. Instrumental to this has been the leadership of the School Principals, starting with the first one, Lucy Wheatley Walker (Mrs Garvin) who held office until 1918. The twelfth Principal, Ms Rachel Powell, commenced duty in 2025.

Many prominent women attended the school, including:

  • Dr Iza Coghlan (1886). One of two women who were the first to graduate in Medicine in NSW 1893. 
  • Eleanor MacKinnon OBE (Addison, 1887). Community worker, pioneer of Australian Red Cross in NSW. Founded the world’s first Junior Red Cross division. 

 

 

Isla Coghlan
Image: Isla Coghlan - 1893

Footbridge opening in Moore Park
Image: Transport minister Andrew Constance opens the Dr Agnes Bennett Footbridge in Moore Park - 2019
Dr Agnes Bennett - 1898
  • Dr Agnes Bennett OBE (1889). Medical practitioner, first woman to gain BSc with Honours 1894, University of Sydney.  First female commissioned officer in the British Army in WW1; had a distinguished war record.

  • Ada Evans (1890). First female law graduate in Australia 1902. First woman to be admitted to the NSW Bar 1921.
  • Florence Violet McKenzie OBE (Wallace, 1909). First female electrical engineer in Australia.
  • Ruby Payne-Scott (1928). Australian pioneer in radio physics and radio astronomy. She was an early advocate for women’s rights in the workplace.
  • Marilyn Richardson (Alle, 1952). Soprano and opera singer.
  • Gina Cass-Gottlieb (Cass, 1978). First female Chair, ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission).
  • Justine Clarke (1989). Actor, TV host, singer.

  • Jessi Miley-Dyer (2003). Champion surfer, who became Commissioner, World Surf League. Promoted equal pay for male and female surfers. 
  • Sue-Lin Wong (2006). Journalist, South-East Asia Correspondent for The Economist. 2023 Joint winner of the Osborn Elliott Prize for Excellence in Journalism on Asia, awarded by the Asia Society.  

Jessi Miley-Dyer - 2003
Image: Jessi Miley-Dyer - 2003

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