Churchlands Senior High School

Background and history

Churchlands Senior High School (Churchlands SHS) is a co-educational high school for Year 7 to Year 12. The school is located in Perth's western suburbs, 3 km from the Indian Ocean and 8 km from the city centre.

On 6 November 1991, a female student was murdered in class when she was stabbed 18 times by her ex-boyfriend.

On 26 May 1997 the majority of the school was burnt down in a failed attempt to destroy evidence of a break-in. The school was largely rebuilt after spending a few years using demountable classrooms.

On 14 August 2008 the administration block was badly damaged by fire as a result of arson, and demountable offices were brought in to the school. The time taken for refurbishment from the time of the fire until completion was over 13 months.

In 2011 Churchlands SHS joined the Education Department's Independent Public Schools programme.

Academic status

Churchlands Senior High School students have received many major awards including three Beazley Medals. For the 2009 TEE, Churchlands was the highest ranked public school, based on the number of students who scored 75% or more over four subjects. For the 2008 TEE, Churchlands was the second-highest ranked public school, based on the number of students who scored 75% or more over four subjects.

WA school ranking

Year 12 student achievement data

Beazley Medal academic winners

Each year, a Beazley Medal is presented to the top ranked academic student in Western Australia. Churchlands Senior High School recipients have been:

• 2009: Hayley Anderson
• 1992: Jonathon Robert Leslie Paget
• 1989: Howard Ho-Wah Yip

Music

Churchlands Senior High School's Gifted and Talented music program has run sincere 1972. Facilities include a 504-seat acoustically engineered concert hall, a music auditorium seating 254, a dedicated choral studio and with instrumental practice rooms. International recognition includes the attainment of honours at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales and at the World Music Festival in Geneva. Student musicians perform for audiences in Australia and overseas with three-yearly tours to Europe, Asia and North America.

Ensemble performance is an integral part of the Churchlands music experience, and the performing ensembles include choirs, concert bands, orchestras, chamber groups, and guitar ensembles. To enter any level of the music program students must complete tests and auditions. Those who win a place in the program undertake an intensive course that is both practical and theoretical.

Enrolment patterns

Churchlands SHS is the largest school in Western Australia, with 2,758 students in 2021. Churchlands had 34 temporary transportable classrooms in 2018 to accommodate increasing student enrolment. The creation in 2020 of Bob Hawke College, 5 km away in Subiaco, was intended to decrease pressure on Churchlands and other schools in the western suburbs.

Notable alumni

Government

• Kerry Sanderson – Governor of Western Australia, CEO of Fremantle Port Authority (1991–2008)
• Eric Ripper – Deputy Premier and WA Treasurer 2001–2008, Leader of the Opposition in Western Australia 2008–2012

Academia and science

• Natashia Boland – Mathematician
• Aron Chakera – Rhodes Scholar
• Mike Fitzpatrick – Rhodes Scholar
• Andrew Poole – cave diver & explorer, co-discovered longest cave in Indonesia, and co-discovered the remipede species L. exleyi in a sink hole near Exmouth
• Ian Puddey – Emeritus Professor, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia

Art, entertainment and media

• Taryn Fiebig – soprano, Opera Australia
• Conor Barton – drummer, Mosquito Coast, Winner of Triple J Unearthed High 2015
• Sally Carbon – radio host, journalist, and children story-book writer
• Neil Eliot (1955–2007) – press photographer, Walkley Award 1991 and Press Photograph of the Year 1992
• Neil Fisenden – flautist, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and West Australian Symphony Orchestra
• Christopher Malcolm – art curator, Director of the John Curtin Gallery
• Allan Myers – clarinetist, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and West Australian Symphony Orchestra
• Michael Turkic – actor, director, and producer of musical theatre
• Christine Turpin – timpanist, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

Business

• Mike Fitzpatrick – Director, Rio Tinto Ltd
• John Gillam – Chairman Officeworks, CEO Bunnings, Director CSR Limited
• Melanie Greensmith – fashion designer, co-founder Wheels and Doll Baby
• Peter Stirling – Corporate lawyer and Partner, King & Wood Mallesons

Sport

• Neil Brooks – swimming, Moscow Olympics 1980 gold medal 4 × 100 m medley relay, Los Angeles Olympics 1984 silver medal 4 × 100 m medley relay, bronze medal 4 × 100 m freestyle relay
• Calvin "C.J." Bruton – basketballer, Australian Boomers, Brisbane Bullets NBL
• Sharon Buchanan – hockey, Los Angeles Olympics 1984, Seoul Olympics 1988 gold medal, Barcelona Olympics 1992, Hockeyroos Captain
• Sally Carbon – hockey, Seoul Olympics 1988 gold medal
• Mike Fitzpatrick – VFL footballer, Carlton premiership captain 1981 & 1982, captained Victoria 1982, Chairman of the AFL Commission
• Richard Hardwick – rugby, Wallabies, Western Force
• Maddison Keeney – diving 3m synchronised springboard, bronze medal Rio de Janeiro Olympics 2016
• Richard Pengelley - water polo, Los Angeles Olympics 1984 and Seoul Olympics 1988
• Shannon Reynolds – canoe sprint K4 500, Tokyo Olympics 2020
• Tom Stachewicz – swimming, Los Angeles Olympics 1984, Seoul Olympics 1988, Barcelona Olympics 1992 – Swimming Western Australia Hall of Fame 2009
• Christine Stanton – high jumper, Moscow Olympics 1980, Los Angeles Olympics 1984, Seoul Olympics 1988
• David Watts – rowing, Rio de Janeiro Olympics 2016
• Sam Welsford – cycling men's 4000m team pursuit, silver medal Rio de Janeiro Olympics 2016

References

References

1. (August 2010). "Churchlands Senior High School News".
2. (16 November 2002). "WA Govt to examine parole of Perth High School killer". ABC online.
3. (8 September 2010). "Teacher haunted by murder". PerthNow.
4. [https://web.archive.org/web/20081122075001/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/15/2336052.htm Churchlands SHS fire will not affect classes: Education Department]
5. [http://www.curriculum.wa.edu.au/internet/Communications/Reports_Statistics/School_Comparison_Statistics Curriculum Council School Comparison Statistics] {{webarchive. link. (28 September 2009)
6. (2018). "WA School Ranking - 2018". Better Education.
7. (2017). "WA School Ranking - 2017". Better Education.
8. (2016). "WA School Ranking - 2016". Better Education.
9. (2015). "Year 12 Student Achievement Data". [[Government of Western Australia]].
10. (2014). "Year 12 Student Achievement Data". [[Government of Western Australia]].
11. (2013). "Year 12 Student Achievement Data". [[Government of Western Australia]].
12. (2012). "Year 12 Student Achievement Data". [[Government of Western Australia]].
13. (2011). "Year 12 Student Achievement Data". Government of Western Australia.
14. (2010). "Year 12 Student Achievement Data". Government of Western Australia.
15. (2009). "Year 12 Student Achievement Data". Government of Western Australia.
16. (2021). "Alphabetical List of Western Australian Schools". [[Department of Education (Western Australia).
17. (12 May 2020). "Western suburbs schools record drop in temporary classrooms despite WA rise".
18. (27 January 2020). "Bob Hawke College, Perth's new inner-city public school, prepares to welcome first students".
19. "Dr Natashia Boland, operations researcher".
20. "Western Australian Rhodes Scholars".
21. Humphreys, Bill. (June 2000). "Bundera Sinkhole". Cave Divers Association of Australia.
22. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120325095712/http://www.amawa.com.au/AMAWACorporate/Representatives/IanPuddey.aspx Ian Puddey]
23. [https://www.triplejunearthed.com/article/mosquito-coast-win-unearthed-high-2015 Conor Barton]
24. Findlay, Len. (4 July 2007). "Photographer with a prize-winning touch". The Sydney Morning Herald.
25. [http://www.smh.com.au/news/obituaries/photographer-with-a-prizewinning-touch/2007/07/03/1183351207194.html Neil Eliot]
26. "Neil Fisenden".
27. [http://www.daao.org.au/bio/christopher-malcolm/ Christopher Malcolm]
28. [http://www.solotosymphony.net/artists/meyer/?Artists%5Balpha%5D%5BLastName%5D=M Allan Myers]
29. [http://www.pozible.com/profile/91860 Michael Turkic]
30. "Christine Turpin".
31. (7 December 2016). "Bunnings boss quits for 'personal' reasons". The Sydney Morning Herald.
32. (10 October 2017). "Wheels and Dollbaby designer Melanie Greensmith chose to quit rather than sell her business". The Sydney Morning Herald.
33. "Peter Stirling - KWM".