Matraville Sports High School

History

In the years consequent upon the Second World War, the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney saw increasing population growth and, as a result, increasing demands for infrastructure to assist that growth. At the time, the closest high schools in the area were South Sydney Boys' High School and Maroubra Junction Girls' High School. As a result, the local member and Minister for Education, Bob Heffron, made the decision to establish a new high school in Matraville. The site on the corner of Anzac Parade and Franklin Street in southern Matraville was secured by the Department of Education in 1957. The original school site was covered in virgin Banksia scrub growing on low sand hills bordered by houses on Mitchell Street. The southern part of Matraville became the suburb of Chifley in 1964.

At Heffron's instigation, the new school would be co-educational, in a period when the vast majority of NSW secondary schools were sex segregated. Prior to 1960, Robert E. Mobbs, a former Second World War army officer who had also helped establish Fairfield Boys' High and Arthur Phillip High, was appointed as the school's first headmaster. However, a lack of funding restricted the start of construction and it was not until well after the first 200 students had been accepted in 1960 that building began. Therefore, the first students were housed at Daceyville Public School and the 1961 intake of students were sent to Gardeners Road Public School. Designed by the New South Wales Government Architect, in February 1961 the NSW Department of Public Works awarded the contract of £247,740 to build stages I and II of the school to Monier Builders Pty Ltd of Villawood. Construction was finished by early 1962, which allowed the students to finally move in, and was officially opened by the local Member of Parliament for Maroubra and NSW Premier, Bob Heffron, on 27 September 1963.

The school soon generated a reputation for excellence in sports, with a particular emphasis on rugby that was developed by sports master and coach, Geoff Mould. The Waratah Shield, the state knockout competition for Rugby Union, was won by Matraville in 1972, 1976, 1977, 1983 and 2007 and the ARL Schoolboy Cup was also won in 2007. In recognition of the school's excellence in this area, in December 2001, Matraville High was re-established as a specialist sports high, thus becoming "Matraville Sports High School".

School details

In 2024, there were 479 students enrolled in the school from Years 7 through to Year 12. Of these, 179 students were girls and 309 were boys. The school has an enrolment of 28% Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and 36% of students have a language background other than English. There were approximately 43 teaching staff at the school.

Notable alumni

• Josh Addo-Carr – rugby league player for the Canterbury Bulldogs
• Fred Briggs – rugby league player for Canterbury Bulldogs
• Bob Carr – dux of 1964 and Premier of New South Wales (1995–2005), later Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs.
• Boyd Cordner – rugby league player for the Sydney Roosters and NSW Blues
• Kobie Dee - rapper and musician.
• Sandor Earl – rugby league player for the Sydney Roosters and Penrith Panthers and model
• Mark Ella, and brothers Glen and Gary – rugby union players for the Wallabies.
• Marcia Ella-Duncan – netball player; first Indigenous Australian to play netball for Australia.
• Kane Evans – rugby league player for the Sydney Roosters and Parramatta Eels
• Russell Fairfax – rugby union player; rugby league player for the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney Rabbitohs.
• Sean Garlick – rugby league player for the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney Rabbitohs
• Eddie Jones – rugby union player for the NSW Waratahs and Randwick; rugby union coach for the ACT Brumbies, Wallabies, and England
• Martin Kennedy – rugby league player for the Sydney Roosters
• David Knox – rugby union player for the Wallabies
• Jacob Miller – rugby league player for the Wests Tigers
• Dominique Peyroux – rugby league player for the Gold Coast Titans, New Zealand Warriors and St Helens
• Adam Reynolds – rugby league player for the Brisbane Broncos
• Paul Sait – rugby league player for South Sydney.
• Patrice Siolo – rugby league player for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
• Ken Stewart – rugby league player for South Sydney and Parramatta.
• James Tamou – rugby league player for the Wests Tigers
• Willie Tonga – rugby league player for the North Queensland Cowboys, Canterbury Bulldogs, and Parramatta Eels
• Dylan Walker – rugby league player for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
• Lloyd Walker – rugby union player with the Wallabies.

References

References

1. "Matraville Sports High - Cumberland". NSW Department of Education.
2. (11 July 1985). "A great rugby nursery". The Eastern Herald.
3. (2019). "High Performance Schools". Cricket NSW.
4. "Matraville High School's 50th anniversary". Southern Courier.
5. (7 February 1961). "Contracts".
6. (28 September 1963). "Premier Opens New School At Maroubra".
7. (23 August 1976). "Union boy turn on the style - Matraville lift the shield again".
8. ACARA. "School Profile".
9. (2017-03-01). "In my shoes: Josh Addo-Carr".
10. (18 June 1993). "The War Against Peace Studies - Bob Carr's fight against political correctness".
11. Walter, Brad. (2013-07-16). "Family friends buoyed by Cordner's highs after lows".
12. "Instagram".
13. "Ella Brothers".
14. (2015-11-18). "The sky's the limit as UNSW teams up with Matraville Sports High School".
15. (11 July 1985). "A great rugby nursery". The Eastern Herald.
16. (2013-06-26). "Generation next: time to get excited".
17. (2023-09-26). "South Sydney Rabbitohs – Article".
18. "{{!}} Latest Rugby News {{!}} Wallabies Rugby".
19. "Today's Tale – David Knox – unquestionable ability".
20. (4 September 1981). "Schoolboy who wears two caps".
21. Barrett, Chris. (2011-03-31). "Cooped-up Rooster gets a run with Tigers".
22. (2023-09-26). "Warriors sign Titans centre".
23. (2021-10-18). "Matraville Sports High v Erindale College".
24. (2012-05-23). "Schoolboy Cup: Walker leads Matraville to victory".
25. "Lloyd Frederick Walker".