Unley High School

Infobox School
name = Unley High School


imagesize =
caption =
motto =
established = 1910
closed =
type = Public
affiliation =
district =
grades =
president =
principal =
head of school =
dean =
faculty =
staff =
students =
enrollment =
athletics =
conference =
colors =
colours = light and dark blue
mascot =
campus type =
campus size =
free_label =
free_text =
free_label2 =
free_text2 =
free_label3 =
free_text3 =
location = Netherby, South Australia
country = AUS
coordinates =
website = [http://www.uhs.sa.edu.au uhs.sa.edu.au]

Unley High School, located in Netherby, is one of the largest public high schools in South Australia. In recent years the number of students enrolled typically ranges from 1100 to 1300, but in the early 1960s the school had a peak enrolment of 2000 students.Fact|date=October 2007

The school currently has 30 international students enrolled, and has a history of enrolling such students from the 1960s. Unley has a long a proud history of teaching foreign languages; in the beginning Latin, then French, German and for a period Indonesian. Today, Chinese is strong; Unley has sister schools in China.Fact|date=August 2007

Unley also has an outstanding history of academic and sporting achievements.

History

Unley High School was founded in 1910 as one of the first group of public high schools to be established following Adelaide High School in 1908. Initially it was under the control of the Headmaster of the Unley Primary School, and had its first home as part of that school in the suburb of Unley.

In 1915 the school was granted independence from Unley Primary and its first headmaster was appointed. This was Ben Gates who remained at the school until 1940. It was during his headmastership that the school became renowned for its discipline and high academic standards. An early link was forged with the Australian rules football club, Sturt. The colours of the school, light and dark blue, were also the colours of the football club.

During its first decade the school was shifted south to new buildings in Kyre Avenue, Mitcham. There were problems which developed quite rapidly with this site, especially in relation to adequate sports grounds. Complicated negotiations eventually saw control of a block of land and a cottage passed to a trust associated with the school. This remains an open space, now used by Mitcham Girls High School, on Belair Road. The "memorial gates" celebrating the acquisition of this land were opened in 1936.

Following the set-backs of the Great Depression, which included the introduction of fees for students to attend the high school, student numbers gradually rose to their early 1930s high point. (1931: 956 students, 1934: 638, 1939: 869) Unley High had been a coeducational school from the beginning, but in fact, most classes were taught in single sex groups. This pattern would only change in the 1960s.

World War II saw continuing privations in the school. It had been a constant pattern from the beginning: class sizes that were too large, and inadequate and too few teaching spaces. During the war, as had occurred in World War I students were engaged in fund raising, and girls especially, in knitting for the troops. In some of the darkest days of World War II the Parents and Citizens Association was founded and had its first meetings. There had been a School Council with community representatives appointed by the South Australian government since 1916, but now there was a chance for parents to have a much more active role in contributing to the school.

There is a published history of the school, viz.: Craig Campbell, State High School: Unley, 1910-1985, Adelaide, 1985.

Sports

Unley High School has many available sports teams, for males and females across all age groups.

All school equipment and facilities are often loaned out to clubs and sport social groups in order to enhance the local community.

Academic

Unley High School students enjoy a wide variety of available subjects.

The Environment Group helps to increase the sustainability of the school, while decreasing the negative impact it has on the earth because of energy consumption, water usage and waste. Recent achievements include the purchase of a 24,000 Litre rainwater tank to replace the water used in the hand basins and showers in the Life Be In It gym, the purchase of solar panels on the roof of the school, a water grant to replace all the toilets in the school with dual-flush toilets, and an intensive recycling program.

Uniform Requirements

Girls' Uniform
* Dress - Blue and White stripe with half-belt
* Summer top - Polo-style short sleeve, open-necked top in a darkish blue marle colour with an Unley High School emblem
* Shorts - Plain navy shorts (knee length)
* Winter Skirt - Wool/Polyester fabric (box pleated front and back), in check of double blue with yellow
* Trousers - Plain navy blue trousers
* Blouse - White, to be worn with tie
* Tie - School Tie (except when temperature is 30°C or more). A rowing tie may be worn as an alternative to the school tie
* Pullover
* Windcheater - Navy blue with school monogram
* Blazer/Jacket - Navy with school monogram on pocket or Navy school waterproof jacket or Navy blue taslon jacket with Unley High School emblem
* Tights - Navy blue or black opaque
* Socks - Plain navy or white
* Footwear - Black leather flat-heeled shoes
* Scarf - Plain navy blue

Girls' Physical Education
* Sport Top - Sky blue with navy vertical stripes UHS top or a sports uniform which has been purchased for school competitions
* Shorts - Navy or bike pants
* Skirt - Navy blue pleated wrap-around type
* Footwear - Sports shoes
* Tracksuit - UHS rugby top or UHS jacket, or plain navy track pants or other suitable style
* School hat - Baseball style hat, standard navy colour (strongly recommended Terms 1 and 4) Boys' Uniform
* Trousers - Mid-grey polyester/rayon college type (jeans, corduroys, cotton gabardines are not acceptable)
* Shorts - Plain navy blue shorts (knee length)
* Socks - Plain navy or white
* Shirt - White, to be worn with tie
* Summer top - Polo style, open-necked top in a darkish blue marle colour with a UHS emblem
* Tie - School tie (except when temperature is 30°C or more). A rowing tie may be worn as an alternative to the school tie
* Pullover - Grey with school colours at neck, cuffs and waist
* Windcheater - Navy blue with school monogram
* Blazer/Jacket - Navy blue with school monogram on pocket or navy blue school waterproof jacket or navy school taslon jacket with emblem
* Footwear - Black leather shoes
* Hat - Plain navy blue (only to be worn outdoors)

Boys' Physical Education
* Sport top - Sky blue with navy vertical stripes UHS top or a sports uniform that has been purchased for school competitions
* Shorts - Navy
* Footwear - Sports shoes
* Tracksuit - UHS rugby top or UHS jacket, plain navy track pants or other suitable style
* Hat - Baseball style hat, plain navy colour (strongly recommended Terms 1 and 4)

Alumni

* Michael Atkinson
* Keith Briggs
* Dean Brown - former South Australian Premier
* Helen Caldicott
* Julia Gillard - Australian Deputy Prime Minister
* Simon Goodwin
* Malcolm Greenslade
* Hedley Marston
* John McLeay, Sr.
* Sir Mark Oliphant
* Alex Rafalowicz
* Amanda Rishworth - federal member for Kingston
* Joseph Garnett Wood

External links

* [http://www.uhs.sa.edu.au Unley High School Website]