Our History
The Lygon Street School - photographed in 1966, just before its demolition
In 1910, the University Practising School opened its doors in a redundant primary school building in Lygon Street, Carlton.
The name of the School underlined its principal function, which was to play a key role in the
training of secondary teachers at the University of Melbourne. Because of this, the staff members were specially chosen as excellent practitioners.
The name of the School was not the name that its founders had wanted. They wanted to call it "The University High School", but, as it happened, that name was already in use
by a small private school which closed in 1912. This left the way open for our School to adopt the name it now bears.
The School soon outgrew the premises in Lygon Street, but it was not until the 1920s and consideration of several alternative sites that
the move to Story Street, Parkville, became possible. The large block of land, now shared by UHS and the Royal Melbourne Hospital,
had been Melbourne's horse and pig market. By the 1920's an increasingly motorised city no longer need a large horse market and the pig market was moved elsewhere.
The large red brick building in Story Street was ready for occupation at the end of 1929 and the School moved in with some ceremony.
Facilities other than basic classrooms were lacking - a situation which encouraged
school administrators, School Councils and ex-students to strive over the years to correct.
This magnificent photograph of the Story Street School was taken in 1949 by a student of the time, Rod Lingard. Where are all the cars?
More than a hundred years on, the University High School is a thriving centre of excellence, providing a broadly-based education to students from a diversity of backgrounds (as, indeed, it always has). It cares for children from the local area, students from all over Melbourne with special musical talents and students who benefit from its pioneering work in the education of gifted children.
CENTENARY HISTORY
Dr Carolyn Rasmussen's specially commissioned work, "A Whole New World" is now available to write a new comprehensive history of UHS to mark our Centenary. Dr Rasmussen taught briefly at UHS before embarking on a successful career as a professional historian.
CLICK HERE to download an order form.
If you have any trouble downloading the form, telephone the School (03 9347 2022) and ask that a form be posted to you.
