Our History

Toronto High School officially opened in time for the start of the 1962 school year.

How both Toronto and Toronto High School have changed!

Newcastle Morning Herald 26th Feb, 1962

Toronto High School in 1962 - Looking East

Toronto High School in 1962 - Looking towards the West

The Headmaster's Message of 1962

The following is an extract from the 1962 THS Logbook. Written by the first THS Principal, Mr. G.A. Smallman, the Headmaster's Message of 1962 reads:

The first year of the operation of any organisation is vital to its future service, influencing and effectiveness. This is true of a High School and has been very much so of Toronto High School.

We have been fortunate in that an excellent building has been provided for us: it was constructed in record time and was available for occupation on the first day of the 1962 school year. The school comprised 80 second-year pupils who had attended Booragul High School for their first-year studies, and 170 first form pupils, fresh from Primary Schools.

Much thought and effort preceded the opening of the school. The Administration planners of the Education Department foresaw the need for Toronto High School, arranged the details of its construction, the declaration of residential boundaries for pupils, and the initial staffing of the school: Parents made important and lasting decisions on uniforms. the badge and the Canteen, After the school opened a great deal was done to determine classes and courses, particularly within the findings of the Wyndham Report, to balance staff, and to formulate procedures in the Library, Laboratories and in Sporting and Cultural activities. It is particularly pleasing that a school magazine has been produced.

It has been the concern of your headmaster and staff that, in this first year, there should be established high standards of conduct, deportment, academic learning and cultural appreciation. I am gratified that the present pupils have attained a high level of success in these fields and that with increasing maturity and experience, they will be in an ideal position to give the lead to pupils following in later years.

It requires real personal effort by a pupil to attend school neatly, in full uniform, to master a tricky rule of grammar, to perform the niceties of address, to flow with the music of a concerto, to keep fit, and to fashion a garment or a model in metal. Especially when the activity requires co-operation with others, how important it is that all should do their best - rise up to the oars - "Remis Insurgite."

G. A. Smallman, B.Sc. Principal

The School Badge

Extracts taken from the 1962 and 1963 Logbooks:

To allow sufficient time for the manufacture of School Uniforms, decisions on details were required some months before the school opened in January this year. Parents will recall the meeting for this purpose in the Toronto Community Hall in October, 1961.

A deal of research preceded this meeting. In order to avoid clashes, all secondary schools in the Newcastle Area had been asked for their school colours, badges, uniforms. and house names. The Principals of the schools were most co-operative in giving the sought-for information and most of them added other interesting items peculiar to their schools, The Canadian Embassy provided considerable literature on the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The information supplied enabled your Headmaster and Deputy Headmaster to prepare proposals and alternatives for presentation to the meeting of parents .

Important parts of the uniform are the Badge and Blazer Pocket. Once the school colours, royal blue, sky blue, and red, were decided, it was possible to design the badge. Fortunately, the colouring of the school building matched the dominant blue of the school colours, and the beautiful waters of Lake Macquarie. The blue, aquatic theme was continued into the badge with a seven-oared Greek Galley, mounted on the upper portion of the colour bearing shield. Although the galley carries a small sail, its main driving force comes from the rowers. The motto is inscribed in traditional style in the scroll.

Remis Insurgite

"Remis Insurgite" although not known previously as a motto, has a very respectable history in that the Latin poet Virgil uses it at least three times in his Aeneid. In one passage (Aeneid, Book v, line 189, order changed for poetry) the captain of a vessel exhorts his crew to greater efforts with "Nunc, Nunc, insurgite remis." Now, Now, rise on your oars." Pupils of Toronto High School are well aware of the meaning of the words, "Rise on your oars," for it is only when a rower is rowing with all his strength, doing his very best, that he rises up from the seat, onto his oars.

School Houses

Four School Houses were established during the year, and after discussion it was decided that they should be named after famous ships.

The following titles were selected:

"Endeavour." "Sirius," "Argo" and "'Victory."

Yellow - "Endeavour"

Green - "Sirius"

White - 'Argo"

Red - "Victory"

Toronto High School - 1970

Toronto High School - 1976

Toronto High School - 2011

Toronto High School today

The School Library

The original School Library was upstairs in A Block. The Cockle Creek News of August 1970, a magazine produced and printed by the Sulphide Corporation, reported the following:

Over $2000 has been spent on providing the school with T.V. Equipment. The main units being: a Video tape recorder which is used to record T.V. programmes which are stored until required, two T.V. sets and T.V Camera fitted with a zoom lens.

... To date over $25000 has been spent on the library and it is estimated that $2000 - $3000 per annum is required to maintain the stock to an acceptable level.

A new School Library was built in 1984. Today the building is known as the Student Hub housing the Library, the Careers, IT and Wellbeing Offices, and the Student Services Office.

The original Library in A Block

The Library Site - Looking east towards Field Avenue

The Library Site with A Block in the background

Library taking shape

The Library Site looking West . Both A Block and D Blocks are visible

View from the upstairs of A Block

THEN and NOW

Looking South towards A Block 1984

The Library NE Corner today

The Winter Courtyard 1984

The Winter Courtyard today

Looking North

Looking North from a similar position today

🔥 1994 - The Year of the Fire

In the early hours of Sunday, July 10th 1994, D Block was destroyed by fire. The fire was attended by nine fire brigade units and more than 60 firefighters. Even so, the ferocity of the fire meant it took over three hours for the blaze to be subdued.

With the building went about two-thirds of the school's classrooms. These included the newly upgraded computer room, the Art rooms with Year 12 Major Works, Music, Maths rooms, Staff Rooms etc. The nearby adjacent A Block also sustained considerable damage due to flames and smoke entering the building via the covered walkway between the upper floors of the two blocks.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education described the fire as 'the worst school fire in the Hunter Region, relative to the amount of buiding damage and the cost of replacement and repairing.' The DoE and Public Works swung into action, with demountable buildings arriving at the school the day after the fire. Crews worked 12 hour shifts to assemble the demountables, at a rate of about seven per day. Within two weeks the full roster of forty-two demountables, procured from all around the state, had finished being assembled.

On the Saturday following the fire, the remains of D Block were demolished. Construction of the new buildings began around August 1995, at a cost at over 3 million dollars.

Our School Principal, Mr. Jim Barnes is quoted as saying, "Things like this tend to create a strong morale. There is a great school spirit here...and we will bounce back better than ever."

And that, we did.

D Block Damage

The Demountables

Aerial View of THS in 1990 (Before the fire)

⭐ Mr. Leo Hudson

The history of Toronto High School would not be complete without mentioning Mr. Leo Hudson. Mr. Hudson started teaching here in 1975, and fifty years later, is still sharing his extensive knowledge with our Students. Leo remembers many of the students he has taught...Even the grandparents of present students! We are very fortunate to have him on our Staff!

Mr Hudson in 1975 at THS

Mr Hudson today

The THS Log Book

The Toronto High School magazine is called the Log Book, a true record of activities or voyages of the school. All ships carry a log book and it is a point of honour that is faithfully kept. (Extract from the 1963 Log Book)

If you have a copy of the Log Book from 1966, 1969 or 1970 we would love to hear from you!

Please email suzanne.figures@det.nsw.edu.au ☺️