Canberra High Open Day in Macquarie: 10.00 am – 2.00 pm

Former and existing students and staff, and members of the community, are invited to the (new) Canberra High School at Macquarie for a School Open Day to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the School.  

The day will start in the hall with an Official Opening and Welcome, before visitors are invited to tour parts of the school where exhibits and archival material of the past and present will be displayed.

Parking will be available on the School Oval, with entry via Halloran Close, off Bowman Street, from 9am.  Parking is also available at Jamison Centre.

 10.15 am  Official Opening and Welcome in the School Hall

                      Welcome from the 2013 Canberra High School Captains
                      Canberra High School Concert Band performance
                      Official Party welcomed to stage
                           Joy Burch (ACT Minister for Education)
                           Mary Porter (Member of the Legislative Assembly)
                           Keith Hawke (Chairman 50 Years Committee)
                           Beth and Merv Knowles (original students from Canberra High School)
                           Alaine King (75 Year Celebration Chairperson)
                           John Bury (current P&C President)
                           Alan Thomas, Helen Burfitt and Anne Dash (Previous Principals)
                           Phil Beecher (Current Principal)

                     Acknowledgement of Country

                     Speeches

                          Joy Burch

                          Phil Beecher

                     Unveiling of Commemorative Plaque

                     Canberra High School Concert Band performs the School Song

                     Fashion Parade of past uniforms

                  

Activities

Front Office

The front office is open for the signing of the visitors’ book and collection of information.  There are pages available for people to write their own ideas on their time at the school which will then be made into a book to be kept at the school.  The old Headmaster’s desk is set up to replicate the original Principal’s Office complete with cane and strap hanging on the wall.

Hall and AB Building

There is a photo display showing on the big screen as people come into the hall.  Technology and Art displays of student work including 75 faces for 75 years are set up in these two spaces.  The Parents and Citizens Committee is running a BBQ and there are cold drinks and food served from the canteen.

Gymnasium

There are Physical Education displays and student reports on the history of Physical Education in the school set up in the gym.  There is also a space arranged for some games that students played throughout the decades at Canberra High.

Science Labs

Students have set up a timeline through the decades that highlight significant scientific discoveries over the past 75 years. There are also displays of science equipment and experiments.

Technology

All the Technology rooms are open with displays of student work.  The Tea Tree Café is serving coffee and student-made food in the courtyard.

Photography

The Photography room is set up with activities including cut outs to make funny photographs of visitors in the old uniforms.  Photos prints are available for $2.

Around the school

Students will conduct audio and video interviews of visitors in various places around the school. Student photographers will also be taking shots of people interacting with the activities and displays.

Archives Displays are in the following rooms:

• 1938-1959 and Significant Historical Documents in the Library
• 1960-1969 in Room 125
• 1970-1979 in Room 127
• 1980-1989 in Room 130
• 1990-1999 in Room 110
• 2000-present in Room 111

Helen Burfitt  and Phil Beecher

There are Dux, Honour and School Captains Boards, the World War II Roll of Honour, trophies, cups, plaques and paintings on display in the front foyer and the conference room.

The photographs of all the Canberra High School principals are on display in the conference room.

Canberra High School memorabilia from other sources are available on the computers in the library, e.g. Trove from the National Library of Australia, the National Archives of Australia, the Canberra and District Historical Society and the Canberra High School Honour Roll.

Donations to the Archives

Donations of archive material and memorabilia can be left in any of the display rooms.  There are envelopes available.  Please write your name, contact details and other relevant information on the outside of the envelope.

If you don’t want to leave original material, there is a portable scanner available in the library for you to copy material and one of the supervisors will be able to assist you.  Scanning can also be done at the school’s reception desk.  To help us identify scanned material, please write your name and contact details on a piece of paper, along with the nature of the material, and scan this also.

If you want to contact us about donations at a later date, please contact the school after the Open Day.  If you would like us to contact you, please leave your details (name, phone number and/or email address) with a supervisor in the library.

Memorabilia for Sale

 There is a range of memorabilia and souvenirs for sale, under the tent in the inner quadrangle, including stationery, clothing and other mementos.