Co-education was a controversial idea in 1959 and the good citizens of Chatswood were not sure what to make of the new secondary school that was to open at the end of January. The land on which the school is built was taken over by the Department of Education in 1954; it had been owned by the Carr-Hordern family.
The old home, then on the property, had been bought by Edward Carr-Hordern in 1905. Built in 1892, it was named “Marroombah” by the first owner, John de Villiers Lamb, sold to K. Weidlmann in 1900 and renamed “Chislehurst” by Carr. (This name has an interesting connection to the name of Sydney: Thomas Townshend, after whom our city is named, was Earl Sydney of Chislehurst!) The stained glass window now hanging in the foyer of the Administration block is one of the few reminders of the once magnificent house.
Like many schools then and since, we have a 'house' system for sports competitions - Carr and Hordern are named for those last owners. Fuller house is named for the Fuller family who owned a large area of land on the southern side of Fullers Road - Bellevue St was cut right through the property. Walsh was a Deputy Principal of the early period - not nearly as romantic an origin as the other three.
Schools built in our cement-rendered concrete style were built all over Sydney - the baby-boomers after the Second World War were coming into high school. The school had a cadet unit in those early days - for boys only. Girls wore wide-brimmed straw hats and gloves.
There have been many changes in the curriculum over the years. Students who once left school at 15 with an Intermediate Certificate now stay on to the HSC. Jobs entered by school leavers no longer exist and subjects that our parents and grandparents thought were reserved for higher education are being taught in our school.
Many of our graduates have made unique contributions to the Australian community. Doctors, lawyers, actors, and musicians, to name just a few, learned their History and Geography, their Maths and their Science in the rooms off Centennial Avenue. Join our Alumni
Perhaps the most interesting changes have happened in the last twenty years or so. We have come to reflect the changing nature of the Chatswood community and are truly a multicultural school. We have students with backgrounds from the four corners of the world and they work harmoniously together as Australians all.
Bob Selinger (Former Deputy Principal at Chatswood High School)
