Admission to Year 7 is based on an external selective test held in Year 6 during March.[12] Admissions for new students to Years 8, 9, 10 and 11 are restricted to filling any vacant places created by the loss of current students.[13]
Academic achievement
The school consistently achieves superior results in external assessments, such as the NAPLAN, the ICAS, the Record of School Achievement, and in particular, the Year 12 Higher School Certificate, where its students are regularly ranked in the top ten places in the state across a variety of subjects.[14] On average, over 80% of its students achieve in the top 20% of the state, with a majority gaining an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank of more than 90.[14]
Sydney Technical High School consistently ranks amongst the podium in the state for Engineering Studies in the Year 12 Higher School Certificate, frequently coming first with an average HSC mark nearing 90.[15][16] Dr. Paul L. Copeland the writer of the Preliminary and HSC syllabus and exams is a teacher at the school. He also authored the two main textbooks for Engineering Studies; Engineering Studies: The Definitive Guide Volume 1 and Engineering Studies: The Definitive Guide Volume 2.[17][18][19]
Sydney Technical High School also ranks consistently high, in the top twenty schools of the state for both English Advanced and English Standard courses in the Year 12 Higher Secondary Certificate. The school ranked first in the state for English Standard in 2022 with an average HSC mark of 80.5 for the cohort of that year.[20]
In 2010, fifteen students from the school's graduating class received Premier's Awards for All-round Excellence in the NSW HSC.[21] The school won the national championship in the University of NewcastleScience and Engineering Challenge in 2010 (gold division) and 2011 (silver division).[21][22]
History
Sydney Technical High School building, 1925
One of the reforms advocated by the 1903 Royal Commission into NSW Education was the establishment of classes providing courses which would involve technical subjects. Consequently, Continuation classes for students interested in technical subjects commenced at the Sydney Technical College.[11]
In April 1911, these Continuation classes were given the status of a high school, and Sydney Technical High was established. Originally, the school was co-educational with 113 boys and 15 girls. In February 1913, the girls were transferred to Fort Street Girls' High; and, from then on, the school became for boys only.[11]
Since 1911, the school has been located at three Sydney sites:
Ultimo House on Mary Ann Street: this was the "country" home of John Harris, Surgeon of the New South Wales Corps. The property was bought by the Government in 1899 and used by Technical Education for many years before being used by Sydney Tech High from 1911 to 1924.
Paddington on Albion Street: in 1925, with an enrolment of 421, Sydney Tech High was transferred to Albion Street, Paddington. Although it was a note of expansion, it was a vigorous P&C campaign that encouraged the State Government to fund an entirely new site for the school.
Bexley on Forest Road: the Old McConnachie's Paddock was occupied and first stone for the school's foundations was laid in March 1955, with the school completed and occupied by September 1956. The official opening for the school's new facilities was on 2 August 1958, with four units: the administration block, general classrooms ('A block'), manual training block and the auditorium and gymnasium. Throughout the years numerous additions have been made to the site. The School Pool was opened in 1966, the Kingston-David Library and Laboratories in 1975 and a brand-new administration block in 1998.[11]
Facilities
The current grounds at Bexley include the following physical facilities:
The Cage Courts – basketball courts for Years 7–9 and 10–12, respectively
Elmo Landsberger Cricket Nets – located between Lower courts and Back oval, 3 cricket batting nets & a plaque dedicated to Elmo Landsberger
Anderson Street Courts – A new basketball court as well as 3 small handball courts and a volleyball court has been put in, near the Anderson Street car park. The construction was completed in May 2009.
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith Memorial Library- large library with two floors
The 1000 Auditorium for School Assemblies and performances
J. Diaz Gymnasium with indoor basketball courts
Matthew Goodall Memorial Garden[23] – Adjacent the library
Vera's Gym – A physical gymnasium dedicated for outside classroom learning and relaxation. It is often used by PASS and SLR students as well as seniors.
The Passive Area – 3 table tennis tables and various benches outside the library. Completed recently in early 2018Sydney Technical High School Basketball Courts
Extra-curricular activities
Extracurricular activities offered to Sydney Technical High School students include:
P&C Association and Student Fundraising
Debating Teams
Student Representative Council (SRC)
Interact – A group dedicated to charity fundraising
Sound and Lighting Crew – A group of students who, under teacher supervision, dedicate their time to the continued maintenance and functioning of the auditorium and drama studio systems.
FRED – The former, award-winning school newspaper run solely by students at the school. FRED returned temporarily after remaining dormant from 2005 to 2007. There was a temporary revival with the release of editions between 2008 and 2009; and once again in 2013 and 2014. FRED is no longer the school newspaper and has been, for all intents and purposes, replaced by the Tech High Times. However, there are talks of a relaunch for year 11&12 students as a senior alternative to the junior paper.
Tech High Times – A journalism society for students in years 7–10 that intends to produce tabloid editions each term.
Digital Media Team – A film-making, photography group founded in 2018, tasked with creating various multimedia presentations for school events. "A day at Tech." is regarded as their debut video, showing future Techies what school will be like.
Public speaking – including Inter-School and grade-wide competitions
Links Program – A group of year 9 students work with students from Hurstville Primary School, to show them what happens in high school and create links between the two schools. It is run by the history, science, creative arts/LOTE faculties.
ISCF – Inter-School Christian Fellowship run by the students under teacher supervision[24][25]
Chess – Inter-School Chess Competition also in session.
Committees of Year 12 organisation – for collaborating the Year 12 Yearbook, Formal, Year 12 End of Year Video and Jerseys
School Bands – Beginner, Intermediate, Concert, Stage, String Ensemble, Choir[26]
Environment Team
Centenary School Scholarships – Senior, Intermediate and Junior categories
Department of Education's Great Schools Showoff short film competition – 2012 Sydney Regional winners and 2nd at State Finals
The SRC also organise various activities throughout the year, including:
Pizza Day
Talent Quest
Family Feud
Years 7–10 Scavenger Hunt
Sport
Tech is one of the 19 schools of the St. George Secondary Schools Sport Association,[27] participating in inter-school competitions for sports including:
Musicale (School bands, music student groups and soloists)
Senior Trivia Night (Prefecture)
Jorge Diaz Wombi Ball Cup (Prefecture)
SRC Week – Various activities such as Pizza Day, Talent Quest, Family Feud and Counter-Strike Competition
Year 10 Formal (Formal Committee)
Year 11 Social (Formal Committee)
Year 12 Formal (Formal Committee)
Annual Talent Quest
40 Hour Famine
World's Greatest Shave
TechFest - Short film competition - Senior and Junior divisions
Tech Cup
Year 12 House Soccer Cup
Prefects
As of 2008, the Prefect Body has been merged with the year 11 and 12 SRC members. The current system encompasses School Captain, Vice Captain, four Senior Prefects, an additional six Prefects from year twelve and another ten Prefects from year eleven. Senior Prefect roles and Captain roles are only available to holders of the school's Wykeham Award. The Vice-Captain chairs whole school assemblies. The Prefects of years 11 and 12 are responsible for canteen duties.
The SRC votes internally to determine the positions of the SRC president, the SRC vice-president and the SRC treasurer. The stated role of the SRC is to organize and raise funds for equipment and facilities for the school.[28]
Notable achievements
Australian Nuclear Science Competition
Sydney Technical High School won a competition that tested skills in a science and engineering challenge. Students competed in the regional competition at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) recently.
The event encouraged teenagers to get involved in maths and science and promote careers in the fields. Part of the challenge involved constructing a bionic hand. More than 250-year 9 and year 10 students from seven Sydney schools participated.[29]
Canberra Maths Day
173 Year 12 students from 31 schools attended the 2014 Maths Day national finals. In teams of four the students took part in mathematical challenges designed to build teamwork skills and promote a love of maths. The day was divided into four challenges: a group of story problems, a Swiss 'find the rule' problem, a cross number puzzle and the day's highlight, the relay – a test of brainpower and physical stamina. 2nd prize was awarded to Sydney Technical High School and the competition is run annually by the Australian National University.[30]
Metropolitan Secondary Schools Chess Competition
In 2014, the senior division of the Metropolitan Secondary Schools Competition was won by Sydney Technical High School.[31]
Associated schools
St George Girls High School is considered to be the female counterpart or 'sister school' of Sydney Technical High School, and often engages in Student Representative Council activities, as well as Combined Parents & Citizens meetings.[10]
The school has a relationship with Nanzan High School in Japan, with a two-week exchange program in place.[32]
Notable alumni
Alumni are referred to as Old Boys. Alumni are part of the "STHS Old Boys Union".
This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND are alumni, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations.(May 2019)
^Lovell, David W., "Kamenka, Eugene (1928–1994)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 30 June 2019
