Growing up in Port Melbourne – Schooling

Although the majority of students did not go to a secondary school the concept of universal secondary education began to be considered. Gradually over the years 1920-1940 the number of students going to a secondary school increased but it was still only a minority until after World War 2.

The secondary schools attended by Port Melbourne pupils were usually one of the following:

Melbourne Continuation School:

The first government secondary school in Victoria opened in 1905. It was coeducational. George Langley of Port Melbourne was one of the earliest pupils and others followed.

In 1927 a new school building for boys only opened in Forrest Hill, South Yarra, while the girls remained at the Spring Street site renamed Melbourne Girl’s High School. After several moves to different locations this finally became MacRobertson Girl’s High School on its present site in 1934.

Middle Park Central School:

Opened in 1916 as a feeder school for the Melbourne Continuation School.

South Melbourne Technical School:

The school opened in 1918 in time to provide training for soldiers returning from World War 1. It was from then on one of the options for Port Melbourne boys until it closed in 1992.

J H Boyd Girl’s High School:

First known as Montague Domestic Arts School, changed its name and location in 1932. Some ex-pupils would claim that the school never quite emerged from its origins as a place to train domestic servants.

St Joseph’s Technical School, South Melbourne:

One of a number of low fee paying schools offering a Catholic secondary education that were accessible to Port boys.

Kilbride Girl’s Secondary College:

Of all the secondary schools that Port Melbourne children attended this was the closest, just “over the border” in Albert Park. 

Postcards from Port – Schools:

Click here to watch the ten minute video on schools from the Postcards from Port series.