Blackburn High School

Blackburn High School
Blackburn High School sign
Location
58/62 Springfield Road Blackburn North , Victoria 3130 Australia
Coordinates	37°48′39″S145°09′00″E / 37.8109°S 145.1500°E / -37.8109; 145.1500
Information
Type	Public
Motto	Ad Lucem Crescimus (Growing Towards the Light [1] )
Established	1956
Principal	Joanna Alexander
Years	7–12
Enrollment	1321 [2]
Colours	Green, white, black
Website	www.blackburnhs.vic.edu.au

Blackburn High School is a co-educational public secondary school for children from years 7 to 12 in Blackburn North, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, founded in 1956. ^[3] The school is notable for its music curriculum and extracurriculars, particularly for its early adoption of music education in government schooling.

History

The land for Blackburn High School was acquired from the Pearce Family, who grew peaches and cherries. ^{[4] [5]} In 1955 (five years before opening) the site was described "still in the cherry orchard state", ^[6] however the Lilydale Express reported that a "Mr. Percy" from Lilydale High School would be promoted to head-master of Blackburn. ^[7]

Extracurricular activities

Music

The school has performed in outside events such as the Monterey Jazz Festival, ^{[8] [9]} Floriade, ^[10] International Society for Music Education Conference, ^[11] Victorian School Music Festival, ^{[12] [13]} the 71st Annual Midwest Clinic, ^[14] and the local Whitehorse Christmas Carols. ^{[15] [16]}

It has also competed in the Echuca-Moama School Bands Festival, ^[17] Royal South Street Eisteddfod, Generations in Jazz Competition, ^{[18] [19]} and the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival. ^[20]

The school has released three albums, one in 1977, ^[21] and two from the Midwest Clinic in 2017. ^{[14] [22]}

Notable alumni

• Christos Tsiolkas – Novelist ^{[23] [24]}
• Ross Irwin – Trumpet player in Melbourne based band 'The Cat Empire'. ^[25]
• Shannon Barnett – Trombonist, Bell Awards winner for Young Australian Jazz Artist (2007) ^[26]
• Daniel Merriweather – R&B Singer/Songwriter. ^[27]
• Reuben Morgan – Singer/Songwriter at the Hillsong Church ^{[28] [29]}
• Darren James – 3AW Radio Announcer ^[30]
• Don Scott – Former Hawthorn AFL Football Club Captain & Premiership Player & South Adelaide coach. ^[31]
• Dee Ryall MP – Former member for Mitcham and Ringwood in the Victorian Parliament ^[32]
• Jenny Donnet – Olympic and Commonwealth Games diving athlete ^[33]
• Steve Irons – Federal Member for Swan (WA) 2007 ^[34]
• Jacinta Parsons – Radio host ^[35]
• Timothy Fehring – student who died on a school camp ^[36]
• Kynan Brown – AFL Player ^[37]
• Elizabeth Minter – Former professional Tennis Player ^[38]
• Trung Luu MP – Member for Victorian legislative council & Former councillor for City of Brimbank ^[39]
• Erica Sigmont – Track and Field Athlete ^[40]
• Martin Grant – Fashion Designer ^[41]

Notable staff

• Michael Cigler – Multicultural Historian ^{[42] [43]}

References

1. "BHS Newsletter Issue 11 - 7th August" (PDF).
2. myschool.edu.au/school/45357
3. "Blackburn High School, Blackburn | School profile - 2016 | My School". www.myschool.edu.au. Retrieved 1 February 2018.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
4. Pearce, Ron (2001). "Document, Pearce Family". Victorian Collections. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
5. Richardson, Patricia, ed. (2010). Spiders In the Loo - Anecdotal Stories from Local History. Whitehorse Historical Society. pp. 22–24, 26. ISBN   9780980793512.
6. "SCHOOL MUST TEACH IN SHIFTS". The Argus (Melbourne) . Victoria, Australia. 22 October 1955. p. 6. Retrieved 26 December 2025– via National Library of Australia.
7. "MORE ACCOMMODATION STILL NEEDED AT HIGH SCHOOL". The Lilydale Express . Victoria, Australia. 16 December 1955. p. 11. Retrieved 26 December 2025– via National Library of Australia.
8. Hoban, Rosie (22 April 2008). "World stage". Herald Sun . Retrieved 26 December 2025.
9. "Monterey Jazz Festival Announces 4th Annual Next Generation Festival Results". All About Jazz . 10 April 2008. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
10. "Advertising". The Canberra Times . Vol. 70, no. 21, 703. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 17 September 1994. p. 50. Retrieved 26 December 2025– via National Library of Australia.
11. "GOOD Times". The Canberra Times . Vol. 62. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 14 July 1988. p. 28. Retrieved 26 December 2025– via National Library of Australia.
12. Victorian School Music Festival (30 April 2020). 2013 VSMF - Advanced Jazz Section . Retrieved 26 December 2025– via YouTube.
13. Victorian School Music Festival (22 August 2021). 2019 VSMF Senior Jazz Ensemble Section . Retrieved 26 December 2025– via YouTube.
14. O-Connell, Andy; Blackburn High School Senior Jazz Orchestra. "2017 Midwest Clinic: Blackburn High School Senior Jazz Orchestra (Live)". Spotify. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
15. Bragge, Lily (18 December 2004). "Carols". The Age . Retrieved 26 December 2025.
16. Whitehorse Carols 2024 - Carols Songbook (PDF). Creative Whitehorse. 14 December 2024. p. 7.
17. "Focus on Youth". The Riverine Herald . Victoria, Australia. 24 May 2000. p. 4. Retrieved 26 December 2025– via National Library of Australia.
18. "2017 Results | Generations In Jazz | Mount Gambier | South Australia". www.generationsinjazz.com.au. Archived from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
19. "Cool school combo takes top prize". www.heraldsun.com.au. 8 June 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
20. Koziol, Michael (8 May 2025). "Melbourne students make history at top New York jazz event". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
21. Blackburn High School Concert Band (1977), Blackburn High Concert Band , retrieved 26 December 2025
22. Bunn, Jemima (2017). "2017 Midwest Clinic: Blackburn High School Symphonic Band (Live)". Spotify. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
23. Austlit. "Christos Tsiolkas | AustLit: Discover Australian Stories". www.austlit.edu.au. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
24. Cook, Margaret (2 April 1996). "(School Days)". The Age (Melbourne, Australia). Retrieved 26 December 2025.
25. "CORRECTED VERSION EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMMITTEE Inquiry into the extent, benefits and potential of music education in Victorian schools" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
26. "Midwest Clinic Performing Organizations - Bla..." Midwest Clinic. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
27. "Sunny future for Merriweather". Herald Sun . Archived from the original on 16 October 2007.
28. "Reuben Morgan". hillsong.com. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
29. THQ, The Salvation Army Australia Eastern Territory. "Music provided my pathway to God | Others Magazine". others.org.au. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
30. "Weekend Breakfast". 3AW. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
31. "Is Don, is FINALLY Legend: The complicated case of Hawks great Don Scott". afl.com.au. 14 December 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
32. "Dee Ryall MLA". Dee Ryall. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
33. cgaadmin (30 September 2017). "Jenny Donnet: Brisbane 1982 was a fantastic time | Commonwealth Games Australia". commonwealthgames.com.au. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
34. "Hon Steve Irons". www.aph.gov.au. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
35. "Jacinta Parsons". ABC. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
36. "Tragic new update in the fallout over the death of a teenager on a school excursion". 27 July 2022.
37. "Kynan Brown | AFL". melbournefc.com.au. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
38. "TENNIS Masur in easy straight-sets victory". The Canberra Times . Vol. 57. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 15 November 1982. p. 20. Retrieved 26 December 2025– via National Library of Australia.
39. Smethurst, Annika (27 February 2023). "From refugee to MP - a survivor's story". The Age (Melbourne, Australia). Retrieved 26 December 2025.
40. Devlin, Rebekah (8 December 1999). "Motivator". The Age (Melbourne, Australia). Retrieved 26 December 2025.
41. Burns, Janice Breen (27 March 2025). "How a teenage drop-out went on to dress the world's most famous women". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 26 December 2025.
42. "Michael Cigler interviewed by Barry York [sound recording]". Trove. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
43. York, Barry, "Michael Joseph Cigler (1923–1990)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 26 December 2025