Applecross Senior High School

Applecross Senior High School
Achieve
Location
Ardross, W.A Australia
Information
Type	Public, Co-educational, Day school
Established	1958
Principal	Paul Leech
Enrolment	1,430 (15 February 2016)[1]
Campus	Suburban
Colour(s)	Black, Green, Red & White
Website	www.applecross.wa.edu.au

Applecross Senior High School is a public, co-educational High School, located in Ardross, a southern suburb of Perth, Western Australia.

Founded in 1958,^[2] it has traditionally been one of the top public high schools in the state of Western Australia, and consistently ranks academically within the top 10 non-selective secondary schools in the state.^[3][4] Applecross has produced two Rhodes Scholars.^[5]

Applecross runs dedicated art, tennis and chess programs, and has traditionally been dominant in these areas.^[6][7][8][9] It also runs Academic Extension classes, for those students talented in the areas of English, Maths, Science, Society and Environment, French and Japanese.

History

The school was opened in 1958 to service the rapidly growing south-of-the-river suburbs of the city of Perth, Western Australia. Today, around 1,400 students from Years 7 to 12 attend the school.

From about 1999 to 2002 t he school underwent renovations to improve its structure. From 2011 the school had a significant upgrade starting with Stage I when the relocation of the tennis courts. Stage II commenced in February 2012 when the then Minister for Education Elizabeth Constable launched the construction of a new library, visual arts block, science laboratory, a tiered auditorium, cafeteria and administration block. The upgrade will take four years to complete at an estimated cost of A$56 million.^[10]

School Crest

The school crest is a combination of a black swan, signifying the proximity to the Swan River, with a hand holding a scimitar, emerging from a five-pointed crown (“issuant from an eastern crown or, a dexter hand holding a scimitar, in fess all proper”), the family crest of Sir Alexander Matheson Bt of Lochalsh, founder of the suburb of Applecross.

Academics

The school has produced two Rhodes scholars: G. A. Robinson (1971) and Vinay Menon (2012).^[11]

The school has performed consistently well in the WACE school rankings and is often the best performing amongst all of the public schools in the state.

Year	% +75 in WACE[lower-roman 1]	State ranking[lower-roman 2]	% +65 in WACE[lower-roman 3]	State ranking	% graduation[lower-roman 4]
2012	N/A	>50	35.64	45	100[12]
2011	13.54	35	44.68	41	97.51[13]
2010	13.22	33	43.61	48	98.47[14]
2009		26		25	98.42[15]

1. Based on the number of Stage 3 course enrolments in the school where a WACE course score of 75 or above was achieved
2. Ranking of school compared to other schools in the state
3. Based on the number of Stage 3 course enrolments in the school where a WACE course score of 65 or above was achieved
4. Percentage of Year 12 cohort that graduated with a WACE certificate

Notable alumni

• Dean Alston - Walkley Award winning newspaper cartoonist^[16]
• Marcus Beilby - Noted realist painter, winner of Sir John Sulman Prize for Australian Genre Painting, works held by: National Gallery of Victoria; Parliament House, Canberra; National Library of Australia; Art Gallery of Western Australia^[17]
• Darren Bennett - Former Australian Rules football player and American football punter in the NFL^[18]
• Jenny Boult (1951-2005) - Author and poet, won 1981 Anne Elder Award for first book of poetry^[19]
• Jim Gill AO - Chancellor of Curtin University, Western Australia, former: CEO of WA Water Corporation; WA Commissioner of Railways^[20]
• Jeanette Hacket AM - Vice-Chancellor of Curtin University, Western Australia (2006-2013)^[21][22]
• Adele Horin - Walkley Award winning columnist and reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald, previously international correspondent for the National Times.^[23][24]
• Peter Lewis AM - Former Australian Consul-General and Senior Trade Commissioner in San Francisco^[25]
• Bill Louden - Deputy Vice-Chancellor of University of Western Australia ^[26][27]
• Vince Lovegrove (1947-2012) Journalist, music manager, television producer, musician
• Tonya McCusker - Classical dancer, wife of Governor of Western Australia^[28]
• Vinay Menon - Rhodes Scholar,^[5] John Monash Scholar^[29]
• Steve Pennells - Journalist, 5-time Walkley Award winner including Gold Walkley in 2012, 18 WA Media Awards^[30]
• Graeme Robertson - Rhodes Scholar, former: Director of Muresk Institute of Curtin University; Director-General of WA Department of Agriculture ^[5][31]
• Diane Stone - Professor in Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick, UK and Professor in Public Policy at Central European University in Budapest.^[32][33]
• Lesley Vidovich - Winthrop Professor, Graduate School of Education, University of Western Australia ^[34]
• Reece Waldock - Director General of WA Department of Transport, Commissioner for Main Roads, CEO of Public Transport Authority of Western Australia. Former WA Commissioner of Railways^[35]
• Steve Ward - Boat builder, built 1983 12-metre class America's Cup winner Australia II, and challengers Australia, Australia III, Australia IV, Challenger 12 & South Australia.^[36]
• Bruce Williams - Commissioner of Fair Work Australia, former Commissioner of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, Perth^[37][38]

See also

• List of schools in Western Australia

References

1. "Alphabetical List of Western Australian Schools" (pdf). Department of Education. Perth, WA: Government of Western Australia. 15 February 2016. p. 1. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
2. "Applecross Senior High School". Applecross Senior High School. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
3. "Better Education '08 WA School Ranking". Better Education Pty Ltd. 2009. Archived from the original on 12 December 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
4. "Better Education '09 WA School Ranking". Better Education Pty Ltd. 2010. Archived from the original on 12 December 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
5. "Western Australian Rhodes Scholars". Retrieved 2010-05-16.
6. "Applecross special art student wins national gallery scholarship" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-05-24.
7. "Chirag to represent Australia in Chess" (PDF). 2008-09-20. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
8. "Australian Schools Teams Championships, 10th - 11th December, 2005". Retrieved 2010-05-24.
9. "Applecross a tennis ace". Melville Times. 2010-04-27. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
10. "Upgrade moving ahead". Community Newspaper Group. 14 February 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
11. "Western Australian Rhodes Scholars". Retrieved 11 May 2014.
12. "Year 12 Student Achievement Data" (PDF). Government of Western Australia. 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
13. "Year 12 Student Achievement Data" (PDF). Government of Western Australia. 2011. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
14. "Year 12 Student Achievement Data" (PDF). Government of Western Australia. 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
15. "Year 12 Student Achievement Data" (PDF). Government of Western Australia. 2009. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
16. "About Applecross Senior High". Retrieved 2010-05-18.
17. "Curriculum Vitae - Marcus Beilby". Archived from the original on 19 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
18. "Bennett, Darren Leslie". Chargers Stats. San Diego Chargers. Archived from the original on 4 November 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
19. "Boult, Jenny". Agent Details. AustLit. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
20. Suzannah Pearce, ed. (2006-11-17). "GILL (Jim) James Ian". Who's Who in Business Live!. North Melbourne, Vic: Crown Content Pty Ltd.
21. "Campus News: Curtin helps celebrate anniversaries with scholarships". 6 March 2009. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
22. "Curtin honours Vice-Chancellor Jeanette Hacket". News and Events (Curtin University of Technology). 10 February 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
23. "Adele Horin". The Age (Melbourne). Archived from the original on 27 June 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
24. "Secular Humanism. A statement by Adele Horin". Retrieved 2010-05-16.
25. "Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia" (pdf). Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
26. "Winthrop Professor Bill Louden". Retrieved 2010-05-18.
27. "Roll of Honour". Retrieved 2010-05-18.
28. "McCusker Charitable Foundation". Retrieved 2011-03-21.
29. Sinclair-Jones, Michael (14 Nov 2011). "Two UWA medical graduates in national top 10". Campus Daily. Retrieved 2012-04-17.
30. "Pennells claims Gold Walkley". Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance. 3 December 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
31. "Staff profile: Professor Graeme Robertson". Muresk Campus. Curtin University of Technology. Retrieved 2012-07-02.
32. Diane Stone Capturing the Political Imagination: Think Tanks and the Policy Process, Frank Cass, 1996
33. "Diane Stone". Retrieved 2010-05-18.
34. "Winthrop Professor Lesley Vidovich". Retrieved 2010-09-20.
35. "Reece Waldock appointed as Director-General WA Transport". 2010-04-29. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
36. "12 Meter Yachts - Australia". Archived from the original on 18 May 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
37. "Williams made AIRC commissioner". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 29 July 2006. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
38. "FWC Members". Fair Work Commission. Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 23 March 2015.

External links

• Applecross Senior High School Website

Coordinates: 32°02′S 115°50′E / 32.033°S 115.833°E