Balwyn High School

Did the scent of rotten garbage ever waft across the grounds of Balwyn High School? In 1958, when Brian Stagoll arrived at Balwyn High, it was a brand new school, hastily constructed in 1954 for the burgeoning baby boomer generation. The school, located in the rising suburb of North Balwyn, hadn’t even had an official opening. Construction was a constant backdrop to student life. Stagoll recalls a muddy day in 1960 when dignitaries, including Dick Hamer, were scheduled to open the new Menzies Science block. The mud was so thick they couldn’t even cross the grounds. Balwyn High School was a mix of prefab buildings, leaky in winter and sweltering in summer. The wind sometimes carried a foul odor from an old garbage dump located downhill. Amenities were basic. There was no assembly hall, no shelter from the rain, and no sports fields. Not even a fence. A diverse student body attended Balwyn High. Many local families sent their children to private schools. Balwyn High’s students came from further afield, including rural Doncaster, Legacy boys from the Burke Road hostel, Colombo Plan students from Southeast Asia, and Jewish students from East Kew. The teachers, like the students, were a mixed bunch. Some were experienced and dedicated. Others were less qualified, filling a post-war teacher shortage. The House system fostered some connections across the school, but generally, year levels and sexes were strictly segregated. The curriculum in those early years was basic. Stagoll was streamed into science after his fourth form, never formally studying history or literature again. He studied French for five years, but admits he couldn’t speak a word of it when he finally visited Paris. Music education was non-existent for boys, and sports programs were limited. Despite the lack of polish in those early days, Balwyn High School provided a foundation for many students who would later contribute to the changes in Australia during the post-Vietnam era. Today, Balwyn High School enjoys a strong reputation. It’s a far cry from the muddy, rough-around-the-edges institution of its early years.