Established in 1849 Fort Street Public School stands as one of Australia’s oldest government schools. The school began as Fort Street Model School. It was the first government model school in New South Wales. Governor Charles FitzRoy established a Board of National Education in 1848. The board aimed to create a national education system. They decided to build two model schools. One was for boys and one for girls.
The location chosen for Fort Street Model School was the old Military Hospital. It stood at Fort Phillip on Sydney’s Observatory Hill. Fort Street Public School aimed to educate students. It also served as a model for other schools. The school’s name comes from a street. This street ran into the hospital grounds. It became part of the playground.
From the 1850s the Model School provided primary and secondary education. It linked with Fort Street Training School. This school trained all public school teachers in the colony. In 1881 the school became Fort Street Superior Public School. Ann Fawcett Story introduced cookery as a subject in 1889. She supervised the cookery curriculum. In 1905 Emily Winifred Savage trained to teach cookery there.
In 1911 Fort Street Public School became a primary school. Two high schools also formed. These were Fort Street Boys’ and Fort Street Girls’. The Public School remained on Observatory Hill. The Model School’s original building now houses the National Trust of Australia.
The secondary schools moved to Petersham at different times. They later combined. They became Fort Street High School. Now there is no direct connection between the primary and secondary schools. Queen Rania of Jordan visited Fort Street Public School in 2016. This was part of a state visit with her husband.
In 2020 the school moved to temporary buildings in Wentworth Park. This allowed for an upgrade of the school site. The upgrade was expected to finish in July 2023. In 2011 the school had 86 students. By 2014 the number grew to 123. In 2018 the school had 220 students. Today the school has about 250 students.
Fort Street Public School uses a house system like many Australian schools. Students are assigned to a house upon joining. The four houses compete in sports and activities. The houses are Argyle, Cumberland, Kent and Watson. These are named after streets in The Rocks area of Sydney.
Each year a Year 5 student is elected School Captain. Another is elected Vice Captain. House Captains are also elected each year. Some notable alumni attended before the school split. These alumni are claimed by both the Public School and the High School. Emily Winifred Savage learned cookery here in 1905. Several Australian politicians also attended.
The school is located in Sydney’s historic Rocks area. It has a tradition of diversified educational programs. The school provides a nurturing environment. Fort Street Public School serves a culturally diverse community. Most students come from non-English speaking backgrounds.
The school sits atop Observatory Hill. It has great views of the harbor. The rebuild project will increase student capacity. It will provide modern teaching facilities. Fort Street Public School offers extra programs. These include art, drama, music, STEM, debating, chess and sport. The school focuses on reading, writing and numeracy. They aim to improve community wellbeing. Fort Street Public School has a long and rich history. It continues to provide quality education.