Did you know Richmond High School has a fascinating history? Standing before you is a testament to the enduring spirit of this community. Richmond High School opened in 1967. Initially housed in temporary buildings it moved to a new site near Bridge Road in 1969. The school merged with Richmond Technical in 1988. This created Richmond Secondary College. The college however was short-lived closing in 1992. A new school Melbourne Girls’ College opened on the site in 1994. The current Richmond High School opened in 2018. It’s considered a reopening of the original school acknowledging its heritage. This new school celebrates the return of a much-missed comprehensive co-educational secondary school to Richmond. It works alongside Melbourne Girls’ College and Lynall Hall Community School. They provide secondary education to the local area.
The original Richmond High School started with sixty-one boys and thirty-one girls. They were in four portable classrooms at Brighton Street State Primary School. This is now Richmond Primary School. The new school initially had fifty boys and twenty-five girls. They were in a pop-up school at the Gleadell Campus. The school has about 640 students now. The ratio of girls to boys is approximately 30:70. The school offers a unique Chinese Bilingual Program. This is the only government secondary school in Australia to offer such a program. The program allows students who started in bilingual primary schools to complete their studies up to Year 12. They have three streams Enhanced Chinese Program Chinese LOTE and Spanish LOTE. The school also has a strong performing arts and drama emphasis.
Richmond High School is located in Richmond a suburb of Melbourne. It’s 3km south-east of Melbourne’s CBD. The Wurundjeri-willam people are the Traditional Owners of this land. The school acknowledges their custodianship and that sovereignty hasn’t been ceded. Richmond itself has a rich history. Established as a municipality in 1855 it became a city in 1882. It’s been shaped by colonial and post-colonial periods industrialization two world wars and immigration waves. The area’s always been diverse undergoing gentrification since the mid-1970s. Today it’s a mix of converted warehouses apartments public housing and Victorian-era homes. Richmond High School is more than just a school. It’s a symbol of resilience community spirit and educational excellence. It’s a place where history meets the future. A place that continues to enrich the lives of its students and the Richmond community.