Some early history of the original Fort Street School

The oldest building at the original Fort Street site is the two storey former 1815 military hospital, now facing the expressway. This later became the famous Fort Street School, the first school to provide for teacher training in the colony. This building is now occupied by The National Trust Centre, and includes the S.H. Ervin Gallery, café and shop.

The history of public education in Australia began when the Governor of New South Wales, Charles Augustus FitzRoy, established a Board of National Education on 8 January 1848 to implement a national system of education throughout the colony. The board decided to create two model schools, one for boys and one for girls. The site of the school was chosen as the old Military Hospital at Fort Phillip, on Sydney's Observatory Hill. This school was not only intended to educate boys and girls, but also to serve as a model for other schools in the colony. The school's name is derived from the name of a street which ran into the grounds of the hospital and became part of the playground during its reconstruction. The street name is perpetuated in the small street in Petersham that leads to the present school. The school was officially established on 1 September 1849, when the conversion of the building was approved by the government. This original school building is visible today beside the southern approaches to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The establishment of Fort Street School marked the establishment of a non-denominational system of school, where the government undertook the education of its people, separate from religion. In 1911, the school was split into one primary and two secondary schools: Fort Street Public School, Fort Street Boys' High School and Fort Street Girls' High School. Due to space limitations at Observatory Hill, in 1916, the Boy's school was moved to the school's present site, on Taverner's Hill, Petersham. The Girls' school remained at Observatory Hill until 1975, when the two schools were amalgamated to form the current co-educational school at Petersham. During that time, its grounds continued to be consumed by the growing city; for example, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which opened in 1932, took most of the playground. Fort Street Public School remains at Observatory Hill. The school celebrated its sesquicentenary in 1999. Its student population is now a diverse one; students come from over 100 suburbs in Sydney, and over 600 of the 930 students have one of forty different languages as their native tongue. Students past and present are called "Fortians", leading to the expression, "Once a Fortian, always a Fortian". This article and photographs was sourced from  http://www.sydneyarchitecture.com/ROC/ROC015.htm

Creating a marketing and membership database for Fortians Union

Introducing the Fortians Union

The Fortian Union aims are:

• To recognise the significant part that the Fort Street High Schools have played in the lives of former students and the wider community
• To promote amongst Fortians (all former students) a pride in their school
• To render assistance to Fort Street High School
• To encourage general appreciation of the traditions of Fort Street High School

Any person who has been a Fort Street High School student for one year is eligible to join the Fortians Union.


Fort Street High School was established in 1849.  As the oldest selective high school Fort Street has a unique place in history of the State of NSW, having educated and nurtured some of the most prominent and influential citizens in Australia. 


Fort Street is acknowledged as epitomising and espousing the following: academic excellence individualism multiculturalism tolerance social and political awareness and responsibility the liberal tradition of a broad based education and educational philosophy, and a strong sense of tradition, embodied in the saying; 

Once a Fortian, always a Fortian