James Cook Boys Technology High School was a boys' secondary school situated on Princes Highway in Kogarah, Australia. The school was named after Captain James Cook, who was the first recorded European to contact the eastern coastline of Australia. In 2026, the school merged with Moorefield Girls High School to form Bayside High School, a new co-educational high school.
History
James Cook Boys Technology High School was founded in 1956 after Moorefield racecourse was demolished. The site of the racecourse was divided to provide space for three schools (Moorefield Girls High School, James Cook Boys Technology High School, and St George School for students with disabilities) as well as the St George TAFE. The rest of the site was allocated for residential development.
Queen Elizabeth II visited the school on 29 April 1970, the bicentennial year of James Cook's arrival in Australia, along with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Anne, Princess Royal.
Originally named Moorefield Boys High School, the school was renamed several times before adopting its final name in 1990 when it chose to become a technology-focused high school.
In 2026, James Cook Boys Technology High School and Moorefield Girls High School merged to form Bayside High School, a new co-educational high school serving students in the Kogarah-Rockdale area. The decision followed extensive consultations in 2023 with the local community, revealing strong support for co-educational options, particularly among parents of primary school children. Approximately 65% of surveyed families indicated a preference for a co-educational school model. Years 7–9 are located on the former James Cook Boys site while Years 10–12 are located on the former Moorefield Girls site.
School statistics
2015
School staff Teaching staff34Full-time equivalent teaching staff 29.3Non-teaching staff7Full-time equivalent non-teaching staff 6.6
Student background 2015 Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA)School ICSEA value974Average ICSEA value1000Data sourceParent informationDistribution of students Bottom quarterMiddle quartersTop quarterSchool distribution46%26%20%9%Australian distribution25%25%25%25%Percentages are rounded and may not add to 100.
Students 2015 Total enrolment262Girls0Boys262Full-time equivalent enrolment 262Indigenous students1%Language background other than English88%
VET in schools 2014 Vocational education and training (VET)VET enrolment46School-based apprenticeships and traineeships1
Senior secondary outcomes 2014 Year 12 resultsSenior secondary certificate awarded68Completed senior secondary school72
Sport James Cook Boys had teams in various sports, including:
Regular summer sports: cricket, basketball, baseball, squash, table tennis, touch football, volleyball, and mini soccer
Regular winter sports: baseball, rugby league, soccer, softball, table tennis, tennis, and Australian rules football
Non-grade activities: fitness, senior recreation, and action sports (including soccer, basketball, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, and touch football)
Associated schools Moorefield Girls High School has long been considered the female counterpart to James Cook Boys Technology High School. The two schools collaborated on various initiatives, including multicultural days and joint classes in senior years (Years 11 & 12). They also participated in "Crossroads," a mandatory personal development and health course for Years 11 and 12 as part of the HSC.
Notable alumni Hakan Ayik – criminal Colin Bennett – soccer player Greg Child – rock climber Trevor Edwards – Anglican Archbishop for Canberra Mike Grbevski – soccer player George Harris – soccer player Neville Hayes – Olympic swimmer Clyde Hefer – Olympic rower Steve Kamper – current NSW State Parliament Member for Rockdale Ivan Lee – Anglican bishop Brad Mackay – rugby league player David Niu – rugby league and rugby union player Robert Proctor – hockey player Ron Riley – hockey player Mark Schulman – rugby league player Brian Smith – rugby league coach Geoff Smith – decathlon athlete Leigh Warren – dance choreographer
References