Brisbane State High School (BSHS), commonly State High, is a partially selective, co-educational state secondary school, located in South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is a member of the Great Public Schools Association of Queensland (GPS), and the Queensland Girls' Secondary Schools Sports Association (QGSSSA). It was the first state secondary school established in Brisbane, as well as the first academic state high school in Queensland.
Brisbane State High School hosts approximately 3600 students from Year 7 to Year 12, with a larger proportion of enrolments allocated to the local catchment area than to its selective-entry program. Of the places available in the selective-entry program, approximately 50% are allocated to academic entry, 40% to sporting entry, and 10% to cultural entry (Music and Art).
The school is noted for its academic and sporting success in Queensland, and for being the only government school in the GPS and QGSSSA. In 2023, Brisbane State High School achieved the most 99.95 ATAR scores in the country, the highest university entrance score.
History
T. Max Hawkins, historian and author of The Queensland Great Public Schools – A History, wrote of the origins of Brisbane State High School: The school developed from the School of Arts in Ann Street, and later from the old Normal School which was built by convict labour on the site where the State Government Insurance building now stands...The year 1913 is generally taken as the start of the Brisbane State High School, a co-educational school which, by 1964, had expanded to accommodate 1310 students, 891 of them boys.
Further information on the origins of the school is discussed in Philip Walker Davidson's thesis: Headmasters of various metropolitan state schools were asked to nominate 76 boys and girls for admission to the new school, and a further 70 paying students made up the first year's enrolment. Classrooms were provided in the Technical College buildings, Ann Street, until 1914 when the school moved to lower George Street.
...in 1921 the school was to occupy the well known Normal School buildings on the corner of Adelaide and Edward Streets...At about this stage it was separated from the control of the Central Technical College and combined with the Junior High School which had been operating as a secondary department at the Normal School. The name Brisbane State High School was then first applied.
Although the school's beginning is taken as having been 1913, it was relocated to its current campus next to Musgrave Park at South Brisbane in 1925. The laying of the foundation stone of the first building of the school, Block A, took place in 1923 in the attendance of Queensland Education Minister John Huxham, and William Forgan Smith, then Queensland Minister for Public Works and later Premier. The cost of constructing Block A was estimated to be £32,443 at the time. Brisbane State High School has been a member of the GPS since the 1920s, and of the QGSSSA since 1921. Several of the school's features are listed on the Queensland Heritage Register: notably Block A (1925); Block H (1865), formerly the Brisbane South Girls and Infants School; and three mature fig trees (predating 1946).
The Brisbane State High School's first principal, Isaac Waddle, served for 24 years; he first retired in 1941 but was asked to return again by the Minister for Education, finally retiring in 1945.Principals Waddle's successor, John Barnes, served for barely a year before dying in office, and between 1947 and 1960 the post was held by a further three principals: Herbert Watkin, Arthur Copeman and Fredrick Cafferky. During the ensuing leadership of George Lockie, the school underwent massive expansions, growing from 1091 students in 1961 to 2183 in 1967, as well as consolidating its reputation as being highly competitive amongst the private school institutions of South-East Queensland. For the 6 years from 2003 to 2008, then to 2012, the OP results consistently climbed, with 86% of students receiving an OP of 1–15 in 2008, and nearly 95% of students in 2012 received an OP of 1–15. Mr Wade Haynes, formerly an acting principal of the school in 2002, became the principal in 2011, serving for 12 years until 2023. In 2024, Greg Pierce took over as Executive Principal of Brisbane State High School.
Principals
The following principals have led the school since it was opened:Principals of Brisbane State High School
Mea. Bryden; 1913–1915Hawkins, T. Max (1965). The Queensland Great Public Schools – A History. Jacaranda Press. p. 232. Unspecified position from 1916 to 1919 Isaac Waddle; 1920–1945 J. A. Barnes; 1945–1946 Herbert G. Watkin; 1947–1951 A. B. Copeman; 1952–1957 F. H. R. Cafferky; 1958–1960 George W. Lockie; 1961–1971 Raymond F. Fitzgerald; 1972–1981 Colin R. Mason; 1981–1997 David F. Sutton; 1998–2008 Richard C. Morrison; 2009–2011 Wade Haynes; 2011–2023 Greg Pierce; 2024–present Extracurricular activities
GPS membership
Brisbane State High School joined the Great Public Schools' Association of Queensland in 1930, and consequently the school is able to enter competitions against other GPS schools in South East Queensland. A wide range of activities are offered in the GPS including, Australian Rules Football, athletics, basketball, chess, cricket, cross country, debating, rowing, rugby union, soccer, swimming, tennis, volleyball. Brisbane State High's Queensland Great Public Schools (GPS) premierships include:
GPS premierships Activity Premiership years Rugby 1947, 1964, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1983, 1984, 1992, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2016 Rowing GPS Premiership (Old Boys Cup) 1st VIII (O'Connor Cup) 1925, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1948 Swimming 1933, 1966, 1968, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986 Basketball 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2022 Tennis 1959, 1972, 1973, 1984 Cross Country 2020, 2021, 2023, 2025 Soccer 2005, 2006 Track and Field 1946, 1947, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 Cricket 1949, 1966, 1977, 1979, 1992, 1993, 2002 Volleyball Debating2024, 2025, 2026
GPS sport
Rugby
In 2009, the BSHS first XV rugby union team went undefeated in the season scoring a total of 405 points for (50.63 per game) and conceding a total of 85 points against (10.63 per game) from 8 season game. The team broke the GPS record when the school beat Brisbane Grammar School 103–0. The match was soon abandoned when the referee called for the use of the 'surrender rule' with 7 minutes still permitted to play. This First XV has been regarded by many as the best GPS rugby team in Australia from this decade. Queensland claim fourth straight Australian Schools Championship and dominate Australian Schools squad Two other players are representing the Australian A School boys team. This equalled the feats of the class of 2007, when two players represented the Australian schoolboys Rugby Union team while two others represented Australia A. Another two boys represented the Australian schoolboys rugby league team.
QGSSSA sport
A wide range of sporting and other similar activities are offered Queensland Girls' Secondary Schools' Sports Association competitions, including Australian Rules Football, athletics, badminton, basketball, cricket, cross country, rowing, soccer, swimming, tennis, volleyball, rhythmic gymnastics, field hockey, netball, softball, touch football, waterpolo, and fencing.Activities
QGSSSA premierships The schools has won premierships in a number of sports. Activity Premiership years Athletics 1966, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2012, 2014, 2015 Badminton 2001, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2020 Basketball 1993, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Cricket 1990, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015 (10 different years up 2018) Cross Country 1999, 2000, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 (8 different years up to 2019) Gymnastics (Artistic) Gymnastics (Rhythmic) 2019 Hockey 1922, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Netball 1931, 1932, 1935, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1944, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1991, 1995, 2012, 2013, 2017 Soccer (Football) 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 Softball 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 Swimming 1923, 1962, 1963, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995 Tennis 1969, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1999, 2004, 2014 Touch Football 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018 Volleyball 1974, 1984, 1985, 1994, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2019
Cultural
Performing arts The school's Instrumental Music programme was established in 1975 and caters for about 20% of the school population. There are numerous strings orchestras: Southbank, Merivale, Cordelia, Kurilpa and Symphony Orchestras. There are also multiple wind bands: Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Concert Winds, Wind Orchestra, and Symphonic Band. In addition to these, students can participate in many chamber groups and secondary ensembles including Stage Band, Big Band, Percussion Ensembles, Flute Ensembles, Brass Ensembles.
Brisbane State High School ensembles have been grand finalists in the Creative Generation Instrumental Fanfare every year since 2006, and winning the Erica Brindley Memorial Trophy in 2006, 2012, 2014 and 2022.
In 2021, the Bellissima choir was a grand finalist in the Creative Generation Choral Fanfare. In 2022, to celebrate its centenary, the school presented Timeless—an original production—at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.
The school has a high-achieving Dance Troupes program. As of 2026, there are six troupes: Junior and Senior Dance Troupes (specialising in jazz, contemporary and musical theatre dance), Junior and Senior Hip Hop Crews, Bollywood Troupe and Tap Troupe. These teams compete in eisteddfods around Queensland and perform at school events such as State High Day and the annual BSHS Dance Showcase. Students are also encouraged to extend their skills in choreography, with frequent opportunities presenting themselves through School Productions, Dance Troupes, in class, and more.
Debating Brisbane State High School has been involved in the GPS, Queensland Debating Union (QDU), and Brisbane Girls’ Debating Association competitions. In 2024, the Brisbane State High School Senior A team won their first GPS Debating premiership (shared with Brisbane Grammar School), making them the fourth school in the history of the competition to achieve this title. In 2025 the Senior A team won the school their second premiership, and first sole premiership in the competition with a historic undefeated run in the Senior A GPS competition.. In 2026 they won their third premiership, and second sole premiership in a row.
Campus
The main campus