Matraville Sports High School

In the years consequent upon the Second World War, the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney saw increasing population growth and, as a result, increasing demands for infrastructure to assist that growth. At the time, the closest high schools in the area were South Sydney Boys' High School and Maroubra Junction Girls' High School. As a result, the local member and Minister for Education, Bob Heffron, made the decision to establish a new high school in Matraville. The site on the corner of Anzac Parade and Franklin Street in southern Matraville was secured by the Department of Education in 1957. The original school site was covered in virgin Banksia scrub growing on low sand hills bordered by houses on Mitchell Street.{{cite web|url=http://southern-courier.whereilive.com.au/news/story/matraville-high-schools-50th-annivarsary/|title=Matraville High School's 50th anniversary|access-date=2011-10-02|publisher=Southern Courier|archive-date=17 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217103737/http://southern-courier.whereilive.com.au/news/story/matraville-high-schools-50th-annivarsary/|url-status=live}} The southern part of Matraville became the suburb of Chifley in 1964.

At Heffron's instigation, the new school would be co-educational, in a period when the vast majority of NSW secondary schools were sex segregated. Prior to 1960, Robert E. Mobbs, a former Second World War army officer who had also helped establish Fairfield Boys' High and Arthur Phillip High, was appointed as the school's first headmaster. However, a lack of funding restricted the start of construction and it was not until well after the first 200 students had been accepted in 1960 that building began. Therefore, the first students were housed at Daceyville Public School and the 1961 intake of students were sent to Gardeners Road Public School. Designed by the New South Wales Government Architect, in February 1961 the NSW Department of Public Works awarded the contract of £247,740 to build stages I and II of the school to Monier Builders Pty Ltd of Villawood.{{cite news |title=Contracts |agency=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=7 February 1961 |page=24}} Construction was finished by early 1962, which allowed the students to finally move in, and was officially opened by the local Member of Parliament for Maroubra and NSW Premier, Bob Heffron, on 27 September 1963.{{cite news |title=Premier Opens New School At Maroubra |agency=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=28 September 1963 |page=8}}

The school soon generated a reputation for excellence in sports, with a particular emphasis on rugby that was developed by sports master and coach, Geoff Mould. The Waratah Shield, the state knockout competition for Rugby Union, was won by Matraville in 1972, 1976,{{cite news |last1=Curran |first1=Brian |title=Union boy turn on the style - Matraville lift the shield again |agency=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=23 August 1976 |page=13}} 1977, 1983 and 2007 and the ARL Schoolboy Cup was also won in 2007. In recognition of the school's excellence in this area, in December 2001, Matraville High was re-established as a specialist sports high, thus becoming "Matraville Sports High School".

In 2024, there were 479 students enrolled in the school from Years 7 through to Year 12. Of these, 179 students were girls and 309 were boys. The school has an enrolment of 28% Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and 36% of students have a language background other than English. There were approximately 43 teaching staff at the school.{{Cite web |last=ACARA |title=School Profile |url=https://www.myschool.edu.au/school/41163 |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=My School |language=en-AU}}

• Josh Addo-Carr – rugby league player for the Canterbury Bulldogs{{Cite web |date=2017-03-01 |title=In my shoes: Josh Addo-Carr |url=https://www.melbournestorm.com.au/news/2017/03/01/in-my-shoes-josh-addo-carr/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Melbourne Storm |language=en |archive-date=13 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113204950/https://www.melbournestorm.com.au/news/2017/03/01/in-my-shoes-josh-addo-carr/ |url-status=live }}
• Fred Briggs – rugby league player for Canterbury Bulldogs
• Bob Carr – dux of 1964 and Premier of New South Wales (1995–2005), later Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs.{{cite news |last1=Coultan |first1=Mark |title=The War Against Peace Studies - Bob Carr's fight against political correctness |agency=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=18 June 1993 |page=13}}
• Boyd Cordner – rugby league player for the Sydney Roosters and NSW Blues{{Cite web |last=Walter |first=Brad |date=2013-07-16 |title=Family friends buoyed by Cordner's highs after lows |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/family-friends-buoyed-by-cordners-highs-after-lows-20130716-2q2cw.html |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en |archive-date=26 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230926103512/https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/family-friends-buoyed-by-cordners-highs-after-lows-20130716-2q2cw.html |url-status=live }}
• Kobie Dee - rapper and musician. {{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/C5CdUCZPjgH/?igsh=bjU4MThqdzViYnBs |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.instagram.com}}
• Sandor Earl – rugby league player for the Sydney Roosters and Penrith Panthers and model
• Mark Ella, and brothers Glen and Gary – rugby union players for the Wallabies.{{cite web |title=Ella Brothers |url=http://monumentaustralia.org.au/australian_monument/display/93164 |website=Monument Australia |access-date=27 August 2019 |archive-date=27 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190827083934/http://monumentaustralia.org.au/australian_monument/display/93164 |url-status=live }}
• Marcia Ella-Duncan – netball player; first Indigenous Australian to play netball for Australia.{{Cite web |last= |date=2015-11-18 |title=The sky's the limit as UNSW teams up with Matraville Sports High School |url=https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/social-affairs/sky%E2%80%99s-limit-unsw-teams-matraville-sports-high-school |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426061050/https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/social-affairs/sky%E2%80%99s-limit-unsw-teams-matraville-sports-high-school |archive-date=26 April 2021 |access-date=2021-04-26 |website=UNSW Newsroom}}{{cite news |last1=Visontay |first1=Michael |date=11 July 1985 |title=A great rugby nursery |work=The Eastern Herald |page=26 |agency=The Sydney Morning Herald }}
• Kane Evans – rugby league player for the Sydney Roosters and Parramatta Eels {{Cite web |date=2013-06-26 |title=Generation next: time to get excited |url=https://www.roosters.com.au/news/2013/06/26/generation-next-time-to-get-excited/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Sydney Roosters |language=en |archive-date=4 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171204171209/http://www.roosters.com.au/news/2013/06/26/generation-next-time-to-get-excited.html |url-status=live }}
• Russell Fairfax – rugby union player; rugby league player for the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney Rabbitohs.
• Sean Garlick – rugby league player for the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney Rabbitohs{{Cite web |date=2023-09-26 |title=South Sydney Rabbitohs – Article |url=https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/content/captain-in-focus-sean-garlick |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Site Name, i.e. Moz |language=en |archive-date=26 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230926103509/https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/content/captain-in-focus-sean-garlick |url-status=live }}
• Eddie Jones – rugby union player for the NSW Waratahs and Randwick; rugby union coach for the ACT Brumbies, Wallabies, and England{{Cite web |title={{!}} Latest Rugby News {{!}} Wallabies Rugby |url=https://wallabies.rugby/news/[...slug |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=wallabies.rugby |language=en}}
• Martin Kennedy – rugby league player for the Sydney Roosters
• David Knox – rugby union player for the Wallabies{{Cite web|title=Today's Tale – David Knox – unquestionable ability|url=https://stumptostump.com/randwickpetershamcricketclub-a__DB8U/davidknoxunquestionableability-s__fd2f|access-date=2021-04-26|website=stumptostump.com|archive-date=26 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426061042/https://stumptostump.com/randwickpetershamcricketclub-a__DB8U/davidknoxunquestionableability-s__fd2f|url-status=live}}{{cite news |last1=Eldridge |first1=Russell |title=Schoolboy who wears two caps |agency=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=4 September 1981 |page=34}}
• Jacob Miller – rugby league player for the Wests Tigers{{Cite web |last=Barrett |first=Chris |date=2011-03-31 |title=Cooped-up Rooster gets a run with Tigers |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/coopedup-rooster-gets-a-run-with-tigers-20110331-1cnht.html |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en |archive-date=26 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230926103508/https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/coopedup-rooster-gets-a-run-with-tigers-20110331-1cnht.html |url-status=live }}
• Dominique Peyroux – rugby league player for the Gold Coast Titans, New Zealand Warriors and St Helens{{Cite web |date=2023-09-26 |title=Warriors sign Titans centre |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/nrl-warriors-sign-titans-centre/QNLIHJV6BINK2NFZLFGVHA4ERI/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=The New Zealand Herald |language=en-NZ |archive-date=26 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230926103727/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/nrl-warriors-sign-titans-centre/QNLIHJV6BINK2NFZLFGVHA4ERI/ |url-status=live }}
• Adam Reynolds – rugby league player for the Brisbane Broncos
• Paul Sait – rugby league player for South Sydney.
• Patrice Siolo – rugby league player for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks{{Cite web |date=2021-10-18 |title=Matraville Sports High v Erindale College |url=https://18thman.com/schoolboy-cup/seasons/2011-2/matraville-sports-high-v-erindale-college/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=18TH MAN |language=en |archive-date=26 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230926103748/https://18thman.com/schoolboy-cup/seasons/2011-2/matraville-sports-high-v-erindale-college/ |url-status=live }}
• Ken Stewart – rugby league player for South Sydney and Parramatta.
• James Tamou – rugby league player for the Wests Tigers
• Willie Tonga – rugby league player for the North Queensland Cowboys, Canterbury Bulldogs, and Parramatta Eels
• Dylan Walker – rugby league player for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles{{Cite web |date=2012-05-23 |title=Schoolboy Cup: Walker leads Matraville to victory |url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2012/05/23/schoolboy-cup-walker-leads-matraville-to-victory/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=National Rugby League |language=en |archive-date=29 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929135424/https://www.nrl.com/news/2012/05/23/schoolboy-cup-walker-leads-matraville-to-victory/ |url-status=live }}
• Lloyd Walker – rugby union player with the Wallabies.{{Cite web|title=Lloyd Frederick Walker|url=http://www.classicwallabies.com.au/players/lloyd%20frederick%20walker|access-date=2021-04-26|website=www.classicwallabies.com.au|language=en|archive-date=27 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427090548/https://classicwallabies.com.au/players/lloyd%20frederick%20walker|url-status=live}}

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• [https://matrasport-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/ Matraville Sports High School website]

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Category:Public high schools in Sydney

Category:School buildings completed in 1960

Category:Educational institutions established in 1960

Category:1960 establishments in Australia

Category:Sports schools in Australia