Today I visited the construction site for the new high school in Kenny and was honoured to announce the name of our 91st ACT public school – Shirley Smith High School.
Shirley Smith High School, which will open in 2024, has been named following close consultation with ACT Placenames, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body and the United Ngunnawal Elders Council.
Shirley Smith ('Mum Shirl', born Shirley Perry) was born near Cowra and was a Wiradjuri woman and prominent activist. Her family moved to Sydney in the mid-1930s and soon after she began to visit and support Aboriginal people in jail. She assisted Aboriginal people facing criminal charges in the courts and supported children placed in her care to regain health and focus and find their families.
Shirley Smith was a founding member of many important community services in Redfern, including the Aboriginal Medical Service, Aboriginal Legal Service, the Aboriginal Housing Company, and the Aboriginal Children's Service. She was involved in the establishment of the Foundation for Aboriginal Affairs and in ongoing activism for land rights for Aboriginal people. Shirley Smith's advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people influenced other communities to establish similar services.
Shirley Smith High School will cater for up to 800 year 7 to 10 students and provide high quality general and specialist learning environments. Opening in 2024, the new school will be headed by experienced ACT school principal Rebecca Pearce. The construction of the school is well advanced and I look forward to seeing the first students attending the school next year.
On Australian Principal's Day, I also thank Shirley Smith High School principal Rebecca Pearce for leading our tour of the school today, as well as all the excellent work that her and all of our other ACT public school principals do in leading the education of our city's children and young people.
Following today's announcement of the new school's name, the Education Directorate will soon run a community consultation on options for the school's logo and uniform.
Gungahlin continues to be one of the fastest growing regions in Australia as enrolment demand increases across the area's public schools. The ACT Government remains committed to ensuring that every public school is a great school and that there will always be a place available for every student at their local public school.
