Mount Eliza High School was established on this site in February,1975 with Mrs D Sherringham, as the first Principal together with 16 teachers, 69 Year 8 and 124 Year 7 students. The school was housed in one permanent building and many portables.
It was fortunate, that in the mid 1970s the Education Department was prepared to construct buildings and facilities of superior design, size and construction. Successive blocks were added. In June, 1977, Mr Lindsay Thompson, Minister for Education, officially opened the College.
The College was located in a picturesque site rich in native vegetation. With the motto of "Protect" as the ideal, the grounds have been developed, improved and maintained at a commendable level.
Mrs Margaret Major was appointed as Principal in February, 1979. A tradition of high achievement was established. This has been sustained and built upon throughout successive years. The College continued to attract teachers who set high standards and had the ability and commitment to elicit work of quality from our students.
In September 1985 Mrs Major retired as Principal and Mr Rod Ogilvie was appointed. From the earliest days the school promoted extra-curricular and co-curricular activities. Our students forged a commendable record in sporting competitions, dramatic and musical performances and in a wide variety of other inter-school competitions.
At the start of 1993 Mr Charles Cattermole was appointed acting Principal until Mr Andrew Blair's appointment in term two 1994. During Mr Blair's term as Principal a number of changes took place including the building of the 'Atrium' and new Design Block area.
Mr John Keysers, the sixth Principal of the College was appointed in April 2003 until September 2008. Mr Keysers had a long history at the school prior to this as a Science teacher, VCE Co-ordinator and Assistant Principal.
Ms Yvonne Watts was Acting Principal from September 2008 until the appointment of Mrs Heather Worrall as Acting Principal in January 2009.
Mr Geoff Petrie, a former teacher and Assistant Principal at the College for many years was appointed to the Principal position in July 2010.
The College is coeducational and caters for approximately 1000 students, the vast majority of whom come from the local primary schools. The College enjoys a strong tradition of high retention rates and academic excellence.
The division of the College into three sub-schools allows the close monitoring of each student's progress. This structure, combined with a clearly defined and implemented student management policy, ensures a caring and nurturing approach to all students. The compulsory school uniform at all levels complements this policy.
Mount Eliza Secondary College envisions the constructive use of ICT across all Key Learning Areas. It sees this as; providing students and staff with a continuity across the curriculum, skills to become active and independent learners and leaders, enhancing their abilities to communicate, collaborate, plan, analyse and solve problems, developing skills in the use of new technologies and supporting students and staff to assume greater responsibility for their own learning.
The College has over 300 computers across the site. All computers are fully networked, supported by printing, internet, intranet and email services available to all. Each student has a network drive which they can access at school and at home, together with access to timetables. Communication and other facilities include:
43 digital projectors and 15 sound systems installed (with further implementation annually)
4 portable digital projectors
15 interactive whiteboards
numerous still and video cameras, wireless keyboards and slates
data logging equipment and mixing stations.
Computers are spread across 7 computer rooms and various smaller pods so all students have access within a variety of classes.
