John Curtin College of the Arts

About John Curtin College of the Arts

John Curtin College of the Arts has built a national reputation through the quality of its special programs in the Arts. The Arts College has educated actors, dancers, artists, musicians and film makers who are prevalent in Australian artistic life.

The school is 95% selective with students coming from across the state to participate in the Gifted and Talented programs at the college and has more than 1100 students.

John Curtin College of the Arts was established in 2000 after a 10 year program of reflection and planning and it is now Western Australia's only Selective Arts School.

College History 

John Curtin College of the Arts is named after one of Australia's greatest Prime Ministers. The site on which the college is built was used in many ways prior to the construction of buildings in the 1950s.

The first significant use of the site was by the Nyungar people who lived near the Swan River before European Settlement. The limestone hill featured in the story of the Wagyl, and it is also believed that the hill was used to observe movement along the bush tracks leading south.

Fremantle's first official cemetery was on land that is now the college oval. The cemetery was established in 1852 and used until 1899 when it was decommissioned. It subsequently fell into disrepair. During the 1930s all intact headstones were transferred to the present cemetery in Carrington Street. Families were required to pay for the removal and reburial of their relatives' remains, so many bodies remained. A plaque commemorating the cemetery was erected and dedicated in 1992.

Following the entry of Japan into the war and the threat of invasion, four anti-aircraft gun emplacements were established where the college buildings are now. During the war years the former cemetery became a camp used by the troops who manned the guns and was an important part of Fortress Fremantle for the defence of the port.

The real beginnings of John Curtin College of the Arts occurred with the opening of the Fremantle Free Grammar School in 1856. This was a coeducational school which became Fremantle Boys' School and Princess May's Girls' School.

The first permanent building on the site of today's college was a Manual Arts building for Fremantle Boys' School completed in 1943.

John Curtin Senior High School, which preceded John Curtin College of the Arts, was founded in 1954 as a result of many years lobbying in State Parliament by the Member for Fremantle, JB Sleeman. It arose from the merger of the two historic local schools: Fremantle Boys' and Princess May's Girls' School. To symbolise the joining, the colours and the crests of the older schools were combined and the Head Boy and Head Girl placed their school badges under the foundation stone.

The college commenced operation in the present building in 1956. For its first ten years the college was one of the largest in the state, with a maximum enrolment of 2600 students. Only Upper School students and specialist classes such as Home Economics and Manual Arts were accommodated in the main building. All other students studied at other sites in Fremantle. As other high schools were established in surrounding districts, enrolments dropped and the annexes were closed.

John Curtin College of the Arts was established in 2000 after a 10 year program of reflection and planning. The change of name from John Curtin Senior High School plus the change of its status has resulted from the recognition of the unique role that the college has played in the education of students drawn from across the state in the area of the arts for over 25 years.

Download the college's Prospectus or for more information contact John Curtin College.