History
Gordon Lang
Southern Cross School opened in 1971 under the principalship of Mr
Gordon Lang and was unique in terms of its
organisational structure and open learning mode of education.
While the original Manly Street site was being built the school
opened at the Ballina Presbyterian Church Hall .
Three staff were on duty 2 February 1971, Principal Gordon Lang,
Mr John Heber and Miss Jo Robinson
with enrolments of 70 students K-6, beginning 3 February.
In 1992 the school moved to the current site in Chickiba Drive, near Black Head,
where Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm reached the Australian mainland during
the historic flight of the Southern Cross across the Pacific in 1928.
The K-6 buildings were occupied with an enrolment of 490 students.
The support unit from Ballina Primary was re-located during this same year.
In 1993 the
Minister for Education announced that the school would develop as a Kindergarten to Year 12
facility with the initial Year 7 student intake in 1994.
1995 saw the addition of Years 8 and 9 and a Distance Education Centre.
The Distance Education Centre caters for 100 full-time and 240 part-time students in
Years 7-12 from Woolgoolga to the Queensland border and west to Tenterfield.
The school currently has an enrolment of
over 1000 students from Kindergarten to Year 12.
Ballina Shire Council has contributed
significantly to the development of the site, particularly in terms of the
gymnasium, public library annex and grounds.
Milestones
1971 The inaugural year of Southern Cross Primary School. The new site and buildings were occupied on the 25th of May.
1972 - Friday 13 October, the Official Opening of Southern Cross Public School by His Excellency Sir Roden Cutler, VC, KCMG, KCVO, CBE, KStJ.
1974 - The first of the Southern Cross Arts Festivals,
now a yearly tradition.
1992 - Relocation of Southern Cross Public School
to K-6 premises at present Southern Cross School K-12 site,
Chickiba Drive, East Ballina.
1993 - Official Opening of Stage 1 by Honourable Virginia Chadwick,
Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs.
1994 - First Year 7 at Southern Cross School K-12.
1995 - Official Opening of Stage 2 by Mr Don Page MP,
Member for Ballina on behalf of Honourable V. Chadwick
Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs.
Year 9 enrolments taken, becoming the first Year 12 in 1998.
First secondary students enrol in Distance Education:
40 full-time students and 60 single-subject students.
1997 - First full-time Distance Education students complete Year 12.
Charles Kingsford-Smith Centenary Celebrations (b. Brisbane 1897)
with Nancy 'Bird' Walton, AO, OBE
(pioneer aviatrix and student of Charles Kingsford-Smith)
1998 - Commemoration of 70th Anniversary of First Pacific Flight.
2-40 Chickiba Drive
East Ballina
N.S.W. Australia, 2478
Phone: 02 6686 0503
Fax: 02 6686 0508
Southern Cross School K - 12 "Towards Tomorrow"
