As Melbourne High School prepares to celebrate 100 years at Forrest Hill next year, the community recently gathered to mark an important moment in that history — the Turning of the Sod ceremony, commemorating the start of construction of the School’s iconic campus a century ago.

Held on 18 February, the ceremony was officiated by Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria, together with Ms Rachel Westaway MP, Member for Prahran, students, alumni and members of the wider Melbourne High School community. It was an opportunity to pause and reflect on the generations who have studied, taught and supported the School since the first sod was turned in 1926.

For many in the Melbourne High community, the Forrest Hill campus is simply known as the Castle on the Hill — a place that has shaped the lives of thousands of students and stands as one of the most recognisable schools in Victoria.

The ceremony reflected many of the traditions that continue to define life at Melbourne High today. The familiar ritual of flag-raising marked the occasion, while a friendly cricket match between the Governor’s XI and the School’s First XI brought together students, Old Boys and friends of the School in a celebration of community and shared history.

It was a reminder of our school’s proud legacy as one of Victoria’s lighthouse schools — providing outstanding public education and preparing students to contribute meaningfully to the communities they will one day serve. Over the past century, generations of Melbourne High students have carried that legacy forward through leadership, service and achievement across many fields.

As the Governor reflected, we honour the work of those who came before us. Guided by our motto — Honour the Work and the Work Will Honour You — we continue that legacy today through sustained effort, grit and determination, as evidenced by our outstanding academic and extracurricular achievements.

Like the generations before them, today’s students continue to benefit from the commitment and generosity of a community that cares deeply about Melbourne High and its future.

As we move closer to celebrating the school’s centenary at Forrest Hill in 2026, the Turning of the Sod ceremony offered a fitting reminder that the story of Melbourne High has always been shaped by its community — and that the same spirit will continue to guide its next century.