The school was opened in January 1964 with an enrolment of 209 students in year eight and nine. Mr. JD Cassidy was the first Principal with a staff of nine teachers. Two buildings, 100 and 400 blocks, were constructed but furniture and tools for woodwork were borrowed. Toilets were of the outdoor variety and there was no school tuckshop for the first four years. The school was opened by Hon. RE Camm MLA, Minister for Mines and main Roads on 23rd September, 1967. In several stages from 1966 until 1985 the present school buildings were gradually added. The school now boasts a First Year Centre, Modern Art, Music, Home Economics and Manual Arts blocks, Community Hall, Performing Arts Block and a twenty-five metre swimming pool.
The school has a consistently well populated student body and has recently peaked at over 1500 students as well as a 105 staff. Mrs Shelley Lewis was appointed Principal in 2009 and currently is the 7th Principal to serve in that position. Mackay North enjoys a friendly, positive relationship with community of Mackay and school morale is high owing to the good rapport between students and staff.
Mackay North State High School offers a wide range of experiences and opportunities available for our students, both within the school curriculum and through extra-curricular activities. With a school population of over 1500 students, Mackay North State High school enjoys an excellent reputation in the Mackay community and is characterised by outstanding achievement in the academic, cultural and sporting arenas.
Our staff are extremely committed towards ensuring our students achieve to their highest potential. Our P & C is very supportive and has worked hard to ensure our students have access to excellent facilities. We can see ‘the best’ across so many activities in our school including some of the following programs - our Marching Band, sporting teams, Special Education students, the students who travel to Gallipoli, the student leaders, our high academic achievers…. all doing their best for themselves and their school.
Curriculum
At Mackay North State High School the school is broken into two distinct phases of learning. Middle schooling incorporates year 8, 9 and 10 and Senior schooling equates to year 11 and 12.
Every year subject information in both Middle school and Senior school is updated and reviewed to ensure that subjects taught at Mackay North State High School provide the best possible pathways to enable students to achieve their goals after leaving secondary school.
You can find more specific information including printable curriculum guides on the individual Middle school and Senior school pages found in the menu system to the left of the screen.
Mackay North State High School boasts some of the best teaching facilities in the region.
These facilities provide our students with unparalleled relevance to many of the faculty areas including Health and Physical Education, Hospitality, Science, Technology, Music, and Manual Arts.
Listed below is a sample of these facilities.
Three sporting ovals including running track and cricket practice nets.
Extensive terraced seating with shade sails overlooking the oval area.
25m onsite inground shaded swimming pool.
250 seat university style auditorium.
Professional stainless steel catering kitchen and mock-up restaurant.
11 dedicated computer laboratories.
School wide digital classrooms including interactive whiteboards, projectors and complete wireless coverage.
Multi-functional school hall including modern climbing wall for physical education students.
A professional performing arts room for dance, speech and drama, music and band practice.
Lunch time shade structures and seating for the comfort and safety of the student body during recesses.
