Mackay SHS

Mackay High Flashback Series | School History

Our first students

In 1962 Mackay High celebrated its Jubilee, 50 years in existence. Because of this anniversary, an article appeared in the Daily Mercury that includes the earliest retrievable photograph of students at Mackay High School. The photo shows some of the original 1912 student cohort and can be dated between 1912 and 1914, as the school’s first principal, Mr Herbert Denniss, is seated with the class.

Finding a photograph of Mr Denniss was not straightforward. No images of him or the original pupil cohort were located in the school archives, and they do not appear in either the 75-year or 100-year anniversary books produced by the school. A big thank you to the Mackay Historical Society and Museum for allowing access to their Daily Mercury archives.

Mr Pozza 🟢

Congratulations to our students!

A huge congratulations to 20 MSHS students who represented our school at the Whitsunday STEM Challenge last Wednesday. We are incredibly proud of the positive way each student represented our school, showing fantastic teamwork, problem-solving and enthusiasm throughout the day. We are very pleased to announce the below results:

🏆 1st Place – WSC Drones Competition
Congratulations to Dylan, Korban and Tyson who took out the top spot on the day for the senior drones competition.

🥉 3rd Place – Junior RoboCup
An amazing result from our Junior RoboCup team, congratulations Isobel and Mia.

Well done to all of our students for getting involved, challenging themselves and showcasing their STEM skills. A fantastic day and some brilliant results.

I had the opportunity to visit Mackay State High School this week for a very special student-led assembly focused on tackling bullying.

The students did an outstanding job. Their presentation was thoughtful, honest and incredibly well put together, with an important message about respect, inclusion and looking out for one another.

To finish, the whole school came together to sing “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman, which was a very moving way to end the assembly.

I came away incredibly impressed by the students and the leadership they showed in delivering such an important message to their school community.

VET Careers | Opportunities | APPLY Today

School-Based Traineeship | Reece Mackay North
This is a fantastic opportunity for a student to gain valuable workplace experience, develop practical skills, and earn while they learn, all while completing their secondary education.

School Based Apprenticeship: Supply Chain Operations (TLI20421) available for a Year 10 student.

About the Traineeship
• Nationally recognised Certificate II in Supply Chain Operations
• 18–24-month structured traineeship
• Paid employment one day per week while completing Year 10-12 (Saturday availability required at some locations)
• Practical experience across Warehousing and Customer Service
• Development of key workplace skills including teamwork, communication, and time management

Suitable Students Will Be:
• Motivated, reliable, and respectful
• Positive team players with a willingness to learn
• Customer-focused with a strong work ethic
• Committed to completing Year 12

Students are able to apply via the link below:
https://reece.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com/en-GB/ReeceCareers/job/QLD---North-Mackay---9-15-Windmill-Crossing/School-based-Traineeship---Plumbing-Mackay-North_R-00030075

Disney The Exhibition | Mackay | Casual positions available
A Century of Magic is currently seeking casual team members to help bring this exciting experience to Mackay. As these opportunities may be well suited to senior school leavers entering the workforce, I would appreciate it if you could share this information through your usual school communication channels with students and families who may be interested.

https://www.mackay.qld.gov.au/Home/Do-it-online/Redirect-links/eRecruit-link

This could provide a valuable pathway for young people looking to gain employment experience and begin their careers

🎨 ART ON SHOW 2026 🎨

A huge congratulations to our School Captain, Bodhi, for taking out the top prize in the Emerging Artist section at Art on Show 2026! 🏆🎨

Bodhi is an incredible talent, and we have no doubt she will continue to go from strength to strength. We hope she continues to let her creativity flow, explore new ideas and share her artistic vision with the world.

We are so incredibly proud of you, Bodhi! 💜✨

Qparent REMINDER | CONSENTS | System UPDATES

📢 Parents & Carers: Please Check QParents

To help keep our student profiles up to date, we ask all parents and carers to please log in to QParents and review your child’s current consents and permissions.
Review and approve any outstanding.

With ongoing consent requirements, IT permissions and software updates, it’s important that your details and approvals remain current.

✅ Please check and update any consents or permissions as required.
💻 Ensure IT permissions are current.
🔄 Review your details whenever prompted.

Thank you for cooperation & understanding. Ensuring our records accurate and students have the access and permissions they need.

Please take a moment to check QParents today. 🙏

NEXT Week | BOOK WEEK 2026 | Theme: Symphony of Stories celebrating the diverse narratives & characters.
📯📖🎶
Students we encourage you to get costume ready for next Thursday!
Join in the various activities on offer each day in Week 7 - .

MSHS History Series | Herbert Denniss - The First Principal of Mackay High School

When Mackay High School opened its doors in 1912, the person entrusted with leading this new chapter in education in Mackay was Herbert Denniss, the school’s first principal.

Born in Coventry, England, in 1866, Mr Denniss began his teaching career in 1882. He went on to complete an impressive 52-year career in education, retiring in 1933.

While his time in Mackay may not have been long, the success of the school saw his rapid promotion to District Inspector in 1914, contemporary sources report that he nevertheless made a lasting impact on the life of the community. On 7 April 1913, The Daily Mercury reported his attendance at the Mackay Debating Society, where he presented a talk on the importance of reading, a novelty for many, but a particularly appropriate subject for a man in his position. At a civic patriotic rally in support of the Great War, Denniss was described as “British to his boot-laces” as he extolled the virtues of “every man doing his duty” in support of the war effort.

It is important to take note that the early Mackay High School and Technical College operated in an environment and teaching and learning ethos very different from schools as we know them today. Resources were far more limited, the number of students enrolled smaller, secondary education was far less accessible and much more selective than it is today.

We remember Denniss because the opening of a new high school represented an important step forward for our community, providing local students with opportunities for further education that had previously not existed. Denniss’ contribution to the success of the school in its early days was significant.

More than a century later, his name continues to live on through Denniss House, with a dragon as its mascot, in all its green glory, a lasting reminder of the man who helped establish Mackay High in its earliest days.

VET Careers Hub | CQU Nursing Info session

Event details:
Date: Tuesday, 22 September 2026
Time: 4.30 pm – 6.00 pm
Location: CQUniversity Mackay City Campus

Registrations: Mackay Nursing Information Session and Lab Tour - CQUniversity
This is a great opportunity for students and their parents/supporters to come along, learn more about studying Nursing at CQU and get a firsthand look at our Nursing facilities and simulated learning environment.
The session will include information about studying Nursing at CQU, followed by an opportunity to tour our Nursing labs and see where students undertake their practical learning.