Pimlico State High School

Pimlico State High School is a public high school in Townsville, Australia. The school places much emphasis on academic achievement and performing arts, especially music.FacilitiesMany concerts are held in the school's performing arts centre. The air-conditioned building contains a raised stage complete with theatre lights and sound systems, a rehearsal room, and backstage storage and dressing rooms.There is a building dedicated to manual arts, and many computer rooms. There are three home economics kitchens which have recently been upgraded to better facilitate the students. All classrooms are air-conditioned.The school also has two large ovals for various sports and physical education classes. The MPS or multipurpose shelter is used for school assemblies, indoor sports and for functions with attendances too large to fit in the performing arts centre. At the end of this building there is a sprung gymnastics floor used for physical education classes and for external gymnastic classes.HistoryPimlico State High School first opened in January 1959 with 6 teachers and 168 students. Initially, classes were held in the Exhibition Hall at the Townsville Show Grounds, but by April, B Block was completed and students moved to the present school site. Before the zoning of the land for education purposes, the site known as "Anderson's Paddock" and was used as a military base by American forces during World War II.The first Principal of the school was Mr J. A. Wolfe B.Sc., followed by Mr M. J. Bourke B.A. In October 1961, the Minister for Education, Mr Pizzey, officially opened the school. In 1962, the school was gazetted as a Class II High School and gained its first Deputy Principal, Mr B. Shaw B.A. The first matriculation students from Pimlico entered the University College of Townsville (then situated on the site of the present TAFE College - Pimlico Campus) in 1963. In 1964, the school enrolled 500 year 8 students and in 1966 a number of former year 12 students became some of the original undergraduates of the new James Cook University at Douglas. Total student numbers at the school increased rapidly from the mid-1960s, with numbers peaking at 2,043 in 1975. In this year, Pimlico State High School has become one of the largest school in term of attending students in Townsville. In 1991, the school was gazetted a Band 11 High School.