After 64 years of educating Northern Beaches students, The Forest High School has closed its doors at Frenchs Forest, with more than 830 students relocating to a brand-new campus in nearby Allambie Heights.
Read: The Forest High’s New Location Revealed
The closure paves the way for the old campus to be demolished and replaced with a new Frenchs Forest Town Centre, featuring high-density residential development with apartment blocks up to 12 storeys high.
Principal Nathan Lawler, along with school captains Isobel Pacholski and Oliver Burn, and vice-captains Aishwarya Kalra and James Dry, described the relocation as bittersweet. The modern facility at the corner of Allambie Road and Aquatic Drive offers expanded capacity for over 1,000 students and features the latest in educational and sporting technology.
The relocation is part of NSW’s broader rezoning strategy for the Northern Beaches Hospital precinct, designed to provide medium and high-density housing in the area. With approximately 180 new Year 7 students expected to enrol next year, the expanded campus will help accommodate families moving into new housing developments around the town centre.
A School Born from Community Campaign
The Forest High School’s story began with a community campaign for secondary education on the Northern Beaches. In November 1958, The Forest High School Promotion Committee formed with a clear mission: to establish a co-educational high school serving the suburbs of Frenchs Forest, Forestville, Beacon Hill, Terrey Hills and Narraweena.
On 31 January 1961, Stage One of construction was completed and the school opened its doors with an initial enrolment of 318 students and 14 teachers, under the leadership of founding principal Edward George Bell. Originally called Frenchs Forest High School, the institution’s name was officially changed to The Forest High School on 2 August 1961 by then-Minister for Education Ernest Wetherell.
The pioneer students and staff chose the Latin motto “Spectemur Agendo”—let us be judged by our actions. By 1963, enrolment had grown to 963 students.
Growth continued throughout the 1960s and 70s, with the gymnasium and D block opening in 1969, and the library completing the building program in 1976. The school’s official opening ceremony took place on 24 October 1964, attended by Governor of New South Wales Lieutenant-General Sir Eric Woodward.
Notable Alumni
Three members of the rock band INXS—Kirk Pengilly, Garry Gary Beers and Tim Farriss—attended The Forest High School and rehearsed in the school hall. The other half of INXS, including frontman Michael Hutchence, attended Davidson High.
Other notable alumni include Bill Leak, editorial cartoonist for The Australian, and Peter Debnam, who served as NSW Liberal Opposition Leader from 2005 to 2007.
Read: Major Residential Development Greenlit in Frenchs Forest Town Centre
Looking Forward
The new campus in Allambie Heights provides expanded facilities for the Northern Beaches. Principal Lawler said the new school will have the latest in education and sporting technology, with interactive smartboards installed throughout the facility, to give students the best chance to succeed.
As The Forest High School community moves to its new campus, it carries forward more than six decades of history. The school’s founding motto “Spectemur Agendo” continues at the new location.
Published 23-December-2025
