Canberra High School, Canberra

The former Canberra High School, axially aligned with Childers Street, was opened in 1939. It was designed by architect Charles Whitley who was employed by the Department of the Interior and constructed by H G Whittle. Its imposing symmetrical façade is dominated by the tall central clock tower and terminated by semi-circular ends.
There is an overlay of Art Deco detailing upon its severe stripped classical forms, particularly in the tower and the spandrel panels between the windows, while the wings that extend from the eastern and western ends are simpler in finish.
The School was extended in the 1950s and 1960s and then became part of the Canberra School of Art. The modest and simple pavilions that make up the extensions were designed by the architectural partnership of Darryl Jackson Evan Walker and completed in 1980 The Royal Australian Institute of Architects awarded the complex the first National architectural Award, the Sir Zelman Cowan Award, in 1981.

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