The school building in Patrick Street Stawell, which is now the Stawell Secondary College, started its life in 1878 and was known as the Stawell East Primary School No 1986.
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It was opened on Monday, January 1, 1878 by Mr H.T. William Tuite with an initial enrolment of about 250 pupils.
The school year officially began on Tuesday, January 15, and it was reported at the time that the selection of Mr Tuite as Head Master "would not fail to give satisfaction to the Community as he has proved himself to be both competent and popular in his standing in the Community."
His teaching assistants appointed were Miss E. Munro, Mr G. A. Kenyon, Miss F. Nalder and Miss K.O'Malley.
William Tuite remained at SS1986 as Head Master until his death in December 1883.
Tuite's name was perpetuated by the naming of a school house at Stawell High School after him.
It was reported in the Pleasant Creek News and Wimmera Advertiser on Wednesday, January 16, 1878 that the school was comprised of six classrooms, was very commodious and was well ventilated.
The comfort of both the pupils and the teachers had been duly considered in the design.
There is a large water tank at the front of the school installed at a cost of £50 which it is anticipated will, when full, supply the children with drinking water during the driest season.
The school was built at a time when miners lived close to their work around Big Hill and there was a large population of children.
With the decrease in mining, the numbers of children living in the town decreased as well, and by 1892 amalgamation of both State Schools [SS502 and SS1986] was recommended. State School 502 became the main school with a Mr R.Z. Davies as Head Master of both.
Primary School 1986 only catered for junior children up to the third Grade.
Stawell East Primary School 1986 officially closed in December 1911 and re-opened three months later in March 1912 as the Stawell High School with 79 students and a Mr H.P. Bennett as Head Master.
After 75 years as a High School, the school merged with Stawell Technical School in 1987, which was further along Patrick Street towards the centre of town, to become the Stawell Secondary College.
The High School becoming known as the Wonga Campus and the Technical School known as the Gold Reef Campus.
At the start of the school year in 1987, there was a total 78 teachers at both campuses and an enrolment of more than 800 students.
In October 2000, the Minister of Education, Employment and Training, Mary Delahunty officially opened the Stawell Secondary College Consolidation project after the merging of the separate Wonga and Gold Reef Campuses.
The Gold Reef Campus is now the Grampians Community Health Centre.
