Gosford Public School was the first school in Gosford, established in 1865, over 130 years ago. It was a slab hut with a shingle roof, one half of which was used as the Roman Catholic Church.
In 1877 the school’s location was moved to the site at the top of Georgianna Terrace, overlooking scenic Brisbane Water.

It began with one teacher and 28 children, growing to its present enrolment of over 570 children.

Miss Honoria McGrath, 18 years old, was our first teacher, in charge of the school until the end of 1876.

Mr Henry Parsons became Headmaster in 1878, later to become proprietor of the “Gosford Times”.

In 1892 the new Headmaster’s son became the first boy of Gosford Public School to proceed to a high school. In order to do this, he had to travel to Sydney. It wasn’t until 1929 that Gosford High School opened for language students only. Other students continued on at Gosford “Rural” School until the high school’s expansion about ten years later.

Until 1926, classes were held in the basement of the School of Arts in Mann Street, Gosford. During this time, it offered high school, as well as infants and primary classes. Due to overcrowding, the basement of the School of Arts was used as a classroom until 1955. This “classroom” was below street level, and had no windows – allowing no natural light or air.

In 1936, the then Shire President, Mr Lillicrap, suggested that a new school would be desirable. However, it took another ten years for the new school plan to be drawn up and approved. Six years later, the new school was completed. It had three separate departments – boys (lower storey), girls (upper storey) and infants. At the time it was considered to be one of the most modern schools of its type, with the most modern amenities.

Only a few years after its completion, the total enrolment swelled to 900 children, and six portable classrooms were obtained to house the extra classes. These are still in use today.

Following is a list of Principals who have been Headmasters or Principals since the school’s inception:
1865 – Miss Honoria McGrath (later Mrs Coulter)
1878 – Henry Parsons
1887 – Charles Peck
1910 – Thomas Uren
1917 - Michale Mahoney
1917 – Leslie Wicks
1920 – H. G. Stoyles
1928 – Harold Nolan
1930 – George McCartney 1933 – George Walpole
1945 – Lloyd Gallagher (acting)
1951 – Thomas Colgan
1954 – Lloyd Gallagher
1971 – Harold Cairns
1978 – Bernard Mulcahy
1987 - Albert Manning
1999 – Gai McMurtrie
2001 – Alan Wort