.png)
Christ Church Grammar School
Whilst Christ Church Grammar School is not abandoned, its inclusion in the Perth History Database is still important. A lot of people appear to associate this database with abandoned buildings and demolition sites but history is just as important when it involves places that are still operating and shaping Perth today. Christ Church is one of those places. Beyond the school itself, the campus has become a recognisable part of Claremont and the Swan River foreshore, known for its historic buildings, open grounds, artwork and sporting facilities.
Unlike many schools across Perth that are fortified after hours, parts of Christ Church remain open and accessible outside school times. It means the place does not feel completely shut off, with people still able to walk around parts of the grounds, use the sporting ovals and appreciate the campus.
Its location in Claremont also says a lot. Fair or unfair, the western suburbs tend to be viewed as safer and better maintained and managed than many other areas of Perth, which likely plays a role in why parts of the campus remain publicly accessible without the same risk of vandalism, damage or heavy security measures.
October 2025
Early history
Established in 1910 as a small Anglican preparatory school for boys, Christ Church Grammar School was designed to prepare younger students academically and socially for entry into higher levels of private education under the traditional British schooling system.
What started out with only a handful of students in a parish hall has since grown into one of Perth’s oldest and most recognised private schools, sitting on a big riverside campus overlooking Freshwater Bay in Claremont. Over the past century, the school, also known as “Christ Church” or “CCGS”, built a reputation for producing generations of lawyers, politicians, business owners, athletes and military officers.
Former students have included premiers, judges, military officers, Olympians, AFL players, Australian cricketers and major business figures, including Richard Court (former Premier of Western Australia), Colin Barnett (former Premier of Western Australia), Dennis Lillee (Australian cricketer), Cameron Green (Australian cricketer), Basil Zempilas (media personality and Lord Mayor of Perth) and Luc Longley (Olympic basketball player).
During both World Wars, former students and staff enlisted for military service, with a large number serving overseas. Honour boards and memorial traditions became a major part of the school culture afterward.
At the same time, it also became known for the culture that comes with that type of school environment, including tradition, competition, networking and strong alumni ties that often continue long after students leave.
April 2026
Building an identity
Christ Church was heavily influenced by the English-style private school system, particularly the idea of developing “well-rounded” students rather than just focusing on academics. That meant sport, music, debating, cadets, rowing and leadership programs became just as important to the school’s identity as classroom results. Rowing especially became a major part of the culture due to the school’s location on the Swan River.
Over time the campus expanded with boarding facilities, chapels, science buildings, arts centres, sporting infrastructure and heritage-style architecture, helping shape the identity and reputation the school became known for. Students come from all across regional Western Australia, not just Perth’s western suburbs, to attend Christ Church. For decades, farming, mining and pastoral families from remote parts of the state have continued sending their sons there for education, often while living hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away.
The architecture and layout of the campus were deliberately designed to reflect older English-style private schools. Parts of the campus feel more like an old university or institutional estate than a normal modern school.
Prestige and perception
Despite the “Grammar School” name and Anglican background, the school today functions more like an independent education institution than a strict religious college. The church influence is still present through assemblies, values and traditions but most people associate the school more with prestige, connections, education standards and opportunity than religion itself.
Academically, Christ Church has consistently performed strongly in WA results and university pathways but a major part of the school’s public reputation was also built through sport. The school has become particularly well known through PSA competition, which are long-running private school sporting rivalries that dominate a lot of Perth’s elite school culture such as rowing, athletics, cricket, rugby and swimming. Rowing in particular became heavily tied to the school’s identity due to its Swan River location and long involvement in Head of the River competitions, to the point the rowing culture almost became its own subculture within the school.
At the same time, the school has faced the same criticisms often aimed at prestigious private schools in general, including elitism, exclusivity and the social divide between expensive private education and the wider public system.
April 2026
