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Mackay North State High School

Three reasons to choose us

  1. ​​​Access to the Whitsundays, Great Barrier Reef and rainforest areas​
  2. Friendly, safe and supportive community
  3. Wide range of subjects and extracurricular activities with outstanding educational outcomes
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Principal's welcome

​​​​​​Mackay North State High School has a proud tradition of educational excellence in the Mackay region. As a Band 11 school, we have an enrolment of over 1,300 students. Our dedicated staff are committed to high quality teaching and learning across the school from Years 7 to 12.

At North we believe every student has the opportunity to succeed. We offer students a range of pathways as they progress from Junior Secondary to Senior Secondary, and we have high expectations of our students, whichever pathway they commit to follow.

Our school values of respect, resilience and confidence are embedded into all facets of school life at North High. From our school wide well-being programs to our programs of academic excellence our students are always encouraged to strive for their best.

The Mackay North State High School community is proud of the achievements of our students and our staff. Our dedicated leadership team work together to ensure that our school offers the very best education to all students.

School overview

Number of students

Year school established

School website

Our school is located in the tropical Queensland coastal city of Mackay, approximately 1,000km north of Brisbane and 150km from the world-famous beachside community of Airlie Beach, gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsunday Islands.

Our school has a reputation for academic excellence and outstanding achievement in sport, music, and visual and performing arts. We are well resourced and able to offer an extensive range of subjects and extracurricular activities.

The Mackay region offers a wide variety of experiences, including boating, fishing, wildlife watching and cultural events. Enjoy weekends with your homestay family discovering our tropical rainforests coastal islands and wallabies at sunrise on our sandy beaches.

Our community is safe, welcoming and committed to ensuring a positive experience for our students. We invite you to join our international family.

EQI programs offered

HS
High School
RSA
Regional Study Abroad

Special programs

  • Marine Studies—including boating and field trips to local beaches, Mackay Harbour, the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsunday Islands.
  • Excellence in music and art programs
  • Highly regarded instrumental musical program​

Extracurricular activities

  • Chess competition, debating
  • Science Week activities, Opti MINDS
  • Readers' Cup, writing competitions
  • McDonalds' maths competition, Australasian Problem Solving Maths Olympiad (APSMO), Mathematics Challenge for Young Australians, ICAS and AMC maths competitions
  • Swimming, cross-country, athletics
  • Rugby league, hockey, volleyball, netball, soccer, rugby union, AFL, cricket, touch football
  • Marching band, cheer squad, string orchestra, stage band, senior concert band, drumline ensemble, show choir, folk ensemble
  • Mackay Regional Show—food and art competitions, May Fair art exhibition and competition, visiting artists
  • Rock-Pop-Mime
  • Dance troupe
  • Japanese trip, ski trip, Year 8 and 11 camps, Anzac Commemorative Tour (Gallipoli)
  • Sampling work experience​

School facilities

  • Health and physical education facilities include: a 25-metre swimming pool, extensive playing fields, a gym and a covered basketball court
  • Senior centre facilities include an auditorium, senior study room and an international room
  • Junior secondary precinct provides indoor and outdoor educational and recreational areas
  • Arts facilities include an art studio, performing arts area, music practice rooms and a dance floor
  • Vocational education facilities include a commercial kitchen and training restaurant, and engineering and building workshops

Tertiary pathways

  • CQ University (Mackay/Rockhampton)
  • James Cook University (Townsville/Cairns)
  • University of Queensland (Brisbane)
  • Griffith University (Gold Coast)
  • University of Sunshine Coast​
  • QUT (Brisbane)

Languages

  • ​Japanese

Homestay and accommodation

By living with an Australian host family international students become part of the local community and have a fantastic opportunity to practise their English in a safe and caring home environment.

Students have their own bedroom with study facilities, three meals a day, and access to transport to and from school, and to school activities.

Read more about homestay and accommodation options.

Holiday adventure programs

Holiday adventure programs are an exciting and safe way for students to travel and sightsee during school holidays.

All holiday adventures are fully guided and escorted by qualified teachers and staff to ensure student safety.

Find out more about our holiday adventure programs.

Contact details

Disclaimer

The information and data in this webpage is subject to change without notice. Before submitting your application, if you are interested in:

  • a particular subject, sport, program or extracurricular activity offered by an EQI school; or
  • particular school facilities;

please contact EQI or the school directly to confirm it will be offered and/or available in the year you intend to study.
Last updated 16 May 2025