General News
We all either study or work, or are parents or family of those study or work, at one of the greatest schools in Victoria if not Australia. Nossal also includes former students, staff and friends of the school. Together with the Nossal Community.
Nossal High School is an outstanding State Government school, not only providing an adult learning environment where students regularly achieve excellent academic results, but also one that fosters exceptional community values that bring credit to the students and their families. Leading by his own inspiring example is the school’s namesake, Sir Gustav Nossal.
Sir Gustav Nossal
In a life dedicated to science and the service of others, Sir Gustav Nossal has served our nation well. He is one of Australia’s most celebrated scientists and research biologists, a pioneering researcher, his accomplishments in the field of antibody formation and immunology are world-renowned.
Born in Bad Ischl, Austria in 1931, he moved to Sydney with his family when he was eight years old to escape Nazi occupation. Unable to speak English, a young Sir Gus worked hard and graduated Dux of his secondary school before going on to study to be a doctor and researcher at the University of Sydney. After a short appointment at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, he moved to Melbourne and commenced working with Macfarlane Burnett in medical science at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. During this time, Sir Gus earned his PhD from the University of Melbourne.
Throughout his life, he has filled many important roles in a range of positions in the community. Among them, he has served as the Director of the Walter and Eliza Institute, President of the Australian Academy of Science, served as a member of the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council, and Chairman of the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation. For two years from 1998 to 2000, he was the Deputy Chairman of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation.
Internationally, Sir Gus has also served in a range of roles including: the Assistant Professor of Genetics at Stanford University, served at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, Chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Vaccine Program, been a special consultant to the World Health Organisation, and chaired the same organisation’s Global Program for Vaccines and Immunisation.
In 1970, Sir Gus was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire and then in 1977, he was knighted for his revolutionary discoveries in immunology. Sir Gus has since been the recipient of the ANZAAS Medal, the Companion of the Order of Australia, the Albert Einstein World Award of Science, the Koch Gold Medal, and in 1977 he was identified as one of Australia’s 100 Living National Treasures. In 2000, Sir Gustav Nossal was named Australian of the Year.
What an honour it is for all of us to be part of an educational community named after such a humble but inspirational world leader. Sir Gus is a quietly spoken man who enjoys nothing more than to attend functions at our school whenever he is able. He enjoys the opportunity to meet and chat with the students and staff and to have us all think deeply about important community issues.
So it is with great pleasure that Nossal High School announces a unique and historical project to honour Sir Gustav Nossal. A special fundraising program is to be run both within the school community and beyond with all funds raised, being directed to commissioning a life-sized bronze statue to be placed at the entrance to the school. The project will seek donations to make this a reality and all donations over $2.00 will attract a taxation deduction.
In future editions of the Nossal High School newsletter, we will be releasing more details about the project, but for now we ask that you consider how you could support this important focus to ‘Honour the Legend’.
16 & 17-Year-Olds Eligible for Third Covid-19 Dose
Bookings are now open for 16 to 17-year-olds who had their second dose three or more months ago to get their third COVID-19 vaccine dose. Third doses are available at your local GP, pharmacy and state-run vaccination hubs. Getting your third protects you from serious illness, and protects others.
Book an appointment at https://portal.cvms.vic.gov.au or call 1800 675 398 between 8am and 8pm, 7 days a week. More information on vaccination for young people: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccination-information-children-and-teenagers
ICAS Medal Winners
Congratulations and well done to our 2021
ICAS Medal winners!
ICAS is a world-renowned competition that students from Australia and international schools sit annually across six subject areas – English, Mathematics, Science, Spelling Bee, Writing and Digital Technologies. Students with the highest score in each year level, in each subject, are awarded an ICAS medal and a medal winner's certificate.
Zeana C - Year 9 - English
Kuhu S – Year 10 - English
Chandrima M - Year 11 - English
Hans T - Year 11 – Maths
Keep up to date with Nossal
Are you following our social media channels?
While we post notifications on Compass, send home emails and/or text messages when important events and information need to be shared with our families and community, and keep you informed about what has happened with our fortnightly newsletter, Nossal also has a number of social media pages which we use for reminders and also to share exciting news.
If you don't already follow us though one of these, please consider joining or liking our
pages and get all the reminders and news we share on social media!
Follow us at:
Did you know?
Did you know our newsletter can now be translated into a number of different languages? This is a relatively new feature of the software program we use and can be turned on or off using the language selector in the lower left corner of each page.