200+ famous alumni: South Australia’s public schools name their best and brightest graduates
Where did some of South Australia’s elite get their start in life? We’ve compiled a list of our public schools’ most celebrated alumni.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
There’s nothing more ‘Adelaide’ than being asked where you went to school.
It’s a question we’ve all faced, but no doubt one that those who have gone on to fame and fortune hear more than the rest of us.
So where did our state’s famous faces - our sporting heroes, entertainment icons and political leaders - get their start in school footy sides, musical casts and debating teams?
The Advertiser enlisted the help of the Education Department and public schools to hit their archives and find out.
We’ve compiled hundreds of names you’re likely to recognise from our largest public schools.
Schools that have been around a long time, such as Adelaide High, have truly impressive lists.
But some younger ones have also produced formidable tallies of famous faces.
There’s bound to be some contention - several schools claimed footy star Shaun Burgoyne as their own, for example - but where possible we’ve tried to go with the school that each graduate attended last.
Culling the submissions schools made was also a challenge, as many put forward amazing achievers in an array of fields, but who aren’t necessarily household names. That’s a list for another day.
Dive into list below and see if your old school is featured and which famous faces, contemporary and historic, might have sat in the same classroom or played on the same oval as you did.
And tune in tomorrow for our list of SA’s most famous private school graduates.
SEE ALSO: THE FAMOUS FACES OF SA’S PRIVATE SCHOOLS
ABERFOYLE PARK HIGH
Adam Cooney (attended until 2003)
Adam Cooney won the Brownlow Medal in 2008. He played 219 AFL games for the Western Bulldogs from 2004-14, and 31 for Essendon.
Nathan Eagleton (NA, born 1978)
Nathan Eagleton played 56 games for Port Adelaide and 221 for the Western Bulldogs in a career from 1997-2010.
Ben Marsh (NA, born 1976)
Ben Marsh played 48 AFL games for Adelaide from 1998—2003, and seven more for Richmond. He was a premiership player in 1998.
Andy Strachan (attended until 2001)
Andy Strachan was drummer for Pollyanna and The Living End.
Brenton Sanderson (NA, born 1974)
Brenton Sanderson played 199 AFL games for Geelong from 1995-2005 after brief stints with Adelaide and Collingwood. He coached the Crows from 2012-14.
Beau Waters (attended until 2003)
Beau Waters played 120 AFL games for West Coast from 2004-14. He was a 2006 premiership player and All-Australian in 2012.
Caleb Daniel (attended until 2014)
Caleb Daniel has been a Western Bulldogs player since 2015 and was part of the 2016 premiership side.
ADELAIDE HIGH
Sir Mark Oliphant AC, KBE (NA, born 1901)
Physicist Mark Oliphant played an important role in the first experimental demonstration of nuclear fusion and in the development of nuclear weapons. His work sparked the Manhattan Project that led to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. He was Governor of SA from 1971-6.
Lynn Arnold (graduated 1965)
Lynn Arnold was a 1980s Labor minister and premier from 1992-3, taking over after John Bannon’s resignation following the State Bank collapse. He left politics in 1994. He became chief executive of World Vision Australia and later chief executive of Anglicare SA. He became an ordained priest in 2014.
Sia Furler (graduated 1992)
Recording artist Sia’s fame escalated when her sixth studio album, 1000 Forms of Fear, debuted at number one in the US Billboard 200 in 2014 and generated the top-10 single Chandelier and a trilogy of music videos starring child dancer Maddie Ziegler. In 2016, her seventh studio album This Is Acting spawned her first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single Cheap Thrills. She is known for hiding her face with a wig.
Haydn Bunton Jr (graduated) 1953)
Haydn Bunton played a combined 299 games in the SANFL (North Adelaide and Norwood) and WAFL, from 1954-70. He represented SA and WA 11 times each and is in both states’ football halls of fame. Bunton was All-Australian in 1956 while at North Adelaide. He captain-coached Swans District to three consecutive WAFL premierships from 1961-3, winning the Sandover Medal in 1962, and coached the same club to two more premierships in 1986 and 1988. He was in the Teams of the Century for both Subiaco and Swan Districts.
Ralph Clarke (graduated 1960)
Unionist Ralph Clarke was a state Labor MP from 1993-2002, rising to deputy opposition leader. He later became an Adelaide City councillor.
Steve Condous AM (graduated 1954)
Steve Condous was lord mayor from 1987 to 1993, before retiring to stand for state parliament. He was a Liberal MP between 1993 and 2002 in the seat of Colton.
Chantal Contouri (attended 1963-5)
Actor Chantal Contouri is best known for her role in the 1970s soap opera Number 96, as nurse Tracy Wilson, later revealed to be the serial killer known as the infamous “pantyhose strangler”. She later appeared in The Sullivans. Contouri also starred in several films.
John Dowie AM (graduated 1932)
Artist John Dowie’s work boasts more than 50 public sculpture commissions, including the Three Rivers fountain in Victoria Square, Alice in Rymill Park, and the Sir Ross & Sir Keith Smith Memorial at Adelaide Airport.
Steve Georganas (attended 1972-4)
Steve Georganas held the federal seat of Hindmarsh for Labor from 2004-13. He recaptured the seat in 2016. Georganas ran for the seat of Adelaide at the 2019 election and is still the member.
Margaret Glazbrook (NA)
Adelaide TV presenter Margaret Glazbrook hosted local morning show Touch Of Elegance from 1979-89, alongside Pam Ellis for most of that time. Her interviewees included Sir David Attenborough and John Travolta.
Eleni Glouftsis (NA)
Eleni Glouftsis was the first woman to field umpire an AFL-sanctioned match, a 2016 NAB Challenge game. In 2017 she was the first woman to field umpire a home-and-away AFL match. She was 2019 SA Young Australian of the Year.
Ron Haddrick AM (attended 1942-44)
Stage and screen actor Ron Haddrick received an Equity Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 for his performing, leadership and mentoring in the industry. He was also a cricketer, making three Sheffield Shield appearances for SA in the 1950s.
Anne Haddy (graduated 1947)
Actor Anne Haddy was best known for her TV soap roles as Alice Hemmings in cult series Prisoner, Rosie Andrews on Sons and Daughters and matriarch Helen Daniels in Neighbours.
Bob Hank (attended 1936-9)
Bob Hank played 224 SANFL games for West Torrens from 1944-58. He was a premiership player in 1945 and 1953, longtime captain, nine-time club best and fairest, two-time Magarey Medal winner, and All-Australian in 1953. He played 27 state games for SA and is in the state and national football halls of fame.
Don Hopgood (graduated 1956)
Labor’s Don Hopgood was deputy premier from 1985-92 and an MP from 1970-93. He was moderator of the Synod of South Australia of the Uniting Church from 1997-99. He first became a Labor frontbencher in 1973.
Tom Koutsantonis (graduated 1988)
Tom Koutsantonis has been a state Labor MP since 1997. He served in a range of ministerial portfolios when Labor was in power from 2002-18 and rose to become treasurer in the Weatherill Cabinet. He is currently Transport and Infrastructure Minister.
Graham Ingerson (graduated 1958)
Liberal Graham Ingerson held the state seat of Bragg from 1983-2002. He held many ministerial portfolios and was deputy premier from 1996-8. He later became a lobbyist.
Dean Jaensch (graduated 1954)
Dean Jaensch was a political scientist and Flinders University professor. He was a prominent public commentator, writing columns for The Advertiser and appearing on ABC radio.
Robert Lawson QC (graduated 1962)
Robert Lawson was a Liberal MLC from 1993-2010. He held many ministerial and shadow ministerial portfolios. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel before entering politics.
Frances Nelson QC (graduated 1960)
Barrister Frances Nelson QC is the longtime head of the SA Parole Board. She is also chairwoman of Thoroughbred Racing SA and was chairwoman of Racing Australia.
Margaret Nyland AM (graduated 1959)
Margaret Nyland is a retired SA Supreme Court judge. She was the second woman to rise to the position after Dame Roma Mitchell. She was part of the first all-female Court of Criminal Appeal in 2005. She oversaw the Child Protection Systems Royal Commission established in 2014.
Jeff Pash (graduated 1934)
Jeff Pash was the 1939 Magarey Medal winner and played 137 SANFL games for North Adelaide from 1938-49. His last game was in the winning 1949 grand final side. He is in the SA Football Hall of Fame.
Greig Pickhaver (graduated 1965)
Comedian, writer and actor Greig Pickhaver forms half of the Australian satirical sports duo Roy and HG as the excitable announcer H.G. Nelson. With John Doyle as Rampaging Roy Slaven, their This Sporting Life radio show ran nationally for 22 years from 1986 and led to TV spin-offs including The Dream with Roy and HG during the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympics. Pickhaver has written eight books.
Lois Ramsay (NA, born 1922)
Actor Lois Ramsay was best known for her performances on series The Box and Prisoner, but also Homicide, The Sullivans and Cop Shop, as well as A Country Practice, Home And Away, Blue Heelers and the film Crackerjack.
Chris Sumner (graduated 1960)
Chris Sumner became a Labor MLC in 1975 and Attorney-General in 1979. He held various other ministerial and shadow ministerial portfolios and resigned from the Legislative Council in 1994.
Gladys Sym Choon (attended 1919-21)
In 1928 Miss Gladys Sym Choon was the first woman to incorporate a business in South Australia. To this day the Rundle St fashion shop that bears her name is an Adelaide retail institution.
Grant Tambling AM (graduated 1960)
The Country Liberal Party’s Grant Tambling served as the member for the Northern Territory electorate in the House of Representatives from 1980 to 1983. He was then a senator for the NT from 1987-2001. He was Administrator of Norfolk Island from 2003-07.
Norma Thrower (graduated 1951)
Hurdler Norma Thrower won Olympic bronze in Melbourne 1956. She won Commonwealth gold in 1958 in Cardiff.
Phyl Skinner OAM (attended 1935-6)
Actor Phyl Skinner was chosen by the legendary Roy ‘Mo’ Rene to stooge for him in sketches. She toured with vaudeville shows and acted, directed and choreographed for most Adelaide theatre companies in a career spanning nine decades.
Lou Vincent (attended 1993-6)
Lou Vincent was an opening batsman for New Zealand who played 23 Tests and 102 ODIs, and first-class cricket in NZ and the UK. He received a lifetime ban for match fixing from the England and Wales Cricket Board in 2014.
AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE AND MATHS SCHOOL
Emma Hough Hobbs (graduated 2014)
Emma Hough Hobbs is an animator and film maker who was awarded the Young Inspirational Filmmaker award at the 2018 Fleurieu Film Festival, the Hanlon Larsen Screen Fellowship, and has twice been nominated for Best Production Design at the SASA Awards. Emma has also worked on television shows including Anna Kokkinos’ The Hunting on SBS and Tim Minchin’s Upright series on Foxtel.
Jakub Jankowski (graduated 2011)
Jakub Jankowski is a chamber and orchestral music composer whose work has been played by prominent musicians internationally and in Australia.
BANKSIA PARK INTERNATIONAL HIGH
Jo Hill (NA, born 1973)
Jo Hill won Olympic silver in basketball with the Opals in Sydney 2000. She played more than 300 WNBL games, most notably for Adelaide Lightning in the 1990s where she was a four-time championship player. She also played in Europe.
Grant Stevens (NA)
Grant Stevens has been SA’s police commissioner since 2015. He had been deputy commissioner from 2012 and assistant commissioner from 2005.
Luke Brown (attended 2006-10)
Luke Brown is a reliable small defender for the Adelaide Crows. He debuted in 2012 and has played more than 135 games.
Nicole Haack (NA)
Nicole Haack was an afternoon radio host on FIVEaa for four years in the 2000s. She now runs a PR firm.
Tom Rehn (attended 1996-99)
Tom Rehn is an Adelaide sports presenter on Nine News.
Peter Ladhams (graduated 2014)
Plays football for the Sydney Swans AFL and formerly Port Adelaide.
Taras Gomulka (graduated 2020)
Plays soccer for Melbourne City.
Laura Johns (graduated 2012)
Played for women’s Adelaide United soccer team.
BERRI REGIONAL SECONDARY COLLEGE (FORMERLY GLOSSOP HIGH SCHOOL)
Kaiden Brand (graduated 2011)
Kaiden Brand, drafted from West Adelaide via his home club of Berri. Selected by the Hawthorn Football Club and played 43 games for the Hawks before selection by Sydney 2019, returning to West Adelaide in 2021.
Nicola Centofanti MLC (graduated 1999)
She was Leader of the Opposition in the South Australian Legislative Council, Shadow Minister for Regional South Australia, Shadow Minister for Primary Industries and Shadow Minister for Water Resources and the River Murray. Prior to joining parliament Nicola was vice-president of the state division of the Liberal Party.
Karri McMahon (graduated 2009)
Karri McMahon was a member of the Australian Hockey League, played over 150 International games for Australia.
Rebecca Richards (graduated 2004)
Rebecca Richards was Australia’s first Indigenous Rhodes Scholar.
Rhys Stanley (graduated 2008)
AFL player at St Kilda (2009 – 2014), before moving to Geelong Football Club in 2015.
BLACKWOOD HIGH
Terence Tao (attended until 1986/7)
Mathematics prodigy Terence Tao took on university-level courses from the age of nine. He was the first Australian and the youngest person to win the Fields Medal in 2006 (regarded as the highest global award in the field of mathematics). He also won the 2014 Breakthrough Prize in mathematics and has published hundreds of research papers. He became the University of California Los Angeles’ youngest-ever full professor at the age of 24.
Susan Close (graduated 1984)
Susan Close is Deputy Premier of South Australia. She was previously education minister from 2015-18.
Chloe Fox (attended until 1987)
Chloe Fox held the state seat of Bright from 2006-14 for the Labor Party. She became SA’s transport services minister. She previously had worked as a journalist at The Advertiser, and is the daughter of author Mem Fox. After politics Chloe returned to her second love; secondary school teaching.
Rebecca Morse (attended until 1993)
Rebecca Morse is a Ten News newsreader. She presents the weekday 5pm bulletin. She was Journalist of the Year at the SA Media Awards in 2005.
Peter Rathjen (attended until 1980)
Scientist Peter Rathjen was vice-chancellor of Adelaide University. He was previous VC of the University of Tasmania.
Beccy Cole (NA, born 1972)
Beccy Cole is a country music singer-songwriter who has released 10 studio albums. She has received nine Golden Guitar trophies at the CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia.
Bianca Reddy (attended until 2000)
Bianca Reddy was a defender for the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the 2000s.
Brenton Ragless (attended until 1993)
Brenton Ragless presents the 6pm Nine News Adelaide bulletin and has filled in as host of the national early morning show Today.
Ben Rutten (attended until 2000)
Ben Rutten played 229 AFL games for the Adelaide Crows from 2003-14. he was All-Australian in 2005 and also coached Essendon in the AFL.
BRIGHTON SECONDARY
Georgia Bevan (graduated 2011)
Georgia Bevan was a member of the Adelaide Crows’ inaugural AFLW premiership-winning team in 2017.
Matthew Bode (graduated 1990s)
Matthew Bode played 108 AFL games (29 for Port Adelaide, 79 for Adelaide) from 1998-2007.
Janeen Brian (attended 1961-5)
Janeen Brian is a writer of children’s books. In 2016 she launched her 100th book.
Alex Carey (graduated 2009)
Alex Carey is the co-vice-captain of the Australian team in ODI and T20 International cricket. He is a wicketkeeper who plays for SA and the Adelaide Strikers.
Abby Coleman (attended 1990s)
Abby Coleman is a radio presenter and comedian who first rose to fame by finishing runner-up on the first season of the Australian version of The Mole as an 18-year-old in 2000.
Nicole Seekamp (attended 2007-8)
Basketballer Nicole Seekamp won Commonwealth Games gold in 2018 with the Opals on the Gold Coast. She has played for Adelaide Lightning in the WNBL, and in the Polish league.
Chris McDermott (graduated 1981)
Chris McDermott was the inaugural captain of the Adelaide Crows, playing 117 games from 1991-6. He was three times All-Australian and named in the first Adelaide Team of the Decade. He also played 227 SANFL games for Glenelg, captained SA eight times, and is in the SA Football Hall of Fame. Post-football he set up the McGuinness-McDermott Foundation.
Tony McGuinness (graduated 1981)
Tony McGuinness played 109 AFL games for Footscray and 113 for the Adelaide Crows. He captained Adelaide in 1995-6. He was named in the first Adelaide Team of the Decade. He also played 103 SANFL games for Glenelg and is in the SA Football Hall of Fame. He was three times All-Australian and won the Magarey Medal in 1982.
Stephen Kernahan (NA, born 1963)
Stephen Kernahan won two VFL/AFL premierships with Carlton in 1987 and 1995. He was three-times club best and fairest, 11 times leading goalkicker, and captain from 1987-97. He was twice All-Australian and made Carlton’s Team of the Century. He was also three times Glenelg best and fairest in the SANFL. He is in the SA and national football halls of fame.
Bryce Gibbs (graduated 2006)
Bryce Gibbs played more than 250 AFL games, mostly for Carlton (best and fairest for the Blues in 2014) before switching to Adelaide in 2018.
Aleesha Rome (NA, born 1981)
Pop singer Aleesha Rome released her debut album in 2000 before relocating to London and performing under the name Ivy York.
Matt Tarrant (attended until 2000)
International magician and mentalist Matt Tarrant finished fifth on Australian Survivor in 2017.
Gary Sweet (graduated 1975)
Gary Sweet is Australian TV royalty, known for his roles in Bodyline, Police Rescue, Big Sky, Stingers and House Husbands. He won two Silver Logies for his work on Police Rescue. He was inducted into the Australian Film Walk of Fame in 2011.
Rececca Sanders (attended until 1983)
Netballer Rebecca Sanders made 51 appearances for Australia from 1998-2003. She twice won Commonwealth Games gold (plus a World Cup) and won two premierships with the Adelaide Thunderbirds.
Sam Simmons (attended until 1989)
Sam Simmons had Fringe shows and his TV appearances including Squinters and Dirty Laundry Live. In 2015 he won the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Comedy Award. In February 2019 he announced he was quitting comedy to focus on his family.
Corey Wingard (NA)
Liberal state MP Corey Wingard was police and sport minister in the Marshall government. He was previously a TV sports presenter.
Sam Willoughby (graduated 2009)
Sam Willoughby won Olympic silver in BMX in London 2012. He also won his first senior BMX world championship in May 2012, which made him number one in the world. A training run crash in 2016 left him a C6 incomplete quadriplegic.
Rachael Leahcar (NA, born 1994)
Vision-impaired singer and songwriter Rachael Leahcar shot to fame when she placed third in The Voice Australia in 2012.
COOMANDOOK AREA SCHOOL
Abbie Ballard (2007 – 2019)
Made her AFLW debut for Adelaide against West Coast in round three 2022.
Martin Mattner (1987 – 2000)
Played AFL for the Sydney Swans and Adelaide Crows. In October 2015, Mattner was announced as the head coach of Sturt Football Club.
Georgia Seidel (2002 – 2015)
Georgia was a member of the Australian Junior Rowing team for two consecutive years and was then accepted to Harvard University where she completed an undergraduate degree in psychology and anthropology and also rowed for the varsity team.
CRAIGMORE HIGH
Elvis Kamsoba (attended until 2014)
Elvis Kamsoba signed for A-League club Melbourne Victory on an 18-month contract in January 2019.
EASTERN FLEURIEU R-12 (AND PREDECESSORS)
Rebekah McMahon (graduated 2005)
Rebekah McMahon captained Norwood to the inaugural SANFL Women’s League premiership in 2018.
Simon Fairweather (attended 1982-6)
Archer Simon Fairweather won Olympic gold in Sydney 2000. He was a five-time Olympian.
He won World Championship gold in Poland in 1991 and was Young Australian of the Year that year. He is a Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductee.
Michael Roeger (graduated 2005)
Michael Roeger competed at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Paralympics in athletics. He won bronze in Rio 2016 and gold and three bronze across several IPC Athletics World Championships. He set a world record for the T46 marathon in London in 2019.
Ken Blake (attended 1959-60)
Ken Blake was one Australia’s greatest motorcycle racers of the 1970s. He was killed in the Isle of Man race in 1981 in what was supposed to be his last race before retirement.
GAWLER AND DISTRICT COLLEGE B-12
Max Fatchen AM (attended until 1938)
Max Fatchen was a journalist with The News and later The Advertiser (penning a much-loved column), covering many major stories in Australia and overseas. He was also a children’s writer, poet and novelist. He wrote 20 books: The River Kings and Conquest of the River were the basis for the TV miniseries The River Kings in 1991.
Simon Birmingham (NA, born 1974)
Simon Birmingham has been a Liberal senator since 2007. He was education minister in the Turnbull government before becoming trade minister in the Morrison government.
Alan Hickinbotham AM (NA, born 1925)
Alan Hickinbotham in 1954 founded the Hickinbotham Group, which became one of Australia’s largest building companies, developing over 50 community estates in Adelaide. He played football briefly for Geelong and captain-coached South Adelaide.
Glenn Shorrock (attended until 1959)
Singer-songwriter Glenn Shorrock was a founding member of Little River Band and The Twilights, among others. He was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 1991 and as a member of Little River Band in 2004.
Clyde Cameron (attended until 1927)
Clyde Cameron was a member of the Australian House of Representatives for 31 years from 1949 to 1980, a Cabinet minister in the Whitlam government and a leading figure in the Australian labour movement.
Lisa Ondieki (attended until 1977)
Marathon runner Lisa Ondieki won the 1988 Olympic silver medal in Seoul and two Commonwealth Games gold medals. She is in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and the Athletics Australia Hall of Fame.
Darren Lehmann (attended until 1987)
Batsman Darren Lehmann played 27 Tests and 117 ODIs for Australia. He compiled 25,795 runs in first-class cricket. He also coached Australia until the ball-tampering scandal of March, 2018.
GLENUNGA INTERNATIONAL HIGH
William Henzell (attended 1994-6)
William Henzell is generally regarded as the best table tennis player Australia has produced. His highest international ranking was 90 in 2012. He secured Australia’s first Commonwealth Games table tennis singles medal with silver in 2006. He was a three-time Olympian, finishing 17th in London 2012.
Cameron Wood (graduated 2004)
Cameron Wood played 88 AFL games for Brisbane, Collingwood and Carlton from 2005-16.
Finn Krukmeyer (graduated 1998)
Playwright Finegan Krukmeyer has had 89 commissioned plays performed on five continents and translated into eight languages. His 35 awards include the 2015 David Williamson Award for Excellence in Australian Playwrighting.
Leanne Choo (graduated 2008)
Leanne Choo represented Australia in badminton at the 2012 London Olympics and has won numerous Oceania titles in doubles and mixed doubles.
GOLDEN GROVE HIGH
Reece Mastin (attended until 2011)
Reece Mastin won the third season of The X Factor Australia in 2011. He has since released three albums and an EP and had two number-one hits.
Shane Edwards (graduated 2006)
Shane Edwards has played more than 230 AFL games for Richmond and was All-Australian in 2018 and a premiership player in 2017.
Sara West (graduated 2006)
Actor Sara West is best known for playing Liza Minnelli in the 2015 TV miniseries Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door.
GRANT HIGH
Kyam Maher (graduated 1990)
Current Attorney-General Kyam Maher has sat in the Legislative Council since 2012. He was a Cabinet minister from 2015-18. His previous portfolios were Aboriginal affairs, manufacturing and innovation, and automotive transformation.
Jess Beck (graduated 2001)
Jess Beck fronts Sydney indie band Pirra, which has had good exposure on Triple J and Double J.
Adam Page (attended until 1996)
Musician and composer Adam Page has performed at festivals including WOMADelaide, Big Day Out and Glastonbury in the UK. He has composed major works for the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and collaborated with the Australian String Quartet, Katie Noonan, Noel Gallagher and many more.
KADINA MEMORIAL SCHOOL
John Olsen AO (NA, born 1945)
Liberal John Olsen was premier of SA from 1996-2001. He was opposition leader from 1982-90. After politics he worked as a diplomat and lobbyist. He became the state president of the SA Liberals in 2017. He has also had senior roles with the SANFL and SA Football Commission and is President of the Adelaide Crows.
Sir Lynton Crosby AO (attended 1969-73)
Political strategist Lynton Crosby oversaw the federal Liberals’ successful 1996, 1998, 2001 and 2004 federal election campaigns. He became federal director of the party in 1997 and started consultancy Crosby Textor Group in 2002. He has since run multiple campaigns for the Conservatives in Britain.
Richard Champion (attended 1983-7)
Richard Champion played 183 AFL games for Brisbane from 1991-2000. He was originally from SANFL club Woodville.
Cameron Sutcliffe (attended until 2009)
Cameron Sutcliffe played 104 AFL games for Fremantle from 2012-18.
Grace Bowman (graduated 2008)
Grace Bowman was a Paralympian equestrian in both Beijing 2008 and London 2012, and was featured on the ABC’s Race to London.
MARDEN SENIOR COLLEGE
The students below either attended Marden Senior College for Year 13 or during Year 12 while they were also enrolled at other schools.
Amanda-Jade Wellington (Cricket) 2014
Chloe Moran (Cycling) 2014
Clay Stephens (Gymnastics) 2012
Kyle Chalmers (Swimming) 2014 and 2015
Lauren Mansfield (Basketball) 2006
Maeve Plouffe (Cycling) 2016.
Matthew Glaetzer (Cycling) 2011 and 2012
Christopher McHugh (Beach Volleyball) 2006
Tess Madgen (Basketball) 2007
Anthony Dean (BMX) 2008
Annette (Nettie) Edmondson (Cycling) 2009
Stephanie Talbot (Basketball) 2010
Matthew Glaetzer (Cycling) 2010 and 2011
Isobel Batt-Doyle (Athletics) 2012
Kurtis Marschall (Athletics) 2013
Emily Abbot (Rhythmic Gymnastics) 2013
Alex Hoberg (Shooting) 2020
MARRYATVILLE HIGH
Callum Ferguson (NA, born 1984)
Callum Ferguson has represented Australia in all three forms of international cricket, albeit playing only one Test. He played 30 ODIs and has scored more than 8000 first-class runs. He was named in Cricket Australia’s 2018 Sheffield Shield Team of the Year.
Tilda Cobham-Hervey (NA, born 1994)
Tilda Cobham-Hervey made her film debut in 52 Tuesdays (2014), and has appeared in several more movies. She played Kitty in the six-part TV series F***ing Adelaide, aired on the ABC.
Sam Duluk (NA)
Was a Liberal and independent member of the South Australian House of Assembly from 2015 to 2022, representing Davenport until 2018 and Waite until the 2022 election.
Catherine Lambert (NA)
Singer Catherine Lambert was a regular weekly segment presenter on Channel 9’s Adelaide Today and was a breakfast announcer on radio KAFM. She performed on many TV variety shows and also appeared in the films Lost in Translation and Peaches, in addition to her onstage career.
Miriam Gordon-Stewart (NA)
Soprano Miriam Gordon-Stewart has performed more than 40 leading roles at major opera houses around the world including the Sydney Opera House.
James Muller (NA)
James Muller is a jazz guitarist. The James Muller Trio won the 2000 ARIA Award for Best Jazz Album with All Out. Muller was nominated for the same award on two other occasions.
MODBURY HIGH
Phil Rogers (NA, born 1971)
Three-time Olympian Phil Rogers was Australia’s best male breaststroker of his generation.
He won bronze in the 100m breaststroke in Barcelona 1992 and in the men’s 4x100m medley relay in Atlanta 1996. He also won two Commonwealth Games gold medals.
Paul Puopolo (attended 2001-3)
Paul Puopolo has played more than 175 AFL games for Hawthorn since 2011 and is a three-time premiership player.
Michael Marrone (attended 1999-2004)
Michael Marrone has played more than 200 A-League soccer games since 2009 for Adelaide United and Melbourne Heart. He was part of Adelaide United’s 2015-16 premiership and championship sides.
Mitch Grigg (attended 2006-8)
Mitch Grigg won consecutive Magarey Medals with SANFL side Norwood in 2017 and 2018. He played 20 games for the Adelaide Crows from 2013-16.
MOUNT GAMBIER HIGH
Matthew Clarke (attended until 1990)
Matthew Clarke played 258 AFL games for Brisbane, Adelaide and St Kilda from 1993-2007. He coaches the Adelaide Crows AFLW team.
Nick Daffy (attended until 1990)
Nick Daffy played 164 AFL games for Richmond from 1992-2000. He was club best and fairest in 1998.
Jack Ellis (attended until 2004)
Actor Jack Ellis’ credits include A Place to Call Home and Home And Away on TV, and movie The Debt Collector.
MURRAY BRIDGE HIGH
Jacqui Delaney (graduated 1991)
Jacqui Delaney played in the Australian netball team from 1997-2002, retiring after winning the gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. She was also in World Championship-winning sides and was a dual-premiership player with the Adelaide Thunderbirds.
Brooke Krueger-Billett (graduated 1993)
Hammer thrower Brooke Krueger-Billett won gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. She also competed at the 2004 Olympics.
Steve Foster (graduated 1964)
Steve Foster was a giant of the Australian folk music scene in the 1960s and ‘70s. He recorded his first 45 before leaving school. His album Coming Home in a Jar was released in 1972. He died in 2018 and is in the SA Music Hall of Fame.
NORWOOD MORIALTA HIGH
Neil Craig (NA, born 1956)
Neil Craig played 319 games SANFL games for Norwood, Sturt and North Adelaide and 11 state games for SA. He played in two Norwood premierships, later coaching the club and also becoming a sports scientist specialising in elite cycling. He coached the Adelaide Crows in the AFL from 2004-11.
Richard Fidler (graduated 1981)
Richard Fidler was a member of the Doug Anthony Allstars. He presented TV shows including Race Around the World, Aftershock, Mouthing Off and Vulture. He is now known for his hour-long interview program Conversations with Richard Fidler on ABC radio. He has also written several books.
Nathan Bassett (graduated 1994)
Nathan Bassett played 210 AFL games for the Adelaide Crows from 1998-2008 and was All-Australian in 2006. He coached Norwood to back-to-back SANFL premierships in 2012-13. He is now an assistant coach with AFL side Port Adelaide.
Orazio Fantasia (graduated 2013)
Orazio Fantasia played in Norwood’s 2013 SANFL premiership side in only his fourth game. He made his AFL debut for Essendon in 2014 and now plays for Port Adelaide.
Lily Nova (graduated 2016)
Lily Nova is an international model who has walked for Gucci and many other famous labels and appeared on the cover of Vogue.
Anthony LaPaglia (attended 1972-77)
Anthony LaPaglia starred in Australian films Looking for Alibrandi, Holding the Man, Lantana, Balibo and A Month of Sundays, which was set in Adelaide. On US TV he starred as FBI agent Jack Malone on Without a Trace, for which he won a Golden Globe.
Stefan Welch (graduated 2006)
Baseballer Stefan Welch played for the Adelaide Bite in the Australian Baseball League from 2010-17. When he retired, he led the club all-time in games (284), hits (258), runs (160), home runs (35) and RBI (169). He also played in US minor leagues.
Kate Collins (graduated 2001)
Since 2011 Kate Collins has presented the 6pm Adelaide bulletin for Nine News.
Stephen Yarwood (graduated 1989)
Stephen Yarwood was lord mayor from 2010-14, the term in which the council undertook major redevelopments of Rundle Mall and Victoria Square. He now works as an “urban futurist”.
Houssam Abiad (graduated 1996)
Entrepreneur Houssam Abiad was a deputy lord mayor and served on Adelaide City council from 2010 to 2019. He founded the controversial Team Adelaide which dominates the council and has strong links to the Liberal Party.
NURIOOTPA HIGH
Shannon Hurn (attended 2001-5)
Shannon Hurn captained the West Coast Eagles to AFL premiership glory in 2018. He has played more than 250 games since 2006. He was All-Australian in 2018. In the SANFL he was part of Central District’s 2004 and 2005 premiership sides.
Callum Hann (attended 2003-7)
Callum Hann was 2010 MasterChef runner-up. In 2011 he started his own cooking school, Sprout Cooking.
Kellie Sloane (attended 1985-9)
Journalist Kellie Sloane was a longstanding newsreader of Nine News national bulletins, from early mornings to Nightline. She was appointed CEO of Life Education NSW in 2015.
Justin Westhoff (attended 2000-4)
Justin Westhoff played 280 games for Port Adelaide in the AFL and was one of the league’s most versatile players. He debuted in 2007.
Brad Henderson (attended 2004-8)
Para-cyclist Brad Henderson won two bronze medals at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
PLAYFORD INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE (AND PREDECESSORS INCLUDING ELIZABETH HIGH)
Rear-Admiral Kevin Scarce AC CSC (Attended 1965-7)
Kevin Scarce was Governor of South Australia from 2007-14. In his military career he rose to the rank of rear admiral and was head of maritime systems at the Defence Materiel Organisation. He headed the nuclear fuel cycle royal commission and is Adelaide University chancellor.
Jimmy Barnes (Attended for one year, 1970 or 1971)
As the lead singer of Cold Chisel and a solo act, Jimmy Barnes is one of the most popular and best-selling Australian music artists of all time. He is in the ARIA Hall of Fame.
Simon Bryant (Attended 1980-83 approx.)
Simon Bryant featured alongside Maggie Beer on the ABC TV show The Cook and the Chef. He worked for more than a decade at Hilton Adelaide. He was Restaurant and Catering Association (SA) Chef of the Year in 2008.
Scott Neeson (attended 1972-75)
Hollywood executive Scott Neeson was president of 20th Century Fox International before ditching his high-flying career to found and run the Cambodian Children’s Fund.
PORT LINCOLN HIGH
Chris Kourakis (NA, born 1958)
Chris Kourakis has been chief justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia since 2012. He was previously solicitor-general and Law Society president.
REYNELLA EAST COLLEGE
Brett Maher (graduated 1990)
Brett Maher was a three-time NBL championship winner with the Adelaide 36ers. He played from 1992-2009 for the Sixers, who retired his number five singlet. He was a three-time Olympian, four-time NBL All-Star, three-time All-NBL First Team and two-time NBL Grand Final MVP.
Michael Doughty (graduated 1996)
Michael Doughty played 231 games for the Adelaide Crows from 2000-12. He then became a player-manager.
Brayden Davidson OAM (graduated 2015)
Brayden Davidson won gold in the long jump in the T36 classification at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, with a jump of 5.62m, a personal best by 11cm. He has twice won bronze at world championship level.
Ben Wigmore (graduated 1999)
Ben Wigmore won Olympic silver with the Australian baseball team at the 2004 Athens Games.
Jimmy Harrington (graduated 2010)
Jimmy Harrington walked 18,000km around Australia to honour the memory of Emily Crook, a girl who lost her battle to cancer. He raised $250,000 for childhood cancer research.
Peta Scholz (graduated 1992)
Scholz made 54 appearances for the Australian netball team from 1999—2004. She spent 11 seasons with the Adelaide Thunderbirds until 2007, winning two championships.
SALISBURY HIGH
Shane Bond (attended until 1991)
Originally from Port Adelaide in the SANFL, Shane Bond played 34 AFL games for West Coast and 57 for Port Adelaide from 1994-2000.
Wayne Milera (attended until 2015)
Originally from Central District in the SANFL, Wayne Milera is a current Adelaide Crow.
Sean Lemmens (NA)
Sean Lemmens has been with the Gold Coast Suns in the AFL since 2014. He made the Indigneous All Stars team in 2015. He previously played for Port Adelaide in the SANFL.
David Pisoni (attended 1976-9)
David Pisoni has held the seat of Unley for the Liberals since 2006. He was minister for industry and skills in the Marshall government.
Angelo Costanzo (attended until 1994)
Angelo Costanzo was named in Adelaide United’s first Team of the Decade. He won an A-League premiership with the club in 2005-6 and made six appearances for the Socceroos.
SEAFORD SECONDARY COLLEGE
Dion Atkinson (attended until 2003)
Dion Atkinson claimed a spot on the World Surf League’s Championship Tour in 2014, and won World Rookie of the Year in his debut season. He won the Australian Open in 2016.
SEATON HIGH
Shaun Burgoyne (graduated 2003)
Shaun Burgoyne has played more than 350 AFL games for Port Adelaide and Hawthorn.
Erin Phillips (graduated 2005)
Erin Phillips played for the Adelaide Crows and twice won the AFLW best and fairest medal. In basketball, with the Opals she won silver at the 2008 Olympics and gold at the 2006 World Championships. She played for five WNBA teams and claimed two WNBA championships. She currently plays for the Port Adelaide AFLW team, after switching from the Crows in 2022.
THEBARTON SENIOR COLLEGE
Sir Eric Neal (born 1924)
Sir Eric Neal was SA’s governor from 1996-2001 and Flinders University chancellor from 2002-10. The businessman spent 14 years as CEO of Boral.
THE HEIGHTS SCHOOL
Heath Grundy (graduated 2003)
Heath Grundy has played more than 250 AFL games for the Sydney Swans and was a premiership player in 2012.
Matthew Wright (graduated 2007)
Matthew Wright played more than 150 AFL games for Adelaide and Carlton. He debuted in a Showdown in 2011 and retired at the end of the 2018 season.
Will McDonald (NA)
Will McDonald presents Nine’s 4pm weekday afternoon news bulletin, and Nine News at 6pm on weekends.
Jordan O’Doherty (attended 2015)
Soccer player Jordan O’Doherty signed a three-year contract with Western Sydney Wanderers in June 2018, after playing with Adelaide United since 2016.
Manal Younus (graduated 2009)
Originally from Eritrea now based in South Australia, she uses her writing and performance to create experiences that encourage audiences to join her in asking questions of themselves and the world around them. Manal is the associate director at ActNow Theatre and serves as the Deputy Chair of the Writers SA board.
James Willis (graduated 2021)
Plays AFL for Geelong.
Demi Lardner (graduated 2011)
Lardner won Adelaide Comedy’s Rising Starr Award for Best Newcomer in 2010. In 2013, she won the Raw Comedy national competition and earned a place in that year’s So You Think You’re Funny? competition at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which she won in a tie. Lardner co-wrote and performed in Wolf Creek, The Musical, which won BankSA’s Best Emerging Comedy Show Award at Adelaide Fringe. That year she also won Adelaide Comedy’s Out of Adelaide award and was nominated for their Adelaide Comedian of the Year award.
UNLEY HIGH
Julia Gillard (attended until 1978)
Julia Gillard was prime minister of Australia from 2010-13. She was the first and to date only woman to hold the positions of deputy prime minister, prime minister and leader of a major party in federal parliament.
Dean Brown (attended until 1960)
Liberal Dean Brown was premier of SA from 1993 to 1996. He became premier when he led the party to a landslide win at the 1993 state election, and lost the office in a leadership challenge by John Olsen in November 1996.
Mark Butler (attended until 1986)
Labor’s Mark Butler was federal Port Adelaide MP since 2007. He was environment and climate change minister in the second Rudd ministry and is currently Minister for Health and Aged Care. He contested Hindmarsh at the 2019 election after the seat of Port Adelaide was abolished.
Leon Carmen (NA, born 1949)
Author Leon Carmen is best known for the hoax that resulted from his writing My Own Sweet Time (1994) under the pseudonym Wanda Koolmatrie. The fact a white Australian taxi driver wrote a supposed autobiographical account of an Aboriginal woman who was part of the Stolen Generation caused a scandal.
Tom Casey (NA, born 1921)
Labor’s Tom Casey sat in the SA parliament from 1960-1979, first as the MP for Frome, then in the Legislative Council. He became minister for agriculture and forests, tourism, recreation and sport, land and repatriation.
Oscar Forman (attended until 2000)
Oscar Forman was a 2002 NBL championship player with the Adelaide 36ers. He played from 2001-18 for Adelaide, New Zealand and Wollongong. On retiring, his 511 games was 11th of all-time, and his 904 three-pointers ranked 13th of all-time.
Simon Goodwin (born 1976)
Simon Goodwin was a dual premiership player with the Adelaide Crows who played 275 games from 1997-2010. He was a five-time All-Australian and is in the Australian Football Hall of Fame. He now coaches Melbourne.
Malcolm Greenslade (NA, born 1948)
During his 215 SANFL games with Sturt, Malcolm Greenslade kicked 607 goals, led the club’s goalkicking on five occasions and played in the 1967, 1969 and 1970 premiership sides.
John Halbert (attended until 1954)
Sturt’s John Halbert was the 1961 Magarey Medallist and All-Australian that year. He played 251 games from 1955-68 and represented SA 17 times. He captained Sturt to a premiership in 1966.
Linda Kirk (NA, born 1967)
Linda Kirk was an SA Labor senator from 2002-8. She was originally a lawyer and served a term on Adelaide City Council.
Bruce Lander (NA, born 1946)
Bruce Lander is the first independent Commissioner Against Corruption (ICAC) in South Australia. He was formerly a judge of the Federal Court.
Paul Lewis (NA, born 1966)
Paul Lewis played more than 200 games for the Kookaburras in international hockey. He won Olympic silver in Barcelona 1992 and bronze in Atlanta 1996.
Lowitja O’Donoghue AC, CBE (NA, born 1932)
Lowitja O’Donoghue was the inaugural chairwoman of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) from 1990-96. She was the first qualified Aboriginal nurse in SA. In 1976 she was the first Aboriginal woman to be inducted into the new Order of Australia.
John McLeay (NA, born 1922)
Liberal John McLeay succeeded his father as federal Boothby MP in 1966. He was Fraser government minister from 1975-80.
Amanda Rishworth (NA, born 1978)
Labor’s Amanda Rishworth has been federal Kingston MP since 2007 and is Minister for Social Services.
Reverend Sir Keith Seaman OBE (NA, born 1920)
Keith Seaman was Governor of SA from 1977-1982. Before being appointed governor, he had been superintendent of the Adelaide Central Methodist Mission.
David Shannon (NA, born 1922)
David Shannon was an Australian bomber pilot of World War II, known for his part in the “Dambusters” raid on the night of 16/17 May, 1943.
Kelly Vincent (attended until 2006)
The Dignity Party’s Kelly Vincent was elected at the 2010 state election to the Legislative Council, but was not re-elected in 2018. In 2017, she won a Zonta Women of Achievement Award for Outstanding Achievement in Human Rights
URRBRAE HIGH
Paul Bagshaw (attended 1959-62)
Paul Bagshaw played 360 games for Sturt and 14 for SA. He was a seven-time premiership player and captain from 1973-80. He made Sturt’s Team of the Century and is in the state and national football halls of fame.
Patrick Secker (attended 1973-4)
Patrick Secker was federal Liberal MP for Barker from 1998-2013. One of his roles was Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Michael Keelan (attended 1959-61)
Horticultural expert Michael Keelan’s media career began on radio station 5AN in 1973 and has continued on FIVEaa, Out of the Blue on TV, and SA Life magazine.
Laura Hodges (attended 1997-9)
Adelaide Lightning’s Laura Hodges won Olympic silver twice (2004, 2008) and bronze (2012) with the Opals. She has also played in the WNBA and Italy.
Robert Brokenshire (attended early 1970s)
Dairy farmer Robert Brokenshire was a Liberal MP from 1993-2006, and held several ministerial portfolios. After losing his Lower House seat at the 2006 election he switched to Family First and replaced Andrew Evans in the Upper House upon his retirement in 2008. In 2017, Brokenshire joined the Australian Conservatives when Family First ceased to exist. He was not re-elected in 2018.
Bruce Eastick (attended 1940-43)
Liberal and Country League’s Bruce Eastick was state opposition leader from 1972-75. He held the seat of Light from 1970-1993. He was Speaker in the Tonkin government and had two long stints as Gawler mayor.
WILLUNGA HIGH
Joanna McWaters (attended until 1986)
Joanna McWaters has starred in State Opera and Co-Opera productions and performed all over the world.
WOODVILLE HIGH
Bruce McAvaney OAM (graduated 1971)
Bruce McAvaney is one of Australia’s most loved sports commentators, specialising in AFL, horse racing, tennis and the Olympics. He was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2002.
Rob Kelvin (graduated 1961)
Rob Kelvin presented the weeknight edition of Nine News Adelaide from 1983 until 2010. He formed a longtime newsreading partnership with Kevin Crease.
Sam Shahin (graduated 1985)
With his brothers, Dr Sam Shahin runs the hugely successful Peregrine Corporation which is behind the On The Run chain. He was the prime mover behind The Bend racetrack development at Tailem Bend, where he is managing director.
Thanks for reading! We’ll be considering your suggestions of names and schools not appearing here for future versions of this list.
If you’d like to suggest a school or famous South Australian you think deserves recognition, submit the details to miles.kemp@news.com.au
Originally published as 200+ famous alumni: South Australia’s public schools name their best and brightest graduates
Join the conversation
‘They shouted, you deserved it’: Everything lost in heartless arson attack
A couple forced to live in a caravan near a freeway overpass have lost everything after their home was set alight in an arson attack.
Read more
‘Knives in each hand’: Teen stabbed in horror shopping centre brawl
A teenager has been stabbed during a wild brawl in the food court of Adelaide’s busiest shopping centres – with staff barricaded in their shops.
Read more