For Immediate Release March 2012

The Fine Colour of Rust book launch art imitates life

Much awarded Coburg author Paddy OReillys latest book, The Fine Colour of Rust will be launched by Toni Jordan, author of Addition and Fall Girl, at Bella Union Bar Trades Hall on Thursday 15 March at 6pm. In a case of art reflecting life, Paddys heroine fights to ensure the future of public education in her home town by saving her towns primary school. Community group High School for Coburg (HSC) knows very well how the heroine must feel after campaigning for a local school for more than three years and so Paddy has invited the HSC group to her launch to raise funds with a sausage sizzle. With the Minister for Education Martin Dixon to receive a Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) report into the issue or secondary education provision in Coburg at the end of March, HSC are looking forward to a positive response from the Minister. HSC believes the quick, easy, low risk and cost effective solution to the lack of secondary education provision in the area is to return the Coburg Senior High School (CSHS) to an open entry high school, s it used to be. The school which can hold 1100 students currently has an enrolment of 235 and DEECD projections show this remaining the same for the next decade. The CSHS does great things and students have a wonderful school to attend. We simply want the same education opportunity available to all students in the area, said Cate Hall, co-founder of HSC. At the moment the site is an underutilised resource in an area with a shown lack of secondary education options, said Hall. We thank Paddy for the opportunity to let people know about the issue and her support, said Hall Praise for The Fine Colour of Rust: What sets this down-home comedy apart from the norm is how wonderfully well it is written. OReilly is funny and touching by turns and her style has a spare intelligence Daily Mail UK. a line should be drawn under The Fine Colour of Rust as the pinnacle of the genre. The Australian. To speak to Paddy OReily and Cate Hall from High School for Coburg please contact Darren Saffin on 0411 089 209 or darren@djscommunications.com.au. For more information on Paddy OReilly and The Fine Colour of Rust please visit www.paddyoreilly.com.au.

For more information on High School for Coburg please visit www.highschoolcoburg.org. - ends -

Map showing the state and Catholic primary schools in and around Coburg

Map showing no open entry secondary schools in the same area. The two schools shown are Coburg Senior High School (years 10 to 12) and Preston Girls High School

Secondary schools closed down / merged in the Coburg area over the past 18 years:

Moreland City College - closed 31 December 2004 - now Coburg Senior High School years 10 to 12 only Coburg High School closed 31 December 1993 - buildings demolished and site awaiting permit approval for development Newlands High School - closed 19 December 1992 - buildings demolished, site now part of Pentridge Prison development Coburg Technical School - now Coburg Special Development School Coburg North Secondary College closed on 19 December 1992 Hadfield Secondary College closed on 31 December 1992 - buildings demolished, site now a retirement village Moreland High School closed on 31 December 1991 - now Kangan Batman TAFE Oak Park Secondary School closed 31 December 1992 Moomba Park Secondary College, Glenroy High School, Glenroy Technical School, Hadfield Secondary College and Oak Park Secondary College merged on 1 January 1993 to form Box Forest Secondary College Brunswick High School, Brunswick Technical School and Brunswick East High School merged on 1 January 1993 to form Brunswick Secondary College St Josephs College closed 31 Dec 2009 Northland Secondary College becoming a senior school only accepting years 9 and up from 2011 and years 10 and up from 2012 Lakeside Secondary College and Merrilands College merging in 2012

To interview Cate Hall or Morena Milani, founding members of HSC, additional population statistics, photo opportunities or more information, please contact: Darren Saffin 0411 089 209 darren@djscommunications.com.au *Source - http://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/mccwr/_assets/main/lib91108/topline2308.xls ** Source - http://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/mccwr/publications/policies-strategiesplans/central-coburg-2020-structure-plan-vol1-preface.pdf

***Source - http://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/mccwr/publications/newsletters/im08_front.pdf page 23