Hellyer College is one of eight senior secondary public education colleges in Tasmania, Australia. Hellyer College is the smallest college in Tasmania. Established in 1976, it provides academic and vocational training to around 850 students from North-West Tasmania, including the West Coast, Circular Head and King Island. Hellyer College was named after Henry Hellyer, who was an explorer in north west Tasmania during the 1820s. In 2009 it became part of the Burnie Campus of the Tasmanian Academy and Burnie Campus of the Tasmanian Polytechnic. Hellyer’s main feeding schools are Wynyard High School, Burnie High School, Parklands High School and a few more stretching along the north-west, students from the west coast in rural areas of Tasmania and King Island also attend Hellyer College and stay at the accommodation provided by the college. Prior to 1990, Hellyer College catered for students wanting a university pathway, and had between 450 and 500 students. Changes in the Australian unemployment laws and the ways in which students aged between 16-18 were able to obtain financial support meant the College began to offer a more comprehensive curriculum, including VET, to fit the broader range of students continuing on to years 11 and 12. Because of this and the high youth unemployment rate on the North West Coast of Tasmania, the student numbers at Hellyer College grew rapidly reaching a peak of around 1000 in 1995. The College now offers a range of subjects and courses, a student support program, a range of extra-curricular activities, and strong links into the local community. The school magazine is called the Chanticleer. The Men's and Women's basketball teams have claimed multiple State Schools basketball championships, and is going to represent the college at National level. Teachers are referred to by their first name. Each student has a support teacher, this teacher teaches them at least one class and ideally has a free to match with the student. However, as students change their classes this may change. Hellyer College is situated on the same campus as the TAFE Tasmania and 250m up the roadfrom the Cradle Coast campus of the University of Tasmania, on Mooreville Road.
Line system
Hellyer college uses a time tabling system called lines. There are five lines; to each line students can assign one class. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays lines 1, 2 and 3 are done. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, lines 4 and 5 are done. Typically year 11 and 12 students take four subjects, leaving one free line, which tend to be called 'frees' by the students and 'study lines' by the teachers.
