1st January 1965, Mowat Park High School, this is the name the people of the district of Montclair and Woodlands wanted for the School for which they waited for so many years. At its inception and for the duration of 1965, Mowat Park was housed in a remote section of the Montclair Primary School building. The School opened with only Grade 8 and 9 girls from previously co-educational New Forest High School. It would be an understatement to say that no preparation had been made for thier arrival and there was no electricity available in the classrooms. It then became apparent that we did not have enough classrooms and so some lessons were taught outside under a tree!. Mowat Park has been known for its progressive methods of education, its unique idea regarding uniform and its democratic form of rule. Initially the pupil's choice from a range of floral uniforms was instituted to foster a sense of individuality and good taste. Each year the matriculants had the prerogative of selecting a colour and style of thier own uniform. Being unconventional gave rise to inevitable criticisms and witticism and ther girls found it amusing that they were dubbed as "Ollie's Orphans". Our democratic form of rule extended to the formation of the School Council which enabled the pupils to make their own rules and decisions and to the practice of having girls vote for their prefects because they needed to learn the value and responsibility of voting in adult life. To date we still have a School Council called the RCL and the girls still vote for Prefects, however the RCL members and the Prefect body work as one team now known as Learner Leadership.