In 1959, the Queensland Government decided to build a high school on 60 acres of land bounded by Park Road, Villa Street, Oakwood Street and the railway line. Most of the land consisted of a large gully that drained water from Annerley, under the railway line, through Fehlberg Park and into the Brisbane River.
A worse site for a school would be hard to imagine - sandstone outcrops, heavy clay and sloping ground – but at the time this was possibly the only open area in the district. It meant that every building was on a different level. The school was originally to be known as Annerley State High School, however, while the first building was being built, the State Member for Yeronga and Minister for Health, the Hon. Dr. H. Winston Noble, told Cabinet that he had received representations from many of his constituents to have the name of the school changed. Cabinet agreed and the school became Yeronga State High School.
The school opened 25 January 1960 with a Principal, 12 staff and a first year enrolment of 217 students. The original buildings were A block and Manual Training and as student numbers grew, Home Economics, E and F blocks were built in 1961, G block in 1963, I block in 1968, the Library and J block in 1969, the Auditorium in 1970, and lastly the Cultural Centre in 1979. Student numbers increased to 1,821 in 1971 with 93 teachers. At this stage Acacia Ridge and Holland Park High Schools were opened and Yeronga’s numbers started to decrease until the present time when approximately 770 students are enrolled.
In 1967, 25 acres were taken from the school grounds for the construction of the Yeronga TAFE. In addition, three quarters of the bottom oval, built in 1966, was given to TAFE for car parking and an indoor sporting complex to which the school has access. In return the top oval has been extended to accommodate a 400 metre running track. A more recent addition for the convenience of students and staff was the provision of covered walkways. Yeronga TAFE closed in 2012 and the high school acquired the TAFE multi-purpose centre and additional car parking.
Over such a long period of time the school has had few Principals:
- Mr W Kemp 1960
- Mr F T Barrell 1961 - 1970
- Mr N J Corfield 1971 - 1983
- Mr I K Smith 1984 - 1987
- Mr B G Tracey 1988 - 2000
- Mrs V N Hadgelias 2001-2003
- Mr A D Jones 2004 -2007
- Mr T Heath 2007 - 2021