Although Fort Street High School was established in 1849, Sydney Boys High School is the first state high school in New South Wales created under Premier Henry Parkes' public education system in the early 1880s, following the "Public Instruction Act 1880 (NSW)". Whereas Fort Street Model School as it was founded took primary and secondary students neither Sydney Boys nor Sydney Girls High School has ever had a primary education division and are thus the first NSW state high schools founded for the express purpose of secondary education.