On September 11, 1923, the Federal Minister for Trade, Customs and Health, Sir Austin Chapman MHR declared Telopea Park School officially open. The large audience included members of State and Federal Parliament, the Anglican Bishop of Goulburn, Dr Radford, and the Official War Historian, Dr C.E.W.Bean and large numbers of children. A later edition of the Queanbeyan Age proclaimed “Telopea Park School’s official opening Tuesday last was a day that will live in the memories of the children of the Federal Territory when a thousand other days are forgotten in the years to come”.

Since that memorable opening day, much has happened at Telopea Park School. The initial enrolment of 58 students on the first two days of operation quickly rose to into the hundreds in the next few years and is currently over 1600 close to of the present students are the children and grandchildren of former students. The list of ex-students includes a former Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam and a former Deputy Prime Minister, Doug Anthony, the well-known sexologist Bettina Arndt, and the Director of the Australian Farmers Federation, Dr Wendy Craik and the Canberra Times’ own Geoff Pryor. It also includes ex-students from around the world, many of whom return for reunions and contact the school by mail or through the Internet. Last, but not least, there are literally thousands of Canberrans of all ages, and in all walks of life who attended Telopea Park School and who remember their school days there with affection.