The primary school featured in the iconic Australian drama Heartbreak High was Hartley High, which later transitioned to Hartley Heights in its final two series.
Hartley High: The Original Setting
For the first five series of Heartbreak High, the students and their compelling stories unfolded within the walls of the fictional Hartley High. This bustling secondary school served as the central hub for the show's exploration of teenage life, friendships, and challenges. The exterior and interior scenes of Hartley High were notably filmed at the former Maroubra Bay High School, located in Maroubra, New South Wales, within Sydney's Eastern Suburbs. This location lent an authentic, gritty backdrop to the series, contributing significantly to its unique atmosphere.
Hartley Heights: A New Chapter
As the series evolved, the setting shifted. For its sixth and seventh series, Heartbreak High introduced a new fictional school known as Hartley Heights. While maintaining the spirit of the original, this change marked a new chapter for the show's narrative and characters. The filming for these later series took place in Warriewood, an area located in Sydney's Northern Beaches, offering a different visual and environmental context for the continuing stories of the students.
Understanding the different school names helps to differentiate between the distinct periods and settings of the long-running television series.
| Series | Fictional School Name | Filming Location (Real-world) | Geographic Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-5 | Hartley High | Maroubra Bay High School | Maroubra, NSW (Eastern Suburbs) |
| 6-7 | Hartley Heights | Warriewood | Northern Beaches, NSW |
