[4] Old traditions in music and debating continued, with the addition of house chorals, which is now an important event in the school calendar.

[1][4] In the 1950s, Brigadier George Langley set up reviving the school, laying down the plans for a swimming pool and physical education centre while also reestablishing the Tecoma camp.

[4] Willis continued to upgrade the school's facilities with the construction of a cardio room in the Nineties building, and the addition of four junior science classrooms.

[4] This meant a lower cutoff in the entrance exam, which led to the school's median ENTER dropping to second in the state.

The median returned to first place in 2009 (see Academics).Ray Willis died in July 2004 as the school's longest serving principal, at the time of his death.

In 2007 a new Arts Centre began construction and after nearly two years was officially opened by major donor and 'old boy' Lindsay Fox (who was asked to leave during his time as a student).

School Assessed Coursework (SACs), required for the VCE was conducted via proctorship and a large portion of unit 4 of all subjects were omitted from the study design to alleviate pressure.

Those who were within 5 marks of the cut-off-score or did not receive a place due to the "4% rule", which prevents more than 4% of another school's cohort entering Melbourne High, are asked to participate in the Principal's Discretionary Category.

The north wing of the ground floor is devoted to physics with two large classrooms and a lecture room with raked seating.

[8][33] Students in the junior school are not subject to the pressures of VCE and are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities and broaden their education.

House captains and SRC presidents are determined by voting from the student body following a period of speech-making.

The hill upon which the school is situated was first settled by Captain John Forrest, who built his house, Waterloo cottage, in Como estate alongside the Yarra River.

For the individual events, points are awarded from first place through to fourth, giving houses the opportunity to break ahead if they were to have both competitors in the top four.

Rehearsals are held at recess and lunchtimes in the school's memorial hall and are generally coordinated by student leaders in the house.

There are various sports to choose from, including: rowing, sailing, cricket, football, rugby, tennis, water polo, parkour, golf, squash, cross country running, lacrosse, ten-pin bowling, badminton, lawn bowls, yoga, fencing, soccer, futsal, swimming (for weak swimmers) and Taekwondo.

[45][46] The school is also emerging in its Cross Country performance, and has won five out of the six possible VSSSA age group titles it could contend for in the last three years.

Most leaders (apart from form captains and SRC representatives, who wear coloured badges[8]) are distinguished through writing sewed onto their blazer pocket.

[52] The students then form groups and conduct research on that issue for the remainder of the year, at the end of which they submit a report on their findings.

Recently PIG has had journalists such as Catherine Deveny, Derryn Hinch, Barrie Cassidy as well as politicians such as Richard di Natale.

[54][55] In 2008, the school also began involvement with the UN Youth Australia's Thant-Evatt Trophy – a model United Nations Security Council competition – two teams reached the state finals in that year.

In Year 10, students complete community involvement, which includes a day raising funds in the city for the Red Cross.

[8] The Melbourne High School Speech Night features the awarding of various prizes to particular students for performance in academic subjects, co-curricular achievements or sporting feats.

[59] Recently a fairly light-hearted Melbourne High vs Mac.Rob Cup has begun to take place and includes events such as debating, netball, soccer and theatre sports.

[62] Annual exchanges occur with each of the sister schools, giving students the opportunity to experience both the culture and education system of another country.

In 1971, former Test cricket captain Allan Border played on the school oval in the North Sydney team.

[66] The Association organises sport participation after Year 12, and the MHSOB cricket and football clubs have been historic entities.

These institutions have played their part in the production of notable Australian sportspeople, including cricketers Keith Miller and Bill Woodfull as well as a number of champion AFL footballers that includes three members of the Australian Football Hall of Fame, three Brownlow medalists, seven team-of-the-century members, eight captains, fourteen All-Australian selectees, and twenty-one best and fairest award recipients such as David Parkin, Garry Lyon and Cameron Bruce.

[67] As a school that prides itself on academic success, Melbourne High School has produced individuals who have played a major role in research, government, economics and finance including Nobel laureate for medicine Sir John Eccles, who was awarded his prize for his research on the synapse.

[69] Steven Spielberg's World War Two miniseries The Pacific, the follow-up to Band of Brothers, featured some footage of Melbourne High School, shot in December 2007.

[70] On 13 August 2010, the Year 12 students had their formal crashed by singer Katy Perry and DJ Ruby Rose.