Its predecessor, Richmond Secondary College, was the centre of a public protest and occupation of the site[1] after it was listed for closure by the Liberal Kennett Government in 1993.

The school commenced in 1967 in portable classrooms at the back of Brighton Street Primary School, before moving in 1970 to purpose-built premises on the banks of the Yarra River near Bridge Road.

The school's name was changed to Richmond Secondary College, and in 1992 it was listed for closure by the Kennett Government.

[3] The methods of crowd dispersal used by police on Monday 13 December 1993, which included "pressure holds" and a baton charge, were the subject of a parliamentary inquiry,[4] with 30 demonstrators receiving $300,000 in a settlement from the Bracks Government in 2000.

In 2014 the Labor Party pledged to build a new Richmond High School if elected.