The school commenced in 1958 as the Burnie Junior High School, and the existing Burnie High School was relocated to Cooee. By the following year Burnie Junior High had been renamed Parklands High School, possibly to better distinguish it from Burnie High School. The school was opened under a new model of decentralised administration by the Department, with staff to have a greater role in developing school policy and greater responsibility for organising school activities.