Scotch College was founded in 1851 by the Presbyterian Church of Victoria on the initiative of the first settled minister of the Presbyterian Church in the State, the Reverend James Forbes. Under the first Principal, Mr Robert Lawson, it was initially known as The Melbourne Academy. At this time, the school occupied a small house in Spring Street in the City of Melbourne.

Scotch College holdings include:

• Biographical database, 1851- present (over 38,000 entries)
• Photographs, c1870- present
• Admission registers, 1857-1996
• School history, 1851- present
• School staff, 1851- present (incomplete)
• Attendance registers, 1857-1959
• Ledgers, 1857-1934 (incomplete)
• School magazines (complete), 1877-81, 1884-85, 1904- present
• Museum items including uniforms, badges, badged goods, classroom furniture and equipment, etchings and paintings, teaching aids, and sporting equipment.

Access by contacting the Archivist. Topics and the purpose of the research are required to be advised. Access to records is dependent on the type and age of the record, and some access may require authorisation by the Principal or Bursar.