Fake bomb calls to 20 Australian schools traced to elite Melbourne high school

Australian police have traced a spate of hoax bomb calls, which lead to the evacuation of at least 20 Victorian schools, to an elite high school in Melbourne.

According to multiple reports in the Australian media on Wednesday, Victoria's state police investigators believe the calls were made from Nossal High School, on Monash University's Berwick campus.

Except for three repeat calls on Tuesday - to Wonthaggi Primary School, Reservoir High School and Aitken Creek Primary School - the rest were made on Friday last week, forcing at least 1,000 students from 20 schools to evacuate across the state.

A further 10 schools in Queensland also received individual bomb threats.

However, police suggested Nossal High School's internal phone network may have been compromised by hackers looking to frame it as the location of the fake threats.

Victoria's Premier Daniel Andrews said investigators were doing "great work" and whoever was behind the calls would be brought to justice.

"I'm very confident police are taking this seriously and doing everything they can to find the people," Andrews told Melbourne radio on Wednesday.

"It's totally dangerous and an irritating thing to do and a shameful thing to do. Anyone that can be identified will be and be treated appropriately."

He added that the school students were very aware of what was going in the world and it was not something they could be shielded from.

"I would hope the school can provide some kind of counselling or at least reassurance to those kids who are affected by this."

All of the calls played out an automated message, except for one to Berwick Lodge Primary School.

Principal Henry Grossek, who answered the phone, said the caller had a male Australian accent and told him "there is a bomb in your school" and "you won't have much time" before hanging up. Endit