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150 years: Stawell Primary School

Learn about the history of Stawell Primary School, one of Victoria's oldest public schools.

Key information

Address:
14-28 Barnes Street, Stawell, 3380
Opened:
1 January 1858
School type:
Primary
School number:
502
Other names:
Stawell School, Pleasant Creek Common School, Stawell State School

The history of Stawell Primary School

  • 1858

    The school opened as a tent school in 1858 and had two teachers, Patrick Liddy and Catherine Byren. There were 19 students enrolled. A prefabricated building was erected on One Tree Hill in June 1858. The first head teacher in the new building was the Reverend Zembabel Davies.

    The tent school moved to Deep Lead in August. Another building was built on Church Street and the prefabricated building also moved to Deep Lead.

  • 1864

    The Church Street building collapsed in 1864. A new school building was completed in 1865 and opened as Pleasant Creek Common School (No. 502). Richard Zerubabel Davies was head teacher. He was the son of the previous head teacher.

  • 1870s

    The school became a state school at some stage between 1873 and 1875.

    A new school building was opened in 1875 when Dick Davies was head teacher. He laid the foundation stone. The building was designed by Henry Bastow.

  • 1880

    Black and white photograph of the Stawell school building. The brick building has a bell tower. Two men are standing in conversation in front of the school's picket fence.
    Stawell Primary School building in 1880 when it was Stawell State School. Source: Thomas J. Washbourne and the State Library of Victoria
  • 1930s to 1940s

    During the second World War the school buildings from a school in Fyans Creek and Tulkara State School (No. 4519) were brought in to serve as classrooms.

  • 1960s

    A new library was opened in 1861 with money raised by the school committee. It was opened by the Minister of Education, the Hon. J. S. Bloomfield. Stawall West State School (No. 4934) opened in 1962 and an annexe of Stawell. It became a separate school in 1965.

  • 1970

    The school was renamed Stawell Primary School in 1970.

  • 2022

    Stawell Primary School is still in operation.

Find more interesting facts about this school

The Public Records Office (PROV) is the archive of Victoria's State and local government. They look after some of our oldest school records, and we can use these records to help us understand what school life used to be like.

Now it is your turn to do some detective work. Take a look to see what information they have on this school.

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