Footscray opened in 1860. The head teacher was A Connell. There were 57 students enrolled at the school when it opened (35 boys and 22 girls).
The average number of students going to the school was 25. The schoolhouse had one classroom.
1861
The head teacher was Parmenas Mudge in 1861.
1862
Night classes began in 1862. The number of students going to night classes was 80.
1863
The school became a common school in 1863.
1865
A new building was opened in 1865. It was increased in size in 1868.
1870s
The school became a state school at some stage between 1873 and 1878.
1882
The number of students going to the school grew to 240 when Peter Maddern was head teacher. Night classes stopped.
1890
The number of students going to Footscray had grown to 1,642. The head teacher was still Peter Madden.
1901
The Duke and Duchess of York visited the school in 1901. They were visiting Australia to open the first Commonwealth parliament.
1913
The number of students going to the school was 1,540 and the head teacher was Thomas Sewell.
1922
The number of students going to the school was now 1,874. John Speere was head teacher at the time.
1930
Footscray Primary School building in 1930. Source: William Tate and the State Library of Victoria
1970
The school was renamed Footscray Primary School in 1970. The head teacher at the time was Lance Morris.
2022
Footscray Primary School is still in operation.
Find more information about this school
The Public Record Office Victoria (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.
