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150 years: Yea Primary School

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

Key information

Address:
23 Station Street, Yea 3717
Opened:
1 January 1860
School type:
Primary
School number:
699
Other names:
Yea School, Yea Common School, Yea State School

Locating enrolment records

If your school is open: contact the school directly to access your records.

If your school has closed: contact the Archives and Records branch via email archives.records@education.vic.gov.au or 1800 359 140 and they will assist you.

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The History of Yea Primary School

  • 1859

    The school opened as a tent school in 1859.

    The first head teacher was Thomas Prosser Savell.

  • 1860

    The Church of England took over responsibility for the school in 1860.

  • 1861

    39 students were enrolled in 1861 when Molyneux was head teacher.

  • 1870s

    The school became a state school at some stage between 1873 and 1878.

    The school building was abandoned in 1875 when more than 30 children died of diphtheria.

    Classes were held in in the old Presbyterian Chapel until a new school building was completed in 1877.

  • 1882

    The new railway line ran through part of the school ground so it was expanded on the east side.

  • 1885

    The number of students enrolled increased to 84.

  • 1892

    Enrolment nearly doubled to 164.

    The school building from the closed Boundary Creek State School (No. 1482) was moved to the school.

  • 1900

    The school buildings were extended when enrolment reached 192.

  • 1923

    Yea became a Higher Elementary School in 1923. This meant that classes for older students were added, like years 7 and 8 in secondary schools today.

  • 1960

    By 1960, enrolment has increased to 250. Secondary classes moved to the new Yea High School.

  • 1970

    The school was renamed Yea Primary School in 1970.

  • 2022

    Yea 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.

Find all the records PROV holds for this school(opens in a new window)

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