Leederville Primary School (fmr)

Statement of Significance

Leederville Primary School is a representative example of an intact group of school buildings of the late 1890s period. It has latterly been converted to serve Schools of Isolated and Distance Education.

Physical Description

Built to a standard pattern for Government schools of the time, the one storey buildings have large hipped roofs, the relatively plain facades are well proportioned and embellished with bands of stucco, while the casement windows are multi paned. The roofs have tall corbelled chimneys. Additions were made a decade ago when the place was converted for Schools of Isolated and Distance Education. Considerable setback from the road- low brick fence and hardcourt setback. Extensive

History

Residents of the Leeder Estate comprising a total of 99 children between them, petitioned the government for the establishment of a school in the area in June 1894. Five acres (Reserve No. 2618) was set aside for a school in Oxford Street (corner of Vincent) but part of it was later relinquished in favour of higher ground (the corner portion was low lying - the Leederville Post Office was built on this site in 1897) and plans were drawn for the new school. In the meantime the first classes for Leederville Primary School were held on 20 August 1894, in the Sunday School room of St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, on the corner of Oxford and Melrose streets. This was a timber building, 30 feet by 20 feet in size. It housed 39 children and was run by head teacher J. C. S. Deans with the aid of an assistant 15 year old Florence Wallace. Mrs Laura Deans, the head teacher's wife, actually taught this monitor how to teach sewing and fancy work to the children but she was not compensated for her efforts. When the enrolments reached 100 in 1895, Deans was allocated a second monitor. The Leederville Primary School and head teacher's residence were constructed in 1895 by W. Fairweather, on part of the large reserve (then named B2618) on Oxford Street which already housed the Post Office, Municipal Offices, Town Clerk's residence and Police Station. There were 61 pupils enrolled in 1895, but only 49 of these were recorded as attending. The building appeared on the 1897 PWD sewerage plans but was not listed in Wise's Post Office Directories. By 1900 there were five staff members and Arthur Hill was the head teacher. The popularity of the school was such that further accommodation was required. In 1902 an iron building was cut in half at Subiaco State School and half of it was erected at Leederville. Two new classrooms were also added this year by builder W.C Rose at a cost of ₤404.7.7d. Electric light was installed in 1905. Arthur Hill was headmaster from at least 1898 to 1904 and in 1903 he was also listed as the District Registrar. In 1904 hte new headmaster's name (or head teacher) was H.K Thomsett and he was also listed as the District Registrar. In 1907 the District Registrar was a separate posting to the headmaster and the incumbent was Patrick Stuart, JP. The Infants' School was opened on the Vincent Street frontage, east of the Post Office, on 15 September 1902. It was erected by Messers Franklin & Finlay at a cost of ₤1,132. This school amalgamated with the Primary School on 1 July 1909. At that time John English was in charge and also listed were Miss Ella Butler in charge of Household Management (commenced in 1906) and Henry Scott as the Manual Training Instructor. Classes in these two subjects were also given to students from the Newcastle and Thomas Street schools and West Leederville. In 1915 and 1917 pavilion rooms were added and a brick classroom, cloakroom and teachers' room was constructed by W.N Pearman in 1922. However, there was still not enough room and one class used a room at the rear of the Leederville Council Chambers rented for ₤1 per week. In 1925 a room was added to the Infants' School by F.L Gurr for ₤483.10.4.d and in 1927 the school was substantially renovated by A. Woolhouse at a cost of ₤2,344. Len Brennan, a pupil from 1913, recalled supplying manure for the school's gardens from the stables in Carr Street where the 25 horses used to pull the wagons for this grandfathers' form, Golden West Aerated Water Company, were kept. Past pupil Jean Paizes also recalled 'that the girls were separated from the boys in class but, if we were naughty, we'd be sat next to them' (Guardian Express, 21.12.1993, p.3). The Primary and Infant schools were separated by a patch of black sand with a cricket pitch in the middle and 'one became a hero if he could hit a six into Leederville Oval' (Donald Cooley). There were also many reports of students with black feet and black marks on their clothes. Nevertheless, this was not the only venue used for cricket. Later on Ray Wemm's father Cliff was the cleaner at the school and Ray recalled playing cricket in the long corridor with his brother and sister in between helping his father during the school holidays. According to the Wise's Post Office Directories, John (Paddy) English was the headmaster in 1925 and T.Harper in 1935 but unfortunately in 1949, the last year of the Directories, the head teacher was not listed. Further additions were carried out to the school in 1925 when a new classroom was added on the side hall and at the rear of an existing one. At this time the PWD's principal architect who signed the plans was W.M Hardwick. In 1962 a small portion of land (one chain) was excised from the school grounds and added to Leederville Oval. This was done because the oval's grandstand was so close to the boundary. Leederville Primary School closed at the end of 1993 just short of its centenary. The school's parent body put up a strenuous fight to keep it open with nearly 200 people. attending one particular meeting, but the Education Ministry would not be moved. It was one of four schools closed that year as part of a rationalisation program. The last headmaster of the school was Matt O.Meara. After the school's closure extensive additions were made to the site for conversion of use to offices for the Education Department section, Schools of Isolated and Distance Education (SIDE). A covered outdoor area and barbecue were added in 2002. In May 2006 this school received special funding from the Federal government to boost 'Innovative in Science, Technology and Mathematics.'

Integrity/Authenticity

Moderate

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Historic Themes

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