Woodanilling School

Statement of Significance

The site is closely associated with the provision of schooling in the district.

Physical Description

The original school was burned to the ground (1949) and rebuilt shortly after.

History

While an official school site had been declared at the time the lessons had first
commenced in the hall in 1903, no progress had been made in the building of a school.
In fact Mr Cecil Andrew, Inspector General of Schools wrote on November 9, 1905, "The
Hall Committee has apparently done everything it could, on several occasions, to
inconvenience the teacher in order to force the Department's hands." At the beginning of
the 1906 school year, Miss Mary Ashe replaced Mill Ada McMahon, who had been at
Woodanilling for over two years, as the schoolmistress.
Mary Ashe and her pupils moved into their new timber school house on March 1, 1906
and several years later additions to the schoolroom, quarters were carried out and a school
fence was erected. With the steady increase of numbers a second classroom was built and
ready for use in November 1912 with an additional teacher being appointed.

The Woodanilling School like many others of that time staged an annual picnic sports.
The introduction of school buses during the mid 1940's brought a revolution to country
education. Almost overnight the small schools were closed and the children collected in
the school buses were transported to a large central school.
The 1940's decade in Woodanilling ended on a sensational note when the school was
burned down, it happened during Friday night, July 7, 1949. Mrs Andrew Brackie first
noticed the blaze at 3 am and despite the efforts of the locals to control the fire the school
was a complete loss. The school had just had extensive renovations and painting done.
The fire was believed to be arson by some of the pupils. About 100 local residents came
to a special Parent's and Citizen's meeting to discuss future schooling in the town. After
much discussion it was agreed that a new school be built to take up to grade 5 inclusive.
The suggestion by the Education Department that children attend only until grade 3 and
then be taken by bus to Katanning was rejected. The new school was completed in late
October 1951, well over two years since the fire. There were many complaints by the
Roads Board and local residents at the slow progress and tardiness of the Department in
building the new school.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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