Harewood School

Statement of Significance

The building has historic significance as it is closely associated with an important part of Denmark’s history, the Group Settlement Scheme, which had its genesis in the early 1920s. Schools in the Group Settlement areas (or Groups) played an important role in keeping families together as transport to larger towns for educational purposes was limited or non- existent. The building has social value as the school building was usually the only public facility within a Group, and therefore was used for many purposes beyond education. It was the entertainment centre of the Group where Saturday night dances were held. It was used as the Church and Sunday School and also often doubled as a Hall for public meetings when required. The building is also representative of the architectural style of one- teacher schools in the south of Western Australia. Its timber, asbestos and iron construction, with rainwater tank, typifies the simple but utilitarian conditions that were provided in remote settlements for Group Settlers and the teachers who staffed them.

Physical Description

The building itself was a typical one-teacher school constructed of stud-framed timber, asbestos and iron. There was a small cloakroom partitioned from the main schoolroom at one end of the building. There was a small stove in the corner for heating and a rainwater tank attached to the guttering. On its original site, there was a small adjacent cleared area which was used for games and sports.

History

The school, which was part of Groups 58 and 111, first opened on February 2 1925. Over the years between then and its closure in 1940 it opened and closed many times, depending on the numbers of children in the area. The Harewood Groups were typical of so many, with many of the original farms and land allocations abandoned by their tenants. The Harewood School itself was isolated as the two nearest farms had been abandoned. In 1936 it was declared an Assisted School by the Education Department and it remained at this status until it closed. This arrangement was for the Education Department to provide the building, equipment and a base salary for the teacher, which was then topped up by the parents of the children attending the school. In the case of Harewood School, the teacher, Mona Robinson, had several children of her own at the school. Before the advent of school buses the advantage of remote schools was that children had less distance to travel to their education. In the case of Harewood School some children would ride bicycles to the Robinson farm where Mrs Robinson would transport them to the school itself in the back of their farm utility. The advent of World War II meant that many small schools closed as men signed onto the armed forces, leaving their wives and children to manage their farms. This took teachers and children away from schools and this was the case with Harewood School. The remaining children of school age were forced to transfer to Scotsdale School. The Harewood School formally closed on November 5 1940. The school house was moved to the property in the early 1940s by Maud Morley. It was used as a packing shed as the farm produced fruit and vegetables for the Goldfields. The fruit packing table and the school blackboard still exist on the property. Many local residents worked on the farm during these years. The farm then produced apple cider and the apple press is still present on the farm in 2011.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: Most

Condition

Good

Uses

Creation Date

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