Mundaring Primary School & Quarters

Statement of Significance

The Old School Master's House is closely associated with the development of the Parkerville Primary School and has strong links to the school's first site in Parker Road. Both the former quarters and the former school demonstrate the tenacity of parents to fight for "their" school and their persistence in trying to obtain the best conditions for their children. Historic Value Although the quarters have been altered and moved from their original site, they provide a strong link back to the first school as further research could demonstrate that the core of this building is the first residence. The quarters are strongly linked with the development of the Parkerville School as it was the poor condition of the quarters which first prompted the Education Department to suggest the closure of the Parkerville School. The building has strong associations with Fred Schoch, who was the longest serving Head Teacher at Parkerville Primary School. He was highly respected by the community which was demonstrated when a street was named in his honor. Social Value The removal of the quarters from its old location to its present position demonstrates the depth of community spirit felt by the Parkerville residents towards what they considered inappropriate housing for their head teacher. The original quarters were constructed by the residents and much of the materials came at discounted prices from local suppliers. Over the ensuing years the residents were again forced to rally to save their school from closure and again to gain support for connection to the mains water supply and later connection to a septic tank system. The survival of Parkerville School and the quarters are a reminder that small rural schools often had to fight for their existence during the depression years as this was a time when the Education Department was under extensive pressure to save money. The removal of students from one school appear a simple cost effective manoeuvre to the Department, however to parents it meant longer trips for their children and the loss of buildings and equipment which they had usually provided. The recent centenary was well attended by both past and present students of the school. Representativeness The house is a representative example of the type of housing constructed by the Western Australian Depart. of Education for public purposes. Condition

Physical Description

The former teacher's quarters is a timber framed structure, set in a bushland on the southern side of Riley Road (which runs parallel to the old railway line), on a sloping site. The building lies approximately 75 metres to the west of the former Parkerville Primary School. The exterior of the building is clad with cream painted weatherboards and the hipped roof is covered with green zincalume. A new wing has been added to the southern end of the building on the eastern side(rear). Verandahs are located on the northern side (front) and eastern sides of the building. The verandah on the eastern side has been partially enclosed at the southern end. The main entrance to the building is at the rear via a new set of glass doors. The original front door has been removed as have the original front stairs. A set of stairs has been placed on the western side of the front verandah to provide access to this area. French doors provide access to the two front rooms. The building has retained four brick chimneys and stacks. The interior has five main rooms (lounge, kitchen/dining room, 2 bedrooms) plus a toilet, bathroom and laundry. The new section at the rear of the house contains the master bedroom and ensuite toilet. The bedroom at the south west comer is a new addition. The toilet and bathroom were formerly a bedroom and a wall has been knocked down between the kitchen and the "dining room". While the interior has been altered the building has retained some original joinery and fittings. The tongued and grooved floor boards are original and the high ceilings have a simple cornice. The internal linings are all new. The fireplace in the lounge room is awkwardly located in the north west comer; it has retained its original mantle piece. However, the mantle piece in the bedroom on the north west side is new. There are also a fireplaces in the dining room (formerly a bedroom) and the kitchen . The extension on the southern side of the building is timber framed and clad with weatherboards. A timber framed, weatherboard building is located to the south west of the main building. This was original the wash house. It has a brick chimney in the south west comer. It is covered with a new CGI skillion roof.

History

Assessment 2000 Construction 1914 Architect/Designer: H. Beasley Builder: Wallace & Jones Parkerville was settled in the 1890s by timber cutters and quarry workers. The arrival of the railway in 1896 saw the settlement increase in size and by 1897 parents were requesting the provision of a school. The first Parkerville School was constructed on Loe. 86, on Parker Road in 1899. A simple two roomed building was provided as the teacher's residence. At some later stage the building was enlarged, although at this stage when and what these alterations were is not known. The location of both the school and the quarters was found to be unsatisfactory with several teachers complaining about the unhealthy nature of the site. It was not until the death of Mr. Duncombe in 1910 that action was taken to find a new school site. A new school was built on the site in Riley Road in 1911 however, it was not until 1914 that the school residence was moved to this new location. Problems about the inadequate condition of the quarters continued to be voiced by various head teachers and in 1921 the Education Department felt it could resolve its problems by closing the village school and re-locating the children to the school run by the Parkerville Children's Home. Parents protested strongly to this suggestion and the Department reluctantly re-opened the village school. Some years later (1925) the Department carried out extensive alterations to the quarters. No further alterations were made to the building until 1989 when the present owners added a new wing to the rear of the original building. Minor alterations were also made to the interior. Parkerville was settled in the 1890s by timber cutters and quarry workers. The arrival of the railway in 1896 saw the settlement increase in size and by 1897 parents were requesting the provision of a school. The first school quarters were located in Parker Road close to the first school. This building was a simple, single roomed structure, built by local residents. ' At some stage this building was either enlarged or possibly rebuilt. The quarters had a long history of being damp and were supposedly responsible for the death of Mr Duncombe in 1910 who was the head teacher at the time (he was admitted to hospital in November 1913 with bronchitis and pneumonia and later died).2 As it was the location that was considered to be largely responsible for the dampness of the quarters, it was proposed in 1914 to move the quarters to a site close to the new school in Riley Road (teachers also found the mile long trek from the new school to the quarters inconvenient).3 The tender was won by contractors Wallace & Jones (£140) and work was completed by April 1914.4 Even in this new location the building was still condemned bl various health inspectors (and teachers) although the Public Works Department remained unconvinced . Several of the head teachers refused to occuy the house and rented other accommodation, much to the annoyance of the Education Department. In 1917, the building was described as having 4 rooms and a kitchen , built of wood, lined partly with iron and partly with asbestos sheets.7 By 1921, the building was in need of repair and at this stage the Education Department decided to close the village school and send the pupils to the school at the Parkerville Children's Home, thus saving themselves the expense of repairing the quarters. The parents were not pleased with this decision and removed their children and the equipment which they had purchased for the school. The children also went and strike and, after visiting the site, the Education Department was forced to back down.8 However, a major overhaul of the building (which had been suggested in 1921), did not start until 1925. The work included raising the roof line and adding a verandah to the eastern side of the building. The head teacher at the time of the extensions was Fred Schoch. He had to move his furniture into the school building, and his family were housed in the local hotel. Classes were temporarily held in the Parkerville Hall.9 Over the ensuing years complaints continued about the unsatisfactory nature of the quarters however, no further alterations were made to the structure. The building was connected to the town water supply in 1939. The high cost of extending the mains water supply (approximately 660 yards), to the quarters was considered to be more cost effective than constantly cleaning out and repairing the four tanks fitted to the quarters10 In 1950, the walls and ceilings were relined and the chimney stacks rebuilt. 11 It is not known when the school was sold by the Education Department. The present owners made additions to the rear of the building in 1989.12 Parkerville Primary School celebrated its centenary in September 1999 and the quarters were visited by many past and present residents of Parkerville.

Uses

Historic Themes

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