KATANDRA and DISTRICT HISTORY GROUP inc

SCHOOLS of the AREA


  KATANDRA  WEST  S S 
No 4401

 


 

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    History
    Building
    Teachers
    Students
   75th Birthday

 

School History
 

    (Taken from "Vision and Realisation")
The school was officially opened by Martin Hansen, Director of Education, in 1929, but it began operations on 28th of October 1928 with Miss Mary Schepisi as HT, and 32 pupils in grade 1-8. The original school still stands in the S/W corner of the present school block, fronting on to Queen and Bankin Sts, and is in the Shire of Tungamah, some 17 miles N/E of Shepparton. The Closer Settlement Commission proposed the opening of the original school; amongst others it would serve the children of English migrant settlers. W.A. Hansen was Chairman and W.J Davy Secretary of the first School Committee. In 1937, on 3 acres of land adjoining the school site and owned by the Closer Settlement Commission, a plantation of blue gums, mahogany gums and sugar gums was established. When, in 1968 a number of local one-teacher schools had been closed and their pupils transferred to Katandra West, 2.8 acres of the plantation were cleared to provide much needed playing space.
                In July 1953, S S 2515 Marionvale closed and the children and building moved to Katandra West. Late in 1953 the school building of 2589 Gobarup East in Waranga Shire was bought in for the infant grades. In February 1954 the building and children from 4477 Invergordon South were moved to Katandra West. In February 1957 S S 2236 Marungi was closed , followed in May 1965 by the closure of S S 3953 Youanmite South. Pupils at both schools were enrolled at Katandra West. In 1964, two new rooms were added making six in all. In 1968 two more new rooms were added, and the school had an attendance of 240 pupils.
Other Information: In May 1972 S S 1965 Katandra closed and students were bussed to Katandra West school.

 

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School Building
 
Photograph taken 2004

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Teachers 
 

Head Teachers/Principals
Mary Schepisi              1928
Mary Corboy                1929-1931
John T Barrett              1931
James E Pask               1931-1935
Don G Taylor               1935
Mrs Stokes (relieving)
Margaret Hickey         1935
Arch G Miller               1935-1944
Kathleen Molloy          1944
Alyn R Date                  1944-1949

Osborne Jean M           1948 (pt)        
Kenneth V Parkinson   1950-1951
Desmond J Dacy          1952
Ian Bickwell (temp)      1952
Ronald S Davis            1952-1962
Alf H Miller                  1963-1970
Frank Livingstone        1971-1972
Jas S Slattery               1973
Ian A Mollison             1974-7976
Alan Henderson           1977-1982
Greg Gilmour               1983-1986
Graeme R Holmes       1987-1991
Gary R Cleveland        1992-2004

. .

 

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Students (pre 1955)
 
 

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75th Birthday
            On the weekend of October 16/17 2004, Katandra West Primary school celebrated 75 years of schooling since the official opening in 1929.
 

 
  First day students in October 1928, Gertie Donahue (Wallden), Jim Burgman and Isabelle Burgman (Davy).  

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             The Katandra and District History Group inc can be contacted by:
  Mail to (Australia)
      Katandra and District History Group
      c/o Katandra West Post Office 
      Victoria    3634

 

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