Principal's Report

Our Centenary 1819-2019.

A short history of the early years of our school.

Saturday 4 March 1916 at 3.00pm, Toongabbie Park Estate auction sale took place. Advertised as ‘100 yards from Toongabbie station. Only 18 miles from Sydney. 4 miles from Parramatta. Lots sale price started at 25 pounds. Soil is good. Most lots are quite cleared. City water supply runs along the side of the estate. Fine vineyards and orchards are in the immediate neighbourhood’. The estate was noted to be ½ mile from Prospect Public School.

In 1918 lot 484 was acquired for a new school. This was on the southern side of Gilba Road, between Tungarra Road and Edith Street. As the school building was not complete, the school took its first enrollments in the School of Arts building.

The School of Arts was located on the south-eastern corner of Oramzi and Targo Rd and was used by various local community groups for their own activities. The building was ready for the school to use from 1 April 1919.

Mr Watson, the headmaster for the new school at Girraween came from Corowa. The Watson’s lived just a short way from the footbridge which crosses the creek in Pendle Hill Park. Girraween Public School enrolled 11 students on 1 April 1919. By Saturday 31 May 1919 the building at Gilba Road was completed and on 2 June 1919 the pupils moved from the School of Arts into the new school. It must have been quite an occasion.

Furniture was delivered from Toongabbie station by Mr. E. Davison. Six desks were ordered and received in early July 1919 but apparently the screws did not come with the desks. These then had to be ordered separately. A memorandum from the Furniture Workshop dated 9 July 1919 informed headmaster, Mr Watson that the screws had been dispatched that day by parcel post via Parramatta. The screws were duly received on 31 July 1919. Girraween PS grew to 74 students by the end of the year.

At that time Australia and whole world was recovering from the horrors of the Great War, WW1. The war ended on 11 November 1918. By April the next year Girraween PS was in operation. Many families had lost loved ones in the war. Many soldiers would have still been returning from Europe and northern Africa at the time our school opened its doors.

The war service and sacrifice of WW1 was repeated in the service of ex-students in World War 11 and other theaters of war that Australia has been involved in since then.

On 23rd August 1921 Lot No. 369 in Bando Road was purchased. Lots 370, 371& 372 were subsequently acquired.

The re-siting of the first building to Bando Rd, together with the construction of the second room was completed on 23rd October 1922. Whilst the original building was designed for 42 pupils, the added room was planned to cater for another 48. A third room was erected on 28 April 1925. A history of our school is in the booklet printed for our centenary.

This research was done by Brian Hooper, a student at Girraween PS from 1944 to 1950. Copies of his printed booklet ‘The Early Days 1919-1921’ are held in the school library.

Just as an old tree grows stronger and its branches produce many leaves our school has been strengthened by the commitment and dedication of the many staff and parents who have nurtured and encouraged thousands of students over the last 100 years.

There have been changes in the cultural background of our school community as the population of the local area has grown. By the 1950’s and 1960’s there were many small farms worked by a community of largely European migrants living on large blocks of land. Affordable housing attracted families in the 1970 and 1980 commuting to Parramatta and Sydney for work. Since the 1990’s families migrating from India and Sri Lanka have added to the diversity of our school community and the local area.

Enrollment growth in recent years has had a significant impact on Girraween Public School. Enrollment over past years has been; 2003 – 418 students, 2010 – 580 students, 2015 – 936 students, 2019 – 1270 students.

High academic achievement and popularity in the community continues to attract student enrollments. Our Support Unit caters for students with disabilities. There is an established ethos of high standards of behaviour and cooperation among our all students, strongly supported by parents and school staff. Our school motto; Truth, Beauty and Goodness underlines the school focus on a well-rounded education built on high standards of academic, sporting, social and cultural programs.

Girraween Public School maintains strong links with the local community. We have strong links with our local primary schools and high schools. I’d like to welcome principals and staff from our surrounding schools here today. I’d also like to acknowledge the strong support our school receives from our Director of Educational Leadership, Joanna French. School use of facilities week days and weekends extends our school links with families and community groups. Tamil School, Gujarati school, DAY and other community groups have access to the school every week of the year. Our Parents and Citizens Association continues to link parents with school governance. The current P&C executive; Jane Kelly, Viral Mehta and Ramesh Velu maintain strong links between the school and parents. Our school links to the community are strong and even extend to the great service provided by Sam Carlino and his family who service and maintain most staff cars at the local BP petrol station.

A house is not a home without the people in it. Our school has four sport houses named after four fine Australians; Bradman, Cuthbert, Gould and Newcombe. Our students connect across all grades in our sporting and house team activities held throughout the year.

Our school has had many people dedicating their childhood learning and working life in classrooms, the staffroom, the office and our grounds. Many have gone on to significant achievements and careers based on the foundation provided here in primary school. Every one of us has contributed to the history and great success of Girraween Public School.

Thank you all for the contribution you have made to this outstanding school community.

Regards,

G. Walker

Principal