History
At the top of the hill on Westernport Highway, near the Glasscocks Road roundabout, is a house with a
tree nursery attached. You may have seen it and you mayss have wondered about the unusual shape of
the front building. You may even have thought that it looks like an old school building. Well, in fact it is
an old school building. It is the old Lyndhurst Primary School!
I’m still trying to track down more history of the Lyndhurst Primary School, or Lyndhurst State School or
Bald Hills School, as it would have been known in the early days. I happen to know that, at one stage in
its life, it used to be a rural annexe of Hampton Park East Primary School (now Rivergum Primary School).
I know this because I used to teach there.
From 1988-1990, I was an Info Tech teacher at Hampton Park East PS and I would regularly travel out to
Lyndhurst to teach the 2 grades out there. The 2 grades were rural in style and structure with Preps to
2’s in one room and 3’s to 6’s in another.
The original Lyndhurst State School had a 3-digit school number, making it the one of the oldest schools in Victoria. I’ll certainly pass on more information as I track it down and if any parents or community members have something that they can contribute, I’d love to hear from you. It’s great for a new school to have some history upon which to draw in establishing its identity.
I was able to track down two entries for Lyndhurst Primary School in a book called “Vision and Realisation: a centenary history of state education in Victoria” published in 1973. The book includes entries dating back to 1854 that relate to Lyndhurst Primary School.
Over time, we have received communications from former students. They appear below with surnames removed.
“As former student at Lyndhurst State I was pleased to come across the history of it and I thank the author. I am 71 so attended from 1958 and my sister from 1953. I got a good education there and part of that was because all the grades were in the one room. So If I completed my work I could listen in to lessons for the grades above ... or if I was bored with my grades work.
I have a differing memory of some history. From the school towards the railway crossing with the Lyndhurst road were three farms. The middle farm was my father Roy Techow previously owned by the original selectors the Norquays. I met miss Norquay for the century of the school in 1962/5.
I remember my father saying the first school was on the farm and I believe the school bell came from that and it was in the Norquay's selectors hut. A weather board house had been built by them.
It is possible perhaps it was a temporary school during one of the periods the school was closed.
I'll check my sister's memory on this and add to it as can be.”
I was adding photos to my ______ Family Tree on Ancestry when I thought I should look on line for information about the old Lyndhurst Primary School. I noticed that your site had a history section. The information I was looking for the period between 1930 and 1955. My reason was that William Stephen ____- was a teacher there during that time as the Electoral Rolls of that period show. One photo that you may be interested in is an old school photo of the 1931 pupils as attached. I have the original photo.
“I used to go to this school I was grade 5-6 then the school closed, I remember the animals we had sheep chickens goats a turkey, Smokey the black goat and Rambo the sheep where horrible and they were in the the fenced off play area so when you opened the gate you had to run to the play equipment so you didn’t get attacked and bucked form them, on the weekends each family took it in turns to go to the school let the animals out in the Morning and feed them and another family would go in the evening to lock the animals back up so fox’s did not get them, one sad weekend a family had forgot to lock them back up and unfortunately the fox did come and got a lot of the chickens and Clive was found half way down the freeway. I never forgave my parents for that 😅I also remember the tv show Harry’s practice come out to the school and we were on tv , also had to go to the main primary school every Friday I hated that part lol, my brothers and I loved it at this school, I still have one of the original wooden desk we were aloud to take home after the closure of the school.”
Aleece
Hi I just happened upon your website. My parents owned the Lyndhurst general store around the early 1960’s. we moved from there when I was 5 or 6 in 63/64. I started my school life in the primary school. I was only 4 and I would watch the children walk past to go to school. While I was supposed to be at kindergarten (which. I went to for one day and sat and cried for my mum to pick me up) my brother was at school and I just wanted to go to school. The teacher at the time told my mother to let me come as I would soon get sick of it. I never did and was therefore always a year younger than most in my class. I remember being In a class with kids of all ages and just loving walking home to the store with all the kids. I would love some more history of the school and the general store.”
Sheryl
“I spoke to the school principal some 2 years ago about what more history (other than what I can see on your website) the school may have on the original Lyndhurst SS 732. My wife and I purchased this old school as our residence as we are admirers of old architecture. I would love to sit, meet and exchange any information with the principal or the teacher that wrote the history of the school on your website. Here are a few items I have been able to gather from the state records office that may be of interest.
I hope to hear from you soon.”
Shane
Student from 1984
From the State Records Office
Message: Hello, my name is Brent, I was the youngest in my siblings to attend Lyndhurst primary - 1983 I began, my eldest sister started school at Hampton Park primary and then moved to Lyndhurst in 1980 I think. I just looked up the school out of curiosity as we made a time capsule in my early years there and I was wondering if it had ever been dug up? I am 45 years old now and my sister is 50, we could help you with any history questions if you like.. Kind regards Brent
We answered Brent with the following.
“:Hi Brent,
Lovely to hear from you and thank you for the contact. The time capsule was dug up a few years ago and, unfortunately, the whole capsule was waterlogged. We were only able to salvage a few things from it and they are stored here in the school library. I actually taught at Hampton Park East PS and at the Lyndhurst annexe in the late 80’s. After your time, I think. I will certainly keep your contact details for any inquiries about your era at the school. You may already know that the main, old brick building is still standing but is now the master bedroom of a large house. I believe the original school sign is still on the wall, but I haven’t been up there for a while.
It’s been great to carry on the Lyndhurst PS name, even though this is a new school in a new location.”
“As former student at Lyndhurst State I was pleased to come across the history of it and I thank the author. I am 71 so attended from 1958 and my sister from 1953.
I got a good education there and part of that was because all the grades were in the one room. So If I completed my work I could listen in to lessons for the grades above ... or if I was bored with my grades work.
I have a differing memory of some history. From the school towards the railway crossing with the Lyndhurst road were three farms. The middle farm was my father Roy Techow previously owned by the original selectors the Norquays. I met miss Norquay for the century of the school in 1962/5.
I remember my father saying the first school was on the farm and I believe the school bell came from that and it was in the Norquay's selectors hut. A weather board house had been built by them.
It is possible perhaps it was a temporary school during one of the periods the school was closed.
I'll check my sister's memory on this and add to it as can be.
Cheer
Frederick”
