Tharwa Primary School was a primary school in the small village of Tharwa, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. It was built in 1898 and opened in 1899.[1] The school had two classrooms for the primary school, plus a preschool room. While the current school dates from 1912,[2] the site of the school made it the oldest operating school in Canberra until its closure in 2006. The first Parents and Citizens committee was established in 1931.[3]
| Tharwa Primary School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
 | |
2620 Australia | |
| Coordinates | 35°30′32″S 149°04′04″E / 35.508756°S 149.067784°E |
| Information | |
| Type | Primary school |
| Established | 1899 |
| Closed | 2006 |
| Website | www |
The first pupil enrolled on 9 August 1899 and the centenary of this event was celebrated by a town ball and the launching a book A Century of Learning: Tharwa Primary School by historian Matthew Higgins.[4] At that time the school only operated on a part-time basis.[5]
In 2006 the government announced it would close Tharwa Primary School by the end of December 2006.[6] An attempt was made to open a private school on the site, but the proposal was thwarted by new restrictions on private schools, enacted by the Legislative Assembly in December 2006.[7] Community attempts to save or reopen the school continued, with the last blog post on the dedicated campaign site being posted in September 2007.[8]
The Tharwa Preschool is still operating. The school and the surrounding community traditionally host an annual Tharwa Bush Fair.[9]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Caldwell, Brian, Re-imagining educational leadership, ACER press, Camberwell, Victoria, Australia, page 98
- ^ Exploring the ACT and South East NSW, J Kay Donald, Kangaroo Press, 1985, p48
- ^ "Tharwa News", The Canberra Times, 12 March 1931, p3
- ^ Senator Kate Ellis, House of Representatives Hansard, 9 August 1999 Archived 12 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ '"The Tharwa Schools," The Queanbeyan Age, 28 October 1899, p2
- ^ Barr, Andrew, Minister for Education and Training, ACT Legislative Assembly, notice dated 13 December 2006 Archived 2 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ ABC Canberra, 16 December 2006
- ^ savetharwaschool.com Archived 28 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ ABC Canberra, 25 October 2009 Archived 15 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
Further reading edit
External links edit
- Official website (archive)
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